Set Out

Another Hermes Cabiner
I was still worrying about what Lil had told me. That dream of her's. What in all of Hera's glory was Hera going on about? A diplomatic mission to Cali? Why would Hera say we needed to contact the Romans? What in Tartaros was going on to warrant a quest like this?

"Damian!" Mr. D roared from the Big House. "New Camper! Collect Bill's Welcomin's Committee or whatever she called it."

"Bill?" I muttered under my breath with a chuckle. "I certainly hope he ment Lil."

Regardless, I knew what Mr. D ment and I wasn't about to correct our sobering god of Wine. Of course, at the same time, Lil was really the only member of her Welcoming Committee as she didn't like working with Aphrodite's Cabin, 'those girls get in it for all the wrong reasons', were Lil's exact words about it. Though somehow, she had managed to wrangle me into joining. How she managed that, I'm still unsure of. I gave a shrug and headed towards the Big House.

I got there about the same time Lil was coming down from the Attic. She didn't look well, of course no one really looked that well after a visit with the Oracle. That leathery bag o' bones was creepy.

Lil did manage to give a weak smile and followed me out to the verandah, where we could see old Barker coming down the hill with someone who looked worse for wear.

"Hey! Barker! Who ya got there?" I called. I saw the grumpy old satyr scowl at me. His real name was Woods, but with they way he barks orders...well you can guess the rest.

"My names not Barker! You-" whatever Woods was going to insult me with this time was interupted as I tossed him his favored snack, some tomatoes from around the Demeter Cabin. The current Head Counselor of that cabin doesn't like the satyrs eating anything growing on or around the cabin, making the children of Hermes the satyrs' favorites when they can get ahold of anything from the cabin. "Great, great child of thieves you!"

"Anyways!" Lil chirped in, ignoring Woods and walking up to the kid. He looked ill and awe struck at the same time. "Hello, my name is Lillian Phillips. Daughter of Philia. Head of the Welcoming Committee."

"I...uh..." the kid just muttered. Lil, she means well, but she tends to overwhelm the newbies.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood." I said, placing a hand on Lil's shoulder, letter her know she was going overboard again. "As you've probably figured out by now, Greek myths are true. The gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece do exists, and their new home is here in America."

While what I was saying wasn't much better than what Lil was, being the son of Hermes did have some benefits. What I was saying was, through whatever means, getting across our confused new recruit's mind easier. Guess being the son of the god of communication has some benefits.

"I see...I think..." he replied. I nodded with a smile.

"Of course you do." I said. Then I gestured to each as I introduced them. "You've already met Barker. This is Lil. The guy in the wheel chair is Chiron, and the grumpy old man with the Diet Coke is Mr. D."

"Who you calling old?" Mr. D demanded.

"Face it, your as old as the wine you're god of." I replied with a smirk. He glared at me a bit more, trying to decide if he'd turn me into a Dolphine or a Leopard, then shrugged with some mutters and went back to his soda.

"God?" the kid repeated.

"Yep. Mr. D is Dionysus. However, since most people suck at pronouncing his name, we all call him Mr. D." I answered.

"Damian! You're doing my job again." Lil complained, smacking my arm. I just laughed at her a bit, then gestured for her to continue. "That's better. Now, what's your name?"

Lil poured a bit of that power she got from her mom to put the newbie into a friendlier mood.

"I'm Ben Keane." he replied, looking more comfortable.

"He's a son of Phobetor." Woods said, having finished the tomatoes I had stolen for him.

"Son of Nightmares?" I said. "That's a new one. Welcome to the Hermes Cabin."

"What?" Ben asked.

"Oh, right." I answered, rubbing the back of my head. "Yeah, see, we have twelve cabins here. One for each of the twelve Olympians. As such, if a demigod comes in unclaimed or as the child of a more minor god, they bunk with Hermes Cabin. Not such a bad deal, he is the god of Travel."

"Oh." Ben said, half in understanding, half in confusion.

"Don't worry. You should adjust quickly." Chiron said in his friendly, fatherly tone that put those he spoke to in ease.