vi.

—SAVANNAH'S head was pulsing as she coughed up water. The green and blue girls in the water had thrown her out in time so she didn't drown, but not quick enough. She'd gulped down a copious amount of murky lake water as she tried to breathe in. She just ... wasn't made for water. Plenty of swimming lessons have told her that.

  Savannah gasped as her windpipe finally cleared. Her body was still shivering from the cold and she was drenched. And now her throat was starting to sting, so that was great.

  Someone took her arm and helped her stand to her unsteady feet. She looked up and saw Leo, also soaked to the bone. He was gently coughing, almost in a laugh, but as he looked at her, his face morphed into one of concern.

  "Are you okay?" He eyed her pained face, but she was calming down slowly.

  She nodded once and coughed one last cough before nodding again. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."

  Leo glanced over her body one last time before guiding her in Jason, Piper, and Annabeth's direction. Kids were crowding them and some were holding blankets, while others eagerly asked them questions. Savannah squealed as she was blasted with air from behind, but welcomed the heat that came with it. It was gone as quick as it came and Savannah missed the warmth. She turned to see two smiling campers that took the leaf blower away, leaving her and Leo to see to Butch.

  "How often do you think that happens where they have to have leaf blowers on hand?" Savannah asked, swallowing thickly as her throat was still sore.

  "Maybe it's initiation?" The boy shrugged. "I wonder if they've got a giant hair salon too," Leo commented offhandedly, brushing down his now dry clothes.

  "Maybe their giant comb could tame your curly hair," Savannah teased. He raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

  "Nothing can tame this wild beast," he tried to run his fingers through his hair, but it got caught in a knot and he pulled his hand away slowly, not even bothering with it.

  "Not even a giant bottle of conditioner?" She asked.

  "Nope," he chuckled. "Let's go." He took her hand and they walked the rest of the way over to their friends.

  "Annabeth!" A boy shouted from a few meters away.

  "Is that —" Savannah whispered as she squinted at what was on his back.

  "Yup," Leo answered. "That's a bow."

  Savannah's eyes widened. "First, Jason's sword, and now a bow?"

  "I said you could borrow that chariot, not destroy it!" The guy said.

  "When is borrowing ever just borrowing?" Leo chuckled to Savannah.

  "Will, I'm sorry," Annabeth sighed. "I'll get it fixed, I promise."

  Will scowled at the broken chariot before noticing the newcomers. "These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed already?"

  "Claimed?" Leo asked.

  Before Annabeth could explain, Will started talking again. "Any sign of Percy?"

  "No," Annabeth's eyes went downcast.

  "Who's Percy?" Savannah whispered and Leo shrugged. A young face appeared between the two of them.

  "He's a hero!" The little girl whispered excitedly.

  "Oh!" Savannah said like it answered all her questions.

  A girl stepped forward. She was Asian and much taller than Leo and Savannah, and had plenty of jewelry complimenting her very beautiful complexion.

  She glanced at Leo, but fixated her gaze on Jason more, totally dismissing the other boy. A wave of relief crossed over Savannah, making her shake her head.

  Her attention didn't even reach Savannah as she scowled at Piper. Piper wasn't giving a very kind look in return, either.

  "Well, I hope they're worth the trouble," the girl remarked.

  "Gee, thanks," Leo snorted. "What are we, your new pets?"

  "No kidding," Jason said. "How about some answers before you start judging us — like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?"

  Savannah looked around. It looked like one of those traditional summer camps, except there were targets, and people were hacking real swords at them.

"Jason," Annabeth said, "I promise we'll answer your questions. And Drew" — she frowned at the girl — "all demigods are worth saving. But I'll admit, the trip didn't accomplish what I hoped."

"Hey," Piper said, "we didn't ask to be brought here."

  "You didn't give us much of a choice," Savannah shrugged. "I'm going to have so much homework by the time we get back," she stressed to herself.

  Drew sniffed. "And nobody wants you here." She looked at Piper. "Does your hair always look a dead badger?"

  Piper stepped forward, looking ready to smack the smirk off her face, but Annabeth said, "Piper, stop."

  Piper stepped back next to Jason, but her hands were still clenched at her sides.

  "We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome," Annabeth said, her eyes directed in Drew's direction. "We'll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of the camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they'll be claimed."

  "You know, claiming sort of does make us sound like pets up for adoption. Can someone please tell me what it really means?" Savannah asked.

  All at once, the surrounding campers took a gasp and backed away from where Leo and her were standing. She held her hands up as if she did something wrong in asking the question.

