Chapter two
Cressida rested on the comfy soft bed in the infirmary. The room was narrow and warm, the windows featuring green fields of strawberries and the sky azure blue.
Cressida was sleeping on the soft bed as a camper – Jack, with his sun-kissed hair and blue eyes – fed spoonful of food that tasted divine – like melted vanilla ice-cream, Cressida's favourite. She shifted in her bed sometimes, groaning.
A man that looked middle-aged with brown hair and a scruffy beard hovered over Cressida's bed. His intense brown eyes shone intelligence as he stroked his beard and regarded Cressida. From the waist down he was a white stallion. Beside him stood a nervous satyr and a wheelchair and sitting beside her bed was Jack, the camper.
"Yeah… I think that's enough nectar for now…" Jack muttered, putting down the tall glass of swirling pink and cream.
"Chiron, I'm guessing she's a child of the big three…" the satyr was saying. The man with the beard – a centaur – shook his head.
"No, it can't be – we would've known if there were any more children from the pact of the big three." Chiron explained, looking distraught and in deep thought.
The satyr was nervous as he chewed on an aluminium can. "But her scent … it's very strong."
Jack who had just stopped feeding Cressida looked at Chiron. You could tell he had a lot of respect for the older man; Chiron must have a lot of influence on the camp. "But… how did she survive the monsters if her scent is so strong? Surely she must've encountered some… but without training it's impossible to survive that."
Chiron nodded as if he thought of the same thing. "Jack is right. At any rate, we shall question her when she's at her best state. We cannot assume any further, but she must be an offspring from the additional Olympians, or the minor. For now, we cannot assume anything until she is claimed tonight at the bonfire."
The satyr munched on the hem of his shirt when he was done chewing his can, revealing a hairy belly. He began to say something but Cressida opened her perturbed dark eyes.
Jack jerked in his chair, and Chiron stood in his form impassive. Cressida didn't notice his bottom half – a white stallion, her eyes was focused on the three males hovering over her. She was breathing hard.
Her dark eyes were wide with fear, her hands shaking. The taste of melted vanilla ice-cream lingered on her taste buds. "Where – where am I?" She gasped. She looked around the room, the beds and the view of the camp outside the windows. She wondered if she died and went to heaven, because everything seemed so clear and wonderful. But she was afraid.
Chiron smiled, and Cressida felt less afraid. The older man's eyes were kind and friendly. "Hello, dear. I'm Chiron, activities director at Camp Half-Blood." he said. "What is your name?" His tone was polite – soothing.
Cressida gulped, the males in the room were all looking at her now. Camp half-blood? She suddenly felt claustrophobic, and her ADHD kicked in. Jack must've felt her apprehension because he spoke up when silence settled in.
"It's okay... This place is safe on earth for people like us – camp half-blood." He dragged in the sentence, his blue eyes benevolent. Cressida looked at him blankly, the words for people like us jumbled into her mind. Maybe I am dead after all, she thought.
Chiron stepped closer, and Cressida suddenly noticed his lower body. She wanted to scream, cry and be afraid but she felt nothing or rather surprised at his figure. Chiron seemed confused when all she did was widen her eyes, but he still talked to the girl when she said nothing.
"– you arrived here by yourself, and left unconscious. Do you know how you came here?" Chiron asked, his brown eyes regarding her with concern.
Cressida tried to think, but her mind was blank. She didn't know how she came here. She shook her head.
"Can you tell us your name?" Jack asked gently.
"Cressida." She croaked. She was thankful being here, thankful from getting away from that ramshackle home with her abusive foster parents. It was better being here on this unknown place, with strangers negotiating with her.
Chiron's head tilted, Jack sat back in his chair when she finally spoke up. Chiron stroked his beard, "That's a Greek name…" he said pensively. "Interesting."
Cressida didn't know that. She didn't even know who named her, didn't even know her real parents. All she knows is that an unknown man brought her in to the orphanage when she was baby born, and filed legal papers for her.
"Cressida," Chiron said, interrupting her thoughts. "You are a half-blood. A child of the gods."
A child of the gods? "What?" she retorted hoarsely, her voice laced with confusion and angst. She thought this was stranger than seeing a half horse man.
"A child of one of the Greek gods… or roman, whichever you are, that's a different story." He added quickly and sighed. "Like me, I'm a child of the Greek god Apollo." Jack said, smiling with pride. Cressida didn't understand.
"Cressida, have you heard of the Greek myths?" Chiron asked as he stood with his horse hooves beside her bed.
Cressida did know of Greek myths. She's watched plenty movies based on them, but they're just myths. Myths. "Yes…"
"Well, the gods exist. Zeus, being the king of the gods – they're real, Cressida. Not a myth. You are a child of one of them, which makes you a demi-god. Are you following?" Chiron looked at Cressida, his eyes serious. He isn't joking. Cressida nodded, although still startling. He continued, "Well, in the myths the gods would mingle with humans and perhaps fall in love… and consequently have children, demi-gods."
"I know what you're feeling," Jack said. "It's kind of nerve-wracking really… but you'll understand soon enough."
