Someone to honor.

It had been more than two months since Andy Jackson had discovered that she was a demigoddess.

More than two months after that, she went on a dangerous mission to prevent a war between gods, returning Zeus's stolen master bolt.

Things had calmed down a lot since then. Even with the unexpected revelation that Ares, the god of war, would be living with them at the camp for the next ten years as punishment for his actions involving the theft of the master bolt, routine at the camp seemed to go on without a hitch.

They had fun at the lake, played volleyball and basketball games, climbed a wall that spewed boiling lava, trained with weapons capable of killing, dismembering and maiming someone, and went to the forest to hunt down some monsters that wanted to kill them. Normal in a camp full of sons and daughters of gods.

Andy had discovered that there were other weekly activities besides the Capture the Flag game (her favorite activity) that was held on Friday nights.

On Wednesday nights, it was what was known as "Poker Night" in Cabin Eleven. Demigods intending to win some items rarely seen in the camp would gather to play poker and win said items.

Not mortal money was being wagered, but rather items that many considered valuable such as packs of Cokes, boxes of donuts, bags of chips (Thalia was the main carrier of these) and large amounts of candy and junk food that was impossible to get anywhere in the camp by normal means. All of this was as valuable as gold.

Chiron obviously knew about those clandestine meetings, but a chocolate bar placed in the right spot in his office caused the legendary trainer of heroes to turn a blind eye.

And Mr. D didn't even care about all of that.

What Andy didn't know was that there were also other, more... grown-up items to get from the campers. Like porn magazines and packages of condoms, but she was too young and new to camp to know the secret code the campers had when they decided to bet those things in between normal bets. The subtle movement of adjusting their hair that could be passed off as a tick, or the light scratching of their cheek with a finger.

No. She wouldn't find out yet.

She might be a little surprised if she found out that it was Luke who started making those kinds of bets, with Thalia implementing the secret codes.

Andy would be disappointed, and a little shocked, to learn that the person she most admired had been actively involved in the illegal distribution of porn at Camp Half-Blood.

Other activities in the camp were those that took place on Saturday nights in cabin five, known as "The Fight Club."

Unlike poker night, fight club was much more exciting. It was not done to get something like contraband food or pornographic magazines. It was done for the sole reason of fighting someone. Although from time to time a bet was made.

The campers took advantage of the accumulated rage from the previous day at Capture the Flag, and used it as an excuse to beat each other until they passed out or gave up.

It was a barbarian activity where only the boys participated, although you could also see the girls from cabin five like Clarisse and her sisters, along with the undefeated champion for more than three years, Thalia Grace.

Andy didn't know about that activity yet. She was very young. Although she became suspicious when she saw that on Sunday mornings there were many campers with various injuries, although she passed them off as injuries obtained in Capture the Flag.

There were other activities, these being annual, like the fireworks held by Cabin Nine on the 4th of July.

But what she would remember the most, and the event that seemed to her the most beautiful, but a little sad, was the ceremony of honoring the floating lanterns held on August 18.

That day, she was able to come to realize that there was a strange, solemn atmosphere throughout the camp. It wasn't sad, but it wasn't happy either. She wanted to ask Annabeth, but she saw that all day she had a wistful look on her face.

She was distracted, which was strange for her. Annabeth always looked like she was thinking about a thousand things at once, but she was always aware of her surroundings. But that day, she seemed lost in her thoughts, ignoring everything else.

Andy tried to ask Thalia, but all day she was leaning against Percy's Tree by Sammy's grave, eating chips and drinking Cokes under the shade of the tree, with Ms. O'Leary laying her head on her lap as Thalia lightly caressed her.

When she got closer to Thalia, Andy could see that she was talking, but there was no one else with her. Maybe she was talking to Percy and Sammy. Andy had seen people speak to the graves of their loved ones before. Perhaps they felt that in this way they talked to them in some way, even if they did not receive any response.

Recognizing that Thalia wanted to spend some time alone, she went to ask someone who might give her an answer, the captain of cabin eleven, Luke.

He was in the arena, fervently training his swordsmanship, using armored straw dummies as opponents.

Andy was surprised at how fiercely he swung his sword. Each thrust and slash had a strength and skill that could only be acquired after years of training.

Luke was sweating profusely in the afternoon sun, his orange camp shirt sticking to his body with sweat.

However, he stopped for a second to rest and hydrate. Andy took advantage of that moment to go ask him what she had been absorbed all day.

The response she received was less than satisfactory.

"You'll see it tonight."

Andy didn't miss the sad smile when he said that.

So she was impatient all day. When it was time for dinner, she peeked around from Poseidon's table, but she couldn't find anything to explain the strange atmosphere in the camp.

It was once they were all done eating that Chiron stood in front of them all and caught their attention by tapping his hooves against the marble floor.

"Heroes! It's time," he reported. "Form a line."

All the campers got up from their seats and formed a line towards the table where Mr. D and the new resident god, Ares, were sitting, who was watching with a slight raised eyebrow in curiosity.

Andy went with the flow, stepping behind Thalia, who was leading the line.

The line was formed according to the number of cabins, so Thalia, the only member of cabin one, was always in the lead, followed by Andy, from cabin three. Then from cabin four and so on.

Thalia stepped in front of Chiron, who reached into a cardboard box and pulled out what looked like a transparent paper cylinder supported by a thin wire frame.

With a nod, Thalia took the object and went to stand in front of the bronze brazier where a rod was stuck inside. She took out the wand and placed the tip of it, where a flame burned, under the metal frame. Immediately, an object in the middle began to burn.

