The Son of the Moon

by Guardian of Olympus

You know the names from the New Titan and New Giant Wars. Great stories and heroic deeds perfomed by powerful demigods. Well, as it always is, a new adventure rears its head to challenge the most unexpected demigod. That would be me. Crack this story open and look inside to see what makes me so unusually - or not. Totally up to you.

3. Chapter 3: I Get a Quest

When I woke up the next morning, my hurt and anger hit me hard, despite my resolution not to let it overwhelm me. For ten minutes, I battled with my turbulent emotions before wrestling them back under control and standing. The cabin was empty. On each bed was a small package that I hadn't noticed the night before. I had been so tired and emotionally shot that I hadn't noticed them, just walking to my bunk, stripping off my clothes and plopping onto my bunk. But now, every previously occupied bunk had a package of some kind on it. Frowning, I looked at one of them. It was a box about the size of one of those that a softball came in. Opening it, I saw a series carefully coiled bow strings - hand made by one of my sisters, probably Kimberly. She was a daughter of Athena who had joined the hunters a few centuries back and was exceptional at weaving and braiding bowstring out of anything.

I felt a lump form in my throat and a smile cross my face. No matter what mom though, I knew that the hunters would always care for me and look at me the same and that warmed me. I gathered all of the parting gifts on my bed and opened them, one at a time. Most of them were little things like the bow strings - a canteen filled with something, probably moon water and a decorative charm made of a small disk of bone about the size of a silver dollar. It was supposed to be the moon with a deer engraved on it. I hung it on my quiver. All the gifts were like that except the final one. It was a strange, uneven and about two feet long, wrapped in leather. Untying the two rawhide strings, I carefully unwrapped the leather and gasped. Two and a half foot long hunting knives. Their handles were formed from the antlers of a deer and the blades were made of celestial bronze and with silver engravings in them. They were all pictures of my mom and I - her teaching me to hunt, our hunting of game when I was younger. One picture showed her assisting in the birth of a child, unseen, of course, by the mortal woman.

My eyes stung again. Wrapped around one of the knive's handles was a note. I carefully pulled it off and unrolled it. It was from my mother.

Arthur, my son,

I know you are angry and hurt and I am sorry but I needed you to know the truth of the matter. When you were born, I had my step-brother make these for you. They are, celestial bronze and the silver that is inlaid into the blade will also prove effective against other monsters such as werewolves.

I know that you will be a great demigod.

I love you.

-Artemis

Well I was in tears for another ten minutes after that. I felt so stupid. I had cried more in the passed day in a half than in my entire childhood. Once again, I regained control of my wayward emotions and cleared my throat. Experimentally I said, "Well, breakfast is probably being served."

My voice was rough and I scowled. Going to the bathroom, I threw water over my face and drank a glass of water. Looking in the mirror, I saw that my eyes were rimmed in red. It made my scowl look even worse. "Great;" I muttered to myself, "now everyone's going to know I've been crying for almost thirty minutes. Sighing, I went back to my bunk and grabbed my knives, sheathed them and attached the scabbards to my belt. I took off my first knife and stowed it in my locker. The tomahawk, I kept where it was. That done, I took a fast shower, got dressed in a pair of camo pants, black boots and one of the orange Camp Half Blood t-shirts. It was technically my size but it was still a little tight across my chest and on my arms. I muttered about how hard it was these days to find t-shirts that were the right length and a little wider. That done, I headed outside. Breakfast was already being served in the pavilion. Many of the eyes turned to me as I went to my table and sat down, trying to look apathetic but I'm pretty sure I just looked sullen. The nymphs came and served me instead of the magic plates that filled with whatever I wanted. One of them smiled sympathetically and whispered, "It's okay, Arthur; you'll be okay."

I smiled gratefully. Even though I was certain she didn't know why I was so out of sorts, if felt nice. "Thanks. Mmmm, this all looks fantastic;" I sood, looking at the waffles covered with fruit preserves, sausage links, scrambled eggs and a big glass of orange juice. The nymph giggled and said, "Thank you; can I get you anything else, sweetie?"

I hesitated and asked, "Um... do you have coffee, maybe?"

She smiled sweetly. "Sure, sweetheart; be right back."

