Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus series.
New Camper
"Honey," Mr. Beach said as he gently shook his daughter's leg. "We're here; this is where your friend said the camp was located." With her eyelids still to heavy to lift she remembered her friend speaking about a summer camp. At school he was that kid that you often see in the shadows minding his own business. Although she was one of the popular girls in school he always seemed to be around the corner, as if protecting her. This was quite odd seeing as he needed crutches to walk.
She was going now to the camp her friend had mentioned since her father didn't know where to put her anymore. She had just recently been kicked out of yet another school ten days before the end of the school year, for supposedly destroying the classroom and injuring her science teacher. When what actually happened was her teacher asked her if he could speak with her after the bell. She had stayed only for him to block the door as he grew bigger saying he'd finally have a nice tasty half-blood. With that he lunged at her with giant clawed fists, she went into overdrive at the last second. Dodging the lung and run around the room, while he smashed and threw desks out of the way to grab her. Some of the desks he threw aside went through the windows shattering them to pieces. After quite a lot of running maniacally he cornered her into one of the four corners in the classroom. Lifting his fist to knock her out and eat her afterwards she ducked and slide under him, while his fist was in mid-swing. Not being able to stop the trajectory of his fist in time, he broke the corner support of that section making part of the ceiling to crumble over him. But like every other school she'd gone at, she got blamed getting called by the principal of the school shortly after her attack.
The summer camp she brought up to her father's attention, since her father had almost decided to send her away. She had not wanted to leave her mansion on the side of the beach, but a summer camp with a friend was always better than nothing. So there she was in the back seat of the limousine, sleeping on her own seat while her father and stepmother sat opposite to her. They were in the limousine with her, since they we're going out somewhere after dropping her off.
Opening her eyes slightly she was blinded by the sun's rays coming in the limousine's open roof. Stretching her cramped muscles from her awkward sleeping position, she looked out the window still bleary eyed. The ride here in what seemed the country had been long and excruciating, but she decided not complain and get her bag from the chauffeur waiting outside.
Taking her bag from his possession, he began walking back to the driver's seat to head back into civilization. So there she was on the gravel road with a bag at her feet rubbing and blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Looking around disappointedly at her surroundings, she spotted a panel advertising a strawberry farm. Walking up to it she set her mind to the task of deciphering the panel with moving letters. Every time she attempted reading the letters would move around, making it impossible to pass school.
After the letters settled and calmed, to her amazement she could read the Greek wording on the panel. Greek? Where did she learn how to read and understand Greek and where did the Greek appear on the sign? It was the first time she had ever seen the weird wording, yet she could make out what it said. If you can read this then your most likely one of us, go up the hill and head for the big blue farm house. Beware! Don't get to close to the pine tree.
She could remember her friend Grover mentioning a blue farm house, so before taking out her cell phone to tell her father there was nothing in the area. She decided to start the long walk up the hill through a dense array of trees. Trees so big it was a miracle loggers hadn't gotten to them. She spotted the pine tree, the only one of it's specimens in the region and it was large. It would take approximately five people spread out holding hands to go around the tree's base.
As she approached the tree, she began hearing a faint hissing sound. Still approaching the tree she realized what the hissing was. A huge beast was coiled around the tree's trunk, marking it as its own. Remembering the 'Beware' sign she made a huge detour around the tree to avoid angering the creature. It seemed content on staying coiled around the pine tree, to her good fortune.
Once at the hill's vertex she looked at the expanse of land before her. From this high up she could see Long Island Sound farther away, and to the left see could clearly make out a big blue farm house. Deciding that it was now or never, she began her walk towards the farm house. Once the house was at reasonable distance, she could distinguish three stories with an extra level for the attic. On the porch three people seemed to be playing cards with an extra invisible floating hand of cards playing with them.
Once at the porch, she realized that one of the card players was actually her friend Grover Underwood. But something was different about him, that's when she realized the hoofed feet, hind legs covered in thick brown fur and two small horns on the top of his head. His body perspective like this explained a lot why Grover at school had always worn jeans and a hat. Hearing the sound of her foot contacting with the first wooden porch step Grover turned and smiled. But before he spoke a man beside him in a wheel chair welcomed her.
"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," the man said in a heart felt voice. But hearing those two last words brought her on edge, usually when someone said 'half-blood' to her something associating with food ended or began the phrase. "Hello child, I am Chiron and who might you be?" Chiron asked genuinely.
