The arrow flew from the bow and landed right in the center of the target. The girl lowered the bow and popped her neck. Concentrating too hard left her body stiff. "That's how you shoot a bow kids." Luke Castellan, one of the camp's counselors and leader of the Hermes cabin, chuckled. He was supposed to be instructing the younger ones on how to shoot a bow, but he called in a favor.
"You're dismissed to lunch." The girl said, placing the bow in the quiver. The kids scattered, running towards the pavilion. She smiled at Luke, a smile that was brighter than the sun.
"They love you." Luke said, picking up stray arrows. Callais laughed. "I love you." He said, hugging her from behind.
She snorted and pushed him away. "That's what you say." Her golden eyes glittered. No one in her family had golden eyes but her. They were a reminder of what the Oracle said she was to help accomplish. But no one knew what that was, not even Apollo himself.
"It's what I mean." He said sternly.
She smiled and let him embrace her again. "I love you too." She said back. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She pulled away and raised her watch. "I've got to go exercise Mortem before lunch ends. I'll see you at the lake." She kissed his cheek and ran off, the wind whipping at her ginger hair.
They both knew a relationship would not be easy. It was one thing to date another demigod, or a mortal even, but to date a demigod while you were a goddess? Unheard of. Especially when Callais Montague (a last name she adopted for house calls) was the goddess of demigods. And even more odd when her last relationship with a demigod had resulted in the wrecking of a city, her death sentence and her eventual level up to being a goddess. But, despite all bumps in the road that had passed or were to come, neither one complained. Simply for the fact that both Luke Castellan and Callais Montague were insanely in love with each other.
And every single inhabitant of Camp Half-Blood knew it. To some (every cabin but the Aphrodite cabin), it was a sickening sight, watching the two lovebirds walk to the dock or engage in a duel or, gods forbid, kiss each other anywhere. But to the sons and daughters of love itself, it was a sight to be seen. The Aphrodite cabin was like the paparazzi whenever the couple (Lukais, they had been officially deemed) was near them. They whipped out their notepads and disposable cameras and did whatever they could in the short amount of time they had. And then, the worst part, they turned their information over to the Hermes cabin. Sons and daughters of the thieving messenger god himself. And they, in turn, worked their magic.
Camp Half-Blood, for some unknown reason, had a newspaper. Yes. A bunch of teenage demigods and Grecian creatures, had a newspaper report. One day. Certain Hermes kids were overly dedicated to the newspaper that circulated the camp. They recruited one 'lucky' kid from every other cabin so each cabin would have a page in the paper. And then it was published. The Hermes cabin had to be renovated so there could be a place to properly work and edit and publish the paper. Even though no one cared to see Lukais in public, they loved reading about it. The Aphrodite kid that wrote the page on love, love advice and beauty tips really knew how to describe and make it interesting.
Callais arrived at the stables where the winged horses were kept. In the very back, isolated from his brethren, was Mortem. The others were afraid of him, she had known that for a very long time. But it pained her that he could not interact with his own kind. His father never showed up. She walked to his stable, larger than the others and much cleaner too, and tossed him a sugar cube. Or rather, a sugar box. The pegasus ate more than any other one she knew of. He was big, taller than most and much more different. He radiated power. His father was the Pegasus, immortal lord of all the pegasus kind.
Mortem was a baby though, despite the intimidating look and all the stomping around he did. His sleek coat reflected every surface, whenever he so pleased. So Callais didn't have to rely on the Mist to cover her flying horse. He did it himself. Whenever he wasn't camouflaging, Mortem kept his coat dark black, almost blue and purple. His hooves were a startling white, with a bright white triple edged sword mark along both his sides.
The story surrounding the unique weapon was an eternal legend. It was the only triple edged sword ever to exist in the history of the world, and it was magic. Zeus had it crafted for Callais in the best Cyclops forge, making sure it was the best weapon for his new goddess. The Cyclops did not, however, mention that Zeus' brothers also wanted Callais to have the best sword. Zeus insisted on Imperial gold, Hades wanted Stygian iron and Poseidon demanded Celestial bronze. Not wanting a fight between the brothers, the Cyclops forged a triple edged sword, each edge made of one of the blessed metals. The sword appeased all three of the gods and was a perfect fit of Callais. She could wield it perfectly and it transformed into a bone ring on her finger. Not just any bone. A piece of the Minotaur's horn that was blasted off when the gods called her to Olympus.
