I wake up the next morning feeling invigorated, so decide to go for a swim in the lake.
After checking to see if my mother is awake or not, I quickly get changed and grab a towel before racing off to the lake.
I spot a few early risers, it’s barely 6:45, but nobody I really know. When I get to the lake, I walk to the end of the dock, before dumping my stuff and diving into the shimmering water. After a second or so, I take in a lung-full of water, and find that my breathing is lot easier than the last time I was under.
I swim in circles for a minute before I spot a river-dryad at the bottom of the lake, who is waving me over with a bright smile on her green-ish-blue face.
“Are you Astrid?” She asks me.
“How are we talking?” I ask her, eyes wide.
“You’re a relative of Poseidon sweetie!” She says, laughing lightly, a smile brightening her face.
“Oh…” I say, turning a peachy colour.
“Have you met any of the others?” She asks me.
“No, how many of you are there?”
“Well, I’m Moss, it’s a pleasure to meet you, we have Rocky, Bubbles, Sandy, Shelly…” and she starts listing the ridiculous amount of Dryads in the one lake.
After trying to pretend I wasn’t dying from all the talking, she shows me around, introducing me to some of the dryads as we went.
She asked me if I had met Percy, but I quickly shook my head and explained that he was on a quest, everyone had been asking me.
She visibly dulled as I told her how he had been missing for a while. She nodded sadly and I felt so horrible, like I’d just broken her heart without meaning to or something cheesy like that.
“Well, we haven’t seen him in a while, and the other Dryads had said he was gone, but we all couldn’t really believe it, he’s the only camper who’s bothered to come and talk to us in years…. Other than you that is” She smiles brightly.
“Well, any secrets about this place? I love to find out all the cool stuff” and with that we were off. Apparently Percy was never interested in exploring the lake, but that was what I had wanted to do since I had arrived. I visited all the little sights to see in the rather large lake, and then she showed me the cave. Apparently, a long time ago, there where twin kids of Poseidon, a girl and a boy. They had built the cave so they could just spend time with each-other every now and then, and it was the coolest thing I had ever seen.
It was like a pocket of the ocean in a lake, and the water was literally salt-water. I could sense the change as soon as I entered the cave, but Moss said she couldn’t come in because she was a lake dryad.
I promised her I wouldn’t be long, but I knew she might be waiting for a few minutes. The cave was full of coral, fish, seahorse’s, crabs, jellyfish, and many other things, and I immediately knew that something powerful was at work here. Up ahead, the cave roof moved upwards, and a small dry-cavern sat there. I jumped out and wringed out my hair before realizing if I wanted to, I could just dry myself. I quickly imagined I was dry, taking a few moments to concentrate, before I felt the water, and salt, off-of my skin. I jumped up, dry this time, and my jaw dropped as I stared at the room.
A thin shaft of light, came down from above the ground, hidden by something, but still providing light and air. Two couches sat on either side of the room, both a stunning green-blue and a drift-wood table sat in the middle. A massive rack-full of weapons sat on one wall, and on another, a book shelf, filled not only with books but weird gadgets and things. I walked up to the shelf and read some of the labels next to the weird items. I small bracelet with some sort of gem set in it was labeled ‘grappling hook’ and I picked it up and studied it. On the inner side of the bracelet, a faint engraving of the words ‘For a daughter of Poseidon’ sat. I quickly decided I would wear it. I slipped on the much-too-big bracelet, which immediately re-sized, much to my shock.
I continued exploring the small cavern, picking up a strange-looking pair of earrings, apparently if you wore them, you could be tracked, using a small watch placed next to them. I decided to leave everything, but the wicked bracelet, in the cavern and after another once-over of the room, I dived back into the salt-water, before emerging from the cavern. I immediately notice that Moss is gone, and look around before deciding she had better things to do than wait for me. I swim back up to the surface of the lake, and struggle to pull myself off the dock before spotting James.
He is sitting on one of the dock pillars, waiting for me. He smiles brightly at me and I wave at him.
“You know, I was really worried something had happened to you when your mother said she hadn’t seen you the whole morning, but Rachel said she had seen you going to the lake” He says.
“Rachel?” I ask, having no clue who he’s talking about.
“Oh, right, forgot, she’s the camp Oracle, you know, bright-red hair? She hands out prophecies to anyone who goes on a quest, and she told the last big one, the prophecy of the seven… I swore you met her yesterday”
“Was she there after I passed out?”
“Yeah, that was her, I was worried you hadn’t met her, she’s really cool”
I nodded, giving myself a quick-wipe down before taking a second to get all the water out of my hair, my hair is an absolute pain to towel-dry, and unless I wanted to ask the Aphrodite girls, there weren’t really any hair-dryers available.
