#1 Daughter of Hera: Rise of Tartarus

Chapter 5 - Welcome to Camp Half-Blood: A Place Where Things Get Weirder

"What's the meaning of this?"

I turned to the source of the voice. My jaw dropped as soon as I laid my eyes on the speaker. From the tip of his hair to his waist, he is man of about 30 to 40 years. From the waist to the very tip of his toenail no...not toenail, it's hoof, he is a horse. No kidding! He is a human-horse hybrid! My eyes moved up and down, trying to register what they are seeing. My mind raced. The triplets always recounted the tales about the Greeks to me ever since I was a child. They always tell me that someday, the stories they kept retelling will help me. And I definitely need them...NOW! 

My mind worked double time. What do you call those humans that are half-horses? Centers. Canters. Ah! Centaurs! Wait...a CENTAUR? My eyes looked at him from top to hoof, unable to register what I am seeing. I let go off Clarisse and stood up, clearly confused.

"Oh no no no no!" I said. " I think I'm getting crazy. First, the vampire girls. Then, this demigod business. Then, those reptiles monsters. Then, this? A half-human, half-horse? A centaur? Who are you, people? Are you even real?" 

I might sound insane or ridiculous even though I already have my answers, but I was TOTALLY having a hard time processing everything. I need assurance alright. I want to be sure I'm not going crazy, or dreaming, or even hit my head with everything I am seeing. Cut me some slack, okay?

"If you can see us, Miss-whoever-you-are, in a way that is quite ummm...insane? Weird? Whatever you want to call it. Then, I assure you that you're not getting crazy. You're perfectly normal. Normal in a uhhh... in a godly way." 

I looked at the speaker and gasped in shock. He is a Caucasian wispy bearded guy who is a bit shorter than me. He has brown curly hair and brown eyes. Out of his crumple of curly hair, small horns stuck out. He wore a orange shirt beneath his armor and a reed pipe hung at a cord around his neck. From the waist up he is human just like the centaur guy, but waist down, he has hairy goat legs. I stared at him, unable to speak.

"If you're wondering what I am, I'm a satyr. And please, stop the 'I think I'm really getting crazy' craze 'cause I'm telling you AGAIN you're NOT getting crazy. You're perfectly absolutely normal IN a godly manner." He said. 

I pulled my jaw up and calmed myself. My hand gripped tightly on the hilt of my sword."Alright. Alright. I'll stop. Just...just help me clear things out. Who are you people? And where...where is this camp of half-bloods? I was kinda lost when I was chased by those dragon-looking monsters." I asked. 

The centaur guy walked toward me, his eyes studying me."I'm Chiron, the activities director and this is Grover." He nodded in the direction of the satyr boy. "And these people around you-" He swept his hand around. "Are half-bloods most commonly known as demigods, children of gods and humans." 

He then, focused his eyes on me. "And just over this hill is the camp you're seeking for. Camp Half-Blood, the camp of half-bloods." 

I swallowed, feeling happy and nervous at the same time. So...I'm really here. Finally...the place. The place where I really belong to.

"Wait Chiron!" All eyes flew toward Clarisse. She looked at me with disturbed eyes. "She isn't a demigod. She's there with me when I encountered the empousai. She was able to see through the Mist but the empousai didn't attack her and just regarded her as an ordinary human." 

Everyone looked at me with confusion, murmuring at each another.

"But if that's the case, then why did the drakons chase her around?" One of the demigods asked. He was a tall and handsome guy the same age I was. He has jet black hair and bright sea green eyes. He is very fit, muscular, and lean and has a tattoo of a trident and SPQR on his arm.