If the children of chaos were not the children of chaos, who would you think their parents would be?
After the little pissing contest with Clarisse, Annabeth and the others showed Percy a few more places, like the metal shop where kids were forging their own weapons with few looking at Kate in awe, the arts-and-crafts room where satyrs were sandblasting a giant marble statue of a goat-man as few try to get Sydney to look at their work, and the climbing wall, which actually consisted of two facing walls that shook violently, dropped boulders, sprayed lava, and walls that clashed together if you didn't get to the top fast enough.
"Jesus Christ, what with this camp?" Nathan said, seeing the dangerous climbing wall for the first time. They didn't take the tour cause everyone was in mourning over the minotaur fight.
"An insane one" Percy said, also seeing the clashing walls.
"Looks fun" Sydney said, looking at the wall in excitement, Terry and Kate just look at the climbing wall with nothing to say.
Finally all of them returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.
"I've got training to do," Annabeth said to them.
"Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall...And one more thing, you all need to talk to the Oracle." Annabeth said to them, getting their attention.
"Who?" Percy asked.
"Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron." Annabeth said to them.
"Oracle of Delphi is here?" Terry asked, aware of them speaking the future, looking paranoid.
"Don't tell me you listen to prophecies now" Kate said, not liking that they listen to an old hag that claims to tell the future.
"Prophecies have been used for ages, even the gods rely on prophecies" Annabeth said to them.
"Prophecies are always cryptic and never just tell you what will happen. Especially in words that anyone can understand but can't be taken the wrong way. Like if I go to the party I want to go to I'll die, instead they say I'll meet my end soon or something stupid like that," Nathan said to her, prophecies are always vague to make it fit anyone.
"Not to mention how most of the time it's what the person is trying to prevent in the future from happening that causes it to happen," Sydney said a common theme with prophecies.
"I hate those and the people who tell those kinds of prophecies, they never say what they really mean, some of it bullshit to control others" Kate said, hating those using prophecies to manipulate people.
"Like when King of Thebes, Oedipus, when that prophecy said he would murder his father then marry his own mother, they all heard it. Instead of raising Oedipus like a son, they send him away while they freak out over the prophecy, then Oedipus knows about it and freaks out until they all end of fulfilling the prophecy" Terry explains to her, slowly looking around, the prophecy about fucking your own mother, instead of treating him like a son and give him a princess or something they freak-out because of it. Terry looks around, not liking prophecies that anyone can make it up to have an influence on someone.
"Kinky" Sydney said to them.
"Shut up" Kate said, not wanting to hear it.
"Or that other prophecy, where a king went to a prophet who told him he will have war and be killed, then he attack the other nations of something then got him killed, if he never heard that prophet he could have allied with them without seeing the other nation as enemy which was the root cause of a prophecy" Nathan said, prophecy making you see everyone has an enemy instead of knowing the guy first, Terry looking around, paranoid.
"That proves the value of prophecies" Annabeth defends, seeing the examples and how they could be avoided.
"No it proves how ignorant people were in ancient times, even now" Kate said, seeing people still listen to vague predictions that could mean anything.
Percy signed in exhaustions, taking a seat while he stared into the lake, if everyone took prophecies seriously then Percy would never have a straight answer.
He wasn't expecting anybody to be looking back at him from the bottom, so his heart skipped a beat when he noticed two teenage girls sitting cross-legged at the base of the pier, about twenty feet below. They wore blue jeans and shimmering green T-shirts, and their brown hair floated loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. They smiled and waved to him like he was a long-lost friend. He didn't know what else to do. He waved back.
"Yeah don't Percy, those naiads are terrible flirts" Sydney warns, glaring at them, Kate growls at them, the two naiads get scared and swim away.
"Naiads of course," Percy signed, can't feel the energy to deal with this.
"Well this place sucks, I want to go home" Percy said,
"Yeah we might need another place to stay since your step dad's an asshole" Nathan said, Percy's step dad won't help.
"I have a few places we can go too" Terry said, looking around the place, checking the lake and area around him, Terry knows a few guys he can blackmail, Kate and Sydney look at them, Annabeth frowned.