I walked with James back to my cabin, and quickly got dressed before we went off to the rock-climbing wall. James explained how everything worked to me, and demonstrated to me a few times before I had a go, my hair was nearly destroyed by some of the lava, and I nearly got caught in one of the wall-traps, but I otherwise did pretty well… apparently.
“So, do you know why you passed out yesterday?” James asks casually as we head off to lunch.
“No, I don’t even really remember what happened, just that person screamed, and then I felt like I was going to pass out… which I did, but when I was passed out, I had this really weird dream…”
James looks at me, biting his lip.
“Um, well, do you know about demi-god dreams? Most of us at camp get them, a lot of the time they’re either things that are happening, things that have happened or things that can or will happen… sometimes they’re also messages, from the Gods and stuff”
“I dunno what it was, but I saw this guy and this girl falling into a massive pit, the guy had like… black hair, and sea-green eyes, he looked… 16? 17? I dunno, probably older. And the girl had really pretty blonde hair, and grey eyes, they were holding hands, and, I dunno, I think I know them, but I don’t think I do… do you know what I mean?”
I look over at James and realize with a shock that he’s turned a pale colour, not a good one either.
“I-I think I know who you’re talking about… Annabeth Chase a-and Percy… Jackson, he’s like, a really-not-related half-brother, less than that”
I nod, swallowing thickly.
“Um, I also heard this weird chant… I dunno what it was, something about five rising to a challenge, two falling, and never being seen again…”
We continue walking in silence, James thinking about what I’d said, and me thinking about what the hell was going on.
“I think you should talk to Chiron after lunch” James says stiffly.
I nod, and we pick up the pace, quickly making our way to the mess-hall. “Well, Astrid, I’m sorry to tell you this, but I think that was a prophecy you saw or heard in your dream, and I have a feeling it’s about you, even if it doesn’t say anything like ‘grand-daughter of Poseidon’, but you where the one who heard it to begin with, I think you should go ask Rachel… and I also have a feeling you and four other demi-gods are going to have to go on a mission…” Which is where Chiron stops talking, and gives me a concerned look.
“Well… I guess it makes sense” I say slowly.
“How about you go visit Rachel now, you just go through the forest, and she lives in a cave of sorts, you’ll see it straight away” He points of in the general direction of the forest.
“But, how am I sup -”
“Just go, you’ll find it if she’s supposed to talk to you” and then he walks out of the room.
That’s right, he just walks out. I frown in the direction he disappeared, but roll my eyes and get up anyway. I walk off the deck of the house, and in the general direction of the forest, hoping I don’t get lost or eaten by the monsters in there that James was telling me about.
I go past a giant rock mound… I think James said it had something to do with the battle of the labyrinth, and past a small river, not quite a stream, that just seems familiar. After nearly half an hour of trudging through the dense, green woods, I see the base of the small mountain ahead, and the cave.
A purple curtain covers the entrance, and I swear I can smell incense from where I’m standing, a good 50-metres away.
I walk over, and confirm that the smell of the incense is… oranges… and jasmine. I open the purple curtain and hear an annoying chiming sound, and then I see the inside.
Velvet. Is the first word I think of when I see the room. Velvet chairs, velvet curtains, along the inner walls that it, it smells like velvet, and the girl with bright-red hair at the back of the room also appears to be wearing velvet… which I don’t really like.
The feel of the fabric gives me jitters, but I venture in anyway. As I walk further into the room, Rachel looks up from whatever she’s reading. She’s sitting on a red (velvet) couch, in front of a coffee table, another large lounge, and a massive plasma-screen TV, which is mounted on the wall… how did they do the wiring in here? Oh… it’s probably hidden behind all of the velvet curtains.
She smiles over at me, and I give a shy smile back. She’s the girl that was in the infirmary, helping me that is, not injured or anything.
“Hi Astrid, I’m Rachel, but I think you already know that, how are you?” She says, offering her hand to me.
I grip it firmly, nod and smile, before sitting down on the couch next to hers.
“Well, Chiron said that I was supposed to ask you about the… prophecy, that I heard the other day, when I collapsed” I say, biting my lip.
“Yes, I think I know which one you’re talking about, I accidently blurted it out to a poor daughter of Apollo, nearly squashed the poor girl when I fell over, rather annoying it was, but I just assumed it would happen after the prophecy of the seven, I assume you know which one I’m talking about?”
I nod, James had told it to me numerous times, explaining what everyone already knew about it.
