Chapter Fifteen

Camp Half-Blood. A second home to me. I have always loved going to camp. There a re the fresh strawberries in the field and the pegasi that fly in the sky. The sword arena is an awesome place to go, especially if you want to train and get stronger against monsters. I've trained in the arena ever since I was twelve. My instructor, Luke, was one of the best swordsman there, but he left camp to go to University.

The three of us looked around in amazement. The cabins were the same, but a whole new row of them were built. There were a lot more demigods here than years ago. We were almost extinct! It never feels good to have a monster on your trail.

"I'll see you later guys. Bye" Thalia walked towards the Zeus cabin. It was just Annabeth and I. It was very uncomfortable.

"So, uh, are you excited about this place?" I asked.

"Excited? EXCITED!" I thought she was angry at me. I went through what I said. "Percy, I am BEYOND excited. I can't believe that I'm finally here. I thought that I wouldn't belong, but it just feels so right here. Unlike Ava and AJ, everyone here is just like me. ADHD and dyslexic. I can't feel more at home." She stared of into the distance and out in the field. The Demeter kids were learning how to harvest the strawberries, while the Apollo kids sang songs and played music. The Hephaestus cabin were busy at work. I saw one little boy, around nine, with grease on his face. The Aphrodite cabin were chasing one of the Athena campers. I guess that they wanted to try something on. Man, they were fast. The Hermes cabin was playing pranks on the Ares cabin, making them throw stink bombs back at them. There were satyrs bringing in new half-bloods and nymphs, naiads, and nereids everywhere. Yup. Just regular Camp Half-Blood.

I left Annabeth up at the hill and walked into my cabin. I was really shocked to find out what had happened. The fountain that I had broken long ago was brand new and polished. There were gold drachmas in it. The beds were made and pillows fluffed. The chips that I left behind were gone. I walked in with a bewildered look on my face. I checked the bathroom. Clean. I dropped my stuff onto my bunk and walked around, inspecting everything. You won't believe what I found next. Or who I found.

"Tyson?" My cyclops brother turned around after he heard his name being called. He had on a camp t-shirt at least size XXXL. He wore brown shorts and his eye was in the middle of his face, above that toothy grin he had.

"Percy?" He realized that it was me and ran over. His footsteps made such huge noises, that, I wouldn't be surprised if the ceiling fell down. Of course, that would mean that everything won't be clean again. I have to stop reasoning in my head. Tyson gave me a bear hug and it felt like a bear.

"Tyson...can't...breath!" I wheezed. He let go. I gave a big sigh.

"Sorry, big brother. I was just really excited! Welcome home!"

"Thanks, Tyson. I have missed you so much. I can't believe I get to see you after all this time! Did you clean this place?" He nodded.

"I fixed the fountain you broke. It is now all fixed and won't go BOOM!" He made big gestures with his arm. I gave him a grin and chuckled. I knew that Tyson worked for our dad underwater. He's a natural blacksmiths. That reminds me...

"Hey, Tyson, I have to go visit the Hephaestus cabin real quick. Be back." I ran out of the cabin while Tyson waved behind me.

I reached the Hephaestus cabin. The nine year old boy that was there a while ago was gone. The whole cabin had upgraded itself. It was bigger and had a second floor. Smoke rose from the chimney on top. I knew that Hephaestus's cabin made the best weapons and shields. I knocked on the steel door with a hammer and wrench engraved on it. It then opened, making a creaky noise.

"Yeah?" someone said as they looked up, squinting. The room was pretty dark, but bright enough to see. Smoke came out, making me cough. I blinked a couple of times, but I was able to make out that it was Leo Valdez who answered the door. Leo is in Jason's class and a good friend of his. He had dark brown curly hair and eyes the same color. We found out that he was a half-blood a few years ago when he built a model of a ship that was the size of Tyson in a few quick hours.

"Percy?" He looked up.

"Yeah. Hi. I just want to know that is your sister Althea here?"

"Althea? As far as I know there never was an Althea. I've heard of her, but she's not my sister."

What? Althea told Annabeth that she was in the Hephaestus cabin. Why did she lie?

"Thanks, Leo. Do you have any idea which cabin she belonged in?"

"No. Sorry." He shrugged.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye." He closed the door.

Why had Althea lied? Doesn't she trust us? And where is she now? Why did she help us? Most of all, if she lied to us, what was she hiding? I asked myself all these questions trying to look for Annabeth and Thalia. What is she hiding?