Prologue.
"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."
- Albert Camus
Aiden POV.
Today was a cold day, colder than usual.
The world in which I lived in was swathed in a blanket of snow, its pristine whiteness undisturbed except for the solitary trail of footprints I left behind.
Snowflakes, each a unique pattern of crystalline complexity, fell gently from the sky, painting the world in a hue of silent purity. I've always seen snow as a metaphor, somehow I was able to relate to snow itself due to my various experiences in life.
Snow was cold, isolated, eerily quiet, yet it possessed an underlying structure and order that was almost imperceptible.
It reminded me of my life at the orphanage.
Living as an orphan since birth, I'd grown accustomed to a life of detachment and self-reliance.
I had no idea whether such a thing was rare, especially since I grew up in a place made to take care of parentless children. Yet, that was exactly how I had ended up.
The reason why?
I was different.
I was unique, but not in a way anyone appreciated.
Like snowflakes which only appear during the winter, I existed in my own space, separate from the flurry of life around me.
At first I felt lonely, as a child I obviously had the urge to go around and play with the other kids.
But it was never that simple.
At some point I got used to it, I closed myself off and relied only on my self to find enjoyment or amusement in anything. Up until now though, I haven't had a single fun in my life aside from when I was experimenting.
I kept to myself, my mind was my sanctuary where I made logic to reign supreme over any emotions I contained, forcing myself to remain unchallenged by the chaos of human interaction.
It wasn't easy, but before I knew it I was already used to it.
Once you got the hang of it, everything flowed smoothly.
Although, there was once a nun who took care of me.
She was the kindest of them all, the warmest even.
Yet I was still unable to smile before her.
The reason was simple, I didn't want her beside me. More people meant more baggage which would make it tough to protect myself from the world around me which harbored mysteries I barely understood.
But aside from that reason, there was another.
But.
One thing was clear though.
I wasn't normal by society's standard.
In my eyes I will forever be ordinary, but in the eyes of others I would always be considered weird.
Plagued with not only ADHD but Dyslexia, two conditions which in the eyes of others have reduced my capacity to function properly as a human being, but in my eyes these two conditions have done nothing but save my life.
I was smarter, more quick witted and logical than all the other kids my age despite these conditions. I learned to adapt to them if I wanted to survive against the monsters which seemed to shapeshift into humans.
I ventured through the thick snow, the crunching sound beneath my boots was a constant companion in the otherwise hushed world.
My destination was at the edge of the forest where a cliff was present. It was a cliff where the stark beauty of the winter landscape could be witnessed, not only had I slayed my first monster here, but I was also able to train here without trouble.
It was a place where I could be in comfortable solitude.
But instead of the usual sound of wind which filled my ears as I approached the cliff, the sounds that filled my ears were ones of conflict.
It sounded like Iron, miniature explosions… a battle was taking place between several people.
I approached cautiously, my hands remained in my pocket as I used my powers to blend into the darkness of a tree.
I peered cautiously from my position, I saw them: a group of teenagers engaged in a fierce battle with a creature I'd never seen in my life but was able to read about something with a similar appearance in a story book.
A being with the body of a lion, harboring a leathery, spiky tail which harbored thorns, and a face from a completely different race.
The people were facing a manticore.
Well people plus the guy with goat-like fur that seeped out of his boots.
I could tell it wasn't fake, the horns on his head also caused me to believe he wasn't human.
A Satyr I think.
The group of teens battled the Manticore with a ferocity which bellied their years. Their tactics were intriguing yet flawed, brandishing weapons I had never seen before and they were more reactive than strategic. The manticore was a formidable opponent, but I could notice patterns in its attacks, something that I quickly filed into the confines of my mind.
I also noticed two people at the side, maybe siblings since they looked awfully similar. One was a girl who a little younger than me, around twelve and a boy who looked to be her younger brother who unlike her who seemed scared, seemed pretty excited by the battle unfolding before him.
"Yield!" The monster roared.
"Never!" A black haired girl in a punk outfit yelled from across the field. I could sense various presences approaching as she rushed towards the monster, but before she could a thunderous noise and a blaze of light came from above.
I glanced, it was a helicopter which had been hiding in the mist caused by the snow. I had no idea how it remained quiet but it's clear that some sort of magic or superpower was used. The helicopter was a military style gunship with attachments on the sides that looked like laser-guided rockets.
