LEAH V.
She hadn't seen one before, but Leah was sure she could stand to go another seventeen years of her life without seeing another Myrmeke poison wound.
By the time they'd reached the Big House, it had gotten worse. The skin around Miranda's wound had turned from green to purple, and her skin was so hot it was beginning to bubble around the wound. The wound itself was blood red and steaming, clouds of boiling mist blowing up into the air as they moved.
Leah's head had fully cleared itself out by now, but she was still ashamed that it had taken so long. She definitely wasn't ready for the prophecy. It's words and just the way it'd invaded her head had put her off so much that she could barely contain herself. Only the Myrmekes attacking was enough to jar her back into reality, and even then it didn't happen immediately.
Now, standing in the doorway of the infirmary as Benjamin and the tall Apollo kid, Will she thought she heard Ben call him, worked on Miranda's arm, she couldn't help but feel bad.
Since coming back, Leah and Ben had both stored their armor away again. Leah had showered, but Ben didn't have the chance to. He'd been in the infirmary the entire time with Will, and it clearly placed some strain on him. His shoulders were tense, Leah could see that much, but he was focused intently on what he was doing.
Ben was kneeling at Miranda's bedside and Will was standing next to him. Ben held Miranda's arm down, muttering words of encouragement to her as she struggled. Her face was beaded with sweat and she was hyperventilating, though she was complying with them as much as she could. Will was doing most of the healing, though when he needed an extra hand Ben was there to provide it.
Leah didn't know the first thing about healing magic or medicines. She'd never been any good at either, so it was one of the things she'd ignored. Seeing it here, though, as Will and Ben worked side by side to aid Miranda, she discovered a newfound respect for it.
"S'cuse me." Leah heard. Without looking, she straightened up to get out of the way. Nico walked in past her with his arms full of spare medical supplies. He glanced at her, chills running down her spine, and then he walked around to the other side of Miranda's bed to drop the supplies within arms reach of the two medics. Will looked up and smiled at him, Nico returning it in earnest before he walked off.
Nico stalked past Leah through the doorway, but before he left completely, he stuck a finger out at Leah, gesturing her to follow. She hesitated, clearly, and he kept walking. Looking back at Ben and Will as they worked, she steeled herself and followed the son of Hades out of the Big House.
When she got outside, Leah could barely see him.
It was still dark out, and from where they were on the porch, they could see the moon in the sky high up above Long Island Sound. Nico, dressed in black jeans, black boots, a black t-shirt with a skull and crossbones on it, and a black leather jacket, was leaning up against the railing on the outside of the porch. His dark oily hair flowed quietly in the wind, and his olive skin was deathly pale in the moonlight. When he turned around to look at her, his eyes looked like empty sockets for a second. Leah blinked, and they were back to normal. Extremely dark, but normal.
Leah was suddenly aware of how cold it was, but she couldn't be sure if that was because of the air outside, or because of Nico. In all honesty, he scared her. There wasn't much she was afraid of, but in the short time she'd taken notice of him, he'd forced himself onto that list.
Rubbing the bare skin of her arms, Leah stepped forward, raising an eyebrow at Nico. After showering, she'd put on a pair of simple blue jeans, her black boots from before, and a spare CHB shirt Ben had given her. She assumed it was once of his, because it was several sizes too big. She'd wrapped gauze around her arms, hands, and fingers again just for the warmth and she'd decided to just let her hair out against her back instead of braiding it.
Nico saw her rubbing her arms and raised an eyebrow in retaliation.
"You cold?" He asked, though it wasn't really much of a question as much as it was an observation. "You'd be surprised how many spare jackets I have. I could loan you one."
Leah shivered, but despite that she shook her head.
"I'm not really that big a fan of leather," She admitted, tilting her head to the side. Nico shrugged.
"Suit yourself. I think it's pretty comfortable." He replied. Shoving her hands into her pockets, Leah narrowed her eyes at him.
"What's your game here? I can feel everyone else's suspicion about me, but you don't...you have a really weird feeling to you." She said. It was true, she was fairly good at reading people. Ben wanted her to be comfortable at Camp. Miranda didn't know what to think of her, but was edging toward hostility. Annabeth didn't like her, and Percy was trying to like her. Will was pretty neutral, but he clearly wanted nothing to do with her. Nico, though. He was a mystery.
The Son of Hades shrugged and pulled his coat a little closer to him. He didn't seem cold at all, Leah noted.
"I'm not really one for playing games," He told her. She'd failed to notice it before, but at his side hung a deathly black sword. It filled her with dread just looking at it, so she decided not to. "So I won't. I don't really trust you. I've seen this act that you're pulling more than once, and I've done it myself, though slightly modified."
"You can say whatever it is that you want, that you just want what was taken from you. But people have done worse things for far less. I don't like this camp," He said, his eyes darting through the window where they could still see Will and Ben hard at work. "But it is my home. And there are people here that I care about. If your allegiances sway for even a second, trust me that there is nowhere on this planet where I won't find you."
The night grew darker, and Leah found herself needing to blink to make sure she wasn't going blind. Once her vision cleared up again, Nico was gone. She was left alone on the porch, with only the moon high above Long Island Sound for company.
Instead of turning back and walking back into the Big House, Leah found herself full of...anger. Sure, she'd done a couple of things...okay a lot of things, that would label her as a dangerous person who wasn't to be trusted, but she herself didn't call for it.