Callais reached over the barrier and ruffled the creature's snout. "I think we should fly today. Where would you like to go? I personally have always enjoyed Montana this time of year." She said as she undid the barrier. The horse whinnied. Good thing Poseidon allowed her to communicate with horses.
I hate Montana. It's so…plain. Ooh! We should do the Empire State Building. There's a nice breeze today, I heard from a wind spirit. She considered it. New York was pretty this time of year, she did live there all the time. It also wasn't far so Dionysus couldn't say much about it. And she did love looking up at Olympus. Not to mention Montana was a bit boring. She beckoned her pet from the stable and didn't bother saddling him. He hated being restrained. She climbed on top of him. He could feel her emotions, connect with them. Their bond was one that needed no words. He was wind, he was the air. His wings always caught air just the right way, so they felt like nothing as they flew. They almost ran into a storm but Zeus blew it off course, for sake of his favorite girl.
Callais, though she would never admit it out loud, loved being spoiled by the gods. It was nothing like how her parents had spoiled her when she was mortal. They had wanted to possess her, keep her forever and use her. The gods loved her. They were family, in a sense. All they wanted was her acceptance and they had it. Never would she have thought she would turn out a goddess, one of them. Worshipped and loved by all.
Mortem neighed, a stressed sound she didn't hear often from him. He was telling her that something was wrong here, they needed to turn back. And she didn't blame him. She had been to the building hundreds of times, they were just on Olympus days ago for a field trip. But something was different now. Dark clouds gathered at the top of the building. Curiosity got the best of her. She instructed Mortem to land and he did. She weaved the Mist, causing herself to look like a blind girl and Mortem was her seeing-eye dog.
She walked into the building. "Miss, can we help you?" A security guard regarded her cautiously. Good, she thought. He was tall, stocky with a Taser and baton.
"I'm going to the sixth hundredth floor." She said easily. Mortem sneezed. He never liked the Mist much. The guard saw right through her illusion.
"Of course, madam. They've been expecting you." He led her to the elevator, as one might do for a blind girl and pressed the up button for her. "Good luck. Zeus is in a mood." He whispered to her as she stepped inside and the doors shut. There was a nice smile on her lips. She didn't need luck.
The ride to the sixth hundredth floor was a drag. No mortals used the elevator, but six hundred floors was a lot. Once there, she told Mortem to go back to Camp. She'd find a way home. The horse flew off, his coat attempting to blend in perfectly. Callais made her way to the throne room, passing by a naiad meadow where several of the water spirits were laughing with satyrs. Each of the Olympians was present, minus Hades who never liked the formal meetings. They each sat in their respective throne, whispering quietly to one another.
The first to look up was Apollo. His bright eyes and even brighter smile lit up the whole room. He was, for once, wearing the formal godly attire of a white toga and something golden. "The princess has arrived!" He said, still grinning. That got everyone to shut up. They all stared at her. Aphrodite smiled kindly, pushing her ginger hair behind her shoulders.
"Finally, someone with some sense." Artemis sighed, rearranging her bow on her back. Hera stood and went to welcome Callais properly. She kissed her on both cheeks and held her out to look at her.
"Your cheeks are sunburnt. We must tell Chiron not to let you wander outside all day. And Apollo," her voice suddenly turned very stern, "tone it down. You'll ruin her complexion." Hera smiled sweetly and hugged Callais. This happened every time. If there was a blemish on her cheek, Hera blamed Aphrodite. Sunburns went to Apollo.
"Oh, enough Hera. Let the girl breathe." Zeus waved his hand. Hera stepped back reluctantly. Zeus beckoned Callais forward and she walked. "So you sensed the trouble. And your horse was smart enough to suggest bringing you here." He stated.
Poseidon laughed deeply. "I knew the pegasus was a good idea! You're welcome, Callais!" Zeus shot his brother a stern look. But Poseidon still laughed.
Callais took one of Zeus' smaller bolts. "Something's been stolen?" He nodded. Who would steal something from the gods? That was suicide in the making. Not to mention stupidity on the thief's part.
"My master bolt is missing. We suspect Hades took it when he was last here." Zeus told her. Hades? Surely not. He couldn't take it anyways. It was law.
"The campers were here the last time Hades was. Perhaps-." Her sentence was cut off by a swirl of black smoke. She turned, a slight smile on her lips. Hades was standing in the doorway, the angriest expression on his face.
"You forget, brother, that my helm was also stolen. Therefore, it could not have been me." Hades walked forward. He stopped by Callais' side and patted her shoulder. "You look good, kid." He said. She didn't have favorites, but if she did, Hades would be it. Or Apollo. He still had a sense of humor, that she appreciated. And he reminded her of Luke. They had the same boyish charm, sunny good looks and bright smile.
