Darkness. That was the only thing Fletcher's mind could comprehend. He couldn't see or feel anything, just an endless abyss his brain could barely register. He supposed that was a good thing considering that there were no dreams to experience. But that didn't make the situation any better. The darkness was suffocating in a sense even though it felt as if he were floating. It was hard to explain but he just hoped he could get out of here soon. Being confined like this was something he hoped to never feel again once he woke up.
"If you wake up." The small voice in the back of his head said, making him cringe at the words. It was right though. There was no telling if or when he would be able to escape this blackness. He couldn't remember much about how he ended up here in the first place. There were flashes of images that darted across his mind such as evil, red eyes peering into his soul from the trees, jumping off a cliff and the silhouettes of two people looming over him. That was all he could remember much to his annoyance. As time went on, the demigod who was still trying to remember past events failed to realize that the darkness around him was slowly receding, revealing a soft light that seemed to glow.
"Wha?" He heard himself speak, his voice sounding hoarse and slurred. The light glowed brighter and brighter, urging him to walk towards it. As he got closer he could hear the faint sound of people speaking. There were also the sounds of birds chirping, water flowing, and the pounding of a hammer on something. The noise was practically against his ear once he was directly in front of the light before he slowly stuck his hand into it. Immediately his vision swirled to that of a different scene. Now he was in some sort of room with white curtains around him. They billowed softly against the wind that came from an open window. Rubbing his eyes to get rid of the crust, he realized that this wasn't a dream. He was actually awake!
Turning his head, he found a glass of water on the nightstand next to him. Grabbing and downing it in milliseconds, he took a moment to familiarize himself with his surroundings. He could still hear the sound of a hammer pounding against something which was really starting to annoy him. Getting up from the bed, he tried to walk towards the window to see where he was but once he put weight on his leg he immediately fell down causing the glass cup on the nightstand to fall and shatter.
"Fuck!" He grimaced in pain as he looked down at his foot. It seemed a little swollen and red, probably bruised from the fall at the cliff. Wait? Didn't he break it when he fell? Why and how in the hell was it back to normal already!? Raising his forearm, the demigod inspected it as he remembered what damage he had sustained from that night. To his amazement it too was healed, with only a little swolness.
"How in the hell?" He asked in utter fascination before he was interrupted by the door opening to his room.
"Everything ok!?" A girl called out as she barged in quickly. Fletcher's eyes almost shot out of his head as he looked up at the girl. Beautiful blue eyes, sleek blonde hair, pale skin that practically glowed. Now there were some beauties back in his hometown but they didn't have a shot against this girl. Realizing that he was being a weirdo just staring at her he quickly blurted out a reply.
"Ah…errrrr?" His voice failed him, making him cringe at how stupid he sounded.
"Great dumbass, you already messed up the introduction! With how you sounded, you should just go into a retirement home considering your brain is already failing you."
"When I did an analysis on you, I didn't see any brain damage that could impair speech. Should I check one more time?" The girl said more to herself than to him as she began to walk towards him.
'Sorry, my voice…is hoarse. It's just difficult to speak." He replied quickly as he tried to get back up. Staggering under his weight, the girl quickly sneaked an arm under his as she helped him back on the bed.
"Well it has been two weeks so I can understand that."
'"Two weeks!?" He practically yelled, looking at the girl above him with wide eyes. He had been out for that long? Jeez, but it did make sense for his body to be out of commission that long considering the injuries he had sustained.
"I'm shocked that you're already up. You took quite a hit falling off that cliff." She replied, awe evident in her voice.
"The two people that saved me. Are they ok?" Fletcher asked, remembering the two figures that loomed over him before he passed out.
"Ah! Yeah, they're totally fine. Good thing they were on perimeter duty that night or you totally would've died!"
Fletcher sighed in relief. Those hellhounds that had attacked were no joke. If there were more it could've really gone bad considering he was practically dead weight in that situation. Having to protect a passed out idiot while fending off monsters was something he wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of. He would have to apologize for putting them in that situation and give his thanks.
Looking up, he noticed that the girl was still staring at him, her Icy blue eyes shooting right through him. He did his best to hide his blush before asking more questions that needed to be answered.
"So, is this the camp I've heard so much about?"
"Well that depends. Are you looking for said camp to seek refuge? Or are you searching for it for other reasons?"
