EYES TRAILED PERCY'S every movement, the minotaur horn in his tight grasp sending a clear message. The camp was mystified in curiosity as the boy followed Chiron to the Hermes cabin.
They had just finished a tour, so it was hard for Percy to focus on what Chiron was saying, people whispering all around him, "There he is!" The campers tried to be secretive, however Percy heard every word.
Nevertheless, Percy got the gist of it: Grover was 28 (crazy, right?) but satyrs age differently so he's practically a middle school student, the gods and the underworld is real and that he was to play Capture the Flag with all the other campers on Friday. Oh, and he also needed his own weapon.
Percy's eyes settled on the Hermes Cabin in front of him.
On the top steps, Loralai was sitting down with her legs crossed just by the doorway. For a moment, she glanced inside the cabin, laughing at someone's loud joke.
Annabeth was beside her, leaning on the railing with an architecture book in her hand. The boy strained to read the title, he thought it was just his dyslexia playing up, but then he realized it was in Greek.
Compared to the other cabins, the Hermes cabin looked like a regular old Summer cabin. Emphasis on old. It was a one story log cabin with a caduceus placed over the doorway. Chiron and Percy walked up the steps, the wood creaking beneath them announced their presence.
Annabeth put her book down and Loralai stood up. "Girls, I have a masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?" Chiron asked. "Yes, sir," the girls said in unison. Percy thought it was creepy, the way they said it made them sound like those twins from The Shining.
The threshold of the cabin was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Inside, it was packed with people. Percy gulped apprehensively, noticing how there were more campers than bunk beds.
Chiron didn't go in, the doorway being too low for him. When the campers saw him, they all stood and bowed respectfully. Smacking his lip, Chiron stated, "Well, then. Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner." Then he galloped away to the archery range.
Percy stood in the doorway, Loralai raising a brow at his hesitance. Then she got a glimpse of the cabin over his shoulder and understood why. All of the campers were standing there, sizing the boy up. "Well?" Annabeth prompted impatiently. "Go on."
Naturally, Percy tripped coming in the door. Loralai smacked a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing, the humiliation was already enough as it was. A few of the people snickered. The two girls followed behind him confidently, Loralai stepped in front of him.
"Percy Jackson, meet Cabin 11," Loralai announced. Someone, who hadn't already heard Luke and her conversation earlier, asked, "Regular or undetermined?" Loralai tucked in her lips, then said, "Undetermined."
Everybody groaned.
Luke stepped forward, his short-cropped sandy hair and friendly smile putting Percy at ease. "Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy," Luke declared, pointing to a clear area on the floor. "You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."
"This is Luke," Annabeth introduced, blushing. Percy looked at her and then her expression hardened again. "He's your counselor for now," Loralai explained, giving Annabeth a knowing look. "For now?" Percy asked.
Patiently chiming in, Luke explained, "You're undetermined. They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here," he motioned to the area around him with wide arms, "Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."
Percy eyed up the section of flooring they had given him. He looked down at his Minotaur horn, then remembered that Hermes was also the god of thieves and decided against putting it down.
Scanning the room, he looked around at the campers, some sullen and suspicious, some grinning stupidly, some eyes him as if they were waiting for a chance to pick his pockets.
The younger boy looked at Luke and asked, "How long will I be here?"
"Good question," Luke praised. "Until you're determined." Loralai was suddenly interested in the floor. "How long will that take?" Percy questioned. The campers all laughed and Loralai had a gleam of resentment in her eye as she fake-laughed along.
"Come on," Loralai told him. "Yeah, let's show you the volley-ball court," Annabeth insisted. "I've already seen it," Percy deadpanned. "Come on," Loralai muttered angrily, grabbing a tight hold of his wrist and dragging him outside.
When we were a few meters away, Annabeth said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that." Percy scratched the back of his head with his free hand.
"What?" Annabeth rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe we thought you were the one." The brunette girl put her hands up in protest. "Woah, Annabeth. That was just you, I actually know Percy."
