How long has Camp Half-Blood been here?

PJ: Oh, man, that’s a toughie. Some date it to the 1860s—

AC: But George Washington was a demigod, so if he trained here, the American version of the camp could be a hundred years older. Wow, I’m going to have to research that.

NDA: You newcomers could always ask your godly parents, but honestly, time is so different for the deities I bet he or she doesn’t know, either.

Where was it before? I mean, after ancient Greece?

PJ: Um…Annabeth, you want to take this one?

AC: Well, there was Rome, obviously. After the fall of the empire, the camp kind of moved from country to country, depending on which one was the major power of the time. I’m not sure of the exact locations, actually. You’d have to ask Chiron.

PJ: Congrats, kid, you stumped a daughter of the Wise One!

Last question: Will I really get zapped by lightning if I call Zeus’s Fist the “Poop Pile”?

PJ: Only one way to find out!

NDA: Go ahead, kid! I’m sure my dad would love to meet you.

AC: Percy! Nico!

PJ and NDA: Anna-be-eth!

Pavement, or the surface of a road, comes in many forms. There’s your asphalt (pronounced ass-fault, not asp-halt), your cobblestone, your gravel, your concrete, your—

Ha! Gotcha! Bet you thought you’d lost the ability to see through the Mist, didn’t you?

What…you mean you weren’t fooled?

Meh. Okay, then. Back to being serious.

Outside of camp, the days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting cooler. Inside, campers are talking about classes they’ll be taking back at their mortal schools. Summer’s nearly over, and that means Camp Half-Blood will be closing. Right?

Wrong!

Camp Half-Blood remains open all year round for demigods who, for one reason or another, can’t or don’t want to go home. If you fall into that category, just be sure to inform whoever is in charge—Chiron, Mr. D, or maybe some other immortal—that you intend to stay. That way, the cleaning harpies won’t eat you. Come to think of it, it might be a good idea to state your intentions in writing…just to be safe.

I’ve never stayed past summer, but I’ve visited a few times in the off-season. It’s pretty nice around here then. Quiet, because only a dozen or so campers stick around. Sometimes the magical borders let in snow—the good, packable kind for making snowballs and snow sculptures. It’s more relaxed, too, as if trouble has been put on hold. Even the monsters in the woods seem to calm down. (Whoops, did we forget to tell you about those? Our bad.)

From what I’ve heard, the off-season is a great time for demigods to work on pet projects. For instance, this winter Malcolm will begin weaving the Polias peplos for the Panathenaia (try saying that ten times fast!). Will and Nico hope to find a way to keep Nico from passing out after he shadow-travels. (Did we forget to tell you what that was? Ask Nico about it sometime. Or have him demonstrate—just be ready to catch him.) I suspect Miranda Gardiner and Sherman Yang will be doing many things together; I won’t say more, out of respect for their privacy.

As for me, I’ll be back home, eating my mom’s blue food, going to school, and hanging out with Annabeth. At least, that’s my plan. I’d like to say I’m sticking with it. But because I’m a demigod, my plans seem to change rather unexpectedly.

You’ll find that out soon enough. Because guess what?

You’re a demigod too.

And now if you’ll excuse me…someone’s blasting on the conch horn outside. That can’t be good….

ABOUT THE CAMPERS (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)

PERCY JACKSON—Son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and Sally Jackson. Black hair, sea-green eyes, wiry build. Can control water.

CHIRON—Immortal centaur. Son of the Titan Kronos and the nymph Philyra. Brown eyes, brown hair and beard, powerful white stallion body. Longtime trainer of demigods and current activities director of Camp Half-Blood.

ANNABETH CHASE—Daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and weaving, and Dr. Frederick Chase. Blond hair, gray eyes. Superior strategist, outstanding architect, rescuer of the long-lost Athena Parthenos. Hero.

CONNOR STOLL—Son of Hermes, god of thievery, messages, and trickery (mortal parent unknown). Blue eyes, brown hair. Younger brother of Travis Stoll. Current head counselor of Cabin Eleven. Known for pranks.

VALENTINA DIAZ—Daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love (mortal parent unknown). Very attractive.

RACHEL ELIZABETH DARE—Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dare (both mortals, first names unknown). Red hair, green eyes. Can see the future. Current Oracle of Delphi.

THALIA GRACE—Daughter of Zeus, god of the sky, lightning, and thunder, and Beryl Grace. Half sister of Roman demigod Jason Grace. Once a pine tree, now immortal lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. Spiky black hair, electric-blue eyes. Extremely powerful, but afraid of heights. Hero.

LEO VALDEZ—Son of Hephaestus, god of forges, fire, and metalwork, and Esperanza Valdez. Brown eyes, black hair, short stature, fidgety. Can summon fire. Hero.

MALCOLM PACE—Son of Athena, goddess of wisdom and weaving (mortal parent unknown). Gray eyes, blond hair. Substitutes as head counselor of Cabin Six when Annabeth Chase is off campus.

ELLIS WAKEFIELD—Son of Ares, god of war (mortal parent unknown). Muscular.

LAUREL AND HOLLY VICTOR—Twin daughters of Nike, goddess of victory (mortal parent unknown). Competitive and athletic. Dark hair.

NYSSA BARRERA—Daughter of Hephaestus, god of forges, fire, and metalwork (mortal parent unknown). Brown hair. Shares duties as head counselor of Cabin Nine with Jake Mason.

WOODROW—Satyr (half-goat, half-man). Instructor at Camp Half-Blood.

PETE—A palikos, god of geysers. Off-white muddy complexion, foamy hair, milky eyes. His bottom half is steam; his top half is that of a muscular humanoid.

MIRANDA GARDINER—Daughter of Demeter, goddess of agriculture (mortal parent unknown). Green eyes. Shares duties as head counselor of Cabin Four with half sister Katie Gardner.

NICO DI ANGELO—Son of Hades, god of the Underworld, and Maria di Angelo. Black hair, black eyes, pale skin. Very powerful. Travels regularly between camp and the Underworld. First Greek demigod to learn of Camp Jupiter.

Also mentioned:

FREDERICK CHASE—Annabeth Chase’s mortal father.

JULIA FEINGOLD—Daughter of Hermes, god of thieves and messengers.

HARLEY—Son of Hephaestus, god of forges.

THE HUNTERS OF ARTEMIS—Girls who pledged themselves to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and promised to remain celibate. Granted immortality.

SALLY JACKSON—Percy Jackson’s mortal mother.

CLARISSE LA RUE—Daughter of Ares, god of war.

PAOLO MONTES—Son of Hebe, goddess of youth.

BILLIE NG—Daughter of Demeter, goddess of agriculture.

BUTCH WALKER—Son of Iris, goddess of rainbows.

SHERMAN YANG—Son of Ares, god of war.

And finally, the star of the show, an immortal who shines as bright as the sun because he is the sun, a god who needs no introduction, please give it up for…Apollo!

GLOSSARY

ACHILLES—the best fighter of the Greeks who besieged Troy in the Trojan War; extraordinarily strong, courageous, and loyal, he had only one weak spot: his heel