Chapter 3

Nightmares, Hellhounds, and Silver Haired Beauties That Steal Your Heart - Oh My!

Daichi

He cannot breathe. The fire rages around him, an enferno, swirling higher and higher. It engulfs him, red hands ripping through him, white tongues licking at his insides. He tries to scream, he needs to scream; he is dying and the flames are eating away at him and the lights - the lights- are falling around him, exploding as the heat touches them, like tiny fireworks. Their embers land on his arms and legs and body and face, but he cannot feel them over the waves of agony; the fire washes over him, unrelenting, and he is still falling farther and farther, drowning in the depths of a red sea. He cannot hear the screams over the roar of the fire, animalistic as it tears through him, but he knows they are there. They are there and they are dying with him.


Daichi woke in a cold sweat, in his bed, in Cabin 17, in Camp Halfblood - safe and sound and untouched by fire. He lay there for a moment, trying to breathe and collect his thoughts. His sheets were cool against his skin and he clutched them, closing his eyes, and tried to chase the remnants of his dream away. He could still feel the fire on his skin.

Daichi sat up slowly, letting the sheets fall from his shoulders.

He vaguely remembered arriving at Camp, late in the night, and finding his way to his cabin before quickly falling asleep. He hadn't slept much on the bus ride up (which had taken hours due to traffic) afraid the dream would find him there. He had hoped that being back at Camp would somehow quell his nightmares.

Apparently not.

Sighing, he stood and made his way to the window. The cool night air felt good and he rested his arms on the sill, taking in the sight of the camp at night. It was quiet. In the distance he could just make out the faint glow of Artemis' cabin, bathed in moonlight. The sky was clear, allowing him to see the stars. He idly counted the number constellations, slightly different now with the changing seasons.

Hercules, Sagittarius, Scorpius…

When he couldn't find any more, Daichi turned back to bed. He couldn't sleep, not yet, so he sat on the edge and thought about the coming days. The Hunters would arrive soon, in time for Capture the Flag and a rematch for volleyball. Daichi's fingers twitched in anticipation - he was eager to defend his and the Camp's title as the reigning champions.

He had classes to teach, as well.

With the latest influx of foreign demigods, the Camp had begun giving language lessons, helping campers adjust to their new lives. Daichi, knowing both English and Japanese, had been chosen as one of the teachers for those from Japan, along with Asahi. He had to admit, his students were pretty great. Yuu had been one of the first. It was hard work (English was just so different), but, in the end, Daichi felt like he had accomplished something great; seeing his students make friends with others and actually hold conversation made him feel… warm.

Daichi yawned, exhaustion washing over him again. Reluctantly, he lay down and tried to sleep. He closed his eyes and sighed, pushing his thoughts of fire and lights to the back of his mind, and instead focussed on thoughts of volleyball games and Capture the Flag.

Eventually, with the help of soft moonlight and the promise of a good Summer, he slept.

Daichi woke to the sound of his siblings shuffling around the cabin as they prepared to leave for breakfast. He rose slowly, the last strands of sleep still pulling at his mind. Antonio stood with his back to Daichi, directing their two other siblings to "get a move on so we can all get going." Daichi rolled out of bed, wiping sleep from his eyes, and padded up to his older brother. Antonio jumped a little when he spoke.

"Toni, why didn't you wake me?"

His older brother turned and smiled, ruffling Daichi's hair. Daichi was too tired to pretend he was annoyed by the gesture and simply leaned into the touch.

"I figured I would let you sleep," Antonio said, carting his hand through Daichi's hair. "You passed out pretty quickly last night. I was just gonna bring back some breakfast for you."

Daichi hummed, closing his eyes.

"Besides, I could hear you last night." Antonio's fingers stopped and he drew his hand back. Daichi looked up to see his older brother staring at him with a concerned gaze. "You've been having nightmares."

Nightmares weren't uncommon in their cabin; or in any other cabin for that matter. Being demigod came with a whole list of unwanted side effects, nightmares being one of them. Some had it worse than others, for sure; Daichi's youngest sibling, Elliott, had taken to crawling in with Antonio or Daichi at night when the nightmares got too bad. Even Kara woke with a scream every once in awhile. But, Daichi had to admit: they were rare for him.

He turned away and shrugged.

"So?"

Antonio raised an eyebrow.

"So… you don't usually get nightmares."

Daichi shrugged again and Antonio sighed, shaking his head.