"Don't you guys get it? This is home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us." Annabeth said to them.
"How wonderful, were all demi-gods, this is insane" Percy said, finally letting all of this go as he thinks about all of this.
"Yeah Greeks gods are real and having an influence on the world, insanity" Terry said, sitting down next to Percy, calming down a little but his fingers are twitching.
"Monsters after us if we leave" Kate said, recalling how monsters are attracted to demi-gods smell, joining the two.
"And people here aren't the most stable" Sydney said looking at Annabeth, she frowned at her, but she ignored her, taking a seat next to them.
"We're in the shits now" Nathan said, sitting down as well.
"It's not all that bad" Annabeth said to them, but they ignored her, just sitting there in silence.
"Since we're all demi-gods, who's your dad Annabeth?" Percy asks, turning to her, Annabeth's hands tightened.
"My dad is a professor at West Point," Annabeth said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."
"Sounds like a great god, working a job" Nathan said, a god working a job.
"What god gets a job teaching history?" Percy asked,
"He's human." Annabeth said to them, surprising the two.
"Did you two think only male gods find females attractive? I didn't know you two were sexist" Sydney teased them, aware no god would get a job if their life depends on it.
"So who's your mom, then?" Terry asked, curious to know, needing something to distract himself, his face is twitching.
"Cabin six." Annabeth answered.
"Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and arts and craft" Terry said, aware of her titles, to Annabeth slight flinch.
"Arts and.., no she is goddess of heroic endeavour, weaving, pottery and various other crafts" Annabeth defends her mother.
"That's basically arts and craft," Kate said, looking annoyed at her.
"Sure, why not?" Percy said.
"Any idea who my dad is?" Percy asked them, thinking which god his father is.
"Undetermined, like I told you before. Nobody knows." Annabeth said,
"You never try to figure it out yourself?" Kate asked, seeing the demi-gods don't even try to find out who their parents are.
"Like I said, only they can claim you" Annabeth said.
"They also said gods forget they even have kids to begin with" Nathan recalls, seeing the gods have claimed some kids but don't give anything else.
"My mom should know," Percy said, hoping his mother was aware of his father being a god.
"Maybe not, Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities." Annabeth said.
"Really, you can say your name's Zeus but who would believe you" Sydney said, telling anyone you are a god would just make you look crazy, or a gang name.
"Well we can guess who godparent is who, no harm in that" Terry said standing up., really needing something to think about.
"So Percy, your mother said she meet him on the beach, and you can control water, so you dad a water god, which leaves Poseidon, Glaucus, Oceanus, Amphitrite or Triton" Terry figures, thunders cracks every name he said, Annabeth get really nervous.
"You can't do that!" Annabeth said, saying their names get their attention.
"Why not? If they won't tell us, we will figure it out ourselves" Terry said, Percy looks thoughtful.
"Isn't Amphitrite a woman though" Nathan said, Percy's dad a woman.
"Don't be so close minded Nathan, Gods can change their forms, so why not let a woman have some fun" Sydney nudges Nathan, everyone looks away with a blush.
"Oceanus a titan" Kate said, recalling one name was a titan.
"You never know," Terry shrugs at that.
"Makes sense, with the water powers' ' Percy said, getting an idea which god he was related to.
"Pray you're not a son of the big three," Annabeth said. "It will not be good for you." That got their attention.
"Why?" Percy asked,
"Children of the big three are always more powerful than other half-bloods. They always attract a powerful monster." Annabeth said, Percy looks alarmed at that.
"So we're screwed either way" Nathan said, not caring at this point, before looking at Kate.
"If we take a guess you're either a daughter of Ares, Kratos or Hercules" Nathan said, figuring Kate's strength comes from one of the war gods.
"Hard to say, both my mortal parents fight over my mom cheating, but my dad cheats too, I don't know who started it" Kate said, just another reason her parents fight, she tighter her fist.
"When I do find out, I'm tearing them a new asshole" Kate growls, already hating her parent god for abandoning her.
"Scary, but I'm guessing Sydney is a daughter of Aphrodite," Percy said, seeing how pretty the children of Aphrodite are and how pretty Sydney is.