"Perhaps you have hidden it so you will have a cover-up for taking my bolt!" Zeus shouted. And then there was an argument. Having them all in the same room was never a good idea. And Ares amplified it. Finally, Callais got them all to be quiet and settle down.
"I was saying that perhaps a camper took both the helm and the bolt, merely as a trick. You know how children are. Maybe whoever took is trying to prove himself to you, show he's a hero worthy of anything." Callais' words were moving, there was no doubt. But they all knew she favored the half-gods too much for her own good.
"Then you go back to the camp you call home and search everywhere. There will be no rest until my bolt is found." Zeus said, his voice rumbling like the thunder. Callais rolled her eyes slightly. "I'll do the best I can." She told him.
Hera told Dionysus to accompany Callais home. She didn't want the girl travelling by herself in New York. Dionysus led Callais to the elevator. She wanted scones and wanted to talk. They exited the Empire State Building disguised as a girl and her father, or rather, themselves. Dionysus was not her father, but the form he took looked old enough to be. "Hera acts like I can't take care of myself. You are all so smothering." Callais said. Dionysus rolled his eyes.
"Hera's only glad she finally has a child that isn't a complete screw-up. Even if you've been around for centuries." Dionysus told her. Callais didn't think Ares and Hephaestus were screw-ups. So Ares had a bit of a temper and Hephaestus wasn't what Hera wanted him to be. So what? They were both good at what they did. She should be proud of them.
Callais stepped inside a small coffee shop and paid for her own scone. The barista winked at her. A wood nymph. She should have known by the all organic menu. "Nice to see you out of that camp, Callais." The wood nymph was named Azalea. She had short, cropped lavender hair and cat-like green eyes.
Callais smiled as she wrapped up the scone in a napkin. "You know me, I don't believe in sick days. And I can't seem to leave Luke alone." Callais' lips automatically widened into a bigger smile when she said his name. Azalea nodded as she handed a customer a coffee.
"Still together, then? Adorable, but heart-breaking for every poor boy that's still in love with you." Callais snorted. She was lucky enough to get Luke, she doubted there was anyone else dying to date her. Dionysus tapped on the window impatiently. Oh, he hated mortals. Callais said good-bye to Azalea and walked out.
"Honestly," she started unwrapping the scone, "you could let me socialize." Her voice wasn't bitter, but that's how he took it. He said nothing and the next second, they were inside the Big House. Chiron was pacing, waiting for them.
"Good. You're back." He said. Oh, he was cross with Callais. She could feel it. "You should have said you were leaving." He motioned for her to sit and she did. She took a small bite of her scone. She decided not to reply. That would only make him angrier. "What did they say on Olympus? Is there a reason for the unpredictable weather? Or is Zeus only upset with one of them again?" Chiron asked, pouring himself a glass of tea.
Zeus being cross with another god wasn't unusual. They were all familiar with that. "Someone stole his master bolt. He vows that there will be no rest until it is found." Dionysus said. Chiron stayed silent. He knew the importance of the king's weapon.
"And Hades' helm." Callais reminded. She didn't like when they left Hades out. He was just as important. Without him, there would be souls everywhere, restless dead. Chiron nodded. "I think it was a camper. Someone trying to prove his worth to the gods. Or playing a helpless trick. I'm going to search all the cabins." She finished half of the scone and tossed the rest in the trash. She stood up and walked out of the Big House.
She announced, in a very loud voice, there would be a random cabin inspection. All of sudden, scared and half confused, every camper ran out of their cabin and stood in two straight lines per cabin. Except the Hermes cabin, who had four lines, at the least. She never could tell, they all blurred together. They all stared at her, every camper, eyes wide, faces slack with confused emotions. Were they in trouble? Why was she so angry? She never got angry.
"This is not a routine inspection. You are not to go anywhere while I search the cabins. Move, and you will be punished." She sounded like a dictator. Good. She needed them to be afraid. Maybe one of them would confess. She didn't need to search One or Two, those were empty. Nor did she have to search Three, Eight or Thirteen. Cabin Thirteen was nestled in between One and Two. Her cabin, and she knew it was empty.
So she started with Four, Demeter. Katie Gardner, the counselor, was staring at her oddly. "This won't take long." Callais promised. Katie said nothing. Callais walked inside the brown cabin, poking a small tomato as she went. She didn't think a child of Demeter would steal anything. It was the Hermes kids she was worried about. But she still searched. Not surprisingly, neither the bolt nor the helm were in Cabin Four.