Sighing in exasperation, Leah stepped forward to lean up against the railing of the porch. The circumstances had pushed her to where she was, that was all. She couldn't control it, and she wouldn't try to. The Fates worked in mysterious ways, her mom had always said. 'They can't be controlled. All you can really do is just go with the flow.'
She glanced back behind her into the window of the Big House. Will and Ben had switched places, Will sitting at Miranda's side and Ben working on her arm. His shades were off, stuck into his pocket like before when they were in the forest. His eyes were brown, just a tone darker than his skin, but something was off. There was a weird air around them, and they looked unfocused. To Leah, though, he looked as focused as ever. His gaze was unwavering and his arms and hands, huge and thick, were moving with surgical precision. There was something odd about that.
Glancing away, Leah saw Nico standing in the doorway of the infirmary, where she herself had stood only minutes ago. He was staring at her, his arms crossed over his chest. Her eyes narrowed and she sneered at him. There was no real way to tell how old he was, as Leah had always based age off of the eyes. In his eyes, though, all she saw was misery. It made her a tad bit upset if she thought about it too long.
In a fit of brash aggression, Leah flipped him off. Before she could see if his expression had changed at all, she turned back around and lept over the railing. She needed to soak in her thoughts for a bit.
At night, the camp seemed a lot more tranquil than it usually was during the day. The cabins were mulled over in darkness, stray lights flickering at the sides of each doorway. One cabin particularly stood out. Up against the right, it was the closest to the beach. It was low and gray, and the windows were open. Leah couldn't see inside, but it felt particularly home-y. If that made any sense.
Before getting there, Leah pulled her boots off. She wasn't wearing socks, as that was something she didn't want to ask Ben for, and she could feel the grass beneath her toes as she walked onward. The dirt soon turned to sand beneath her feet, and Leah breathed in the salty smell of the ocean. Back when she was at home, with her mom, Leah had always liked going to the beach on vacation. it always came with a sense of family. Even when she wasn't there with her mom, the few times she went to public school she'd always go there afterward, it was reassuring.
Holding her boots in her hand, it took her a while to notice that she wasn't alone on the beach.
Sitting waist-deep in the water, Percy was staring out across the ocean, almost like he was having a silent conversation with it, dressed in just swim trunks. Leah slowed to a halt, watching him intently. Just a few hours ago, they'd fought almost to the death. Leah wouldn't have killed him, and she was sure he wouldn't have killed her either. Just after that, she'd been outed as his sister; half-sister, really, but it was still embarrassing. With nothing to say in the matter, she just ran. Like she always did.
His ear twitched, and he turned to face her. Leah expected him to scream at her, or something of the sort. Instead, he half-smiled and waved.
"Hey," he said, completely docile and un-wavering. Leah took a few steps forward in silence, and he continued on. "You come to sit in the water sometimes too?"
Struck by how...calm he was, Leah just nodded. She continued to walk in, just until she was level with him and a few feet away. Taking a moment to focus, she threw her boots behind her and sat down in the water. It was cold at first, as it always was, but then it got warmer. Looking down just to make sure, she saw that her clothes were still dry. A sigh that she didn't know she was holding escaped her. Percy caught it with a raised eyebrow.
"Dry clothes, right? I do the same thing." There was a dry smile on his face, but it was sort of forced. He was clearly uneasy about her.
"Yea, it's catchy," Leah replied. She leaned forward and hugged her knees. Her hair began to flow out into the water behind her. That was always harder to keep dry. "This is weird, man, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say to you."
Percy laughed and turned to look back across the ocean. "Yea, I was thinking the same thing. I got used to everyone around me having godly siblings, I never thought I'd have one too."
Leah turned to look at him, her eyebrow raising in question. "So, everyone here is a half-blood then? Even your friend Annabeth?" She asked.
"Well, I'd say she's more than a friend, but yea. Everyone here has a godly parent, all Greek except you now." He replied. Leah turned away, her gaze down toward the water beneath her. Then, after a moment of thought, she jerked back up to look at him.
"All Greek? So no Roman at all?" She asked. Percy turned back to her, nodding slowly.
"Yea, all Greek. Camp Half-Blood is for Greeks, and there's another one in California, Camp Jumpier, for Romans. It's weird that you showed up here and not there." He said. Leah had a questioning look in her eyes.
"So then, you and Annabeth and Ben. All Greek?" She asked. Percy nodded again, slower again. He wasn't grasping exactly what she was questioning.
"Yea, Poseidon's my dad, Athena is Annabeth's mom, and Ares is Ben's dad," Percy replied. Maybe saying the names out loud wasn't too smart, but he was distracted. "Is something up?"
Leah was murmuring under her breath. When Percy questioned her, she sighed and placed her chin on her knees. "No, nothing. Just...confused is all." She told him. While her focus was elsewhere, her hair had gotten wet, and so had her jeans. As it was, she couldn't will the water out, so she just sighed and went back to willing the rest of it away. Percy took notice.
"Can you not...is it hard to push the water away like that?" He asked her, pointing down to her jeans. She glanced down and nodded.
"Clear, pure salt water is hard to control for me. Murky water, like back in the arena, has always been easier. I just never questioned it," Leah replied. She looked over at Percy, question in her eyes. "It's easy for you?"