There was one thing to note though, the people in it were not monsters.
Due to my personal experience with them, I can tell when a monster is posing as a human.
And when a human is posing as a monster.
The lights from the helicopter shone brightly and it seemed the punk girl was blinded, because she couldn't react as she was swatted away by the Manticore's tail, her shield flew off into the snow.
I had three choices.
Watch, help or leave.
Through watching I can garner the bare minimum of information, through leaving I can avoid whatever messed up situation this is.
But through helping I could learn so much more.
Although they didn't use powers, they were clearly not normal.
A bunch of people fighting with a Satyr wasn't a sight I'd ever seen much less an everyday one. This meant that these people before me were special, but how? They brandished weapons I had never seen and carried a battle prowess of those much older than them.
Were they child soldiers? Perhaps, but I felt like there was much more to that.
I took a step.
My curiosity and need for information got the better of me.
Perhaps these people could reveal to me the truth of who or what exactly I was.
I bled just like any human out there, yet I used powers unlike any human I'd ever seen.
The only other people I'd ever seen face monsters were the ones before me. If anyone had answers to my questions, it'd had to be them no?
With my hands still in my pockets, I watched as a black haired boy with sea green eyes deflected a spike before it could hit the downed punk girl's chest.
I exhaled, my breath formed itself in the cold winter air. The area around me got a little warmer as I released the energy within me.
"Set." At my words, two swords made out of wind formed at my sides and aimed at the Manticore.
"Now do you see how hopeless it is? Yield, little heroes!" The Manticore spoke.
Little heroes? No matter.
"Fire." At my command the blades shot towards the Manticore at high speeds.
The Manticore turned but it was too late, its tail and right arm were gone.
"AGH!!" It screamed in pain and jumped back, glaring in my direction as I walked slowly towards it.
The teenagers he faced looked at me in shock and confusion, but the Satyr sniffed before it looked at me in recognition.
"Percy!" The Satyr called.
The black haired boy with sea green eyes is the one who turned to him meaning he was Percy.
"What?" Percy answered.
"He—He's a demigod too!" The Satyr announced.
A demigod?
Like part mortal, part god?
Interesting.
Looks like I made the right choice.
"Another one?!" The manticore spat in anger before he glanced at the helicopter who pointed their guns at me.
Before anyone could make a move, a clear piercing sound reverberated across the area, like the call of a hunting horn blowing through the woods.
The Manticore froze. For a moment no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and the chopping of the helicopter blades.
I had no idea what was happening or who it was who made that sound, one thing for sure is that the Manticore either knew or had a good idea of what was happening.
Why? Because it was scared.
"No… It cannot be—" His sentence was cut short when a silver arrow shot past me like a streak of moonlight, before piercing his shoulder.
The Manticore staggered backwards, wailing in agony.
"Curse you!" It cried. It swung its tail, possibly trying to unleash its spikes but when it recalled that I had sliced it off, the manticore paled.
Silvery arrows shot out of the woods like bullets, the manticore struggled to dodged them all, but it was still hit by a few arrows, not enough to kill it but enough to hinder it enough to kill it with ease.
The manticore growled as it pulled out the arrows with a howl of pain.
My eyes narrowed, that was a very stupid thing to do. Unless those arrows either had poison or it had a healing factor there would be no need to take the arrows out.
I readied more blades of wind.
Percy rushed it, noticing he was injured and tried to swipe at it with his sword. But the manticore merely dodged and kicked him away.
Then, as if having practised this a hundred times, the archers came out of the woods in complete sync, like an experienced group of hunters riddled with discipline. They were all girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest seemed to be around ten, the oldest around fourteen like me and the rest of the teens here. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows.
They all advanced towards the manticore with determined expressions.
"The Hunters!" The blonde girl cried.
The punk girl seemed to mutter something under her breath.
It was none of my concern.
One of the older archers stepped forwards with her bow drawn. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided to the top of her long dark hair, causing her to look like some kind of Persian princess.
I would've thought she was the leader if I hadn't noticed the presence beside her.
"Permission to kil, my lady?" She spoke.
"This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws!" The manticore wailed. It was a pitiful appearance for one who seemed so mighty and powerful a few seconds ago.
