Solis

Chapter XXIII

They came back outside the State Empire Building afterward, and Ron's half-siblings had to carried him out when he was having fun dialing on the telephone on the main floor of the building. 

Annabeth said something to Argus, and their camp security rummaged around in the back of his van. He brought out a bronze shield and passed it to Annabeth. It looked pretty much standard issue—the same kind of round shield we always used in capture the flag. But when Annabeth set it on the ground, the reflection on the polished metal changed from sky and buildings to the Statue of Liberty.

"Whoa," Percy said. "A video shield." 

“Whasdat? Whas a video shield?“ Ron asked, poking his head between Annabeth and Percy.

"One of Daedalus's ideas," Annabeth said. "I had Beckendorf make this before—" She glanced at Silena. "Um, anyway, the shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create a reflection. You can literally see any target under the sun or moon, as long as natural light is touching it. Look." 

They crowded around as Annabeth concentrated. The image zoomed and spun at first. Ron didn't understand, but the images displayed different places within the city.

"Whoa," Connor Stoll said. "Back up. Zoom in right there." 

"What?" Annabeth said nervously. "You see invaders?" 

"No, right there—Dylan's Candy Bar." Connor grinned at his brother. "Dude, it's open. And everyone is asleep. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" 

"Candy?" Ron's eyes lit up, but Annabeth lightly smacked his head.

"Connor!" Katie Gardner scolded. "This is serious. You are not going to loot a candy store in the middle of a war!" 

"Sorry," Connor muttered.

Annabeth passed her hand in front of the shield, and another scene popped up: FDR Drive, looking across the river at Lighthouse Park. 

"This will let us see what's going on across the city," she said. "Thank you, Argus. Hopefully we'll see you back at camp...someday." 

Argus grunted then climbed into his van. He and the two haipy drivers swerved away, weaving around clusters of idle cars that littered the road.

Ron didn't quite understand the details, and it was making him feel dizzy. The information was coming fast, and he struggled to understand everything they were discussing. But what he did understand was that around three hundred monsters were heading toward Manhattan. The city was under a sleeping spell, and Kronos was manipulating time outside the city to slow down the mortals approaching the city, with assistance from Hecate. Ron remembered about Hecate before in a book and hearing about her from someone, though he couldn't remember who.

Fear gripped them all, but they found reassurance in Percy's presence. Without him, they weren't sure what they would do.

"We need to guard the bridges and tunnels. Let's assume they'll try a midtown or downtown assault, at least on their first try. That would be the most direct way to the Empire State Building. Michael, take Apollo's cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge. Katie, Demeter's cabin takes the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Grow thorn bushes and poison ivy in the tunnel. Do whatever you have to do, but keep them out of there! Conner, take half of Hermes cabin and cover the Manhattan Bridge. Travis, you take the other half and cover the Brooklyn Bridge. And no stopping for looting or pillaging!" 

"Awwww!" the whole Hermes cabin complained. 

"Silena, take the Aphrodite crew to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel." 

"Oh my gods," one of her sisters said. "Fifth Avenue is so on our way! We could accessorize, and monsters, like, totally hate the smell of Givenchy." 

"No delays," Percy said. "Well…the perfume thing, if you think it'll work." 

Six Aphrodite girls kissed him on the cheek in excitement. 

"All right, enough!" Percy closed his eyes,. "The Holland Tunnel. Jake, take the Hephaestus cabin there. Use Greek fire, set traps. Whatever you've got." 

He grinned. "Gladly. We've got a score to settle. For Beckendorf!" The whole cabin roared in approval.

"The 59th Street Bridge," Percy said. "Clarisse—" 

"We'll take that," Annabeth stepped in, she turned to her siblings. "Malcolm, take the Athena cabin, activate plan twenty-three along the way, just like I showed you. Hold that position." 

"You got it." 

"I'll go with Percy," she said. "Then we'll join you, or we'll go wherever we're needed." 

Somebody in the back of the group said, "No detours, you two." Ron and a few others giggled at that.

"All right," Percy said. "Keep in touch with cell phones." 

"We don't have cell phones," Silena protested. 

Percy reached down, picked up some snoring lady's BlackBerry, and tossed it to Silena. "You do now. You all know Annabeth's number, right? If you need us, pick up a random phone and call us. Use it once, drop it, then borrow another one if you have to. That should make it harder for the monsters to zero in on you." 

