"So that was the Athena cabin," Malcolm said, following Sam and Lilli onto the porch of the cabin. "You guys will stay here until your parents get back."

"Couldn't we also stay in Dad's cabin?" Sam asked, eyeing the Poseidon cabin like it was a choice hang out.

Malcolm paused, noticing his gaze. "You could, but your mom specifically said for you guys to stay here."

"So you could keep an eye on us." Lilli responded. "We know."

Malcolm didn't know how to respond, so he was thankful when Piper and Hazel came trotting up to the cabin. "You guys wanna practice in the arena?" Piper called.

"Duh!" Lilli responded, jumping off the porch. Sam jumped off after her and they met the girls halfway.

"See you later, Uncle Malcolm!" Sam called back as they headed towards the arena.

"Okay, you want to keep your sword raised and we're gonna try blocking right now, okay?" Piper coached, raising her sword for Sam and Lilli to imitate.

The two kids faced each other, swords raised. "Lilli, I want you to strike and Sam block." Hazel said after correcting Sam's form slightly. "Go."

Lilli struck hard, Sam blocked the sword but absorbed the impact, stumbling backwards. Lilli smirked, one that looked so much like Percy's, Piper had to look again. She goaded Sam on, laughing and motioning for him to take a shot.

Sam regained his balance and charged, letting out a high pitched, prepubescent battle cry that made Leo almost laugh. The swords connected and Lilli's smirk turned into a determined growl. Piper and Hazel ducked out of the way as a stream of water burst out of one of the barrels along the side, dousing Lilli in a second. She shoved Sam away and shook her arms, "Ugg," she groaned. "I can play that way too, kelp breath." she growled, and punched the gound. Shock waves rippled out from her and towards her brother, knocking him to the ground and not letting him stand as she built up a small wave behind her, preparing to send it towards him.

"Me kelp breath?" Sam laughed, finally regaining his footing as Lilli's attention turned towards building her wave. As the wave surged forward he held out his hands and the waves stopped, both kids pushing towards the other with all their strength. "You're the one who likes to eat sea seaweed chips!" he thrust his hands forwards again, sending the wave over Lilli, she tried to stop it but it swept her away.

As Lilli got to her feet she grabbed one of the real swords off the rack, discarding the wooden one she was using. Sam followed her lead and water swirled around him while the ground rippled and shook at her feet. Piper and Hazel scrambled over to stand behind the benches, the only dry place in the arena, where Leo and Will were standing. "Get out there and stop them." Piper shoved Leo forward.

"Why me?" Leo asked.

"I don't have a second pair of sneakers to wear if these get wet." Piper answered.

"I get motion sickness." Hazel added.

Will didn't say anything until Leo looked at him accusingly. "I have to stay dry incase someone is injured. Have you ever tried to put a bandaid on with wet hands?"

Leo groaned and stepped over the bench in front of him, walking into the space between the whirlpools around the two kids. "Okay, guys. Lets just relax a little bit and go to the canoe lake or something."

Neither heard or noticed him until after the two waves, one of earth one of water, surged forward, colliding right at the point where Leo stood. He was swept back to the benches, ending up sprawled over one as the other three demigods moved to dodge the wave of water and mud that brought him there.

"You okay, Leo?" Hazel asked as they all moved back to check on him.

Leo spit out a stream of water and coughed up a clump of dirt. "Your turn, Pipes." he responded tapping his hand on her arm.

The kids were back together with their swords locked. "Stop, drop your swords." Piper commanded, charmspeak flooding her voice. Beside her Hazel dropped her cavalry sword as Sam and Lilli dropped theirs, looking confused.

"Warning next time please." Hazel grumbled, picking up her sword and placing it in her holster.

"Let's go to the stables." Piper called, Sam and Lilli responded by walking over to them, waiting for Piper to lead the way. After a moment they blinked and looked around confused.

"Wait, what was that?" Lilli asked.

"Charmspeak," Leo answered. "You get used to it."

"So you can make anyone just do what you say?" Sam asked. Piper nodded. "Cool!" he said.

As a group they walked towards the stables, Sam and Lilli debating what the best way they would use charmspeak is. Piper turned to talk to Leo but started laughing instead. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Your hair! Its flat!" she laughed.

Hazel looked and started laughing as well. Leo ran his hands through his hair, trying to restore some of the bounce it has when dry. "I don't wanna talk about it." he responded, casting a glare at the two perfectly dry kids walking in front of them.