"You think I'm pretty?" Sydney smiles at Percy, who looks away, Kate glares at her. Sydney just winks at her.
"If that's the case you should be claimed straight away" Kate said, seeing some gods do claim their children but not all of them, Terry laughs insanely, as thunder keeps shouting with every name they say.
"The amount of crazy shit you do, you're either Hermes or Athena kid" Kate said, smartass Terry being a pain in the ass to them and everyone, has to be from the two most troublesome gods.
"You're calling me crazy?" Terry said looking at her, a madding smile of his face twitching; Annabeth looked pale thinking Terry would be her brother.
"Just cause I have a hotel on my foot doesn't make me goody loodady" Terry holds his foot, shaking his head. Annabeth looks concern but the four sign.
"Here we go again," Nathan said, knowing Terry's sudden turnaround.
"Stop laughing at me flying avocados" Terry yells; swing his arms around, Annabeth stepping back as Terry swings arms.
"Terry, what are you doing?!" Annabeth said concern with him and why the others look bored.
"Ignore him, he loses his mind every now and then" Kate said, getting bored.
"It hard to say if he fakes it or not" Sydney said, Terry unpredictable with how his mind works.
"As long as he doesn't have a knife, we're good," Percy said, Terry harmless without a weapon.
"Ha ha" Terry said, running around swinging his arms, Nathan started to cough badly.
"THuuchh, THuuchhh, THhiiicicccd" Nathan coughs in his arm, Sydney looks at him.
"What about you Nathan, you're in a worse state than anyone, maybe you're a kid of hades or something" Sydney guessed, hades is a god of death, Nathan looks like a corpse half the time.
"I don't believe so, thucccddd" Nathan coughs.
"Would explain why monsters avoid you" Percy said, remembering the fury that Nathan said smelt like death. Annabeth gets a little panicked.
"Ok OK!, Maybe they'll send a sign, That's the only way to know: your parents have to send a sign claiming you as their children, sometimes it happens." Annabeth said quickly, getting them to stop saying the names. Nathan coughs up a little.
"You mean sometimes it doesn't?" Percy asked, Annabeth ran her palm through her hands.
"The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they don't always ... Well, sometimes they don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us." Annabeth said, looking down.
"Busy doing what, teaching American history" Sydney said, getting a glare from Annabeth, she simply stuck her tongue out. Percy thought about some of the kids he did see in the Hermes cabin, teenagers who looked sullen and depressed, as if they were waiting for a call that would never come
"So we're stuck here, for the rest of our life?" Percy said, which Terry heard, who was rolling on the ground.
"It depends; some campers only stay in the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year." Annabeth said,
"Do you ever hear from these weak demi-gods?" Kate asked, but Annabeth shook her head.
"Not that I know of, but for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble—about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some don't even realise they're demigods. But very, very few are like that" Annabeth said, Terry went to her, grabbing her shoulders.
"Hey" Annabeth said but Terry didn't stop, the others looked at him.
"So you're saying any mortal that gets famous is only because they have a god for a parent!?" Terry said, Annabeth shaking nods, Terry let go with a snarl.
"Bullshit, the best of mankind didn't come from gods, I call bullshit" Terry yells sitting down as he hits his head.
"Hey calm down" Percy said, trying to stop him with Kate, grabbing his arms.
"Suck it up nerd" Kate growls, Terry turns to her.
"No, those bastard gods are claiming any famous human is their child, I call bullshit" Terry said, not believing whenever a human make in impact it cause a god fucked a human.
"They might be lying, cough cough" Nathan cough, another lie gods tell their children.
"That does undervalue humanity" Sydney said, agreeing with Terry.
"Calm down Terry" Percy said, holding his arms down with Kate, Terry struggles to move until he stops, letting out a breath as Percy and Kate let go.
"Is he always like that?" Annabeth asked Percy, who shook his head.
"No it's much worse, that only his reactions to it, you should see what he does when he thinks" Percy said, the amount of crap Terry does when he gets a plan in mind.
"It's a really complex plan that makes no sense" Nathan said, coughing out of his mask.