"Crystal, Crystal Beach." Crystal answered simply. Chiron nodded slightly in acknowledgement. "And would you happen to know where you are and who your parent is?" She found his question odd seeing as she was obviously in a camp, she had seen cabins from atop the hill. Also since he said 'parent' instead of 'parents' seemed odd. Discounting the oddity in his question, Crystal answered "well I'm in a summer camp, my father is..." She couldn't continue as Grover cut her off.
"She doesn't know why she's here or who her parent is Chiron," Grover said. "But I have a pretty good idea who her mother is." Grover said as he looked at her and nodded slightly to himself. How could Grover possibly know who her mother was, even she didn't know that. She had never seen her real mother; her father had married her stepmom when she was two years old.
"Well no matter, why don't you sit down beside Mr. D and we'll explain everything to you." Chiron pointed to a seat beside the third man at the table. "Well before I explain everything to you child," Chiron gestured towards Grover. "I'd like to know who Grover believes your mother might be."
Crystal nodded understandingly. Thus Grover began his assumption.
"Well when I looked after Crystal at school, I realized she was usually surrounded by popular kids and will take every possibility to know the latest gossip and rumours. Her father is Jake Beach."
One of Chiron's eyebrows lifted in ignorance. His arms lifted slightly to supply defeat, not knowing the father of the demigod sitting before him.
"Jake Beach is a very successful movie star, Chiron. Also strictly speaking, since I have a girlfriend and I would never say this if she we're here," Grover turned his eyes to look at the new camper. "Crystal is quite nice on the eyes." Grover gave her a comforting smile. Crystal shifted uncomfortably in her seat as her cheeks slightly flushed.
Crystal had always been complemented on how beautiful she was. She had brunt golden hair which was full and lush, reaching the end of her shoulder blades. Her burnt golden hair also had a bit of a wave to it, adding to its volume and beauty naturally. Even at the age of 13 Crystal had a shapely form, which always seemed to make the boys stutter. Her thin delicate eyebrows helped add to her powerful pale blue eyes. Her exquisite features and voice, is also just as attractive as the rest of her.
"Well with these propositions I believe Crystal's godly parent..." Grover stopped mid-sentence, and Crystal just stared at him in confusion. Until she saw a pink reflection in his eyes she looked up over her head, where both men stared. The pink over her head was a symbol; it was like a flag, pink on the outside with a white dove in the middle. Turning to the men for an explanation her eyes passed Mr. D who hadn't looked up at all. So she looked back to Grover and Chiron with an expression on her face demanding an explanation, since they didn't seem surprised.
"As I thought Chiron, Aphrodite," Grover said simply, not startled by the white dove and pink symbol over Crystal's head. His easy expression said that he had guessed as much.
Chiron looked towards her and let out a sigh, knowing she expected an answer soon. "That my dear is what is known as claiming. You my dear are a demigod; half god and half mortal. That symbol over your head just a few seconds ago was the symbol of your godly parent."
"My mother is Aphrodite?" Crystal asked in disbelief, "The goddess of love, beauty and sexuality?"
"Ah, so you do have knowledge in the gods," Chiron stated with a knowing smile. "Do not worry my dear; we shall explain everything to you."
And so Chiron proceeds by explaining the Greek gods, and what the camp was for.
Once Chiron and Grover had finished explaining the Greek gods and what Camp Half-Blood was for. Chiron asked Grover if he could show Crystal around camp. So there they we're in camp heading directly toward a pink cabin. Grover had explained that he would bring her to her siblings, since he had other things to take care of. Grover stopped in front of the big pink cabin and knocked, a girl of about 17 came out of the cabin and introductions began.
"Hello Jasmine, this is Crystal a new camper of yours," Grover explained. "Could you show her around camp, show her the basics I have to speak with some of the satyrs."
"Of course, Grover." Jasmine said, but Grover was already leaving the new girl in her care. "Well proper introductions are in order," Jasmine said extending her pink nailed hand toward Crystal. "I am Jasmine Care, daughter of Aphrodite and cabin councillor to the Aphrodite cabin." Crystal took the hand of her half sister and shook it, "Crystal Beach, daughter of Aphrodite."
As Jasmine gave a tour of camp to Crystal, Crystal saw it fit to begin a conversation she new the other girl would be well acquainted with. She asked, "So Jasmine what's the big gossip around this place, so I'm not totally in the blue." Jasmine shrieked in total glee and her hand clasped on Crystal's wrist dragging her through the cabin section. Jasmine stopped before a cabin of the pure white marble.
