And we have finally reached camp! Hope you all enjoy.
4/2/2022
Come yell at me on tumblr: Percabeth4Life
Come chat with me on discord: https://discord.gg/3tGNJhu
OO OO OO OO
I drifted in and out of dreams.
OO OO OO OO
The pit yawned before me, sand shifting over my skin, coiling around me with rustling leaves settling over me. A voice whispered as I swayed in the dark, words of water and injuries and plans rustled in my ears.
It was soothing in its familiarity and I mourned as I slipped out of its hold.
OO OO OO OO
A spoon was in my mouth, filled with something tasting of the sweet fish that Triton shared with me, except it was a pudding.
A girl with curly blonde hair hovered over me, lips curled up as she scraped drips off my chin with the spoon.
Her eyes widened when they locked with mine and she quickly looked behind her before leaning closer.
"What will happen at the Summer Solstice."
The Solstice? "Wha-"
She glanced behind her again.
"What's going on?" she whispered. "What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks please-"
"Ha-" Hades.. His thing was... "Taken."
"What?" she hissed. "What does-"
Someone knocked on the door and the girl quickly filled my mouth with pudding.
OO OO OO OO
The familiar red light of Okeanus' palace shone down on me. I blinked slowly, staring at swirling decorations, shifting tapestries, shining floors.
Okeanus wasn't there, oh wait no- that was Him. I blinked up at Him. He was glowing, but He always did that. I thought he did at least.
Faint murmurs curled over me. A hand landed on my hand, I jumped. Soothing energy flowed over me with a glow-
Oh that was Tethys-ran, when did She-
I stumbled as She pulled me forwards.
OO OO OO OO
A husky blonde was standing in the corner of the room, watching me with a hundred eyes.
Blue eyes blinked at me from his cheeks, his forehead, and the backs of his hands.
"... what?" I muttered.
OO OO OO OO
I stumbled through the night, howls from beasts and storm winds shattering the darkness.
"Come on! We're almost there!"
A girl with black hair, plastered to her face by the rain, in a leather jacket was leading a little blonde-haired girl, and a taller blond-haired man. Running alongside them was... Grover?
They were struggling up the hill when the black-haired girl stopped.
"Go!" she yelled, shoving the younger girl to the older boy. "I'll hold them off!"
"NO!" the little girl cried as the blond-haired boy held her tight.
"Go! You have to get to safety!"
The taller boy held the child in his arms, expression pinched. "Thalia-"
"G-go!"
Grover tugged them up, the older boy pulling the girl with him.
They'd only gotten a few steps before the first terror arrived.
The black-haired girl raised a spear, a shield forming on her arm, and lashed out. Lightning flashed, the storm raged, the children screamed.
The fight surged up the hill, the black-haired girl, Thalia, gave ground before the hoards surging for her.
"THALIA!"
Lightning flashed, blood spilled, the girl fell.
Light blinded me, crackled through the air, and a pine tree rose above the hill.
OO OO OO OO
The room was empty, no one was there.
I slipped away.
OO OO OO OO
"Persi!?"
I whipped around at the familiar call, the familiar voice, the voice I'd missed so much, the person I'd missed so much.
Triton.
His tails glittered in the red-blue light, the flares twining over it glowing.
His eyes shone with worry, trident vanishing from sight as he held out his hands to me.
"Persi? Per- oh no, you-"
I tumbled into his arms, tears welling up. Everything that had happened since the solstice crashed down on me.
The fight at the school.
The fight with the Minotaur.
My mom.
My mom, gone in a shimmer of light.
My mom, gone.
I cried.
I cried for what happened with Ms. Dodds.
I cried for the pain I'd felt from the lightning.
I cried for the loss of my mom.
I cried in Triton's arms.
"I shouldn't have left you alone," he murmured, adding a softer curse under his breath. "I've got you, Persi. You're okay, you're safe."
I gasped for breath, my body aching, my heart aching even more. I leaned into Triton's hug, clung to the comfort, to the safety.
"It hurts," I choked out, unsure what part I was speaking of.
"I'm so sorry, Persi, soha amrama–" his voice was soft, it ached too "--I've got you."
Triton tucked me into an alcove, I wondered at the similarity between this and Tethys-ranono. Both offered comfort in soft words and back rubs.
But with Triton I was truly safe.
"Where are you?" Triton asked softly, urgently. "Where are you right now, Persi?"