"You need to see the whole thing to understand it" Terry said, defending the amount of planning he does.
"How does getting a janitor to report a vomit leads to making a sex scandal with pedo teachers" Sydney asked, one of his plans that lead to that.
"You don't understand my genius," Terry said, pushing his glasses and talking with a German accent.
"Or Insanity" Kate said, having enough of Terry for the day.
"Don't monsters get in here often" Kate asked Annabeth, being the year rounder here, Annabeth shook her head. Maybe she can feed Terry to it.
"Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside." Annabeth said,
"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?" Percy asked, Terry listening in.
"Practice fights. Practical jokes," Annabeth said,
"Oh that sounds fun" Terry grins, so was Sydney and Kate, Percy and Nathan didn't look eager.
"You had to say that" Nathan said, these three have a death wish.
"The borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm." Annabeth explains the barrier to Percy.
"Because of that big pine tree," Terry pointed out, Annabeth shocked,
"H-how did you know that?" Annabeth asked,
"I felt something weird around the tree when I walked in," Terry said, Annabeth somehow relaxed.
"So ... You're a year-rounder?" Percy asked her, Annabeth nodded. From under the collar of her T-shirt she pulled a leather necklace with five clay beads of different colours. It was just like Luke's, except Annabeth's also a gold ring strung on it, like a college ring.
"I've been here since I was seven," Annabeth said.
"Every August, on the last day of summer session, both of you get a bead for surviving another year. I've been here longer than most of the counsellors, and they're all in college." Annabeth said.
"Why did you come so young?" Percy asked, Annabeth twisted the ring on her necklace.
"None of your business," Annabeth said.
"Percy, you can't question others about their personal life." Nathan said Annabeth gave him a grateful look.
"Child abuse and abandonment like everyone else" Sydney figures her out, Annabeth glares at her.
"Cut from the same cloth" Kate said, seeing everyone has a similar backstory.
"I'm sorry," Percy said. He stood there for a minute in uncomfortable silence with the others not caring.
"So ... we could just walk out of here right now if we wanted to?" Percy asked.
"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give permission until the end of the summer session" Annabeth said,
"WE already got what's left of our things from the car crash Percy" Kate said to him.
"It's next to our stuff," Nathan said.
"After threatening everyone in the cabin to not steal from us" Sydney adds, Hermes is the god of thieves after all.
"Well ..." Annabeth said, looking at him.
"Well what?" Percy asked her.
"You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time ..." Annabeth voice trailed off. The gang could tell from her tone that the last time hadn't gone well.
"Back in the sick room," Percy said, looking at Annabeth.
"I remember you were feeding me that stuff—" Percy tries to remember.
"Ambrosia." Nathan corrects him.
"Yeah, you asked me something about the summer solstice." Percy said, recalling the solstice stuff.
"So you do know something?" Annabeth's shoulders tensed.
"Well... No. Back at my old school, me, Terry and Sydney overheard Grover and Chiron talks about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?" Percy asks, getting the others to look at her. Annabeth clenched her fists.
"I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won't tell me. Something is wrong with Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so normal." Annabeth said, wait Olympus?
"What have you been to Olympus?" Nathan asked,
"Some of us year-rounder's—Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others—we took a field trip during the winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council." Annabeth explained.
"How did you get there?" Terry asked.
"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. The Empire State Building then takes a special elevator to the six hundredth floor." Annabeth said, getting a look from Percy and the others.
"You are a New Yorker, right?" Annabeth asked him,
"Oh, sure," Percy said. 'As I knew, there were only a hundred and two floors in the Empire State Building,' He thought.
"Right after we visited," Annabeth continued, "the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I've overheard satyrs talking. The best I could figure out is that something important was stolen. And if it isn't returned by the summer solstice, there's going to be trouble. When you two came, I was hoping ... I mean— Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something." Percy shook his head.
"Doesn't Athena hate everyone dumber than her and hates those smarter as well" Sydney said, remembering Athena cursing anyone that disrespects her, Annabeth looked scared for a second before shaking her head.
"I've got to get a quest," Annabeth muttered to herself.