After looking at the massive structure, Crystal turned toward Jasmine in utter confusion. Jasmine still stared in awe at the structure as if it was a part of rapture. Her intense gaze upon the cabin seemed as if Jasmine had just found an extremely important page in a catalogue requiring her fullest attention. Deciding it was time to take Jasmine out of her pondering thoughts she asked her what was so impressive about the cabin; since she had seen some of the others which were more of a sight to behold. Although the cabin did look good in that it was a simple structure, which feed beauty in its simplicity.
"So Jasmine," Crystal began shaken by Jasmine's intense gaze of awe. "Whose cabin is this and why did we stop before it?" Jasmine turned to look at her bemused. "You wanted to know the main gossip spread around camp, well this is it. This cabin is a week old and it appeared in this section of cabins. It was said that the cabin rose from the ground placing itself there."
"That's the big deal?" Crystal asked bewildered that a cabin would be the focus of everyone's gossip. "I've seen a bunch of cabins, what's so great about this one in this section?"
"Well seeing as your new I understand why you don't think this is a big deal, so I'll begin the tour by explaining the cabins in general." Crystal gave her a nodded to continue. "Well as I hope you know the cabins represent each a different god or goddess." Crystal was about to speak when Jasmine cut her off to finish explaining everything. "The cabins forming a circle are the cabins for the minor gods and goddesses, such as Hecate, Janus, Iris, Morpheus, Persephone, etcetera... The cabins within the circle of minor gods and goddesses form the Olympian gods and goddesses."
"So this white cabin," Crystal pointed at the formally new cabin with a new sense of wonder. "Is the cabin of a new god or goddess?"
"Precisely, but that the cabin rose out of nowhere in the Olympian section, proves more things than just a new god or goddess. It proves a new Olympian god or goddess it shows that there is a thirteenth Olympian."
Jasmine then let out a slow disappointed sigh and spoke anew, "Unfortunately no one knows who this new Olympian is except for Mr. D but he won't give that away. Well come on let me show you the rest of camp, still lots and dinner is in an hour so hurry up." As she was getting pulled away from the white marble cabin, Jasmine's words began to sink in. She abruptly stopped in her tracks, "Mr. D is a god?" she asked her facial expression twisted into utter bewilderment and disbelief.
"Of course, Lord Dionysus, God of Wine, Madness and Festivities." Jasmine said offhandedly. "Although he hasn't been very festive since he was placed here as punishment by his father, Zeus."
That was the last really of the conversation as Jasmine gave her the tour. As they approached the area of Arts & Crafts they were stopped by a flash of pink before them. Once the pink light faded a gorgeous women was in its place. She knew who the women was even before Jasmine said taken aback, "Mom?"
"Hello darlings," Aphrodite said in a velvety soft voice. "I came to welcome my daughter to Camp Half-Blood and seek a son or daughter of Athena for a favour." She came and gave Crystal a motherly hug, once they separated Crystal looked up at her mother saying, "My father got quite lucky."
Aphrodite gave her a small smile and after giving Jasmine a hug was about to leave but turned to them both and spoke, "Well I must be off, I hope you'll enjoy it here Crystal," Aphrodite said. "And Jasmine you can inform your other sisters at dinner that my show will be amazing tonight and should not be missed." Aphrodite said the word 'amazing' with much emphasis.
"Don't worry mother we never miss one of your shows, there always the best." Jasmine said, receiving a mischievous smile from Aphrodite in return.
"Tonight my dear will be my best show," Aphrodite said still with the same mischievous smile. Aphrodite's features suddenly became sullen as she murmured, "Unless he doesn't train tonight." A smile came back showing her perfectly white teeth. "Well I must be off; I still need those Hype-cams for the show to start tonight." After which she turned and headed off towards the Arts & Crafts.
"Hype-cams?" Crystal asked. Jasmine turned and headed towards the dining pavilion since the horn would sound soon. Crystal gave a little jog to catch up to Jasmine. Once Crystal was beside her she explained.
"Hyper definition cameras, to get the best quality for the Aphrodite show," Jasmine said.
"Hyper definition? What happened to high definition?" Crystal asked her.
"Well to tell you the truth, the gods and goddesses are always better equipped than the mortals. They will always be a few steps ahead, and as demigods we get a share in the advanced products they have." Jasmine told her arriving at the dining pavilion a few minutes after the horn had sounded.
The dinner was amazing and all the girls at the Aphrodite table were giggling with glee, once they'd heard Jasmine say that tonight their mother's show was going to be the best they'd seen. Crystal had asked them if this was how many people there usually was at camp, but they just laughed saying no and explaining. The people present at camp were the year rounder's, in a week, more people would be flowing through the camp's borders.
