Walking to camp was one of the things Katie wasn't planning on.
"So Danny, where are you from?" she asked.
"I'm from North Carolina," he said.
"Wow, he's way in the South," she thought. "How did you get here?"
"I walked," he said. Katie stopped, looking with shock and awe at him.
"You seriously walked or are you just bull shitting me?" she said. Danny turned around.
"Actually I just traveled through the earth, but once I got into New York I started walking," he said. He turned back around and continued to walk to camp. Katie could see his weapons and gear from her position. His sword was curved with a sharp point at the end for thrusting or stabbing. It looked like one of the swords the Spartans used in 300. His shield had the symbol Omega in the middle, meaning that the shield was probably the last thing an enemy would see. As she wathed he tapped the Omega on his shield and the shield riveted down into a basketball armband. Then he touched the buckle on his belt and his sword belt and sword was replaced with a regular black belt. He touched the letter Alpha on his bow and it became part of his jacket
"So, what do you call them?" she asked.
"Who?"
"Your weapon's," she said.
"Oh, the sword's name is Seismos and the shield's name is Lithos," he said. "My bow didn't have a name so I call him Pedos.
"Earthquake, Stone, and Ground," she thought, knowing they were Greek words for them. "Who were those guys who attacked me?" she continued.
"They were gryphons. Me and them had a run-in in Virginia. Back then there was ten of them," Danny said. Katie gulped, knowing that she could have been facing more of them.
"If you're a half-blood, and you've been coming to camp, then how come I've never seen you before?" she asked.
"Because I come and go when I feel like it. I could be here in the winter or in the spring if I want to. I usually don't come in the summer, but Chiron insisted on me coming," he said.
"You know Chiron?" she said.
"He's the one who found me when.." he stopped talking after that and continued walking.
"When what?" she asked.
"Some things are better left unsaid," was all he said. As she walked she thought she saw a hint of sadness on his face, but it was changed back to a hardened expression. After walking about two miles the sun was starting to set. They had reached the base of Half-Blood Hill. They climbed up it to a very large pine tree. Thalia's tree it was called, after one of Katie's older siblings who had died there, but was reborn by the magic of the Golden Fleece. The Fleece was still wrapped around the tree, a large, purple dragon wrapped around the trunk hissing and sending smoke up to the sky.
"Peleus, how you doing?" said Danny, walking up to the dragon as if they were old friends. The dragon yelped eagerly at him and let Danny hug him around the neck, placing his head on Danny's shoulder affectionally. Katie always tried to get on Peleus's good side, but everytime the dragon scooted away from her before she could make a move, and at one time he blew some fire at her. At least he let her in through camp. Seeing Danny with Peleus made her kind of jealous.
"Tomorrow I'll come over and play with you. How does that sound big guy?" he said. The dragon blew some fire into the sky as saying yes. Danny patted him on the head and went past the invisible boundary into camp. Katie went through the boundary too, Peleu glaring at her as she went by.
"What did I ever do to you?" she thought as she passed him. Following Danny she saw the lights of the Big House. From out of there came a centaur, an adult man, an an adult female. They stood out on the porch, looking for the two to get there. Danny and Katie trudged down the hill towards it. When they got on the porch she saw who it was. Chiron was obviously the centaur, the adult female had long blonde hair and stormy grey eyes, and the man had black hair and sea green eyes.
"Katie, I expected you back about three hours ago?" said Chiron.
"I was about to come on time but I was ambushed by a gang of gryphons," said Katie.
"Danny, you saved her?" said Chiron.
"Yes Chiron, it's lucky I was there at the right time," said Danny.
"Thank you. Katie, you remeber Percy and Annabeth?" said Chiron pointing to the man and the woman.
"How can I not, they taught me how to fight," said Katie.
"They're getting married here at camp," said Chiron.
"Congratulations!" she squealed as she hugged Percy and Annabeth. "I can't believe it. Twenty-four and getting hitched."
"We decided we wanted to get married here," said Percy. "So many memories."
"Katie, there's also another thing we must discuss," said Chiron.
"What is it?" she asked.
"This sign of the gryphons attacking you in broad daylight this close to camp is a bad sign. They must know of what you need to do. We're going to have to postpone your quest," said Chiron.
"What?! But I was fine until he showed up," she said.
"You mean if I hadn't shown up you would have been eighty, ninety pounds of fresh meat," said Danny, starting to get a little angry.
"Either way you could have been killed and that means someone knew when you were coming to camp. We need to postpone your quest till one week from now," said Chiron. Katie was furious. But she knew better than to snap at Chiron.
"Okay, one week," she said, her head facing down. Chiron, Annabeth, and Percy walked back into the Big House, leaving Danny and Sarah alone.
"Listen, if you need anything..."
"I don't need your help," said Katie.
"Well excuse me for looking out," said Danny.
"If it wasn't for you I probably could have been on my quest by now," she said, turning to look at him, anger apparent in her face.
"If it wasn't for me you would be dinner about now," said Danny.
"Look, just leave me alone," yelled Katie.
"Okay then daughter of Zeus, but just because your Lightning Head's kid doesn't me you can treat others as if they're under you," yelled Danny just as loud. Some thunder shook in the sky.
"Oh come on then, I want you to do it," Danny shouted to the clouds. No response. Danny growled and headed off to the cabins. Katie just glared after him. How come her Dad would let him talk about him and not strike him down? She didn't know so she decided to just go about her business. She walked away from the Big House towards the cabin's.