"Listen, Dai," he turned and placed his hands on Daichi's shoulders. "I'm not saying it's anything to worry about, but, if they continue, maybe you should go see Chiron or Miss Rachael… or at least visit the Hypnos Cabin for some sleep aid."

Daichi blushed and nodded, avoiding his brother's stare. He hated when Antonio worried over him; they were just nightmares. Nothing more.

From somewhere behind them a large clank sounded, followed by a pained moaned. Antonio and Daichi turned to find Kara leaning over Elliott, a look of annoyance painted on her face. Elliot, on the other hand, was cradling his head, fat tears already beginning to well up in his eyes. Beside him, on the floor, one of the trophies from the wall was lying on its side, rocking ever so slightly back and forth. Antonio was beside Elliott in an instance, gathering him into his arms and cooing at the 5-year-old. Daichi looked at Kara, who huffed slightly at the whole ordeal and stalked away to finish getting ready. Daichi quickly followed suit, scooting around the fallen trophy to get the bathroom.

He almost jumped at the sight of his reflection in the mirror. The skin under his eyes was dark and baggy and his cheeks looked hollowed. He had shaved yesterday morning, but stubble was already starting to grow along the underside of his chin. Daichi rubbed his hand over his cheek, marveling at the rough texture that met his finger tips. He was tempted to just leave it, but the sound of his father's voice telling him that "a proper man was clean shaven and put together" made him pick up the razor.

Elliott had fallen asleep in Antonio's arms when Daichi came out of the bathroom and by the time Kara was ready it was clear he didn't plan on waking up soon, leaving Antonio with only two options: carry the kid to breakfast and hope he woke up on the way or once they got there, or try to wake him up now and risk another crying session. Leaving Elliott alone in the cabin was out of the question.

10 minutes later the four children of Nike left the cabin and made their way to the pavilion, Elliott draped over Antonio's shoulder. Antonio grumbled slightly as he made his way past Daichi and Kara. Kara snorted as she watched him.

"Serves him right for coddling him," she muttered and trudged on ahead, leaving Daichi to bring up the rear.


The Hunters arrived just as Daichi was finished setting up the volleyball court. It was late in the day and the sun was high in the sky, beating down directly on Camp. Despite the weather control inside Camp borders, it was still hot and Daichi was sweating more than he cared to admit. He shrugged uncomfortably, pulling at the collar of his t-shirt. Next to him, Ryu had already taken off his, tieing it by the sleeves around his head.

"You look stupid," Daichi had said, but the son of Ares had simply smiled widely and said that "the ladies liked it." Daichi highly doubted that, but who was he to critique Ryu's flirting techniques. The last girl Daichi had a crush on had left to join the Hunters. He didn't exactly have the best record when it came to romance.

There wasn't much of a warning before Campers started yelling and pointing. Daichi turned in time to see them coming down the hill; a pack of silver clad girls with falcons on their arms and wolves at their heels. The Hunters paid little attention to most of the campers, instead heading straight towards the Big House; the few that did stop to chat did so only with girls, scowling at any boy who came close.

Daichi felt his heart leap; whether it was from excitement or apprehension he couldn't tell, but he tried to ignore it as he followed Ryuu to where the Hunters had gathered to talk with Chiron. Ryuu had pulled himself up and puffed his chest, trying to look as tall as he possibly could. He had a look of determination on his face that could rival Kara's when she was given a challenge, but Daichi could see the soft blush creeping up from Ryuu's neck to his cheeks. 'Casually' Ryuu sauntered up to one of the Hunters on the outside of the group, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey-"

He was on the ground before he could finish, a silver dagger pressed firmly to his throat. His Adam's Apple bobbed once as he gulped, his smile quivering just so. The Hunter said nothing, just glared at him for what was only a few seconds, but what, for Ryuu, must have seemed like hours. Just as Daichi was considering coming in and trying to ease the situation, the Hunter stood with the grace of a deer and sheathed her dagger. Her eyes remained locked on Ryuu's, her gaze cold, and she let out a quiet, albeit long, hiss. Her teeth flashed dangerously and Daichi felt him take a step back involuntarily.

"Hey now, calm down, Jess."

Daichi perked up at the voice, watching as another Hunter placed an arm around 'Jess,' smiling menacingly down at Ryuu. Said boy stood shakily, avoiding the girl's gaze.

"Um, sorry… about that…"

Neither Hunter said a word. Ryuu backed away.

