"It would do well if you refrain from doing so" a voice called out to us from among the frozen crowd
"Chiron..." I recognized the voice
"You weren't frozen old man?" Ryuuen questioned
"I train the heroes who go on quests, it isn't hard to surmise why I was left to hear everything" Chiron stroked his chin
"Hear everything?" Sakayanagi repeated in a questioning tone
"Do you think differently of us now?" She continued
"Truthfully I'm not sure what to think of you children right now, if you even are children. However, the fact remains that you will be the ones tasked with completing this quest. No matter what, it is my duty to guide you to fulfilling that" Chiron answered
"A fitting answer for a camp director" Sakayanagi smiled
"Still, I don't know what grudge you hold against this child, but I would hold off on murdering the Oracle of Delphi. You never know how the Fates would retaliate" Chiron drove the topic back to Karuizawa
"You do realize that, that's no longer Rachel, right? Someone else took over that body, someone we know very well" Horikita stared at the limp Karuizawa
I couldn't blame Horikita for speaking out, but still..... you gave him too much information
"I'd suspected as such after learning about you kids, but hearing it bluntly is still difficult. So, you all came from the same place, and know each other from before, right?" Chiron caught on quickly
"That's the general idea" Ryuuen concurred
"Actually, it's a little strange. Hades was worried about his sons change in personality, and after discovering his body was taken over, he simply left...." Horikita spoke to us
He did? First I've heard of that
"I remember when that fucker showed up with an army full of monsters, you'd think I was the bad guy" Ryueen grinned
"That's because you ARE the bad guy" Sakayanagi answered
"I'll be whatever let's me have the most fun" Ryuuen replied
"What are we going to do when everyone wakes up?" Horikita asked, leaving the other two alone
"The gods will make a statement in a week over the prophecy and quest. For now, all I must do is calm the campers until then. You kids will spend this week learning about our world" Chiron explained
"Uhh.... Can we get a break instead?" I asked
I'd rather not work even more after going through all of this
"I suppose it would do well for you kids to catch up with each other, im not particularly sure when you overtook their bodies but it should have been recently"
Chirons intuition was certainly strong, thats what living for centuries does to you.
"However, at most I can afford you two days, the quest still takes precedent over personal matters" he ended
Well, at least we got some time off.
"Quest?" Someone asked
Everyone turned at the same time, in the direction of Percy, as he slowly began to move normally again
"Woah, did you guys all learn to teleport or something? I swear you were standing somewhere else just now" He asked looking straight at our strange little group
"Welcome ba-" Ryuuen couldn't finish his statement as Sakayanagi stomped her foot on him
"Gahh! You brat" he spat out
"Keep your mouth shut, you're giving away information" she whispered
If I had done the same to Horikita earlier, perhaps Chiron wouldn't have...... no, she'd probably kill me right after
"But it would've been funny" Ryuuen averted his gaze
Slowly, but surely, the campers began to stir back to life. Confusion was evident among their faces, but none of them spoke out.
"Wait, Chiron, where'd the Olympians go?" Annabeth recovered first
"Yeah, what happened? Rachel spews some prophecy and suddenly you guys are somewhere else and the gods are gone?" Percy questioned us
"I'll explain it all later, right now I believe everyone wants some rest. You've all been fighting for days on end. Let's make it back to camp at the very minimum" Chiron defused the tension building up in the room
Wait how come they get rest....
"Argus will be making a few trips to quickly get the campers in critical condition. Everyone else who can walk is asked to hitch a ride with a Pegasus, car, or wait for Argus to transport others first." Chiron spoke to the campers
Wait, are we also....
"It should be your first time in the camp, right Michael?" Chiron spoke to me personally now
Everyone's attention drew to me, it was a strangely nostalgic feeling
"Yes" I answered
"I'll take you there personally then, you need a proper guide after all" Chiron offered
"Wait, Chiron I can do that myself. Im one of the cabin le-" Percy was cut off
"I have some things to exchange with Michael, it would be better if it were just me and him" Chiron spoke
Saying it so publicly would obviously elicit reactions of curiosity
"Wait, what do you need from him"
"Does he know something we don't"
"How the Hades are we gonna cover up this battle from the mortals"
All questions that make sense in this situ- actually that last one is really good
What the hell will the real world think happened?
"Quiet!" Annabeth yelled, silencing everyone
She commanded much more respect than I first thought
"Chiron would tell us if we need to know. Give him time to contemplate things, when has he failed us" Annabeth stated
She's a good leader....
"Thank you Annabeth, I promise to tell you children when the time comes. For now, just place your trust in me." Chiron pleaded
Chiron as well was a good leader. These people are much like the people in Ichinose's class, social and amicable. Trusting in each other, believing in each other.