Andy didn't have time to see more because Katie Gardner, captain of cabin four, gave her a slight push toward Chiron. She got the message.

She moved to stand in front of Chiron, and he handed her the same cylindrical paper object supported by a thin metal frame with a cloth wound circularly in the middle.

"Go to the brazier and set fire to the cloth in the middle of the frame," Chiron instructed.

Andy agreed and went to the brazier, repeating the same process Thalia had done. She watched in amazement as the transparent cylindrical paper slowly rose to a height of 15 inches. She had to hold what she identified as a floating lantern that tried to slip out of her hands.

She watched as all the campers received the same Chiron lantern from the box (which was obviously magical because there was no way that small box could hold more than a hundred lanterns for each camper) and went to light it in the brazier.

When everyone had a burning flashlight in hand, they began to leave the dining pavilion.

Andy went over and quickly positioned herself next to Annabeth, who was holding her own flashlight.

"Annabeth, what is this?" Andy asked her. "What are we doing?"

"A tribute," Annabeth answered without looking at her.

"A tribute? To who?"

She turned to see her. Her eyes looked sad, as did the small smile she gave her.

"To Percy. Today is the day he died."

Andy's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't ask anymore.

They kept walking through the camp that had fallen under the veil of night. It was then that Andy noticed how bright the lanterns the campers were holding in the dark were. Each was like a beacon of light whose fires burned brightly.

No one spoke, which she found disturbing. The only audible sound in the camp was the footsteps of the demigods walking.

It didn't take them long to reach the place where the campers crowded under the huge pine tree that graced Half-Blood Hill; Percy's Tree.

Chiron, Luke, and Thalia, each holding a flashlight, positioned themselves directly in front of them.

"Today, we honor a hero like no other," Chiron announced sadly. "A demigod who sacrificed himself to protect those he loved. And with his sacrifice, he not only saved those close to him, but also to all the demigods who are present here, and to all those who will come to the camp in the future. He provided a safe place for those persecuted by monsters. A place where they can be safe, and live without having to worry. Every time you go to sleep in your cabins... every time you wake up as the sun rises over the horizon, I want you to remember the demigod who made it possible for you to live here without worrying about the horrors that dwell out there."

Andy frowned sadly. She hadn't thought of it that way. Ever since she arrived at the camp, she had always taken for granted the barrier that protected her from the monsters. She had experienced firsthand how terrifying it was to sleep in fear of being killed by some monster when she went on her mission to retrieve the master bolt.

When she arrived at the camp after completing her mission, she was relieved to finally be able to sleep without having to worry about it. She didn't have to worry about any monsters trying to kill her because she knew she was protected by the barrier that Percy's Tree provided.

She felt a little guilty that someone had to die for that to happen. Someone who, although she never got to know, was her brother, a son of Poseidon like her.

She heard Annabeth sob softly next to her. Andy knew how much Percy had come to mean to her, as well as to Thalia, Luke, and Grover.

"I want you to remember not only Percy, who sacrificed himself so that every demigod has a safe place to go when he feels desperate and lost," Chiron continued. "But also remember all those demigods who are no longer here with us. This is a ceremony to honor all those we hold dear who are no longer with us. When you release the flashlights that each of you hold, I want you to keep that in mind. The best way to honor the dead is to continue living with your head held high."

With those last words, Chiron was the first to drop his flashlight, which slowly began to rise into the night sky.

Not long after, the others followed his example. Everyone began to gently release the lanterns that rose. Andy could also hear the whispers of the campers. Each of them whispering someone's name. Someone who was no longer with them.

Beside her, she heard Annabeth whisper.

"Percy..."

And she released the lantern that rose into the sky.

Andy didn't know who to think of when she dropped the flashlight. There was no one to remember. Instead, she simply gave Percy a silent thanks before letting the lantern join the others.

The sky over the camp was soon engulfed in lights floating above them, it was a truly beautiful sight. And Andy would remember it for a long time.

Nobody said anything. A solemn silence was still present in the camp. They simply stood and watched as the floating lanterns rose into the sky.

Andy followed Annabeth to where Luke, Thalia, Grover, and Ms. O'Leary had gathered. All of them gathered under Percy's Tree. Next to the tree roots, she could see that there was a bag of chips, along with the photograph that she had seen Thalia keep in her wallet.

A photograph where she could see Percy, Sammy, Thalia, Annabeth, Luke and Grover. All of them smiling at the camera Percy was holding.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Luke sipping every so often from the flask he held in his hand. While Thalia was quietly smoking a cigarette. Perhaps that was the way they honored their late dear friend.

From there, high up on Half-Blood Hill, she could see much of the camp dimly lit by floating lanterns. She was able to see the arena, the amphitheater, the dining pavilion, the cabins, the lake, the volleyball court, and... the Big House.

Andy focused her gaze on the porch of the Big House. Maybe it's because of the darkness of the night and the dim light provided only by the lanterns and the moon, but she could clearly see someone standing there. And that figure wasn't wearing the typical orange camp t-shirt, but something that seemed to blend in with the light that almost missed when she looked.

White? No, something darker. Like gray, but at the same time brighter.

Silver.

"Andy, what's wrong?" Annabeth asked, when she realized that she was looking away carefully.

"Ah, I think there's someone..." She pointed to the Big House.

But no one was there anymore.

"Someone? Where?"

"No... it's nothing. I think I got confused."

She decided to ignore that. Maybe it was just a trick of the low light. Instead, she just decided to keep admiring the sight of the floating lanterns beginning to fade into the night sky.

There was little time left until summer came to an end. She decided to enjoy it as much as she could along with her new friends.

...

..

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