"Other reasons?" He questioned. What other reasons could there possibly be!? Of course he seeked refuge. If he were to go into the outside world once again he had a feeling he wouldn't survive another encounter with monsters. Camp was the only chance he had left to stay alive.
"Reasons like scouting it out for the Gods. Giving them our location, our numbers, supplies, stuff like that." The blonde girl answered, her eyes and demeanor suddenly turning more serious which startled the boy. He noticed her hand on a sheath which contained a bronze looking knife, her fingers tapping its handle. Involuntarily gulping, he realized he needed to speak truthfully and clearly, less he wanted said knife against his throat.
"No. No, I want to live at camp. I want to survive, learn how to be a demigod, learn anything I possibly can before I encounter another monster. I can't be this weak any longer." He admitted, his gaze downcasted before continuing.
"I lost my mom to monsters not even three weeks ago. I got saved by that satyr, Reginald I think his name was. I can't let anyone risk their lives at my expense ever again. I refuse to let that happen."
Silence entered the room as the two demigods pondered over each other's words. Fletcher didn't like opening up like that but it felt somewhat nice however. He hadn't been able to talk to anyone about the things he had experienced or felt in his journey. But for some reason, talking to this random girl who didn't even know his name really helped ease his grief somewhat. That empty feeling in his heart would always remain but at least it hurt less than yesterday.
With his eyes still casted downward, he suddenly noticed a hand appearing in front of his face, offering a handshake. Looking up, he saw the girl giving a soft smile directed at him.
"Then you've come to the right place." She said which made a mix of emotions flood his heart. Taking her hand, he returned a smile of his own.
"Good. I'm Fletcher. Fletcher Mahomes."
"Abby Codwell, daughter of Apollo. Nice to meet you." She replied easily.
Fletcher mind stuttered as he realized this was the first demigod he had met. Apollo? If he remembered correctly from what Reginald had told him, wasn't he the God of medicine and archery? A Olympian too which made this girl in front of him pretty powerful he guessed.
"I-I don't know who my godly parent is." He replied awkwardly. Knowing that this was a camp for demigods he supposed it was kind of important to know who your godly parent is. Judging by her introduction, it probably brought along status and reputation if you had a powerful parent like she did.
"Oh, that's totally ok. We're not like the other camps." Abby waved her hands as she tried to ease his worries. "We don't discriminate and don't treat anyone differently no matter who their parent is."
"Oh. Cool." He replied with a hint of ease in his voice. At least that was cleared up. It made sense though. This camp was for demigods who wanted to escape their parents, the Gods. Being prideful about them was probably the exact opposite of this camp's meaning and entire existence. From what he remembered the satyr telling him, the Gods had turned somewhat tyrannical. Keeping the demigods at the other camps under lockdown, forcing them to worship them everyday, forcing them to train for war. It sounded almost like boot camp for the marines just notched up to eleven. So to go bragging about your godly parent or even seeing them in a good light was probably a bad idea if you wanted to live here. He had no idea just how many demigods came here to escape the Gods.
"Here, I'll go get you some crutches and then show you around camp. I'm sure you want some fresh air after being cooped up in here for so long." Abby said before rushing out the room. Letting his head fall against his pillow, Fletcher didn't even have time to release a sigh before another person walked in or rather two people.
"No! I want to see him first. I saved him!"
"No, you idiot. I carried him back. I should be the first!"
Craning his head, he watched as a boy and girl practically ran into his room, tripping over one another as they tried to be the first to speak to him. Rushing over to his bedside, both demigods gripped each of his arms before trying to introduce themselves, their voices practically screaming into his ear.
"Hi, I'm Ben. I'm the one that saved you!"
"Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm the one that saved you!"
They both yelled in unison, causing Fletcher to awkwardly laugh as he tried to free his arms from their death grips. But they refused to relent, gripping him even harder as they realized that they were both doing the same thing. Were they trying to out match one another in strength with him being on the receiving end?!
"Uhhh, guys? Can you let go of me? I don't want another broken bone." He pleaded, releasing a sigh when he felt their hands of death release him albeit reluctantly.
"So who are you?" He asked both of them.
"We're the people that saved you that night you fell from the cliff." The brother/sister duo said in unison, realizing it was better to just both take the credit. Fletcher's eyes widened as he realized these two were the silhouettes that were looming over him. Without them, he would've died to either hellhounds or the elements of nature.
"Holy shit." Were the only words he could get out, causing the duo to laugh.
"We said the exact same thing when we came across you. You should've seen how mangled your body was." Ashley cringed, remembering the gruesome sight.
"Used up all of our ambrosia on you too. Better thank Percy for that. He was the one to recommend it. Without it, you probably wouldn't be able to walk or use that hand of yours." Ben continued off his sister.
Fletcher elected not to say anything. He didn't know what this "ambrosia" was but it was clearly important and powerful. Using it all on him must've been a big call. Then there was that name again. Percy. The one he had heard so much about. The leader of this camp. He would have to go meet him soon as well. He wanted to get at least a glimpse of this person who Reginald described almost like a God.
"Alright, that's enough of badgering the poor kid. I'm sure he wants out of this stuffy room and get away from you two goblins." Abby came back into the room, holding a pair of crutches for him to use.
"Hey!" The siblings cried out, making Fletcher laugh at their antics. With Abby helping him up and putting the crutches under his arms, he thanked the pair and promised to make it up to them before slowly making his way outside with the daughter of Apollo at his side. Immediately, he was hit with fresh air that carried an aroma of pine once he walked outside. Squinting his eyes to get used to the sunlight, both he and Abby waited on the porch of the infirmary until he was ready.
"Take your time. Your body has to take it slow to get adjusted." She suggested, watching him from the corner of her eye. Rubbing his eyes to rid the discomfort he reopened them and was greeted by the sight of his new home.
"Wow." He said, amazed at the beauty that surrounded him. The first thing he noticed was the tall oak tree that was in the middle of the camp. It was huge with its wide limbs branching outwards. Around the tree lay four big houses, each having three floors. He could see kids around his age standing on the balconies, talking to one another as they enjoyed the beautiful day. Looking to his left, he noticed what appeared to be a farm a couple hundred yards out, with demigods either planting seeds, plowing dirt, or gathering vegetables. There also seemed to be a mixture of animals close by too ranging from sheep, cows, horses and pigs.
On the opposite side of the camp he spotted what looked to be an arena. As he looked closer, it looked more like a large circle of sand with a couple of wooden bleachers for people to sit and watch. He could see kids doing drills and sparring with one another. Smirking, that was the first place he wanted to go check out. Carefully hopping down the steps with Abby helping him, they both walked across the grass towards his destination.
"Those four houses are where we all live. They each house sixty people. From right to left they're named House Pine, House Pacific, House Rocky and House Leo." Abby informed, waving at the demigods on the balconies that watched them walk.
"Why are they named that?" He asked, trying to spark a conversation as they walked towards the arena.
"House Pine because the air around here smells like pine. House Pacific because the original demigods that built this camp sailed across the Pacific Ocean to get here. House Rocky because of our pet bear we have here. His name is Rocky."
"They have a fucking pet bear!" Fletcher couldn't help but think. Reginald was right. Demigods are crazy. Deciding to worry about that later, he continued to listen to her speak.
"And finally…House Leo." Abby finished, her voice trailing off in exasperation as she face palmed herself.
"W-What's wrong with House Leo?" He asked cautiously seeing how she cringed at the mention of that house.
"It's the name. Leo, one of the original settlers and who had built all four houses, said he wouldn't build anymore if he didn't get to name one. That put us in a rough spot considering we bring in new demigods everyday so we had to agree sadly."
Fletcher gave a laugh in reply. He bet that was fun to watch. With Abby still rattling on about camp and information he should learn, they had finally made it to the arena. There looked to be an entire group made up of twenty demigods, all watching something. Walking closer, He noticed two demigods dueling as if they were fighting to the death. One had a golden sword while the other had a bronze spear. The two weaved, slashed, poked at one another with such speed that it was hard to keep up. They both seemed to be evenly matched, each getting hits one another but eventually, the man with the spear was beginning to tire and that was all it took for the blonde man to get under his guard and flip him onto his back.
"Yield, Frank." The victor said, his gold sword pressing into the man now known as Frank neck. Nodding carefully in submission, Frank was helped back up onto his feet before addressing the group of demigods that were watching.
