"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle.
Fortunately we were all able to walk out of the bus without getting wet, courtesy to Apollo's steaming bus's heat.
"So, where is this?" I asked out loud as the Hunters, Percy, Thalia, Grover, Nico, Apollo, and I made our way out of the bus.
"This is Camp Half-Blood! You'll love it here!" Percy answered enthusiastically.
"Oh really?" I raised an eyebrow.
This place did seem like a camp, but it was too different from any camp I could've possibly envisioned.
Well, what else would I expect for a camp made for demigods specifically.
Speaking of which, were those spirit like beings from the water demigods too or something else?
Man I really had to brush up on my Greek knowledge didn't I?
I watched as the snow fell onto the ground softly, painting not only my immediate surroundings but the vast expanse across me in a veil of white.
I noticed some sort of track and strawberry fields were covered in snow, several house like structures which I assume to be the cabins were also coated in snow.
Each and every cabin had a unique design perhaps pertaining to the god or goddess that it represented.
I noticed flickering lights around the cabins, they resembled what I knew to be Christmas lights, and yet for some reason they also looked like literal balls of fire. I narrowed my eyes, focusing my magical energy into them allowing me to take a closer look.
Those were indeed balls of fire.
"Whoa! Is that a climbing wall?" Nico asked.
"Yeah." Percy responded.
"Why is there lava pouring down it?" He questioned.
"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you and Aiden to Chiron. Zoe, have you met—"
"I know Chiron. Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters and you… follow me." Zoe said rather stiffly as she pointed at me.
Did she have some sort of bad history with Chiron? Or maybe she just didn't want to see him?
I didn't want to keep looking at things too deeply, but these people kept hiding secrets in such a poor manner that I couldn't help but contemplate. Not only that but I couldn't let my guard down, I was in unfamiliar territory after all.
But oh well, it wasn't my problem to uncover whether she was truly hiding something or not at the moment.
"I'll show you the way." Grover offered.
"We know the way." Zoe rejected instantly.
"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't—" Grover tripped over a canoe and came up still stalking.
"Like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!" He insisted.
Zoe rolled her eyes clearly annoyed but it seemed she understood that Grover would stop at nothing to help them. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and began to head off towards the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something into Nico's ear. She looked at him for a moment, her eyes desperate for some sort of answer, but all she received was a scowl before Nico looked away.
That does count as an answer too.
"Take care sweethearts!" Apollo waved at the hunters, and just like they did, we ignored him too.
"Wait a moment! Aiden has to meet with Chiron first since he's joining the camp." Percy interjected.
While I appreciate trying to save me from this girl, when did I say I was joining this place? Or maybe Thalia told him of my response when she asked me about my future plan?
"He can see Chiron later." Zoe responded coldly.
"But it's camp rules to see Chiron immediately." Percy wasn't going to back down. Perhaps because he lost Bianca to the Hunters, he didn't want them to jeopardize my decision on whether to join this camp or not.
Although I couldn't join the hunters, it didn't mean they couldn't influence me in some way.
Regardless, thanks for speaking up Percy.
I felt Zoe's gaze over me before she sighed.
"I will take him there myself." Zoe herself didn't seem to back down either.
I wonder, two people were currently fighting for me, should I be happy about it? Or should I be trying to mediate it?
Either way, I was getting tired.
"Percy, I'll go there later. It's a mission she received from Artemis to watch over me so… can't disrespect the goddess." I reasoned.
"It's lady Artemis to you male." Zoe spat her words out with so much venom I thought she'd just kill me.
"Yeah." I shrugged.
Zoe seemed ready to explode, it seemed my nonchalance was annoying to her.
Regardless she took a deep breath and calmed herself.
"Now, we shall be taking our leave." She said before she grabbed me by my hood and dragged me with her.
I waved at Percy, Thalia, Grover, and Nico who waved back.
I didn't wave at Apollo.
I stayed silent as Zoe dragged me with her causing my legs to form a trail in the snow. While enjoying this fine ride, I was also busying myself by turning my head and surveying my surroundings.
The camp was quite empty, it didn't seem to have as many demigods as I had surmised it'd probably have, but it was winter season after all.
This was called a camp, so perhaps it was simply more active during the summer whereas during the winter demigods would spend more time with their family, with the only ones remaining here those who either didn't want to see their family or didn't have any.