"I'll just, uh, leave...now… bye."

Daichi watched at he scampered off, the son of the God of War looking only a tad bit like a dog that had been scolded. When he was out of sight, Daichi turned back to the Hunters. The second one raised her eyebrows at the sight of him. He gave a small wave.

"H-hey...Yui."


Daichi considered himself lucky that he was on the good side of the Hunters of Artemis. Being childhood friends with Yui helped, of course, but she was still a bit of sore spot for him, so he liked to pretend it was his manners and sensibility that did the trick. In any case, he was the only male camper still around when Chiron finally came to welcome the Hunters. He made sure to steer clear and stay at the edge of the group and only managed to get a few dirty looks tossed his way. While Chiron talked, welcoming the group to Camp, Daichi took the time to observe the Hunters. They had added some new girls to their ranks, some older, some younger. Daichi allowed himself a bit of satisfaction as he watched the newbies, and even some older Hunters, look around the camp in astonishment. He smiled to himself, thinking of all the renovations and improvements the Camp had gone through since the Hunters of Artemis had last visited; stables redone, cabins repainted, and a whole new field of strawberries thanks to an influx in Demeter Campers. Just the thought of how amazing Camp was made Daichi straighten himself up ever so slightly with pride. It had definitely changed in the past year, but all for the better.

The Hunters, on the other hand, had barely changed at all. Save for the new recruits, all the girls looked… the same as the last time he'd seen them.

Same clothes.

Same wolves.

Same weapons.

Same age.

Daichi shifted from one foot to the other. He was beginning to regret sticking around. He made to turn away, make a hasty retreat back to the court, when a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

Now, Daichi was a strong, brave, courageous warrior.

So.

He did not jump. Absolutely not.

Nor did he yelp. Nope.

Or scream. None of that.

He did none of these aforementioned and traitorous things.

None of the above.

Yui was laughing too hard to breathe, doubled over with her hands clutching her sides. Daichi felt a hot wash of embarrassment come over him and lowered his gaze. A voice in the back of his head urged him to self-implode. Had he been an all powerful immortal being, he might have obliged.

Goddamn it.

Behind Yui, the other Hunters snickered, not even bothering to hide their amusement at Daichi's shame. He scowled, crossing his arms, and resigned himself to the humiliation. Yui straightened up shakily, the remnants of her laugh fading as she offered him a kind smile.

"It's good to see you again, Sawamura."

"Please don't call me that."

"I'll call you whatever I want."

She clapped his shoulder again, even harder this time, and then walked on ahead. She expected him to follow, he knew that. She knew he would follow. She didn't even look back to make sure. Daichi huffed.

Well.

Not this time.


She led him down to the beach; past the court, past the stables. They walked until they found themselves at the water's edge, the waves coming up just far enough to kiss the toes of their shoes.

In another time, maybe a time not too long ago even, Daichi might have thought this romantic - a little cliche, but not enough to ruin the moment. He might have fantasized of grabbing Yui's hand and spinning her about, humming some tune he'd heard on the radio or that she'd showed him earlier that day. He might have leaned back just so, reaching so that their fingers brushed in the warm sand. He might have told a stupid joke just to see her smile or giggle. He might have found it cute and funny and endearing.

Now, Daichi only found it uncomfortable.

Now, it was all he could do not to turn away from her and go someplace where he wouldn't have to see her and her smile or hear her voice and her laugh.

Damn it. He had been so excited for the Hunters to arrive before, but now…

"The camp has changed since the last time I was here," Yui mused quietly. "It's changed a lot."

"Yeah."

"... any new students?"

"A couple. Not many."

"Oh."

"... did you cut your hair?"

"No..."

"Oh… right..."

"Are you shaving yet?"

"Yeah… yeah I am."

Yui sighed, and brought a hand up to rub her face. Daichi watched her out of the corner of his eye. She looked somber. She looked the same.

"How long has it been?"

Daichi turned to her at the question, cocking his eyebrow.

"Since...when? Since you were here last?" He paused to think. "About a year or so."

Yui shook her head.

"No, since...since I joined. Since I joined the Hunters."

Daichi remained silent for a while, staring at her.

"It'll be two years this August."

"Ha, two years already." She shook her head again and turned to him, a small smile gracing her features. "It doesn't seem that long at all."

"Maybe for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Daichi looked back at the water.

"Nothing."