Cressida thought this was bizarre. "Do I go home?" she asked. Her stomach brewed with anxiety, she didn't want to go home. Not to that place. Not back to Jared and Stephanie – her barbaric foster parents.
Chiron sighed, "Well that's up to you, dear. But I must warn you, it's not safe out there. There are monsters, you see. It's dangerous, and I'm kind of surprised you survived long enough out there without being here at camp-half blood. Where you belong."
"I don't want to go back… I don't know what home is." Cressida murmured. Jack and Chiron shared a look.
"Who's your mortal parent? A male or a female?" Jack asked Cressida. Cressida blinked at the boy, the question was absurd.
"What?" she asked, bewildered.
"In order to be a child of the gods…" Chiron said. "You will either have one mortal parent."
Cressida bit into the inside of her right cheek. "I don't know. I live with a foster family. I don't know who my real parent is."
Chiron nodded as if he understood. "Some half-bloods know of their mortal parent and godly parent, some were living orphans like you before they came here."
Cressida almost sighed with relief. There are people like her. Here. She's a demi-god, a child of the Greek gods. Weird…
"So who is my godly parent?" Cressida asked, dreading the answer.
'Well, they should've claimed you when you were thirteen… but we shall find out soon enough. The gods usually claim their children at the bonfire in the dining pavilion. Which we'll see tonight," Jack explained, smiling to reassure Cressida. Cressida finally acknowledged his appearance. He was cute, she thought.
Chiron straightened and smiled. "Well, I'm sure you don't want to stay in the infirmary any longer. In the meantime, since you are undetermined, you will be residing in the Hermes cabin. Jack here will show you around camp half-blood. And at dinner we will meet at the dining pavilion with the other campers, and we will surely ascertain who your godly parent is."
Cressida nodded and Jack beamed. "You'll like it here, trust me. And to make things easier I'll hand you over a book about ancient Greek, just so you know a bit about where you're derived from." He said. She didn't say anything when they went outside. He plugged in his earphones and listened to music while touring around the place.
The air smelled of strawberries. The sun shone brightly, rays of sunlight warm on her skin. Jack and Cressida walked along strawberry fields, some campers with orange t shirts stopping to look at her. Satyrs played music on their pipes, teens fought with swords and some shooting arrows on target bull eyes. There was a volleyball and basketball court, fields of flower beds and Greek statues. Cressida stopped at some of the Greek statue of gods, wondering if any of them could be her parent.
She followed Jack as he walked toward cabins. All in all, there were about twenty and numbered in order. The cabins were arranged in a U, nestled in the woods by the lake. The cabins all looked differently, styled in different kinds of colours and collections. One cabin was blaring rock music, painted fiery red with a boars head over the door. Another was covered in flowers and tomatoes, another was silver. They were uniquely styled differently, and in some cabins teens were hanging out outside.
"Each Cabin represents one of the Greek gods and goddesses. Claimed demi-gods stay in their respective cabins patronized by their godly parent." Jack explained. He walked over to a solid platinum gold cabin, the sun reflecting on it. "This is cabin seven. For Apollo, this is where I stay." Some kids hanging around the cabins were laughing and telling jokes, some were waving to Jack.
Cressida wandered around the cabins while Jack talked to some teens, which he mentioned were his siblings. Other kids of Apollo. She wondered if she had any siblings. She walked along the stone to the first cabin; it was huge and bulky of them all. It had a shimmery bronze door, and lightning bolts seemed to smear across them. Next to that cabin was cabin two, it had slim graceful columns and flowers and pomegranates. Both were empty.
"That's Zeus and Hera's cabins," Jack said behind her. She jumped. He just chuckled and stood beside her. "Hera doesn't have half-blood kids, since you know she's faithful to her husband Zeus. On the contrary, he has children… not so faithful."
Cressida thought that was strange. But she guessed that Zeus could do anything he wanted, because he was the king of the gods and all. "Why does Hera have a cabin, then?" She dared to ask.
"For honorary and respect, I guess. Now c'mon I'll show you where you'll be staying until you're determined." He dragged her by the arm.
Some campers looked ragged and buff in front of the fiery red building, they were snarling at Cressida. Ares Cabin. She wasn't fazed though, she just raised her eyebrows. She passed cabin ten, a wooden cabin with painted blue roof, pillars, checkerboard deck with steps and grey walls. The aroma around it smelled of strong perfume. Gorgeous looking girls with orange camp t shirts were filing their nails and adjusting their hairs. Cressida wrinkled her nose.
"That's Aphrodite cabin," Apollo said, also wrinkling his nose. All Cressida knew about the goddess Aphrodite was that she was beautiful – Cressida desperately needed that Greek book. Cressida hoped she wasn't an Aphrodite child, though.
They reached cabin eleven, The Hermes cabin. It has freshly brown paint and a caduceus over the door. Kids with sandy blonde hair stood around it talking, it all died down when Cressida and Jack approached it.
A guy with sandy hair and blue eyes spoke up. He was sitting on the steps. "Undetermined?" He nodded to Jack.
