Chapter 3

Thanks to my new friends, my afternoon was totally booked. Not that I minded. I learned more than I felt like I ever had in school. Percy and Annabeth, and later Jason and Piper, showed me the sword fighting basics, from defense positions to grappling. Then, over at the forge, I met Leo, and he sized me for a custom suit of armor of what I had learned was called Celestial bronze. As he worked, he explained in extreme detail many things that I could not comprehend about the functions of the mechanisms. And after that, as promised, Will taught me some pointers in healing, saying "These are things every demigod should know – not just children of Apollo."

By dinner, I was pooped, but I definitely felt much better about being here, being a demigod. Perhaps my prospects weren't so bad, after all, and I could finally shake the bad feeling I had. My mood bright, I sat with my friends, and noticed that the table was lined with platters of barbecue, bread, potato salad, and more. And at the center of the pavilion, a fire was lit, where campers had gathered, throwing food right into it.

"What are they doing?" I asked.

"They're burning offerings for their parents. We thought we'd wait for you so you'd know what was going on. The rule is, you're supposed to offer the best portion of your food. Apparently, the gods like the smell," Annabeth explained. I grinned knowing they'd waited up on me. And even though Annabeth had probably said those words to new campers dozens of times, she didn't sound dismissive in the slightest.

The nine of us fixed our plates and walked over to the fire. I chose a large, nicely charred piece of sausage and chunked it into the fire. Here you go, mom, whoever you are, I thought.

"Not many people know this," Percy spoke, throwing in his own portion, "but a small piece of every offering actually goes to Hestia, in tribute to her title as Goddess of the Hearth." He sounded fond of the goddess; he'd probably even met her at some point.

"That's cool. Maybe she's my mother," I mentioned passively.

"Ah, well, probably not. She took an oath of maidenhood."

"Oh. Yeah, probably not, then," I answered as we walked back to the table and sat down. Everyone was silent for a little while, enjoying the meal. After a while, Piper spoke up.

"So what did you think of your first day at Camp Half-Blood? How do you feel?"

"I feel… better. More comfortable for sure. These past couple days have been a rollercoaster. But, by the way, thanks to you guys for showing me around and teaching me stuff and all," I replied, feeling a little awkward.

"It was our pleasure!" Will exclaimed, making me jump. "But the day's not over yet. After this is the sing-along around the campfire!" Nico groaned, and Will looked over at him. "Oh come on. You know you love it."

And sing we did. The Apollo cabin led us in several verses of a song called "How Many Heads Can a Hydra Have?" The campfire was spectacular. Leo explained to me that it responded to the overall mood of the campers. Tonight, people were evidently already getting excited for the upcoming Capture the Flag game, because the fire rose into the air colored brilliant gold. As the night went on, we roasted marshmallows and laughed and danced.

From my seat in the amphitheater, I spotted a boy with dark hair styled in an undercut. The light danced around the handsome Arabian features of his face – even from where I was sitting, I could clearly make out the rich caramel of his skin and the brilliant hue of his hazel eyes reflecting the fire. Suddenly, he looked over and met my gaze. Piper, sitting next to me, traced my line of sight and frowned. I quickly turned my attention to her, blushing, as she spoke.

"I'd be careful with him, Alexey. That's Oliver Bishara, a son of Nemesis. The cabin sixteen kids aren't bad, but I can't say that my experiences with them have been wholly good, either. Just, don't cross them."

Be careful with him? What did she mean by that? It wasn't like I intended to even talk to him, much less do anything to make him angry. Still, she was probably right, whatever she'd thought was going through my mind. I knew that Nemesis was the goddess of revenge, and I knew that I didn't want a demigod bounty on my head.

Chiron stomped his hoof on the marble floor of the theater. "Alright, campers! Time to head to your cabins. As a reminder, the harpies will be patrolling once curfew sets in at eleven as always, so please be mindful," he announced.

We all stood up, dusting ourselves off. Unexpectedly, Piper gave me a hug. "Welcome again. We're glad you're here." We dispersed, and I began my walk to cabin eleven, but someone caught my arm. I spun around to find none other than Oliver Bishara standing before me. He was a little taller than me, maybe a year older, so I looked up slightly to meet his gaze; his expression betrayed curiosity. I was on guard after what Piper had told me.

"Hey. You're that new camper, right? Alex?" he greeted in a friendly tone of voice.

"Ah, it's Alexey, actually. Alexey Lebedev. And you are?"

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Oliver Bishara. I'm a son of Nemesis." He frowned. "Don't let that throw you off, though. I won't try to get even with you if you accidentally trip me or anything like that."