“Well anyway, I can see why it why it would be you, even if you aren’t a close relative of Poseidon, I have a feeling you’re going to be quite powerful, almost like your normal demi-god, I mean, you should see what Percy did to that volcano a while ago”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, sorry, you probably can’t see through the mist like I can, I’m not actually a demi-god, but I can see through the mist, some mortals can, but not many”
I nod slowly, taking this all in.
I was supposed to be pretty powerful, like a normal demi-god, even though I was barely related to Poseidon… I had a feeling she wasn’t telling me something else, but I left it to myself.
“Also, Chiron was talking about how I might have to go on a…”
“Quest” she finished for me.
I nodded quickly, nervous as anything.
“And well, James was telling me when campers normally go on quests, they get a prophecy… but don’t I already have one?”
“Yep, no need for two, we’ve already got two that are sounding pretty big anyway, so we’ll leave it at that”
I nodded, and realized that I was supposed to leave now.
“Thanks” I say quickly, getting up to leave.
“Oh, and ,Astrid?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t be so nervous, I can assure you, that whoever is going on this quest with you will be just as worried as you are, I have a feeling I know who’s going to be going with you”
I smile at her, before quickly walking out.
That cave smells really weird… I don’t know who, there doesn’t really seem to be anything wrong with it, but orange’s and lavender just don’t seem to be working of me… or velvet.
I quickly make my way back to the big house, and after explaining what Rachel said to Chiron, I go off to the cabin.
My mother was allowed to stay one extra day, because she was concerned for my health, but she has to leave.
I hug her, and notice the tears welling in her eyes.
“Mum, you are not going to go and cry on me, it is not an option” I say jokingly, smiling at her fondly.
“I just don’t know how long you’ll need to stay here, I don’t want you to come back home until I’m more than positive you’ll be safe, but I think I know someone you can stay with” She smiles at me, still looking on-the-verge of tears.
“Mum, I love you, and I would email you… but you know the camp rules as well as I do, so I will see you in a time, but not a short one, unless if I’m just really freaky….” She laughs and hugs me tightly before picking up her bag. I carry her other bag and walk her up to the fence-line where a cab waits.
“Well, Astrid, can I just ask you to please be careful, I know you’re a demigod, and you’ll probably have to go on a quest one day, but just try your best, please” She says, and a lone tear goes down her face, though she smiles at me.
“Mum, you know I’m not that careless, I mean, really”
She smiles at me and just shakes her head before getting in the cab. I watch her disappear down the road before walking back down the hill, and over to the archery area.
I take my bow out of its strap, and slowly draw and arrow, just a normal one.
I take a deep breath and let it fly through the air. It sinks, quite deeply, into the target, just off the bulls-eye.
I quickly draw another arrow, and it lands right next to the other one. I do this for a good ten minutes, collecting the arrows after five, until I hear the dinner gong… or at least that’s what I think it is.
I quickly make my way to my cabin, dump my bow and arrows, grab one of my books, and head off to dinner.
I realize with some sadness, that I’ll be sitting alone now, unless if Percy returns, which from the rumors I highly doubt.
I wave to James, who’s table seem even more crowded than ever, and quickly make my way over to the Poseidon table. After grabbing some food, I quickly move over to the central brazier and put in a bit of everything.
“For Poseidon” I whisper to myself, and I feel the rush off a sea-breeze and the smell of salt come upon me. I quickly walk back over to the Poseidon table.
I take my time eating, reading my book as I go. A few of the kids are eyeing me again, but this time they just keep looking from my book, to me.
When some of the kids start clearing out, I hasten my eating, and finish as a huge chunk of the mess hall leaves.
I quickly catch up to James, who left with the rest of the Hermes cabin.
“Hey, James” I say, smiling politely.
“Hey, Astrid, haven’t seen you since earlier, what’ve you been up to?” He grins back at me.
“Nothing much, I went off and visited Rachel, then saw my Mum off, went and did some archery for about ten minutes, then I quickly dropped off my stuff at the cabin, grabbed a book and went to the mess hall, what about you?” I say, gesturing to my book.
“Well, I went and did some canoeing with Kieran, and then I went to the basketball group with the other kids, it wasn’t really that interesting but just, one question,” he pauses for a second “How on earth can you read that massive book?” He gestures to my copy of the latest Skullduggery Pleasant series, which just so happens to be the hardcover copy, and is quite large.
“Well, I dunno, I just read it, doesn’t anyone at camp read? At all?”
“Well, the thing is, you know how I told you most campers have Dyslexia? Well that basically means everyone except for a few of Athena’s kids, and even then, it’s really rare, and then basically everyone has ADHD, so it’s only possible for the Athena kids to sit down and read anything”
“Well, I do have a lazy eye, but I can read just fine, in fact, it’s probably one of my favorite things to do and with the ADHD thing, I don’t have it, but I get really crazy adrenaline rushes, like, something even slightly dangerous and I just…. I dunno”
“Well, you’re lucky you have a nice pastime like that, I don’t really have anything except for training, which is why I’m a permanent camper… Also because I have no idea who my parents are, and I mean either of them”
I shrug, and we walk back to the cabins, where James waits for me to grab my bow and put my book away, we have capture the flag tonight, and I’m on the blue team.
