On Half-Blood Hill

"Hey, kid, there's nothing here." The rough-looking taxi cab driver looked into the backseat from the rearview mirror. He was haggerd and tired from his passenger's insane directions, his five o'clock shadow even more apparent now.

Penny Killian looked up quickly, pushing a strand of honey-blonde hair back behind her ear. "Oh, I just have to get out here, take this!" She tossed him a wad of mortal money, the last of her stash. He didn't say anything more as she grabbed her simple lime green backpack. It had a few changes of clothes, some gold coins, called drachmas apparently (though she thought they had gone out of use in Rome) which she had been given by another run away. She felt a slither inside of the pack as she hopped out hurridly.

"Don't worry, Aria!" She spoke aloud though no one was there. "We're almost here. That girl said we'd know when we got here." A dark green grass snake slithered out of the top as the cab drove away. The snake, Aria, glanced back and hissed urgently. When Penny looked back, she began to run. A pair of lizard women chased after her, yelling hoarsly, "Get back here, demigod! We just want a snack!" The other hissed, "Such a pain to chase that cab. Why not stop, give up here? It won't hurt... Maybe."

Penny ran, her muscular legs from Guatemala sending her up the hill quickly. The pine tree! Just like the girl said there would be! She dashed, calling, "Help, please! Please, help me!!" She hoped her cries would reach someone, anyone...

Penny, gasping from her run and her now fading panic, nodded. After the girl fought the lizard women and they disentigrated, she deceided to trust this girl. After all, it's hard not to trust someone who saves you from dragon women. "Hi. I'm Penny." She said quietly as she took Stasha's hand. Aria slithered out of her green pack and settled on her shoulder, tongue flickering.

As Penny stood up, her mind whirled with questions. "Where am I? And... What were those?" She deceided to start with those two questions first, as they appeared more pressing now. Her blue eyes glowed faintly with curiousity, and gratitude toward a new friend.

Stasha nodded, smiling at the girl. She seemed to be confused to what exactly was going on. To be expected. She had been the same way when she'd first arrived at camp.

"Nice to meet you Penny." Stasha replied, watching the snake slither onto her shoulder. She smiled at the snake and felt a breeze blow by. Stasha heard Penny's next question and smirked.

"Well, we're at Camp Half-Blood. But let's not discuss that here." Stasha turned to point up the hill. "That's where we'll be safest. Come on." Stasha waited for the girl to follow her before she began walking as well.

"And those my friend, were snake women. Or at least, that's the only title I've ever been told. I've been here for about a month, so I don't know many monsters names." Stasha sighed and looked at the girl.

Penny nodded in understanding. Then looked curiously at Stasha. "Camp Half-Blood? That sounds like a strange camp." She walked with her. She indicated her snake, "Oh, and this is Aria, by the way. Say hi, Aria!"

The snake glanced at Stasha, tongue still flickering, and gave the slightest of nods. Penny stroked her head. "She's been my best friend the past month. She's not much for conversation, but she's always been there." She smiled slightly.

Penny looked up toward the hilltop, where the tall pine tree stood. She thought in silence for a little while. Then, she asked Stasha a question that had been bothering her for years. "Why can't mortals see those monsters? They're even yelling about eating us, and they just look the other way. Are we... different? I mean, you saw them... right?"

Penny took a deep breath, suddenly apprehensive. That was more than she was used to saying, but she needed someone to talk to, someone who understood and could answer her desperate questions. Questions she wished she had known the answer to so she could have comforted Celestina when the huge, monster dog attacked. She hoped Celestina didn't worry about her. She was a great cousin, and a good mom to her. She sighed with these thoughts, then faced Stasha again.

((Oh, by the way, Hi Stasha! Tis I, Molione! ))

Stasha smirked, just like her when she first arrived here. In fact, almost exactly like her. "I know it sounds weird, but trust me, you'll be sfe here." Stasha walked with Penny up the hill. Once they reached the top Stasha figured it was time to explain. She smiled at the snake on Penny's shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Mortals can't see the monsters because of a thing called mist. Think of it as a magical barrier between normal mortals and demigods. Well that and other greek myths." Though they weren't myths... at least not any more. Stasha frowned at teh question of 'were they different'. Stasha nodded solenmly to that question and began another explaination.

