Wow! I always update so slowly! Sorry, guys, this chapter's short.

Chapter six: Maia

I dreamed that I was back at home again with my foster family. It was sort of weird. I thought my dream was real and all the things that happened in the last few days were a dream…in my dream.

Something stirred beside me and I sort of woke up. Half my mind was still dreaming but I manage to make out a dark shape beside me.

"Mom?" I whispered, closing my eyes. Did she come to wake me up for school? "Mom, I'm sorry. I won't run away again. I'm glad that was all a dream. Funny…it seemed so real…" I reached out to her and touched her…snout.

Then, I realized my mother was a dog.

I did the natural thing. I jumped up wide awake, screamed a little, backed away from it, and stepped on someone's face that was behind me. I turned around and just saw the boy before I tripped over him and fell on my back.

By then, everyone was wide awake.

"Are you alright?" The boy looked down at me as he rubbed his cheek, his eyes confused and a little surprised. Einstein padded over to me and sniffed my head.

I sat up feeling embarrassed and confused. So what happened yesterday was real after all?

"Yeah, um…sorry about that. I was just surprised that I wasn't um…you know…at home."

The boy nodded understandingly. It seems he's met others that have gone through this before. He tossed me an apple.

"Breakfast."

"Oh…thanks."

We ate in awkward silence. Something seemed to be bothering the boy. Oh, yeah, his name is Nico. He fiddled with his food and glanced my direction every once in a while.

"What's wrong? What's bothering you?" I asked.

Nico frowned like he wasn't sure whether he should tell me or not, but then, I saw his shoulders sag and I knew he gave in and was going to tell me whatever was on his mind.

"When you were asleep, I found out who your godly parent is," he said.

My jaws dropped. Whoa. What?

Nico had an apprehensive look in his eyes. I found myself getting scared. Do I want to know who my godly parent is?

I hardly had any time to think it over when Nico said, "Maia, do you know about the twelve Olympian gods?"

"Uh…um…"

"Name me the ones you do know."

"Zeus…Hera…Ares…Apollo and Artemis…" I recited. "Aphrodite… Demeter…the wine dude…"

"Dionysus," Nico said.

"Dionysus," I repeated. "Hermes…and, um…who have I missed?"

"Hephaestus the fire god, Poseidon the sea god and Athena, goddess of wisdom. Hestia used to be an Olympian but she gave up her position to Dionysus."

"Am I the child of an Olympian?"

Nico hesitated, unsure. "No…" he finally said. "Listen, out of all of those goddesses, Athena, Artemis and Hestia are eternal maidens. That means they've sworn to never have children. However, that doesn't mean they don't have any. Athena has had a lot of demigod children. They weren't created like normal living beings. Athena made them herself…um…er…s-something like that. She created them by herself. So…in a sense, she's still a maiden. The other two doesn't have children."

I nodded, following his story. "Is Athena my mother?"

"No. Your mother is Lady Hestia."

I frowned. "But you just said the other two didn't have children…"

"Until now." Nico looked me in the eye, his expression dead serious. "You're the only known demigod whose mother is Lady Hestia. The only daughter of Goddess of the Hearth. The first one ever."

I sat back, letting the information sink in. What was I supposed to feel? Shocked? Happy? I didn't know. What does it mean to be the only child of a god? What will it mean for me?

I just didn't know.

As I sat there thinking thing over, a queasy feeling came into my stomach. I couldn't help feeling helpless as more apprehensive thoughts crept into my mind.

Suddenly, Nico stood up. "Come on, Maia. We should get going to Camp Half-Blood."

I'm just wondering, does anyone know what kind of food hellhounds eat? Is it just regular dog food or something else? Anyway if anyone has an idea, please tell me! Review please.