"I'm not too young. If they would just tell me the problem ..." Annabeth said, need to get out of the camp.
'Interesting...It must be important, if all Gods are fighting over it,' Terry thought with a grin, thinking about what the gods are fighting about.
LINE
In Cabin Eleven Everybody was talking and moping around, waiting for dinner. For the first time, Percy noticed that a lot of the campers had similar features: sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, mischievous smiles. They were the kind of kids that teachers would peg as troublemakers. Although most were different types of kids as well, only those with similar features get a bed.
Nobody paid much attention to him as he walked over to his spot with his friends' stuff near them; he plopped down with his Minotaur horn. The counsellor, Luke, came over. He had the Hermes family resemblance, too. It was marred by that scar on his right cheek, but his smile was intact.
"Found you a sleeping bag, and here, I stole some toiletries from the camp store." Luke said, giving him the stuff, his arm now healed. Percy raised an eyebrow, in the stealing part.
"Thanks," He said, taking the stuff.
"No prob." Luke sat next to him, pushed his back against the wall.
"Tough first day? But unlike you, It seems you friends don't have much issue" Luke said to him, the other four seem to fit right in, Terry and Sydney made lots of friends, Kate has lots of training and others wanting to known her, Nathan working has a nurse and being friendly with everyone despite his illness but that not stopping him be friendly.
"Terry is insane enough to fit anywhere, Nathan doesn't let his illness stop him, Sydney naturally fits every social group and Kate is hard-core...As for me, I don't belong here," Percy said.
"I don't even believe in gods." Percy said, not believing in any religion until his point.
"Yeah," Luke said. "That's how we all started. Once you start believing in them? It doesn't get any easier."
The bitterness in his voice surprised Percy, because Luke seemed like a pretty easy-going guy. He looked like he could handle just about anything.
"I am just curious, how is Kate so strong, never seen anyone fight like her, Terry seems way too smart, Nathan, how can a guy be so sick yet always be so kind, and Sydney, wow" Luke said, wanting to know about Percy's friends.
"They have their own issues, Kate didn't have a lot of friends due to her anger, always fighting everyone, I look past that and sit with her whenever she was lonely she calm down whenever I'm around, she was my first friend too, Terry was my tutor, he saw me as a challenge to teach, he help with my dyslexia and I pointed out a few flaws he didn't saw whenever he plans something. I met Nathan at the sickbay once, he saw how sick I was one time but the nurse was away, he went to get the medicine for me, he save my life yet everyone bully him for something he can't control, I couldn't let that happen to him, Sydney was always the popular girl, everyone talks about her but I never figure out why, guess that why Sydney like me, I never treat her like she popular" Percy said, giving a shot version of his friends, how he becomes friends with each of them.
"Wow..." Luke said, amazed at Percy befriending them. After a minute silence,
"So your dad is Hermes?" Percy asked, Luke pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket, and for a second Percy thought he was going to gut him, but he just scraped the mud off the sole of his sandal.
"Yeah. Hermes" Luke said,
"The wing-footed messenger guy."
"That's him. Messengers. Medicine. Travellers, merchants, thieves. Anybody who uses the roads. That's why you're here, enjoying cabin eleven's hospitality. Hermes isn't picky about who he sponsors." Luke said,
"Maybe he's Nathan's dad" Percy figures, Nathan isn't picky and knows more about medicine than anyone else here.
It is really sad that the head nurse here goes to Nathan for advice.
"Maybe" Luke said, he wouldn't mind having Nathan for a brother,
"Have you ever met your dad?" Percy asked.
"Once." Luke said, Percy waited, thinking that if he wanted to tell him more. Apparently, he didn't.
Luke looked up and managed a smile.
"Don't worry about it, Percy. The campers here, they're mostly good people. After all, we've extended family, right? We take care of each other" Luke said to him,
Percy was grateful about him. He decided to ask him his last big question, the one that had been bothering him all afternoon.
"Annabeth ... Twice, she said I might be 'the one.' She said I should talk to the Oracle. What was that all about? She watches the Matrix too much" Percy asked, Luke folded his knife with a laugh.