Will laughed too, "Sorry dude, but I got nothing to help a bruised ego." the three of them laughed harder as Leo grumbled curses, pulling a rag out of his tool belt to dry off his hair, but only succeeding in replacing the water with motor oil.

By the time they arrived at the sables, Leo's hair was sticking at odd angles. Hazel took the lead inside the barn. There were several pegasi inside with even more grazing outside. A jet black pegasus, once he saw Sam and Lilli, whinnied and trotted over, nuzzling the kids. "Blackjack!" Sam exclaimed.

The pegasus whinnied again.

"No, we don't have any donuts." Lilli giggled.

"You guys can talk to horses too?" Will asked, his mouth still stretched into a grin as he stroked the mane of a gold colored pegasus.

Sam nodded, occupied with feeding Blackjack an apple.

"Do you guys want to ride one?" Hazel asked, preparing to mount a caramel colored pegasus.

"Yeah!" they both said. They played rock paper scissors and Sam won, grinning as he hopped onto Blackjack's back. Lilli jumped onto the back of a white pegasus as Will climbed onto the back of the one he was petting.

Leo and Piper stayed on the ground while Hazel lead the others out of the stable doors. "Hold on!" she called as the pegasi lifted off. Lilli screamed when she almost fell off but quickly righted herself. Sam was laughing with a huge grin on his face as they soared higher and over the clouds.

Hazel and Will flew beside each of the kids, ready to catch if either of them fell. But they weren't falling. Sam pulled Blackjack into loops and Lilli tried to top that with spirels. Both of them howled with laughter. Hazel and Will were struggling to keep up.

Then Lilli stopped, hovering in place as she squinted at a point on the ground. "What's that?" she asked as the others pulled up next to her.

"Campfire." Hazel answered.

"It can't be," Will said. "That area is private property. Camping there, especially setting a fire, is illegal."

He exchanged a glance with Hazel. "You guys stay here, I'm gonna take a loop around and see if I can see what they are doing."

Will flew off, circling far ahead then swooping low to get a view of the campfire. Hazel almost dove after him as his pegasus lurched to the side, dodging a net. Will and his pegasus started climbing again but another net was shot after them. The pegasus lurched to the sid again, but this time Will lost his grip and went tumbling down into the trees.

Hazel was about to dive when Lilli and Sam beat her to it. "No, guys stay back!" she called, going after them but she was too late. While Lilli did a fly by and drew fire, Sam pulled Blackjack into a nosedive into the trees, they came up again through the clearing where the fire was, Will now sitting behind Sam, telling him to go back into the cloud cover.

Lilli was still dodging nets when she rejoined Sam. They climbed quickly, meeting Hazel half way up as they all took cover in the clouds. "What was that?" Hazel asked, once they were safely out of sight. Will's pegasus had returned and he jumped off of Blackjack and onto the other before answering.

"Gorgons!" he wheezed then turned to Sam. "Never do that again, you could have been killed. Then we would be killed by either saving you or telling your parents what happened." he scolded.

"Gorgons were throwing those nets?" Hazel asked.

"There's laistrygonians with them." Will responded. "We have to warn the camp."

Hazel nodded and they all started flying back to camp. When they got to the stables, Will dismounted and looked at Hazel. "I'll go ahead and tell Chiron. You guys meet us in the Big House, Chiron will want a meeting."

"What happened?" Piper asked, watching Will run off.

"There's a monster camp not too far outside the shield. Will went ahead to tell Chiron." Hazel answered.

"What kind of monster camp?" Leo asked, walking away from the pegasi he was feeding straw to. One of them followed him, eating straw that he had somehow gotten stuck in his hair. "Ow!" he shrieked when the pegasi yanked on a chunk of his hair. He threw his remaining straw at the pegasi that whined angrily at him before eating the straw off the ground. Sam and Lilli both gasped then laughed. "What did he say?"

"You don't want to know!" Sam laughed.

"Anyway," Piper said. "What kind of monster camp?"

"Gorgons and laistrygonians, at least." Hazel answered.

Leo swallowed in fear and Piper's eyes widened. "What are gorgons?" Lilli asked.

Hazel looked at the kids, concern flashing on her face. "You know Medusa, right?" they both nodded. "The gorgons are Medusa and her sisters."

"What about laistrygonians?" Sam asked in a small voice.

"Cannibals." Leo answered.

Both kids' eyes widened as well. "What are we gonna do?" Lilli asked.

"We should go to the big house, Chiron would have summoned a meeting by now." Hazel said, leading the way down the path as the pegasi turned and walked back towards the barn.