Chapter 5: New Bloke on The Block

Chapter 4

Julie

The sea is one of the most relaxing sounds you could ever hear. Don’t believe me? Then your a fool. That’s why I love my cabin. It just next to the Long Island Sound, so the waves lapping up the the shore could be heard if we kept the windows open. The gurgling of the fountain was what woke me up. The fountain never gurgled now unless there was a message trying to get through.

Ugh, Percy made sure of that. That boy annoys me. Ever Steve and Jackie brought me to camp last week, everyone but Chiron, and Annabeth, has been comparing me to him.

“Oh, watch out Julie, Percy didn’t do it like that,” or, “Percy was better with a sword Julie.” Things like that. It is so annoying. Makes me wish I was back on the Emerald Isle, there it was just Mum and me and our fishing trawler. I climbed out of bed and realized I had only gone to sleep in my bra and underwear. Tyson and Percy were off doing stuff for Dad or the other Great Prophecy, so I got to stay here alone. I grabbed a shirt and put it on. My rings glinting in the morning light. As I reached the fountain a voice came out.

“Do you accept the charges?”

“Ya, one sec, lemme get the Drachma.” I reached into the fountain and grabbed one that was stored there, tossing it into the rainbow. It flipped through the air and disappeared. The image resolved into my ‘super’ big brother, Percy.

“Ah Julie your there...Oh, did I wake you?” Where else would I be? What else would I be doing this blood early in the morning? I saw the clock by my bedside, 10:30 AM. Ah, maybe I was mistaken then. Should really set an alarm or something.

“No, I was just about to go take a shower,” I lied.

“Great, listen, something weird is going on out near Florida, in the sea of Monsters. Dad won’t let Tyson or I head down there, said that something was keeping him from seeing what’s happening or anyone he sent to investigate to check on it. Were still a bit busy over here with the whole Gaia thing, can you go check it out.” Oh, suuuure, I’ll get right on that barnacle brain.

“Course I will. How do I go about doing that?” I asked, rubbing at my red hair.

“Right, forgot you might not know. Listen, my time for the message is running out, ask Annabeth!” With that, the message disappeared. I sighed. Then I went to take a shower and get dressed.

Outside there was some unusual excitement going on, Annabeth was running towards my cabin.

“Julie!” She said when she saw me. Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, blond haired and grey eyed. She wore an Orange Camp Half Blood T-shirt loose around some blue jeans, her Yankee's baseball cap hanging out of a back pocket.

“Listen up Julie, we just got a message from the retrieval team. A child of the big three is coming in, so you may get another brother. We wan’t you at the big house, just in case.” Made sense, things were a little easier to deal with in this crazy Greek place if you had some family to help with the transition. Piper kind of made it an unofficial rule that any cabin who gets a new member provides a chaperon for the new member, at least until they get used to things. Also kept most of the Ares kids from trying anything. So we started to head towards the Big House and I explained my message from Percy.

The Big House is more of a description than a title. It is, simply, a big house with faded blue paint. Chiron has been complaining that it needs a new paint job, but since nobody can really decide on which color to make it, it hasn’t been done yet. Chiron is the activities director of the camp, he is also a Centaur.

When we got to the house Annabeth was quiet, thinking about what Percy had said.

“Listen, Julie, I know you don’t like to get compared a lot to Percy and all. He had a hard time here when he first arrived and he rose to the challenges that were provided to him. Others may think that the same thing will happen to you, it may not. Be the best you can, do everything that you can, and that will be enough.” I felt like there might have been an unintended insult in there, but I couldn’t find it.

“Anyways, to be able to leave camp, considering your power, your going to need a quest. That means talking to Rachel.” Ah, yes. Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Our local Oracle. Great.

Then over the hill came four figures. They must have been Demigods, or the borders would have kept them out. I recognized the one in the lead. Angry looking fellow in a big black coat with the sleeves rolled up, bracers on each arm. A little golden dragon automaton landed on his shoulder and wrapped its tail round his neck, starting to nuzzle his face. That would be Mark Uwriy, Roman child of Hephaestus and all around big shot who saved the gods some time back. From what, not quite sure meself, but it was greed that it was something.

Immediately behind him was his girlfriend, Alex. She was a daughter of Ares, and but otherwise had nothing else bad going for her. She was a good fighter, got along with the other campers, didn’t play pranks on any of the new kids. Very un-Ares of her, but we appreciated it. Behind her were two new kids. One was a Satyr, as evidenced by his lack of pants and the furry legs with hooves. Next to him was a kid with shaggy black hair. His orange shirt was dirty and had a hole just in front of where his heart would be, his jeans were also torn in some places. He wore two black gloves, an odd look really.

They approached the Big House and we could hear what they were saying.

“Calm down Mark, it is just a plane.” Alex was saying. Oh ya, Mark has the hereditary fear of heights from his father.

“Not what I am angry about Alex,” Mark replied. “Plus, if it wasn’t for that infernal contraption we wouldn’t have seen the danger to the camp. So no, the plane was not what I am pissed about.”

“Then what?” She asked in an annoyed voice.

“Why was it so difficult to get him here?” He demanded. This statement was followed by a flash, then above the dirty kids head was a yellow lightning bolt floating above his head.

“Ah.” Mark said.

“Welcome, son of Zeus. Unfortunately introductions may have to be delayed a bit. What danger Mark?” Chiron clopped down from the big house to where all the kids were gathered. Everyone but the four who came and me were kneeling in homage.

“We were going to take the rebuilt labyrinth passage to return to camp, but we saw that it was under attack, we took a plane,” his face became a little pale at the mention of it, “but we made good time here.” Annabeth stood.

“What about Jeremy, George, and Marquis?” She asked.

“Dunno, we didn’t land and take a closer look, the plane was approaching the landing strip when we saw what was going on. Hell hounds, wolves, Venti, and Giants. We convinced the pilot to continue on to New York.” Mark explained. The forest began to shake and two figures shot out and rolled on the ground. Some Apollo kids immediately took off and got to them, closely followed by Annabeth.

“Jeremy, George! Where is Marquis? What happened?” She asked when close enough. As the rest of us approached, her face paled and she turned. “Alex, get your siblings, find Clarisse. Chiron, we are under attack.” That was followed by a roar from the woods. Something bothered me, and I turned towards the Sound. The water was bubbling up, and some sheep were coming from the bubbles, swimming towards the shore.

“I recognize those from Polyphemus’s island. They are flesh eating sheep!” Well that sounds peachy.

“How did they get passed the borders?” Someone yelled out.

“The person who is teleporting them must have entered from the Labyrinth passages.” Chiron said.

“To arms Campers, we are under attack. After this is over I am going to have you kids move that entrence.”

Chapter 6