CHAPTER THREE

Helena spent a few hours in the arena, and by the time she finished, the sky was darkening. So, she went back to her cabin and showered before getting changed into another orange camp shirt and pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

Her brothers were both sat on the floor in front of the massive TV their father installed for them, a controller in both of their hands. Then, the horn blew signaling dinner.

"Come on, boys." She called. As the oldest member, she was the counselor, but there were only three of them, so it wasn't a huge position. She just had bragging rights. When her brothers turned the TV off, she urged them out of the cabin and closed the door behind her.

She saw the other campers coming out of their cabins and into the commons yard. Then, they headed up the hill to the mess hall pavilion and were joined by satyrs from the meadow, naiads from the lake and some nymphs from the woods.

Each cabin sat at their own table, which was covered in a white cloth trimmed with purple. When everyone was sat down, Chiron stood and raised a glass.

"To the gods!"

"To the gods!" Everyone raised their glasses too, and then the nymphs came with platters of food. All the food you could imagine. When the food was served, Helena took her plate, and went to the brass brazier with her brothers. She pushed part of her burger into the fire.

"Dionysus."

Her brothers followed her lead and then they went back to their table and enjoyed the rest of their meal. When everyone was done, Chiron pounded his hoof to get everyone's attention and Dionysus stood.

"Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels." And cue the cheering from the Ares table. "Personally, I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you we have two new campers today. Peter Johnson and Mark Edwards."

Chiron murmured something to him.

"Er, Percy Jackson and Mateo Emerson. That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."

And so, everyone went to the campfire where the Apollo students lead a sing-along. And when Helena laid in her bed that night, she wished for Percy Jackson to really be the one, so they could go on more quests, so they could get the adventure back in their lives.

The next few days, she accompanied Chiron around, trying to see what the newbies would be good at. Sword-fighting had yet to come up, and Helena saw that Percy didn't really excel at any of the physical activities. Mateo was a decent shot with a bow, but that was more of an Apollo thing.

So, when Luke asked for her help teaching cabin eleven sword-fighting, she jumped at the chance to teach people her favourite activity. Luke stood in front of them all and Helena was waiting in the shadows of the doorway to the arena.

"Now, I may look like I'm good at sword-fighting, and I am, but, the best sword-fighter in camp has agreed to lend me a hand." Luke grinned. "Helena!"

Helena walked to stand beside him and everyone stared at the young girl. She flashed them a peace sign.

"This is Helena. Daughter of Dionysus. She's gonna be helping me today." Luke explained and Helena whipped one of her swords out, leaving the other in. "She prefers to fight with two, but we're not all at that level yet."

"You'll get there." She said nonchalantly.

They began with basic stabbing and slashing with some straw dummies in armour. Then, they moved on to dueling in pairs and Luke asked Helena to work with Mateo, while he went to work with Percy.

"Good luck! They're probably the best swordsman and woman in the last three hundred years." Someone called and Mateo's eyes widened as he looked at Helena in surprise.

"I'll go easy on you." She shrugged, a glint of mischief in her eyes. Before she lunged, calling out instructions to Mateo as she did her attacks. She told him to defend, keep his guard up, never leave a spot undefended. He seemed to do pretty good until she got in a hit on the side of his head with the flat edge of her blade.

Helena called for a break then, seeing everyone was getting tired. They all headed to the coolers and while they did, Helena pulled her second sword out and stood a ways away, practicing a little by herself.

Then, when everyone finished, Luke called to them. She stuck her swords back in their holsters and leaned against the wall, watching. "Okay, everybody circle up! if Percy doesn't mind, I want to give you a little demo."

First he demonstrated a move on Percy in slow motion, then it was time for the real sparring. Helena pushed herself off the wall, trying not to appear too interested as she watched. Luke was the first to attack, but Percy managed to defend himself quite well, and got enough confidence to try offense instead of defense, but Luke deflected it, and then started attacking with more force after that.