  "Whoa, I didn't mean to offend you or anything," she sputtered. After a second of no response, she looked over the people more, seeing a strange red light covering them. She spun to her right, seeing the source of the color.

  Savannah's right foot accidentally tripped on her left heel and she plummeted to the ground, still staring above Leo's head. Blazing above his hair was a holographic image of a ... hammer? Like it was on fire.

  "That," Annabeth said, "is claiming."

  "What'd I do?" Leo backed toward the lake. Then he glanced up and yelped. "Is my hair on fire?" He crouched, but the symbol followed him, hovering above him.

  "This can't be good," Butch muttered. "The curse —"

  "Butch, shut up," Annabeth said, but Savannah narrowed her eyes. What curse? "Leo, you've just been claimed —"

  "By a god," Jason interrupted. "That's the symbol of Vulcan, isn't it?" All heads swivelled to look at him.

  "Jason," Annabeth said carefully, "how did you know that?"

  "I'm not sure," he said, giving the ground a puzzled look. For someone who had little to no memories, he sure held a lot of strange information in his head.

  "Vulcan?" Leo demanded. "I don't even like Star Trek. What are you talking about?"

  "Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus," Annabeth said, "the god of blacksmiths and fire."

  The image of the fiery hammer faded away, but Leo kept waving his arms through the air like it would reappear if he stopped.

  "The god of what? Who?"

  Annabeth turned to the guy with a bow. "Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine."

  "Sure, Annabeth."

  "What's Cabin Nine?" Leo asked. "And I'm not Vulcan!" Savannah chuckled.

  "Come on, Mr. Spock, I'll explain everything." Will put a hand on his shoulder and steered him off toward a large spot of buildings.

  Annabeth turned back to the remaining three, watching as Savannah didn't take her eyes off a retreating Leo before he rounded a corner behind a cabin.

  Annabeth looked at Jason next. "Hold out your arm."

  Savannah got on her tiptoes and looked over Piper's shoulder. She gaped at the tattoo shown on the inside of his right forearm. It was in black ink with a dozen straight lines, like a bar code on something you buy at a store. Over the lines was an eagle with the letters SPQR.

  "I've never seen marks like this," Annabeth said. "Where did you get them?" Savannah raised an eyebrow. If Annabeth hadn't seen something like that before, how did she know to look on his arm?

  Jason shook his head. "I'm getting really tired of saying this, but I don't know."

  The little girl from earlier who enthused about a missing Percy, scooted forward and wedged herself next to Savannah, also trying to see the tattoo. Savannah took a little step back for the girl. She looked up and gave her a toothy grin in thanks.

  "They look burned into your skin," Annabeth noticed.

  "They were," Jason said immediately, but winced. "I mean ... I think so. I don't remember."

  "Just like he doesn't remember a lot of things," Piper muttered to Savannah, the girl giving her friend's shoulder a squeeze.

  "He needs to go straight to Chiron," Annabeth decided. "Drew, would you —"

  "Absolutely." Drew laced her arm through Jason's, the boy leaning away from her. "This way, sweetie. I'll introduce you to our director. He's ... an interesting guy." A smug look was cast in Piper's direction as she led Jason to the blue house on the hill.

  "Um, Julia?" A girl looked at Annabeth expectantly. "Could you show Savannah around?"

  "Wait!" The little girl by Savannah's legs called. "Can I do it?! Please?"

  "How about you help me, Mia," Julia said placing an arm around the little girl's shoulder. Her other arm outstretched to Savannah for a shake. "Julia Feingold. Daughter of Hermes."

  Savannah licked her bottom lip and nodded.

  "You have no idea who that is, do you?"

  Savannah sighed and shook her head.

  "Messenger of the gods. God of trade ... thieves," Julia smirked, holding out the hand she shook Savannah's with and a bracelet was dangling from her pointer finger. Savannah gasped and took it gently, clasping it back on her wrist. She held her arm close to her chest as the little girl spoke next.

  "I'm Mia Flemmings, also a daughter of Hermes," she grinned.

  "You haven't stolen anything as well, have you?" Savannah asked and checked her pockets.

  The little girl held out a pack of strawberry and watermelon gum that Savannah had bought from the Grand Canyon'a gift shop.

  "Sorry."

  "Uh, I guess you can keep that."

  The girl gasped and plopped a piece in her mouth before taking the lead around camp.

NOTES ;
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?
I NEED TO EDIT THIS ONE TOO