Everyone grinned as though they liked this idea. 

Travis cleared his throat. "Uh, if we find a really nice phone—" 

"No, you can't keep it," Percy said. 

"Aw, man." 

"Hold it, Percy," Jake Mason said. "You forgot the Lincoln Tunnel."

Then a girl's voice called from across the street: "How about you leave that to us?"

"Thalia!" Annabeth and Ron cried. 

The daughter of Zeus grinned. "The Hunters of Artemis, reporting for duty."

Ron sprinted toward the girl and hugged her—Annabeth join them too. "Aww!" Thalia exclaimed, hugging them both in return.

"We've been waiting for you all this time! You didn't leave any messages!" Ron said with a sniffle.

"Sorry, sorry—Oh my gods!" Thalia shrieked suddenly, placing both of her hands on Ron's shoulders. "You're finally outside!" She turned her wide-eyed, excited look to Annabeth.

"What happened?" Thalia asked.

"Long story," Annabeth replied, offering a smile. Percy also joined them and greeted her as well. ”Where have you been the last year?" He asked Thalia. "You've got like twice as many Hunters now!" 

She laughed. "Long, long story. I bet my adventures were more dangerous than yours, Jackson." 

"Complete lie," Percy said. 

"We'll see," she promised. "After this is over, you, Ron, Annabeth, and me: cheeseburgers and fries at that hotel on West 57th." 

"Le Parker Meridien, and then Mcdonalds.” Percy said, ruffling Ron's hair. “You're on. And Thalia, thanks." 

She shrugged. "Those monsters won't know what hit them. Hunters, move out!"

She slapped her silver bracelet, and the shield Aegis spiraled into full form. The golden head of Medusa molded in the center was so horrible, the campers all backed away. The Hunters took off down the avenue, followed by their wolves and falcons.

"Thank the gods," Annabeth said. "But if we don't blockade the rivers from those boats, guarding the bridges and tunnels will be pointless." 

"You're right," Percy said. 

"You're the greatest heroes of this millennium," Percy told them. "It doesn't matter how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win." Percy raised Riptide and shouted, "FOR OLYMPUS!" 

They shouted in response, and their forty voices echoed off the buildings of Midtown. For a moment it sounded brave, but it died quickly in the silence of ten million sleeping New Yorkers.

Before Ron joined his half-siblings at the Williamsburg Bridge, Annabeth held his hand.

"Ron."

"Annie?"

"Promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

Ron nodded resolutely. "You too. Don't worry."

With that, Annabeth let go of his hand, and Ron quickly rushed over to his half-siblings. They were in a hurry, stringing arrows on their bows. Those less skilled in archery grabbed their swords and daggers. Ron retrieved the handle, and before he even had a chance to shake it, it felt like the handle already knew what was happening. It transformed into a bow.

Michael took the lead as they reached the bridge.

However, as they arrived at their destination, monsters were already there. Suddenly, Michael raised his hand to signal them to halt. "ARCHERS!" he bellowed, and in response, every arrow was aimed at the approaching monsters.

And so, the battle began.

Ron found himself firing explosive arrows one after another. He stood on the roof of one of the cars, only climbing out when three cars close to them exploded.

"Norman, use the caltrops!" Michael commanded.

Two of their half-siblings nodded at the order and hurriedlt scattered caltrops on the ground, forming barricades.

"Austin, Ronald—the mortals!"

Ron didn't need further instruction; he immediately joined in helping to drag the mortals away from their car. One of them was an overweight older worker who smelled of coffee and had bad breath.

"THEY'RE STILL COMING!" One of them yelled out.

"Slow them down!" Michael cursed, firing another sonic arrow that caused a massive explosion. The monsters screamed in pain, clutching their ears, and some of them disintegrated. The bridge trembled slightly. "We need help. I'm going to call Percy," he declared.

"Healers!" Hannah shouted. Three of their healers rushed over to tend to their injured half-siblings.

Desperation was evident; they truly needed help. Hundreds of monsters were advancing on them, led by a Minotaur. Hellhounds suddenly appeared, and one of them leaped over Ron. He swiftly ducked and slashed at the creature's belly with a celestial bronze weapon, causing the monster to explode into dust.

Ron maneuvered alongside the archers, providing support in the gruesome battle. After a while, he backed away, breathing heavily. "Don't be scared!" One of hus half-siblings shouted, firing dozens of explosive arrows.

