𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖 ༄ ᴘercy ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ

i crash into canoes and listen to haikus

After the talk with Artemis, we left her to 'prepare'. She still hadn't said what she was going to hunt.

I began to leave to find Kai, when Percy caught up to me.

"Hi."

I cast him a look and a smile. "Hey."

"I wasn't joking, by the way. Camp really is awesome. I'm glad you chose it. You're going to love it."

I raised my eyebrows. "What makes you think I'm staying at your camp?"

He paused, his smile fading.

"What do you mean? You'll be killed otherwise."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. I have Kai, and I've made it 14 years already. What's a while longer?"

He scoffed and opened his mouth to argue back when two new people joined. Thalia and Grover.

Thalia introduced herself to me, the same stormy expression still on her face. I wonder if that's a trait from her father.

"Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus. It's nice to meet you."

"Nailea Sparrow. But just call me Nai. I think your docs are really cool by the way. I've been saving up to get some myself."

Then she grinned. "Great idea, but beware. The leather ones squeak like fucking monsters when you first get them. Not a good thing, if you're near actual monsters."

Then Grover spoke. "Hey, Nai. Sorry about not telling you about - well, my satyrness. It was for your safety, I swear."

I just laughed and told him it was fine. Maybe I'd be annoyed that he was half-goat and never thought to mention it, but he was still strangely disarming.

Then Kai ran up to me, grabbing my shoulders.

"You didn't do it, did you?"

I stared at him in surprise. "Do what?"

"Bianca joined them, she was just telling Nico about it, did you?" He actually looked kinda scared which I found really sweet.

"And leave you by yourself? You'd be dead within the month."

He sighed in relief and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. I punched his ribs.

Suddenly, the atmosphere began to warm, and in the horizon I could see the rising sun. Did Apollo literally drive the sun?

Artemis appeared near us.

She was looking very carefully at Kai. "Be prepared. Do not freak out. Remember, at the end of the day, he is a God. He won't feel or think about it the same way you do." Then she left, not offering another word nor explanation.

Kai stared at the space she had been. "What?" He asked the air.

There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.

"Don't look," Artemis called to all of us. "Not until he parks."

Parks? It's a sun.

I averted my eyes anyway, and saw that the other kids were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until my parka felt like it was melting off me.

Then suddenly the light died.

I looked. And I couldn't believe it.

The sun was an epic red converter, that literally glowed with heat.

The driver also glowed with heat (if you get what I mean).

He looked about seventeen or eighteen, with the beauty only youth had. Which was ironic, considering he was old. This guy had sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. He was tall too, with a bright smile.