The Rising Darkness {Currently under editing}

Chapter Three-I get handed death or glory (Take your pick and place your bets)

The head campers meeting was more like a school social gathering. Everyone seemed to be chilling around and laughing. Leo, head camper from the Hephaestus, was trying to build a helicopter out of straws while Piper Mclean, Aphrodite, and her boyfriend Jason Grace, Zues, were laughing their heads off. Clarrise was using a Ping Pong paddle to clean her boots, Nico was talking to some girl from the Hecate cabin, Lou Ellen I believe, while she was adjusting her hair and shooting Nico glances. (Seriously. Even know I would never get why people developed crushes on Nico. Not to be mean but he wasn't perticularly attractive. It must be the silent loner thing) In fact the only people not having a great time were Percy and Ebony. I'd explained to Chiron that Poseidan said that her sister was missing so he'd invited her to the meeting. I could tell that Ebony had been crying, the redness of her eyes was made even worse by the fact that they were green. Meanwhile, Percy appeared to be trying to comfort her, to no avail.

Chiron stamped his foot and the campers fell silent.

"As some of you may know" He shot a glance at Ebony "A Half-Blood relative of one of our campers was kidnapped. Now the godly parent of the Half-Blood in question spoke to one of our number and requested that he go on a quest to save her. We are here to ask for volunteers to help go after her"

"I have a question sir" Clarisse said "Why are we sending him as the leader of the quest? He's been here what, less than a day? He's never trained, fought anyone or shown anything special"

"Actually Clarisse" Percy said "He beat me in his first ever sword fight. He may not have any formal training but he's clearly got some skill" He turned to face me "Jem if you survive this quest you're gonna make on badass swordsman"

"Thanks Percy" I smiled "And actually Clarisse I have fought things before. I don't have any mortal family left so I spend a lot of time outside my various adopted home. I didn't know it before today but that's why I would always get attacked. I didn't have a weapon of my own but I alway managed to defeat whatever monster came after me"

"If that's the case" Jason said, leaning forward "How come we've never spotted you. A child of the big three would have a powerfull aura. Are you seriously suggesting no Satyr ever once picked up your trail?"

"I wouldn't have fit in well at American school" I explained, remembering the various people I'd had to explain this to "I've been educated at home, various homes"

"Oh" Jason said, sitting back in his chair. He looked at both Percy and Nico and a wordless understanding passed between them. I knew the three of them were the, formerly, only known, living, demigod sons of the big three. I guessed their lives must have been hell for it.

"Back to the matter at hand if you wouldn't mind?" Chiron said "Jem here has been asked to go on this quest and as is consistant with the ancient traditions he is allowed to bring to other people along with him"

I looked over and saw Ebony drying her eyes. Then she stood up.

"I'll go. I mean it's my sister that's missing" At the word missing she sank back into her chair, her energy spent. Our eyes met and I mouthed 'thank you'

"So will I" Said a voice from the back of the room. The girl who'd been there when Ebony rescued me stood up. "Alicia Rose" She explained "But please just call me Alice" I nodded, not wanting to say anything "I'm tired of being the only person in my bloody cabin and Ebony is the only person who has been nice to me since I got here" Then she looked over at me. "Besides it will be good family time if I go on a quest with my step-brother" Shit. Alice was a daughter of Persephone, I knew from what Nico had told me last night that Persephone would wish for nothing more than children of Hades to die and burn in the fires of Tarturus.