Suddenly, a dracaena hurled a spear their way, injuring Michael's arm. Michael cried out in pain, but Ron sprinted over to him and applied a bandage.

"I—" Ron began, feeling dizzy, but he forced himself to calm down. He remembered his training, focusing on both tending to his brother's bleeding arm and shooting arrows. In the midst of the battle, a hellhound leaped again, this time not above him, but towards one of his half-siblings.

"No! Calleb!" Ron screamed as the hellhound seized his brother and dragged him away.

Ron attempted to chase after them, but Michael grabbed his arm and shouted, "RON! DON'T!"

Ron bit his lip so hard that it began to bleed, and he was crying, his vision blurred by tears. Overwhelmed by the multitude of monsters, his arm shook uncontrollably. He wiped the tears from his eyes, glaring at the creatures, and notched another arrow onto his bow.

"Ron," Michael said, placing a sonic arrow in Ron's quiver. "Gift from dad," he added.

"I hate dad," Ron sniffled.

"No, you don't," Michael snorted as he rose to his feet. "Kayla, Austin—the traps!" he yelled to the two.

"On it!" Kayla shouted in response as the two of them sprinted farther down the bridge.

Michael looked at Ron once more. "Just remember, feel our dad. He'll always be there. He'll give you a gift. He loves us—" he said, struggling to raise his injured arm, which elicited a curse.

Ron turned his eyes from the oncoming swarm of monsters to Michael. "I'll try," he affirmed.

"That's my baby brother," Michael smirked. "Go, now!" he added. While Ron would have blushed at that in a different situation, he simply nodded and rejoined his half-siblings.

As they continued shooting arrows, Percy and Annabeth suddenly appeared in front of them. Percy had to deal with the Minotaur, while Annabeth remained behind with her dagger drawn. They helped Percy in battling the remaining monsters, taking down the monsters as he fought off the Minotaur.

When Percy finally killed the Minotaur, the archers continued their onslaught against the remaining monsters. Ron realized that his quiver now contained only fifteen arrows, including the sonic one. As they observed around twenty monsters fleeing, a wide grin spread across Ron's face—but his joy was short-lived as he groaned in pain, feeling his cheek bleeding.

"Yes!" yelled Michael. "That's what I'm talking about!" As they drove them back toward the Brooklyn side of the bridge. 

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "You've already routed them. Pull back! We're overextended!"

Suddenly a crowd appeared at the base of the bridge. The retreating monsters were running straight toward their reinforcements. It was a small group, maybe thirty or forty demigods in battle armor, mounted on skeletal horses. One of them held a purple banner with the black scythe design. 

The lead horseman trotted forward. He took off his helm. Ron gasped as his half-siblings and Annabeth faltered. 

"Now," Percy said, "we pull back." 

The Titan lord's men drew their swords and charged. The hooves of their skeletal horses thundered against the pavement. Ron quickly aimed an arrow at one of the approaching demigods, but they were moving too fast. Although his half-siblings managed to bring some of them down, the horsemen kept riding forward.

"Retreat!" Percy told them. "I'll hold them.“

Ron and his half-siblings tried to retreat with Annabeth positioning herself protectively in front of him before joining Percy. Ron was about to follow her, but someone pulled him away—and it wasn't just Annabeth. Michael instructed them to leave immediately as he began climbing up the cable of the bridge.

"No! I'm coming with you!" Ron protested, rushing towards Michael, but others held him back.

"No, stay back!" Michael insisted as he positioned himself on the cable.

Norman, with a bleeding head, did his best to pull Ron towards the far end of the bridge. Suddenly, the bridge began to shake, making Ron and his half-siblings to quickly move away from it as the ground trembled.

Percy appeared, handing one of Michael's arrows to one of his siblings before urgently grabbing Will's arm. "I need you right now! The rest of you, go find Michael!" he yelled. Ron, who wasn't paying attention to them, continued to stare ahead as his knees gave out, staring on the wreckage of the bridge.

They tried to find Michael, taking turns, but their efforts only resulted in tears or somber expressions when they returned. Ron took out his quiver shakingly, leaving only one arrow. A sonic arrow. 

"We need to go back," Jasmine said.

"To the plaza," another agreed.

"Can you stand, Ron?" Kayla asked.