We quickly head off to the forest, and James wishes me luck, before we separate to our teams. I’m given my blue-team equipment, before the blue team races off into the depths of the forest to find a good hiding place. I’m assigned by the ‘substitute’ head of Athena’s cabin to keep to the river, she says that they always did that when Percy was there, and they barely ever lost if anyone crossed him, so I decide to follow her advice, and head off to the river.
I hear yells, and someone screams, probably a daughter of Aphrodite, but other than that, nothing much happens, until one of the Hephaestus boys comes running past me with the flag, and then ten or so kids from the red team. I step into the river, knowing that it will help me, and I immediately feel energized. I draw my sword as three of them pause to attack me. I block mainly, keeping up my defenses, and I feel the rush of adrenaline fill me. They back me up into a bank and the girl jabs me on the arm, I yelp out, and then realize that they’ve pushed me out of the water, crap. I try and feint left, and run right, but they easily predict my movements and I get cut on the leg this time. I decide to do the most non-obvious thing. I charge straight for them, and one of the boys and the girl jump out of the way. With a screech fit for a banshee, I tackle the boy into the river, and we are submerged under the shallow water for a second or two. The other boy rolls me over, and he pushes me under the water. I fill my lungs with water, but I still writher with anger. I hear a splash as the other two re-enter the water. The rage fills up, and I feel a pulling in my gut. With one last furious cry, the whole lake explodes. I fly up in the middle of the crazy, watery explosion, and land safely on my feet. Once the mist clears, I see the girl lying awkwardly on the bank, the other boy way off in the distance, and the last one, lying in the water… face down. My eyes widen and I race over to him, hauling him out of the water and dragging him over to the bank.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, omigods omigods omigods” I curse, frantically checking if he’s still breathing… he’s not.
After a few seconds, I pull him up into a sitting position and whack him on the back as hard as I can, after another second or two of checking his pulse, his eyes flutter open and he violently starts to cough up water.
“Omigods, are you okay? I’m so sorry” I say frantically.
After another two or three whacks, he looks at me and just grins. He just grins.
“Don’t worry, it isn’t the first time” he chokes out, before going into a coughing fit. I stand up, quickly brush the dirt off my pants, even though there isn’t really a point, and run over to the other girl, who seems to be fine, and then I race off to see the other boy.
As I walk closer, he moans and rolls over. My eyes widen as I catch sigh of his arm, which he is cradling to his chest. It looks… deformed. I fall to my knees beside him.
“Are you okay?”
He moans in reply and I get up quickly and run back over to the other two.
“Um, your friends arm…” but they’re already running off to him.
The three of us manage to carry him to the outskirts of the forest. The girl pulls out a whistle and blows it loudly, and not a second later, a few of the Aphrodite kids come running to us, with bandages and such. One of the girls catches sight of him, and I can tell she’s going to either be sick, or feel sick, from the look on her face. They quickly place him on a stretcher, and we help them carry him back to main base, while another girl quickly feeds him some ambrosia.
Chiron and two other kids race him up to the big house, and I immediately feel guilty… it’s completely my fault.
“Don’t worry,” the other boys says, catching sight of my face “He should have known not to wrestle you to the ground, especially in a river, I mean, it’s not like we don’t ever have any casualties, someone broke their ankle last week, it really isn’t an issue”
I sigh and he just grins at me again.
“I’m really sorry about that” I say, wringing my hands and trying to avoid looking him in the eye.
“It’s fine, really” And with that, he walks off.
After a few cries of victory from the far side of the forest, I realize that our team has won. They come marching back, carrying the Hephaestus boy from earlier on their shoulders, and I manage a small smile of congratulations.
The head ‘substitute’ Athena girl comes up to me and congratulates me, giving me a sly wink as she walks away.
After many more congratulations, a chat with James, and praise from Chiron, I head back to the cabin for a good night’s rest.
If this is what my summer, and probably after summer, is going to be like, I think I’ll like it here it camp, but one thing is for sure, this place is sure crazy as it seems… probably more so.

---

Yay! So, how did you like it? I personally really enjoyed writing this chapter, and it’s pretty long… gods, it’s over 4,000 words! Yeah!
Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did!
DaftDruid/Arabellay
P.S: Please let me know of any typos, as embarrassing as they are, there are probably one or two :D