"You know, you shouldn't be mad at me all the time." I suddenly spoke out.
Zoe glanced at me.
"What?"
"I can tell that you're a composed and experienced fighter, but if you keep getting so annoyed when speaking to a male, someone might use that against you and take advantage of you." I advised.
Zoe opened her mouth to speak but said nothing, she bit her lip instead confusing me.
"I already know." She muttered to herself.
But if you already know then why are you still so open with it?
It's not like she's using it as some mask either, she seemed to genuinely hate men, something which could easily be used to distract her and could end up costing her own life in battle. I would've thought someone like her would hide her weapons, hide her vulnerabilities, but I guess spending time with someone who believed twelve year olds had an understanding of themselves wouldn't be helpful growth wise.
"Well—"
"Quiet." Zoe ordered.
I wanted to open my mouth, but my eyes met hers, and for some reason it felt as if I had never once looked into Zoe's eyes before.
Her brown eyes were distant, filled with pain that I couldn't comprehend.
Someone had hurt her.
And that someone was undoubtedly a man.
Perhaps that was why she was so distrustful of men, not only because of the type of group that she joined which forced her to swear off men, but also due to here own personal experience.
I wonder what happened.
It'd be best not to ask.
After a while we finally arrived at what I assumed to be Cabin Eight.
The Cabin was a simple silver building decorated with paintings and carvings of wild animals, mostly the stag.
What followed was me being forced to stand outside as I wasn't allowed into the Cabin while the Hunters began to unload their stuff at a bunkbed each in a systematic manner, it seemed everyone already knew their sleeping spot.
In between, I couldn't help but notice the smitten Satyr, Grover himself walking around and trying to help the girls as best as he could.
He received a flew slaps here and there resulting in a bruise and black eye but I honestly couldn't care less.
And it looked like he didn't either since he kept smiling throughout.
In the end, they were done fairly quickly due to how disciplined they were, their things were all packed properly so there was no difficulty in unloading them.
Artemis really trained her Hunters well, I had to admit they were a force to be reckoned with.
Especially since they were all girls and seemed to fight as a group, there was no doubt that their teamwork surely surpassed that of Camp Half-Blood which seemed to be segregated into multiple different cabins instead of one.
Granted all of these girls could count as Artemis' people so comparing them to a whole camp of people from different parents wouldn't be fair.
"Follow me." Zoe walked out of the cabin and motioned for me to follow her.
It seemed it was time for me to meet this Chiron man.
We began to walk side by side and yet I couldn't help but feel as if I was some sort of puppy just merely following her.
Was it the commanding aura she exerted? While far from the likes of Artemis herself, Zoe's aura could not be underestimated in the slightest.
"Man, I really need to brush up on my Greek." I sighed out loud.
"They will teach it to thee in camp." Zoe responded surprisingly.
It seemed she had finally cooled off from our previous interaction.
"That so? Well I'm excited to learn." Curious, I decided to continue the conversation wondering how far I could go talking to Zoe before she completely shut me out.
"You do not seem excited." Zoe commented.
I was slightly surprised as I didn't think she'd truly continue the conversation.
Or perhaps she had some hidden agenda?
I sighed, why was I like this?
What if Zoe simply wanted to get her mind off being left behind by Artemis? I mean it would make sense, they did seem pretty close.
Regardless, let's just keep talking.
"I have trouble expressing myself, I wasn't treated well where I came from." I responded.
Zoe's composure didn't shake in the slightest, I didn't receive a single look of pity at the slight revelation of my past to her as if everything I had just said was information that she would add to her "report" once Artemis was back.
Nothing was said after that, we continued the walk in silence.
Silence that I could get by.
Zoe led me towards a big House, unlike the cabins this building resembled an actual house with a porch and everything.
I had never entered such a place, the only building I ever resided in was an orphanage which seemed more like a church with bunk beds than an actual house for abandoned/parentless children.
The house was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch yet nothing caught fire.
For a moment I wondered why it seemed like they were celebrating Christmas here, wasn't the festival a Christian thing? If so why were we who were involved with Greek mythology celebrating it?
Did the Greek Myth have its own Christmas or something?
Zoe climbed up the porch with me right beside her, I had a feeling I'd get shot if I walked behind her.