"No mhmhm, but I do hate prophecies." Luke said with a chuckle.
"What do you mean?" Percy asked, Luke's face twitched around the scar.
"Let's just say I messed things up for everybody else. The last two years, ever since my trip to the Garden of the Hesperides went sour. Chiron hasn't allowed any more quests. Annabeth's been dying to get out into the world. She pestered Chiron so much he finally told her he already knew her fate. He'd had a prophecy from the Oracle. He wouldn't tell her the whole thing, but he said Annabeth wasn't destined to go on a quest yet. She had to wait until... Somebody special came to the camp." Luke said,
"Somebody special? Like someone with a disability." Percy said, Luke laughed to himself.
"That would be funny, but don't worry about it, kid," Luke said. "Annabeth wants to think every new camper who comes through here is the omen she's been waiting for, now come on, it's dinner time and where are those others?" Luke said, looking for Percy's friends.
"No clue." Percy said, wondering the same.
Then they heard a horn blowing in the distance.
"Eleven fall in!" Luke yelled, the whole cabin eleven, nearly twenty or so children, filed into the common yard. They lined up in order of seniority, so of course Percy was dead last.
Campers came from the other cabins, too, except for the three empty cabins at the end, and cabin eight, which had looked normal in the daytime, but was now starting to glow silver as the sun went down. They marched up the hill to the mess hall pavilion. Satyrs joined them from the meadow. Naiads emerged from the canoeing lake. A few other girls came out of the woods— straight out of the woods. Percy saw one girl, about nine or ten years old, melt from the side of a maple tree and come skipping up the hill.
In all, there were maybe a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs, and a dozen assorted wood nymphs and naiads.
At the pavilion, torches blazed around the marble columns. A central fire burned in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth trimmed purple. Four of the tables were empty, but cabin eleven's was way overcrowded.
Percy saw a few of his others friends coming with the groups; Percy takes a seat in the overcrowded table
Percy saw Grover was sitting at table twelve with Mr. D, a few satyrs, and a couple of plump blond boys who looked just like Mr. D. Chiron stood to one side, the picnic table being way too small for a centaur.
Terry took a seat at another table with a tall brown-haired guy with other people of similar build, he started talking about things he can't possibly understand with them, too smart for Percy sadly.
Nathan took a seat next to another guy in the Demeter cabin, talking about different plants and other things while he's taking his medicine, others curious about what he takes and why.
Sydney sits on the most attractive table with Aphrodite cabin, gossiping and what not.
Kate sat on Ares's table behind him, she gave him a wave before sitting down, ignoring Clarisse talking next to her along with her friends.
Annabeth sat at table six with a bunch of serious-looking athletic kids, all with her grey eyes and honey-blond hair.
"Why do they sit there?" Percy asked Luke,
"They got permission from the counsellors" Luke said simply, Percy looking at the overcrowded table, maybe he should do the same.
Finally, Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everybody fell silent. He raised a glass.
"To the gods!" Chiron said. Everybody else reliantly raised their glasses.
"To the gods" Everyone said half-heartedly.
Wood nymphs came forward with platters of food: grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread, and barbecue. Percy saw his glass was empty.
"Speak to it. Whatever you want—non-alcoholic, of course." Luke said,
Percy looks at his empty glass, looking over to see Terry mixing two cups together, Sydney winking at him while drinking her drink and showing it off to the others as they get the same drink, Nathan looks to keep changing his drink and Kate just drinks the whole thing.
"Blue Cherry Coke." Percy said, the glass filled with sparkling violent liquid. He took a cautious sip
'Perfect... Like I drank a toast to my mother...She's not gone,' He thought. 'Not permanently... She's in the Underworld. And if that's a real place, then someday...'
"Here you go, Percy," Luke said, handing him a platter of smoked brisket.
Percy looked at his plate. Percy was about to take a big bite when they noticed everybody getting up, carrying their plates toward the fire in the centre of the pavilion.
"Come on," Luke told them. When they got closer, he saw that everyone was taking a portion of their meal and dropping it into the fire, the ripe strawberry, the juiciest slice of beef, the warmest, most buttery roll.
