Boarder patrol that night was quiet as can be, and I only broke away a couple times to get a few short naps, so I wouldn't be tired for the day ahead, and I still needed to recover from using the moonlight. Although my endurance with that power has improved over the last year, it is still a tiring power to use.

I walked into breakfast only to see a slightly nervous looking Dionysus, which only meant Tantalus planned to do something stupid, which was only further solidified as Tantalus was smirking like a mad man.

After sacrifices and everyone started eating, Tantalus again got everyone's attention, only to make an announcement, "I have also now decided that each cabin should participate, in the chariot races" He said smirking and I knew that was directed at me.

I simply got up and made my way to leave, but why is it that idiots always open their mouths, "Where are you going, you haven't been dismissed" Tantalus said

"The arena, before I end up sending you in a box to Hades" I said, not bothering to use a pseudo name for the lord of the dead, which surprisingly got a few gasp from the campers, especially as the earth rumbled a little bit, as if it wanted to eat Tantalus.

I continued walking out of the pavilion, and wasn't stopped, as most could sense I was doing my best to not kill Tantalus right this very moment.

A few minutes after arriving at the Arena, I saw Clarisse, Annabeth, and the Ares campers enter the Arena. "We need to get Tantalus out of here, he'll take us all to the underworld with him at how he's currently running everything" Clarisse fumed, which her siblings wisely took a step back from.

"There's not much we can do. Knowing my mom, she'll probably be expecting me to join Annabeth in the races and she might be sending us a chariot, with Lady Athena assistance" I said which got a look of betrayal from Clarisse.

"look Clarisse, I know it is unwise, but send two of your siblings off to start working on your cabin's chariot, the rest will be on boarder patrol. Tantalus is dead set on having these stupid chariot races, we might as well go through with it, while doing our best to keep up boarder patrol" I explained and she looked angry, at least until, she came to the same realization

"Alright Mark, Sherman, start building me a chariot the rest of you start your patrol shifts" Clarisse ordered, her siblings, and after they didn't move, she shouted "Now". Which got her siblings in gear and moving, and fleeing the Arerna.

"Now why do you two think your mother is going to be sending you a chariot" Clarisse demanded

"Because she knows I won't be working on it, and would either be training, or on boarder patrol" I explained. "Now Annabeth's cabin can feel free all they want to make a back up, but I'm hoping it's the same case as you, minimal people doing the race only" I finished asking Annabeth mostly

"I told them if they wanted to race they can expect to find their things in the Hermes cabin" she said

"Heck they should be expecting any missing things to be there anyways" I said, which cause the both of them to laugh.

"Alright let's just lay low, after we get our teams registered. In the meantime, my cabin will do research, and you two will deal with boarder patrol" Annabeth said, "After all we don't want to be accused of treason for running camp ourselves. Especially, with Tantalus seemingly in charge"

"Should I still play that part to be his favorite so if we do find away I might actually be issued a quest" Clarisse asked, and Annabeth and I turned to each other before agreeing telling her that she should.

Tomorrow is the day of the chariot race, and just earlier today Hermes delivered a chariot to me for me to use in the upcoming race. Having a quick look at it I knew the builders or designers of it were made up of Athena, mom, and/or the hunt.

Mainly as the chariot was made of or covered in silver, with scenes of the hunt engraved into the sides, with customized shields with my mom's and Athena's symbol combined on them protecting the wheels, and on the front that same symbol embossed onto it. All in all I thought it looked cool.

I showed Annabeth and her siblings, all of which agreed that since all cabins need to participate that we should use this chariot, as it represents both of our parents.

Also good news that happened through the prior week is that Athena's kids have came together and agreed that the golden fleece is our best option. Now, we've only been trying to figure out where it is, which is the harder problem. Clarisse also knows of this, but we agreed that if we can't get any leads as to it's locations by the end of the chariot race, that we should see about getting a prophecy for the fleece.

The bad news, is that monsters, generally weaker ones are attacking on a daily basis, but we've been covering that up so the younger campers don't freak out.

Anyways, having come up with a plan with Annabeth, I went out and started managing the night watch, which is much to Tantalus's displeasure as he still thinks we don't need boarder patrol still, despite the multiple daily reports of monster activity outside the boarder, and the slightly less numerous reports of attacks.

Sorry, I'm just still mad at the guy for effecting the safety of everyone here. Tonight, however, there were 2 hell hound attacks, and a few other attacks that were reported to me by Katie and Travis, who were the other counselors on boarder patrol tonight, as well as about 30 or so monster sightings that were outside the border, which includes the attacking monsters.

I lead the night patrol to breakfast as , some of the others said screw it and just went to bed. I picked up my food and just started eating, as I was too tired myself from boarder patrol. I finished ignoring whatever bullshit came from Tantalus, writing the report of what happened and giving it to Dionysius, before hitting the sack till lunch.

I woke up to Annabeth shoving me telling me I should eat or we should get ready for the chariot race. I groggily got up and suggested the latter, which only got me dragged outside.

We started moving our Chariot to where the track was, where we made last minute modifications to our chariot. Beside's the numerous arrows, and quivers already made into the chariot, we added a few blunt spears and looked for places where we could shave off weight, most of which came from shaving off some material from the interior walls.

After Annabeth said we couldn't remove anymore excess material for the sake of structural integrity, rigidity, and protection, we stopped our modification and debated on what should pull our chariot. I said deer, because why not , but Annabeth wanted to go get the two most well balanced horses to pull the chariot.

We argued about that until, most of the Athena kids with us started trying to get our attention by pointing at something. "What" Annabeth and I both shouted at them because of the pointing.