Ron nodded slowly, getting to his feet. They collectively made the decision to head back. By the time they reached the plaza, the sun was already setting up. Ron quickly heard about Annabeth's condition and wasted no time in hurrying to the upper floors where she was resting.

Ron dashed toward Annabeth, who was resting on a lounge chair. They allowed him to enter, and from time to time, Will was present, still monitoring her condition.

"Hey, Ron," Annabeth greeted with a tired smile, having just woken up.

"You should rest more," Ron advised, sitting on the floor and resting his head against the bottom of the lounge chair. They also permitted Kayla and Austin to come in, carrying a tray of snacks and drinks. They settled down, and Annabeth trying tog et some rest. The group ate quietly, all too exhausted to engage in conversation. Eventually, the three of them drifted off to sleep in the floor. Will arranged a blanket over them and placed pillows beneath their heads.

Ron was only roused from sleep by Kayla, and the look on her face indicated that they were about to face another battle.

Annabeth was already up, and Ron felt a bit upset that she hadn't woken him. As he was putting his quiver back on, he suddenly stopped in surprise—it was filled with arrows again. Austin, noticing Ron's expression, chuckled, "The Hunters filled them for us."

"What? Really!? But we're boys!" Ron exclaimed, taken aback.

Austin shrugged, "Uh, the arrows just seem to appear in our quiver when they're around."

"Oh."

"Come on, you two!" Kayla urged impatiently, tugging at both of them.

🔆

Ron was sprinting down the street, he leapt to the roof of one of the cars and jumped as he shot one of the laistrogyonian directly through the chink in his armor as it disintegrated. He rolled down towards Kayla and Austin who arrived beside him, each shooting arrows by the chink of the Laistrygonian.

Ron doesn't like the plan; he just been separated from his friends, which worried him. 

Ron continued shooting with his half-siblings. Then, one of the two Laistrygonian giants grabbed a car, swung it, and Ron duck and throw a nasty glare at the monster. He had an unpleasant memories with them, and seeing the monster still alive at the brought back those memories.

Ron quickly positioned himself in the center and shouted, "Archers!" as he notched three arrows in his bow. His half-siblings followed suit, assembling around Ron and shooting at the giant. Suddenly, an explosion echoed, making them looked each other with nods. They had been rushing to support the others fighting the enemies at every entrance to New York City. When they heard a hunting horn, they breathed a sigh of relief when a hundred centaurs appeared out of nowhere and came to their aid.

They made their way back to the Empire State Building along with other campers. Ron was extremely tired, his arms feeling numb. When they arrived at the building, the three of them found a corner to sit in, leaning against each other in an attempt to catch some sleep and rest, but they still had to help others. They still need to set up a field hospital for the injured campers.

Ron was putting his best effort to remain awake as he aided his half-siblings in tending to the wounded campers.

Then Drew walked in, followed by Nyssa, and demanded Ron's attention immediately. "My fingernails!" she exclaimed.

"Sure," Ron replied, placing ambrosia on the tray.

"There's a crack on it! This is terrible!" She sat on one of the stretcher beds there. "What should I do? It'll take three hours to make it perfect again."

Nyssa gave her an exasperated look. "Come on, Drew. We're in the middle of a war and your biggest concern is your fingernail?"

"You don't understand! I forgot to bring my make-up," she cried.

Nyssa shook her head. "Sorry, Ron," she apologized. "Don't overwork yourself, by the way. We still have a day ahead of us, and you should take a break."

Ron gave them a weary smile. "No promises," he replied as he headed towards one of the campers who were resting there, providing them with probably the last ambrosia he had.

A camper entered their tent and spoke with Will. His brother nodded and glanced at them. "We need to take refuge on Olympus," he said. "For those who are still able to stand, please carry the other wounded to the elevator."

When they reached Olympus, they had to carry the wounded inside the area. Once everyone had settled down to rest, Ron expressed his gratitude to the Naiads and Dryads who had tried to assist in tending the wounds. Ron sat there, observing the scene. Kayla and Austin were sleeping in a corner, Nyssa had left with a few of his half-siblings, probably to search for traps.

The Aphrodite campers were spread out, they are mostly unharmed—only with minor cuts and bruises, though Ron could tell they were tired. The Hermes and Athena campers were injured, and the Apollo campers were working alongside some Demeter campers to care for them.