I made my sacrifice to the gods and then dug in with a will and stuffed myself, thanking the nymph when she brought me a cup of coffee. As I ate, I looked around. The other campers were laughing and joking over their meals, though most of them were done eating and starting to get up. By the time I finished my meal, the others were heading back to their cabins to clean up. My cabin was clean and so was I so I finished my meal. Chiron clopped over and smiled at me sympathetically. "How are you this morning, my boy?"

I smiled back. "It started a little rough but I'm all better now. So, how does the schedule work here? I haven't had a regular day of camp yet. How does training go?"

"Well;" said Chiron, "we have archery ranges, sword and spear training arenas, the stables where horses and pegusai are boarded and the triremes in long island sound where we practice naval warfare. Aside from the training areas, we also have the canoe pond, the volleyball court, the basketball courts and so on. There is plenty to do. And, of course, you already know about the monsters in the woods. All I ask is that you try to limit your hunting at least a little bit so that we don't deplete out stock of monsters."

I chuckled at that. "I'll restrain myself;" I assured him as I stood. I brought my dishes to the turn-in line and then headed out to my first activity, the climbing wall. I was pretty good at climbing - most hunters are. It was a great challenge and I was satisfied as I climbed to the top and repelled back down. I went to a first aid class and then to the archery range, where Will Solace asked me to help teach archery. Before lunch, I went to the stables where Percy Jackson and Hazel Lavesque taught horse and pegasus riding. When we took a break, Percy clapped my back. "Nice work. You're a natural rider."

"Thanks;" I said with a smile. Lunch was delicious as always and I was about to head to the fighting arena when Rachel Elizabeth Dare ran over. Her voice was dry, her eyes green and a green aura surrounded her.

"You will be approached by Olympas' King,

A quest to you, he himself shall bring,

Until that day, in New Rome you must stay,

and Zeus shall send two companions your way,

from out of the past, two fools emerge,

who must resist Aphrodite's urge,

two more, you will meet along the quest,

of whom you shall be an unwilling guest,

and the greatest hunt for a thousand years,

to keep one's ancient oath from fears,

you will undertake at Summer's close,

and must complete before Winter wind blows."

It was a prophecy. Rachel's eyes flickered and I had to catch her as she swooned. Careful, I set her on the ground. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase ran up. "She gave you a prophecy;" said Percy. I nodded, chewing my lip. Carefully, I lifted her and carried her to the pavilion, out of the sun. After some cool water, she looked at me and said, "It was meant for you."

"I know;" I murmured uneasily. Chiron galloped up. "What has happened?"

"Rachel has given Arthur a prophecy. He will have a quest at the end of the Summer and it will be given by Zeus himself;" said Percy. "And I will have until Winter to save someone from something that will cause them to break an oath;" I said, rubbing my temples. "Apparently, he will send me two companions from out of the past, fools who must resist Aphrodite's urge."

Annabeth nodded. "And, apparently, two more members of the quest will be found as well, which will bring the total to five."

Chiron lifted his hand and said, "Hold on now, my children. Arthur, Rachel - please come with me to the recreation room. Annabeth, Percy - go gather all the cabin senior councilors."

Within twenty minutes, the cabin councilors were gathered. Twenty-one kids plus Chiron and Mister D gathered around a ping-pong table in the rec-room. Rachel told the others the prophecy while I half listened, considering the words. Twenty-two sets of eyes looked at me and it took over a minute for me to realize that they were staring. "Well?" said Mister D while he looked at a wine catalog. "What does it mean, Aaron Pine?"

I ignored that he had called me by the wrong name and shrugged. "I'm not a hundred percent sure. It seems as though Zeus himself will have a quest for me. Does that sound accurate, Rachel?"

She nodded and said, "Until then, you are told to wait in New Rome. When he's ready for you to go, he'll bring you two ancient companions whom you, apparently, need to save from Aphrodite's urge."

"Yeah;" I said, blushing slightly. Any demigod should be able to understand what that meant and I hoped no one asked me to explain it. Rachel crossed her arms and said, "I mean, it doesn't take a genius to know what Aphrodite's urge is but what does it have to do with two fools from the past? Aphrodite has caused the urge to a thousand couples in the past so how do we know which one the prophecy is about?"