I chuckled, "No judgment. At least you know who your mother is."

"Ha, yeah… I heard you were still undetermined. Not that there's anything wrong with that!" he recovered. I relaxed a little.

"Yeah… So, uh, did you need anything?" I stammered awkwardly.

"Oh, no, I just wanted to meet you! That's all, really." Was he blushing?

"Oh, okay. Well, nice to meet you then, Oliver." I smiled.

"Yeah, you too. Um, can I walk you back to your cabin?"

"Oh, sure!"

We started walking to the Hermes cabin, slowly. I could feel my heart beating faster than normal. I kept my eyes trained on the ground and shoved my hands into my pockets, kind of afraid to speak.

"So, Lebedev. Is that Russian?" The way he enunciated his words was very proper – almost dignified.

"Yeah. My dad came from there."

"Cool. My grandparents came from Saudi Arabia."

"That's interesting. Where are you from?"

"My dad and I live in Chicago. He's a businessman with some big company there. As far as he knows, I'm just at a regular summer camp." So Oliver's father didn't even know what he was. Maybe they weren't close.

"I see. We live in Brooklyn. My dad's a journalist," I replied.

"That's really cool! I've always wanted to do something like that, to really go out and see things that are actually happening. The office isn't for me, I guess. Good thing I'm a half-blood." We arrived in front of the Hermes cabin. "So, I suppose I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

That night, I couldn't seem to get to sleep. Too many thoughts were swirling around in my head – good and bad. I was glad that I had managed to make friends on my first day, and I had already learned so much. But, my guilt for leaving Papa had not gone away. I wondered what he was doing right now, whether he was sleeping or if he was up thinking about me. He'd no doubt had dinner alone. I felt tears sting my eyes. Letting go of my thoughts, I fell asleep and was welcomed by more dreams.

I was lying in my bunk, facing up, eyes wide as I saw the face of the Athena Parthenos standing overhead. Apparently she had ripped the roof right off cabin eleven. Staring down at me, she began speaking in the same scornful voice as before.

"You will not find a family here. I do not welcome you here. My children do not welcome you here. When you are determined, not just the camp but Olympus itself will fall to chaos. Unless you wish to suffer the wrath of the gods, you will LEAVE." She promptly slammed the roof back onto the cabin, and the room went dark as I heard her footsteps booming back up to Half-Blood Hill.

The next morning, I woke up feeling jarred. I had no idea what to make of the dream I'd had. The Athena Parthenos had once again reserved some less-than-welcoming words for me. It had to mean something; I needed to talk to Annabeth, alone. Fortunately, the first activity of the day for the Hermes kids after breakfast was Ancient Greek lessons with the demigod of wisdom herself.

As interesting as the language was, I could hardly pay attention, anxious to speak with Annabeth. As soon she released us from the lesson, I approached her.

"Hey, Annabeth, could I talk to you?" She fixed onto me with those stormy gray eyes, and they seemed to sap my confidence. Had my dreams really meant anything? Still, I knew I needed to discuss them.

"Yeah, of course, Alexey. What's up?"

"Well… I don't think your mother wants me here." I explained the dreams I'd had. When I was finished, Annabeth knitted her eyebrows.

"That doesn't seem very Athena-like. Usually everything she does is very calculated. I doubt she'd do anything as rash as pressure a demigod to leave Camp Half-Blood. Still, you're right that the dreams could mean something – for half-bloods, they often do. After lunch, let's take this up with Chiron."

The rest of the morning proceeded normally. Sparring lessons with Percy (everyone was extra rowdy with Capture the Flag on the horizon) followed by monster studies Chiron. Lunch came and went, and then Annabeth and I were standing at the door of the Big House. She walked in, and I followed behind her to the living room. Chiron was there, reading some tome labelled Studies in Ancient Mystery Rituals. Seeing us, he shut the book and placed it on the coffee table.

"Annabeth, Alexey. To what do I owe this pleasure?" The two of us took a seat on one of the couches, and Annabeth nodded at me. I recounted my dreams to Chiron.

Trouble crossed his face, as if he were having a debate with himself in his mind. It reminded me of the concern I'd heard in his voice a few nights ago when I'd first arrived, when we discussed my determination. Could my claiming really send both Camp Half-Blood and Olympus into chaos? Did my dream have any merit to it? Judging by Chiron's demeanor, it might.

"Well… I'm not sure what to make of that. I cannot imagine why the goddess Athena, or why any goddess for that matter, would intrude upon your dreams. Perhaps you simply have a subconscious fear of the Parthenos." But I could hear the doubt in his voice.

