A sharp knock at the door jolted me awake. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I swung my legs out of bed and padded across the cabin to open the door. Standing there, arms crossed, was the same blonde girl from last night—the one who had called for backup when the bull monster attacked. She looked just as fierce in the daylight, eyes steely with determination.
I blinked. "Uh…morning?"
Without a word, she pushed her way inside, making a beeline for my backpack like she owned the place. I closed the door, still bleary-eyed, and watched her dig through my stuff, shoving aside my clothes, gear, and that precious leather-bound book I'd shown last night.
"Can I help you?" I asked, half amused, half annoyed.
She barely glanced up. "I want to read that book you mentioned last night. The one about monster cooking."
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms as I leaned against the doorframe. "And can you read Japanese?"
That made her freeze, her hand still hovering over my bag. I strolled over, pulling the book from the side pocket and sitting on the bed as I opened it. She glanced over my shoulder, her face falling as she stared at the jumble of Japanese characters.
"Yeah, thought so," I said with a small grin. "Japanese isn't easy. It has three different writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Each one's used for different things, and trust me, mastering all three isn't exactly a walk in the park."
She let out a small groan of defeat, clearly disappointed. I laughed softly, closing the book and setting it down.
"So," I continued, "I'm Percy Jackson. What's your name?"
"Annabeth Chase," she replied, her voice shifting from irritation to a little more reserved. "Daughter of Athena."
My eyebrows shot up, and I watched her expression pale as she took in her surroundings. "Wait…you're the son of Poseidon? And this…this is the Poseidon cabin?"
I nodded, confused by her reaction. "Yeah, but…so what? Just because our parents don't get along doesn't mean we can't be friends."
Annabeth opened her mouth to argue but paused, fidgeting as she considered my words. "I guess…maybe you're right." She seemed unconvinced but also curious. "Anyway, I actually came here for another reason. I'm supposed to give you a tour of camp."
"Oh," I said, smiling. "That's great! Let me get ready." I slipped on my bracers and tested them, watching as the armor briefly spread across my arm before retracting. I strapped Tempest, my adamantine sword, to my waist, making a mental note to clean off the monster blood later. The acidic blood had already started corroding some parts of the metal. Annabeth eyed my gear with interest.
"Where'd you get all that?" she asked, her curiosity unmistakable.
"I made it myself," I replied, keeping it simple. "My mom's team found some ancient armor and weapons near Greece, buried in the ocean. I got some supplies from that stash and put this stuff together." Her eyes widened in surprise, clearly impressed.
After I was set, we stepped outside, and she started the tour. I could see why they'd call this place Camp Half-Blood; it looked like some kind of ancient Greek paradise, mixed with a summer camp on steroids.
Annabeth led me down a path lined with laurel trees and lush green hedges, where campers trained and sparred. Around us, the camp sprawled out, a balanced mix of ancient architecture and nature blending seamlessly into the landscape.
"First up," Annabeth said, pointing, "the cabins."
There were twelve cabins in a circle, each one distinct. My Poseidon cabin stood apart, on the outer edge near the forest. The others were arranged in a horseshoe shape, their designs reflecting the personality of each Olympian god. Some cabins were modest and practical, like Hephaestus's, while others, like Aphrodite's, were ornate and blooming with flowers. Zeus's cabin stood like a temple, towering and majestic, with lightning-bolt carvings etched into the columns.
"The cabins are split by godly parents," Annabeth explained. "You'll mostly find us hanging out in our own cabins, but everyone mingles."
We kept walking, passing an amphitheater nestled between two hills. The seats were hewn from stone and set in a semicircle around a stage at the base. "We have campfires and performances here," Annabeth said. "Sometimes we'll even host war games and reenactments."
Nearby was the Colosseum, a colossal, open-air arena where campers could train in combat and spar. Stands surrounded the center, and a shaded viewing deck overlooked the fighting pits, where campers in armor sparred, cheered on by their peers.
"Archery range is up here," she pointed out, leading me toward a wide-open field. Targets stood in a neat row, some with arrows still quivering in the bullseye. Instructors guided campers through their stances, correcting their form as arrows soared.
