Daughter of Hermes Chapter Two

Chapter Two
The Caduceus


Soon we left New York. I wondered where they would bring us, however I didn’t really care. As long as it was far away from Porphyrion.
‘’So, um... Where are you guys bringing us to?’’ I asked.
Thalia turned around to face us.
‘’The only safe place for demigods: Camp Half-Blood.’’
There was that word again. What the hell did demigods mean?
‘’And demigods are?’’
‘’Half human, half god.’’ Thalia explained.
‘’Right.’’ I mumbled. Under normal circumstances I would have thought that this was all a big joke, but well, because of Porphyrion, I think it’s pretty real.
But me, half god? Don’t make me laugh.
‘’So, are you a demigod too?’’ Jackie asked. Thalia nodded.
‘’I’m a daughter of Zeus.’’
Jackie and I both stared at her. My mouth fell open.
Thalia laughed.
‘’It’s not that big. I’m a Hunter now.’’
‘’Like in the Hunters of Artemis?’’ I asked. ‘’Or just a normal hunter?’’
Thalia shook her head.
‘’Nope, I’m a Hunter of Artemis.’’
‘’Cool.’’ Jackie said. Thalia laughed.
‘’Yeah, I guess it is.’’
She turned around to face Grover.
‘’Can’t you drive faster?’’
‘’Faster?’’ both Jackie and I said in disbelieve. This was pretty fast enough for me! If Grover drove any faster, my face would fall off. So, no thanks. I’ll pass.
‘’Sorry,’’ Grover said. ‘’This is as fast as I can go.’’
Thank god.
‘’Wait a minute, what about the school?’’ Jackie asked. She looked behind her nervously.
‘’Well, Porphyrion was there for you two, so I don’t see why he should destroy the school.’’ Thalia answered.
‘’But there’s also no reason to not destroy it.’’ Grover said. Ah well, I didn’t want to go back anyway. Let’s just hope nobody got killed.
We drove farther in silence. Grover looked behind him, now and then. As if he was expecting Porphyrion was following us. Well, if he was, I’m pretty sure we would have heard it already. Such a big giant can’t run in silence.
I sighed and looked out the window. My mom wouldn’t like this. I skipped school, went with strangers and went to an unknown camp. Would I see my mother ever again? I looked at Jackie. I guessed she was worried about her father, too.
‘’We’re almost there.’’ Grover said, fifteen minutes later. Thalia was asleep. She must have been tired from the fighting.
I wanted to open my mouth, to ask what the camp was like, but then something landed on the roof.
Thalia woke with a shock. The four of us looked at the roof and were wondering the same thing: What was that?
‘’Thalia?’’ Grover asked nervously.
‘’I’m on it.’’ she answered and she climbed out of the window.
‘’Um, you sure that’s a good idea?’’ Jackie asked, while still staring at the roof. ‘’Thalia?’’ Grover screamed, while he tried to drive faster. Which was impossible, ‘cause he said so himself: He couldn’t go faster.
‘’It’s a fury!’’ she screamed back. I looked at Jackie. She looked a bit scared, just like me I guess. What was a fury doing on the roof?
‘’What’s she doing here?’’ Grover yelled back.
‘’I don’t know!”
She climbed back into the van.
‘’Problem solved.’’ she said.
Jackie and I looked behind us. Through the van’s window we saw a creature lying on the road. It was extremely ugly and had wings. So that was how a fury looked like.
‘’Why does Hades wants them?’’
Grover nodded as us. Thalia shook her head, to let him know she had no idea.
‘’Let’s just get to camp fast.’’