"What's your problem?" Percy was getting angry now. Loralai felt his hand tense under hers, quickly pulling away from him when she realized she was still grabbing his wrist. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy–"
"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth scolded loudly . "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?" The boy scoffed in disbelief. "To get killed?" Loralai glared at him and half-yelled, "To fight the Minotaur! I mean, what do you think all this training is for?"
The girl motioned to their surroundings.
Dozens of kids were by a lake, loading up their canoes for the day or sailing quickly across the lake. Sweat dripped off their faces as they puffed, their muscular arms rowing in unison.
Across the lake, there was a climbing wall. Pouring down it was lava, campers strained as they dodged the liquid and the boulders tried to trip them up. One kid, who looked about 10 year-old, fell down, screaming in pain. Percy flinched. A few campers rushed over to help him.
Behind all this training, all these muscles, were kids just trying to avoid being killed just for existing.
Percy shook his head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories..."
"Yes, Annabeth confirmed. "Then there's only one." Loralai hummed to verify.
"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So..." Percy said proudly, like he had just figured out they were lying. Loralai's fists went white, she was exhausted at all his questions.
"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed, but they don't have souls–" she explained. Percy interrupted sarcastically, "Oh, thanks. That clears it up."
Loralai cleared her throat. "They don't have souls," she began again, "you can dispel them for a while. If you're lucky, for your whole life-time. But they're primal forces, Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they reform."
Percy looked down at the ground in thought. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword–"
"The Fu... I mean, you and Loralai's math teacher. That's right, she's still out there. You made her very, very, mad," Annabeth jumped in, noticing how Loralai was clenching her jaw, clearly relating to Mrs. Dodds.
The brunette was outraged at the idea that Percy, the most annoying boy ever, would be at camp, in the same cabin as her.
"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?" Percy asked. "Loralai wrote me letters while she was at–" Annabeth began, stopping abruptly at the aggressive motion of Percy jamming a finger in Loralai's face.
"I knew it. You lied, too!" He yelled childishly. Loralai sighed and brushed his hand away. "Whatever."
The three continued to walk. Percy scrunched up his face, then looked at Annabeth. "You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' tortures, right?" The two girls glanced nervously at each other then to the ground like they were expecting it to open up and swallow them.
"You shouldn't call them by name, even here," Annabeth explained," We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."
Whining, Percy said, "Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" Loralai laughed briefly. "Nope." If the campers didn't have to watch what they said, they'd probably be a gods hate club running at camp.
Percy groaned at her answer. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there." He pointed to the first few cabins.
Loralai clenched her jaw angrily. "It's crowded," she mocked. "If it were up to me I'd have left you passed out on the porch, no ones happy, okay?" Percy froze. "Grover dragged me in."
Shaking her head towards Percy with warning, Annabeth changed the topic, "You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or... your parent." The blonde cautiously glanced at Loralai as she said the last part. Luckily, she was zoned out, probably practicing her breathing exercises. Annabeth then stared at Percy, waiting for him to get it.
"My mom is Sally Jackson," Percy replied. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to." His sea-green eyes turned stormy at the mention of his mother, the events of the night flowing back to him.
Annabeth took in a sharp breath. "I'm sorry about your mom, Percy," Loralai mumbled quietly. "Annabeth's talking about your other parent, your dad." Percy looked surprised at Loralai's words. "He's dead, I never knew him," he told her, even though his tone made it sound like a question.
Loralai pinched her nose bridge, sighing. Clearly, she'd had this conversation before with the other kids.
Chiron had mentioned to Percy that Loralai went to get demigods a lot. A few people had waved at her as they went past, which must've been some of them, he thought. For some reason, he thought he was special for being sought after. This whole day had been severely humbling for him.
"Your father's not dead, Percy," Loralai finally said. "How can you say that?" Percy said. Suddenly, he perked up with an expecting smile. "You know him?"
