──── chapter four

{ 🔮 }  · sun is a flying car? . ݁ ٬٬ ࣪

APPERENTLY, gods didn't know how time worked. When Artemis said that dawn was coming, she didn't mean it in like a few minutes. She meant it in like hour or so. It was colder and darker and snowier than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless. The witch wished everything just to go up to the dark castle and just sleep in one of the dormitories. Sleep and tiredness was getting to her.

The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. Endora stood shivering in the snow ( unlike the Hunters, who didn't seem to feel at all uncomfortable ), her coat doing little of the job it was meant for and Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. The girl could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt. 

Thalia and Grover came up and huddled around Endora and Percy, anxious to hear what had happened with the goddess.

When Percy told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere." 

"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoë's fault. That stuck-up, no good fucking ─ "

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" he heaved a big sigh.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"But she's so. . . into nature," Grover swooned.

"You're nuts," said Thalia.

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."

Finally the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" Percy asked.

"For my brother. Yes. . . It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said.

"Oh, okay. . . So, it's not like he'll be pulling up in a ─ "

There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.

"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

"Parks?"

"Eyes away, Jackson," Endora said and put her hand over the boys eyes, shielding her own with the other.

Endora, as almost every child of Hecate, preferred night over day. They just got more stronger in the light moon provided and felt the energy surging though their veins. But now, she much preferred warm sun over cold moon.

The light and warmth intensified until her winter coat felt like it was melting off of the girl. Then suddenly the light died. She removed her hand from her eyes. Percy moved her hand away, and once more, she felt that electricity flowing though her when he touched it. 

A red convertible Maserati Spyder stood in front of them. Endora didn't know much about cars, but was this one fucking gorgeous! It was glowing because the metal was hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why they were now standing on green grass.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and the girl had to blink to make sure it wasn't Luke, her former friend. But this wasn't him. This guy had sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. He was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter and more playful. The Maserati driver wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

No," Endora begun and scrunched up her nose, "Just no."

"He's the sun god," Percy said.

"That's not what I meant."

"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded them without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue ─ "

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?" 

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

"Green grass breaks through snow.
Artemis pleads for my help.
I am so cool."

He grinned at them, waiting for applause.

He was met with silence.

"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

"Yes. What about I am so big-headed?"

"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." he started muttering to himself.

Zoë Nightshade turned to them. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, There once was a goddess from Sparta ─ "

"I've got it!" Apollo announced. "I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" he bowed, looking very pleased with himself. "And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to the group. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo checked us them. His eyes landing on Endora and he instantly yelped. "The witch!"

Endora crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Yes, Lord Apollo. The witch. Nice to see you again."

Apollo laughed nervously, "You know that was just a joke right?. . . I never intended to burn your hair."

"What is happening?" Percy whispered to Thalia.

Daughter of Zeus shrugged.

The witch hummed, "And I intended to send crows after you, Lord Apollo."

"How about we put the past in the past and get on with the present? I already had the lecture on this."

"Sure. . ." the girl said, "After you had to had that competition with Lady Artemis that almost resulted in me being struck with the arrow."

"I told you not to do that trick," Artemis said, "You never do it right."

"Especially with fire arrow." Endora added.

Apollo scratched the back of his neck, "Yeah, well, lesson learned. . . now who else do we have here. . . Thalia, right? I've heard all aboutyou."

Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time ─ "

"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going." 

"Oh, right." then he looked at Percy, and his eyes narrowed. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. I mean. . . yes, sir." 

Apollo studied him, but he didn't say anything. Percy turned to the rest of them, sending a panicked look that could be translated as: Did I do something wrong? Help!

"Well!" he said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way ─ west. And if you miss it, you miss it." 

Endora looked at the Maserati, which would seat two people max. There were about twenty of them.

"Cool car," Nico said.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose. . ."

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. Chirp, chirp. For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoë ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoë recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at them. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoë, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoë straightened. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found." she sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.

Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger.

"So," he said. "Who wants to drive?" 

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far awayas possible from Apollo and the rest of the highly infectious males. Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with them, which seemed cold to Endora, but Nico didn't seem to mind.

"This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun. . . er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier.

"This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

Nico shook his head. "No."

"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?"

"No. Too young."

"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.

"Mm, no," Apollo said. "You seem like a nervous driver." he looked at Endora but she just shook her head in a saying no. The god looked past Percy and focused on Thalia.

"Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."

"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks."

"C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."

It was sad, but true. She'd been turned into a tree when she was twelve, but that had been seven years ago. So she should be nineteen, if you went by years. But she still felt like she was twelve, and if you looked at her, she seemed somewhere in between. The best Chiron could figure, she had kept aging while in tree form, but much more slowly.

Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."

"How do you know that?"

"Hey, I'm the god of prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week. I wonder why my Maddy didn't tell you that? Though, she does not like talking about that. It's a sensitive topic."

Endora knew who he was talking about. Madeline You, one of Apollo children and a girl who can hit bullseye from the top of the hill down to the valley. The girl never really talked to the Apollo girl, beside when they had the kitchen duty together. But even then the most they talked was to agree on what album to play while they washed the dishes ( they had similar taste in music ).