And they weren't in Five, Six, Seven, Nine, Ten or Twelve. She did Hermes last, it was the biggest. Luke blinked when she looked at him. The look she gave him said: I'll tell you later. He gave her a quick nod and she was inside. Gods of Olympus, where to start? This would take far too long. She called for the bolt and it didn't appear. She called for the helm and it didn't appear. They weren't here. Which meant she was wrong. And that meant this was a much more serious matter.
She walked out of the cabin. "Inspection is over. Commence with your regular activities." She shouted into the air. The campers dissipated slowly at first, and then it went to normal pace. They were rushing around, trying to get wherever they needed to be. She had to write to Zeus. Would he be angry?
Someone grabbed her arm, turning her around. "What was that about?" Luke demanded. She yanked her arm away and led him to the dock. That was their usual spot. It was quiet there and no one would interrupt them.
She leaned against the railing. "I went to Olympus today because I could sense there was a problem. There was a lot of tension in the sky. I was, of course, right. Someone has stolen the master bolt and the helm of darkness from Zeus and Hades. I thought maybe a camper had taken them, but I was wrong. I feel awful for assuming such a thing." She sighed. The words came out as a jumbled mess.
She grabbed a stone and tossed it. It shouldn't have skipped through the water, but it did. "So what happens now? What are they gonna do?" He asked. Her answer was a shrug. She didn't do that much.
"Zeus is…he's more than angry. Someone has betrayed the gods and no doubt, severe justice will be served. If the perpetrator is a god, I will have no say." She took a deep breath. "But if it is a camper, someone who has hidden the weapons away from Camp, I will have to deal out a punishment. And I won't enjoy it." Luke grabbed her hand. It was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but she found it slightly annoying.
She jerked her hand away quickly. Luke assumed it was him, and not her frustration at the current situation. This was the problem in their relationship. Callais had had one relationship before him and she ended up burning an entire city. Betrayal was cruel to her. It left her untrusting of him and unsure of any affection whatsoever.
Luke gave a heavy sigh and pushed off the railing. The look she gave him was tired and somewhat bitter. "You knew this wouldn't be exactly what you expected. If you're unhappy-." He put his hand over her mouth. To any of the other goddesses, it would have been a disrespectful gesture, but to her it was just annoying.
"I'm not unhappy. I'm just upset." She started to speak but he stopped her again. "Not at you, at that stupid jerk Perseus." The laugh she gave off was light-hearted. Her genuine laugh. He looked out at the lake. There were no canoeing campers or swimmers, leaving the lake empty and wholly, without a ripple, blue. "Let's go for a swim." The grin that spread across his face was marred by the scar that cut down his cheek.
"Swimming?" He nodded slowly as her lips frowned. Luke threw his shirt towards the grassy hill that led back up to the pavilion and took off his flip flops. He raised his eyebrows, asking if she was coming or not. He was answered when she ran past him and did a totally un-goddess move- a cannonball.
Water splashed around the dock and she surfaced. Her hair stuck to her face and shoulders. She beckoned him with a finger and a coy smile. Luke followed her suit, water hitting her in the face. Her laugh was the first thing he heard when he surfaced. "I'm glad you found me." He said softly. Found. Like he had been lost.
"You were never lost, Luke. You were always on your way here. You belong here." The look he gave her made her heart race.
"With you?" The comment made her blush, but she nodded. With her. Which meant, which meant she was saying they belonged together and she tried to stay away from those sorts of words. The Fates didn't control gods and goddesses or at least she thought they didn't.
After a while, they retired to their respective cabins to get changed. Lunch wasn't for another hour and a half, Callais thought. She could get in a quick nap. She didn't even bother pulling the blankets back. She collapsed on the bed and went straight into a dream.
War. Destruction. Chaos. Death. So much of it in so little time. This was a nightmare and this was the end. Tartarus stirred beneath her feet. Bodies piled into mountains on the ground. Everyone she had ever loved, every demigod she had ever been responsible for. All dead. How could this happen? How could the world come to this? She looked around, not knowing what to do. What had happened? At the base of the hill, was Camp Half-Blood. It was burned to the ground, in ruins and still smoking. The cries of campers and nymphs and harpies and, gods bless, Mortem, rang in her ears, even though she was sure she had not witnessed the devastation.
"This is your world once I'm through with it. I'll burn Olympus last and you'll be the first to go. They think you can defeat me, well they are wrong. No small goddess will be my end. I will be your end!" It was a man's voice. Gravelly and dark, evil. The sound of it sent shivers down her spine and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand.