The cabin's were now a complete rectangle. Her cabin, Cabin One, was at the head of it. As she walked towards it she saw Danny going into a cabin closest to the entrance, the walls laced with stone and dirt, and a globe symbol on the door. He walked through the door and shut it closed behind him. She continued walking towards her cabin and entered it's golden chambers, where her two younger siblings met her.
Their names were Zetes and Calais, after the winged twins who traveled with Jason and the Argonauts. Katie was the oldest beacuse she was eight when the Battle for Olympus took place and Zeus had not claimed her until the Pact of the Big Three was broken. Zetes and Calais were twelve and they were four when Zeus claimed them.
"Katie, you're back!" yelled Zetes when he saw his half-sister walk through the door. He and Calais ran over to her and hugged her around her waist.
"It's great to see you guys again. My you've grown," she said.
"Guess what, me and Zetes took on the Minotaur together. It was so fun, except he crushed the car," said Calais.
"Good for you," said Katie, thrilled that her siblings were already becoming expert monster killers.
Oh yeah, this came for you," said Zetes. He lugged over her suitcase from a corner of the room. The paper Danny had put on it was still there, the words "Delivered" stamped on there. A conch horn blew across the camp. That meant it was time for dinner. Katie had just realized how hungry she was. Zetes and Calais looked at her expectantly for the call.
"One, fall in!" she said. Zetes and Calais got into a line behind her and they went off in single file to the dining pavilion. The other cabins were heading towards the dining pavilion too. As she watched they all entered the dining pavilion according to cabin. She saw Percy with the Poseidon cabin, a big Cyclops with him and two younger siblings. She saw Annabeth at her table with the Athena cabin and her dozen siblings. At the Hades Table she saw Nico di' Angelo and a younger sibling of his who looked like she was ten. She also saw the other tables filled with children from the other gods: Hermes, which was still packed, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Demeter, Dionysus, Hecate, Nemesis, Eris, Nike, Iris, Asclepius, and lastly Gaia. Danny was sitting by himself at a table next to the Apollo cabin. He didn't seem to mind being by himself.
Mr. D sat at the head table with Chiron and a red-haired girl who she knew was Rachel Dare, they're new Oracle. As everyone was settled and their goblets were filled Chiron cleared his throat for everyone to raise their goblets.
"To the gods," he said.
"To the gods," they repeated. The nymphs came out with smoked brisket, cheese, bread, olives, grapes, and a yellow frosted chocolate cupcake with the words "PJ & AC" enscribed in green icing. Everyone at the tables took off a portion of their food and dumped it into the brazier in the middle of the room. Once that was done they chowed down and ate. As she ate, Katie for some reason couldn't take her eyes off Danny. For some reason he seemed so, rugged. It was like he had no cares in the world, as if he just liked being alone and away from the rules. She saw part of this when he bravely yelled at Zeus to the heavens.
Once the feast was done Mr. D calmed everyone down and made announcements.
Yes, yes, now for announcements. First up we celebrate the return of David Rocks back to camp," said Mr. D. Everyone, except Mr. D clapped and turned to Danny smiling. He just waved his hand. Katie clapped, but only not to seem rude.
"Next off, we have Capture the Flag on Wednesday. The Poseidon and Apollo cabin hold the flag," said Mr. D. A lot of cheering from the two cabins.
"And lastly, we have not so special news. Tonight we celebrate the news of two well-known campers that are getting married here at the camp, Peter Johnsonn and Abigail Chaplin." A lot of cheering came from all the camps, including some whistling from Nico and Tyson. Even Clarisse, the head counselor of Ares cabin, clapped. Katie even saw Danny clapping for them. Once the applause had broken down everyone got up and either went to the campfire for sing-a-longs or went to their cabins. Danny headed back to his.
"I'll catch up with you guys later," said Katie to Zetes and Calais. She walked over to him, careful to not let him know she was following him. In the middle of the cabin pavilion he stopped.
"I know you're there," he said.
"How did you know I was behind you?" she asked.
"I can feel things through the earth," said Danny.
"Look, I just want to say I'm.."
"Spare it, it's all the same with you Big Three demigods," he said.
"What is?" she said.
"Your stubborness, ingratitude, and feelings of superiority," said Danny, turning to face her.
"I'm trying to apologize," she said.
"I can even sense that you're not really meaning it. Next time you want to apologize, mean it," he said. He started to walk back to his cabin.
"So you're just going to walk away?" she said, her voice rising.
"Yes, now if you excuse me I'd like to get some sleep," said Danny.
"Fine, go to your bed Rock head," she yelled.
"Will do Air head," he yelled back. He opened his door and slammed it shut. Katie just yelled to the sky and stomped her way to her cabin. She slammed the door shut behind her, put her sleeping clothes on, and laid in her bed fuming. Zetes and Calais came back later. They saw her angry expression on her face.
"Katie, what's wrong?" said Zetes.
"It's that Danny guy. He thinks I'm stuck up," she said.
"Well sis, if you haven't noticed you kind of are," said Calais. Katie just turned away from them on the bed.
"Sis relax, Danny got along well with us. Maybe he'll warm up to you," said Calais. "Or he'll pulverize you into the ground so hard that even Dad can't find you." Katie just closed her eyes and told them lights out. This was going to be one chaotic summer.
So what do you think so far? Come on, push the green button and give me your thoughts.