I considered, through my tears and pain, where I was. The alcove and the comfort, the reminder of Tethys-ran... I was not there, the currents not deep and pressing, but I was–
"In a palace?"
I tucked closer to Triton, ignoring the armor digging into my cheek. Where I was didn't really matter, did it? Triton was here, and that meant I was safe.
"No," he said softly. "You're dreaming, Persi, where is your body ?"
I was dreaming.
I... I knew that.
I did.
But I also–
I didn't want to be dreaming.
"Persi?"
"Camp," I whispered.
That was where mom had vanished. That was where I'd killed the Minotaur.
My chest ached and tears spilled out once more.
Mom.
Triton tugged me closer, his voice sharp and urgent, "Persi, you must listen to me."
I swallowed, choking down the cries and focusing on him. Tears still welled up and he wiped them away with gentle hands.
"Zeus has found you, but he cannot be certain as to who you are, not yet. You need to hide your powers, do not use them at camp."
I swallowed, eyes wide.
"Soha, amrama, do you understand?"
I nodded, pressing close once more.
Triton always knew what to do.
I wouldn't use my powers at camp, I would hide them as I did at school. I could do that. No waterbending for the summer.
My chest ached, but I had Triton, at least for the moment. He had a plan, I was sure.
I drifted off to Triton's whispered promises that everything would be okay.
OO OO OO OO
I woke up to the sun on my face.
My surroundings were unfamiliar.
I was sitting in a deck chair on a large porch, a meadow stretched out before me with green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries and the air felt like static.
A pillow was behind my head, and a blanket across my legs.
It took a moment of staring at the blanket and feeling the static crackling up my arms to remember.
The dreams came first, strange and jumbled. A man with many eyes, a pit, my Metua.
Triton.
Triton told me to hide my powers, told me to not use them at camp. He said Zeus found me. I didn't know why that was bad, obviously it was, He'd tried to- tried to kill me-
I swallowed and grimaced, rubbing my throat with shaking hands. It felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest, and my tongue was dry and achy.
Everything ached actually.
I glanced around, hoping for some water, but there was none. Only a tall drink on the table beside me that was... like liquid blankets and breezes, humming low and soft like a lullaby. I reached for it, drawn by the soothing echo.
It looked like an iced apple juice, with a green straw and paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry. But it felt like comfort and healing and home.
My hands shook and the glass nearly slipped from my grasp when I tried to pick it up.
"Careful," a familiar voice said.
My gaze flicked towards the railing to my left, finding Grover leaning against it. My bags were beside him and he cradled a shoe box under one arm.
He was wearing blue jeans, converse hi-tops, and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. There were dark bags under his eyes and his hair was messy, unbrushed.
How did he wear shoes if he had hooves?
"You saved my life," Grover said. "I... Well, the least I could do... I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this."
He reverently placed the shoe box in my lap.
I pulled the lid off, hands still shaky and unsteady. The lid fell to the ground.
Inside were two black-and-white bull's horns, both muddy with uneven bases from where my ice had shattered them.
"The Minotaur," I whispered, the memories of the rush to camp slamming into me.
I'd half hoped that was a dream as well.
"Um, Percy, it isn't a good idea—"
"That's what he's called though," I said stubbornly, hands tightening on the shoe box. "In the myths he's the Minotaur. Half man, half bull terror."
"Terror?" Grover asked, frowning. "Uh, you mean monster?"
"I don't like calling them monsters," I said, staring at the horns. I knew about monsters, Gabe was one. I didn't like calling the beings of the myths monsters. They were called that, I knew that, but... it made me uncomfortable. "The myths also call them terrors, so I use that."
Grover shrugged, "Uh... well I guess... but uh- yeah that- that was.... That was the bull-man... You've been out for two days though, how much do you remember?"
It was hard to tell the dreams apart from reality. I'd seen the tree form, from a girl. I'd seen Triton, his guidance. I'd seen a man with many eyes, the gaping pit, the red light of the deep ocean.
The Minotaur- well that was real.
That meant...
But maybe... maybe part of it was a dream. Maybe my mom didn't-
"My mom-" I couldn't finish the question.
Grover knew it regardless, his head lowering and his eyes on the ground.
I looked away, staring out at the meadow, the swaying groves of trees and the winding stream glittering amongst acres of strawberries. The sky shone a beautiful blue above rolling hills and the huge pine tree that was once a girl.
It was a picturesque scene, peaceful and gentle and soft. It seemed like a safe haven, and I could understand why my mom had been told to send me here.