I guess it's finally revealed its true colors now that it's realized that death is near.
"Not so." Another girl responded, the one I had my eye on.
She was younger than me, just slightly as she seemed to be either twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. Her face caused me to freeze for a moment, she seemed unnaturally beautiful, something out of this world, but the expression on her face was stern and dangerous, and the aura she exerted told me that out of everyone here including myself, she was the strongest.
"The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature are a wild beast." The girl said as she turned back to the one with the circlet.
"Zoe, permission granted." She said.
The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"
It lunged at Percy and the punk girl, both of which were clearly weak and dazed.
"NO!" The blonde haired girl yelled and charged at the monster.
It was by no means a tactical decision, in fact it was stupid because I was sure whoever these hunters were would've taken care of it.
If not they wouldn't have revealed themselves while we were fighting but merely waited until only the manticore was left and killed it.
"Get back, half-blood!" Zoe yelled. "Get out of the line of fire."
But the blonde girl leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into its mane. The manticore howled turning in circles as the girl hung on for dear life.
I could already see several steps ahead, I knew how this situation would end up.
"Fire!" Zoe commanded.
"No!" Percy screamed.
Unfortunately the hunters let their arrows fly. The first caught the manticore in the neck. Another hit its chest. I shot a blade deflecting one in which the manticore wanted to use the girl on its back as a shield to block.
The manticore staggered backwards wailing.
"This not the end, Huntresses! You shall pay!" It screamed before it leaped off the cliff with the girl still on its back, disappearing into the darkness.
"Annabeth!" Percy yelled.
I registered her name as I did all the others I heard.
Percy started to run after her, but it seemed like the enemy wasn't done. There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter—it was the sound of gunfire.
Most of the hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter.
I used my powers, releasing magical energy out of me before I formed a shield which harbored the shape of seven flower petals made of light with seven layers of defense.
The bullets bounced off my shield which effortlessly protected me.
There was no reason to remain here. I initially believed that the manticore commanded them but if that was the case then they should've left.
When leading an army, when the king falls usually the war is over, the soldiers lose morale and are quickly defeated by the enemy, sort of like in chess where the game ends when the king is checkmated.
But these people seemed unfazed, in fact they seemed to aim their weapons with a crazed look in their eye.
There were only two possibilities.
Either the manticore isn't dead, or it wasn't their true leader.
Either way, if it's the first option then it meant that there was a slight but not definite possibility that the girl it fell with was alive.
Not that it had anything to do with me anyways.
"Mortals." I was taken out of my mind by the statement, confused I turned to the person who said it.
It was the auburn haired girl shrouded in mystery.
"Are not allowed to witness my hunt." She finished her sentence and thrusted out her hand.
My apathetic face wavered and cracked.
She had used magic, a power similar to mine, yet what she did was completely different.
The helicopter dissolved into a flock of birds which scattered into the night.
I had never seen transfiguration before, especially not of the human body.
This wasn't shapeshifting, because even if people shapeshift they still keep their personality and their original form.
Shapeshifting was something akin to shrouding yourself in a mist to change your appearance whereas what she just did was actually change them into a flock of birds.
I ran several possibilities and calculations through my mind, wondering whether I would one day be able to do something like that as effortlessly as she did.
The area where the helicopter was, had residual magical energy, it was unlike the usual purple color that my magical energy was, this one had the color of the moon itself.
But it didn't mean I couldn't study it.
It was similar but not completely different. When you use magical energy, some residue is always left after. For someone like me I leave little residue behind when I use it due to my experience, before I left a lot and it tired me out unnecessarily. But after training I was capable of reabsorbing the residue and converting it back into its original state for more usage. But unlike me, this woman left little to no residue, it was so small I could barely see it but at the very least I could feel it clearly.
A power that was unlike yet like my own.
I would need time to analyze it, starting with the imagination phase, would I have to imagine the transfiguration at a cellular level? What about the initiation phase? How much magical energy would I need? Hers was quick and effective. What about the concentration phase? She did it so quickly, it obviously won't be the same for me but this is unprecedented, or what about the manifestation phase? What other variables do I have to account for? Perhaps the soul as well?
I thought that I was quite good at magic, I didn't pride myself to be the best in any way but I didn't expect to meet someone of a level this high so early in my life.