Zoe knocked on the door before opening it, despite her disdain for men she could still be respectful, I think.
Inside the house, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled of hot chocolate, and the room was currently occupied by Percy, Thalia, Grover, Nico and two men who seemed to be playing a quiet game of cards.
The man in the wheelchair harbored a shaggy beard, he had long curly hair and wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoofprint design on it with a blanket on his lap that almost hid what looked to be a wheelchair completely.
Playing against him was a man who possessed an aura similar to Artemis and Apollo.
You've got to be kidding me.
"I've brought Aiden, as I said I would." Zoe glared at Percy as she spoke.
Percy glared back defiantly before he turned away.
"Finally, Chiron this here is Aiden." Percy introduced, his gaze fixated on the man in the wheelchair.
"Aiden, nice to meet you. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood." Chiron turned to me and greeted me politely.
His voice and posture were that of a seasoned warrior who had retired from battle.
His eyes seemed to carry wisdom and tales that I couldn't even fathom, it was clear that this man had seen and understood things long enough.
He likely had experience that I could never amount to in my lifetime.
There's no doubt that this man was skilled.
I hadn't doubted Thalia's words in the slightest but seeing him now I couldn't help but be impressed. His aura was commanding and massive, not so much as a gods but he had a presence you couldn't ignore even if you tried.
Such was the trainer of heroes.
"Thank you Chiron… and may I know the name of the god beside you?" I questioned.
Chiron looked momentarily surprised while the man in question looked at me with an amused expression, his eyebrow raised.
"Weird, how did you know I'm a god, Alien?" The man asked.
Alien?
I turned to Percy and Thalia who simply shook their head, it seemed this was a common occurrence here.
"I'm well attuned with my powers even if I've never know their origin." I explained.
The man looked at me for a moment before he nodded and went back to playing cards.
Chiron sighed.
"This is Lord Dionysius Aiden, he's the director of this camp." Chiron explained.
"I see, it is nice to meet you Lord Dionysius." I said.
"Yeah, whatever Alien. Next time try to sound sincere at least." He waved me off.
Nothing I could do about that, sounding and looking monotone was something deeply rooted into me after all.
Plus, why sound sincere when I was not?
That's the tactic of a manipulator.
Something I don't see myself as.
Chiron coughed garnering our attention.
"Well, I had just instructed Grover to take our young friend Nico to the den and show him our orientation film, why don't you join them Aiden?" Chiron proposed.
"An orientation film? Understood." I said.
While I'd rather immerse myself in whatever books or records I could find on Greek Mythology, there was a chance that the film contained substantial information on the Mythology itself.
Considering my lack of intricate knowledge, it wouldn't hurt to watch it.
"Alright, follow me." Grover said as he began to walk out of the room.
"He said it's PG-13" Nico looked excited.
I had no idea what that meant but it sounded like Parental Guidance.
"I will wait for thee here." Zoe stated as she went and stood in a corner.
For a moment I thought back to myself when I used to spend my time in corners as well during my time in the orphanage.
Perhaps I wouldn't have to do so anymore if I decided to stay here.
"I'll be back soon." I spoke, the words spilled out of my mouth without meaning to.
Zoe didn't answer, she merely began to work on here hunting knives.
As I walked out I heard Lord Dionysius snort.
"Almost like a married couple." He muttered.
A married couple huh?
Someone like me is unfortunately not capable of love, same as how I've deemed Zoe incapable of love for men.
If someone like me who is detached and uncaring was capable of love then that would be the first time I would be caught off guard in my life.
I've considered the possibility of course, but something in the back of my mind tells me that I wouldn't be ready when it happens.
Regardless, I was taught to forgo all those unnecessary feelings, and I would adhere strictly to that teaching because it allows me to protect myself as effectively as possible.
Zoe on the other hand…
Her loyalty for Artemis and hatred of men would never allow that, and I could see her being more of a lesbian to be honest.
Not that I had a problem with it, but the nun back at the orphanage always used to tell me that their lord and saviour frowned upon such acts.
Not that it had anything to do with me anyway.
"That was awesome!" Nico cheered as we walked out of the room.
"I know right?" Grover spoke trying to share his enthusiasm, but a single look at the Satyr would tell you that he did not feel the same way in the slightest.
Why would he? That whole thing was trash.
It was just a series of musicals that held the bare minimum of information, and a few games here and there with the only important thing being the explanation of the camp and its role.
That's the only thing worth remembering in my opinion.
The three of us walked back to the big house.
"IT WAS SO COOL!" Nico yelled as he burst into the room, he rushed towards Chiron and held his hands out to him.
"You're…. you're a centaur!" Nico exclaimed.
In the explanation of the camp, there was a brief introduction about the camp, its directors, rules and regulations, eating times and much more.
"Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters." Chiron explained with a nervous smile.
I wonder what exactly happened to his horse half, was he capable of transfiguration as well?
If so, I might ask him to teach me to speed up my learning process.
"And whoa! You're the wine dude? No way!" Nico said as he turned to Lord Dionysius who according to the video was called Mr. D.
The god in question turned his gaze away from Percy and gave Nico a look of loathing.
Somehow I felt like something had happened here between those two.
Although Mr. D remained expressionless, Percy's face was red perhaps with anger? But he was slowly calming down.
Regardless, I have something else to do before I get killed here.
I turned to Zoe who was no longer fiddling with her weapon like she was when I left, rather she seemed lost in her own world
"Hey." I greeted as I walked towards her.
Zoe opened her eyes and turned to me.
Her sharp cold gaze met my calm gaze devoid of emotion.
I could see myself in her eyes, literally and figuratively, that was how beautiful Zoe's eyes were.
Although if I said something like that to her, she'd probably kill me.
"Let us go." She said, turning away from me.
I didn't necessarily want to converse with her, not really.
Whatever was on her mind was her own thing to deal with, if I wanted to, I could sit down and form several hypothesis on what she could be possibly thinking.
But as much as I would like to probe into her mind that would be ill advised.
There was after all a high chance if not an 100% certainty that Artemis warned her about my intelligence that the goddess had taken note of.
Meaning that would also explain Zoe's reluctance to converse.
While I appreciate that she doesn't underestimate me, if she's so cautious of me like this I wouldn't be able to probe into her mind regardless of how hard I tried.
After all for such a thing to work you would have to at least be talking to someone willing to converse even if it's the slightest bit willing.
The same way it was impossible to reason with a man who had truly lost his mind, was the same way it would be impossible for me to play around with Zoe's insecurities, gently probing her mental barrier until it shattered revealing her deepest thoughts and allowing her to trust me.
At the same time if I kept acting inconspicuous and non-suspicious, then I would look suspicious because of Artemis' warning to her.
Meaning my best choice right now would simply be to be honest and move forward from there.
As time passed while I was around her, I will eventually break through.
No one was invincible after all, be it physically or even mentally.
Not even myself.
"Ah Percy, Thalia, and Zoe. Before I forget please inform your various groups that we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening." Chiron added as he noticed Zoe and I were about to leave.
Normally I would be confused, but the orientation film explained to both Nico and I what capture the flag was.
"Capture the flag? But we don't have enough—"
"It's a tradition. A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit." Chiron cut Percy off.
"Yeah. I bet it's real friendly." Thalia muttered as she narrowed her eyes at Zoe.
I turned to Zoe, wondering if she was responding with a glare of her own but instead Zoe had a sadistic smirk on her face.
"As always we will defeat this pathetic group." Zoe didn't sugarcoat her words, she was fully confident meaning that either she was just sure of her fellow Hunters strengths, or that they've done this before and won either several times or each time.
Well according to Chiron's words I believe the latter is true.
"You—"
"Run along now." Chiron cut Thalia off as he sensed a storm brewing between the two.
Thalia clicked her tongue.
"Come on Percy." Thalia said as she hauled Percy out of the Big House.
Oh did I mention that this house was literally called the Big House? Crazy naming sense from millennia old gods, am I right?
How lazy.
I could feel Zoe's smugness as Thalia walked out, they really did seem to love taking jabs at each other.
If it wasn't for their differences I think they'd be great friends.
Suddenly Zoe glared at me.
"What?" Her gaze almost shook me with how sudden it was.
"Thee was thinking something offensive about me weren't you?" Zoe raised an eyebrow.
I blinked astounded.
What the hell was up with these people and their sharp instincts?
Also how was me thinking they would be great friends offensive?