He ran a hand through his hair, grinning sheepishly. "Well, yea. Water is pretty much all it is for me. That and wind sometimes, that's happened if I'm really focusing."
Leah pouted, perking up and splashing the water a little. "That's so unfair. It takes so much more concentration for me to seriously control water than it should. I've like, read books on it and everything, it sucks.
Percy managed out a laugh. "Books? Jeez, you sound like Annabeth," Leah cast a glare at him, but he didn't see it. "If water is harder, what's easier then? Like, your main go-to?"
Leah looked back up toward camp, way back behind her, and then turned back to Percy. "Didn't you feel it in the arena? It's earthquakes. They're as easy as stomping on the ground for me. Usually they're small, but I can control how big or how bad they are."
He perked up, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "Really? Man, that sounds super cool. The biggest problem I have is that if I'm underground or something, it's way harder to try and draw water to you, y'know? Like, above ground it's easier to sense."
Shrugging, Leah laid back in the water after a second of focusing on it. She floated a little on the water and her hair stayed dry, as it should.
"I wouldn't know, I've never been really underground. The closest I've been to it is like those sections of a zoo they have lower than most. Even then, I didn't stick around too long. I hate zoos."
Percy followed suit, laying down in the water. "Oh yea, I get you. I've had bad experiences with zoos before, it doesn't stick too well. Fish in captivity." He scowled up at the sky, mainly at nothing. Leah nodded in agreement, humming a little.
"It's the worst. I don't eat fish either, it feels so wrong," Leah said. "I've been inching really close to being a vegetarian too,"
Percy laughed again. He was doing that a lot now. "I don't think I could ever give up on steak and hamburgers, but that's all you."
This time, Leah laughed, shaking her head a bit as she did. "It'll take some work, but if I end up doing it, I'll manage."
"I envy you for that, Leah." Percy replied, and they fell silent. It was weird hearing him say her name, but it felt right. He was her...brother, after all. Like Percy had said, it felt weird to suddenly have a sibling after going so long without having one. Sure, one was Greek and the other Roman, but they were still related the same on the godly side.
"Can I ask you something?" Leah asked, completely out of the blue.
"Hm?" Percy asked, turning as much he could to look at her. The water they were laying in obscured his vision slightly, but not much.
"What about Nico?" She asked, turning to look at him. Her hair was floating out in the water around her head like an octopus. "Who''s his godly parent?"
Percy sat up and looked over at the Big House. Water was running down his back and dripping right back into the water.
"Hades," He said without looking back at her. "I've had a few bad experiences with him, but Nico's a good guy. You uneasy about him?"
Leah shivered, sitting up. The tips of her hair were wet again as her focus left her. "Sort of. I guess Hades makes sense, though. He's intimidating."
He nodded in agreement. "He's been through a lot," Shaking his head, he looked back out at the ocean. "You'll warm up to him, though."
She wasn't so sure of that, but Leah nodded and pulled her knees up to her chest once more. Usually sitting in the sea made her feel better, but tonight her mind was much too clouded over for it to have it's usual effect. Still lodged deep into her head, Nico's threat hovered over her like a cloud, just waiting to start raining and shooting lighting down onto her. That, and the prophecy from the Grove of Dodona. Even now, it was a pain to remember.
Leah Vasquez, a child of Rome, It was definitely, without a doubt, about her then.
Who sets off to travel, but never alone, She didn't understand that part yet. She had planned to leave Camp and take her quest alone.
Her father's creation, Neptune, or Poseidon, had created a lot of things. That was confusing as well.
Escaping damnation, Leah always loved getting away from damnation. Might as well become a pastime.
And destined never to roam, She had an idea of what that meant, and she hoped that she was right.
Sighing, she stood up out of the water and stretched. The water began to pool away from her clothes, draining back into the ocean, She couldn't control it enough to get it out of her hair, though. Groaning, she whipped her hair over her shoulder and began to manually wring it out.
Percy looked up at her, an eyebrow raised.
"You done already?" He asked, lying back into the water again. Leah nodded, squeezing and twisting her hair and pulling more water out.
"It's not doing much for me right now," She admitted, stepping out of the water and into the sand. "Plus, I want to talk to Chiron. There are some things that aren't adding up in my head."
Her half-brother nodded, as if he understood her situation perfectly. Though, honestly, she wouldn't doubt that he actually did. Leah pulled her boots back on and began to walk away. As she did, Percy sat up to wave, a smile on his face.
Leah found herself smiling as well, waving as she walked back toward the Big House. He didn't seem to take their duel to the heart, thankfully. At the time, Leah assumed she would, but over time she'd forgotten it and had stopped caring. Percy was a great fighter, she saw that much and felt it too. But, she went in with an advantage by having a spear with extra reach. It's why she'd started fighting with a spear in the first place; because it was clearly the better choice in a fight. It was logical, and that's how she saw it. That's all that mattered.
Once Leah got to the Big House, she peaked into the infirmary first. Will and Ben were no longer there, working on Miranda's arm. Now, she was asleep in her bed, both medics gone from the room. Leah stood in the doorway, a frown on her face, before she walked away to find Chiron.
He was seated in his wheel chair in the main room, where a stuffed leopard head was hung against the wall. Leah was surprised when it jumped out and snarled at her. Luckily though, it was hung on the wall and it couldn't reach her. Still, though, it didn't make her any less cautious.
Seated in his chair with a book in his lap, Chiron sat up to face her as she walked in.
"Leah. To what do I owe the honor?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and sat down in an armchair as far away from the leopard head as possible. Chiron saw her glance over and put on an amused smile.
"Oh, that's Seymour. He's practically harmless." He said, though it didn't reassure her.
"I'm sure he is," Leah replied, almost sarcastically. She shook her head. "Listen, sir, I came to you for help. The prophecy from the Grove of Dodona has...confused me to no end. I wanted to know if you could help me understand it at all."
Chiron frowned, scratching his chin. "Prophecies are always confusing, Leah. The best I can do is attempt to push you in the proper direction."
Sighing, she nodded and crossed her legs. "If that's the best there is, I'll willingly take what you can tell me." She responded. Chiron nodded and began to roll his chair away. Confused, Leah stood up and followed him. They rolled past the infirmary, past a small room in the back of the Big House, and then they emerged into the same games room they were in earlier that day. This time, though, it wasn't empty.
Annabeth was sitting at the far end, talking in hushed voices with a few of the people Leah had seen earlier. Her long blond hair was tied back into a ponytail
A tall blond guy with blue eyes who wore glasses and a purple shirt instead of an orange one. On his forearm was a sort of tattoo, but Leah couldn't make out what it was. All she saw were black lines, and there were quite a few of them.
Next to him was a girl, with brown skin and long brown hair with braids scattered throughout it all. She wore the orange Camp shirt, and a light blue feather stuck up from behind her ear.
Across from those two sat two more in purple shirts. One was big and bulky, clearly Asian with black hair cut like he was in the military. He gave off a sort of presence, like a military commander just before a battle.
The girl next to him was much smaller, with dark skin and extremely dark and curly hair. Leah thought she could see freckles dotting her face, but the girl's eyes caught her off guard the most. They were golden in color, and it made her do a bit of a double take.
On the other side, were two more people. The first was a short, Hispanic looking kid. His hair was curly, and spread out around his head manically. He wasn't wearing an orange shirt, instead going for a pale workers shirt with suspenders over them. He had a strange look in his eyes, kind of like a mad scientist.
The girl next to him was maybe a bit taller. She had peach skin and cinnamon colored hair, braided out the same way Leah braided hers, but shorter. Instead of wearing the camp shirt, she was dressed in a white blouse with simple blue jeans. She was paying a lot of attention to the boy next to her, watching as he fiddled around with spare metal parts that he'd had in the work belt around his waist.
Across from them was the last person, a satyr. His fur was dark brown, seemingly speckled in snow. From the waist up, he was wearing a long black thermal shirt with the camp shirt over it. A set of dark wooden reed pipes were hung around his neck, and his horns poked out from atop his curly head of hair. He was currently eating a tin can.
Once she entered, they all looked up at her. Leah herself looked away, hating to be the center of attention. Chiron wheeled in past her and took his spot at the opposite head of the table, across from where Annabeth sat. He looked around the table, then raised an eyebrow.
"Where's Percy?" He asked, looking around at all of them. Most of them shrugged, or went 'I dunno' beneath their breaths. Annabeth turned around and looked out of the window before turning back and sitting down.
"He's on his way," She said, running her hands through her hair. "He was at the beach." Leah took the time to notice that her eyes were stormy gray, and a little intense when she glanced over Leah.
Chiron nodded. "Well, good. As soon as he gets here, we can begin," He turned to Leah and raised an eyebrow. "Don't be shy, now. Take a seat."
She visibly bristled, though he quickly sighed and took the seat next to the girl with the braid like her own. She turned to nod at her, and Leah nodded back, at least happy that she seemed friendly enough. Leah turned back to Chiron, though, as the others continued to talk.
"Chiron, what is this?' She asked, catching a glance from the satyr when she did. Chiron looked up at her, an eyebrow raised, before mouthing out 'Ah'.
"Oh, excuse me, Leah. I should introduce everyone," He stated. Leah was close to objecting, but he'd already started. "You've already met Annabeth. On her right side, we have Jason, Piper, Leo, and Calypso," They all waved or nodded as their names were called. "Then, on her left, we have Frank, Hazel, and Grover. All demigods and those alike, as you may have guessed, and they are our...ah..special forces, I suppose."
"Yea, special forces," Leo said, setting down the device he was working on. As soon as it left his hand, it grew little wings and soared into the air. For a moment, anyway, and then it sputtered and died, crashing back onto the table. Leo paid no attention to it. "We're like the Kung Fu masters that get called in at the end of the movie, y'know?"
Leah gave him a blank stare. She understood it, sure, she used to love watching old karate movies. Used to, though. She'd stopped watching them after a while. Leo gathered up his device and went back to tinkering, muttering under his breath about 'having no sense of culture'.
Jason cleared his throat, and Leah looked back to him. Paying attention to his face for the first time, she noticed a small scar on his lip.
"What Leo means is that we're all experienced in demigod affairs," He told her, gesturing with his hands. "Say...affairs like yours. We can help."
Crossing her arms over her chest, Leah leaned back into her chair.
"I'm not saying I don't appreciate the intentions," She began, her eyes darting across everyone at the table. "But I didn't necessarily ask for the help."
Someone cleared their throat. Leah looked up to see that it was Frank, the big Asian guy.
"Well, in this weird world of ours, we kinda don't ever ask for help," He said, gesturing with his hands. "Things just kinda happen. Especially...for us, I guess."
"Frank is right," Annabeth piped in, though she looked like she didn't want to. "In the world of gods and half-bloods, we demigods tend to stick together, even if we don't want to," She glanced around the table, a small smile on her face. "That's kinda what's happened with all of us."
Sighing, Leah sunk into her chair. She began to fiddle with the tip of her braid, eyes fixed on the ping-pong table. After a moment of silence, she sighed again.
"Fine, fine," She muttered, sitting up and looking around at everyone. "I'll bite. How is any of this gonna work?"
"That part is a lot easier to explain," Piper commented, fiddling with the feather behind her ear. "You're leaving on this quest, and we're here to make sure it all goes well."
"Goes well how? It's straightforward, isn't it?" Leah leaned over the table, her head in her arms. "You guys let me leave with this prophecy in my head and I'll figure this whole thing out on my own."
Chiron tilted his head, a disappointed look in his eyes. "That simply won't work, my dear. We have rules for quests, as well."
Leah scoffed, eyes darting over at the centaur. "Rules like what?"
"For instance," Just then, Percy decided to walk into the room, a towel over his head and now wearing a camp shirt with a pair of cargo shorts. "You're limited to taking two people with you on a quest. Chiron kinda bullies you on that one."
Grover smirked, exchanging a brief high five with Percy as the son of Poseidon sat down next to him, and across from Leah.
She raised an eyebrow. "So I have to take two people with me? Why can't I just go by myself?"
Hazel looked up, and Leah had to stop herself from jumping just out of surprise.
"Three is a nice, safe number. Three Fates, three sons of Kronos, and three Furies," Her hair bounced as she looked up at her, her golden eyes meeting Leah's. "Playing around fate is hard. Appeasing it by playing safe is a lot easier."
Chiron nodded at her, a smile playing at his lips. "I couldn't have said it better myself. It's much more a safety precaution than anything, my dear."
Leah blew hair out of her face before turning to Chiron.
"So who should I take with me? Best thing I can think of is trying to even out a team of three as best as possible, but I don't know anyone here."
The centaur shrugged. "That is up to you. You yourself can fill one role, and you could spend a few days more here just to scout out potential, if you feel the need."
"Well, narrow it down first," Annabeth said, turning to Leah. "I've seen you with your spear, so you're settled on having a good fighter. Are you any good with a bow?"
Leah actually scoffed, turning to Annabeth with a half-smirk on her face. "I'm probably the worst with one, honestly."
Percy raised a hand. "I refuse to let you steal that title away from me."
The two of them stared each other down, and everyone else around the ping-pong table could see that same glint in their eyes; the one that showed just how much they were actually related.
"Being bad at things aside," Leo said, jarring them all back into conversation. "What about support? It never hurts to have a lil somethin' somethin' during a quest, y'know?" He glanced at Calypso, who punched him in the arm in return, though she was smiling.
Leah tilted her head in question. "Support how?"
Jason waved his hand through the air. "You know, like knowledge in general. Someone who knows the area of where you're going, who knows monsters, or who just knows anything medical."
The others around the table nodded and murmured agreement. Grover finally spoke up. "You'd be surprised how many people know nothing about healing magic or medical procedures at all." He looked at Leah with eyebrows raised. Bashful and embarrassed, she looked away. Mere seconds later, though, she looked back up.
"Oh, first idea for someone to take then," She said. Everyone turned to look at her, and Leah realized just how much she hated being the center of attention. "Ben. I saw him earlier in the infirmary, helping Will out with Miranda's Myrmeke wound," She quickly realized what she was addressing and held a hand up. "Sorry bout that, by the way."
Frank waved her off. "No one blames you for that, Leah," She flashed him a thankful smile and he kept going. "That said, Ben is a solid choice. I-I honestly don't talk to him much, regrettably, but Percy and Annabeth tell us he's a good guy."
Annabeth nodded in agreement. "Him being a pacifist would make the quest a bit difficult."
"But he fights monsters, right?" Hazel asked.
"He fights monsters, yea, but not other people," Percy replied. He'd procured a bottle of water from...somewhere. "Sometimes, though, the people are the ones you have to fight."
Piper shivered. "Ain't that the truth. Still though, he's as good as Will when it comes to being a medic. That's a safe bet."
Leah nodded, visibly a bit more perked up about the quest now. "Alright, cool. What about the last slot, though?"
Jason was the one to shrug and answer. "It's all up to you, really. Stick around camp for a bit and decide if you want."
Chiron sat up and nodded. "I'd suggest you stay for at least a week, if it's not too much for you."
Shaking her head, Leah sat up from where she was laying on the table. "I appreciate the invitation, Chiron. Honestly, I...I don't trust staying for so long. I have work that I need to do, but I wouldn't mind getting used to this place before I go."
The old centaur smiled, giving her a quaint nod. "Whatever works for you, my dear. I wish to talk later about whatever it was bothering you today, if you're uncomfortable sharing it in front of a group of people you've just met."
Leo laughed, but Calypso punched him in the arm again. It didn't stop her from smiling back, however. This time, Leah smiled in turn. The prophecy from the Grove of Dodona came rushing back to her, and her smile fell immediately.
"M-maybe later, Chiron. I'm not sure I want to think about it too soon."
"Understandable," He then turned to Percy, who'd been building a tower out of extra tin cans that Grover had in his bag. the satyr was helping him, and the both of them were snickering loudly. Apparently something was written on the cans, but Leah couldn't see it. "Percy. While Leah is here with us, she'll be staying in the Poseidon cabin alongside you. Do you want to give her the tour?"
Percy's head whipped up to meet Chiron's gaze. For a moment, it seemed like he'd argue against it, like Leah suspected he would. After a moment, though, he gave a crooked smile and nodded.
"Will do. It'll be nice sharing the cabin with someone while Tyson is away." He commented.
Leo sat up from the table, dropping what he was fiddling with once again.
"What, you mean aside from Annabeth?" He asked. Annabeth shot him a glare, but it didn't stop the blood from rushing to her face.
"Shut it, Valdez," She stood up, and Leo jumped reflexively. Luckily, she didn't really do anything. Instead, she turned to Leah, who jumped in surprise. "I have a few extra clothes, if you want them."
Leah hesitated, but slowly she nodded. "If it's not too much trouble, sure. I wouldn't mind." Leah thought she saw the ghost of a smile on Annabeth's face. Just then, Jason clapped and stood up from the table.
"Well, it seems our little convergence is over for now then," Piper stood up alongside them, and Leah pulled herself out of her chair. "Frank, Hazel and I will be here for another week or two, so maybe we can help you out if you need it, Leah. Other than that, I'd say just enjoy your time here before you go."
She nodded in return. In truth, she had no idea what she'd do the entire week. Most of it would probably be training, and trying to find a third member for the quest.
The others began to stand and make their way out of the games room. Leah backed herself into the corner to avoid being in their way, and they all nodded at her on the way out. Once they were gone, only Chiron, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were still in the room. Chiron nodded at each of them one after the other, and then wheeled himself out.
Percy turned to look at Leah, raising an eyebrow.
"You ready to see the cabin?" He asked. She tilted her head, thinking about it, before nodding.
"Yea, sure. Let's get going."
Grover and Annabeth followed them to the cabin, mostly talking to Percy, but interjecting with questions aimed at Leah.
"So where are you from?" Grover asked her. Leah looked up at him, since they were all taller than her, and shrugged.
"Born and raised in Georgia," She replied, smiling a bit. "I've never lived anywhere close to the city, though."
Annabeth nodded, turning to look back at her. "You came all the way from Georgia on a horse?" Leah nodded. "In a week?"
Leah shrugged. "Chestnut's always been a good horse. My mom and I kept a stable with a few of them at our house, just outside of Savannah," Leah wrapped her hands around her arms, though it wasn't particularly cold. "He was always my favorite. Wh-when I needed to get away, he was there for me. I-I don't think I ever realized how fast he could run, but after a day or two we were already in North Carolina."
Grover nodded along, chewing on a tin can he'd pulled from his bag.
"Animals can be amazing. Humans don't see that enough," He stuffed the half-eaten can back into his bag and raised an eyebrow at her. "But in a week? That's more ridiculous than usual."
"Maybe it's because Poseidon invented horses," Percy called out. He turned back to look at Leah. "Have you ever been able to talk to horses?"
She raised her eyebrows in question. "Talk to horses? No, never. I've talked to fish before, but not horses. Can you talk to horses?"
Percy nodded, though he didn't really look like he was gloating. "It's a gift, I guess. It's weird that you can't, though."
"Well, it's like you said. Poseidon invented horses. Not Neptune," Leah pointed out. Percy looked down at her. "Just like how I can't control water as well. It seems like it's kinda split down the middle."
He thought about that for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Yea, that makes sense. It's like Jason and Thalia." He looked over to Grover and Annabeth, who nodded in agreement as well.
"Thalia is more focused on the lightning aspect of Zeus's power, while Jason is more centered on the sky part." Annabeth agreed. Leah's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Jason is a son of Zeus?" She asked. Grover shook his head in response, chewing on the rest of the can he'd put back into his bag, and then swallowed.
"Son of Jupiter. Thalia, our friend and Lady Artemis's lieutenant, is a daughter of Zeus," He clarified. "And Nico is a son of Hades while Hazel, the girl you met before with the golden eyes, is a daughter of Pluto. It's split down the middle with everyone, now that you're here."
Leah looked down at the ground, and properly ran into Percy's back as he stopped walked. She stumbled a bit, only to look up at him as he looked back and down at her, an eyebrow raised.
"S-sorry," Then she looked up. They were standing in front of the low gray cabin she'd seen earlier that night, when she'd gone to the beach. "This is it, then?"
He nodded and opened the door, stepping inside. Leah followed, then turned around to see Grover and Annabeth standing outside. She gave them a questioning look, and Annabeth met her with an answer.
"Campers aren't really supposed to be other camper's cabins," She explained. Leah mouthed out 'oh' and Annabeth continued. "It's kinda against camp rules. Though Percy has broken it enough that it barely matters anymore."
"Hey, you broke it just as much as I have," He called back, barely looking as he prepared one of the six bunk beds flanking the door, three on the right and three on the left. One of the bunks on the right seemed to be in use, the one at the bottom having drawings on the wall next to it, and the top bunk having a picture of Annabeth taped to the wall. The top bunk was clearly Percy's, and the bottom one must have been Tyson's, whoever that was. The bunk that Percy was putting together was the first one on the left, and he was just making sure the pillows were fine and that the bed was mostly made on both bunks. Once he was finished, he turned back around and did an exaggerated bow. He stood up again with a crooked smile on his face.
"Bunk's done. Dunno if you'll wanna take the top or the bottom one, but I just made sure both were good." He told her. She nodded her thanks and looked back at Grover and Annabeth, who were just getting ready to leave. Annabeth nodded in her direction.
"I'll make sure to bring those shirts by tomorrow morning, Leah," She told her. "And I wouldn't mind helping you with anything if you need it."
Leah smiled appreciatively and nodded. "Thanks, Annabeth. I appreciate it."
Grover and Annabeth began to walk off, and Percy nodded to Leah. "You good here? I'll head out for a bit, but I'll be back in a bit." She smiled and nodded.
"I'm good, Percy. I'll see you in the morning." She replied. He nodded and headed out after Grover and Annabeth, shutting the door behind him. Sighing, Leah walked over to the bunk that Percy had 'prepared' for her and jumped up onto the top bunk. The sheets were silk, and they felt smooth in her hand. Caved into the wall next to each bunk was a small cubby to hold things. Looking back at the other two bunks, she saw they had them as well. Currently, Leah didn't really have much to put there
She dug around in her pockets just to see. She had her wallet in her back pocket, the only thing she'd really been able to keep from home. It wasn't anything special, just black leather with a small gray symbol in the middle. She didn't like the huge purses that most girl's she knew at home bought, so she'd just bought a man's wallet instead. Setting it on the cubby shelf, she dug around in her pockets some more.
The pearl came out first, and she immediately sat it next to her wallet. It didn't roll; it never really did. Aside from that, she had the roll of gauze that Ben had given her, and a small folded piece of paper. Leah set both of them on the cubby and jumped back down onto the floor. She was tired, in all honesty, and the day had been long and much too eventful. Slipping off her boots, and setting them next to the bottom of the bunk, she walked over to the windows on the other side of the cabin. All of them faced toward the ocean, and staring out she could see the calming waves lapping back and forth on the sand.
"Dad..." She whispered into her own arm. Leah had never talk to him, but she'd seen him once. She could never really remember what he'd looked like, just that he was tall and that he radiated power. The only other thing she remembered was hearing his voice, just before she'd left Georgia with Chestnut. 'Go, Leah. To Camp Half-Blood, Long Island' was all he'd said to her. She'd taken it as an omen and was gone within the minute.
Sighing, Leah pulled herself away from the window and walked back over to her bunk. After a moment of thought, she unbraided her hair and tossed the hair tie into her cubby. Then, shutting off the lights, she stripped down to her underwear and folded up her clothes, which she stuffed into her cubby as well, and tucked herself in. Hopefully Percy would obey her privacy as much as possible.
Staring up at the ceiling, Leah let her thoughts wander around in her head as she drifted off to sleep, only to be met with dreams like the one's she'd had when she had first left Georgia.
It was almost like a flashback.
A day after she'd first left Georgia, Leah was riding Chestnut through a long, open field of lush green grass and flowers. It was raining, the pounding of the rain and the thunder echoing in her ears. Her spear was in her left hand, she was ambidextrous but holding the reins with her right hand was always easier, and her face was beaded with sweat. Thankfully, with the rain, it was barely noticeable. What was noticeable was the long cut across her forehead. Blood dripped down her face, over her left eye, and left her nearly blind. The rain fell faster than her blood, so it washed itself away mostly, but it was annoying.
Chestnut's breathing was labored and he was nearly foaming at the mouth from exhaustion. She'd been pushing him for nearly the entire day, and he was beginning to slow down. Leah knew if she didn't stop soon, he could die from the lack of rest. Unfortunately, rest was not a luxury they had access to.
Bursting through the treeline behind her was an array of monsters that she'd never seen. Giant black mastiffs with glowing red eyes, Snake women with long tails instead of legs. Simple skeletons, clad in a collage of different clothing and with a range of weapons, all of which could hurt both Leah and Chestnut.
Behind the monsters, still dark in the treeline, was the outline of a woman. Her silhouette reminded Leah of a dracaenae, but taller and much more terrifying. Long hair flowed out behind her as the wind from the storm swayed back toward her, but it did nothing. She merely stood in the shadows and watched as Leah was forced to dismount Chestnut and turn back to fight.
Tears swelled in the corners of her eyes, but she brandished her spear and charged into battle, putting as much distance between her and Chestnut as possible. The rain was an annoyance, but today it would help her, like all water would.
Her dream changed, and suddenly it was several days later.
Leah had crossed into Maryland, where there was less open space for her to ride Chestnut. She'd managed to procure some mortal cash and had Chestnut stored away for the day. She was out exploring the city, trying to find directions to New York.
Monsters were all around, she could smell them. But in the daylight, nothing attacked her. Everything seemed to be lying in wait until nightfall, which was just a few hours away, meaning Leah was in a rush.