Ron fought off his drowsiness as the Olympus suddenly shook violently, causing them all to scream in surprise. Explosions followed, accompanied by harsh, blinding light and fires erupting everywhere. Ron hurriedly assisted the wounded campers in getting out of the area, his knees wobbling as he carried one of them towards the elevator.

In the lobby, campers who were able to fight and had healed wounds joined the others outside to battle the enemy army. Despite his arm still being in pain, Ron joined them in the fight. He shot arrows one after another at the giants, while people were screaming. He was surprised to see that the city alive.

"NICO, GET DOWN!" Ron yelled, causing Nico's eyes to snap towards him as he immediately ducked. Ron let loose a barrage of arrows, taking out a dracanae that was approaching Nico.

When his quiver ran out of arrows, leaving only the sonic arrow, Ron reluctantly drew his celestial bronze weapon. It was frustrating having to engage in close combat, especially since he didn't want to waste the sonic arrow. He bumped against Kayla, who appeared to have not gotten a peaceful rest during their time in Olympus earlier.

"Out of arrows?" she questioned.

"Yeah, you still have some left?" Ron asked.

"Four," she replied.

As the battle continued, time seemed to blur, and eventually, Ron found himself collapsing in the lobby, resting his head on his own shoulder. Suddenly, someone stood in front of him and lightly kicked his leg. "Get up," Nico said.

Ron opened his eyes and glared at him. "Can't you see? I'm resting."

“No.“

“Yes.“

“No.“

"Yes!" Ron huffed out, hugging his knees. However, when he shifted his arm, a sudden hiss of pain escaped him—he forgot about his arm. 

Nico sighed and knelt in front of him. “I owe you an explanation—”

“And an apology.“ Ron rolled his eyes.

“Fine.“ Nico grumbled, “Come on.“

Ron slowly got to his feet, clutching his injured arm. There were a few campers in the lobby, and he was searching for his half-siblings. "Where are they?" he asked.

"Olympus," Nico replied.

"So you're telling me they left me here alone—ekk!" Ron yelped as Nico pushed him inside the elevator. Someone was standing beside them. A tall, pale man dressed in a silk robe, with cold eyes that seemed to pierce through him. Grateful that Nico was between him and the man, Ron retreated to the back corner of the elevator, struggling to catch his breath.

"Why didn't they wake me up?" Ron whispered in annoyance.

Nico shrugged. "You looked peaceful."

"What? That's it!?" Ron hissed, but he cut himself off immediately as the elevator grew colder.

🔆

When they reached Olympus, the first thing Ron did was hug his friends and half-siblings, especially those who had survived with injuries. Will noticed his injured arm and had him sit down in a corner while his brother worked on healing him. Annabeth joined them and had a conversation with Will before his brother left the two of them alone.

Annabeth wiped tears from her eyes and proceeded to recount everything that had happened to Luke. She held both of Ron's hands tightly as she watched him quietly shed tears.

Later, the surviving campers gathered for a hero's welcome in the throne room. Ron was too tired, so he leaned on Austin's shoulder, positioning his right shoulder in the gap between them, Kayla rested her head on his left shoulder as the three of them huddled up in a corner, seeking some much-needed rest and a little bit of sleep.

But just before he shut his eyes, he caught a glimpse of his dad—Apollo. If you were to ask Ron how he'd depict the god, he'd say Apollo was the most stunning god, with his blond hair and blue eyes—and is that a cocky smile? Although he felt a bit let down because instead of their dad talking to him—congratulating them or even offering a proud smile—he was engaged in conversation with the other gods.

Ron, Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth spent some time together before Thalia had to bid them goodbye, assuring that they would meet up again soon. When it was time to head back to the camp, they teased Sherman Yang, who kept grumbling as Ron joined him in the chariot. Ron cast a glance downward as they soared through the air, the wind gently brushing against his face as he observed the buildings before they vanished into the clouds—finally, no more battles.

Ron wished that things would remain like that.

When they returned to the camp, they immediately held a ceremony to honor the campers who hadn't survived. Three of Drew's siblings, including Selena, had passed away, and Drew was in tears.

"I should've been stronger and not complained about my stupid fingernails," Drew wept, while Nyssa offered her comfort.

"Drew, you are brave," Ron reassured her. "I saw you battling that monster when they tripped up one of your siblings."

Drew sobbed, "Well, of course! My sister was wearing the most expensive shoes—"

"Right," Nyssa chimed in, shaking her head with a hint of amusement. Then she turned her attention to Ron. "And what about you, Ron? Will you be fine?"