There were a few murmurs but no one really had anything impactful. I was puzzling over it when Jason Grace said, "That will become apparent when Zeus shows you your companions. What about the other two companions? Isn't it usually supposed to only be three on a quest?"

Nico De Angelo lifted a hand, "There were seven during the Giant War and two of the quests during the Titan War included more than three. It may have been an ancient law but, apparently, the a Fates seem to be able to get over it. Anyhow, when are you leaving for New Rome? It seems that everything really starts there."

I sighed and said, "I don't know."

I had just gotten to camp a few days ago and the gods already wanted me to leave. Annabeth chewed her lower lip before she said, "We were planning on heading back to New Rome about half way through the summer anyway. Do you think it would be safe to wait until then?"

All the other camp councilors looked back and forth at one another. Chiron and Mister D were looking at Rachel who shrugged uncomfortably. Finally tired of the indecision, I stood. "That's when I'll leave. If the gods don't like it, they can send me a sign. I'm tired of being on the road. I'm tired of moving from group to group. I'll go when the other demigods are heading to New Rome."

Everyone nodded though Chiron was hesitant. Mister D stood and said, "Well I'm glad that's over; now I believe that there are still several good hours before dinner. Back to your activities, campers."

I wasn't in the mood. In fact, I was about to head back out into the woods when a pair of hands clamped onto my shoulders. "Oh no you don't!" said Frank Zhang on one side. "You're not going to get all moody and run off again. What's up? Tell us what's wrong and let us help you for once!" said Jason Grace. Both guys looked concerned and mildly exasperated. It felt good that someone was looking out for me. With a sigh, I decided to confide in them. "I just got here and the gods want me to leave, days after my mother kicks me out of the hunters. It just feels like the gods won't let me sit still."

Frank and Jason nodded their heads. "That's the life of a demigod, Arthur - at least, those demigods with great and important destinies."

"I don't want a great or important destiny;" I muttered petulantly. Jason laughed and clapped me on the back. "Come on, Son of Artemis! Do you really think you'd get away with your heritage without greatness in your future? Fate just doesn't work that way. Now come on! If you're going to go on a quest, Percy, Sherman Yang and I are going to make sure that your sword work is a whole lot better. Hazel is going to make you an expert horse and pegasus rider. You're going to learn to march in a phalanx with a shield and spear and shield and sword."

I found myself eager. I wanted to learn. If I was going to chosen by the king of the gods, I wanted to be as prepared as possible. For the next five hours, I trained like a madman, trying to absorb as many sword and spear tricks as possible and repeat them as many times as possible. Sherman Yang, head of the Ares cabin, beat the tar out of me using spear and shield and Jason and Percy took it in turn to do so with their swords. After that was an easier thing - Athena and Hephaestus leading some crafting work. I didn't know what I was supposed to do so I decided to just work on a chunk of wood. Using a set of knives, I whittled and scraped and carved at it. Slowly, I saw a small wooded carving of the Huntress take shape. She had an arrow to the string and was running as if on the hunt. It wasn't the greatest of carvings but Deric, one of the Athena campers, was impressed with it. I blushed and shrugged, "Sometimes, to pass the time, I would widdle between hunts and moving around."

"That reminds me;" called Annabeth and she came over. "I want you to teach a class on hunting and tracking. Can you do that for me? We never actually had someone aside from a few satyrs to do it but I think you'd be better."

I looked at my small statue. It was about ten inches tall and the likeness wasn't half bad either. "I can do that. Sure. When were you thinking?"

"Tomorrow, I think would be best;" answered Annabeth with a pleased smile. "Thank you, Arthur."

After the crafting class, it was dinner time. The horn blew and we headed to the pavilion. I decided that I had a really good day, despite the rough start and the quest. As always, dinner was delicious and afterwards was the bonfire. Songs were sung, smores were made and jokes were told. I actually began to feel like I belonged. After a few songs and some smores, I excused myself. The moon was a crescent and it looked to me like a drawn bow. I decided that maybe a walk along the beach would be nice. As I walked, I pulled my magical harmonica from my wallet. At will, I could turn it into a hunting spear. Right now, though, I decided a short little tune wouldn't be so bad. I played as the tune came to me. It was probably nonsense but it felt good to play. I'm not sure how long I played but when I stopped, I felt so good. "I normally hate the harmonica but that sounded beautiful;" came a voice behind me. I turned to see Drew. With a coy smile, she said, "I saw you sneak off. Wanted to be sure you're okay."