I really made a good decision to join this battle.
I was so invested into my thoughts I didn't notice the teenagers and the huntresses talking.
I placed a hand on my lower face as I analyzed the magical residue.
"How lovely."
I focused 99% of my brain on the vanishing magical residue which was gradually fading with the coming seconds. The remaining one percent was focused on my surroundings, making sure I wasn't too invested in this to not avoid danger which could kill me.
I was around people I didn't know after all.
While doing so I heard something which dragged my focus away from the magical residue.
"I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt."
What?
The moment I got distracted the magical residue vanished, I simply sighed before I turned towards the voice where all the huntresses and other people were.
I noticed that the boy named Percy was being held down in front of the cliff, perhaps he had tried to jump after Annabeth hoping to save her somehow.
It's not that I doubted he could, I couldn't see how but perhaps as a demigod he had a particular set of powers which could help him.
I definitely could've saved her, but what reason would I have?
As things stood, I had none.
I wouldn't lose any source of information on my heritage because these other "demigods" were still here so I was fine with it.
But that's besides the point, there was something more important to focus on right now, and that was the twelve year old before me who was claiming to be the goddess Artemis, deity of the moon, maidenhood and childbirth.
I had doubt that her words were true, but I couldn't find any reason to refute her claim aside from the fact that I had never seen a deity before.
Well, if she was then it would explain how effortlessly she defeated the men in the helicopter by turning them into birds.
Regardless, why didn't she save the girl named Annabeth then?
Looks like there's a lot I have no idea of.
"Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so… you're so… Wow!" The Satyr said confusing me. I had no idea why he was acting so swooned by the goddess before him. Sure she was a goddess but she simply looked like a child and radiated a powerful aura.
I didn't see what would make him fawn over her like that especially since his friend had fallen off a cliff on the back of a monster. Perhaps the Satyr was feeling something due to being agents of nature and being in the presence of a goddess pertaining to nature?
I hadn't read the Greek Myth in depth so I wasn't sure but that was the most likely answer to my question, unless this Satyr and Annabeth weren't friends so it didn't care whether she fell to her death or not.
"Get up, goat boy!" The punk girl snapped.
"We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!" She reminded.
It was clear to me what type of person she was.
She was someone very easy to trick.
I say this because she's hotheaded, perhaps she's capable of planning, but she's susceptible to intense emotions such as the loss of Annabeth who I'm not 100% sure she's dead due to the nature of the world I live in.
Regardless, she seems to have her priorities straight.
"Whoa! Hold up, time out." The twelve year old girl with the younger brother stepped up and spoke garnering everyone's attention.
"Who… who are you people?" She asked as she pointed at each and everyone of us.
I raised an eyebrow, wondering if I should answer her question or not.
I weighed the benefits and the potential repercussions and sighed.
"I'm Aiden, an orphan." I spoke first as I walked towards them, the huntresses glanced at me. I felt my skin crawl as I felt their gazes on my back.
My ADHD made me socially anxious, but my poker face was able to hide that fact from all of those around me, something I was very thankful of.
"You're an orphan too?" The girl looked at me shocked as if in disbelief that she had met a fellow orphan here of all places.
I nodded.
"Yes, never met my parents. According to the nuns they died long ago." I stated in my usual flat tone. Usually when talking about dead parents, orphans are usually either shy or uncomfortable mentioning such things.
I on the other hand couldn't care less about people I've never met.
I don't go around crying about all the strangers who die on the planet now do I?
"T-that's the same for Nico and I… My name is Bianca, Bianca Di Angelo." The girl introduced nervously.
I nodded, acknowledging her sudden greeting which meant she had at the very least a little bit if not the lowest amount of trust in me possible, but it wasn't zero.
It seems like she's a little comfortable around me due to our shared experience.
I feel the same way.
I think.
We turned to the other people who we noticed looked at us unsure as if they didn't believe us.
Bianca faltered and moved slightly towards me.
"What? I'm telling the truth." She stated.
"I as well." I followed.
The way they reacted caused Bianca to act defensively because she knew she was speaking the truth. Their reactions had inadvertently caused her to grow ever so slightly more comfortable or closer to me.
Why?