"No, not at all." I responded casually.
Zoe narrowed her eyes at me before she turned away.
"Let's go." She said without even asking for my opinion.
I sighed and quickly turned to the trainer of heroes.
"Chiron, I would like to talk to you later tonight if possible." Before I leave I have to let Chiron know this in order to make sure he'd make adequate time for me and so me approaching him wouldn't come off as abrupt.
"I understand Aiden, you must have questions. Please feel free to visit me after dinner time." Chiron said.
"Underst—"
I was dragged outside before I could finish.
"You can let me go now." I said after allowing Zoe to pull me for a few meters.
She gave no answer but she immediately let me go causing me to fall onto the snow covered ground.
"Ow." I muttered in a monotone voice.
Zoe kept walking, I wondered whether if I simply laid here on the floor, she would stop and wait for me due to the mission Artemis gave her or not.
I stayed in place.
Zoe kept walking.
I began to coat my fingers in snow, the temperature of my fingers dropped as I dug into the snow below me.
Zoe kept walking.
I grabbed a bit of sn—
My body moved fast, my mind reacting in kind as I kicked off the ground dodging an arrow which whizzed past me onto the ground, landing exactly where my stomach was moments ago.
I looked up, Zoe was a few meters away from me with her bow in hand and a second arrow notched.
It was a warning.
I sighed.
"This is inhuman treatment." I muttered as I walked towards her.
Once I was by her side, she hung her bow over her back with clear expertise and we began to walk together.
"Wanna play basketball?" I asked Zoe as I spotted a basketball court which surprisingly had Thalia who was separating what looked to be a potential fight between another camper wielding a sword and a Hunter wielding a basketball?
What?
Zoe remained silent.
I sighed.
We continued walking.
I kept my gaze on my surroundings, noticing how the cabins were arranged and comparing them to what the video had stated.
The Cabins were arranged with Zeus and Hera's big white columned buildings named Cabin one and too at the middle with five god cabins on the left and five goddess cabins on the right.
Forming a U shape around what the video stated was called central green and barbecue hearth.
"Zoe, can you teach me about Greek Mythology?" I asked her.
"No." She responded.
Despite her harsh response, at least she responded.
"Alright." I sighed.
We continued walking until we reached Cabin Eight.
"Stay here." Zoe said before she opened the door and walked into the Cabin. As she opened the door, Bianca who was inside saw me and after sharing what I understood to be curious stares, Bianca approached me.
"Hey." I started.
"Hey… how is camp life?" She started awkwardly.
"I'm not sure, I've only been here for an hour or so." I raised an eyebrow.
Bianca blushed in embarrassment.
"Oh, that's true." She muttered.
"How are the Hunters treating you? Do you feel out of place?" I asked.
Bianca looked back into Cabin Eight before turning back to me.
"No, I feel strangely okay. I thought it'd be weird, but they're all really nice." Bianca explained.
I nodded acknowledging her words.
"Is that so? That's good then. In case you feel out of place you're welcome to join us here on the side of campers. Even if they don't welcome you, I will." I voiced my thoughts.
Bianca looked down sadly.
"Yeah…. But Nico…" Bianca muttered.
I recalled when she had whispered in Nico's ear right after we came out of Apollo's bus.
Nico had responded with a scowl and looked away, an act which I have no doubt hurt Bianca who was currently confused and searching for a place to belong.
She was probably wondering whether her choice to join the Hunters was good or bad.
Had Nico not reacted the way he did, she probably wouldn't have felt like this, but there's a difference between an imagined reaction and the actual reaction.
It was easier for Bianca to make her decision using her imagined version of Nico's reaction which I'm sure was quite similar to his actual reaction, but that's all it was in the end, an imagined reaction, an imagination.
Once the real thing was placed in front of her, she grew confused.
As the one who encouraged her to continue on this path, I couldn't allow this self-doubt to worsen.
"Nico is young, just like you are. We all make mistakes, not that your current choice was a mistake, but even if you felt like it was, all you have to do is move forward and rectify it, find a way around what made whatever choice you made a mistake and avoid causing that again. Right now Nico is confused just like you are, but you two will always remain family no matter how angry, sad or annoyed you are by each other. Just keep doing you, one day when Nico's able to understand he'll be proud of you for choosing your own path, same as how you'll be proud of him for achieving his own things." I said.