After eating, everyone but the girls from the Aphrodite cabin went to the camp fire to join in the sing a long. They were all waiting in their cabin waiting for Aphrodite's show to begin. Five minutes after everyone had settled in, able to see what was broadcast on the television a velvety soft voice announced the beginning of the show. The scene soon changed from Aphrodite to an area that looked for training. The area was filled with sand with a few dummies, a sword rack was evident on the side and a large pool circled around the training area.
After about two minutes of staring at the training grounds a man could be seen walking toward the sword rack. Aphrodite's squeal of joy was heard after which she announced, "Well ladies let the show begin."
The man with his back to the camera captured her. She was unable to stop looking at him, he had messy raven black hair that seemed impossible to comb. He wore no shoes or sandals he was barefoot in the sandy area. He wore black jogging shorts with a nice white shirt. The shirt though was aggravating; it was a kind of shirt that is tight on the body of the wearer. It's worn to display the man's muscles underneath, but not be disrespectful by wearing nothing.
The camera suddenly increased in range to make the picture larger and closer. With this moans of pleasure, escaped the girls at seeing the man closer up. Another moan escaped in the cabin, when the man lifted his sword, flexing his right arm as he lifted it. The black haired man was well tanned with an extremely well defined muscular build. The veins in his arm as he flexed, were not too big which could easily be repulsing. They were of balanced size complementing the bulging muscles of his arm.
Once he lifted the sword and got into a stance the training dummies began to move toward him, Crystal almost black out in total bliss when he deflected the dummies sword with his own. After blocking the first strike, the man made a rotation of his shoulders to strike the dummy with his own sword. Shifting his shoulders slightly the camera was able to capture the man's abdominal area slightly; the sight of the mountainous bumps of his abs covered by the white shirt simply made the sight more stimulating.
After approximately 20 minutes of intense sparring with the moving test dummies, the black haired man raised a hand. With that gesture the test dummies, seemed to freeze in place. The man dropped his sword and turned, with that all the girls in the cabin caught sight of him. The man looked to be 20 and was very good looking. What were most characteristically defining about the man were his eyes. Beautiful deep sea green orbs that radiated power, the powerful raptor gaze of the man as he turned looked directly into the camera making every girl in the room lean into the penetrating gaze.
But as quickly at the gaze came, as quickly did it move on. The man continued to walk and jumped into the side pool to refresh him self. Coming back out of the crystal clear water, shrieks came from every girl in the Aphrodite cabin. The girl's eyes were hungrily eating the sight they beheld. As the man emerged from the water, his white shirt became a transparent white that moulded around his powerful build. Even with every girl in the cabin practically tearing their eyes out at the sight, the man pulled the sticky moulding shirt over his head.
Shirtless and refreshed the man picked his blade up again and continued to train on the moving training dummies. After seemingly 30 minutes a feminine voice echoed from close by. Although the woman could not be seen just yet, the man did not seem to hear the woman call so he continued to train. Sighing in frustration the woman advanced, coming into the camera's view and called again, "Perseus."
The man, whom must be Perseus heard this time. He raised a hand again stopping the deadly arc of the dummy's sword. With that Perseus turned toward the woman, a small smile spread on his lips. The woman turned away from the sweat dripping, golden abs of the man, But not after eating the sight herself.
The woman was now facing the Hype-cam so we could see her reddened cheeks, as she blushed from seeing such a sight. "Perseus," she called to him without looking back. "I will be unable to train you today since my father has an important mission for me."
The woman was definitely beautiful, with long fine shoulder length auburn hair. Nice lean figure displaying no excess fat whatsoever, with strong proportional muscles not disfiguring the woman. In entity the woman was quite beautiful, but just like the man it was her eyes that were most alluring. She had piercing silver eyes like when the moon is full.
"Of course Artemis, it's no problem. I'll ask Apollo to train me today then; hopefully he doesn't bring me to the club again." Perseus responded kindly. The woman Artemis was about to leave when Perseus began to speak again. "Artemis, also I will..." The screen cut black and Aphrodite's velvety silken voice was back.
"Well viewers I hope you liked this week's episode of Aphrodite's man hunt." With this a click sounded turning the microphone off, and the Television turned black. The last thing seen was a sizzling hunk of a man, with golden muscles in the sun's reflection, about to speak to the woman named Artemis.
After a few seconds of awkward silence Jasmine began to speak, "Well that was odd, the show usually lasts one hour that was only 52 minutes. Ah well, did everyone like the show?" Everyone nodded eyes sparkling and still unable to pronounce words.