I flinch, a hand jumping to my head after it bangs against the headboard. "But... it's stopped, right?"

"Yes. You should be fine in a couple days." Will says, smiling. "But first---do you know who your dad is?"

I glare at him, which normally sends people reeling backward, but he doesn't even flinch.

"No." I say stiffly. "All I know is he left my mom after I was born."

Will shrugs. "Hey, it's happened to all of us. Let me ask---are you ADHD? Dyslexic?"

"Um... I guess." I admit grudgingly. "Why does that matter?"

"ADHD would be battle reflexes. Dyslexia is because your brain is---how does Annabeth put it?---hardwired for Greek, not English."

I snort. "Great."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be claimed sometime tonight at the campfire." Seeder asures me. I start, because I hadn't even realized he was there.

"I thought you said I had to rest for a few days." I say to Will. Jutting my lip out in a pout, I say sweetly, "So shouldn't I be excluded?"

"Nice try." Will rolls his eyes. "Yes, you should rest, as in don't attack anyone or go on the lava wall."

"There's a lava wall?" I yell, grinning. "Ohhh, let me at it."

"Okay, I like her." Sera rubs my head. I bat her away, and Will smiles, amused.

"Just drink some more nectar---but not too much. Too much will make you explode."

I choke. "And I drank almost an entire thermos earlier?" I glare accusingly at Seeder, who looks offended.

"Oh, please, like I would let you combust." He says. "I'd like to think I'm a better satyr than that."

"Here." Will hands me a small glass filled with what looks like iced tea, or apple juice. "Nectar. Drink."

"All of it?"

"All of it."

Remembering the taste from the chariot, I tip the glass backward and down it all in a few seconds. I shudder at the sudden warmth, then hand the glass to Will.

"Excellent. Sera, why don't you give her the tour?" Will says.

"Me?" She says in surprise.

"Sure. You two seem to be getting along, and at any rate I trust you not to pull the Welcoming Committee on her."

Sera grins. "Wow, really? Okay. Elicia---"

"Ah! Seriously, all of you---call me Ellie." I say, raising a finger.

"Ellie." Sera repeats. "Then let's go!" She hauls me off the bed. I gasp and brace myself---but my back only twinges a little bit.

"Trust the healer, please?" Will grins. "I'll see you guys later. Knowing Annabeth, she and Butch will need a healer for when they get back."

"I wouldn't count on it. Anything standin' between her and Jackson is dead." Sera says, but not in a really joking way. "Now, c'mon, Ellie---you gotta see the lava wall!"

She pulls me along, outside the house. We're on a hill overlooking the camp, and I have to say it's pretty impressive. I can see the fiery wall from here, along with a bunch of cabins in a U-like shape.

"Which one do I stay in?" I point.

Sera grimaces. "Here's the thing... actually, just c'mon." She takes off down the hill. Still wary of my back, I follow her. Campers everywhere glance at me curiously, but don't say anything. Most wave at Sera, who waves back.

Sera stops in front of the cabins. "All these cabins are for the gods." She explains. "Hecate, Demeter, Aphrodite, Ares, Hermes... all of them have their own cabins."

I glance around, trying to guess which is which. My gaze lands on what looks like Barbie's Dreamhouse toy.

"Aphrodite?" I ask, pointing.

"Yep. That's Ares---" A red cabin with barbed wire. "And the rest are useless."

I laugh. "I'm sure the other campers wouldn't like hearing that." My gaze lands on a dark cabin, with ebony coloring and little to no sunlight making it's way inside. "What cabin is that?"

"Hades. It's empty, unless Di Angelo decides to come back." Sera explains.

"Why is it empty?" I ask. "There were plenty of Hades kids in the myths."

Sera sucks her teeth. "See, recently, after the Great Prophecy was spoken, the three main gods---Zeus, Posiedon, Hades--- decided not to have any more kids. Swore on the River Styx and everything."

"What's---"

"Styx is a river in the Underworld. Most solemn oath you can make. Anywho, those three cabins are empty. Kind of. Each of them have one who could be here, but isn't."

"So the gods all broke their promises?" I ask, close to laughing.

"Nico Di Angelo technically was born before the oath, in the 19...30's, I think. Maybe 40's. I don't remember." Sera shrugs. "Kid's fourteen, though. Prophecy didn't really apply to him."

"I'm sorry---he's fourteen? But you said---"

"Long story." Sera sighs. "The daughter of Zeus, Thalia---she was killed over there, and turned into a pine tree." She points to an enormous pine tree on a faraway hill. "But after the Golden Fleece brought her back, she became a Hunter of Artemis before she turned sixteen."

"This is very confusing."

"Learn to deal with it. The last one, Percy Jackson---"

"The topic everyone keeps avoiding."

Sera stares at me. "You noticed, huh?"

"I just remember you guys keep saying the name "Jackson"."

"Yeah. It's... a touchy subject. Jackson is the son of Posiedon. The god of the sea? He's kind of the big shot here. Went on a quest to save the world when he was twelve---unmasked a kid named Luke as a traitor. He's been here four years, goin' on quests every year or so... he's also basically the savior of Olympus, according to the old Great Prophecy."

"You mentioned that. What is the Great Prophecy?"

Sera takes a deep breath. "I don't suppose there's any harm in sayin' it, now that it's over. Okay, listen carefully. "'A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds.' That's why Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades decided not to have any kids. 'And see the world in endless sleep, a hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. A single choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze."

"Sounds like Armageddon." I remark, only half-joking.

Sera grunts. "Yer not far off. Anyways, Jackson helped save everyone... Gave Luke Annabeth's knife, Luke killed himself to save Olympus, and the Jackson kid was offered immortality."

"Let me guess. He took it, and now everyone misses him?" Typical kid.

