𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩

Chapter X X I I I

23
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Spewing Tree

  That afternoon was one of the happiest (y/n) ever spent at camp, which maybe goes to show, you never know when your world is about to be rocked to pieces.

  Grover announced that he’d be able to spend the rest of the summer with them before resuming his quest for Pan. His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn’t gotten himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two-month furlough and a new set of reed pipes. The only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn’t improved much. He played “YMCA,” and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around their feet like they were trying to strangle them. (y/n) couldn’t blame them, he almost did the same.

As for Tyson, the campers treated him like a hero. (y/n) would’ve been happy to have him as their camp Cyclops forever, but that evening, as they were sitting on a sand dune overlooking the Long Island Sound, he made an announcement that completely took him by surprise.

  "Dream came from Daddy last night," he said. "He wants me to visit."

  (y/n) wondered if he was kidding, but Tyson really didn’t know how to kid. "Poseidon sent you a dream
message?"

  Tyson nodded. "Wants me to go underwater for the rest of the summer. Learn to work at Cyclopes’ forges. He called it an inter—an intern—"

  "An internship?"

  "Yes."

  (y/n) let that sink in. Tyson was going? Just like that?

  "When would you leave?" he asked.

  "Now."

  "Now. Like... now now?"

  "Now."

  (y/n) stared out at the waves in the Long Island Sound. The water was glistening red in the sunset.

  "I’m happy for you, big guy," (y/n) managed. "Seriously."

  "Hard to leave my new brothers," he said with a tremble in his voice, looking back at the cabins. "But I want to make things. Weapons for the camp. You will need them."

  Unfortunately, (y/n) knew he was right. The Fleece hadn’t solved all the camp’s problems. Luke was still out there, gathering an army aboard the Princess Andromeda. Kronos was still re-forming in his golden coffin. Eventually, they would have to fight them.

  "You’ll make the best weapons ever," (y/n) told Tyson.

  Tyson sniffled. "Family help each other."

  "You’re family," (y/n) said. "No doubt about it."

  He patted (y/n) on the back so hard he almost knocked the boy down the sand dune. Then he wiped a tear from his cheek and stood to go. "Tell Cy and Percy... tell them I'll miss them, and to use the shields."

  "I will, big guy."

  "Save your life some day." The way he said it, so matter-of-fact, (y/n) wondered if that Cyclops eye of his could see into the future.

  He headed down to the beach and whistled. Rainbow, the hippocampus, burst out of the waves. (y/n) watched the two of them ride off together into the realm of Poseidon.

  "Hey, (y/n)."

  He turned.

  Annabeth and Grover were standing at the top of the sand dune. I guess maybe (y/n) had some sand in his eyes, because he was blinking a lot.