"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."

"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"

Thalia shifted her feet nervously. "Uh ─ "

"I know what you're going to say," Apollo said. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast you out of the sky."

Apollo laughed good-naturedly. The rest of them didn't join him.

Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer. He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield ─ WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.

"Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're gonna be a natural!"

"Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

Thalia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked her.

"Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."

She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast almost everyone fell back. Endora thrusted her hand in front of her, shielding herself just in time before her head hit the wall. She caught Nico who went flying backwards and pushed him beside her, putting her hand securely around his smaller body.

"Ow!" Grover said.

"Sorry." Percy groaned as he landed on Grover, "Who let her drive?"

"Slower!" Apollo said.

"Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!" 

Endora looked out the window which was bad idea. She saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where they'd taken off.

"Thalia," Percy said, "lighten up on the accelerator."

"I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.

"Loosen up," Percy told her.

"I'm loose!" Thalia said. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.

"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."

Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw Percy into Grover, who yelped.

"The other left," Apollo suggested. 

Endora didn't like this.

"Ah. . ." Apollo said, and the girl got the feeling he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."

Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was definitely wrong. Endora'd never seen her like this.

The bus pitched down and somebody screamed. Maybe it was Endora, maybe Percy, maybe some of the Hunters.

Now they were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to their right. And it was getting hot in the bus. Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.

"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.

"No worries," Apollo said. He looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to ─ WHOA!" 

Endora saw what he was seeing. Down below them was a little snow-covered New England town. At least, it used to be snow-covered. As she watched, the snow melted off the trees and the roofs and the lawns. The white steeple on a church turned brown and started to smolder. Little plumes of smoke, like birthday candles, were popping up all over the town. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.

"Pull up!" Percy yelled.

"Never letting you behind the wheel again!" yelled Endora.

"This is fun!" Nico screamed in joy beside her.

There was a wild light in Thalia's eyes. She yanked back on the wheel, and everyone held on this time. As they zoomed up, Endora could see through the back window that the fires in the town were being snuffed out by the sudden blast of cold.

"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression."

Thalia was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach. The girl could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.

"I'm under control," Thalia muttered. "I'm under control." 

They were only a few hundred yards away now.

"Brake," Apollo said.

"I can do this."

"BRAKE!"

Thalia slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five degree angle, slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake with a huge FLOOOOOOSH!

Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half woven wicker baskets. The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.

"Well," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?" 

Ebdora wished there was no snow in the Camp. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods, and weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. 

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," Endora said. She liked the young boy. He reminded Endora of her own younger brother, who, now that she thought about it, was the same age as Nico. Maybe she should introduce them.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge." Percy cut in, "Come on. We'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoë, have you met ─ "

"I know Chiron," Zoë said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't" ─ he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking ─ "like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoë rolled her eyes, but Endora guessed she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brother's ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at Percy. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia. Sorry again, Endora for the hair. And don't let that thing get to your head!" he called. Then he closed the doors and revved the engine.

Endora turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When she looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight. Nico was still looking grumpy.

"Who's Chiron?" he asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," Percy said. "He's. . . well, you'll see."

"If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. Let's go." 

Most half-bloods only trained during the summer, so, the Camp was pretty empty. Just the year-rounders would be here ─ the ones who didn't have homes to go to, or would get attacked by monsters too much if they left. Endora was one of them. 

The girl spotted Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin stoking the forge outside the camp armory. He waved at her once he saw her. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, from the Hermes cabin, were picking the lock on the camp store. A few kids from the Ares cabin were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the forest. Endora spotted two Apollo kids, Madeline You and Austin Lake, sitting in front of their cabin and her eyes finally went to her siblings.

Lou Ellen Blackstone, upon seeing her sister, ran towards her, followed by their younger brother, Basil Lenoir. Lou's black hair slapped Endora in the face as she hugged the girl, almost suffocating her. Her forest green eyes looked over her face, making sure she wasn't hurt or anything. The girl stood in a black top with bat-wing like sleeves and black ripped jeans with signature green lipstick on.

Basil pulled his older sister away, jumping onto Endora who caught him with a smile. The boy's white hair was neatly cut ( probably by Silena, daughter of Aphrodite ) and their striking blue eyes contrast to his pale, albino complexion. His dark clothes never matched, being two different tones of blacks but Basil always said they liked it.

Endora looked around. Where was Alabaster?

"You're back!" Basil said as Endora put them down, "How are the extraction? Did something cool happen? I wanna know! Tell me, tell me!"

"Wow, easy boy," Lou Ellen patted her bother's head, "Dora is probably tired. How about you go and see what Connor and Travis are doing, hm? I'll teach you to look in the sphere later?"

The boy nodded excitedly and ran off to where the Stoll brothers were. Endora extended her hand for Lou Ellen to take and they walked towards the Big House.

The Big House was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't seem to catch anything on fire. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate. Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor. Chiron's brown beard was shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer. He wasn't posing as a teacher this year, so she guessed he could afford to be casual. He wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoofprint design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely. He smiled when he saw them.