"No." Sera says. I'm so surprised I almost think she's kidding. "He turned it down, asked 'em instead to quit the "Big Three" thing, and made 'em promise to recognize their kids. No more unclaimed."

"Unclaimed?"

"Kids who don't know their heritage." Sera says. "Like you. But the gods have been pretty good with recognizing lately. You'll be claimed before you know it. Hopefully by my dad." She elbows me. "Anyway, Percy... he went missing. Not that long ago. It's been driving the whole camp insane, because he's... well, he's kind of everyone's buddy. Especially Annabeth."

"Sera..." I start hesitantly. "What did you mean by "old" Great Prophecy? Does that mean there's a new one?"

Sera's knuckles turn white as she clenches her fists. Something in her gaze turns hard, and she won't meet my eyes.

"It's fine if you---"

"No." She snaps. She breathes in, rubbing her knuckles to calm herself. "Sorry. It's not your fault, Ellie, I just really hate the Dirt Queen."

"Who?"

Sera glances around. "You have to promise not to tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Sure."

Sera huffs out. "Arson and I know who the big bad is in this prophecy. We know what one of the lines is talking about. I'm not going to say the Prophecy," she adds, correctly guessing my next question. "Gist is---seven demigods'll go save the world. Anyway, one of the lines is, 'the Earth must fall.' Gaea---the Earth. She's got something to do with all of this. Percy going missing, monsters not dying, mine and Ar's freaky dreams... it's her. I know it is. I just don't know why."

"In the myths... isn't she always asleep?"

Sera looks impressed. "So, you do know myths."

"I had a lot of free time growing up."

Sera nods. "Yeah, Gaea's normally asleep. But I think she might be trying to wake up."

"And that's bad?"

"Very." Sera rubs her eyes with the heel of her hand. "She's an evil witch. She won't help us. She'll murder the human race."

Suddenly, I remember what happened right before Seeder and I escaped to the chariot. The earthen woman who sounded half-asleep, talking to me...

I shudder. "Yeah. Bad."

"Why do I get the feeling you already know why she's bad?" Sera asks, her voice lowering further.

I shrug, not meeting her eyes. "She might've been in the cabin as Seeder and I were trying to escape the three bat hags."

"WHAT?" Sera shrieks. The few campers around us stop dead, glancing our way. Sera instantly starts laughing very convincingly, slapping my back easily. "Nice one, newbie. But I highly doubt you could beat any Ares cabin kid in a fight."

The campers seem to take that as normal, shrug, and go back to their daily activities. Sera breathes a sigh of relief and starts whispering again. "Sorry. First thing I could think of. Gaea appeared in front of you? Not in a dream?"

"No. She definitely was there." I shiver in the cold air. "It was the freakiest thing I've ever seen."

Sera puts her hand on my shoulder. "But why would she come after you?" She mumbles, not really paying attention to the fact that I'm standing right next to her. "Unless you have something to do with the prophecy..."

"Sera. Hey." I snap my fingers in front of her face. "You good?"

Sera grunts, shaking her head. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. You good?"

"Um..."

"Good." Sera shakes her head, rubbing her nose. "Look, let's just... let's just drop this fer now, okay?"

"Sure".

"Remember, ya---"

"Can't tell anyone, I know. I won't." I promise. "Even if I am a little freaked out by all this."

Sera glances over at me. "Sorry. Didn' mean to scare ya... I just wanted to tell someone. Other than my brother."

"Sooo... where is your brother?"

Sera beams, a little bit of her anger shaking away. "I'll introduce you. C'mon." She grabs my hand and pulls me towards the blood-red cabin, kicking the door open. I expected the inside to be covered in wire as well, with obstacle courses and weapons, but it's actually kind of... cozy. Bunks are doubled-up, each equipped with five different weapon-holders, and sunlight filters in through a skylight above that douses an altar in the center with light. There are only a few kids in here, but none of them give us a second glance except for a kid reading on a top bunk.

"Sera!" he cries, and vaults off the bed. I just have time to yelp at the height from which he jumped before he lands in front of us, scooping Sera up in a bear hug.

Sera barks a laugh and hugs him back. I can see the similarity between them. Both are built big, but while Sera looks strong and tough, Arson---I'm assuming this is him---is more cuddly. He has black hair like his sister, but where her eyes are reddish-brown, his are a chocolate-brown, sweet and wide.

He grins a crooked grin at me. "New camper!" He barrels for me, but Sera catches his arm.

"Ah! No hugging without permission. She's injured." Sera says. His whole face changes in an instant, looking horrified.

"Feel better." He instructs me, like it's a command.

"Um... sure." I say uncertainly. He reaches an arm out, stick-straight, and pats my shoulder robotically.

"Feel better." He repeats, giving a lopsided smile. Then he turns to Sera. "Parent?"

"Unclaimed, so far." Sera says. "We're hoping for a claiming at the campfire tonight. It's gotta be someone powerful, though, because she had all three Kindly Ones after her..." She lowers her voice. "And Dirt Queen."

Arson's whole expression changes. He goes from being this adorable teenage teddy bear to a scowling creature I barely recognize from the moment before. "Bad."

"Very bad." Sera agrees. "But remember---it's our secret. No sharing!"

Arson nods, turning back to his happy self. "Hope you sister!" He says to me, patting my shoulder again before running back to his bunk. A few kids greet him, and Sera, but ignore me.

Sear turns to me, spreading her arms. "Welp---now you've seen the only cabin worth mentioning. Wanna go find a weapon?" 

___________________________________

Sigh. I love Sera. 

In all seriousness, this time, though--- (if you live in America) Happy Veteran's day! Remember to show respect and appreciation for people who have served in our military. Don't ever forget the sacrifices some people have made.