Chapter 3

About an hour later I had gotten my stuff, filled out all the paperwork and was sitting in the Poseidon cabin. The cabin was on the beach, partway over the water on stilts. There was a water fall that fed from the ocean outside into the cabin. The place was not bad at all. Next to my cabin was the Athena cabin, made look like the Parthenon in the front. Beside that was the Hades cabin, then Zeus, Demeter, Aphrodite, Apollo, Hera, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus. There were other cabins for the "minor gods" but those were in the row behind. I have to say though; I was pretty lonely there in my own cabin. I was the only one there that summer. Ben had said there were others but they weren't there all the time.

Walking over to my cabin was the strangest thing. I walked past archery stations, an armory, even a forgery, then the arena was alive with chariot race practices, and the whole place was buzzing with kids. What really got me what that all these kids were half gods, like me. On our way I walked past the Aphrodite cabin which had a hot tub on its front porch. Three guys were sitting in there, three amazingly gorgeous guys, and they were splashing back and forth just as all boys would. Ben pointed out each cabin as we passed it. Let me interject and say these were only referred to as cabins, they were more like mansions. We passed the Ares bunch where there were a few kids playing a high stakes poker game for certain gold coins.

"What are those things?" I'd asked Ben.

"Drachmas, official currency of the Olympians."

When we hit the beach I looked out at my cabin, it looked like a Bahamas beach house, complete with a paddle boat tethered to the back dock. I actually had sighed out loud at the sight of it. My mother had smiled at me then gave me a quick squeeze and we headed inside.

Ben left a little while ago to go take my measurements to the forgery to get my armor made up. That left my mom and me to unpack. And talk. I sat on the edge of the queen sized bed.

"Mom?" I asked. My mom didn't need to answer, she just turned toward me and nodded. "Mom, how did you and Dad meet? Did you ever know that he was…a… a Greek god?"

"Oh no, I never would have thought of that." She laughed, but then was sobered by memories. "Well, I was in school here in California at one of the graphic art centers. My friends and I loved going out to the beach early Saturday mornings to catch the waves-,"

"And look at the surfers," I finished for her.

"No! Well… ok, yeah we did." I am so glad my mom is enough of my friend to admit this to me. "We went out one morning, oh it was so nice that day, and started surfing when I got separated by a riptide. I remember being so scared and wondering how to get back to the shore when I got crushed by a wave of the incoming tide. Next thing I knew, I was getting dragged up on the beach, waterlogged and choking, by one of the other surfers." My mother's face turned kind of… girly? Yeah, like when a young girl sees her crush, swooning. "He asked me if I was okay, I told him I was but he didn't believe me, insisted that he take me back to my friends and make sure I was settled. When I found my friends again, they all thought I was crazy for not pretending to be dead and get mouth-to-mouth from him. I did get a date out of that though. His reasoning was that if I was going to let him save my life, then I should buy him dinner. So I did, and I had a blast. Found out he was the captain of a ship that shuttled goods from Hawaii to the west coast. I don't know what it was about him, but I just felt… safe, comfortable."

"Like you're invincible?" I added.

"Yeah. We dated for two months, then it got kind of awkward when… when he asked me to sleep with him." I could tell this was getting harder and harder for her to admit. "I refused, told him I wanted to be married first. We continued to date and he asked me the same question twice more, the third time we came so dangerously close. But I still told him I wanted to be married. So he went and rounded up a priest, we eloped and got married quickly. He got himself a steady job as a tour boat driver as I was finishing up my final year of schooling. He was gone a few weeks every month on big tours of the coast, or so I thought. We had plans to move to Hawaii where he could open up his own boat shop and build and fix boats for the rest of his life and I could design surf boards and sell them. That was what we had in mind. Then we found out I was pregnant with you." I could see tears welling in her eyes. "He'd never seemed happier than when I told him of you." Anger flashed through my heart. He was lying! All he'd wanted was the sex. "When it was getting close to my graduation he said he'd take one last charter up the coast and then he'd be back for my graduation and his baby. But on that trip, they told me his boat got caught in a riptide and dashed against some shallow shoals. The boat had exploded on impact." Tears began to fall now. "I will never forget the day when they told me he was gone." Ooh, I am beginning to hate the man now. "That was the summer from hell. I graduated, seven months pregnant, single, and no job aspects on the horizon. And to think he was lounging around on some cloud." I wrapped my arms around my mom as she began to cry.

"Don't you hate him, Mom? Don't you wish you'd never met him?" I asked. She sat up and glared angrily at me.

"No, I do not hate him. I'm glad I met him. Because if not, then I would never have had you. You are my ultimate treasure." We sat there together, both of us crying now, for a while just letting it all out.