I smiled and blushed slightly. "I'm actually great, thanks. I had a really good day today. How are you, Drew?"

"I'm glad you had a good day. Mind if I walk with you?"

It didn't bother me at all, having a beautiful girl walk with me along the beach at night. "It's technically frowned upon for a boy and a girl to walk alone together along the beach but they usually cut some slack;" explained Drew. I frowned. "Why would it be against the rules for a guy and a girl to walk alone at night?"

Drew giggled and said, "You are kidding, right? Surely your mother never let you wander alone with just a single hunter!"

"Sure she did. Why wouldn't she trust me alone with my sisters? Thalia and I would go off and hunt together all the time."

Drew giggled and said, "Well I suppose I can understand that but the thing is, guys and girls can get into all kinds of mischief if they go off one on one."

I blushed, slowly realizing what she was talking about. "Well... I mean... I wasn't exactly planning on..."

"Of course not, Honey;" said Drew, taking his hand as they walked. "You're much too sweet for that. Besides, being the only boy among fifty female hunters, I'm sure you learned how to treat women with the proper respect."

If there was anything I learned in those nine years, it was to respect women. But they had all been my sisters, not potential girl friends or anything. This was a little beyond my reckoning.

The night was quiet except for the roar of the surf. Drew asked me all about my upbringing and I answered, telling stories about how I had learned to hunt and trap and fight. She was an attentive listener, or at the very least, pretended to be. It was over an hour before they made it back to the cabin areas. Drew was still holding his hand. When I asked her about herself, she told me a little bit but by then, we were back at Cabin 10, the Aphrodite cabin. "Curfew soon;" she said and looked up into my eyes. "Can I have a kiss goodnight?"

Something about her voice drew me in - no pun intended. It was as if her request became the most reasonable and desirable thing at the moment. I leaned down was about to press my lips to hers when there was a violent explosion of sneezes nearby. We both looked and saw Jason Grace pulling a tissue from a pack and wiping and blowing his nose.

That's when I realized exactly what I was about to do. Casually as possible, I took a step back. Jason Grace looked over and blushes, "Sorry, hope I didn't interrupt anything."

Piper came round the corner and smiled at Jason before seeing Drew and I. It was terribly awkward. I cleared my throat a few times before saying, "Have a good night, Drew. You guys do the same."

Quickly I went to Cabin 8. "Zeus on Olympus, what was I thinking?"

Quickly, I hopped in the shower and got ready to sleep. I had just finished up and thrown on some pajamas - gym shorts and a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, when there was a knock at the door. With my hair still wet, I went to the door and opened it. Piper McLean stood there, looking very uncomfortable. "Um... Hi, Arthur; did you have a good day?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah; it started rough but ended better. How was your day?"

"It was good; look I apologize in advance if I am getting involved with something that isn't my business but you really should be careful with Drew."

I frowned. "Okay; is there anything in particular I need to be careful about specifically?"

"She has a gift that is rare even to the children of Aphrodite called Charm Speak. It means she can basically make people do whatever she wants just by speaking."

I was silent for a long moment before nodding slowly. "I see; that makes sense. But why would she use it on me? It's not like I'm a child of Zeus or someone super powerful. I'm just a son of Artemis."

Piper chuckled and said, "For one thing, you are an impossibility. You shouldn't exist. That makes you interesting. For another, you should look in the mirror."

I had just finished looking in the mirror while I was brushing my teeth and shaving my patchy stubble. "Why? I don't get it."

Piper laughed and said, "Oh gods! You boys can be so oblivious."

"I think that's just me, actually;" I mumbled in embarrassment. She shook her head. "No, Jason, Frank, Percy - apparently they were all the same way at first, totally clueless to how their various girlfriends thought about them before they started dating. It's totally a boy thing. Anyhow, just be careful, okay. Drew used to get people to fall in love with her and then break their hearts. It's an Aphrodite thing - something I've been trying to put a stop to for years now but she still does it."

I nodded, wondering how I was supposed to deal with this whole situation. "Well, thanks for the heads up, Piper."