Percy did the disarming manoeuvre that Luke demonstrated and actually managed to knock Luke's sword from his hand. Everyone went silent. "Um. Sorry."

Helena raised her eyebrows. "Why are you sorry? Do that again." She encouraged. He tried again, but to no avail. Luke knocked his weapon out of his hand and sent it skidding across the floor.

"Beginners luck?" Someone from the audience said.

"Maybe." Luke wiped the sweat off his brow.

Helena came forward and lifted Percy's blade. "I wonder how you would fare with a balanced sword." She wondered.

Luke dismissed their class after that but him and Helena didn't move. They stayed in the arena and sparred. Some Hermes students stayed to watch. Luke had the advantage of size. He was bigger, but Helena was better.

Soon enough, it was Friday, and the excitement after dinner was high. It was time for capture the flag. After the plates were cleared away, the horn sounded and everyone stood. There was cheering as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran in with a silk banner around three metres long, grey and with the painting of a barn owl above an olive tree.

From the other side, Clarisse and her siblings stood with another banner, the same size, but painted red and had a bloody spear and a boar's head. Teams were announced, and Helena learned that Athena paired up with the two biggest cabins, Apollo and Hermes.

But that meant Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite and Hephaestus were with Ares. Demeter and Aphrodite didn't usually make a huge effect, but with Dionysus came Helena, and she was always a strong asset.

"Heroes!" Chiron called. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

The tables were covered with equipment and Helena smirked as she holstered her two swords to her back and picked a helmet with a blood red plume on top of it. She pulled it on then stood by Clarisse's side, who had an electric spear.

"Blue team, forward!"

The blue team surged forward and went towards the south woods, and following them were taunts and jeers from the red team as they headed to the north.

As they walked, Clarisse began speaking to Helena. "You know your job, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Clarisse." Helena smirked. "I'm the cavalry."

"Damn right."

And cavalry she was. She didn't stand anywhere near the flag. No, she wandered closer and closer to blue territory and fought anyone not in her team that she came across. But then came the yells. The elated and delighted screams.

"No." Helena murmured under her breath as she ran to the boundary line, fighting off some Apollo kids as she tried to get to Luke, who was carrying the red banner. He passed the boundary and it turned silver.

Chiron came out and blew the horn. The blue team won. And they lost.

The celebrations and happiness didn't last long as a howl ripped through the forest. Chiron yelled for them to stand ready in Ancient Greek. Helena flipped her swords in her hands and threw her helmet off, for it wasn't exactly helping her see very well.

Then she saw it. On the rocks above where Percy and Annabeth stood. It was the size of a rhino with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers. Hellhound. "Percy, run!"

But it was too quick. The hound leapt over Annabeth and smacked right into Percy. Helena took a few steps back before she raised her swords and ran for the beast, launching herself into the air and landing on its back. She stuck both her blades into its skull and it dropped. Dead.

She slid off its back as Chiron came over, grim faced. Percy was badly wounded. "Di immortales. Hellhound from the Fields of Punishment." Helena explained to the bleeding boy.

"They don't… they're not supposed to…"

"Someone summoned it." Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp." Luke came over, the banner gone from his hand.

"It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!" Clarisse yelled.

"Be quiet, child." Chiron reprimanded. The hellhound melted into shadow, soaking into the ground until it disappeared.

"You're wounded." Annabeth said. "Quick, Percy, get in the water."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not. Chiron, watch this."

Percy stepped back into the creek and the wounds on his chest began disappearing. Helena took a step back in shock at the symbol over his head. "Look, I – I don't know why, I'm sorry…" He tried to speak.

"Percy." Helena gestured. The boy looked up and saw what everyone else saw. The hologram of a trident spinning over his head. "Your father."

"This is really not good." Annabeth said.

"It is determined."

Everyone kneeled. "My father?"

"Poseidon." Chiron said. "Earthshaker. Stormbringer. Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."