There was another voice, a softer, feminine voice. The Oracle of Delphi. "There is hope, my darling. A boy will be found soon. An extraordinary boy with great powers. He will be our salvation, or our destruction. You must guide him."
The nightmare cut off there. Callais woke, covered in sweat. It didn't matter that she had slept through lunch and most of the activities. She had to find Chiron. Her legs were weak with the leftover fear of the nightmare. This was bad. Something awful was going to happen.
She fell out of the bed and ran from the cabin to the Big House. Chiron was nowhere to be seen. She fumbled up to the attic and shut the door quietly. The mummy was sitting in the corner of the room, same place as always. "You were in my dream. Did you give it to me?" She asked.
The Oracle didn't reply, she just sat there. Callais grabbed the mummy's shoulders tightly. "I need to know! Tell me!" She hissed. Green smoke swirled out from the mouth of the mummy and into Callais' brain.
What you saw was the future, if you don't succeed. You must succeed in your mission, though there will be betrayal and loss. You must fight for the future that you so badly try to secure with your half-blooded children.
Callais' hands fell. A quest? "Tell me more. You have to tell me everything you can, Oracle." She was pleading and she never pleaded. It was a nasty thing to do.
A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds. And see the world in endless sleep. A hero's soul cursed blade shall reap. A single choice to end his days: Olympus to preserve or raze.
The mist vanished. She could feel it deep down. The Great Prophecy. No one had told her about it, just that there was one. It had been issued at the end of the Second World War. It was the reason Zeus, Hades and Poseidon no longer sired children. Without a child of the Big Three, Olympus would stay forever.
Callais ran down the stairs to find Chiron. Gods of Olympus, where was he? Not in the house, neither was Dionysus. Archery range, maybe? One way to find out. She grabbed a handful of purple grapes and went to the archery range. Lo and behold, there was the centaur, demonstrating how to shoot a bow to some of the first year campers.
"Chiron, I need to speak with you." The campers stepped back. She looked…concerned.
"In a moment, dear. I'm busy." He told her. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a stern look. With one blink, the bow fell from his hands. He glared over at her with a tired expression. "Fine. Children, go entertain yourselves somewhere else for a little while."
He walked with Callais back to the Big House, his hooves thumping on the grass. He shut the door to the house, a door that never closed in case a camper needed immediate help. "What is it?" He asked her.
She glanced up at the ceiling. "The Oracle told me the Great Prophecy. The one I wasn't supposed to hear." Yes, that had been issued. She tended to get a bit upset whenever her half-bloods might be in danger. And that was exactly what the prophecy indicated.
Chiron groaned at her. "And how did this come to happen? I assume you didn't just demand to hear it." She smiled sheepishly. "Callais! By the gods!" She raised her hands up in surrender.
"It isn't what you think, Chiron. I had a dream earlier. A nightmare, really. Someone wants to destroy Olympus," to which he interjected and said a lot of people wanted to destroy Olympus so it wasn't a big threat. "He threatened that I would be the first to die. But the Oracle came to me and said that there would be a demigod that would save us all and then when I went to the attic, she gave me the Great Prophecy."
He raised a hand to calm her down, to keep her quiet. "The problem is, my dear, the Big Three will not have any more children. There is nothing to worry about, I assure you." His smile was even meant to be assuring. But there was no convincing her. Not anymore.
She had to drop the subject though. He wouldn't like her arguing and she didn't like making him upset. "Callais! Callais! The phone in the Big House is ringing!" A camper shouted. A phone call? No one ever called. Except…satyrs looking for potential campers.
Chiron excused her and let her run to the house to get the phone. It turned out to be Grover Underwood, a junior protector, calling from his post at a private school in New York. "Callais, where's Chiron?" He asked frantically. She rolled her eyes and said he was indisposed. "I think I found one. He smells pretty powerful too. Maybe Chiron should come up here…?"
She thought about it. "Grover, don't you think I should come as well? Since he smells powerful and I'm the goddess of demigods." It sounded like a suggestion, but it was really an order. Manipulation was one of her greater gifts.
"Well, yeah, I guess so. But who will watch the camp?" He asked nervously. She snorted and said Dionysus would watch the campers. He was the one in charge after all. "Uh…alright Callais. Just hurry, alright? He's got a pretty strong aura and I can feel the monsters coming." She hung up the phone, not promising anything.
She could feel it in her bones, this was her demigod. The savior. The only problem was…one of the elder gods had an illegitimate child.