"Well you see Penny, we're demigods. Half god, half human. You, much like myself, have a god parent. Though we have yet to know just who that will be." Stasha looked around, hoping no other monsters were around. She smiled when she saw that everything was okay. It was a habit she'd developed once living here at camp.

((Ohmygosh! Hi Moli! Great to have you here!))

((Moli, You said shh dont tell))

Poseidon wanted to make a surprise visit to camp Half Blood and meet the new children. He was being very ecstatic as he was eager to meet the new children. He whirled in with a mist of water and saw a girl take off the head of a Gorgon. "Wow!" Poseidon muttered to himself.

He was wearing Bahama shorts and a flowered tee. He was covered in a great base tan and looked around. He laughed to himself at the fact that a brand new child had done that.

The children were very close to him when he looked down. "Hello, Do you know who I am?" He asked being very patient.

Stasha heard someone off in the distance, but paid no head to it. She figured it was another camper. Right now getting Penny to understand all of this was the important thing. Although when she noticed the person speaking was an older man, she turned to speak with him.

"Um hi sir, I don't think I know who you are." Stasha looked the man up and down. "Nope, I don't know you." She really had no idea how this person would have gotten to camp, but she was going to find out.

"Well, young half-blood, I am Lord Poseidon, I am King of the Underwater, God of Horses, Earthshaker. I have come to visit the Camp. You have past the tree so I came to meet you." Poseidon shrunk in size and looked younger. Almost like a Demigod.

Stasha's eyes widened. She stuttered out an apology to the sea lord. "I'm sorry sir, I should've known." Stasha fidgetted with her shirt hem, trying to think of something to say. She looked at Penny and gasped.

"Oh sorry sir, this is Penny. She just arrived." Stasha said, hoping that the God of the Sea wasn't too angry with her.

"Don't worry, I am not displeased with your assumption." Poseidon mentioned noticing the young lady fidgeting. He looked at the astonished girl to her right and thought nothing of it.

"Does she know, about the monsters, the Gorgon you beheaded, the Mist, the gods and Goddesses?" Poseidon pondered.

Stasha sighed out of relief. She smiled and almost hugged the god before her, but thought better of it. He was just too cool. Stasha then noticed that Poseidon had asked if Penny knew anything.

"Yea, I explained, but I didn't know those were Gorgons that I killed." Stasha said astonished. She smiled, knowing she'd done a good job. Everything here was so amazing. Stasha looked at Penny, a sad thought running through her mind. She'll never be normal again. How sad. Stasha thought to herself.

Percy saw Poseidon and came running up, "Hi Father, oh, we have another newbie. Dad, she probably doesn't know if she is new. I am not giving the tour, I remember what happened and I don't want to do it." he said. My father here, wow, I think I may just walk back soon "Hi, I am Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon." he said

((I am Hermes from Half-Blood Hill))

"Well I am sorry the cat attacked me and chased me to the creek." he said. He reached for his pen which was Riptide when the snake hissed at him. He then realized it was harmless. "I guess I could show you around since your snake won't chase me. Come on, I will show you the cabins and where you are staying. You can pick out your spot, maybe you could get a bunk." he said.

((We could now go to the cabin area on the site and make a thread for it))

Penny looked back nervously. What about Stasha? She thought to herself. She was nervous of leaving her friend behind, since she didn't really know anyone else. She bit her lip. She took a deep breath. Confidence, Penny. Celestina always told you to carry your head high.

She turned to Percy. "O-ok. I'll come with you. Stasha? Are you coming, too?" She looked back hopefully at her new friend. Aria glanced at the black-haired boy appraisingly, making sure he wasn't mean to Penny.

"Oh, I am sure she well come. She could help." he said as they were walking. "The cabins are this way" he said pointing to the path. "The one with the Caduceus is the one you well be staying at. It is the Hermes Cabin."he said following the path.

((You can make it))

((I'll make it, *wink wink*))