"I think they mean to get your attention on me young Lord" a familiar hind voice said from behind me. After all it was the first wild animal to not only talk to me, but teach me the language of other wild animals, and the only one I have given up on trying to not call me lord or any other title of nobility.

"nice to see you again, Ceryneia" I said turning to see my mother's golden antlered Hind, which cause Annabeth to gasp in surprise, and start gaping like her siblings. "But may I ask why you are here"

"Your mom said you would need my help for today's chariot race, and I'm prepared to, so long as you swear that I will be allowed to leave freely after this race" the hind said, as other campers who either wanted to watch or were participating in the races started to arrive, or in the case of Apollo's children to be ready to provide any medical attention.

"alright I swear on the styx to your terms" I said. Turning to Annabeth, " Well we have what will be pulling our chariot, so will you please help me harness her" I asked, which she only barely nodded to before helping me harness the Ceryneian Hind to the chariot.

"Thanks Ceryneia" I said

"Well if it weren't for you being milady's only child I wouldn't have come to do this" she responded, quite neutrally for what I expected.

Annabeth and I mounted the chariot and I asked if Ceryneia knew the track who responded, "I'm the smartest of my kind you know there's a reason I was never captured, unless it was the will of Lady Artemis, after she captured the others of my kind of course"

"Ok do you think you can do this without direction so Annabeth and I can focus on the other chariots" I asked, which only got me a snort saying what did I just tell you

As the other charioteers were getting their rides ready, Annabeth told her cabin to go and join the Ares cabin that were on boarder patrol. Only problem, boarder patrol was being dragged in by Tantalus, so that meant that the Athena kids just took their place in the stands.

As Tantalus, went to sit at the judges table from dropping the Ares kids off in the stands a nymph came up carrying a plater full of pastries, which only got me to thinking on how the pastries will magically run away from him as he got near.

I took a look around to take in the other chariots. From The Hephaestus cabin, they had a metal chariot, which I'm sure was loaded with traps and things, but it looked like the Aphrodite cabin got ahold of it and painted it, along with the two mechanical horses pulling the chariot. Which that theory was only later confirmed when I saw Silena charmspeaking Beckendorf onto the chariot who was protesting as his cabin's work was painted pink by her cabin. Beckendorf did eventually get on, but I could tell it was only because his girlfriend was on there and was probably going to be driving. Well hopefully it was her driving because I don't really want to have to deal with her charmspeaking and hopefully driving would distract her too much to do that.

Next was the Ares cabin, which had Clarisse and one of her brothers on it, and I was wondering if the chariot was painted red or actually coated in blood, and if the latter, where did they get the blood to coat their entire chariot in it. Other than the eerie color of the chariot, it was pulled by two equally eerie skeletal horses, which I didn't think existed, but apparently they do.

Demeter's cabin had a simple wooden design and looked like it was designed to fail from the start, as everyone knows they didn't want to participate in the race, much like myself and Athena's, Ares's, and Dionysius's cabins. Their chariot was driven by a board and tired looking Katie and Miranda. Which is much the same as Dionysius's cabin's chariot, but the only difference it was being driven by Castor and Pollux.

Apollo's cabin was a golden chariot which I'm pretty sure their father provided because last I checked the only gold in camp was their cabin. Anyways their chariot was pulled by two Palomino horses, which I couldn't tell if they were made of gold or if it was just the natural color of their coat, which Ceryneia had a hard time determining as well.

Hermes cabin brought out the strangest of all the chariots, which I think they had stored somewhere for years, as it had a thick dust covering to it as well as some overgrown moss on the sides. In all honesty I felt sorry for the horses who had to pull that chariot, now whether if it was because of the chariot itself or the Stoll brothers who manned it I couldn't truly determine...actually, it's probably both...most definitely both, I changed as I took notice of them loading greek fire onto their chariot.

The last chariot in the tournament, was Poseidon's cabin, which I am sure was built by Tyson, as he was polishing it. Their chariot was a sea-green and blue colored design with waves on the side, and an embossed Trident on the front. Their chariot was being pulled by two jet black berber horses, which I'm sure their father provided, as camp didn't have any last I checked. It also made me wonder if any of the Athena kids would figure out about the Romans, as that species of horse was the preferred one amongst the Romans to pull their chariots. Sadly though, none of them drew the connections, or maybe they just didn't know what breed of horse it was.

As all the chariots and their crews pulled up to the line, which Annabeth and I were already at, Tantalus began his speech for the event, "You all should know the rules, well maybe not the wilderness child, but the rest of you should" Tantalus started taking a jab at me, which pissed off Ceryneia. " Anyways incase your idiotic young minds forgot, two laps around the quarter mile track, a max of two horses per a chariot, the teams are a driver and fighter, weapons are allowed otherwise what's the point of the fighter, and dirty play is too be expected" he said, finishing off his speech, and smiling like we've been terrible children, which I would say is a stretch, because we've been ignoring him, to protect our home. It looked like he was about to start the count down to start, but remembered he forgot something, "Oh and no killing, killing looses s'mores privileges for a week" He added, as I noticed some pigeons flying into camp and taking places in the tree, which wouldn't be suspicious, if it weren't for the sheer number of them.

"On your mark" Tantalus said, and I just figure out what the pigeons were, they were the murder pigeons, more well known as the Stymphalian Birds.

Of course the birds started screeching next, which only made me worry, as I couldn't here what they were planning and neither could Ceryneia, which only further confirmed they were the monstrous birds, I quickly told Annabeth who looked panicked, but Tantalus decided to ignore the angry murder pigeons and start the race, before anyone else who had figured out what the birds were could protest.