It was wrong though. My mom was gone . She- she had died in the Minotaur's hands– I wouldn't see her again. She was gone gone gone . The world should've been tumbling into darkness, the sun should've hidden beneath the hills, the sky should be dark and dreary. The skies themselves should've been mourning.
Nothing should've looked beautiful when my mom was dead.
Tears blurred my eyes.
"I'm sorry," Grover sniffled. "I'm a failure. I'm—I'm the worst satyr in the world."
He stomped his foot and his shoe flipped off, revealing the inside was filled with Styrofoam with a hoof-shaped hole.
"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled.
Thunder rolled across the clear sky in tune with a lash flashing across my skin.
I didn't care about that, nor the way Grover felt. My mom had been taken, squeezed tight until she bled gold and light and disappeared with burning shadows–
Mortals didn't bleed gold and light. They didn't vanish in gold and light. Mortals died and got funerals.
Did that mean–
"I'm sorry," Grover repeated miserably as he pulled on his shoe again.
I stared intently at the horns in my lap, hope warming my chest. She could be alive still. I was still alone, I had no one to help me, no one to go to. But she could be alive, and that–
I didn't know how to find her, I didn't know where she was. I knew this was a summer camp, so I would have to leave at the end of the summer. I wasn't sure where I'd go, maybe Okeanus-ari would accept me? He was my Metua... And if he didn't, maybe Triton would.
I wouldn't go to Gabe.
Grover was still sniffling, eyes red and dark, hands wringing the hem of his shirt.
I wanted to be mad at him, I was angry, I felt betrayed. He'd lied to me all year long, maybe even led the Minotaur to us, but he–
He was trying to help.
He was trying to protect me.
He didn't deserve the guilt.
"It wasn't your fault," I said softly.
"Yes, it was. I was- It was my job to protect you ."
I peeked up at him, confused by that. How was he going to protect me? He wasn't much of a fighter after all.
"Did my mom ask you to?"
"No, but it's my job . I'm a keeper... or well... I was..."
I rubbed my head, it was throbbing steadily. Out of all my body aches, I thought that the headache was the worst.
"Why-"
"Don't strain yourself," Grover said. "Here."
He leaned over to pick up the glass for me, putting the straw to my lips.
I took a sip and blinked. That didn't taste at all like I was expecting. I thought it would be like... fruity, maybe like apple juice even if it wasn't. But it tasted like chocolate-chip cookies.
My mom's chocolate-chip cookies.
I swallowed hard, blinking back tears and took another sip. I savored the taste, even if it was strange as a liquid instead of a solid.
The drink filled my body with warmth, energy pooling and spreading through me.
It felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand through my hair, kissed me on the cheek, and given me a cookie the way she would when I was younger.
The world felt a little brighter, my chest felt a little looser.
Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. The ice cubes clicked against the bottom, not melted in the slightest.
"Was it good?" Grover asked.
I nodded, licking my lips again. "Yeah."
"And how do you feel now?"
I considered that for a moment. I was still sad, still mad, still missed my mom. I still ached, a full body thing that lingered in the background, and my arms were crackling with static. There was something else there, enhancing what I felt, and something a bit like twining vines too. But... my head wasn't throbbing like before, more like an echo of a headache now. And I actually felt like I could move without collapsing.
Plus my mouth and throat felt mostly normal now, rather than all achy and dry.
"Like I could kill the Minotaur again," I decided.
He winced but nodded, "That's good, I don't think you could risk drinking any more of that stuff."
I frowned, "What do you mean?"
He ignored my question, and took the empty glass, setting it back on the table. "Come on. Khiron and Mr. D are waiting."
OO OO OO OO
Grover led me around the porch, which wrapped around what appeared to be a large farmhouse.
My legs were weak, and despite the strange drink I still struggled to walk too far. Despite that, I grabbed my bags and waterskin from Grover, shoving the Minotaur horns into the duffle, and slung them over my shoulders as I followed him.
We moved slowly, Grover patiently waiting as I leaned on the railing of the porch. It was a bit odd, being the slower one. I was used to being the one waiting for Grover but here he wasn't using his forearm crutches and was walking with an odd gait.
I guessed that was due to being a satyr.
We turned the corner of the house and my breath caught. We were definitely on the north shore of Long Island, I could see the water glittering in the distance, just beyond the valley.
And between here and the water there was... a lot.
The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like Ancient Greek architecture.
