Daughter of Mother Earth

Chapter Thirteen

She was interrupted by a warm red light. It bathed over everyone who was looking at the source. Floating above Leo's head was a flaming hammer.
----

"Leo, it looks like you've been claimed." Annabeth said.

He looked up and yelped and started moving around, but the image followed him.

"Oh no," Butch mumbled, "Annabeth, the curse-"

Crystal looked at Butch and silently told him to shut up.

"Leo, you've been claimed by a god!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"Isn't that Vulcan's symbol?" Jason interrupted.

Everyone looked at him.

"How did you know that?" Crystal asked.

"Er, I don't really know."

"Wait, Vulcan?" Leo asked. "I don't even like Star Trek! What's going on!"

"Vulcan is the Roman name of Hephaestus. He is the god of blacksmiths and fire." Annabeth replied.

"The god of what? Who?" Leo was really confused.

"Crystal, could you give Leo a tour?"

"Sure," Crystal shrugged.

"Ooh, she's giving me a tour? Score!" Leo winked.

"Okay, yeah no. We can shut that down right now." Crystal pointed at him.

Leo chuckled, but nodded.

"Lets go," Crystal started walking off.

Leo ran to catch up to her. They walked in silence until Leo decided to talk.

"So, have you been claimed?" He asked.

Crystal shook her head. "No, I've been here 5 years, and nothing."

He nodded and continue, "Do you have any powers?"

"Yes, here I'll show you." She led him to the strawberry fields.

"I really like this place. It's got this calming atmosphere..." Crystal kneeled down by a bush.

"Watch this," She tapped an unripe blossom and it grew into a large, red strawberry.

She picked it, and tossed it to Leo, who was watching with awe. "Neat trick!"

She smiled and continued the tour. For the next hour, Crystal showed Leo everything there is to know about the camp. She led them to the forges (which Leo seemed to like) and introduced him to Rachel.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare had arrived about 3 years ago. She had become the new Oracle of Delphi, which Crystal had learn was pretty much a future teller.

The tour was pretty much over, so Crystal left Leo on his own for a while. Later, they bumped into each other and talked for a bit.

"So," he looked at her, "what's it like here?"

She raised an eyebrow towards him. "What do you mean?"

"'Cause, I don't know how long I'm staying, so I thought it'd be nice to know what it's like here." He said matter-of-factly.

She rolled her eyes, "It's pretty cool here. I mean, I should know. I haven't left since I arrived. Well, I leave to go to a special school, but other than that, I haven't left."

Leo stopped in front of her. "Why?"

"Excuse me?" She raised an eyebrow again, crossing her arms.

"Why haven't you left?"

She froze, eyes saddening a bit. "I have no one to go to."

"What-" He was interrupted by the conch shell.

"It's none of your business to know my personal life. Anyway, the conch shell blew. Time to go to the bonfire."

~~~

Crystal sat with the Hermes cabin as she always did, since she still wasn't claimed. Even though Percy had made the gods promise to claim their kids at the camp, no one claimed Crystal.

Piper had a... unique claiming. Aphrodite had put a curse on her so she was wearing a beautiful white chiffon with gold armbands. Her hair was perfect. It was lush, and long, and braided so it fell across her shoulder. Her face even had make-up which just highlighted her beauty.

"Beautiful. Piper you... you're a knockout!
Jason had said.

Jason was the most surprising. He had been claimed by Zeus. He was another child of the Big Three. Crystal had heard from others that Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus had made a vow to not have any kids because they may be too powerful. Not so much of a vow anymore. Only Hades hadn't broken the promise.

Everyone was singing a song led by, of course, Apollo, when suddenly Rachel collapsed. A few campers immediately rushed to her aid, bringing a stool as if they had been prepared for this.