The Trials of Camp Half-Blood

Welcome to the Crazy Woods

A/N: Percy's point of view until said otherwise! Publishing this earlier than I wanted just because of all the positiv feedback on the last percy jackson book I made... sooo enjoy... chapter sprees of 5 chapters for this book coming up XD today and tomorrow. Have fun my little gems ^^

You ever have one of those days where everything's totally chill, and then bam, someone announces you have to fight for your life? 

No? 

Just me?

 Yeah, that's a typical day at Camp Half-Blood. ... which honestly shouldn't surprise me anymore but it still does... hah.....

One minute you're relaxing, maybe enjoying some blue pancakes, and the next minute, Chiron's like, "Hey, guess what? Time for a trial where monsters try to eat you for breakfast."

Yup. 

That's how today started. 

Just as I was getting comfy, Chiron gathered everyone around for an "important announcement." 

Now, let me just say, if there's one thing I've learned here, it's that important almost always translates to something dangerous is about to happen. So, obviously, I was on high alert. Plus, I've got that hero instinct kicking in. It's a package deal that comes with being half a god.

Chiron: The Trial of the Woods will commence tomorrow.

Me: The what now?

Okay, I wasn't the only one confused. The rest of the camp stared at Chiron like he just told us we'd be getting a pop quiz on Greek monsters or something (which, by the way, we probably should study more often given how frequently they try to eat us).

Chiron: This trial is an ancient tradition, held once every few decades. Each cabin must select one representative to participate.

Great. A tradition. And here I was hoping we could stick to the traditional camp stuff, like playing capture the flag or sitting around a campfire without monsters trying to roast us like marshmallows.

Chiron: The trial takes place in the woods, where each participant will face various challenges—both natural and... unnatural.

See, here's where the red flags started waving. Unnatural? 

Translation: monsters, traps, and all sorts of weird magical stuff. Because what else would be lurking in the creepy woods of Camp Half-Blood?

Oh, and the best part?

Chiron: The winner will receive a powerful artifact rumored to grant any wish.

Me: Wait, wait. Any wish?

Now, I'm all for magical artifacts, especially when they involve wishes. But let's be real, this sounds like the kind of thing that could go south fast. You know, like the Midas situation. Touch one wrong thing and poof, you're a golden statue. Or worse, you end up wishing for something innocent like unlimited pizza and end up in a pizza-based purgatory. Not ideal.

Chiron: One wish, Percy.

Me: Right, right. So... can we wish for more wishes?

Chiron didn't even flinch. Which is kind of a bummer, because I thought it was a pretty solid question. But no, Chiron just gave me that look—half disappointed, half "you should know better by now." Honestly, it's impressive how often I get that look.

Annabeth: This isn't a joke, Seaweed Brain.

Annabeth, my resident brains-of-the-operation best friend, decided to chime in. She's standing right next to me, looking way too excited about this whole Trial of the Woods thing. If anyone can take down a horde of monsters and come out with a shiny artifact, it's Annabeth. She's got that I've read a thousand books on this vibe. Meanwhile, I'm just hoping not to get turned into monster chow.

Me: Oh, I know it's serious. But come on, doesn't this sound a little... ridiculous? 'Hey, let's throw a bunch of demigods into a monster-filled forest and see what happens!' What could go wrong?

Annabeth: Everything, Percy. Literally everything.

Did she not figure out the sarcasm there....

I know, she's not wrong. But seriously, if I didn't make jokes, I'd probably lose my mind. And believe me, with the amount of danger I've faced, my mind is hanging on by a thread. The thread's name? Humor.

While Chiron went on explaining the rules, I zoned out for a second. This was after all just the first warning or announcement... there will be another one and at that point my mind went zoomies away from this place. My mind wandered to the practical issues. Like, how were we supposed to survive in the woods with monsters lurking around every corner? I mean, I've fought my fair share of baddies, but there's something about monsters popping up uninvited that just gets under my skin. It's like those annoying relatives who show up at family gatherings without warning. Except, you know, with more claws.

Then there's the whole one representative per cabin thing. That's right, folks—each cabin has to pick their best, bravest demigod to compete. So, naturally, for the Poseidon cabin, that means me. It's not like there's a long line of Poseidon kids waiting to volunteer. Nope, it's just me. All by my lonesome. Lucky me, right?

Chiron: The representatives will enter the woods at dawn tomorrow. Be prepared for anything.

Dawn. 

Why does it always have to be dawn? 

Like, I'm already sleep-deprived from trying not to get killed every other day. Now, we've got to start a life-threatening trial at the crack of dawn? Awesome. Love that for me.

As I glanced around, I could see the other campers reacting to the news. Some were excited (mostly the Ares kids, naturally), some were nervous, and some... well, some were probably already planning their victory speeches. Me? I was just trying to figure out how to survive without accidentally getting turned into a tree or something.

Annabeth: You should be preparing, Percy. This trial could be one of the hardest things we've faced.

Me: I'm always prepared. For example, I'm mentally prepared to be confused and slightly terrified. How about that?

She rolled her eyes, but I swear, there was a tiny smile there. And honestly, if I can make Annabeth smile, even if it's just a little, I feel like I'm doing something right.

We broke up into our cabin groups to discuss strategy, but let's be real—my strategy is usually wing it and hope for the best. I know, not the most brilliant plan, but it's worked for me so far. Plus, if I start thinking too hard about the dangers, my brain goes into overdrive, and that's just exhausting.

Before we headed back to our cabins, Chiron made one final announcement:

Chiron: Remember, the Trial of the Woods is not just about physical strength. You'll need your wits, courage, and no teamwork!.

 Wits, courage, and teamwork or did he say no teamrwork? 

Sounds like a shopping list for disaster.

But hey, what's the worst that could happen? Besides, you know, the usual—monsters, traps, potentially getting turned into a frog (again, not fun). But no big deal, right?

So now I'm sitting in my cabin, thinking about how tomorrow's going to go. The sun hasn't even set yet, and I'm already exhausted just imagining it. But I've got this. I've survived worse, right? Plus, maybe I'll get lucky and the monsters will take one look at me and decide I'm not worth the trouble.