There was an open pavilion, an Amphitheater, and a circular arena. Scattered around those were many more buildings, with gleaming columns and carvings I could see impressions of from where I stood. Closer was a volleyball court, and beyond that a small lake with canoes on it. Near the lake and before the pavilion stood a variety of cabins.
On the volleyball court were people, kids in bright orange T-shirts running around, and beyond that a few riding horses- horses that I could've sworn had wings.
The end of the porch drew my gaze quickly though, as the sensation of curling vines threaded over my skin, joined by pins and needles in my arms–as if they'd fallen asleep. I could feel ever spark of static on my arms, the beating of my heart, the brush of the fabric on my skin.
At the end of the porch sat two men, a familiar one, and the one who radiated power.
We moved forward slowly and I noticed the blonde-haired girl from before, she hadn't been a dream then. She leaned against the porch railing beside them.
The man, the one draped in curling vines and too much everything was short, but stout. He had a rounded face, with a strong nose and sharp eyes. His hair was curly, and so black it was purple... or maybe so purple it was black. He was wearing a tiger-patterned Hawaiian shirt and tapping a deck of cards with a finger.
As we drew near I noticed something else, only noticeable because of how sharp every sensation was, a faint electric itch crawling down my spine.
"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to me, interrupting my thoughts. "He's the camp director, be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than just about anybody. And, of course, you already know Khiron..."
He pointed at the guy with his back to me. He sat in a very familiar wheelchair, and wore a very familiar tweed jacket. Around him was a very familiar buzzing.
"Mr. Brunner," I said.
The ex-Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. He seemed quite pleased, despite everything that had happened.
"Ah, good, Percy." He said. "Now we have four for pinochle."
I blinked. What?
He waved me to a chair to the right of Mr. D, who studied me with purple eyes and heaved a great sigh.
"Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."
I blinked again, a bit confused, but bowed my head in greeting. I didn't know who He was, but he was definitely powerful. Triton's lessons emphasized respecting those more powerful than yourself, if only to stay safe.
"Thank you, Sir," I offered politely as I sat.
He considered me, gaze intense. I glanced back at Mr. Brunner–er, Khiron?
"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner/Khiron called to the blond girl.
She came forward and Mr. Brunner/Khiron smiled at me.
"This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."
Annabeth nodded, studying me. "Sure, Khiron."
She looked about my age, though taller (like most people my age). And she looked athletic, with a deep tan and curly blond hair. Her eyes were a striking gray, intimidating and yet... familiar. I wasn't sure where I'd seen them before.
She studied me and for a second I wondered if she was going to praise me for defeating the Minotaur.
Instead she said, "You drool in your sleep."
Well that was uplifting.
She sprinted off down the lawn, her blond hair flying behind her like a bolt of silk.
"So," I said, ready to change the subject, "You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner... er Khiron? I thought that was pronounced Shy-ron?"
"Ah, yes that's how many pronounce my name these days. It's a left-over from the late Roman era. C's in the early days were all K sounds, but as time passed language changed and it changed to a more S sound. Proper spelling of Khiron is actually K-h-e-i-r-ô-n these days, but most campers just use K-h-i-r-o-n since it's pronounced about the same. So yes, it is Kie-ron, not Shy-ron nor Mr. Brunner, that was just a pseudonym."
"Okay..." I muttered.
Once a teacher always a teacher it seemed, I didn't know that about pronunciations. I decided not to ask about the need for a pseudonym while making a note that C's should be replaced with K's in Greek words. There were probably other pronunciation things, but that at least seemed like an easy rule to remember.
I turned to Camp Director, "And should I just call you Mr. D? Is that short for something? Is there anything else I should call you?"
Mr. D paused in shuffling the cards, turning His gaze back to me. It was like a physical weight, and He seemed uncertain whether to be disgusted or flattered.
"Young man," He said finally. "Names are powerful things, you don't go around using them for no reason... be as that may, you may call me My Lord if you'd like."
A faint smile twitched His lips and Khiron sighed.
"Alright My Lord," I said, resisting the urge to smile.
Mr. D hid a grin behind His drink.
"You don't have to call him My Lord, Percy. He's just being pretentious."
Mr. D's eyes flashed but He said nothing. I frowned.
"Anyways," Khiron continued. "I must say, I'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."
I stared. They'd certainly done a swell job ensuring my safety.
"You see, my year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you, was a house call. Grover could tell you were something special when he met you and contacted me, I thought it would be beneficial to come upstate to see."
I frowned, "You came to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"
"Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first. We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test."