Because not only was I the only one who shared the same experience as her, I was the only one who believed her in this vicinity leading her to approach me ever so slightly because she could see similarities in the both of us.
"You… two, are half-bloods." The girl named Zoe spoke, I noticed a hesitation when she addressed the two of us and could tell that there was some disdain towards me which caused that hesitation.
While I had no idea what problem she had with me who she has never met in her entire life, the not so subtle stares from her group of girls towards the guys which I noticed did little to hide the truth from me.
For some reason they seemed to hate the guys here, perhaps men?
Oh well, no matter.
"One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian." Zoe continued. I had noticed her accent before and didn't really care much but hearing her speak in old English from during Shakespear's time, I couldn't help but wonder whether she was just interested in Shakespear or maybe there was something else at play her for the reason why she spoke in such an old-fashioned manner.
Regardless Olympian? I distinctly remember the Satyr claiming I was a demigod, meaning that I was part deity part mortal. If Zoe's words are to be trusted, then I'm related to a god or goddess from the Greek pantheon.
If so, which one?
"An Olympian…. Athlete?" Bianca asked.
It seemed she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
"Nah, a god." I explained.
"Cool!" Her younger brother exclaimed. According to her words before, I discerned his name to be Nico, perhaps his full name was Nico Di Angelo.
"No! This is not cool!" Bianca's voice quavered, a stark contrast to here brother's excitement.
Nico didn't listen to her, he danced around excitedly.
"Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra points for—"
"Nico, Shut up!" Bianca scolded, placing her hands on her face.
"This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!" She stated.
I understood her denial, I would've surely had similar thoughts to her if I was new to this world. Although I had never met a god or goddess before until now of course, I currently couldn't find a reason why monsters would exist while gods wouldn't.
Perhaps she still hadn't wrapped her head around the battle with the manticore, when I had fought my first monster which was a dog coated in fire, a hellhound I think they're called. I didn't believe it either, but I had barely made it out with my life and had to face the reality due to being so close to death so suddenly.
It must be different for her, who wasn't even involved in the battle with the manticore meaning reality hadn't hit her hard enough yet.
"Aiden, do you believe in gods?" Bianca suddenly turned to me.
I turned back to her, gazing into her eyes which harbored insecurities over insecurities.
I could see it in her eyes, she was considering that they were true but was inherently too scared to face such a reality.
The best choice here would be to reveal my honest thoughts.
I couldn't tell if Artemis here could either read my thoughts or detect lies as a goddess so I had to play it safe by telling the truth but not revealing every single thing about myself.
"At first I didn't…. but how else could you explain what just happened? The monster, the battle… and…" I trailed off as I glanced at the goddess Artemis who looked to be a twelve year old.
"How the goddess Artemis is right in front of us, plus how she turned that helicopter into a bunch of birds?" I asked as I turned to Bianca.
Just stating yes would've allowed her to continue to deny, so I had to force in some facts with it, specifically using only what I was sure she had seen in order to force her to think.
The punk girl looked at the thoughtful Bianca with pity in her eyes, I could tell that just like Bianca she too was in denial when she learnt that gods existed.
The reason why? I'm not even sure.
What's so hard to understand that gods exist? I believed the only reason people didn't believe in them was due to lack of proof, but for demigods who faced monsters, what other proof would you need?
There was no reason for one side to exist while the other didn't.
Why would monsters exist but gods not?
"Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well… Our lives are dangerous." The punk girl explained.
I understood her words very well.
My whole life has been full of danger after all.
"Dangerous… like the girl who fell." Bianca spoke.
The punk girl turned away while the goddess Artemis looked pained.
It seemed Bianca had struck a nerve, probably without meaning to, but I couldn't rule out that she had a devious side to her, I just met her after all.
"Do not despair for Annabeth." Artemis said.
"She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her." She stated.
But why didn't you save her then?
I didn't understand, what was she suddenly going on about finding Annabeth when despite being a goddess she couldn't even save her.
I saw her when Annabeth fell, she didn't move a single muscle.
Was I overestimating these deities or something? No, that couldn't be it, she effortlessly defeated the group of mortals after all.
So what was going on?
Was she limited by something? If so, wha—
Suddenly I remembered something the manticore said.
"This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws!" It's words played in my mind and I understood.