"I've got to go now." My mom finally said.

"What?"

"I can't stay here. I'm not a half blood or magical creature or whatever those things are. If I stay any longer than twenty four hours then I get taken out by force."

"By force?"

"I don't know what that means, but I really don't want to find out." She stood up and wiped her eyes. "Come on, walk me to the exit." She beckoned me up.

"So, I'm being left here? Alone?"

"Yes, Nike believes you'll want to stay here so you're not attacked anymore."

"She doesn't know what I want." I protested.

"But I know what you need." My mom stated as she took my hand. "This'll be good for you. An opportunity you're so lucky to get." I was quiet for a second.

"Do cell phones work here?" I asked.

"No, but there's another way for you to contact me. Nike says something about Isis and water; she'll explain it all to you later." I still clung to my mother, not because I was scared for me, but I was afraid for her. I never liked leaving her alone too long. We came to the entrance and I saw my mom's car parked out in the dirt parking lot.

"I will be back to pick you up a week before school starts." My mom announced.

"What? That's two whole months, more than that. What do you expect me to do here for that long?" I objected.

"They have a schedule planned out for you." I turned away and felt tears stinging my eyes. "Honey, will you look at me?" My mom asked. I did and saw her smiling face there.

"You are the daughter of one of the Greek gods. You can find out about your past. Have an adventure. Meet a boy. Kiss him. Just… try something new." She pulled me into a hug and I buried my head in her shoulder. I don't like change. Its not something I am used to. Mom pulled my head out and planted a light kiss on my forehead.

"Now," she said quietly, "be brave." With that she got into her car. Standing by entrance, I watched as she drove away. This pain was far worse than what I felt when I got the tattoo thing. This one was much deeper, the pain of loss.

"Sera!" I heard my name called but didn't answer. I only sat with my back to one of the big wooden poles and threw little rocks at a tree across the way.

"Sera? Where are you?" It came again. I can almost hit that knot with deadly accuracy each time I hurl the pebbles.

"Sera?" I heard Ben's feet crunch through the gravel path slow from a run to a walk. "What are you doing out here? You're missing dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

"Yeah, and I'm one of Aphrodite's." Ben said, arms akimbo. "Come on, you get your own table and everything. Well, you have to share it with me, but still that's just like having it to yourself."

"I don't want to go." I said stubbornly, not bothering to look up.

"Come on, what's the matter with you?" He asked. Why was that accent getting on my nerves? He took a seat next to me.

"Nothing," I said dully, taking aim and throwing another rock.

"Nothing makes nothing, and you have something, so it can't be nothing. What's the matter?" Just then my stomach growled really loudly. Thanks, I really needed that. Why can't my body and my brain stay on the same wavelength?

"What am I supposed to do? I'm not a hero. This camp is to make people tough and that's not me. I can't do this." Ben chuckled and took my hand in his.

"Listen, I know this is all really hard for you. I have been there, remember?" I still didn't respond, although my eyes did. I cursed every hot angry tear that fell from my cheeks. Ben wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "You feel like this is all bigger than you, like this is just a mean joke. Its too much to take at one time. You wonder how you are ever going to live up to it. Its like this is the end of your life as you know it." I sniffled, he had described exactly what was going on in my head. "But its not." We sat there for another few minutes while I composed myself.

"I think I'm a little hungry now." I said. Ben smiled then got up. His hand suddenly appeared by me again.

"Want a hand?" He asked. I took it and he led me to dinner.

When we got there everyone else had finished, there were a few stragglers at the other tables. Ben showed me how the food system worked. I was astonished at the perfection of the steak I got. It was even well done, just as I like it. I downed five glasses of lemonade and another four of root beer. Not gonna lie, meal times were going to be excellent these next two months. Throughout the meal, Ben pointed out the different people. There was Regina from Demeter, Collin from Hermes, Tavia from Aphrodite, and a whole bunch of others. I saw another kid eating by herself. She had a short pixie cut, with silver tips. Her eyes were almond shaped, but still hawk-like.

"Who's she?" I asked.

"Thats Keira, daughter of Hades."

"She looks… interesting." I observed. Ben laughed.

"You have no idea." Another kid walked over and saw Ben.

"Ben? Dude!" He came over and Ben was surprised. The boy looked ready for anything. He wore a vest that carried a wicked assortment of knives, on his wrist there was also a pack of Chinese throwing stars. Around his thigh was a strap that held what looked like a gun holster but instead of a gun there was a pouch of something else in it.

"Dirk?" They shook hands, or rather did Ben's little arm hold thingy.

"Ben, we thought you'd left us for good, Bro."

"Ah, you can't get rid of me that easy."