Yui didn't seem to believe him, but only gave a small "hmph" before turning her back to the lake. She seemed lost in thought, Daichi noted, fidgeting with her hands like she used to when they were younger. It was one of the things Daichi was glad never changed about her. They stood silently for while, the lull in the "conversation" they'd been having growing more awkward with every passing moment. In a bid to fill the silence, Daichi cleared his throat.

"So, um, you excited to play volleyball?"

Yui continued to stare past him, towards the camp.

"Oh, yeah. About that…" She smiled sheepishly at him. "We won't be staying all that long, so that rematch will have to wait."

Daichi stared at her for a moment, waiting for her laugh and pass it off as a joke. Volleyball was...was their thing. It was what they bonded over when they first met. It was a tradition!

Yui said nothing, only reaching up with her hand to rub the back of her neck. Daichi lowered his gaze.

"Oh...um. Alright," he sighed. Yui copied him, her breath leaving her with a quiet hiss.

"Listen, Daichi. We probably won't be back for a while after this, actually."

"Why not?"

Yui inclined her head to the camp.
"There's some weird… stuff… going on. The Hunters are going to look into it."

Daichi felt his heartbeat quicken a little.

"What kind of 'stuff'..."

Yui shook her head and shrugged, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Just stuff," she said. "Nothing for you or the rest of Camp to really worry about." She paused."It has to do with Lady Artemis, ya know. So it's, uh, kinda our problem."

"You can't tell me anything? Not even, like..." He waved his hands idly. "... a general description?"

Yui smiled a little at that, even going as far and to shake her head and laugh a little. Daichi found himself grinning at the sight.

"All I can really tell you is that the last few times our Lady has spoke to us, she seemed agitated. Thalia said she spoke with her more recently and that we have been given a job to complete. Other than that, I can't really tell you much." She shrugged. "I really don't know much more anyways. The higher-ups are the only ones who know all the details. The rest of the Hunters only know the gist of it for now."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"What?"

"That you don't know everything about it. That you're being asked to do something without knowing all the details."

Yui opened her mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by the sound of a sharp whistle. It rang through the camp, echoing out across the water. Daichi watched as Yui started back towards the rest of Camp. She turned, calling out to him over her shoulder.

"That call was for the Hunters, but you're welcome to come along. The girls don't hate you nearly as much as they do the other guys around here."

"I'm...I'm good, actually." Daichi gave a small shrug. "I'm gonna hang down here...by the lake."

Yui watched him a for a minute and he could see the hopeful look in her eyes fall. She sighed and nodded, before turning with a small wave of her hand.

"Yeah. Ok. See ya, Sawamura."

"... see ya."


Dinner that night was quieter than usual. Tension hung over the entire camp like storm, it's foreboding clouds dark above their heads. The campers kept to whispering in low tones. The atmosphere was heavy among everyone. The Hunters, who sat at the usually empty Artemis table, ate silently for the most part. The only voices that could be heard from their area were those of Thalia Grace and her second in command.

Daichi watched them from his place at the Nike table, trying to catch at least a snippet of what they were discussing. Across from him, Toni was trying to persuade Elliott to eat something, but the kid didn't see all that interested. With a huff, Toni turned back to his own half eaten meal.

Nobody seemed all that hungry tonight.

Towards the front of the pavilion, Daichi could see Chiron chatting with a group of satyrs. He seemed nervous, his tail flicking back and forth. Apparently whatever he had spoken to the Hunters about had not been all that pleasant. He hadn't said too much to the rest of the Camp, but his actions made it clear to all of them.

Trouble was brewing. It had something to do with Artemis and the Hunters, or it could even be bigger than that.

Whatever it was, neither Chiron nor the Hunters seemed too keen to talk about it any further tonight.

Daichi picked at his food and tried to imagine what could be causing such unease. There hadn't been any major prophecies in a while and life had been relatively peaceful at the camp. Daichi sighed and put his fork down.

"What's wrong," Toni asked. Beside him, Elliott had decided that stealing food from Kara's plate and then throwing them at a group of nearby Nymphs was an adequate pass time. Kara herself didn't seem interested in the food enough to really care.

"Nothing," Daichi said, and stood. "I'm just a little tired. I think I might head back to the cabin."

Toni didn't seem very convinced with the answer, a look of worry flashing on his face.

"Are you sure?"

Daichi smiled.

"Antonio, I'm fine, really."