"Burnt offerings for the gods. They like the smell." Luke said,
"You're kidding," Percy gave him a deadpan expression. Luke approached the fire, bowed his head, and tossed in a cluster of fat red grapes. "Hermes."
"Hey Percy" Terry said, standing next to him with his own plate, the others right with him.
"Hey guys, do they always do this?" Percy points at the burning good food.
"Actually this is the first time we're doing this, the last few days have been rather depressing" Nathan said, quite a few demi-gods die to Asterion.
"It's more of a moaning dinner than anything" Sydney said, seeing people still sad about the bull fight and their loved one dying.
"Still seems like a waste of good food, giving the gods the good parts" Kate growls, not liking campers wasting food cause their parents like the smell, it a waste.
"They're desperate for attention Kate" Nathan said, coughing a little, not feeling so well. Seeing the kids would do anything for their parents to acknowledge them. Percy was next.
'I wished I knew what god's name to say,' he thought. He made a silent plea. 'Whoever you are, tell me, Please.'
He scraped a big slice of brisket into the flames. Percy got a whiff of the smoke, It smelled nothing like burning food. It smelled of hot chocolate and fresh-baked Brownies, hamburgers on the grill and wildflowers, and a hundred other good things that shouldn't have gone well together, but did.
Next was Terry as he tried to pick the right food to give.
"The beef should be good, but that could offend the vegetarians' gods, but dairy products shouldn't help with vegans, can gods be vegans?" Terry said, trying to pick the right food as he rearranged his plate.
"What's taking so long?" Kate asked, getting angry at Terry playing with his food.
"I'm trying to pick the right food, Alabaster said the smells go to the gods, so I'm checking to make the right smell" Terry said to them, getting experimental with his different food right now.
"Just pick one and move" Nathan said, others agree.
"Fine inpatient bitches, who do I offer it to? I don't know my godparent" Terry said, now thinking which god to offer it too.
"Just burn the fucking food" Sydney said, getting tired of waiting, as well as the others.
"Fine, to whatever asshole gods, here" Terry throws his food on the fire, the fire turns to a rainbow of colour, everyone looks at the flame in awe, never seeing the colour or picture as the flame blows their tiny minds. Everyone looks entranced by the flame, except Mr. D, he looks pissed at Terry.
"Did you just insult me" Mr D said, feeling that offer went to him, but heard Terry calling him an asshole.
"No I said whatever asshole gods, I wasn't specific, if anything blame the fire, cause it consider you and every other god that got my offer is an asshole according to this camp fire here" Terry points at the different colour fire as he walks away, Mr. D doesn't know what to say, yes Terry send the offer but the fire choose who to send it to.
Many people start to look closer to the fire, getting closer to look at it.
Mr. D turns to Chiron with a frown.
"Are you laughing at this?!" Mr D said, turning to Chiron, but he looked confused.
"I'm not laughing Mr. D" Chiron said, he was silent the whole time, as he looked at the fire as well in wonder.
"Well who's laughing then" Mr D growls, looking around but sees no one laughing, yet he hears the annoying giggle, and it gets to him.
The laughing is heard by the others gods on Olympus as well, looking around to find the source.
Kate was next, grabbing a handful of food.
"To who fucken care" Kate growls, throwing her food in the fire, stopping the colourful flame, then the fire grows bigger and blaze out, scaring the few people who got too close and snapping the people out of the trace. Kate didn't flinch, only throwing a few scapes in the fire, not caring if it's disrespectful.
Next is Sydney who makes an amazing set of food together.
"This should smell good, to my godparents and whoever else like to smell it as well" Sydney said, putting a certain amount of food in the fire, the whiff of smoke smell far too intoxicating, everyone from demi-gods, satyrs, naiads even Chiron and Mr D smell the most pleasant aroma, as everyone goes closer to smell the wonderful smoke.
Last is Nathan who doesn't feel too well from the smoke.
"The smokes getting to me, oooooaaa, fuckkk" Nathan held his stomach in pain, then began to vomit in the fire,
BWWAAHHHHHHH
Putting the fire out and creating a smell that got rid of the wonderful scent.
