A soft and pleasant feeling coursed through her. Light surrounded and obscured every inch of body. She felt lively and animated – so alive she felt herself breathe. Hemera's presence was like a walk on the calm beach, with the sun in the sky blazing.

Cressida was standing in the morning light, just outside of the archway that leads to camp half-blood. She looked down at herself to see she's been fleshly cleaned, her camp t shirt was spotless without a trace of dirt and her hair was combed nicely. Her pale face sparkled and her dark eyes tinkled. Hemera must've cleaned her up good before leaving her. She was now alone and standing right in front of the archway labelling 'camp half-blood'. She took a deep breath. She could smell the aroma of the strawberries… the smell she's grown accustomed to when she was staying at the camp. She yearned to go there again. To see all her friends from the Hermes cabin... and Jack and Sarah. She missed Chiron too, who has always been there for her.

But then she remembered that night… the night when they all found out who she really is.

She stepped into the barriers and walking into camp half-blood. She did it. Despite her anxiety she couldn't help the feeling of home. She loved it here and now she just realised. Before her were the campers all wearing their usual orange t shirts. But something had happened. They were all cleaning up some rubble on the grass. A couple of kids were holding up some brick wall that seemed to be destroyed. Cressida panicked. What was going on?

She looked frantically around, to the right she saw the climbing wall in ruins. To the left some buildings were broken and thrashed as if someone huge had gone through it. She ran. She found Chiron immediately, looking grim.

"Cressida! Is that you?" a voice shouted. Jack.

Her heart was pounding. A clamour piercing in her ears, all the kids scattered as they sighted Cressida. But she didn't care. She wanted to know what was going on! She was breathing hard and as she made her way to Chiron.

His eyes widened when he saw her. He hastily made his way over to her as well, his eyes searching every inch of her as if to see if she was hurt in any way. "Cressida! Where have you been – we were all worried about you. Something happened – the gods they are angrier than ever! Are you okay?"

Kids from Athena cabin made their way over too, their grey stormy eyes calculated. Some were talking fast but Cressida could only comprehend a sentence that seemed to be repeating in her ears. "Zeus sent monsters to camp half-blood for you – "

"What?" Cressida panted. She was blinking hard and fast now. "Zeus – what?"

Chiron spoke, "Cressida it isn't safe anymore. You are in grave danger. They've been scavenging every part of the camp out for you.– "

Whatever he was going to say, he was cut off by the maddening rumble of thunder and lightning flashed all over the sky. Thick clouds were making their way over the sky, obscuring the once blue sky. Grey darkness poured over everybody.

Every camper was panicking now. Silence. Lightning flashed once more. Thunder.

Chiron was shouting orders at the campers to go inside their cabins, (the cabins were impervious to any mortal dangers, etc.) Something was going to happen. Chiron tried to order Cressida into the Hermes as flocks of orange t shirts ran and seek refuge. She didn't budge. She was faintly aware of Jack grasping her shirt or holding her arm. Lightning streaked across the sky.

Whatever was coming to them, she was going to fight back. Zeus wanted her, to kill her.

"Cressida!" screamed Chiron. She didn't look at his face, she looked at the sky intently, as if daring it to strike again. Lightning flashed.

She brought out her bow and arrow just as lightning flashed again, the blue tint shining on her pale face. Noise. A loud, rambunctious noise of war. Legs and feet stomping on the grounds… The sound of the sheath on the knives and swords… The pounding on the bronze shields. She smelt war and it was coming right at her.

Her eyes gazed at the entrance to camp half-blood and then to the sky as creatures flew and monsters were running and slithering at her atop of the hill. Monsters, deadly monsters she's read in the Greek books; monsters with huge bulging eyes, monsters with a hundred legs and arms – Monsters that work for Zeus to do his bidding, the coward that he is. King of the gods? What a joke. There were about 30 monsters all in all. Cyclops – telekhines – gorgons – heaps of kinds just here to kill Cressida.

Adrenaline rushed through her. Chiron roared, tried so desperately to move Cressida out of the way. No. This was her fight. She turned to him, her dark eyes piercing right through him. Power ran through her veins. She had to persuade Chiron to go and protect the campers. This was Cressida's fight and she didn't know the extent of her powers. But something in Chiron's eyes obeyed to Cressida's – so she talked, and the command in her voice was compelling.

"Go," she said. "and protect everyone in the cabins. This is my fight."

He nodded as if in a trance and stampeded away as fast as he could. Amazed, she turned over to the monsters that were so close now. She raised her bow and shot. The first monster disintegrated before her eyes. The ground shook as thunder rumbled.

Another monster made their way at her, she raised her bow and shot. Another, shot. There were so many that she ran to create a diversion. Black shadow trailed behind her as she jumped so high that she landed on top of a tree branch. Pulling back the string of her arrow, she shot at a monster. Then another, and another. Many were coming at her, climbing on the tree she sat on. She jumped off and landed perfectly.

She spun around as a Cyclops with one huge eye, roared and hit her on the arm with a club. She stumbled and moved out of the way before he could strike again. Running backwards, she raised her bow and shot. Her arm was hurting and dark ichor ran down her arm. Two monsters left. She shot at one, but the other had the advantage. They were right behind Cressida but somehow she sensed him but she was out of arrows. She stepped back and raised her arms on instinct. But strangely, her palms cast out a mist of black shadow. The monster widened its eyes before it disintegrated to dust…

No monsters left.

The thunder and lightning paused. Cressida looked up at the sky, her arms outstretched and she laughed bitterly. "Are you so caught up in Olympus you can't even fight a weak, weak mortal?"

An evil voice laughed behind her, "Oh silly mortal, hasn't your Mother taught you anything?"