"Kara can walk you back-"

Daichi shook his head, smiled, and turned to make his way towards the cabins. It was starting to get dark, the sun setting over Half Blood Hill and sending its last few rays of light through the branches of the giant pine tree at it's crest. Daichi stopped in front of the Apollo cabin as its light slowly dimmed, only for the Artemis cabin to begin to glow. He watched as it illuminated, its soft silver light match that of the full moon hanging directly above.

Back at his own cabin, Daichi found himself at a loss of what to do.

He stripped halfway, before deciding it was too much work, and sat on his bed, shirtless. The light his bedside lamp provided was just enough for him to see fairly well.

While the outside of the cabin glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, it's white outer walls decorated with bits and pieces of medals and trophies won by Greece over the centuries, the inside was simple by comparison. The walls were plain and white, with laurels lining the ceiling. Other than that, the only other decorations were whatever personal items the Nike Campers set up near their beds and the altar at the back of the cabin. Situated on the back wall, in between the doors that led to the bathrooms, the altar held a gilded statue of Nike.

Daichi made his way over and sat before her figure, his shirt still clutched in his hand.

She was tall, about seven feet without her pedestal, with her foot lifted just so, as if to stride forward. In her right hand she held a wreath, while, in her left, she held a palm branch. She was forever facing front, so that as Daichi stared up towards her face, he could not help but feel as though she were ignoring him. He stood, suddenly, only now realising how embarrassing it was to be kneeling in front of the statue of his mother with no shirt on.

Above Nike was a shelf with various trophies won by the Cabin over the years. Daichi stood on his toes, careful not to bump into the altar. Among the piles of medallions and other trinkets, he gingerly lifted a small coin. It fit nicely in the palm of his hand and, although the majority of it was rusted over, the gold that still shone gleamed. Daichi took it back to his bed, rolling it between his hands. He rubbed a thumb over its surface, tracing the edges of its engraving. The head of a woman peeked out from beneath the rust.

The memory of first holding the coin flashed in his mind and Daichi smiled despite himself. Compared to most of his other memories, this one would be something he considered happy, necessarily, but it was important. He held onto it with a strange fondness that he supposed only the others here at camp could understand.

The coin represented a beginning.

Daichi was placing the coin back on the trophy shelf when it happened. He stumbled as a roar echoed through the camp before everything fell silent. For a moment all Daichi could hear was his own breathing as he clutched his mother's statue, before the stretch of quiet was broken by the yells of campers. Daichi turned just as Toni, clutching Elliot, burst through the door of their cabin, followed closely by Kara. Toni looked as if he was about to say something before Kara unceremoniously grabbed Daichi and shoved a sheathed sword into his hands.

"Put your shirt on; we got a monster."


Kara and Daichi led the way towards Half Blood Hill, Toni following only after he had made sure Elliot was tucked safely away in the cabin. Daichi could feel the blood rushing in his ears as he sprinted along with the rest of the Camp. Most of the Hunters had already reached the top of the hill and were yelling and pointing. Some had arrows trained on something Daichi couldn't see yet. The wolves among their ranks were howling and snarling. Daichi drew his sword as he came over the crest of the hill, but stopped short at the sight in front of him.

Five hellhounds had begun to overtake Peleus, pinning the dragon to the ground as he thrashed, his neck flailing widely. Another two had begun to advance upon two smaller figures. Daichi squinted. It was a satyr and, what Daichi assumed, a demigod. The satyr was clutching the demigod, pulling him towards the camp. Daichi couldn't see exactly how badly injured they were, but the fact that they weren't moving very fast gave him a good enough guess. He turned as Peleus roared and opened his jaw, a jet of flame shooting out. Daichi crouched instinctively and watched in amazement as one of the hounds was bucked off, fire alighting on its fur. It scrambled in the dirt for a moment before it burst apart in a cloud of golden dust.

Daichi readied himself. With a shout from Antonio, he charged with Kara at the nearest hellhound, plunging his sword into its side and grunting as it spun around to snap at him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kara level her spear and, with a quick stab, the hellhound burst apart like its companion. Daichi smiled at Kara only to be distracted by a shout. A silver arrow whizzed past him, embedding itself in the neck another hellhound. It screeched and flung itself from Peleus and into the oncoming surge of campers and Hunters. Daichi sidestepped as Peleus' tail whipped by, sending his remaining attacker flying.

