RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !

29

'YES, WELL, ' TANTALUS SAID ONCE THE TALKING HAD DIED DOWN.'Another fine meal! Or so I am told.' As he spoke, he inched his hand towards his refilled dinner plate, as if maybe the food wouldn't notice what he was doing, but it did. It shot away down the table as soon as he got within twenty centimetres. 'And here on my first day of authority,' he continued, 'I'd like to say what a pleasant form of punishment it is to behere. Over the course of the summer, I hope to torture, er,interact with each and every one of you children. You all look good enough to eat.'

Dionysus clapped politely, leading to some half-hearted applause from the satyrs. Tyson was still standing at the head table, looking uncomfortable, but every time he tried to scoot out of the lime light, Tantalus pulled him back

'And now some changes!' Tantalus gave the campers a crooked smile. 'We are reinstituting the chariot races!'Murmuring broke out at all the tables – excitement, fear,disbelief.

Viviene looked up, her jaw threatening to drop.

'Now I know,' Tantalus continued, raising his voice, 'that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah,technical problems.'

 'Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations,' someone at theApollo table called.

Yes, yes!' Tantalus said. 'But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days' time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and choose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?'

'But, sir!' Clarisse said. She looked nervous, but she stood up to speak from the Ares table. Some of the campers snickered when they saw the YOU MOO, GIRL! sign on her back. 'What about patrol duty? I mean, if we drop everything to ready our chariots –'

'Ah, the hero of the day,' Tantalus exclaimed. 'Brave Clarisse, who single-handedly bested the bronze bulls!'Clarisse blinked, then blushed.

 'Um, I didn't –' 

'And modest, too.' Tantalus grinned. 'Not to worry, my dear! This is a summer camp. We are here to enjoy ourselves, yes? 

'But the tree –'

 'And now,' Tantalus said, as several of Clarisse's cabin mates pulled her back into her seat, 'before we proceed tothe campfire and sing-along, one slight housekeeping issue.Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have seen fit, for some reason, to bring this here.' Tantalus waved a hand towards a cyclops Viviene has never seen before.

'Now, of course,' he said, 'Cyclopes have a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks. But who knows? Perhaps this Cyclops is not as horrible as most of its brethren. Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it!I've thought about the stables, but that will make the horses nervous. Hermes's cabin, possibly?'

Silence at the Hermes table. Travis and Connor Stolldeveloped a sudden interest in the table cloth. Viviene couldn't blame them. The Hermes cabin was always full to bursting.There was no way they could take in a two-metre Cyclops. 

'Come now,' Tantalus chided. 'The monster may be able todo some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kennelled?

Suddenly everybody gasped.Tantalus scooted away from Tyson in surprise. 

A holographic green trident was above Tyson's head.

Being claimed was a rare event. Some campers waited in vain for it their whole lives. From what Clarisse had told Viviene,When Percy had  been claimed by Poseidon last summer, everyone had reverently knelt. 

But now, they followed Tantalus's lead, and Tantalus roared withlaughter. 'Well! I think we know where to put the beast now.By the gods, I can see the family resemblance!'

Viviene frowned and finally looked at Percy. She was the only one who wasn't laughing at the Ares table, and because of the hurt expression on Percy's face she wanted to beat them until they were nothing but a red liquid on the ground.

' Stop laughing, all of you!' Viviene hissed at her siblings. The hiss was loud enough for everyone to her, and everyone quieted down. Clarisse glared at her and whispere something to her siblings.

Percy saw a guy get up from Hermes' table and slowly walked towards the Ares table. The guy had the same scar Luke had, he was tall and muscular and had jet black messy hair. 

' Oh, you, keep quiet, murderer.' Clarisse shot at her with  a glare. Viviene got up from  her chair and took her sword out but the guy from the Hermes table  grabbed her by the waist and led her out of the Big House.

' Let go off me, Holden!' She yelled, trashing in his grip.  The guy, Holden, ignored her and left the hall.

Percy looked at Annabeth who was watching his reaction.

'Who's that?'

'Holden Castellan.' Annabeth replied quietly.' Viviene's boyfriend.'

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A/n : hey guys! Just a warning, I won't be able to post toomorow because of school!

I'll try to post a new chapter beetwen friday and sunday!