Miss Quinn

22 ~ The Talk with Chiron and Archery

Emma followed Chiron to the rec room where a ping-pong table sat. Emma nervously took a seat on the opposite side of the table from Chiron.

"Emma, the mixture of your magical ability from your mother and your demigod powers have made you very powerful." Chiron said, "In the Wizarding world -- yes I know about that -- you are a powerful witch, there's a prophecy about you. That prophecy is also a demigod prophecy, I know it well. Your healing powers are strong in the demigod world, and you excel at potion making. Potion making is much like healing and medicine. Apollo's gift of healing influences your ability to heal and to make potions. You can play instruments without learning or practicing, another rare gift. Apollo has definitely favored you in handing out abilities. Your siblings are no where near as powerful, or have as many gifts. But don't let that get to your head, Emma, no one is invincible."

When Chiron had finished, Emma was still trying to make sense of it all. She could heal, shoot with a bow, and play instruments without knowing how. Emma thought back to the lyre, she had played a beautiful melody without learning how. When she'd first shot an arrow, the bow had felt right in her hands. Then there was healing Connor Brody. Emma had never healed someone before, yet she knew exactly what to do and what to use. It all came naturally.

"You understand, Emma, you can't let others find out about you. They'll either want you to join them, or they'll want to kill you." Chiron said.

"Who will?" Emma asked.

"There is an evil lurking in the shadows here and in the Wizarding world. Both are trying to come back to power, but you must stop them. If either one does, it could be the end of your life." Chiron said.

Emma nodded and tried to think of someone that would want her dead. No one came to mind.

"Chiron, Apollo said I couldn't tell anyone about my other life. He said no one else knew. How do you know?" Emma asked.

"I know many things, Emma. The gods know about your other life. What Apollo meant was your friends here don't know. Demigods exist in secret, as do wizards. If either side finds out about the other, there could be chaos." Chiron said.

Emma nodded and stood up. Chiron lead her outside and told her to go back to her cabin. Emma passed by kids sword fighting and playing games. There was a group of girls giggling and fixing their makeup and hair. Emma assumed they were the daughters of Aphrodite.

Emma walked up to her cabin and opened the door. The cabin was empty except for David who was mending a bird's wing.

"Where is everyone?" Emma asked.

"Practicing archery, Will said you could join them if you want to." David said. It was the first time Emma had heard David speak. His voice was gruff, like he was speaking through a hole in his throat.

Emma thanked him and went back outside. The walk to the arena only took a few minutes, and when Emma got there, she was just in time for Connor's twentieth bulls-eye in a row. The Apollo cabin -- save David -- cheered as the arrow stuck in the center of the target. Will noticed Emma and waved her over.

"Hey, lil' sis, wanna shoot some archery?" Will asked. Emma nodded and pressed the stone on her ring. Her bow and arrows appeared, surprising all of Emma's half-siblings.

"Woah, where'd you get those?" Carly asked.

"Christmas present from Dad." Emma said. She loaded her bow and pulled back the string. Her arrow was aimed at the only empty target. Emma released the arrow and it flew straight at the bulls-eye. The arrow landed with a thunk and Emma grinned.

"Ever shot an arrow before?" Will asked.

"Once." Emma replied.

"You're amazing." Will grinned.

Carly, Fawn, Sadie, Brody, and Will continued to watch Emma shoot. By the time the dinner horn sounded- which was only a few minutes later- Emma had twenty-three bulls-eyes and one arrow that was half on-half off the bulls-eye.

Emma, Will, Carly, Fawn, Sadie, and Connor met up with the other children of Apollo -- David, Lee Fletcher, Michael Yew, and Austin Barton -- and went to the dining pavilion.

Each cabin sat together at a table. Emma sat between Will and Sadie. Emma saw that the others' plates were filling up with food and their goblets were filling with drinks.

"Just say what you want and it will appear." Will said. Emma nodded and picked up her goblet.

"Water," Emma said. The goblet filled with clear liquid. Emma smiled and set her goblet on the table, "Rotini pasta with red spaghetti sauce," Emma watched in amazement as her favorite meal appeared on her plate. Will stood up from the table and carried his plate to a large fire. Emma and the rest of her cabin mates followed him. They each scooped a bit of their meal into the fire and said, "Apollo". When it was Emma's turn, she slid a few noodles into the flames and repeated her father's name as her sibling had done. Afterwards, she went back to her table and ate her meal. Camp Half-Blood was turning out to be pretty great.