Beside, Toni was shouting and reaching for him. He grabbed his hand and was pulled, past the herds of campers, to where he could see a small group taking on the remaining two hellhounds. On the ground sat the demigod, who Daichi could now make out more clearly. He seemed to be in shock, pale and unmoving as he watched the battle before him. His satyr was nowhere to be found. Daichi felt a hand at his arm.

"Get the kid," Toni yelled. "I'll help with the hounds!"

He charged off, his axe raised. Daichi levelled his sword and sprinted towards the demigod.

He was crouched on the ground and he was tense, as if he wanted to flee, but was unable to move. In one of his hands he clutched a black hunting knife, which shook in his grasp. Daichi slowed as he approached him, keeping a careful eye on the nearby battle. He lowered his sword and took a tentative step forward.

The demigod whipped around, falling backwards as he lost his balance. His eyes were wide and Daichi couldn't help, but notice the wild silver hair that framed his face.

Oh fuck he's hot, was the fleeting thought Daichi had before he knelt to meet the demigod's level. He offered his hand, wincing as a particularly loud roar caused the other boy to jump.

"Hey, hey, you're okay. I swear you're gonna be okay, but we gotta move, now."

The other made no move to get up, but nodded shakily. Daichi nodded back and glanced behind him. One of the hellhounds had been destroyed, but the last remained, charging at demigods left and right. It was large and it was frantic and Daichi felt a stab of fear as he caught sight of Antonio is the midst of the battle. Beside him, the demigod shifted. Daichi watched as he tried to stand on shaky legs, only for them to buckle. Before he could think, Daichi surged forward and caught the him, careful not to accidentally stab him with his sword. The knife fell from the boy's grasp as he clung to Daichi.

"Alright," Daichi said and slung one of the boy's arms around his shoulders. "Let's go."

They began to trudge up the hill. The boy grimaced with every step and Daichi felt a wave of guilt wash over him as he continued to urge the kid forward. The made their way slow and steady until the boy stumbled with a cry. For the first time, Daichi noticed a trail of blood down the other's leg.

"Shit." Daichi shifted, wrapping an arm around the other's torso. The kid winced and clenched his jaw, a hand coming down to hover over the wound in his leg. His eyes were shut tight and he took a steady breath.

"I-I'm okay...I can m-make it."

Daichi nodded.

"Okay, we're almost there. Just little more."

They were at the top of the hill when the boy finally collapsed, tilting forward with a groan. Daichi caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Hey, hey hey! Stay with me, stay me, okay!" The kid winced as Daichi moved to hold him better. From somewhere behind them a cry of triumph rose and Daichi turned to see the Campers and Hunters raise their weapons in victory. Daichi smiled and helped the other boy sit up, leaning him against his shoulder.

"See? We won. You're safe. You're gonna be alright."

The kid smiled softly and even had the audacity to give a shaky laugh. He was pale and looked close to passing out, but seemed genuinely relieved. Daichi felt himself shift to support the other better.

"Hey, what's your name?"

When the boy didn't respond, Daichi shook him lightly.

"Come on, stay with me," He murmured. The boy shook his head slightly and looked at him with lidded eyes.

"W-what?"

"Your name. What's your name?"

The boy didn't seem to comprehend what he was saying. At the sound of hoof beats, Daichi turned to see Chiron galloping over. Below him the boy seemed to sink lower, his eyes unfocused and cloudy. By the time Chiron reached them, Daichi was cradling the other completely. His breathing was labored, but he seemed to come to a little when Chiron placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We must get him inside," Chiron said softly and, with Daichi's help, lifted the boy onto his back. The boy slumped forward, leaning completely on Chiron's neck. Daichi helped adjust him so that he wouldn't fall. The boy groaned once or twice, but was otherwise quiet. Chiron patted Daichi's head as he caught his worried stare.

"Go be with your siblings and friends. Rest, recovery, get checked over by the Apollo healers. I'll send for you in the morning."

Daichi was reluctant to let Chiron leave, but the centaur had already turned away and had begun to make his way back towards the Big House. Daichi watched him go. His sword lay on the ground at his side, speckled with monster blood and dust.

The cheers of Campers and someone calling his name is what finally coerced Daichi to make his way back down the hill and into the mob below.

Whoop. There it is.

Anyways - comments are loved, suggestions are welcomed. Also; check out the music (made by me) for this story: /user-928079032-456182306/sets

Thanks y'all