A web of fates | Percy Jackson and the Olympians

III| An entrance to Camp

The next morning there was a lot of excitement at breakfast.

Apparently around three in the morning an Aethiopian drakon had been spotted at the borders of camp.

Daphne was so exhausted she slept right through the noise. The magical boundaries had kept the monster out, but it prowled the hills, looking for weak spots in their defenses, and it didn't seem anxious to go away until Lee Fletcher from Apollo's cabin led a couple of his siblings in pursuit.

After a few dozen arrows lodged in the chinks of the drakon's armor, it got the message and withdrew.

"It's still out there," Lee warned them during announcements. "Twenty arrows in its hide, and we just made it mad. The thing was thirty feet long and bright green. It's eyes—" he shuddered.

"You did well, Lee," Chiron patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone stay alert, but stay calm.
This has happened before."

"Aye," Quintus said from the head table. "And it will happen again. More and more frequently."

The campers murmured among themselves.
Everyone knew the rumors: Luke and his army of monsters were planning an invasion of the camp.

Most of them expected it to happen this summer, but no one knew how or when.

They only had about eighty campers. Three years ago, when Percy had started, there had been more than a hundred. Some had died. Some had joined Luke. Some had just disappeared.

"This is a good reason for new war games," Quintus continued, a glint in his eyes. "We'll see how you all do with that tonight."

"Yes..." Chiron said. "Well, enough announcements. Let us bless this meal and eat." He raised his goblet. "To the gods."

They all raised their glasses and repeated the blessing.

Once everyone was eating, Chiron and Grover came over to visit. Grover was bleary-eyed.
His shirt was inside out. He slid his plate onto the table and slumped next to Percy.

"Sorry," Daphne said, standing up when Chiron had left the pavilion. "I'm going to see what happening over there."

Travis, who had been the only one listening to her as Connor taught Cecil how to play cards, gave her a thumbs up.

Annabeth and Daphne met halfway to Percy's table and together slid onto his table.

"I'll tell you what it's about," Annabeth said. "The Labyrinth."

Daphne's interest immediately piqued, she knew that if they were planning on entering the Labyrinth, she'd have to tell Luke.

After all, that's how they were planning on getting into Camp in a few weeks time.

"You're not supposed to be here." Percy said.

"We need to talk," she insisted.

"But the rules..."

"Percy mate, we literally snook out of camp last Christmas to go on a quest. That's breaking rules; your dad literally broke some ancient oaths when
you were born." The daughter of Hermes gave Percy a look.

Campers weren't allowed to switch tables. Satyrs were different. They weren't really demigods. But the half-bloods had to sit with their cabins.

Daphne wasn't even sure what the punishment was for switching tables. She had never seen it happen.

If Mr. D had been here, he probably would've strangled Daphne and Annabeth with magical grapevines or something, but Mr. D wasn't here.

Chiron had already left the pavilion. Quintus looked over and raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything.