YAY! I'm back! I hope you enjoy this chapter. No Dawn this time but she will be back next chapter. Hope you enjoy this!
Chapter 11: Apollo and North
"Bit much?" A deep male voice asked.
Jack jumped ten feet in the air.
The voice chuckled as Jack turned and glared at the man.
"Who are you?" Jack asked.
"The father of that little girl"
Jack's eyes widened. "Apollo?"
Apollo nodded. Jack sized him up and down. He looked like a teenager. 18 at most. He wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Around his neck was a headset that still had music playing if Jack strained his ears enough. Apollo's had blue eyes that seemed playful His hair was sandy blond and short and purposefully windswept.
"You don't look like a god" Jack said. He looked like a very good looking model he sometimes saw on television.
"If I showed you my true form you'd burn little winter spirit" Apollo said his eyes narrowed. "And being 20 ft. tall isn't exactly inconspicuous."
Jack decided to save himself the headache and not ask.
"Is what she said true?" Jack asked.
"Most of it" Apollo said. "Despite what she believes she's not the cause of her stepfather's death" He told the young winter sprite. "But unfortunately, a lot of what is perceived as truth is do to the perception of the person telling it, she believes what she says, ergo, she can say it."
Jack blinked. "What?"
"A bit confusing, I know" Apollo said. "The truth is hardly ever truly clear cut. But as backwards as the truth is, lying no matter how sweet it may sound is always worse."
Jack looked to the sky for a moment before looking back to Apollo. "Is there something you wanted?"
"What can't I talk to my favorite winter sprite?"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "I didn't even know you existed before today."
"Still" Apollo said. "You kept her safe, when you didn't have too, a lot of the gods owe you for watching after their children, when they ran away."
Jack's eyes widened. "I would have rather brought them back home"
Apollo put a hand on Jack's shoulder. The heat reminded him of a warm summers day, but oddly enough instead of hurting him he found it almost relaxing.
"You did" Apollo said softly, "For many demigods that place was home."
"The hill with forcefield?" Jack said.
Apollo chuckled. "A safety measure, only demigods can enter if anyone wants to enter they have to receive an invite from someone already inside the camp. Though it's only been added in quite recently."
Jack slowly nodded his head, this was so confusing, and yet... parts of it at least, seemed very familiar.
"I suspect, you'll be wanting to head to North Pole now" Apollo said stepping away. "No doubt you have a lot of questions that you'll want answered by them."
Jack nodded gripped his staff tighter and flew off.
Apollo watched the Winter Spirit disappear. When the boy was out of sight his eyes dimmed and he sighed. "Good luck Overland, you'll need it." Apollo said.
"Hiya North" Jack said as he flew in through the window.
"Ah Jack, How good it is to see you!" North said clapping a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Come, come, we eat, and we catch up."
"I just have a question." Jack said. "What do you know of … demigods?"
North looked at him surprised. Jack shrugged. "I think I read about them somewhere."
"They are children of spirits that resided on the earth long before we were born, and probably still will long after we are gone."
"Have you ever met any?"
"Oh perhaps" North said. "They sound, look, and act exactly like regular humans, and they can see us just like any believer can. The only thing is they don't show up on the globe"
"You make it sound, as though you don't trust them"
"I trust them as much as I trusted you, before you became a guardian, they have potential, but a lot of them never use it."
You have so much potential Jackson, it's a pity you never use it.
Jack blinked and for a single moment he felt as though his entire body had turned… warm for a second.
"What if, they never have the chance too?" Jack asked. "What if they die before they're capable?"
North blinked. "Jack…?"
Jack blinked unaware where this anger came from. He put a hand to his head.
"I… met, one" He said. "She's Dawn Bennett, a daughter of Apollo, and she's hurting so bad."
North sighed. "I know you want to help, but I don't think you can, she's a demigod, and sometimes, they just fall outside our help."
Jack shook his head. "That doesn't seem right."
"It is what it is." North said somber. "Many demigods are stubborn, they prefer their own kind to help them."
Jack put a tongue to his cheek. "Perhaps… I was told she was receiving help, and she did call him her brother…"
Jack blinked. "You ever meet, any of the gods, that these children come from?"
"I do not know; the gods are fickle they can become whoever they want."
Jack nodded. "I should probably go…" He said. "I promised the Burgess kids a snow day tomorrow" He said.
North nodded. "I shall see you."
Hope you enjoyed that, see next chapter.