"Chiron, I find it unlikely that this means nothing. Is there something you're not telling us?" Annabeth pushed.

"Annabeth," Chiron sighed, "I assure you that, if a threat became clearly imminent, you would be of the first to know. However, no such threat has revealed itself. Now, you both have afternoon activities to get to, do you not?" Annabeth huffed – she obviously didn't buy that.

Walking back to camp, I looked over at Annabeth. I could practically see gears turning in her head.

I asked, "What did you think of that?"

"I think Chiron is hiding something. I've known him long enough to be able tell when something is going on. But I also know that Chiron is very wise. As much as I hate it, whatever is happening, we may just have to let it play out until there is something we can do." That didn't sit well with me, either. I had the feeling that whatever was bothering Chiron might have been connected to my dreams.

The next day, at dinner, everyone was practically vibrating with enthusiasm at the upcoming game. Even Nico di Angelo seemed more animated than usual, and Calypso wore a Greek-inspired cheerleader uniform. We ate quickly and cleared our table, and then Annabeth pulled out a map, spreading it across the white tablecloth. It was a map of the forest. I noticed that Connor Stoll had joined our table, and together we all studied the map carefully.

"Okay, guys," Annabeth began, "here's the game plan. Alexey, just so you know, tonight's match is Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Hades against everyone else: Demeter, Ares, Dionysus, Iris, Hypnos, Nemesis, Nike, Hebe, Tyche, and Hecate. Percy and I will be co-captaining the blue team in the south against the red team in the north, led by Lou Ellen, counselor of the Hecate cabin. They've got some serious magic and luck on their side with the Hecate and Tyche kids, but I think we can outsmart them this time. Here's what's going to happen.

"Nico and Jason, I want you two guarding the flag, which will hang on the door of Bunker Nine. I want the other team stopped at all costs." She eyed Nico.

"Gotcha," he replied, understanding whatever she was referring to – some dark Hades-esque stuff, no doubt.

"Then Percy, I want you stationed at the creek with the Hephaestus and Aphrodite cabins. Leo, I want you on trap duty. Have your campers set as many as possible. Piper, stagger your best charmspeakers along the stream. The rest will serve as combat defense. Will, the Apollo campers will command the trees – let it rain on the red team. Rubber-tipped arrows, of course." Will smirked at that, giving me reason to believe that that instruction had a good chance of being overlooked.

"Finally, Connor, our cabins will be divided into two groups. The first group will be hidden throughout the southern woods, ready to ambush the other team's scouts. The best offense is a good defense. The second group will be split into three scouting squads – one led by me, one led by you, and the third led by Malcolm Pace, my second-in-command. Everyone good to go?"

"Yup!" everyone cheered. As soon as the consultation ended, campers from each team appeared in the dining pavilion, running around with ten-foot-long flags. Ours was painted gray and blue, with the image of a barn owl perched on a trident. The other flag was a shimmering royal purple, a gray cross intersected by a pair of torches painted on it. All the campers whooped and hooted and yelled, banging on the tables.

Chiron stomped his hoof, and everyone fell silent. "Heroes!" he bellowed. "Tonight's match will be Hecate and her allies against Athena, Poseidon, and their allies! Please remember to keep it clean – no maiming, and especially no killing. May your patron god be in your favor. Arm yourselves!"

Chiron opened his arms, and the tables of the pavilion were suddenly covered in armor, weapons, tools, supplies, and numerous other items I couldn't name. I suited up and grabbed a Celestial bronze xiphos and, on second thought, a large, round studded wooden shield as well. Wearing a helmet with a bright blue plume might have felt silly under usual circumstances, but we were all fired up.

"Blue team! Advance!" Annabeth cried. All the blue plumes in the pavilion marched down a path and into the southern forest. In just a few minutes, everyone was organized and in their place. I had been placed in Annabeth's scouting squad, something that I found somewhat thrilling. After all that intricate planning, I couldn't wait to see her in action.

"Now," Annabeth spoke in a hushed voice, "the aim of the game is stealth. As soon as we cross the creek, we have to be quick and quiet. If someone attacks, Alexey, that shield will come in handy. Good choice." I nodded, accepting her praise. "Anyway, we will be scouting the most northeastern portion of the woods. The flags are supposed to be mounted in a prominent fashion, but I have a feeling the red team will set theirs up as far in as possible. They know who they're up against," she concluded, a smug look on her face.

Our squad then crossed the creek into enemy territory. All of my senses heightened. I heard every sound, registered every small movement. It was as if someone in my head had flipped on a combat switch. It felt all but euphoric, to tell the truth.