"No, of course not." Percy's smile faded at her words, his shoulder relaxing. "Then how can you say–"
"Because I know you. You couldn't be here if you weren't one of us," Loralai answered. Offended, Percy dryly chuckled to himself. "You don't know anything about me," he spat. The girl raised an eyebrow. "No?" She challenged Percy.
"I bet you got expelled from a lot of schools, had to move around a lot."
"How–"
"You were probably diagnosed with dyslexia. Maybe ADHD, too."
Percy attempted to swallow up his embarrassment. "What does that have to do with anything?" He managed, his voice coming out smaller than intended.
"If they come together... It's usually a clear sign. The letters are off the page when you read, it's because your brain is hard-wired to read ancient Greek. And, your battle reflexes, your ADHD makes you impulsive. It also makes your attention span shorter, that's because you see too much, not too little."
Ignoring the sense of overwhelming pride at being told that his "flaws" were actually designed to help him, he fiddled with his hands.
Loralai continued to say, "Of course the teachers want you medicated, most of them are monsters. They don't want you to see them for what they truly are and well... kill them like you did the Minotaur." Percy let out a shaky exhale. He didn't like the reference, although her words gave him such relief. He wasn't different. Everyone at camp was just like him.
"It sounds like... you went through the same thing?" He assumed. Annabeth responded swiftly, "Loralai didn't, she was homeschooled, but she got the medication because... Forget it. Uh, most of the kids here did, same as me."
Percy looked over at Loralai, who was already looking at him. He quickly looked away, tilting his head doubtingly. "Face it, Percy. You survived the ambrosia and nectar we gave you," Loralai claimed. The boy repeated her words quietly, "Ambrosia and nectar."
"The stuff we gave you to make you better," Annabeth elucidated gently, "that stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand. You'd be dead." Loralai grinned.
Percy took a moment to process her words. His blood to fire... Percy's eyes were once again placed on Loralai, noticing her smile at the mention of him being dead. The boy scoffed, then returned to his thoughts. Loralai Fotia. Fire. The last name made sense, however...
The boy was reeling with so many questions he found it hard to figure out where to start. "Loralai, who's your–" Then, a husky voice yelled, "Well! A newbie!"
Clarisse sauntered towards them, a few of her siblings behind her. They all looked the same to Percy: big, ugly and wearing camo jackets. "Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"
"Sure, Miss Princess," the large girl said, "so I can run you through it Friday night. "Errete es korakas," Annabeth sneered, which was Greek for "Go to the crows."
"We
Clarisse muttered spitefully, "We'll pulverize you". One of her eyes twitched before she glared at Loralai. "What about you, Unclaimed and Boring? Got anything to say?" One of her siblings called out. Looking them all up and down critically, Loralai huffed. "I would, but every time you talk I can smell your fish breath."
Rolling her eyes, Clarisse turned to Percy as her siblings behind her tried to smell their own breath. "Whose this little runt?" She spat. "Percy Jackson," Loralai introduced sharply, "meet Clarisse, daughter of Ares."
Percy blinked. "Like... the war god?" His tone sounded just as small as it did in the Hermes cabin, his face blank and dumb. Great, he's going for a track record of embarrassing himself, Loralai thought. Clarisse scowled, taking a step forward. "You got a problem with that?"
Thankfully, the boy managed to recover his wits. "No," he said. "It explains the bad smell." Clarisse growled. Like, actually growled as if she were a wolf. "We've got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy," Clarisse declared boomingly.
"Percy," he corrected. "Whatever. Come one, I'll show you," the large girl encouraged. "Clarisse-" Annabeth tried to say. "Stay out of it, wise girl." The blonde looked pained, but she did stay out of it.
Loralai took a determined step forward in front of Percy. "Really, you're going to do this?" She motioned at the Minotaur horn in his hands. "Yeah," Clarisse replied, grinning, "I am going to do this, Irrelevant." Loralai swore that they found new synonyms to call her everyday.