Jack nodded and took out his earphone plugs. "Yep. She'll be staying here until she's claimed, which won't be long anyway."
"Thought so, we Hermes kids never have dark hair. Weird, she should be claimed." The guy said, glancing briefly at Cressida. "Well, she's welcome to stay."
Jack sighed and faced Cressida. "I'll go fetch you that Greek book from the Athena Cabin right now, just so you can start off. I'll be back in like five minutes, okay?"
Cressida nodded, he smiled broadly flashing those white teeth. He gave her reassuring thumbs up and headed over to his cabin. The guy who was sitting on the steps stood up, his eyes glinting with mischief.
He sauntered over to Cressida and extended his hand. "I'm Matthew. I heard all the other guys talking about you. You don't know how you came?"
She ignored his hand, and he looked hurt. She just nodded because she had no idea what to say. The children of Hermes all had sandy hair and blue eyes, some brown. They were leaning on the railing eyeing Cressida as she shifted uncomfortably.
Matthew attempted to strike up another conversation. "You know who I bet your godly parent is?"
Now Cressida was intrigued and interested. She didn't know much of Greek mythology, that's why she wanted to read that book so badly. But she looked at Matthew, and he smiled to see she was listening.
"Well… by the looks of your dark hair and eyes, I'd think you were a child of Hades or Hecate. Seems unlikely if you were Hades though to be honest – wait is your mortal parent male or female?"
Cressida's shoulders slumped and she shrugged. She looked away, feeling a bit let down. All her life was darkness, and loneliness. She doesn't even know what happiness really feels like. She's been to foster family to family, not really feeling loved or cared. She hasn't even stayed in the same school for at least a month.
Matthew's face was unmistakably filled with pity. Cressida resented him for pitying her; she didn't want to be pitied. But his face brightened when Jack came back, holding a huge book in hand. Matthew sighed with relief to Cressida's dismay, and scurried inside the Cabin.
"Here you go," he handed her the book. He seemed thankful to get the weight off his hands, as if the book carried the weight of the earth. But Cressida held the book as if it were the weight of a balloon. Jack's mouth was agape but he clamped it shut.
Cressida muttered a 'thank you' and left him. She took tentative steps as she walked inside the Hermes cabin. Inside the cabin was like any old regular cabin. Blue was painted on the walls, and beds were lined disorderly. Campers with orange shirts played tricks on each other and some stared at Cressida as she found a small place in the corner with a blanket sprawled on the floor. She carried her book over there and sat down, ignoring the stares.
A girl about her age – Cressida was fifteen – sat beside her with a friendly smile. "Hey," she greeted Cressida.
"Hi." Cressida said. The girl had dirty blonde hair, and her dull blue eyes glinted with mischief.
"I'm Sarah, daughter of Hermes. You?" She asked, and then quickly shook her head apologetically. "I mean – I know you're undetermined, I just wanted your name."
Cressida gritted her teeth; she hated the word 'undetermined'. "I'm Cressida." She managed to say.
Sarah leaned on the wall and sighed. "I know how you feel. A few years ago, before Percy made the gods claim their children at thirteen – I was undetermined and put here, and little did I know I was an actual daughter of Hermes."
"– Anyway," Sarah continued. "I do know how you feel, all demi-gods here in camp half-blood do quite frankly. We all have dyslexia and ADHD."
"Why do we demi-gods have Dyslexia though?" Cressida asked. She felt weird including herself as a demi-god, but she was curious as to why she had dyslexia.
"Because our brains are hard-wired for Ancient Greek, unless you're Roman it's Latin." She said with a tight smile when she said 'roman'. Cressida assumed there must be some confliction or rivalry between the two. "Look, open that Greek book now and your brain could decipher some Greek words. It's actually pretty cool."
Cressida opened the huge book up and flicked through some pages. She found ancient Greek letterings and focused intently on some sentences. The words jumbled and flipped and she could suddenly read it with great precision. "Wow…" she murmured, quite amazed.
"See?" Sarah beamed. "Wow that was quick; it took me a whole day for me to learn. Had to take ancient Greek classes, but others are different. Anyway, it's pretty cool, huh?" And it was. Cressida believed the whole Greek myth gods existing. Everything seemed so surreal, though. Like she was in some fantasy world…
Sarah left her to join her siblings before explaining a few things to Cressida. She explained that it will be mandatory to learn how to fight to defend ourselves against monsters. To learn how to use a sword and even some archery with the Apollo cabin. Cressida began reading – she was so engrossed into the ancient Greek book. She learned so many things, and everything seemed to make sense. She read a lot about the Olympian gods, and the lesser gods, and even the titans. Then she read powerful deities beyond the titans and the gods. Primordial deities (Protogenoi, it was called) like the earth goddess Gaia, and the night goddess Nyx… The night goddess drew her in, because Cressida admired the night. She didn't know how long she read until someone called out that it was time for dinner. Okay, she thought. She was anxious and her heart was racing. She was going to find out who her godly parent is at the bonfire. Now is the time.