Act I Chapter XIII: Percy Finds Some Bonding Time
"This is my mom's chili recipe," Clarisse introduced as she looked around the campfire. Lupa was away, and Chiron hadn't told them where she had gone. Not that Percy was too concerned. His eyes glossed over the campfire to look at everyone else.
Will was helping Clarisse ladle the chili into bowls while Luke was passing bags of chips around the fire. There was no training today as they were taking the day off to relax, and Chiron had volunteered to patrol for them.
"If you don't like spice, stop being a baby," Clarisse snarled. She made a bowl for herself and sat down. Reyna opened a twelve-pack of soda and started to pass around cans. Percy had been wanting to get to know everyone for some time now, but they didn't have the time.
Everyone was so busy with training or their own routine that they didn't really talk to each other. He had conversations here and there but nothing like this. A small smile came to Percy's face as he looked around again.
Will held onto his bowl as he settled in next to Percy. They found out that he had a knack for not just medicine but actually healing people as Drew accidentally cut herself while sparring with Luke. Chiron said it all but confirmed that Will was a son of Apollo. Will seemed happy about that.
Drew was sitting across from Percy. She was poking at the chili and adding some chips into it. Out of everyone there, Percy probably talked to Drew the least. She seemed to have shut herself off from the others as well, and he figured that she was like everyone else: homesick.
Annabeth sat on Percy's other side, and Luke sat next to her. Reyna sat next to Clarisse, and for a few moments, the only sound was soda cans and bags of chips being opened. Luke was the first to speak as he took a bite out of his bowl, "That's actually delicious. I didn't know you could cook."
"She can do it all. Hunt the rabbit and even cook it," Percy joked. Clarisse glared at him, but she didn't look like she meant it. Percy grinned and ate another bite. It reminded him of his mom's cooking.
"What did everyone do before finding their way here?" Will asked after a few moments. He looked around at everyone.
"I ran away from home a while ago," Luke started as he lowered his bowl. A dark look clouded his eyes before he focused his attention on Annabeth. "That's where I met another demigod that helped me survive for a few months. The two of us then found this little munchkin."
Annabeth's face turned red, and she playfully slapped Luke's shoulder, "I ran away from home as well. My stepmother hated me and blamed me for anything that happened to my stepbrothers. It didn't help that I would see strange things, monsters. My stepmother wouldn't believe me, and the one time she did it was because I was being attacked."
"I ran away from home not long after," Annabeth said. She sighed. "I met a great demigod. And also Luke."
"Haha. Just remember that I know what you look like in your pajamas," Luke teased. Annabeth blushed again. "What about you, Will?"
"I was just living with my mom in Texas," Will answered with a shrug. "I didn't have anything crazy happening to me. I didn't see any monsters, and I wasn't attacked. One day, I had this dream from Lupa, and I told my mom about it. She knew that my father was a god, so she took me here."
"What about you, Percy?" Luke shifted attention again as he turned his head.
"I had some weird things happening," Percy admitted. "I don't think I was ever attacked, though. Other than the time when I was a baby and my mom found a snake in my bed. She told me that I strangled it to death. My mom likes to joke that I laid my thick head on it."
"I had the dream just like Will," Percy continued. For a moment, he thought he should tell the others about his other dreams. Instead, he smiled. "My mom took me here, and I met you guys."
"I had my fair share of weird monsters," Clarisse pitched her bid. "Guess you were all too soft to be attacked like that. My mother knew something was wrong. She can't see through the Mist, but she knew something was wrong when I said the man with one large, ugly eye was trying to kill me."
"And instead of having dreams like you guys, I accidentally stumbled upon Chiron. Tried to attack him as well. He disarmed me and explained to my mother and I what I was. My mother gave me permission to go with him, and I picked up on the training so much that Chiron accepted my offer to help protect you weaklings," Clarisse explained with a hint of snark in her voice.
"We're not all weaklings," Reyna commented. Clarisse rolled her eyes. She could seem mean, but Percy knew that most of the jabs were lighthearted. She did care for their safety, or she wouldn't spend every day patrolling.
"What about you, Reyna?" Clarisse asked. "You never told us about what happened before you came here."
"My father died when I was young," Reyna began, and she looked away. "For a few years, it was just my sister and I. Until it wasn't. I found my way to Lupa, and here we are."
"You've been quiet, Drew. Did you live a double life?" Luke teased. Drew looked at him.
"No. I was like Will and Percy. Just had a dream and came here," Drew explained. "I didn't see any monsters or anything weird like that. How is that possible?"
"It depends on your godly parent," Annabeth answered. "The more powerful parent means the more powerful scent you'll have. A child of Aphrodite won't have much of a scent, or monsters will not find them worth the time. A child of the Big Three would have an overwhelming scent."
