Chapter 10

When I awoke I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries. There was a blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt.

On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry. My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.

"Careful," a girl's voice spoke up.

I turned to see a blonde girl sitting next to me, a book was lying in her lap. Her hair fell like princess curls over one shoulder, and her stormy gray eyes seemed to hold wisdom in them. She was beautiful, with an air of intelligence and determination that captivated my attention.

Without thinking, I blurted out, "Wow you're really cute."

She shot me a bemused look and rolled her eyes. "Well, thank you, I guess," she replied, her tone laced with a touch of amusement. She didn't seem flustered by the compliment. "and you drool when you sleep."

I coughed a bit, feeling slightly embarrassed. As I wiped my chin. "Yeah, that's... charming."

Annabeth chuckled and stood up, extending her hand toward me. "I'm Annabeth Chase. Daughter of Athena."

Taking her hand, I replied with a smile, "Perseus Jackson."

She snorted softly. "I know, everyone is talking about you wondering who your godly parent is, from what we had seen that night you are quite strong. Here." She helped me hold my glass and put the straw to my lips.

I recoiled at the taste, because I was expecting apple juice. Instead I got caramel frappuccino, with hints of strawberry and sweetened condensed milk? Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy.

Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the ice cubes hadn't even melted.

"Was it good?" Annabeth asked amused.

"Yeah pretty good." She took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table. "Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."

The porch wrapped all the way around the farmhouse.

I hopped off my chair, feeling a bit wobbly but soon found my bearings. I couldn't help but admire the way she carried herself – confident, intelligent, though the way her ass moved... I could see why Seaweed Brain had fallen for her.

As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.

We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture—an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena—except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Annabeth's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.

Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. Grover was standing nervously near the fence. The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple.

"That's Mr. D," Annabeth spoke to me. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The other two you already know."

The Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers B.

"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four, to play pinochles."

He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to CampHalf-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."

"The feelings are mutual." I responded.

Mr. Brunner turned to Annabeth. "Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."

"Sure, Chiron." She replied as she sprinted off down the lawn, her blond hair flying behind her, I couldn't help but once again glace at her ass as she ran. I turned back to the others and clear my throat.

"So a demigod, a centaur and the god of wine playing pinochle, I wonder how that will end."

<----------------------------- >

In the days that followed, I settled into a routine that was surprisingly normal, considering I was at Camp Half-Blood. I had moved into the Hermes cabin not feeling like revealing my parentage as of yet, I met Luke, I got in a fight with Clarisse and blew up the toilets.

Each morning, I attended Ancient Greek class with Annabeth, though already been trained by Adias, I was fluent in it and instead we spend time simply talking. Though sadly all my flirting was meet with an eyeroll or it was ignored as she would smile and continue our conversation like normal.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind of outdoor activities, and I seemed to excel at everything I tried. Archery was quite a breeze, using my recurve bow that I had alot of practice using it. Making it quite possiable to deal with Apollos cure. It was annoying that I had still gotten the curse even having two other fathers.

Foot racing, a challenge for many, became a delightful sprint for me. The wood-nymph instructors, accustomed to fleeing from the advances of lovesick gods, struggled to keep up. You try running from a man who can run as fast as the god of speed while chasing you with a giant flaming chainsaw, you would learn how to go faster really quickly.

Wrestling was where I truly shone. Every time I stepped onto the mat, I demonstrated a level of skill and agility that astounded everyone, including Clarisse, the camp's renowned powerhouse. Our matches became battles of technique and strategy rather than mere contests of brute strength.

Clarisse wore a begrudging expression as I maneuvered her into a hold. She grumbled, "You're not half bad, Percy."

I chuckled, releasing her. "You're not too bad yourself, next time we fight all out with weapons and powers."

"You're on, Jackson!" Clarisse laughed as she left.

Thursday afternoon, three days after my arrival at Camp Half-Blood, I eagerly joined my fellow cabin eleven members in the big circular arena. Luke, was our instructor for the day, would be teaching us the art of sword fighting.

Our lesson began with the basics – thrusting and slashing at straw-stuffed dummies clad in Greek armor. I trained while dualing my adamantine sword and Riptide. Speaking off I will need to give my other weapons names. Naming a weapon always boosts a weapons ability, but it has to be a name that was ingraved once the weapon was made, the best way to find it was to meditate.

At first I thought that using Riptide, or my weapons in Atlan would be unfair. But hey, they are my weapons so I should use them all I want.

We progressed to dueling in pairs, and since it was my first time, Luke declared himself as my partner. A fellow camper offered a sarcastic remark, "Good luck, Percy. Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years."

I gave a confident nod, unfazed by the challenge ahead.

As we dueled, Luke taught me thrusts, parries, and shield blocks, impressed by my skill and precision. With each strike, I responded with fluid movements, barely breaking a sweat.

By the time Luke called for a break, I was invigorated, eager for more. Luke poured ice water over his head, and I followed suit, the cold liquid reinvigorating my senses.

"Now, everybody circle up!" Luke ordered, signaling that he wanted to give a demonstration. I stepped back, eager to see his skills.

This time, there was no doubt about my abilities. As Luke came at me with controlled strikes, I parried and blocked with finesse. I countered his moves with a grace that surprised even myself. The sword felt like an extension of my arm, and my strikes were precise and calculated.

Despite Luke's experience and strength, my movements were a dance of calculated precision. When the opportunity presented itself, I executed the disarming maneuver flawlessly, causing Luke's sword to clatter against the arena floor.

The audience was in stunned silence as I lowered my sword, my confidence unwavering. Luke wore a wide grin, his scarred face breaking into a smile. "Well done, Percy," he said, acknowledging my skill. 

"Thank you." I replied as I grabbed my water bottle and opened the lid dumping it over my head feeling quite energized.

<-------------------- >

The moon cast a silver glow over the beach, and the rhythmic sound of the waves played a calming melody. Jackie lay with her head on my lap, and the soft sand beneath us added to the tranquility of the night. I absentmindedly combed my fingers through her silky, obsidian hair, taking in the scent of the sea.

After a while, a gentle breeze rustled through the air, and I couldn't shake the weight on my mind any longer. I took a deep breath and spoke, "Jackie, we need to talk."

She shifted slightly, looking up at me with those warm amber eyes. "What's on your mind, Lord?"

I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I have a task for you."

Her eyes widened in confusion, and she sat up, facing me. "What is it M'lord?" she asked.

"I want you to head back and stay with my mother and father and protect them. Also I have to say that Lucifer and Corvus are lazy little buggers and are quite spoiled so I would like you to also train them, you can be as rough as you want."

She looked at me, processing my words. "Anything else, Sir?" 

"Find a girl, her name is Nancy Bobofet and take her to my family. And lastly I want you to train yourself and push yourself to your limits mastering all your abilities."

"Ah, I see." Jackie muttered. "Alright. I'll do as you wish." She stood up and patted the sand off her clothes and started to walk away when she suddenly stopped and turned back toward me. Before I could say anything, she pressed her lips against mine, catching me off guard. The kiss was brief but intense, and when she pulled away, I was left momentarily stunned.

"I'll wait for you," she said, a soft smile on her lips. With that, she walked away vanishing into the shadows leaving me with a mix of emotions and the echo of the waves.

I sigh as I head toward the Hermes Cabin. I was sad to see Jackie go so soon, but I needed her to protect my family while I was gone, besides my mom would be better at helping her then I would ever be. "Now what is my next plan..." I muttered.