We got out off the car and climbed a hill. God, how tiring.
At the top of the hill, there was a cute dragon sleeping.
‘’How cute!’’ I screamed and I ran towards the dragon.
‘’Wait!’’ both Grover and Thalia yelled.
I could swear that I heard Jackie mumbling ‘Idiot…’.
I hugged the dragon, who looked a bit surprised. I guess this was the first time someone hugged him. People should take better care of their pets.
The dragon licked me with his tongue.
Grover, Thalia and Jackie stared at us, stunned.
Thalia was the first one who recovered.
‘’We should get going.’’ she said. I let go of my new friend and waved him goodbye.
‘’She hugged him!” Grover said in amazement. ‘’And he didn’t even bite or burn her. How’s that possible?’’
Thalia tried not to laugh.
‘’Calm down, Grover,’’ she looked at me. ‘’Next time, don’t hug everything you think that’s cute, okay?’’
I nodded. Okay, maybe it was a bit dangerous to hug a dragon.
‘’It’s just who she is,’’ Jackie said. ‘’She would even hug Hades if he had bunny ears.’’
Thalia raised an eyebrow.
‘’I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.’’
We kept walking, while Jackie and I looked everywhere. It was amazing. I didn’t expect this.
‘’Something’s running towards us.’’ Jackie said nervously. I took my gaze off the climbing wall, who looked really dangerous, and followed her finger.
She was right, but it looked really human to me.
Thalia and Grover stopped.
They both looked a bit guilty and sad.
The thing stopped right in front of us. I was right, she was human. She had blond hair and grey eyes, just like Jackie.
‘’No luck?’’ she asked disappointed. Both Grover and Thalia shook their heads.
The girl sighed.
‘’So, these are the new campers?’’ she asked. Grover nodded. He turned around us, but then noticed he didn’t know our names yet.
‘’Um, why don’t you introduce yourselves?’’ he asked us nervously.
‘’I’m Miyuki Furukawa, and this is Jackie Cross.’’
‘’Annabeth Chase.’’
We shook hands.
‘’Undetermined?’’ she asked Grover and Thalia. I had no idea what she was talking about. I looked at Jackie, she looked as confused as I felt, so I wasn’t the only one.
‘’How old are you?’’ Grover asked us.
‘’Fourteen.’’ we both answered.
‘’They should have been claimed already…’’ Annabeth mumbled. Jackie and I looked at each other again. When were they planning to explain everything to us?
Annabeth looked up and gasped. Grover and Thalia also gasped at me.
What was wrong?
Jackie also looked at me, but even more confused than she already was.
‘’Hey, something’s floating above your head,’’ she mumbled, while trying to slap it. ‘’Looks like a snake. No wait, two snakes.’’
‘’A caduceus,’’ Thalia said. ‘’You’re the daughter of Hermes.’’
I stared at her in disbelieve. Not possible. There’s nothing godly about me.
‘’I think that’s a mistake.’’ I said, while I looked in the air. There was something floating. Was this normal? Please don’t tell me that I had to live with this thing floating above my head for ever. I looked at Thalia. There wasn’t something floating above her head. So I guessed it would go away eventually.
‘’Why did you go to NY Institute?’’ Grover asked me, with a funny look in his eyes. Guess he had to convince people into believing this stuff often.
‘’Because I’m a problem child,’’ I said while rolling my eyes. ‘’I’ve got ADHD and dyslexia. Oh, and I steal stuff.’’
Annabeth, Thalia and Grover looked at each other. Then they looked at me again.
‘’Yeah, you’re definitely the daughter of Hermes.’’ they all said at ones. Jackie grinned.
‘’Well at least you’ve got an excuse for stealing stuff now.’’ she said. I gave her a look that meant: Oh just shut up.
‘’Hey, shouldn’t we, like, bow for her or something?’’ Grover asked Annabeth and Thalia.
‘’Well, Chiron isn’t here, so…’’
Thalia shrugged. Fine by me. I don’t want people to bow for me. Why would they bow for a thief anyway?
‘’Well, I am here.’’ a voice said. Annabeth, Thalia and Grover turned around. They all mumbled something that sounded like ’Chiron…’.
I looked at where the voice came from and then looked at Jackie. She said ‘A horse?’ soundless.
‘‘Looks like it.’’ I mouthed back. I turned around and saw that he wasn’t really a horse. No, he was a centaur. This day is getting weirder with the minute.
‘’Welcome, daughter of Hermes.’’ Chiron said, and he, Annabeth, Thalia and Grover bowed. I looked at Jackie, who was also looking at me.
‘’I don’t have to bow for you, do I?’’ she asked. I shook my head.
‘’Please don’t.’’