"And that's why you always want to keep your distance if you're using a medium ranged weapon like a spear." Frank said to the group.
"If you make one mistake, it could be your downfall." The blonde man continued. "If you're a sword user against a spear, it's better to keep your distance and wait for an opportunity to strike. Once you do have one, usually getting in their guard as quickly as possible is the better option. I wouldn't do what I did just now if this were a real combat scenario. Flipping a man onto his back isn't gonna take him out of the fight. Stabbing him in the gut and making sure he's down is probably the better option."
Abby and Fletcher watched as the class each paired up with one another before practicing what Frank and the other man instructed them on. He could feel his blood pump at the thought of learning from those two. It was the perfect opportunity to grow as a demigod and become strong enough to fight monsters. Something he vowed he would do.
"The blonde man is Jason, a son of Jupiter. He's one of the best swordsmen in the camp." Abby whispered in his ear as she led him away from the arena, intent on not disturbing the class.
"I assume he's one of the original demigods that made this camp as well?" Fletcher asked.
"Along with the man that he was dueling, Frank, a son of Mars." She nodded her head. With that information sorting itself inside his mind, he continued to walk alongside the daughter of Apollo. He stayed quiet for most of the tour as she pointed out things and talked about the camp. He enjoyed listening to her speak as she talked about the stories of how and why this camp was made. And with the mountains surrounding them, the view was breathtaking to look at. It was an incredible place and somewhere he could see himself loving to live in.
"Sorry to interrupt, Abby, but what's that place?" He asked, pointing to a lone building. It looked older than the rest of the buildings he had seen. With just one floor, it was nothing worth a second glance at but he wanted to learn every nook and cranny of the place.
"That was the first building that was built in camp. It's called the Big House. It was where the original settlers had slept along with some of the first newcomers but as the camp gained more people, we needed to build more houses. Now only one person sleeps there. Its main purpose now is an office for that person and a war room. The leaders of the cohorts and camp meet there to discuss things with one another.
"Who's the person that still lives there?" He asked as they walked closer to the building.
"Let's go inside and meet him. I'm sure he'll want to meet you too." Abby replied, answering his question in a vague way. Walking up the steps of the Big House, Fletcher couldn't help but be a little nervous. This place had a feeling of power. Power he had felt before but he couldn't remember where. Walking down the silent hallway, its power grew more and more as he drew closer to an office room.
"I'll stand out here while you talk to him." Abby whispered before knocking on the door to announce their presence.
"Come in." He could hear the muffled voice of a man say behind it. Opening it, he was greeted by the sight of a man behind a desk, typing something on a computer. Looking around, the office seemed to be decorated like a normal one for a demigod with pictures hanging on the wall along with some swords and shields.
"Well look who it is! It's the man who escaped death's hands by inches." The man said as he stood up from his chair. Looking back towards the demigod, Fletcher almost choked on air as he realized who he was standing before. With his sea green eyes, strong stature and powerful aura, it was impossible to forget. This was the man he saw in his dream. The man who was covered in blood as he fought on those golden paved roads in that city. The man who everyone knelt before. The man who seemed more like a God.
"Hi, I'm Percy Jackson." The man said, sticking out his hand. Fletcher's hands trembled in nervousness as he shook his hand.
"Fletcher Mahomes. N-Nice to meet you." He stuttered out. Meeting Percy Jackson, the man he had heard so much about, made him feel like he was meeting a hero you only hear stories about. With his powerful grip and aura, Fletcher knew this man was the real deal. With both taking a seat, Percy moved his notes to the side as he gave his undivided attention.
"So, Fletcher. I assume you got a tour of the camp."
"Yes sir. Abby's been showing me around." He replied, causing Percy to chuckle.
"None of that sir crap, man. I'm only eighteen." Percy smiled, easing up some of the tension Fletcher was feeling.
"Sorry, it's just I've heard so many stories about you from the satyr that brought me here."
"Those stories are greatly exaggerated. Don't think about them too much. I'm not a God." He said, rolling his eyes. Fletcher nodded, thinking to himself that Percy seemed like a decent guy. Humble to considering he didn't brag about the things he had accomplished. But he couldn't help but still notice the aura he exulted. The man could talk all he wanted about how he was just an ordinary person but that aura tells a different story. It didn't feel as suffocating as when he had felt it in his dream but it was still there. Still threatening.
"So, before we get you settled in, tell me some things about yourself. Where you come from, why you came here, stuff like that." The older demigod said, waiting for him to begin. The younger boy took a breath of air before telling his story. He went on about how his mother had died, the monsters chasing him for a week, Reginald saving him, meeting Thetis. It was a lot to get out and even more difficult to convey but eventually he had recounted everything he could remember. Thankfully Percy was a good listener and hadn't interrupted him even once, just nodding his head at specific points and letting him take all the time he needed when he couldn't continue at certain points. He was thankful for that.
"I see. Those were a rough couple weeks for you huh." The older demigod finally spoke. Fletcher nodded his head as he continued. "You'll soon find out that you're not the only one with a story similar to yours. Don't feel like you're alone in this."
"I suppose a demigod's life isn't easy." Fletcher laughed dryly.
"Tell me about it." Percy replied with an equal amount of disdain. The two demigods sat in silence for a moment, each in their own little world thinking about the past. Percy rubbed his face to snap himself out of the trance. There was still more that needed to be discussed and even more that needed to be done.
"Well now that I know a little more about you, I think I know where to send you."
"Sir?" Fletcher asked in confusion.
"Abby took you here not just to meet me, kid. I'm the person that assigns you to a specific house and a cohort. There's numerous factors that determine where you go but I like to assign people to places where they can relate to others. Both in the same boat so to speak."
"Ok, I think I understand."
"Good, if that's the case I'm assigning you to House Rocky. That's the place to be if you want to learn how to fight." He said, remembering how the kid vowed to learn how to fight.
"House Rocky. The one that has the pet bear?" Fletcher questioned with a hint of nervousness.
"That's the one." Percy replied with a little too much happiness. It seemed he enjoyed seeing Fletcher's apprehension on his face.
"I understand. Thank you, Percy." The younger demigod said, straightening his back. The son of Poseidon was giving him a chance to accomplish what he had promised himself to do. If the man believed he could do it then there should be no doubt in his mind.
"Your cohort is the fifth. They're on the third floor of the house. Go meet them and after that it'll be time for dinner." Percy said, handing him a key that he presumed allowed him access to the floor. Nodding his head, he took it before walking to the exit.
"Welcome to Camp Freedom, Fletcher. Best of luck to you."
"Thank you, sir." He said before exiting the room.
Percy watched him leave before sitting back in his seat and giving a loud sigh. He loved meeting new demigods and giving them a new home but a desk job just wasn't for him. He wanted to be back out in the woods, taking out monsters and trekking across mountains. As dangerous as it was close to a year ago when they literally had nothing and were living in tents, there was just something about it that drew him in. Maybe it was in his blood to be in dangerous situations. Or maybe it was the adrenaline. As much as he wanted to go out there, he knew he couldn't though. He had made a promise not only to himself but to the others that he would take it easy. That day when he had gotten blindsided by that cyclops and was severely injured had scared them. Being that close at death's door and leaving all them behind to fend for themselves was something he would never want to happen again. The guilt would eat him alive if he did that.
That's why he was here. Behind a desk. Typing on a computer. It was a task unworthy of him but it needed to be done. Managing a camp wasn't for the weak. Making money to keep it functional. Knowing what supplies were needed. Assigning demigods to cohorts that needed the numbers. It was a lot to keep up with which was why he had it all jotted down on this computer. It helped him keep track. It was just so boring and so tedious. He supposed this was how Chiron felt everyday managing Camp Half-Blood. Remembering his old teacher had put a smile on his face. He wondered how he was doing. A knock on the door quickly wiped that smile off though.
"Come in!" He announced, watching as Jason poked his head inside.
"Oh good! I was just thinking about needing a secretary. Why don't you sit right here and do some work for me." The son of Poseidon said, standing up from his seat.
"That's a no from me, Perce." Jason laughed. "Listen though, there's something I need to talk to you about."
"We can discuss it outside. I need to get up and walk." Percy said, not taking no for an answer as he began to walk down the hallway and outside. Jason quickly followed behind. He had wanted this to be as private as possible but clearly Percy was itching for something else to do. The son of Poseidon led them towards the pasture where they kept both horses and pegasi alike. He often went here when he needed to clear his head or just needed to talk to someone. The animals made for some great conversations. And money. Come to find out, people that owned horses paid money to others to allow them to store their horses on their farms. Seeing that the camp needed ways to make money, it was easy to convince the others to allow it to happen. And with the mist blocking the mortal's sight of the camp filled with demigods, they just thought it was a regular farm. It honestly couldn't have worked out better in Percy's opinion.
"So, What has you looking so worried, man." The son of Poseidon finally broke the silence, not paying attention to the fact that Jason jumped a little bit at being addressed. It seemed his emotions could clearly be seen on his face. Something Lupa had taught him not to do. Whatever it was that was bothering him was something so serious that not even the mother of Rome's teachings could hold up.
I-I huh don't really know how to say this, Percy." Jason began, scratching the back of his head. "But Piper…she's um…pregnant." He finished, desperately waiting for Percy's reaction. The son of Poseidon however, seemed to have short circuited after hearing that. A minute had passed before he could finally speak again.
"I assume it was an accident." He asked in which the son of Jupiter nodded his head.
"Gods, Jason. I honestly didn't think this was what you were going to tell me. I thought it was gonna be..I don't know, something other than that!" Percy said while pushing away a horse that had come up to him to talk.
"I wish it was something different, man." Was the only reply Jason could give.
"I mean you're both only seventeen years old. This is something that's way out of our league."
"Maybe for you Greeks but for Romans it's kind of normal. We always lived long enough to experience these types of things."
"Yeah but you're missing the point. You're still seventeen! We've only just got into the groove of things with our new camp. Not to mention that both you and Piper are leaders of your own cohorts. That's a lot of responsibility along with a child." Percy pointed out. With Jason leading the second and Piper leading the fourth cohorts respectively, they were some of his best. But with this now going on, there could be some major setbacks. Setbacks that not only affected him but the entirety of their cohorts.
"I know, Percy. I know."
Percy rubbed his eyes as he tried to calm down. Escalating the situation was doing no one favors and would accomplish nothing. His cousin was freaking out as well and clearly had no idea what to do which was why he brought it to him. He needed to live up to the standards that Jason and the others expect of him and help out in whatever way he could. And in this situation, helping out meant asking questions to see where the son of Jupiter wanted to take this.
"What does Piper think of this?" He asked.
"She had the same reaction as me. We really don't know what to do."
'Well there's two options. You know what those are. Either or can be done but it's ultimately up to you and Piper." Percy advised.
"So we should talk it out and see where we want this to go?" Jason asked which made Percy nod. That was the only thing that really needed to be done at the moment. See which side they stood on the fence.
"What do you want to do?" Percy asked.
"I honestly don't know, Perce. On one hand I have the same thoughts as you. We're too young and have too many responsibilities at the moment. Having a kid on top of that is something I don't know I can handle."
"But on the other?"
"On the other hand I think it can be done." Jason turned his head towards him. They had a secure camp not even the Gods know where it's at. Monsters are at an all time low in the area thanks to the scout parties they send out to take care of them. They have the supplies and a town nearby which also has a hospital. The way he saw it, they had everything they needed. It was just ultimately up to them whether they had the child or not.
Percy sighed as he watched the horses trot through the fields with a setting sun in the background. The sight brought some peace but this was something he had never experienced. Put him on a battlefield with a minimal chance of survival, he could do that. Put him against any monster with only his sword, he could deal with that. But a child? That's something that scared him to death. His mother the last time he saw her was pregnant. By now the baby was delivered. Maybe he should head back to New York and see her along with the child. He had been thinking about her for a while now and the guilt was starting to get to him. Maybe going into town and buying a cellphone wasn't a bad idea either. Just talking to her would settle both their nerves. And getting information about how to raise a child would be good too.
"Whatever you do, Jason, I'll support you. You know that right." He clasped his cousin on the shoulder.
"I know. Thanks man. I just needed someone to talk to and get their opinion." He replied before the sound of a horning blowing twice interrupted them, signaling the beginning of dinner. Looking at one another, they both began to make their way to the pavilion where they could already hear the sounds of two hundred and forty demigods talking away with one another. That's right, two hundred and forty. Percy couldn't almost believe it himself with how many new demigods they had saved from the Gods. The satyrs were working over time to bring in both old and new faces. They had managed to bring in some demigods that were already at either Camp Half-Blood and Jupiter. Of course they made them swear on the Styx that they weren't a spy or would go running back and spill their location. It was rude to ask that of some of the older demigods but it was necessary to ensure their survival. He wasn't going to risk the camp's safety on a whim like that.
