Camp Hermit-Blood - The Sea of Monsters

Grian

"Well," Luke said, gesturing around the stateroom. "A little nicer than Cabin 11, huh?"

Grian had to agree. It was nicer. But he still liked the Hermes cabin better... there were more people to annoy.

He could go for some of the pizza on the table, though...

The bad part of the room, the only reason Grian didn't want to build it in Hermitcraft, was the ten-foot sarcophagus on a velvet dais in the back of the room, engraved with scenes of cities in flames. The casket made the whole room feel cold despite the warm sunlight streaming through the giant windows.

Grian's attention went back to Luke himself - this was the first time he had seen his old counselor since before Percy almost died. He looked like he was modeling what the fashionable college-age villain was wearing to university this year.

He still had that scar under his eye. Grian had heard rumors that it was from a dragon. Not the Ender Dragon. A different dragon.

Or was it the Ender Dragon?

That thought was disturbing. The Ender Dragon didn't scratch people. She just killed them with her bad breath.

"Sit," Luke told them, gesturing to the couches.

None of them did except for Bdubs, who immediately stood up again when nobody else did.

The two bigfoots next to Luke were pointing their javelins at the group. Annabeth was visibly avoiding Luke's eyes and trying to figure them out at the same time. Win-win.

"Where are my manners?" Luke asked himself, unhindered by the fact that nobody had sat down like he had said. "These are my assistants,  Agrius and Oreius. Maybe you've heard of them."

Percy kept glaring daggers at Luke, but there was fear behind his eyes. Tyson was biting his fingernails. Bdubs looked bored, which probably wasn't a good thing. Annabeth continued pretending that Luke didn't exist.

"Their mother was a human," Luke said even though it was obvious that none of them really wanted to hear the story. "When Aphrodite commanded her to fall in love, she refused and ran to Artemis for help. Artemis agreed to protect her, but Aphrodite wasn't happy. She cursed the twins' mother to fall in love with a bear. When Artemis found out, she was disgusted and left the woman to her fate. "

Bdubs made a throwing up sound.

"The gods have their battles, and the mortals get caught in the crossfire," Luke continued. "That's why they need to be taken out."

A chill ran down Grian's spine.

He's trying to kill the gods.

Is that even possible? That's not possible.

"Agrius and Oreius don't like the gods," Luke said. "They like half-bloods well enough, though."

"For lunch!" Agrius growled.

Oreius let out a laugh that might have been funny under different circumstances. But then he kept laughing. And laughing. And laughing, long after Agrius stopped.

"Idiot!" Agrius growled. "Go punish yourself!"

Oreius whimpered and banged his head against the table, Dobby-style. The silver plates rattled and the entire room shook.

"So," Luke said, ignoring the bear twins. "We let you survive another year, Percy. How's school? How's your mom?"

Grian didn't understand this horrible concept of school. Sticking twenty to thirty kids or teenagers in a classroom together with one adult to try to boss them around just sounded like a recipe for the end of the world. But then again, Grian himself was a recipe for the end of the world, so he shouldn't be one to judge.