We wandered past a dining area with long tables and benches set under a massive, open-air pavilion. Torches lined the perimeter, each one flickering with a warm, golden light. "This is where we have meals," Annabeth said. "We sit by cabins, and offerings to the gods are made before each meal. The food's amazing, by the way—you can get almost anything you want."
The forest loomed nearby, dense and mysterious, with paths disappearing into the shadows. "That's the camp boundary," she said. "And inside? There are monsters. We train there in teams as part of our combat exercises."
Beyond the forest, I caught sight of a lake shimmering in the distance, its surface calm and glassy. "That's the canoe lake," she said, "and it's also good for water-based training if you're…you know…" She eyed me, realizing that a son of Poseidon would have an advantage there.
We walked back, stopping in front of the Big House, the grandest building in camp, styled like a Greek temple. Tall marble columns lined the entrance, and vines crawled up the walls. This was where Chiron and Dionysus lived and handled camp matters.
As we neared the end of the tour, Annabeth looked at me with a hint of a smile. "So…what do you think?"
I took in the vastness of the camp, the cabins, the training grounds, the Colosseum, and the endless opportunities for adventure. "It's…incredible," I said honestly. "I didn't know a place like this even existed."
Annabeth nodded, her gaze distant. "Yeah. It's like another world. Hey do you perhaps know what happened to Lord Dionysus?
As we walked, Annabeth glanced over at me, an intrigued look on her face. "So, you seem to know a lot about Dionysus. Do you know what actually happened to him?"
I nodded, giving her the short version of the previous night. Even the whole speal about how a gods divinity is like their lifeforce and withought it they become an ugly version of themselves.
Annabeth's eyes widened. "I had no idea. How do you know all of this?"
I shrugged. "My mom collected ancient texts, myths, even some stuff most people haven't heard about. I've read every story I could get my hands on. My mom wanted me to be ready for…well, anything."
She gave me a thoughtful nod, clearly impressed. "Your mom sounds pretty incredible."
"She is," I replied with a smile.
As we continued down the path, I remembered the damage my armor and sword took from the fight. "Hey, do you mind if we stop at the forge? I need to repair my gear. The Minotaur's blood really did a number on it."
Annabeth quickly corrected me. "Minotaurian Bull," she said with a small smirk. "Totally different. The Minotaur's bad enough, but the Minotaurian Bull is a monster on another level. Think of it like a mutant Minotaur on steroids—way more dangerous."
"Noted," I said, laughing slightly. "I guess I can see that now."
She led me to the Hephaestus cabin, its outer walls reinforced with bronze plating and engraved with intricate gears and tools. The air was thick with the smell of metal and smoke, and the rhythmic clang of hammers filled the cabin with life.
Inside, I was introduced to Charles Beckendorf, a massive guy with dark skin and an easygoing grin. "You must be Percy," he said, offering a strong handshake. "So, what can we do for you?"
I activated my bracers, letting the armor form over my arm so he could see where the Minotaurian Bull's blood had corroded through, leaving weak spots. "It did some serious damage," I said, pulling off the armor and setting it on the counter. I reached into my bag and laid Tempest, my sword, next to it. "I tried my best with the armor, but…well, I'm no expert."
Beckendorf picked up the armor, examining it with a keen eye. "This is some serious tech," he muttered, running his hand over the design. "Lightweight, but strong. Never seen anything quite like it."
I grinned, a bit proud. "It's a nano-based design. Lightweight, but it holds up pretty well against regular monsters. This one, though, left me with a few too many gaps."
Beckendorf's eyes lit up, and the rest of the Hephaestus campers gathered around, murmuring to each other and throwing out ideas for improvement. Beckendorf looked over at me, grinning. "We'd be honored to work on this, Percy. And if you don't mind, maybe we can add a few upgrades while we're at it?"
"Sounds like a deal," I said, nodding. It was kind of thrilling, seeing all these kids excited over armor and weapons. They were practically vibrating with ideas.
Beckendorf clapped me on the back. "Alright, we'll get started on this right away. We'll let you know when it's ready."
I thanked him, and Annabeth and I headed out of the forge. Just as a group of several Ares kids surrounded us.