Perci Jackson, Alex Hayda, and the Lightning Thief

Tour and Other Shenanigans

Alex looked around the camp. Now that she wasn't searching for Perci she could fully appreciate the place they found themselves in.

The girls from earlier, Devon and Lexi lead her around. Perci followed, happy to be back with Alex.

They started at the volleyball court. Kids with blonde hair that could rival her makuahine's were on one side and kids with sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, and mischievous grins were on the other.

"These are the volleyball courts. The campers sometimes go here when they have a break in the schedule," Devon said dully.

Everyone, including Perci, had a bright orange one with the symbol of a black pegasus on it. Above it, in black, it read, 'CAMP HALF-BLOOD'.

Alex groaned. "We have a schedule to follow?"

Perci patted her back. "There, there. At least you'll be with me. That's always positive, right?"

Alex ruffled the shorter girl's hair. "Yeah."

The tour continued. Devon mostly explained everything while Lexi stood by her side silently. She sneaked what she thought were discrete glances at Alex.

Alex noticed immediately, but let her continue, wanting to see where this would go.

"Alex, no." Perci had to stop Alex from going on the climbing wall once she saw it.

Alex's eyes scanned over it, planning how to get up as fast as possible.

Her skills from outrunning the cops would be very useful. Flexibility is key. And the ability to run at the speed of gay.

She smiled when she saw the stables. "Perci, you can't stop me."

She twirled around Lexi and walked into the stables. Devon and Perci waited outside.

Devon said something about animals not liking her. Alex gave a pointed look at Fallen who sat next to her feet and leaned against her before entering the stable.

If Alex was surprised at the wings on the horses, she didn't show it.

Lexi had gone over to a proud stallion in a shiny bronze coat. Sullivan read the nameplate.

Alex walked up to each of the beautiful pegasi and gently stroked from their forehead to their muzzle if they allowed her.

For each one that did, they nickered when she gently smiled at them. Some of them even laid their head on her shoulder. She could barely suppress the happy squeal from escaping her lips.

Every time she went to pet the next pegasus, the one she started to walk away from seemed a little sad.

She turned from a pair of foals in the middle on the left. She had heard a commotion behind her to the right and closer to the exit on the left.

Ferndale and Gloria were baring their teeth at each other and their ears were flattened. They kept pawing at the ground and their wings had been raised.

Lexi slowly backed away and went outside. Alex faintly heard her talk quickly to Devon about a... something-lena. She couldn't quite hear over the two pegasi snorting and pawing the ground.

Thankfully, they were on other sides of the stables.

"Hey. Stop it," Alex ordered gently. She stood between the two with her arms loosely out. She relaxed her posture and took exaggerated breaths. "Don't scare the foals. Copy my breathing."

Why was she was talking to the pegasi like two toddlers about to throw hands? It was weird.

What was even weirder was that they followed her orders.

"Breathe in for four seconds." She watched the duo glare at her as they copied her slow breath.

"Hold it for seven seconds." She closed her mouth and heard them stop their huffing to hold their breath.

"Out for eight seconds." She made a woosh sound as she slowly emptied her lungs.

They did this a few more times before the pegasi gave a final huff and went further into their stalls.

Just then, a black-haired girl ran in with Lexi behind her.

The girl looked around the calm stable with a curious look. She faced Alex. "Did you calm Ferndale and Gloria down?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. They act like toddlers."

The girl gave a smile. "They won't stop fighting unless I or Butch calm them down. How did you?"

Alex started to walk outside. "The 4-7-8 Method."

The girl nodded. "Well, I have to say nice job. My name is Silena. What's yours?" She held her hand out.

Alex shook it. "Alex. Nice to meet you Silena. I have a tour to get back to, so I'll see you later."

She ruffled her hair and went over to the confused Devon. "What?"

Devon shook her head. "Nothing. Let's continue."

Perci had to threaten to tell her parents about the time she had left Yancy and went for a midnight jog to get her away from the forge.

Alex gave a wistful sigh and reached an arm out for it as Devon pulled her along. She wanted to get this over with already.

Alex fixed her sleeves as they continued.

Her hands twitched, wanting to get the weapons in the armory in them. Lexi promised they would get her a weapon later.

Alex decided not to mention she had a small arsenal in the shape of a ring on her finger. She rubbed the six stars that made a crown shape on it.

She stared a little too long at the arena. A giant girl fought against Luke; spear versus spear.

The three with her rolled their eyes at the girl. Alex decided to keep an eye on her. She couldn't wait to fight them both.

It was after she had been shown all the cabins that the next thing happened.

The girl from before and two lackeys approached them. "What's up, Prissy? Come back to get initiation now that Miss Princess isn't here? Who's the newbie?"

Devon was about to retort, but Alex walked forward. She held an air around her that practically screamed, get-away-before-I-kill-you-and-get-away-with-it.

"One, the name's Alex. Two, neither of us wants this 'initiation' thank you very much. Three, as for 'what's up'..." She looked the girl up and down. "Certainly not your IQ."

"She's dead," Lexi murmured as she stepped behind Devon. "She shouldn't have said that to Clarisse."

Clarisse growled and got in Alex's face. "Listen up. I don't know who you think you are, coming in here and talking back to me. What I do know is that you and Prissy will be getting initiation." She made the mistake of reaching for Perci.