Walking inside the pavilion, they both waved at some of the campers that greeted them before grabbing a plate and waiting in line to get some food. This was another issue that the son of Poseidon had to constantly worry about. How in the hell do you feed a camp of two hundred and forty?! It took a lot of thinking and planning. It used to be where they would just go get a bite to eat in town or go out in the woods with a rifle and hunt a deer but that wasn't viable nowadays. If they hunted enough to feed the camp, the ecosystem and food chain would be ruined. And they didn't have enough money to go to town everyday and eat. So that's why they farmed along with raising cows, pigs, sheep, chicken. Hunting and getting supplies from town were something they also did but just not in abundance.
Getting his food and sitting down with the rest of the centurions of the cohorts, he dug into one of his first meals of the day. He barely listened to the others around him as they spoke about their day. From training their cohorts, doing assigned tasks throughout camp, going on monster hunts, it almost sounded like he was back in Rome when he was a Praetor there. He supposed that was a good thing considering that was what he was going for when making their camp military structure.
He loved his Greek roots but even he had to admit Rome's military might was inspiring. Obviously he implemented his own style into Camp Freedom's military but the organization was the same as Romes. There were ten cohorts each containing twenty four personnel. He tried his best to keep the numbers even. With time those numbers within the cohorts would increase but that was all they had for now. Leading them were the original demigods that settled here, his oldest friends and the ones with the most experience. Each cohort had a specific set of skills that determined where a new camper would end up but they were first and foremost frontline fighters.
Breaking his thoughts he finished up his meal, said his thanks to the cooks before announcing to the pavilion-
"First cohort! Finish your meals and meet me in the pasture in ten minutes!" He yelled out, a mixture of "yes sirs" and "roger that" were the replies he could make out in the otherwise noisy pavilion. The first cohort was his to command. They were the tip of the spear. The very first in line if a battle were to break out. Besides that however, their speciality that no other cohort had was aerial assault. They rode the pegasus in battle. They could drop behind enemy lines and disrupt them if need be or rain hell from above with arrows and bombs. It was ingenious really and something he and his cohort could only do. He only chose the best of the best. And from the best, he only picked those that the pegasi trusted. Some of the campers called them the navy seals of Camp Freedom which he thought was silly but he could see the comparison. It was a tough cohort to get into and even tougher to learn about if you were an outsider.
Finally arriving at the site, he gave a sharp whistle that echoed throughout the valley. Waiting for a few seconds before seeing twenty four dark spots in the distance, he couldn't help but be amazed by their beauty. He was glad he found these creatures throughout Alaska and they were glad to have been taken in by him. They were treated even better than the campers themselves. They could go whenever they pleased. Be fed whenever they pleased. Sleep whenever they pleased. But when Percy commanded them, they listened without hesitation. Perks of being a son of Poseidon and just a genuine person to them in general. Pegasi are loyal creatures. You show them respect and they'll do the same. Not many could understand that for some reason.
"Boss! What's up!" An all too familiar voice called out to him from above. Watching the black stallion land in front of him before nuzzling the side of his head with joy. Percy patted him as a greeting before handing him some sugar cubes from his pocket.
"How's it going Blackjack? Staying out of trouble?" He asked his friend who neighed in exasperation.
"You won't believe it boss but earlier today me and some of the girls were flying over the mountains when suddenly we had arrows whizzing past us! Almost hit Stephanie's wing if she hadn't barrel rolled out of the way!" His horse said with a mouthful of sugar cubes.
Percy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Arrows coming from the mountains? That was weird. He thought all the monsters in the area had been cleaned out. If this were a new hot zone, it needed to be dealt with immediately before camp was endangered. Hearing footsteps behind, he was greeted by the entirety of his cohort running to him before getting into formation, awaiting for whatever it was that was needed of them.
"Well I was going to have us run drills to test our ability to work together in the night but apparently the Pegasi had a run in with monsters from the mountains." He announced to the group. Immediately it was like a switch had been flipped and they were all now in war mode, ready to fight. It had been a while since they had an encounter but seeing their eager faces was all it took to convince Percy.