Percy passed the horn to Loralai, brushing her shoulder as he walked up to Clarisse. He was the new kid, he had to earn his own reputation. Loralai gave him a warning look. Nevertheless, she wanted him to learn from his own mistakes. And, believe her, what he was doing was a big mistake.
Before he knew it, Clarisse had him by the neck and was dragging him towards a cinder-block building, the bathroom. Kicking and punching Clarisse did not help the boy at all as the larger girl tossed him into the girls' bathroom, which smelled like every other public bathroom. Loralai scrunched up her nose in disgust.
The Ares kids were all laughing. "Like he's 'Big Three' material,'" Clarisse joked and pushed Percy towards one of the toilets. "Yeah, right. The Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking." Her siblings all cackled like witches, the bad lightning helping the illusion.
Annabeth stood in the corner, watching through her hands. Next to her, was an unusually calm Loralai. Percy thought that she could've at least pretended to feel bad for him. Bending Percy over on his knees, Clarisse slowly pushing his head towards the toilet bowl.
It reeked of rusted pipes and, well, like what goes into toilets. Percy looked at the scrummy water with the determination that he definitely would not go into that.
Then something happened. It happened so fast, Loralai barely caught it. The plumbing rumbled and shuddered, water shot out of the toilet, hitting Clarisse straight in the eye. Bullseye.
Percy was sprawled on the white bathroom tiles, Clarisse screeching like a hawk behind him. The boy turned just in time to watch Clarisse's face get blasted with water again, so forcefully that it pushed her onto her butt.
It continued to do this until Clarisse was pushed all the way back into the showers, gasping for air as she attempted to fight against it. Her friends tried to approach her. Unexpectedly, the other toilets exploded too, blasting them back along with her.
Then, all the water fixtures started acting up as well, the sinks, the showers. Working together, the water managed to spray the girls straight out of the bathroom, spinning them around like pieces of garbage being washed away.
As soon as the girls were out of the bathroom, the water stopped just as suddenly as it had started. Screaming could still be heard in the distance, Loralai snickered to herself. The entire bathroom had been flooded, the two girls hadn't been forced out, but they sure hadn't been spared, they were soaked like sponges.
Annabeth and Loralai were still standing in the same place, the blonde's mouth agape. Percy looked down and realized that he was sitting in the only dry spot in the room. It was Loralai's time to be shocked, a little late to the party as she exclaimed softly, "What in the name of–"
The boy stood up, his legs shaky, it reminded Loralai of Grover. "How did you..." Annabeth muttered. "I don't know," Percy answered truthfully, examining his clothes which had not a single drop of water on them.
Loralai vowed to change that, kicking the water so his pants were wet. "Hey!" Percy protested. "Now we're even," Loralai said and the three walked out the door.
Outside, Clarisse and her friends still hadn't managed to recover, sitting in the mud as campers gathered around them to gawk. Clarisse's hair was messed up, sticking to her face. All of their outfits were drenched and they smelt like sewage. Giving Percy a look of absolute hatred, Clarisse vowed, "You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead."
"You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth," Percy shot back confidently. Clarisse's friends had to hold her back, dragging her towards Cabin Five as all the campers surrounding cracked up.
The two girls looked at each other, nodded, then stared at Percy intrigued. "What?" He demanded, he couldn't tell if they were grossed out or angry at him. "What are you thinking?"
"We're thinking," Annabeth said, "that we want you on our team for Capture the Flag."
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(a/n)
- lowkey love clarisse, she's a drama queen and im here for it!!! strong women stand up!!
- im so tired so if u spot mistakes lmk. i got this chapter out REALLLYYY late.
- lmk if you like the story so far! what do you think about loralai and my other ocs (caliz and oliver)?
- finally a long chapter
PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE! + other interactions, their highly appreciated, love seeing u guys in my notifs <3
-eustelia
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