"By the gods" One camper said, holding his nose as did a few others, smelling the vomit.
"Sorry, the smoke really isn't good for my health, or your health for that matter either, '' Nathan said, walking back to the table as everyone stared at the put out campfire.
"Do we light it again?" one camper asked, but the other shook his head.
"Forget it, they never answer anyway" the camper said, having enough burning of the good food and starting eating, the others follow his example.
When everybody had returned to their seats and finished eating their meals, Chiron pounded his hoof again for our attention. Mr. D got up with a huge sigh.
"Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Normally we do this early but…that happened" Mr. D said, not saying anything about the Minotaur cause that made the campers cry, something he doesn't want to deal with as everyone got depressed about the Minotaur and the outcome.
"Anyway our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture of the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels." Mr. D said, only a few people from the Ares table cheered, others couldn't be bothered.
"Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have five new campers today. Well a few days now, Peter Johnson, Tear Zebra, Nando Neagirl, Sydney Slabey, and Kira Chad"
Chiron murmured something to him.
"Err, Percy Jackson, Terry Zeitz, Nathan Nergal, Sydney Slabey and Kate Khade" Mr. D corrected. "Now run along to your silly campfire that doesn't have vomit on it. Go on."
The name campers glare at Mr. D, Nathan flipping the bird to him as they follow the others towards the amphitheatre, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along. They sang camp songs about the gods and ate s'mores and joked around.
Terry and Sydney were chatting what with everyone, Kate just ate her s'mores nodding to a few people while Nathan nursed his stomach, campers around him giving him support.
One of the Apollo singers tries to get close to Sydney.
"What do you think my lovely rose?" the Apollo singer asked, getting a giggle from his singing.
"Very good, Henry, better than my singing voice I'll tell you" Sydney said, getting a few campers' attention.
"You can sing?" An Aphrodite camper asked, Sydney getting looks from everyone.
"Only a little in the shower" Sydney said, looking a little shy, which is weird for her friends.
"Well play for us" Henry said, handing her his country guitar,
"Oh I couldn't" Sydney tried to wave it off, but the others saw it.
"Come on, let hear it" The Aphrodite camper said,
"Sydney, Sydney, Sydney" Soon everyone else starts to add in, wanting to hear her sing.
"Sydney not performing, that's a first" Terry said, looking at Sydney sign as she grabs the guitar.
"She doesn't do things half full" Nathan said, knowing Sydney doesn't do things halfway, Percy and Kate look at her as well.
"Here, let's try this silly song." The pretty blond girl said as she took out a country guitar, tuning a few strings.
"After a long day of camp, it is nice to unwind a bit with a nice campfire song. I call this one, the Campfire Song Song." This got a mix of reactions. Some of the younger campers burst out laughing while the older generation was confused.
(Diane's Campfire Song Song! - The Seven Deadly Sins SFM Parody)
Let's gather around the campfire
And sing our campfire song
Our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song
And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong
But it'll help if you just sing along
Sydney smiles as a lot of the younger kids sing the next part, Terry looks annoyed as Nathan nudged him, liking the song, as does Percy and Kate.
Taking a deep breath she jumps up.
C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song
C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song
And if you dont think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong
But it'll help if you just sing along
C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song
NATHAN
Nathan smiles, not caring as he tries to sing it like Sydney.
C-A-M-R-R-R-R song, Sing a song
TERRY
Terry looks annoyed and pulls out his gun.
Click clip
"GOOD!" Sydeny smirked, getting a few laughs, but stopped when Terry pointed his gun at them. Now Sydney is screaming.
It'll help
It'll help
If you just sing along!
Sydney smashed the Guitar on the fire, sending people back from the broken guitar.
OH YEAH!
Sydney cheered, calming down, as she looked at all the campers as they all just stared at her. Then, they all fell off their chairs and laughed their asses off and cheered her.
Percy was laughing as well, Nathan was coughing but smiling, even Kate was smiling, Terry just looked annoyed.
"Guys, I feel like I am home," Percy said to his friends, they looked at him with a smile.
Maybe camp wasn't so bad.