We snuck along, heading northeast if Annabeth's sense of direction was to be trusted – which it was. In the distance, the sound of metal clashing against metal reverberated through the forest.

"Sounds like squad two was intercepted. I imagine it's only a matter of time—"

Without warning, half a dozen armed demigods with red feathers spouting from their heads charged from every direction. This was my first true test in the field of combat; I couldn't let my team down. A Nike kid charged at me, a wild look in his eyes, and I readied my sword and shield.

We both screamed as our blades met, sending a vicious clang into the air. He swept, I parried. I thrusted, he dodged. I thought about something Percy had told me.

In battle, you have to turn your defense into an attack, before your opponent has a chance to defend. You have to be twice as fast. Look for an opening, trust yourself, and strike.

I took this advice, quickly following a head defense with a lightning-fast slash to his ribs, smashing my blade against the son of Nike's armor. He hunched to the side in pain, and I rammed him with my shield. The red team demigod crumpled to the ground. I stood over him for a moment, feeling immensely pleased. Then, I realized, battle. I ran to Annabeth's side and joined her brawl against two buff kids from the Ares cabin.

"Alexey! That was amazing!" she cried over the sound of sword-against-armor.

"Thanks!" I called back. In a few moments, the Ares kids were down, along with the other three red team defenders. Our squad was unscathed. We continued on, not taking too much time to celebrate – the battle may have been won, but the war was still undecided.

After a little while longer walking, the woods thinned out, and I could hear the sounds of crashing waves of the Long Island Sound. Ahead, I caught a glimmer of purple.

"There!" I whisper-yelled. We ran forward, attacking and quickly taking down the two guards. The flag waved before us, hung between two trees.

"Alexey, I think you should do the honors. You took down two guys in that ambush." I grinned from ear to ear, feeling on top of the world. However, as I grabbed the flag, I came right back down. It vanished into thin air. I gawked at my outstretched hand, where the flag of Hecate had just been.

"Gotcha," gloated a voice from behind us. Our squad whirled around to find we were surrounded by a dozen red team soldiers, including Lou Ellen and the Ares head counselor called Brandon Hamilton.

Annabeth cursed. "It was a trap. They manipulated the Mist." As the ambushers slowly closed around us, she leaned down and whispered into my ear, "When I say 'go,' I want you to take off and head west, toward where squad two was intercepted. Look for a fist-shaped pile of boulders, Zeus's Fist – the flag should be there. The area will be heavily guarded, but it's our only chance. I believe in you, Alexey."

No sooner had she finished speaking than we jumped into combat, outnumbered two-to-one. My eyes shot back and forth as I deflected twice the number of attacks I was used to. I felt myself wearing down. As they began to overwhelm me, I went into my mind and thought – no, I supposed I prayed.

Mother, please help me. Give me the strength to resolve this conflict.

All of a sudden, my shield felt weightless in my hand. My senses recovered, and adrenaline pumped through my veins. My core felt as though it had been set ablaze, like a warm fireplace. At that moment, Annabeth shouted, "Go!"

I knocked both of my attackers in the head with my sword and then shoved past them with my shield and took off west, running faster than I ever had in my life. I could swear, though, that I heard footsteps trailing me. Was I being pursued?

I risked a glimpse over my shoulder, and my question was answered. Brandon had taken chase. I knew I had to take care of him; I couldn't allow him to give away my position when I approached the site of the red team's flag. I halted and spun around, immediately aiming the point of my blade straight at his throat. He stopped abruptly, nearly impaling himself on my sword. When our eyes met, his lips twisted into a wicked grin.

"Not one to be run down, are you? That's fine, we can fight. But you'll lose," he snarled. I remained silent, staring him down. "Besides… you're going the wrong way. Our flag is farther south. Regardless, you'll have to get through—"

He did not finish his statement because I smashed my shield over his head. I didn't have times for anymore tricks. Somehow, in my current state, I knew he was lying, without a doubt. I just knew. I smirked as he groaned, gripping his helmet, and darted off to the west once more.

Shortly, I came upon a clearing, with what appeared to be Zeus's Fist in the center, the Hecate flag hung from a protruding rock. There were at least seven guards posted there. It was against the rules to have more than two people guarding the flag, but I had a feeling the red team didn't care. That suited me just fine. I sprinted between two of the half-bloods like a bolt of lightning, jumped up and snatched the flag as I passed the boulders, and dashed out of the other side of the clearing before any of them even had time to react.

As I redirected my path to southwest toward the Zephyros Creek, I heard shouts behind me. The fire in my core was dying, and I was beginning to slow down, fatigue quickly setting in. I heard the voices getting closer. Still I forced myself to run, spotting the stream ahead of me.