I'd hope it wouldn't be their down fall as well.
"I'll be taking Rachel with me as well. Protecting the Oracle is important, so bringing her to camp will be the best option" Chiron continued
....wait a minute
"I don't think that's a good idea" Sakayanagi stepped forward
"Who is that?" A camper asked
"If you're taking both of them, I request to be brought with them as well" she continued
"It's unfortunate, but I can only carry two people with me at a time" Chiron countered
"Then wait, I'll find a way to transport more" Ryuuen offered
"I can't wait, leaving the Oracle without protection-"
"You speak of protecting the Oracle, but is it not safest here with all these warriors?" Horikita asked
"The campers are all worn out, the gods don't help the children, and the only ones who can fight don't seem to be on good terms with her" He stated directly at them
"Bringing her to the camp is for her own good, and Michael is the only one who hasn't shown any hatred. This is the best decision" he finished
".....your status as a protector is legendary. So we shall put our faith in you. Should something happen to him though, this quest will be the least of your worries" Sakayanagi threatened Chiron
"It's in my best interest to keep you all safe, but I will remember it child. It wouldn't be the first time I've been betrayed" he smiled weakly at her
Karuizawa remained quiet throughout the interaction. She must still be extremely confused, but at the minimum she must know that she's not in a normal situation.
She refrained from giving out information about herself, or from drawing attention. A smart decision in an unknown territory.
Chiron leaned over her, and began lifting her up on to his back.
Her eyes shone with terror, but she refrained from shouting out.
"You should hop on as well, Michael"
"We're leaving already?" I questioned
"It's better to be quick about this situation. I have some questions for you"
"I suppose that's true" I stated as I attempted to step forward
Before doing so though, Horikita grabbed my hand and looked at me
"Don't trust her" she muttered before letting go
I slowly nodded at her, and continued on
There was no need to mention that, Horikita, after all, I don't trust any of you
I climbed my way on the back of Chiron, it was still a strange concept. How does being half-horse work exactly?
"Are you kids strapped in?" He asked
"I think" I answered
Im not really sure how we're supposed to strap in.....
"I'd hope you are, the ride gets bumpy for first time riders" he spoke before readying a running stance
Everyone quickly moved out of the way, making space for our exit
"Wait, in that case I don't think I'm re-" Karuizawa finally spoke out
Without listening to her, the world around us quickly distorted. As if our point of view was stretched to its maximum and then quickly squeezed in rapid succession
Dizziness ensued as our eyes weren't meant to take in such a sight, but as quickly as it started, it ended.
After coming to a standstill, we were now on top of a large hill near a beach. The city was nowhere in sight.
"It should be a new experience for both of you. Despite its lonesome appearance, it's usually brimming with campers and activities. I wish I could show you a better scenery, but times are desperate. Alas, welcome to Camp" he spread his arms to show us
On the other side of the hill was a large section of cleared land. Not large enough for a city, but certainly on the level of a neighborhood.
"I'll give you a tour later, but for now.... we need to have a talk" he spoke in a serious tone
"It was to be expected" I shrugged as I followed him down a hill, passing a large pine tree.
There was something else there, but deciding I wanted to keep my life, I refrained from paying attention to it
Karuizawa trudged along behind us, silently keeping her head down
"Actually....." I slowly stopped in my tracks, catching the attention of Chiron
"......I think I need to have a talk with Rachel, if you don't mind"
________________________________________
Authors Note: I'm going to describe the camp as I've always pictured it, which means it might not be same as canon. Next chapter will talk a bit about Karuizawa's situation.
Many of you guys were confused about what happened with her, I didn't respond because I didn't want to spoil it. So uhh, my bad.
Current plan is to finish off The Cursed Blade first, while slowly updating Cards Dealt. Then I'll finish s2, and finally finish The Manipulator. I'll probably retire from writing after that, or maybe I'll find some reason to continue. Not likely though, so I'll try to do good while I can.
Shout out to some long time supporters
- Overlord_End
- Tomorrow216
- DustyLekh
- akabaneslytherin
- The25thIrregular
- pratyrush5982
Thanks to Dramartugy as well for looking forward to s2 the most despite being a newer reader.
Past 2 weeks have been rough. Midterms ate my ass, but I managed to score 90+ on them so there's that. Got into a fight, not my fault cuz what type of person would I be to let my friend get jumped. And finally, turned 17 this month, so at least some good news.
"My shovel wasn't bent, I was broke, had to fix it. A shark in the water you swim wit the lil fishes"
Cya.