Benthesikyme watched her half-brother.
When she heard latest addition to family, she had been apprehensive feeling.
For one, it means that her half-brother is subject of The Great Prophecy. That was too heavy burden for anyone to bear. Couples in gods' paranoia. For another, Father had swore off having anymore mortal children. Which, her half-brother is going to be punished by Styx in place of their Father.
Not to mention what Triton would react. Sometimes he ignores their mortal siblings, sometimes he outright antagonize them.
So when he swam away from a war meeting, panicking, and later Benthesikyme hears gossip that Triton paid personal visit to their baby brother to check him up… and he never deny it…
Well. Benthesikyme and Kymopoleia was more than ready to march Triton to the infirmary for head injury check. Their father fond of his mortal children? Expected. Their mother is not bothered with the existence of Poseidon's Demigod children? Not the strangest thing to happen. In extremely rare circumstances, she might even bless them. Triton worried about the demigod's safety? Unheard of.
Safe to say, this baby brother of hers had piqued Benthesikyme's interest. Enough for her to paid him a visit.
Incognito, of course.
Though she wonders why she even bother pretending to be regular water nymph. The Camp is almost over, so not too many eyes. She is practically unheard, even more than Kymopoleia. Nobody knows her and her status as Water Nymphs mean she has even more leeway than her Triton. The Ancient Law is made for Gods and Goddess. Not Nymphs.
Not to mention there is ongoing investigation. About the Thief.
So far, the naiads have no luck. But they manage to vet out some camper who could potentially be the Thief. Most of them are male (because Father said the Thief had been a male, so male campers get more focus), but there are some female campers who show signs of dissatisfaction.
The number is kind of scary.
Looks like the recently decorated room in Atlantis will be put to use soon.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed how her baby brother (who might as well their father got a de-aging potion forcibly shoved down his throat and form-locked to twelve years old form) and a much older demigod child (young adult by human standards) walks into the forest.
Benthesikyme frowned and follows them.
She was in disbelief to hear her baby brother said he miss all the crazies. She had heard the stories! Who would miss that?! Forget Triton, this baby brother of hers have to see healer! Preferably, Asclepius!
(Apollo is also a choice but he is an Olympian and Zeus' son to boot. That and Rhode tears up last time she saw him because he reminds her of her husband—may Chaos take good care of him)
Her jaw dropped when the older demigod, Luke, throw a can to river.
Is that kid plain dumb or does he be the receiving end of the Naiads' revenge?!
As if things cannot get anymore worse, the child summons a Scorpion. Not just any scorpion no.
It was a scorpion straight from Tartarus Itself. Baby, but Deadly.
The kid talks bad about gods. Like, okay. Benthesikyme is not that blind to see how dysfunctional their family is. Gods are disaster wrapped in humanlike form. And the Myths, the stories, are not untrue. Destruction is what they are good at. But this child… this one spoke so bitter.
He spoke of Regicide. Of rebellion.
Her baby brother utter the accursed name.
The other demigod did not deny it. Not when her baby brother accused (stating the fact) behind the whole Thievery Incident.
Benthesikyme feels faint.
She found the culprit.
And he has her baby brother's life dangling at his mercy.
(Not for the first time Benthesikyme wished she was more like her brother Triton, with power of the sea at his disposal. Or her sister Kymopoleia, who can cause carnage and destruction as easy as snapping finger)
All she can do is recording it. All of the conversation. The undeniable proof.
She damn near puked when she saw the blade. Nothing about it give her confidence or good feelings. It sucked them out instead.
She saw when her baby brother staggered. Stung by the Poison.
There's no need of question. She sprung out of the water and pulled him to her embrace.
"Who—"
"Do not move." She shushed him. Easily lifted him (so light! Chiron, did you even feed him?!) in her arms and channel what divine power she had.
It doesn't heal him, the Poison was too strong and healing was never her strongest forte, but she manages to buy her baby brother enough time while she raced to the big house. Paying no heed at confused campers.
She threw all propriety of the Sea Princess out of window when she lift her leg and kick the door open, nearly breaking it in half.
"Who dares—"
"Chiron!" Benthesikyme ignores Dionysus. "Scorpion Pit Poison!"
The Centaurs pales and let out curse as he takes her baby brother out of her arm. He had been tan previously, but now he is yellow and almost corpse pale.
"What did he do?" She glares at the god for dare to insinuating it was her baby brother's fault. "How did he get stung by Scorpion Pit Poison? And why are you here?"
"I was visiting my distant relative when I witness an older camper, Luke, threw a can on river. I saw, I heard, him confess that he had been working for Kronos. I saw him summon a Scorpion Pit to attack my baby brother!"
"Luke…" The old centaur look heartbroken.
In a way, Benthesikyme understands how he feels. How a child you raised suddenly become so evil he harm someone he should consider family. She means, how may half-brothers of her turned out wrong? Too damn many, is the answer.
But
But that bastard is no kin of her.
That bastard had tried to kill her baby brother. Had framed him. Had worked with the Titan.
No. Benthesikyme understands Chiron's pain, but she won't spare him any sympathy.
Because the sea is cruel to those who harm one of it, and Benthesikyme, for all she is a nymph, is very much child of the sea. She is her parents' daughter and her siblings' sister
(and her siblings are not just Triton, Kymopoleia, Rhode, and now her baby brother. Oh no.
Her siblings include Antaeus, Polyphemus, Sciron, Charybdis, Chrysaor. The Cyclops. Just to name a few.
Behind her pretty face, she is just as monstrous as them)
Nymph, she may be, but if there is one thing nymphs are good at, is connection.
She will spread the words. About betrayal and harm this Luke caused to the young prince of Atlantis. How he works for the Titan King. She will ensure that traitor will never receive warm welcome in any river, stream, creek, lake, even wells.
This is her retribution.
Human need water to survive. Let's see how far that traitor can go with him never receiving supports from the spirits of water themselves!