So that was it, there were laws that even the gods couldn't break without consequences.
Interesting.
"Then why don't you go look for her?" Percy asked.
"She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished." Artemis explained.
Some magic is at work? Meaning that at the bottom of the cliff or something there should be some magical residue there left from whatever magic was used.
What was it?
Teleportation?
I could feel my brain heat up due to how much I was thinking.
So many possibilities, so many answers, so many conclusions.
My blood was boiling and an underlying excitement to learn seemed to fuel my body with overwhelming curiosity.
"Oo!" Nico suddenly raised his hand breaking me out of my thoughts.
"What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! And how did you cut his arm and tail?! Is he dead?" Nico asked as he turned to me.
The huntresses turned to me with wary expressions, ones that I understood perfectly.
They were wondering how someone who they believed had just learnt they were a demigod had done such a feat.
I sighed.
"Magic." I explained.
Nico's eyes shimmered in excitement.
"You can do magic?! Like Hecate?!" He spoke excitedly.
Like Hecate? Could she be…
"You."
I was taken out of my thoughts due to being called.
I didn't need further context to understand that I was being addressed by Artemis.
"Yes? Goddess Artemis?" I answered as respectfully as possible.
"Did you not just learn you were a demigod today?" She questioned.
I nodded.
"I did, goddess." I answered her question and her question only.
"Then how do you know how to do magic?" She questioned.
"I began facing monsters when I was four in the orphanage I grew up in. I almost died to my first monster and due to that had begun to practice the powers I discovered as I faced more and more." I explained.
She looked at me skeptically, but she couldn't rule out that my words were all true.
Because I didn't lie.
"Is that so? We'll continue this conversation later." She stated.
"Understood goddess." I answered respectfully.
She turned back to Nico, ignoring my presence.
"That man was a manticore. Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-from over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they appear." She explained.
"Or they'll hunt us." Thalia added.
So monsters had some form of pseudo-immortality huh? But the question remained why exactly were they like that? Was it just something with their birth? If so, then there was perhaps nothing I could do about it.
Although if I got strong enough I doubt their revival would be of concern to me.
But I wonder, where exactly do they re-form? Is it random or can they choose themselves.
Bianca shivered at their words.
"That explains… Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us back in the alley in DC?" Bianca turned to Nico who nodded.
"And that bus driver! The one with the ram horns. I told you that was real." Nico stated.
"That's why Grover has been watching you. To keep you safe if you turned out to be half-bloods." Percy explained.
"Grover?" Bianca turned to the Satyr, confirming his identity for me.
"You're a demigod?" She questioned.
"Well, a satyr, actually." Grover explained as he kicked off his shoes displaying his goat hooves.
Bianca seemed ready to faint in shock.
But wait, if Satyr watched over half-bloods, how come I never met one?
"Wait a second." I interjected.
Although I'd rather just sit back and let the information spill, if I didn't open my mouth and show at the very least some level of curiosity, I would look even more suspicious than I do now, especially in the eyes of the huntresses.
"What is it?" Grover asked me.
"Do Satyrs always watch over demigods? If so, why haven't I ever met one?" I asked.
Grover suddenly looked a little embarrassed.
"Well, although we're capable of finding demigods, we need to have a general location first before we can locate them with their scent." Grover explained.
I took in the information and nodded.
"I see, but perhaps you should put your shoes back on. You seem to be freaking her out." I switched the subject back to Bianca's fear.
"Hey! My hooves are clean!" Grover retorted.
So?
Regardless, it seemed as a demigod I harbored some sort of unique scent.
I would have to investigate further so I could understand how to drown it out and avoid monsters.
I experimented a bit while I was younger, although I appreciated fighting monsters to increase my proficiency with my abilities, sometimes it was tiring to fight back to back constantly so I attempted to erase my presence and though it worked on some monsters, others like hellhounds and cyclops found me rather instantly.
I knew it had to do with smell, but I didn't know I exuded a unique scent.
I thought it was just body odour.
"Bianca. We came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp." Percy explained before he turned to me.
"You seem strong already, but you can never be too sure. You should come with us as well." Percy stated.
He didn't necessarily give off smart vibes, but his words held meaning.
He was absolutely right that one could never be too sure.
Regardless, camp? As in a camp for demigods only or what?