She nodded and said, "Of course; have a good night."

"You do the same;" I said before shutting the door and going to the bathroom and looking in the mirror. Silvery-gray eyes and light brown hair around the last hints of a baby face. Nothing spectacular there. Shrugging, I decided to head to bed, still wondering what on earth Piper meant by 'look in the mirror' to figure out why Drew was interested in him.

Apparently, demigods have strange dreams. As I slept, I found myself seeing the hunters. All my sisters looked anxious and confused. One of them ran up to Thalia and said, "There is absolutely no sign of her, Thalia. What are we going to do?"

Thalia's face was hard and worried, "We need to get to Camp Jupiter; they're the closest assistance we can find."

The other hunter chewed her lip before murmuring. "There is another group that can help us. We really should consider them. I mean, there are no boys there so that would be better."

Thalia sighed and said, "I wish Arthur was here."

"We don't need Arthur. Remember what Lady Artemis said. We can't trust him anymore;" said the other hunter. That hurt. That really hurt. "Our only hope is Queen Hylla. She has the numbers to help us search and, when we find Lady Artemis, the power to help us fight."

Thalia glared at her. "I will always trust Arthur but you're right. Let's head to Seattle."

I woke up feeling like I hadn't slept at all. After throwing water on my face, changing and putting my hair into something resembling some kind of order, I headed outside. Everyone was going towards the pavilion for breakfast but I wasn't in the mood to talk. I didn't remember my dream; I just knew that I felt like a Cretan bull had plowed over me. I didn't notice the eyes studying me as I got into line for food. "Morning, Arthur;" said a cheerful voice. Looking to my right, I saw that it was Annabeth Chase. "Ready to teach us about tracking and hunting? You'll be working with Coach Gleeson Hedge."

I had forgotten about that and was not eager to start. "Yes;" I muttered, "but I need coffee."

Annabeth chuckled. Suddenly, Percy came up behind her, wrapped an arm aroud her waist and kissed her cheek. "Morning, Wisegirl."

"Seaweed Brain;" she giggled. Everytime something like that happened, I felt like an intruder. I grabbed my plate and a cup of coffee before heading to my table and plopping down. Looking up, I saw that Chiron was giving me a look, one bushy brow up, probably asking, "Are you okay?"

I mustered a smile and nodded. I didn't know a facial expression that could mean, "I'm super tired;" so I just stuck with the smile. Even so, I think the Centaur understood perfectly.

Breakfast worked its magic and I felt a whole lot better afterwards. It helped that I sipped on a flask of moonwater while I ate. One of the boys from the Dionysis cabin ran over and asked, "What is that stuff? Did you bring wine?"

I chuckled. "No; it's totally non-alcoholic."

The kid actually looked disappointed. Mister D glared over and said, "Aaron Peters, what on Olympus are you drinking?"

Unable to help myself, I lifted my coffee cup. "The good stuff, Mister D; hot brewed, slightly burned, no cream, no sugar and barely aged."

There were snorts of laughter from those within earshot but Mister D glared. Chiron hid a smile and cleared his throat, "I believe that Mister D meant the large silver flask in your hand."

"Oh this!" I said, "It's just a canteen of water. Gotta stay hidrated and all that."

Chiron wasn't fooled. He'd been around for far too long and trained too many heroes to know when one of them was pulling one of his legs. However, he didn't say anything. Mister D just snorted and ignored me as he drank a diet coke.

After breakfast, I led a big group out to the woods. The satyr Gleeson Hedge was with us too so I decided to get his advice. "What do you think, Coach?" I murmured to him. "I've never taught a class like this before."

"It's pretty easy, Kid;" said the old goat as he chewed on a cluster of flowers. "Make it interesting, draw them in. Don't tell them, show them."

I nodded. "Thanks, Coach."

"No problem and hey, put in a good word to your mom to me."

I chuckled and said, "Yeah, sure coach."

I turned to see all the other watching me, realizing that I was probably one of, if not the, youngest one there. Clearing my throat, I looked around and found a track - a massive paw print the size of a dinner plate. My interest was peaked and I knelt down. They all gathered around me and I looked up, grinning. "Can any of you tell me what this print is?"

Percy Jackson looked at it and said, "Hellhound?"

