Tales of Camp Half Blood

Tale 30: the divide

Alabaster breathed in the warm august air. Despite the almost oppressive heat, even late at night as it was, he couldn't help but feel refreshed. It was finally time, it was finally happening. The first dominos had been tipped and the war against the gods would be happening very soon, just as his mother had promised.

Luke and him had this planned for weeks, ever since that son of Poseidon had come to camp. The boy had somehow managed to dodge Luke's first attempts at getting him out of the picture, and unfortunately their leader had to leave camp before finishing the job. It wasn't ideal but they couldn't afford to wait around, besides, Kronos could easily deal with him once he rose.

Only hours before he'd had to watch the pathetic display from camp as they wallowed about Luke betraying the gods. It was honestly disgusting they still supported the Olympians so much after being abandoned and discarded at every turn. Alabaster would never let himself fall into that trap, nor would his mother ever let him be brainwashed like that. And in turn he couldn't let his little sister be pulled into their lies about service to the gods.

Lou was definitely an interesting factor to all of this. He knew his sister was just as angry as him about the treatment of the minor gods and their children, and he knew she wanted to change it somehow. But he had let her get too settled at this camp while they bided their time, now he couldn't be positive she would come with him.

The prospect made him more upset than he'd like to admit. At first protecting Lou had been nothing more than a duty he performed out of respect for his mother. He was Hecate's strongest child and the one whom she relied on most. Which is why she had trusted him with Lou. While he was the child she respected most, Lou was the child she cherished most. His sister was the spitting image of their mothers favorite mortal form, and possessed just as many magical gifts as Alabaster- she was their mom's little treasure.

He hadn't intended to get as close to Lou as he did. Alabaster's original plan had been to escort his little sister safely to camp and then return to the mortal world and his own life. Never would he have seen himself actually staying at camp half-blood, a place where he knows his presence is deemed as irrelevant.

But his sister had charmed him during their trip, she was bubbly and adorable with a wicked cunning and sense of humor he hadn't expected out of an eighth year old. Alabaster had never met any of his many demigod siblings, nor had he spent much time with his mortal mother before heading off on his own. The concept of family had solely been reserved for the guiding force that was his immortal mothers presence. Until she led him to this spunky Little dark haired girl with the same eyes as him.

Now his concept of family had expanded to include his little sister, and he refused to let her get stuck on the wrong side. When the war fully came, he had to have her by his side. It was the only way to protect her, and it was the only way she would survive.

"Where are we going," her voice asked quietly as Alabaster led her to the top of the hill. A harpy stood only feet away from them, but his power over the mist was very strong. No one would see or hear them unless he wanted them to.

He didn't answer until they had crested the hill and stood beneath Thalia's tree, "we're leaving Lou."

"Leaving? Like leaving camp?" She asked nervously, "I know you don't like it here, but with everything that happened recently it might not be the best time."

"On the contrary, it's the perfect time," Alabaster laughed, "don't you see Lou! It's finally happening, the rebellion against the Olympians. Luke is paving the way for a better future!"

Lou gaped at him, "you- but he-" she stuttered out, "but he tried to kill Percy, how is that getting back at the gods?"

"There are things in place that you don't know about Lou," he said, trying to keep the frustration out of his tone, "but when the war starts, you need to be on the right side. Luke has big plans, he's going to make this world a better place for me and you and all the other children of the minor gods!" By the end of his speech his voice was almost hysterical as he willed his sister to believe him.