"Good thing too." Dirk turned his attention to me. "And who's the rookie?" I beg his pardon? He looked not a day over 15, possibly 16. Who's he calling rookie?

"This is Sera Savage, daughter of Poseidon. She's my charge." Dirk's eyes widened.

"Charge? So you're a handler now? Nice job, man." He turned to me. "Poseidon, eh? We haven't had one of those here for a long time." He shook my hand. "I'm Dirk Russel, son of Ares." Ares, ooh he was a scary dude. I think they should rename him that's a little more menacing and fitting of his character..

"Nice to meet you." I said. Somebody called Dirk and he groaned.

"I can't seem to get a break from all of this. Somebody wants me to check their skills with a sword." From off of his back, he pulled a shining sword from some sort of strap on his back. "I'm glad you came back, man." Dirk slapped Ben on the back. With a gentleman's air, he took my hand and kissed the top with flourish. "Farewell, Lady of the Water." Ben pulled my hand away from Dirk.

"All right, all right, you little charmer." Ben broke us up and Dirk laughed as he rushed off to join his friends.

After I was done Ben instructed me on the proper way to sacrifice my food to the gods and then it was time to go get ready for bed. Of course, Poseidon's cabin is the one that is farthest from the main encampment, probably their striving for the ocean side feature. We talked mostly as we walked over.

"So your parents are both Merfolk?" I asked. Ben finished chewing his roll he'd swiped from dinner.

"No… dad's a mortal, mum's a mermaid. Her clan is ruling the British Isles right now."

"Oh, so how is it that you can have two legs and a tail?" I asked.

"Well you see, if we are out of the water for a long enough period of time our tails turn into legs anyway. Since I am only half merman, I can do it at will. But at night I have to sleep in my tail under water."

"Ah I see. So no more sleeping with the guys?" I asked playfully.

"Nope, no I'm sleeping with you now." He declared. I snorted when I saw he didn't realize what he said.

"What's so-," And suddenly he got it.

"Oh no-no- I didn't mean … mean that." He stumbled over his words.

"Its alright, I know what you meant."

We got inside and we made our way to the part of the house where the waves rolled through the water up inside. We sat on the side of the opening and stuck my feet in. Oh that water felt so good! I missed it.

"So what is it they have planned for me?" I asked. Ben stood up.

"Well, tomorrow will be a Monday so we'll start you off with Archery and chariots." He suddenly was unbuttoning his vest and pulling it off. "Then if you do well in those we can start you on Battle Strategy and your war history." He pulled off the vest and left it in a pile by the side. He then moved on to unbuttoning his pants. I was slightly alarmed but waited for him to finish speaking. "Then… if that all goes well, we can get you into your sword fighting training and weaponry." My jaw was on the floor. This boy before me had a perfect six pack, complete with fully toned intercostals and obliques. I've never been one for boys, but man, this guy looked pretty dang good.

"Uh-huh… looks good- I mean sounds good." I shook myself out. Ben almost took off his boxer shorts when he suddenly stopped.

"Serenity, tsk tsk tsk." He shook his finger at me.

"Oh! Sorry!" I blushed as I turned around. I heard him slip the shorts off and then a splash as he hopped into the water. Which, by the way, was freezing. It's the Pacific Ocean, what do you expect? I suddenly heard a whoosh as if there was swirling water.

"Okay, you can look now." I heard him call as soon as he pushed his head up out of the water. Turning around I was astonished as I saw Ben swimming over. His torso was the same, the designs on his arms seemed to glow even more now. The trippy thing about him was his tail. It was about five feet long, ending in an iridescent green-blue fin.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed as I leaned down to look. Ben's lips parted in a proud smile. He swam up closer to me and leaned his hands on the deck I was sitting on. Instead of his regular hands, I saw the five fingers but there was slight webbing between them, and spines running up the sides of his wrists. I couldn't help but stare in awe at the spectacle before me.

"What do you think?" Ben asked. I couldn't help but grin in ecstasy. I think I turned four again and I was watching a movie of some sort.

"What do I think? Its awesome! I feel like this is some sort of dream." I lay down on my stomach so I could get a little closer. I felt Ben's eyes on me for a moment. He moved closer and his fin breached the top of the water.

"You wanna touch it?" He whispered. I looked at him, surprised.

"What?"

"Go ahead, touch it." He raised the main part of his tail out of the water. Reaching down hesitantly, I came within inches and stopped, giggling.

"Touch it, you big baby!" Ben laughed. Grabbing my hand, he pulled it down until it contacted with the tail. It was slimy, yet still slick and smooth.

"Eww!" I squealed in laughter. "Its… its… I don't know what to call it."

"It's a tail." Ben said happily. I have to say I am glad to have one friend here. And he's a merman. Bonus.