I grinned. "Nope, close though; anyone else?"

They all murmured but the consensus was no. "A hellhound's print would be rounder and deeper. They're pretty heavy. No, this is a werewolf print. You guys are crazy to stock the woods with these."

Dead silence. "We don't;" said Annabeth as she reached for her sword. That scared me. Coach Hedge jumped into action, "Alright, Cupcakes - get back to the cabins. NOW!"

They began to head that way but I looked at the track. This werewolf was huge. "Price! Get your butt over here!"

I didn't pay attention. "This track is only a few hours old. How could it have gotten passed the magical barriers that protect this place?" I murmured to myself. "Arthur;" yelled one of the other campers. "Come on!"

"We need to kill this thing before it can hurt someone;" I declared, straightening and stringing my bow. Most of the others looked terrified. Coach Hedge growled, "There is no one a kid like you is going to be hunting that werewolf. Leave it to Chiron, Argus and the senior campers."

I shook my head. "No time for that; we can't let something like this run free. Do any of you have experience with werewolves?"

I began to follow the tracks when Jason Grace said, "Woah! Dude! At least wait for Chiron to get here!"

I wanted to argue but Jason was correct. Waiting for Chiron would be best. The good new was that I didn't have long to wait. The Centaur galloped up with Nico De Angelo on his back. I could have sworn that Nico had been hanging out in the back of my group with Will Solace. "Campers, go back to the cabin. Arthur, stay with me."

Jason put his hand to his sword. "Some of us have face werewolves before, Chiron;" he said. Chiron nodded, "and that's why I want you back at the cabins. If the werewolf gets back that way, we need people there who can protect the others. Go on and have everyone lock themselves in their cabins."

Jason obeyed without question. Chiron lifted me onto his back and we followed the trail. "Do you have silver arrows, Arthur?" he asked. "I always keep a few in my quiver just in case. You?"

Chiron nodded. We tracked the monster in silence. Every now and again, I would hop down and examine a track. The werewolf's trail led us in a wide arc, eventually heading towards the edge of the forest. "It looks like it may be heading towards the cabins;" said Chiron anxiously. I hopped down again and examined the tracks, frowning. "Wait, these tracks - the wolf stood here for awhile and then the tracks just stop. They're really deep. He must have taken on some weight. Or he..." I turned and froze, "walked backwards;" I said quietly. "Chiron;" I whispered. There the wolf was, less than ten feet away. It's red eyes gleamed with amusement and in my I head, I heared him. "So the horse-man brings one of his children to hunt me. I expected the whole of your army but this is just insulting."

I doubted that I could turn, aim and fire in the time it would take him to leap. My best option would be my knives but against a foe that big, I did not like my odds. I didn't take my eyes off of the wolf but I couldn't help but wonder what Chiron was doing. To buy time, I said, "I am a son of the huntress Artemis. I have no reason to fear you. You should fear me."

The wolf's laughter entered my mind and he crouched. "Arthur, move!"

Three things happened at once. The wolf leaped, I dove and Chiron loosed an arrow. The wolf managed to catch it in his mouth but spat it out with a yelp. I drew my knives and attacked his flank. Chiron tried to fire another arrow but the wolf leaped at him. It was clear that the activities director was the real target, not me. I charged after the wolf and managed to sink both knives both knives into its side before it sank its fangs into Chiron's throat. The wolf yelped and turned to smoke. "Thank you, my boy;" said the Centaur as he rose to his hoofs. He didn't have any injuries. "That werewolf was after you, Chiron. Why is that?"

"I don't know, my boy. One thing's for sure: this won't be the last attempt. Someone in this camp wants me dead."

He lifted me onto his back. For a moment, I was utterly speechless. "What do you mean 'someone in camp wants you dead'?"

"Monsters can only come through our magical barriers if someone allows them through;" explained Chiron as we galloped back to the cabins. As soon as they got there, every door to almost every cabin flew open and the campers poured out. Annabeth, Percy, Jason, Piper and Nico were the front runners. "What happened?"

I hopped off of Chiron's back. "Arthur killed the wolf. The camp is safe again for now."

He didn't mention that the werewolf had been after him, so I did. "The wolf was after Chiron. I'm wondering how it got passed your camp's barriers."