"Percy! Endora! Thalia! Ah, and this must be ─ "

"Nico di Angelo," Percy said. "He and his sister are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

"Well. . . "

His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost." 

Endora felt a chill ran down her spine. It didn't help that Lou Ellen squeezed her hand more tightly.

"What do you mean?" Endora asked. "Who else is lost?"

Chiron looked at the girl with a sad and worried look. No.

"I'm sorry dear," he said, "But your brother is gone."

Endora felt her world crushed.

"What do you mean he is gone?"

Endora's mind was racing. That couldn't be true. Just this morning he was showing her the potion he brewed a few days ago.

"I'm sorry, Endora," Chiron said, "I've informed search parties, but your brother had disappeared a bit after you left."

The girl shook her head, "He did not join. He didn't join Luke. Someone must have taken him."

"Parties will have their eye on him," Chiron said, although he didn't look convinced on what Endora said. "Lou Ellen, why don't you go and see if that potion of yours is done? We don't want another explosion."

Lou Ellen, with softly reddened cheeks, nodded and kissed Endora on the cheek, leaving a mark, before exiting the room. Just as she left, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." he glanced at Nico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."

"But. . . Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict ─ "

"It's PG-13," Grover said.

"Cool!" Nico happily followed him out of the room.

"Now," Chiron said to Endora, Thalia and Percy, "perhaps you three should sit down and tell us the whole story."

Percy motherfucking Jackson really had to mention what happened to Endora as they were telling Chiron and Mr. D what had happened. It started good ─ Thalia told them what happened when the two arrived, how they found Endora waiting and then how they learned from Grover who the monster was. Endora went on saying how while they were in the gym, she was Percy and the di Angelos disappearing and Thalia, Annabeth, Grover and she went after them. She said about the fight and the aftermatch when Percy decided to cut in.

"And something else," Percy cut in, "Endora, um. . . kind of cried blood. . ."

Fuck. Endora really wanted to slap Percy right there and then.

Chiron looked at the girl, his hands crossed, "Dora, did it try to overtake you, again?"

Endora glared at Percy, who didn't meet her eyes, before looking at Chiron, "Yeah," she said in a small voice.

"It's getting stronger as you grow," Chiron muttered, "The Ancestors won't be able to hold it forever."

"Like I don't know that," Endora mumbled, "Can we talk about Annabeth and how she's missing?"

Chiron nodded, but he looked at Endora with the expression she couldn't read, before turning to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."

"I'll go," the three of them said at the same time. Endora surprised herself when the words escaped her mouth.

Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!" 

The three demigods started complaining, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if they didn't shut up.

"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell ─ "

"Annabeth," Percy snapped.

"Yes, yes," he said. "And you procured a small annoying boy to replace her. So I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead." 

Endora wanted to shot some of her magic at Mr. D. It wasn't fair Zeus had sent him here to dry out as camp director for a hundred years. It was meant to be a punishment for Mr. D's bad behavior on Olympus, but it ended up being a punishment for all of them.

"Annabeth may be alive," Chiron said, but the girl could tell he was having trouble sounding upbeat. He'd practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper, before she'd given living with her dad and stepmom a second try.

It was similar situation with Endora. She's been at the Camp a year longer then Annabeth, with her magic almost destroying everyone when she arrived. Chiron explained everything to her, from the gods to the monsters, from how everyone is claimed to how her magic worked. He was like a father she was missing in her life. The one who didn't disappear.

( although, Chiron always questioned how Endora and Annabeth didn't get along that well until few years back )

"She's very bright. If. . . if our enemies have her, she will try to play for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."

"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."

"In which case" said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own." 

Percy got up from the table.

"Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning. 

"You're glad to lose another camper," Percy spat. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"

Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"

"Yeah," he growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little!"

For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the fire. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something ─ probably a curse that would blast Percy to smithereens ─ when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover.

"SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're. . . you're a centaur!"

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" he looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Mr. D turned his eyes away from Percy and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?" 

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine?"

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"

"Ah." Mr. D seemed truly perplexed, which probably saved Percy's life. "Well, that's. . . gratifying." 

"Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag?" Percy asked. "But we don't have enough ─ "

"It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."

"Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly."

Chiron jerked his head toward Mr. D, who was still frowning as Nico talked about how many defense points all the gods had in his game.

"Run along now," Chiron told the two.

"Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, Percy."

She hauled Percy out of the Big House before Dionysus could remember that he wanted tokill the boy. Endora looked awkwardly between everyone before she slowly started to get up from the chair she was sitting on.

"Not so fast, Dora," Chiron said, "We need to talk about what happened."

Well this is gonna be fun.

niki speaks!

sorry this chapter is late,
my weeks have been chaotic to say the least.
we're getting more into the story
and getting to know the characters!

that little encounter between Endora,
Apollo and Artemis is just iconic
and is how the girl got to the camp;
they guided her.

school year is almost over, just
four more weeks i believe!

have a good day/night!
bye!