Victoria Dia: The Missing God

Chapter 2: I've Had a Really Weird Week

"If they're magic, how could anything affect them?" Axel asked. I shrugged.

"I wouldn't know," I answered before we walked off to find Aster or some other Demeter kid willing to help with the situation.

Tuesday, Elias arrived, having been driven up by his step-mom, and that brought the Apollo cabin up to its full occupant count. Tuesday, I noticed the yellow flowers around the cabin were also withering and dying.

Aster told me to bring one over and she'd try to see what was wrong with it, but so far she hadn't gotten back to me about it.

Wednesday was interesting.

"What are you up to?" I asked Axel as he sat under a tree with what looked like a notebook filled with battle plans.

"Planning for this week's capture the flag, it's my turn after all," he said without lifting his gaze to look at me, black hair pulled back in a short ponytail away from his face. "I just wish the Hunters were getting here on Friday, I tried to trade with Charlie for next week but Malcom said that 'that's not why we use a calendar Axel' or whatever."

"Wait, the hunters, as in, the Hunters of Artemis are coming into camp? They rarely visit," I let out in a confused tone as I took a seat on the cool dirt under the tree shade.

The hunters have a problem with men, they take the whole, 'oath to maidenhood' pretty seriously. Unfortunately for them, Camp Half-Blood is welcoming of all demigods regardless of gender. Therefore we don't see much of them often. 

For Artemis and her hunters to be coming into camp with advance notice, was something rarely heard.

"Yeah, Chiron said so, last week I think?" He said, sounding unsure of his memory. "They're expected next week."

"You forgot to tell me about that, but remembered about the spider-killing incident with Charlie?" I asked Axel in regards to what he had told me happened while I was gone.

"I thought you'd find that a little more interesting," he defended himself, "besides, you know I don't have your memory."

"I do have a particularly great memory, but I think this was mostly a brain fart on your-"

Thunder interrupted my next words as dark clouds quickly covered the sky, rolling over camp like a fog.

"What the..." I let out as it began to pour on us, Axel closed his notebook, keeping the pages safe and dry, as the rest of Camp panicked and sought shelter from the rain.

Thursday, the weather returned to normal. I heard a couple of rumors relating to why Zeus would have chosen to unleash his wrath on us on that specific day, but none of them sounded believable enough to be considered legit.

With Friday finally upon us, it was a miracle the day started as calmly as it did.

"Vic, what's your favorite color?" Jodie asked as she picked at the beads in front of us.

Someone in the Hephaestus cabin had brought a friendship bracelet crafting kit, and it was shared with the rest of Camp. Jodie was making me a bracelet, I had already made her and Axel one, and now was making one for myself.

"Blue- Oh wait no, red. Red," I said as I strung my letters onto the elastic. Jodie nodded before picking up a handful of several different shades and shapes of red beads.

"What are you writing on yours?" Jodie asked. I was about to answer when a hand found itself on my shoulder.

"Vic, come on, capture the flag preparations," Kayla said as she looked over what Jodie and I were working on. Of course, Axel had left a long time ago to prepare with the Athena Cabin.

"Already?" I asked but finished up my bracelet regardless, and slipped it onto my arm. "Alright, I'll see you in the match Jodie," I waved goodbye to Jodie as I walked away with Kayla.

Apollo Cabin preparations were split into two. Kayla and Austin are great at archery, so any attack by our cabin is prepped by them, Will is our medic, so he preps to treat any injuries that might happen. I can't shoot an arrow straight to save my life (that's why I wield a sword and not a bow), so I help Will.

"Vic, I have a weird question to ask," Will asked as we checked over the supplies, I was counting gauze packets and bandaids, and he was looking over alcohol pads and suture kits.

"Sure, shoot," I told him, placing the gauze back into the bags.

"Have you heard anything from Dad recently?" he asked, though he didn't turn to face me as he spoke. I raised my head, bushed some blonde hair out of my eyes, and then narrowed my eyes at WIll.

"Now, that you mention it, I haven't"

Most gods don't actually speak to their children and don't get me wrong, Apollo isn't popping over into my house now and again, to check in on me, that would be ridiculous. He is however the god of prophecy, and he does sometimes use that power, and the general godly power of popping into dreams uninvited to speak to most of us at cabin seven. It's not big things he's rarely in my dreams in his godly form or anything, but sometimes even the sudden appearance of a lyre or a laurel lets you know he's there.

In the last few months I hadn't received any of those things, and given what he was asking, I could assume Will hadn't either.

"Have you?" I asked him regardless.

"No," He answered, as he finally turned and looked at me. I could see a tinge of worry in his eyes, but I said nothing of it. It was better to let this conversation die here.

"We have enough gauze, I'll finish counting the bandaids, and we can join Kayla and Austin?" I said, Will nodded, and I turned to find the boxes of bandaids.

The Athena cabin was on our side this match, which meant Axel got to boss me around, something he greatly enjoyed. 

"Vic, I need you in the forest, on the ground with Charlie, you two will be a deterrent for the Ares kids, blocking the way from here," Axel told me pointing at a map, with neatly sketched outlines, X's and dots I could barely make any sense of.

"You know that Emily is going to kick my ass if she finds me right?" I asked Axel. He shrugged.

"I said you would be a deterrent, Dia, I never said you would have to hold your ground," he said, with a shrug.

"I-" I tried to start but was interrupted as the horn blew in the distance. It was time to begin Capture the Flag.