I stared some more. Why was that the first test!? Why did I have to survive to what- be worthy of the camp? Was that how land camps worked? That was nothing like sea camps from what I'd heard! My mom died !?
"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently. "Are you playing or not?"
"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair. He seemed afraid of Mr. D, clearly he knew who Mr. D was.
Curling vines and sharpened senses had me suspecting who He might be.
"You do know how to play pinochle, yes?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.
"I'm afraid not My- er, Lord D?"
Lord D grinned while Khiron sighed. Khiron deserved it, petty revenge for the year of me freaking out over him. Plus, I was pretty sure Lord D was someone who deserved the title Lord.
"Well," Lord D told me, looking pleased. "It is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. I would expect all civilized young men to know the rules. But I suppose in your case it's simply a gap in your education. We'll fix it now."
"Thank you, Lord D." I said politely, using my princely smile.
Khiron looked at the ceiling for a long moment.
I hid a smile, feeling satisfied with my petty actions. Everything still ached, and the electric itch of the curse made me really want to scratch my back. Plus the pins and needles feeling was going to drive me mad at some point, especially when combined with the crackling crawling static. But at least I could annoy Khiron.
I turned to him now, "Khiron, what is this camp for? And why would you go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"
Lord D huffed, "I asked the same question. He's of much more use here."
The camp director dealt the cards and Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile.
Khiron smiled at me sympathetically, as if he'd been answering any question not having to do with the e-ty-mol-o-gy of words and hadn't made me think he was trying to kill me during the school year.
"Percy," he said. "What did your mother tell you?"
"Do you mean before she disappeared in a flash of gold light and burning shadows? Because we were a bit busy trying and failing to not die."
Khiron winced, Grover looked confused, and Lord D snorted, "Yes, before that would probably be best. Are you bidding?"
Khiron sighed and shot Lord D a sharp look. "What did your mother say to you?"
I scowled at the cards, hiding my annoyance at Khiron with my confusion over the game. "She said she was afraid to send me here, even though my Metua wanted me to come. She said I might never go home once I was here, and that she wanted to keep me close."
"Typical," Lord D muttered, his gaze on me heavy and sharp. "That's how they usually get killed. Now, are you bidding or not?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand how the bidding works, Lord D."
He sighed but explained the bidding to me.
I bid.
"I'm afraid there's not too much to tell," Khiron said. "I'm afraid our usual orientation film won't be sufficient."
"Orientation film?" I asked.
"No," Khiron decided while Lord D rolled His eyes. "Well, let's see. You know that Grover is a satyr. You know that you killed the Minotaur, though how I haven't the foggiest idea. That's no small feat lad."
Yeah, no kidding. Theseus killed it with the advice and aid of two Gods after years of fighting. The fact that I managed to kill it was... insane.
"What you might not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods—the forces you call the Greek gods—are very much alive."
"Okay?" I said, confused by why he seemed to think that was surprising. There were lots of different Gods, Triton taught me about them.
Khiron blinked.
"Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!" Lord D cackled as He tallied up His points.
"Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke can?"
"Eh? Oh, all right."
Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminum can.
"You don't have any questions about that, Percy?" Khiron asked, leaning forward.
"No, I don't think so. Gods are real, they live around us, Lord D is probably one, the lightning bolt that blew up Smelly Gabe's car last night was probably sent by one, I'm at a camp involving Them... anything else I missed?"
Lord D snorted.
"Ah... no, you covered it pretty well..."
"Cool, is this a good hand?"
I placed my cards down.
"Oh, a royal marriage, yes, yes, that's good." Lord D showed me how to tally my points.
"So, you understand that Gods are here, that They exist?"
I nodded, "Yeah, is that all?"
Khiron stared. "Ah, I suppose that covers that introduction..."
"Can I guess which God you are, Lord D?"
He looked amused, "Why not."
Khiron sighed again and shuffled through his cards.
I paused for a long moment, considering the purple eyes, the curling vines, the edging of too much, Grover's deference, and went through what I knew of the Gods before deciding I was probably right.
"You're Dionysus, God of wine and madness."
He tilted His head, studying me with those heavy eyes, "What gave it away?"
The vines and prickling too much that clung to my skin.
"There aren't a lot of Gods, at least that I know, whose name starts with a D. And uh..." I needed something more than my senses, Triton said no powers but I couldn't turn this one off. "Grover seems nervous with you and satyrs are associated with you in the myths, and I'm pretty sure you're Pan's dad?"
