III

LUKE

(P+A)

"Luke Bob Jackson, your quest will come sooner than expected."

Poseidon's voice continued to echo in my head, never stopping, as I lay on my bed, alone.

I had been so free after going to Camp earlier than my family but now I felt so heavy with dread.  People had always said I was so brave like my father, but only now did I realize how wrong those people were.  I was afraid of what would come and what would happen if I failed in this mysterious quest, and most of all afraid for my twin sister.  

I was the only one who could calm her down when she raged, the only one who could communicate with her just by thinking, and I felt it was my responsibility to protect her.  I loved Becky so much sometimes I just needed a break.  From her anger, our parents' anger against her and my older sister who always slipped away quietly like a fox to escape everyone's rage.  I had needed to slip away too before the anger could get to me.  And so I did.  Mom and Dad had agreed and sent me from New Rome to Camp Half-Blood with a letter for Chiron, the Camp activities director and hero trainer, explaining why I had come early.  

At first it was amazing.  It was my first time being able to train at Camp because before I was too young.*  I could use my water powers and Chiron the centaur showed me how to use a sword.  I didn't need much training for that, as I was a natural, and that wasn't a surprise considering my dad's abilities with Riptide.  I climbed the climbing wall with flowing lava, hung out with Blackjack and his foals at the stables, and even though I was the only one in Poseidon's cabin, (I had more of my dad's powers than my mom's) I wasn't too lonely.  My friend Sophie (granddaughter of Aphrodite and Jupiter, daughter of Jason and Piper Grace) was also in her first year of demigod training and I had known her a long time because we saw each other every time I came with my family.  Her older brother Philippe was also my close friend but it was hard to find much time with him since he was 2 years older and had a very different schedule.

Then just last night, the night before my family would come, I had a dream (demigods' dreams tell the truth and are more or less real) that the sea god himself came and spoke to me, warning me about this mysterious quest that was about to take place.  And of course I was going to be the leader.

I hauled myself out of bed, got dressed and opened the cabin door to prepare to face my twin sister and the rest of my family.  This was going to be a long summer, and it had just started.