Finally, a random man told her which tunnel would take her directly to New York. From there, though, she'd have to find her way to Camp Half-Blood. She thanked the man as much as she could without sounding too weird about it and she just about ran through the city on her way to get Chestnut and leave as fast as possible.
On her way back to the shelter where she'd left him, Leah could feel the monsters growing restless. Hellhounds swiped out at her from dark alleyways, arrows fizzed through the air when she was alone on the street. She was terrified, and it was only fueling the monsters after her.
It was fairly dark by the time she'd gotten back to Chestnut. He whinnied nervously, and she immediately mounted up and rode him out of the shelter. For maybe ten minutes, it was all smooth sailing. She didn't rush Chestnut, keeping him at a simple gallop that was fast enough until they encountered anything.
As soon as they met the highway, they were attacked. Leah heard a horrible hiss coming from the trees, and a chill ran down her spine. A long, slimy tentacle-like thing swiped out at her from the trees. In an instant, her spear was in her hand and she swiped out at it in a wide arc. It retreated into the treeline, but then the monsters came out.
Hellhounds, dracaenae, skeletons, and a few cyclopes armed with boulders and clubs. Leah, scared out of her mind, reared Chestnut up with her heels and the horse took off. Hellhounds gave pursuit and, looking back, Leah saw the same silhouette of the large dracaenae-like woman in the trees. She looked like she was...laughing. Leah didn't give her another glance, and she was gone as fast as Chestnut could run. Over the days, as they ran, he seemed to get faster and faster. Leah was thankful, and she didn't question it.
As Chestnut bound onto the highway, re-directing traffic and dashing in front of cars, Leah ducked as the horse ran through the long tunnel on the sidelines of traffic. The roars of monsters followed her as she and Chestnut ran away, but she wouldn't be looking back. No, she absolutely refused to look back.
Leah awoke with a start, gasping out loud and sweating as her memories caught up with her.
Sunlight streamed through the windows of the cabin, reflecting off of the abalone walls and catching her in the eye. Mumbling her discomfort, Leah checked to make sure Percy wasn't in the cabin -he wasn't- before she sat up in bed and looked around. It took a bit for her eyes to focus, but once they did she saw a few things.
On the bunk below hers, were two piles of clothes. One was shirts, all orange camp shirts in different styles, and the other was pants and shorts. Leah didn't like wearing shorts, as when she was younger the kids at her old school always pointed out how muscular her legs were and it made her uncomfortable, so she settled with pants most of the time.
Jumping down from her bunk, Leah quickly picked out a change of clothes, a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved camp shirt. The only shoes she had were her boots, and that was alright.
Figuring she needed a shower, Leah put on her clothes from the day before and began smoothing out her hair with her hands. As she was working, there was a knock on the cabin door. Rolling her eyes, Leah simply called out; "Come in!"
There was a moment of hesitation before the door slowly pushed itself open. Annabeth was standing out front with a basket full of shower materials in it. She was wearing blue jeans, simple white running shoes, and a tank-top variant of the camp shirt, like the one Leah had fought in the day before. Her hair was let down, cascading over her shoulders, and her gray eyes scanned over the whole cabin.
"Hey, morning," Annabeth said, standing in the doorway. "I was bringing you some things that you'd need here, clothes and shower things. I figured it'd make it a bit easier if you had it all off the bat."
"Good morning," Leah responded, still sifting through her hair. She gestured for Annabeth to come in, and she did just that, leaving the door ajar as she came in and stood next to the bunk. "Thanks a bunch, Annabeth. I..really don't know how anything handles here. I'm lucky to have you helping me out."
Annabeth smiled, and Leah made a note to change her opinion on the daughter of Athena. She was nice.
"Well, I hope I can help you then," She replied, setting the basket down on the bunk where Leah was sitting. "Usually we have schedules and stuff to abide by, but since it's your first day here, Chiron has given you some leeway. He did ask you to meet him in the arena when you woke up, though."
Leah raised an eyebrow. "In the arena? What for?" She asked. Annabeth simply shrugged, tilting ever so slightly.
"Beats me. Chiron has a second, third, and a fourth agenda for almost everything he does," Annabeth told her. Leah giggled at that. "Anyway, I'll leave you alone for now so you can get yourself ready, and I'll see you later, alright?"
Nodding and throwing her hair back over her shoulder, Leah smiled. "Yep, sure. I'll try to make this as fast as possible so that I don't disappoint Chiron," She stood up, picking up the bath supplies and her change of clothes. "See you, Annabeth."
The blonde smiled and waved as she walked off. Her walk turned into a jog, and Leah watched as she ran into a silver cabin, most likely the Athena one, and closed the door. After that, Leah shut the door to the Poseidon cabin behind her and made her way to the bathrooms. It was high time she started off her day.
As of now, when I'm posting this, I've finally read The Dark Prophecy, so I'm sort of up to date on things as is in the series. That being said, I have to let you guys know that I won't be involving Apollo/Lester or Meg in this story, because I have no idea what will become of them. By the chance that this story is still going by the time the third book comes out, I'll make sure things happen as accurately as possible.
If you enjoyed the story, make sure you tell me and leave a review. Anything, no matter how long or short, is appreciated. Tell me what I can do better, or what you think.
That's all for today, and maybe for a while.
Stay tuned, Dantikat out.
