Well, this is the 11th chapter of The Daughter of the Wind. I hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own PJaTO. If I did, I would have a hummer limousine drive me EVERYWHERE!
The Daughter of the Wind
Chapter 11- Seeing the Invisible Bonds
I was heading to breakfast the next day when Travis came walking over, his leg still wrapped in bandages.
"Travis!" I greeted, happy to see him up and about.
"Hey," he replied as we walked towards the mess hall.
"How's the leg?" I asked as I looked down at it.
"I'll be able to take off the bandages at the end of the day," he assured.
I smiled brightly at the news. "Good,"
"So I heard you were back-up for my siblings for capture the flag. Saved them from getting stabbed by arrowheads," Travis notified.
I rolled my eyes. "It wasn't that big of a deal,"
"Doesn't matter. The Hermes cabin is yet again in your debt," he decreed.
"A simple 'thank you' or 'good job' will do," I stated.
"Then thank you, Aiden. Good job in helping my brothers and sisters," He thanked.
"Don't you mean your half-brothers and half-sisters?" I corrected.
Travis looked forward, a grin plastered on his face.
"Not really," Travis replied as he got that far away look in his eyes. "I mean, yeah, we all have the same dad and not the same mom, but it's more than that here. At Camp Half-Blood, you don't just share a room with your half-siblings, you fight beside the people you love and care about. You get stronger not only for yourself, but for them too,"
My eyes widened as he continued.
"Having a demigod half-sibling that you just met is like having a brother or sister you've known all your life. They've jumped through the same hoops you have and have the same issues as you do. And even though my dad left my mom to get to one of theirs, I don't feel hostility towards them. I mean, how can I when they're in the same boat as me?" Travis claimed with a soft smile.
In his blue eyes, I could tell he was thinking of the past. All the past mistake, and past triumphs too, that he shared with his family.
Family… I found myself scowling with jealousy of the word.
"Guess I wouldn't know anything about that…" I trailed off.
Travis' eyes widened, like he just then remembered that I was the only child of Aeolus.
"Oh- right! Sorry," he quickly apologized.
"It's fine," I assured.
I smiled as Travis went back to his goofy and clumsy state. Seeing him talk about his siblings like that… he looked so mature. It was kind of weird to see him that way.
Soon, we made it to the mess hall. Everyone was already chowing down on breakfast. I got a plate of my own and started eating delicious blueberry waffles. While eating, I couldn't help but glance up at the tables around me.
First I looked at the Athena table. All blonde, all grey-eyed. All laughing and all probably talking about intelligent things like architecture or mathematics or other things I never paid attention to in class. Annabeth look to be having the best time.
Then I stared over at the Apollo cabin. All blue eyed, all obnoxiously confident. They were practicing their scales and conversing about which music was the best.
Then there was the Ares cabin. Throwing food and cuss words around the table, all with a weapon on their hip. I noticed the head of the table. The one that commanded all the respect of the Ares boys was, oddly enough, a girl.
Clarisse La Rue. I'd heard about her.
My eyes continued and stopped at the Hecate cabin. It was filled with arrogant witches and wizards probably thinking to themselves 'Harry Potter can't touch this'.
Damn. Even Natalie has siblings like her.
I sighed at my breakfast, decided to finish my meal early, and was the first one to leave the mess hall.
I moodily sauntered to the Pegasus stables, knowing Percy would meet me there once he was done eating.
Violet saw me and instantly pranced over. I smile weakly, but petted her regardless. She neighed worriedly at my slow petting. I didn't need Percy, the horse whisperer, to know what she was saying.
"I'm fine, girl," I reassured. "Just a little homesick,"
Her head turned slightly to the side as her face showed a confused expression. I chuckled lightly at it.
"You wanna go for a ride?" I asked her.
Violet huffed and neighed with excitement.
"Alright, then," I said as I hopped the fence and got up on her back, sitting in between her wings.
"Up, up, and away," I announced as we took off into the air.
As we soared into sky, I'm not gonna lie, I felt better. Having the wind run through my brown and white hair was calming and watching Camp Half-blood from down below was breathtaking.
Unfortunately, as Violet flew higher, all I saw was Camp Half-blood on Long Island. My home was on the other side of the country.
"Aiden!" a voice broke through my thoughts.
I looked up immediately to see Percy on Blackjack.
"Hey, Percy," I greeted back unenthusiastically. Percy noticed.
"You left breakfast early," he recalled. I chuckled at his bluntness.
"Lost my appetite," I stated. He frowned.
"What's wrong, Aiden?" he questioned.
"Nothing," I answered directly.
Violet neighed in protest against my words and Percy's gaze on me softened.
"Homesick?" he inquired. My hazel eyes widened.
"How did you-?" I looked down at Violet.
"Tattletale," I hissed at her. She huffed in response.
"She was just worried about you," Percy informed.
"She has no reason to worry," I retorted. "So what if I'm a little homesick? I'll be fine,"
"Why don't you just IM your mom? Talk to your family," he instructed.