"Camp?" Bianca asked.
"Camp Half-Blood. It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay the year-round if you like." Percy explained.
Interesting, it must be where he, Annabeth, the punk girl and Grover learnt to fight.
There's surely more to my heritage that I could learn there.
I'll go.
It's not like it's not a better alternative to an orphanage where everyone ignores me.
The only person on my side is already gone as well.
"Sweet, let's go!" Nico exclaimed.
"Wait!" Bianca shook her head. "I don't—"
"There is another option." Zoe suddenly interjected.
"No, there isn't!" The punk girl refuted with so much venom in her voice that I couldn't help but wonder what this second option was and why exactly she was so opposed to it.
The punk girl and Zoe glared at each other, it was clear they had some sort of bad history between them.
"We've burdened these children enough." Artemis' voice cut through the tension like a hot knife through butter. For some reason none of us were able to ignore her words and we all turned towards her in sync, as if naturally affected by her divine authority.
"Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school." Artemis ordered.
"Yes, my lady." Zoe answered.
"And Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you." Artemis said.
I had a faint idea of what she wanted to talk about, I was a little sure that it was about the option Zoe had hinted at when she interjected earlier.
"What about me?" Nico asked clearly not wanting to be suddenly separated from his only family.
Artemis seemed to consider him for a moment before she spoke.
"Perhaps you can show Groover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while…. As a favor to me?" She stated.
I quickly realized her plans.
What a shrewd goddess.
Grover almost tripped on himself as he got up and grabbed Nico.
"You bet! Come on Nico!" He said as they walked off towards the woods.
Artemis led the confused-looking Bianca along the cliff. The hunters began unpacking their knapsacks and making camp.
Zoe seemingly couldn't help but give The punk girl one more evil look before she left to oversee things according to Artemis' orders.
The moment she was out of sight, The punk girl let all her frustration out and stomped her foot in frustration.
"The nerve of those Hunters! They think they're so…. Argh!" The punk girl spat venomously.
"I'm with you. I don't trust—"
"Oh, you're with me?" The punk girl turned to Percy furiously and I felt something else was going here.
Was she perhaps blaming him for Annabeth's fall? That wouldn't make sense since she too was useless and was one of Thorn's targets who Annebeth tried to save.
"What were you thinking back there in the gym Percy? You'd take Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You knew he was a monster! The punk girl snapped.
The manticore named Dr. Thorn wasn't all that powerful. He was definitely the strongest monster I ever faced, I understood quite easily that I was able to injure him so easily due to it being a surprise attack.
But no matter how injured I would be if we faced each other, I knew I would prevail as long as I took it seriously enough to.
He was strong, but I was stronger.
"If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him without the Hunters getting involved. Annabeth might still be here. Did you think of that?" She snapped.
How unfair, she's clearly taking her frustration out on him.
They may know each other, but they weren't nearly coordinated enough to face Thorn and successfully defeat him alone. All of that teamwork and they hadn't done so much as scratch the monster, it was clear she was just screaming out of pure anger and not rationalizing it properly.
Percy's jaw clenched, I could see he had things to say but held himself back.
I had to acknowledge his degree of self-control, I could tell he was fuming and losing his mind due to Annabeth's disappearance but unlike the punk girl he kept to himself, surely to avoid lashing out at people he knew didn't necessarily deserve it.
He looked down and I noticed a New York Yankees baseball cap in the snow at his feet.
The punk girl didn't say another word. She wiped a tear from her cheek, turned and marched off leaving both Percy and I with the trampled cap in the snow.
I didn't blame her, no I couldn't blame her for her reaction.
It seemed like they were all pretty close with Annabeth, and through my understanding of human interactions, they were all just caught up in their feelings and lashing out.
Regardless of whether they were part god part mortal, they were still mortal were they not? There's no reason for this reasoning not to apply to them.
I had a feeling that all they needed was to sit down and talk, maybe a few apologies here and there and things would be resolved pretty quickly.
Maybe not fully, but they wouldn't be at odds.
Either way, this was an opportunity.
One I wasn't going to waste.
I walked away from Percy who had knelt down and grabbed the cap in the snow, his eyes watering with tears, yet I felt nothing from watching him reach a breaking point.
I had other things in mind as I continued walking forward.
My destination?
The punk girl.