I jumped to the right as a spear flew past me from behind – the red warriors showed no signs of letting up. Another spear soared over my head, and I leaped over it as it sunk into the ground in front of me. Finally, I reached the stream. The moment my foot hit the water, I felt a blade nick my shoulder, but it was enough to throw my balance off and send me hurtling into the water. At the same time, I heard Will's voice call "FIRE!" from the branches overhead. I heard a flurry of arrows fly over me and meet their unsuspecting targets, followed by bodies crashing onto the ground, one right on top of me.

The hilt of the unconscious demigod's sword bashed my helmet, and suddenly I was seeing stars. I fought to literally keep my head above the water, and, mustering the last of my strength, I pushed my armored opponent off me. Staggering back up to my feet, I held fast to the flag, and trudged the rest of the way to the other side of the creek and into home territory.

Everyone in the vicinity burst into cheers. The Apollo guys jumped down from their branches, calling my name. Will appeared before me, wearing a huge grin. However, his grin turned to confusion and then urgency as he witnessed me drop the flag, sway for a moment, and then black out.

I woke up in the infirmary, staring up at the worried faces of my friends. My head was throbbing, and my legs and arms were sore as all get-out.

"He's awake!" Piper exclaimed. There were smiles of relief.

"Alexey," Will said, putting a wet rag over my forehead, "you overexerted yourself. You passed out as soon as you got the flag across."

"Which by the way, was amazing," Annabeth mentioned, smiling.

"Yeah, dude, that was crazy," Leo added.

"Okay guys, give him some space," Will complained. "Alexey, do you remember what happened before you went under?"

My memories between the ambush and the blue team's victory were blurry. I remembered hitting a guy with my shield, the feeling of fire in my stomach, the cold splash as I hit the water… I recounted everything I could to the group. They looked vexed when I recalled the sudden burst of energy I'd had.

"You said it felt like you were on fire? That sounds like Hephaestus, but… Your dad wouldn't…?" Percy trailed off.

I blushed furiously. Will and Nico exchanged an annoyed glance. "Uh, no, I don't think so," I muttered. Leo coughed awkwardly. "And I know nothing about building or inventing stuff."

"You said it happened after we got ambushed?" Annabeth asked. "I bet you could be a son of Nemesis. They call her the Goddess of Revenge, but more specifically she controls balance. She both enacts retribution for bad deeds and takes away from undeserved rewards. Maybe since the red team was playing dirty, she blessed you with the strength to keep going."

It made sense, but it definitely made me feel uneasy. Revenge? That wasn't really something I was into. I imagined myself holding a guy at gunpoint for lookin' at me wrong. Not my style.

"Uh, maybe…"

"I'm surprised he wasn't claimed then and there," Leo interrupted.

"Yeah, Leo, I'm sure that makes him feel way better," Piper countered.

"So, how long was I asleep for?" I warily inquired.

"Through the night and all morning. It's about noon now. Which means, you all should be getting to lunch," Will said, glaring at everyone else, who murmured things like 'fine' and 'alright.'

"Feel better, Alexey," Piper called as they filed out. I smiled and waved in return.

Nico had stayed behind, and Will turned to him. "You go ahead. I'll catch up in a bit, okay?" Will grabbed his hand. "I just want to tend to him for a bit."

Nico looked to me, and then back at Will. "Okay." Will kissed his cheek, and Nico did something that shocked me. He walked into the shadows of a corner and vanished into them, as if they had risen up and swallowed him.

Will narrowed his eyes. "He knows I hate when he does that. It tires him out more than he lets on. I'll have to deal with that later, though. How are you feeling?"

"Sore. And my head is throbbing."

"Yeah, you took a nasty hit from that guy's sword. But I heard you handed some out as well."

"Oh, you heard that?" I grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah, your acts of valor spread around the camp like wildfire. For better or for worse, you've got a reputation now." My grin wavered – I didn't know how to feel about that. "Don't sweat it, though. People like Lou Ellen shouldn't give you a hard time anymore. Here, drink this."

He handed me a tall glass of what looked like apple juice with a straw sticking out. I took it and drank, and was surprised by the taste. It wasn't apple juice at all – it tasted like the Prague cake Papa would make only for the most special of occasions. I downed the whole thing and instantly felt better.

"What is this stuff?" I asked, out of breath.

"It's nectar. Normally the gods drink it, but for demigods it has divine healing properties. And if you were fully mortal, it would incinerate your insides, but that's irrelevant." He chuckled to himself. "Feel up to lunch?"

"Yeah, lunch sounds nice."