Silence followed and low murmurs were heard throughout the campers. Chiron said, "I don't want any campers to go anywhere alone. Stick to groups. Patrols will be larger and make sure you are sufficiently armed."

"What about you, Chiron?" asked Annabeth. Chiron tried to wave it away but Clarisse and Sherman from the Ares cabin looked at each other. "We'll set up something."

Annabeth agreed. "We'll help you out if you're willing."

All three nodded. Chiron protested, "I don't want anyone to miss their activities and training because of me."

"But Chiron;" asked Percy, "if you die, who will train new heroes?"

The old Centaur smiled with such pride that I felt my heart twinge and warm. "You will - all of you."

Shocked silence followed and Chiron continued. "Many of you are attending college and moving on to other lives but some of you - at least I was hoping, that some of you would carry on the training of future heroes. I am old - older than many of the gods even. While immortality has many blessing, it is also very exhausting. Each year, I find myself getting more and more tired. There will come a time when I must pass on. When that happens, it's up to you to carry on the teaching of future demigods."

That was so sobering that no one else said a thing. Many of the campers looked on the verge of tears. Then Clarisse cleared her throat and said, "Well that can happen when Sherman and I are not around. Annabeth, let's put together a roster. We're looking for volunteers."

Chiron sighed but did not protest. I watched as the senior campers gathered together for an impromptu meeting but I didn't really care for it. I didn't have any other campers in my cabins so I just decided to head off. I was about to take to the woods when I remembered Chiron's orders and cursed beneath my breath. Instead, I went to my cabin and climbed onto the roof of it. For a long time, I just sat there, letting my mind blank out. Suddenly, a silvery light shined next to me and I recognized it. Someone was sending an Iris message. It didn't ask for a drachma so I said, "Iris, goddess of messages and rainbows, show me whoever is trying to contact me."

Immediately, the face of Thalia Grace appeared. "Thals! What's wrong?" I asked anxiously. Thalia looked stressed out. "I don't have a lot of time. Lady Artemis is missing and I don't know what to do. Has she contacted you at all?"

I tried not to snort with mirthless laughter. "Mom decided she wasn't talking to me anymore after you all left. Do you have any clue as to where she went?"

Thalia shook her head. "No! We don't even know where to start looking."

I cursed. "Great! I can't even go look because Zeus is going to give me a quest at the end of the Summer. I need to bring this to Chiron."

Thalia nodded. "Please do. Also, ask him about Zoe Nightshade's stash. In the woods, there is a place where Hunters have been putting supplies -extra arrows, moonwater, clothes, supplies of every kind and a weapon."

I waited but she didn't continue. "Okay so what is this weapon?"

Thalia looked pained. "I can't tell you. Only hunters can know about it. If your mom knew I was telling you, she would be furious. When you find it, contact me."

I frowned. "Why do we need this weapon? Do you know who took my mom?"

"No but if they can take a goddess, they are dangerous - very, very dangerous."

Suddenly, there were voices and Thalia said, "I gotta go. Please, Arthur - do this for me."

The connection was cut and I frowned. I was about to drop down onto the ground when I heard voices. I lowered myself to the roof and crawled towards them. It was Drew and five or so more Aphrodite kids. "He is the best thing to happen to this camp since Percy Jackson;" one of them was saying. Drew snorted. "Please; Percy Jackson doesn't know what he could have if he wanted to, same with Jason Grace. At least he had the sense to fall for an Aphrodite girl even if McLean barely qualifies. But Arthur is utterly unique. There have been children of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades have come around quite a few times in history but there is only one child of Artemis - and it's a boy to boot. I'm going to be the only girl in history to break the heart of a son of a maiden goddess."

I couldn't help but feel a little hurt at that. Turns out that Piper was right. I grinned and decided to put an end to this right now. Dropping onto the ground, I said, "Evening, ladies."

They all started and Drew said, "Arthur!"

She began to stammer and I just waved my hand. "Forget about it. It makes sense now that I think about it. I mean, seriously, why would a - what, seventeen or eighteen year old girl, want to do with a fifteen going on sixteen year old boy. Besides, Piper McLean gave me a heads up."

She was still just stammering and I laughed. "It's okay. The fact that I just smashed your dream removes all hard feelings. Night, girls."