"Alright, seeing that you all want to do this, hop on your saddles, gather your weapons and let's head out." A cheer went out from the group as they ran to their respective Pegasus's. Before he knew it, they were already in the air and heading to their destination. Thankfully it was a warm night out with barely any wind so the ride was at least favorable. With the moon and stars out it was easy to see below too so it should make spotting out monster camps much easier.
"Percy!" He could hear his second in command Butch Walker call out from his side. Looking to where the son of Iris was pointing at, he could spot a faint hint of light penetrating from the trees below. Nodding in acknowledgment, he signaled to his cohort to stay idle in the air while he went to investigate.
"Fly us low Blackjack but make sure to keep quiet."
"You got it boss."
Diving to the light, Blackjack circled around the camp as Percy squinted his eyes to get a better look. It was tough to see thanks to the trees that stood over the site but he could catch glimpses of monsters sitting by campfires. Cyclops, Hellhounds, Telekhines. The whole works. He could feel his blood begin to pump at the prospect of finally getting into a fight. Sitting behind his desk and staying safe be damned. This was what he was meant to do. Something he was born to do. Smirking in anticipation, he flew back upwards towards his awaiting squad.
"At least thirty." He whispered to Butch once he was flying by his side again.
"Thirty? Ok, split into two teams of twelve and attack on both sides?"
"You read my mind, brother. A team with me!" Percy whispered throughout the ranks before flying off behind a mountain.
"B team with me!" He could hear Butch whisper before flying off to get into position. Percy waited until he knew that everyone was ready. He shifted on his saddle as he pulled out a greek fire bomb some Vulcan kid had constructed. He couldn't wait to try it out. Clearly his other teammates behind him were excited to try out their new gadgets as well. It wasn't often they got to drop some hell from above.
Waiting for a few more moments, he saw a flash of light in the sky that was barely distinguishable from a shimmering star but he recognized it. It was Butch's signal. They were in position and ready. Pulling out his own flashlight, he quickly tapped it once before putting it back.
"Here we go." He said to his soldiers behind him before swan diving onto the enemy position. Pulling the pin of the bomb, he waited until the very last moment before throwing it into the middle of the camp before pulling back up into the air. He could feel the rush of wind coming from Butch's team passing him as they mirrored his actions, throwing bombs onto the camp. A second later he could feel the heat from all the bombs exploding on his back. The sound was deafening as he looked behind to witness an orange blaze light up the entire mountain side.
He could hear the cries of the startled monsters and the cheers of his cohort rang throughout the air. It must've been terrifying to hear screams of joy from above as your camp was bombarded. It was like the angels of heaven cheering for your demise. Eyeing his work, Percy gave a loud cheer himself before screaming out "ATTACK!"
Swandiving once more, he got as low as he could before jumping off the back of Blackjack and slicing the head off a cyclops in mid air. With its now dead body blocking the force of his jump, he got to work on the remaining monsters, clearing through them like child play. From the corner of his eye he spotted Butch still riding on his Pegasus but flying low enough to cleave through the enemies with his ax. The sight inspired fear in every monster that was still alive.
"How did you find us already?! I thought we escaped you demigods days ago!" Percy could hear a lone cyclops scream out as he tried to escape. The son of Poseidon gained a confused look on his face as he batted away a rouge arrow with his sword. He wanted to keep that cyclops alive to ask what he meant by that but one of Butch's guys still flying above had put a bullet through the monster's head with his rifle that shot celestial bronze, imperial gold and regular mortal ammo. Deciding to worry about it later, he along with the rest of the first cohort finished up their attack before eventually all that remained was monster dust.
"HELL YEAH! GOOD SHIT GUYS!" Aaron, a son of Nike yelled out to his teammates, high-fiving one another.
"Everyone alive?!" Percy called out in which he received a chorus of replies back but from what he could make out everyone had indeed survived.
"I'm only dead inside, captain!"
"Aren't we all?" Percy muttered as he climbed back on top of Blackjack before ordering his cohort to head back to camp. It was too late in the night to ask around the other cohorts and see who had attacked the monster camp earlier but that would be the first thing he would do tomorrow. For some reason it bothered him greatly. He just couldn't figure out why. It was like his senses were telling him something was up. What that was, was yet to be seen.