His attention bore down on me as Grover did a double take, "I am, not many know that. It's not explicitly stated in the myths."
Ah, areo, that was from my lessons with Triton over the lineage of the Gods.
"It just... made sense? Appearance wise and uh, with your connection with Hermes and all... anyways I'm right?"
He hummed, eyes knowing, but nodded. "I am indeed Dionysus."
He waved His hand and a goblet appeared on the table, as if the sunlight had bent and woven the air into glass. The goblet filled itself with red wine.
The twisting vines had wrapped around me, threading over my skin and entangling me. I knew they weren't really there but–they were present still. The pins and needles I could do without though.
"Mr. D," Khiron warned. "Your restrictions."
Lord D looked at the wine and feigned surprise. Electric sparking itches trailed over my spine and up my shoulders.
"Dear me." He looked at the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"
Lord D waved His hand again, and the wineglass changed into a fresh can of Diet Coke. He glared at it like it offended Him, then popped the top and went back to His card game.
Khiron winked at me, "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took fancy to a wood nymph who'd been declared off limits."
My brow furrowed. What? Did... did Zeus put it- her? Him? Them? Off limits? Why? Did the nymph want that? Did Zeus 'fancy' the nymph? Was it something else? Gods were weird.
"Yes," Lord D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly! It was a horrible ten years! The second time—well she was really pretty, and I couldn't stay away, it's not like Ariadne minded, and I didn't know about the stalker anyways —the second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you, though most have worse manners. 'Be a better influence,' he told me. Ha! Absolutely unfair."
Perhaps He didn't like kids? Or just being made to spend all His time with us kids? Or perhaps it was that he couldn't drink wine... a domain he ruled over...
Yeah that didn't sound nice.
"That seems unfair, sir."
"Exactly!" He huffed then laid His cards down.
"I believe I win."
"Not quite, Mr. D," Khiron said. He set down a straight and began to tally the points.
"The game goes to me."
Lord D glared at him, but just sighed through His nose as if He was used to being beaten by the ex-Latin teacher. He stood then, the chair scraping over the floor. Grover scrambled to his feet as well.
"I'm tired," Lord D said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, again , about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment."
He turned to me, "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson."
He swept into the farmhouse grandly, Grover following miserably.
I frowned, "Is Grover in trouble?"
Khiron shook his head, but failed to hide his troubled expression. "Old Dionysus isn't really mad. He just hates his job. He's been... grounded I suppose. He can't stand waiting another century before he's allowed to go back to Olympus."
I nodded sagely, "Right, Mt. Olympus... got it."
Where even was the Gods' domain these days? They lived in Aether from what I remembered, but I knew there was a central entrance... just not where it was.
I eyed Khiron as he started putting the cards back into the deck.
"So, you're Khiron from the myths? I didn't realize you were immortal... Or a human..."
"I was granted a wish by the Gods. I wished to be able to teach as long as I am needed," he smiled, "I'm still here so I assume I'm still needed. And I assure you that I am very much not human."
He looked fairly human.
I nodded, "Right..."
I fiddled with the conch charm on my bracelet.
"Now then, we should get you to a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet and plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be s'mores at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore chocolate."
He then rose from his wheelchair, his waist getting higher and higher while his legs stayed in place.
I gaped for a long minute until the first leg came out, and then I understood. The wheelchair- it was enchanted. It hid his animal half. That was–wow.
I'd never seen a kentaur before. He was very tall, I had to crane my neck to look up at him.
"What a relief," he said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep. Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let's meet the other campers."
OO OO OO OO
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Persi is being used instead of Percy because in Halmaheran there is no Letter 'C'. So for those in the sea they refer to him as Persi. There is also no letter 'J' so Percy Jackson will become Persi Yakson.
Another reminder that monsters are far more dangerous than Rick tended to portray them and I'll be doing my best to portray them with accurate threat levels.
How do you think Percy's doing? Do you understand all his dreams? How do you think the next chapter will go? Any questions
Halmaheran
Persi=Percy
soha amrama=little kraken
Metua=father
Areo=fuck
Suffixes
ari=old king
ranono=old queen's
Terminology
Terrors=Monsters were called both monsters and terrors in ancient times, I choose Percy using terrors for the monsters that are actually malicious. He doesn't like using monsters because of modern connotations. This will be elaborated on in future chapters.
Khiron=phonetic spelling of Chiron and the original
Come yell at me on my tumblr: Percabeth4Life
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