There was that word again. Family.
"Percy, tell me about your Cyclops half-brother," I said straightforwardly.
"Uh… okay," he replied warily as our Pegasi glided through the air. "Well, his name's Tyson and he's currently working in the Forges underwater. He sees our dad more often than I do. He's a general in the armies of Olympus. I've only known him for about 4 years. Oh! And he loves peanut butter."
"No, tell me what you think of him," I redirected.
At first, Percy didn't say anything and I thought he hadn't heard me. But then he smiled softly and began to speak.
"Tyson's amazing. He's strong and brave and noble. He always does the right thing for the right reasons. I don't know where I'd be without him. Actually, I'd probably be dead," Percy answered.
That look in his green eyes was the same look Travis had in his, like they were remembering unforgettable memories.
"Exactly," my voice was filled with more hostility than I meant for it to be.
"Here," Percy said as he threw something in my direction.
My demigod instincts made my reflexes quick enough to easily catch it in my hand. I looked down in to my palm and inside it was a golden coin, a drachma. I looked back up at Percy quizzically.
"Go talk to your family," he ordered. "I'm cutting the Pegasus flying lesson short,"
"But-"
"You're already a natural flier," Percy interrupted. "You don't even need the training anymore,"
I stared at him for a moment and he looked back at me with determined green eyes. I gave him a defeated smiled before allowing Violet to land on the ground.
"Thanks," I said to Percy when I got off of the Pegasus.
"No problem." He obliged with one of his signature goofy smiles.
I walked to my cabin and went straight into the bathroom. First, I turned on the hot water in the shower and waited for the steam to flow from behind the shower curtain. Then I opened a nearby window. The light rays shined through the steam and a rainbow was created in my bathroom.
"Iris, O goddess of the rainbow, please accept this offering," I pleaded as I threw the coin into the rainbow.
I was about to say my mother's name, but something inside me knew that's not who I really wanted to talk to.
"Aeolus, god of winds," I muttered, hoping that the goddess would let me off the hook for not knowing his location.
The image began to form, so I guess Iris was in my favor. What I saw was a bit unnerving. There were bunches of ghostly sprits and harpies all around, but in the middle of them was a man with white hair and sky colored suit looking at his own reflection.
And when I say sky colored, I don't mean sky blue, I mean he had actual clouds moving over his blue tuxedo.
"D-dad?" I muttered in surprise.
He froze and shock was clear in his eyes. His head turned slightly in my direction.
"Aiden?" he requested.
"The one and only," I chuckled out weakly, still stunned by actually seeing my father.
"Aiden, you've grown!" he said with pride as he moved closer to the IM.
"Yes, I have," I replied awkwardly. "It's nice to see you… for the first time,"
Bits of guilt glistened in his eyes. "I guess I should apologize for that, shouldn't I?"
"Don't worry, I know it wasn't your fault," I assured. Still, the fact that he felt guilty was a little satisfying.
"Thank you, Aiden," he replied gratefully. "So how's your mother?"
"Happy, worrisome, but happy," I answered. My father smile slightly.
"Same old kind-hearted Silvia. I do miss her," I tried not to let my anger get the best of me when he said that.
"Yeah, I bet you do," I grumbled sarcastically. I knew I was being harsh on him… but didn't he kind of deserve it?
"I knew you'd be upset with me," Aeolus stated matter-of-factly. "And you have a right to be,"
"I'm not upset with you, Dad," I lied. I tried to focus my attention back on the spirits behind him.
"So what's with the dead people?" I questioned, trying to change the subject.
"Dead people?" he asked but then realization crossed his face. "Oh, you mean the aurai,"
"The aurai," I commented.
"Spirits of the wind," he elaborated. "And if I'm not mistaken, you've used some of them while they were in wind form,"
"I am your daughter," I reminded, trying not to sound too proud.
"Yes, yes, you are," he said with pride once again.
"You're on in two minutes, sir," an aura spoke in the background.
Aeolus sighed. "Aiden, I wish I could talk more, but I've got a show to do,"
"A show?" I questioned.
"Yes, OW! Olympus Weather," he explained hurriedly. "We'll talk later, alright?"
"Alright, I guess," I muttered in response.
He swiftly checked himself in the mirror. "Good, I'll talk to you soon then,"
And before he swiped his hand through the image, he whispered "I truly love you".
"Wha-?" I tried to ask, but the image was gone and so was he.
"I truly love you…"
The words were still ringing in my ears.
"Dad…" I breathed as the steam from the shower still flowed into the room.
And for a moment… for the briefest second… a thought occurred.
Maybe… just maybe… I've got a family of my own that I'd too be dead without.
Well that was the kind of short chapter 11 of The Daughter of the Wind. I hope you all loved it! And don't forget to tell your family that you love them! 3
The next chapter's coming at the beginning of next week because I'm going into surgery tomorrow, and I'd rather not write a story chapter while I'm all drugged up.
Yours truly,
The Victorian