Ron met her gaze with a smile. "I'll always be."

After dinner, Ron decided not to join his half-siblings for the campfire song. He was too tired just like the others, and after eating two whole plates of food, he felt justified in wanting to head straight to bed—but as he was walking towards the cabin, Nico suddenly appeared by his side. The redhead crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the boy.

Ron couldn't help but notice how much Nico had changed since they first met. Back then, Nico had been full of enthusiasm, always wearing a wide smile, and eager to talk about Mythomagic. But the boy he was looking at now was very different.

He had shaggy and messy long black hair, and he appeared quite pale. He wore a black shirt with a skull printed on it, paired with an aviator jacket. His eyes were marked by bags underneath, and Ron couldn't help but worry that the boy didn't look like he'd been getting a full eight hours of sleep.

"So?" Ron questioned.

Nico let out a sigh. "Fine. I'm sorry."

"For?"

The pale boy grumbled, "I came here to apologize and explain why I left. That's all."

"Really? You're doing a great job," Ron huffed.

"Do you want to hear it or not?"

The two exchanged glares, and the redhead let out a sound of frustration. "Fine," he relented. Nico proceeded to explain and Ron responded by hugging him, but Nico wasn't fond of hugs anymore, so he shifted his body to avoid the embrace, causing Ron to flop down on the ground.

"You're so mean!" Ron exclaimed as he tried to chase after Nico for a hug. But the dark-haired boy immediately disappeared into the shadows. "AND THAT'S SO UNFAIR!" Ron cried out.

During those four days, Ron's time was occupied with meeting new campers, spending time with his friends, and brainstorming new designs for Nico's cabin, which was being constructed with a zombie, but Nico dismissed his suggestion and the boy's zombies had to drag the redhead out.

And it's not only the Hades cabin, the camp was also in the process of constructing new cabins for various minor gods. 

Though there were moments when he miss those who had died in the war—especially his half-siblings and Luke. Ron's gaze fell upon the bracelet bead that Luke had given him, resting on his wrist, and he offered a sad smile. A dryad that living on his favorite spot had held onto the bracelet for him after he had thrown it on the ground. The dryad returned it to him when he revisited the area.

The following day, Ron's half-siblings gathered in a circle for a brief meeting. They appointed Will as their new head counselor, a decision he accepted with determination as a way to honor Lee and Michael. Will also took on the role of head healer, a move that received approval due to his healing skills.

Meanwhile, Ron was chosen to be his brother's second-in-command. He explained that he wanted Ron to assist in giving tours and explaining things to their new future siblings. This choice gained everyone's support because they knew Ron's enthusiasm when it comes to discussing the camp and their dad. 

Suddenly, during dinner, they were joined by four new siblings, and Ron found himself shedding tears of happiness because he was no longer the youngest.

His responsibility was to give them a tour of the camp and tell them who their godly parent was. They gathered in the center of the cabin in a circle, where Ron opened a Greek book about Apollo and proceeded to explain everything to them. His new half-siblings were so adorable that Ron couldn't resist pinching their cheeks as they bombarded him with questions.

"So, we can heal?" One of the boys, the youngest— named Erick, asked.

"And we are good at archery?" The only girl named Rayna questioned.

Ron looked at the two of them and let out a giggle. "Not exactly. Well—Dad gave some of us the ability to heal and be skilled at archery. But having both abilities is quite rare."

"But you have them," the other boy, Shane, who looked like Will—said with his sparkling brown eyes. "Which is awesome."

Ron shook his head, blushing. "Uh, I'm not really good at healing—really!"

"Look, his face is as red as his hair!" The last one of them, another boy named Noel, exclaimed, pointing at Ron. The four teased Ron, making the redhead tickled them down until the kids all burst into laughter.

Days went by, and the campers had just one day remaining before they had to leave the camp and head back to their homes outsife and for the start of school, and the usual year-round campers—and the newcomers chose to stay at the camp, which made Ron quite excited to get to know them.

That day, Ron was in middle of playing a chess with his half-siblings when an unexpected knock sounded on their cabin's door.

Annabeth was on the other side when Will opened the door. "Is Ron around?" she asked.

Ron put aside the chess figure he was holding and approached the door. "Annie?" he called.

"Chiron wants to see you," she informed him. "Right now.“