"And the more demigods that are gathered together, the more it attracts the attention of monsters," Luke added. Clarisse opened her mouth to add something, but a growl cut through the clearing. Everyone froze.
"Don't move an inch," Clarisse ordered. She quickly stood and turned, grabbing her spear. Reyna was already on her feet and drawing her sword. Luke stood as well but didn't draw his weapon. He slowly looked around.
Percy started to stand, but Annabeth grabbed his arm. She slowly stood with him. Will grabbed his bow, and Drew slowly pulled out her weapon. Clarisse raised her spear, "I don't see anything, do you?"
"No," Reyna answered. She frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Where's Chiron?"
Clarisse cursed. Reyna exchanged a glance with Clarisse and nodded. She sheathed her sword and took off into the woods. Annabeth stepped forward, but Luke blocked her path, "She can protect herself. We need to worry more about you three."
"You haven't had enough training to handle yourselves," Clarisse said before any of them could protest. "Left!"
Percy felt someone slam him to the ground, and a shadow passed over him. He stared as a large blur narrowly missed Annabeth. She fell backward but rolled through. Luke pulled Percy to a standing position, and Percy froze as he saw the creature that was only a few feet from him.
The monster almost looked like a dog. If a dog could grow to be the size of a car. Red eyes turned to glare at Percy, and he swore that this hell dog was frothing at the mouth. Annabeth swore and spoke, "Hellhound. Stay away from its mouth and claws."
"Just leave it to me," Clarisse called as she rushed forward to fight the monster. Percy found himself frozen in fear. It wasn't until he was nudged from the side that he looked at Drew. Then, he grabbed his pen and uncapped it. The bronze sword sprang to life in his hands.
Percy heard more growling, and it seemed to be all around the clearing. They were surrounded. Percy saw another hellhound lunge toward him. An arrow sprouted out of its neck, and it exploded into monster dust. Percy heard a noise from his right and shoved Will back. He swung forward and cut through the hellhound.
A cry of pain sounded from behind him, and he turned to look at the demigod pinned by the hellhound. As he rushed forward, the hellhound disintegrated into monster dust. Drew dropped her sword in shock. Annabeth pulled Drew back to her feet.
"I'm okay," Drew whispered. She was pale and seemed to be shaking. Percy stood back to back with Luke and looked around. His heart was beating too fast in his ears for him to tell if there were more monsters around. The ground around him was covered in monster dust, as were the weapons of all of his friends.
The treeline shifted, and Percy turned towards it. Chiron sprinted out of the trees holding a bow. Reyna was riding on the back of him. She jumped off and looked around. Chiron spoke, "Is anyone hurt?"
"I don't think so," Clarisse answered. She shook her head. "Monsters have never found us this quickly before."
Percy felt his heart jump. Was this his fault? He was a child of Poseidon, and the others did say that a child of the Big Three, like Percy, had a greater scent than the others. This was his fault. Luke looked around and spoke, "That's not the first time I wanted anyone to fight a monster, but you all did great."
"We must pack up and move before more come," Chiron advised. There was no argument as most of them put their weapons away. Percy hurried towards the tent that he shared with Will and Luke. Will rolled up the bedrolls and blankets as Percy and Luke took down the tent. Clarisse and Reyna disassembled their own tent in record time and helped Annabeth and Drew.
Chiron kept guard over them, and Percy noticed that Reyna or Luke would stop every so often to look around. It wasn't until they had everything packed up and were passing around bags that Percy found the tension leaving the group.
"How will Lupa know where we went?" Will questioned. Percy shouldered his backpack and watched as Clarisse grabbed four bags and walked away. Reyna exchanged a look with him before grabbing two bags.
"She is a goddess. She will know," Chiron promised. There was a tired look in his eyes.
"Why does that even happen?" Drew demanded as she looked at Chiron. "Are we going to have to live with attacks like that for the rest of our life?"
"There shouldn't be as many monsters as that," Annabeth began. Drew turned and stared at her. "After this, you'll be able to handle yourselves."
"Why isn't there a safe place for us?" Drew demanded. "I didn't ask to be born as a demigod and have to constantly fight for my life. If a goddess gave birth to me, she should have made sure I would be safe!"
"Many demigods think the same thing," Luke agreed. He sighed and gently patted Drew's shoulder. "It gets easier to deal with, but for now, do your best in training. It will save your life."
Drew huffed and crossed her arms. Reyna studied the scene and then shook her head as she looked away. There was a faraway look in her eyes. Percy wanted to voice that he wished they could have a safe place too, like the camps. He remembered his mother's words. How was she coping without him? Was she worried?
Would she have an answer to his problem? Because bringing the camps back sounded like the best way to ensure the safety of demigods. Unless they were just going to destroy every monster in the world. A sigh left Percy as he walked. After this march, maybe he could talk to the others about what they could do.