Bianca listened intently, nodding her head before wiping the tears which threatened to spill from her eyes.
"Thanks Aiden, I appreciate it." She gave me a small smile.
I wish I could return it, I gave her a nod in response.
"You know, you always seem to know what to say. That's super cool, and super scary." Bianca admitted.
Super scary huh, I guess I could see where she was coming from. The children and other nuns in the orphanage were always put off by my calculations, a single look into my eyes and they'd act like I was the plague, just because I was taking note of everything in my surroundings.
Only one nun was on my side.
Although.
Despite her words, I was glad that she said such a thing to me upfront.
It meant she had at least some faith in me.
Meaning my effort was paying off.
"Is that so? I'm just trying my best to give advice from a neutral standpoint, sorry if I seem weird." I apologized prompting her to apologize as well.
"No, sorry. I didn't mean it like that… but it's pretty cool." She said.
"Thank you." I acknowledged her words.
"Bianca! Phoebe is looking for thee." Zoe said as she walked out of the Cabin, fully equipped with hunting knives and multiple arrows.
Was she going hunting? Or perhaps to spar?
"Oh, okay. See you then, Aiden." Bianca waved at me.
"See you." I waved back.
With that Bianca walked into the Cabin.
Zoe turned back to me.
"Milady was right, thee is shrewd with words." Zoe narrowed her eyes, it seemed she was listening.
"I'm sorry for giving her advice." I said as I raised an eyebrow at Zoe's words.
She was right though, I did indeed have my way with words.
"Ugh, let's go." She said as she walked past me.
"Where to this time?" I asked not expecting an answer.
"Colosseum, to train." Zoe said.
Wow didn't expect her to answer.
"Can we not go there?" I asked her.
"No, we will." She retorted.
"Wouldn't it be better to train in the woods? Training in the colosseum exposes your techniques to those in camp, are you not afraid they might become your enemies someday?" I questioned.
Personally I would never train openly unless I had some sort of plan in mind.
Zoe looked at me as if I was stupid.
"What is thee even saying?" Zoe glared at me, her voice tinged with annoyance.
"What? Don't tell me you have 100% faith in camp half blood. Are you certain that the people here would never become your enemy?" I questioned. It was naïve to trust this group of demigods, extremely naïve.
Maybe it was because I was new to all of these things, but recalling what Thalia said to Bianca about demigods having dangerous lives and my own understanding of the ancient laws which seemingly dictated that gods and goddesses couldn't interfere with the lives of their demigod children, there was no way that the demigods that suffered at the hands of monsters and barely survived or demigods that were dealt a bad hand wouldn't find a way to rebel against the gods.
If gods existed, why wouldn't titans? For all I knew the titans were slowly awakening while everyone was unaware.
Or perhaps while I was unaware.
Zoe although cold seemed to pause for a moment considering my words before she turned to the woods and began to walk there.
I sighed, following her diligently.
Her actions confirmed one thing though, she didn't fully trust camp half blood.
If I use my own words as an exact basis for her shift in decision, knowing fully well that as a male Zoe wouldn't respect my opinion in the slightest, I could conclude that an enemy had indeed risen from camp half blood.
Now was the enemy a demigod or one of those spirit beings known as dryads and Nymphs? Surely they were a demigod since according to the orientation video, dryads and nymphs were spirits of the trees and water respectively which meant that was where they thrived. This also meant that they couldn't move far away from those domains as perhaps either the tree will wither or water will dry up.
This was speculation of course, but they were called spirits of those respective places so I assumed just like how if a soul forever left a body then that body would remain dead. Of course it's not a 1 to 1 comparison, but it should be close due to the close nature of the words spirit and soul.
Because of such constraints, it would be best to assume a demigod enemy rose from here. At the same time I have no basis to assume only one demigod enemy rose from here, meaning that several others may have risen which could also explain the low number of campers in conjunction to it being winter season.
I'll think more on this later.
Zoe and I walked side by side, sharing no words with neither of us showing the intention to do so anyways.
Although silence would usually be unnerving for some people, it's never been for someone like me who's spent most of his time in silence aside from the times that I was with the nun.
What was her name again?
Griselda?
Yes, sister Griselda was her name.
I allowed myself to get lost in my thoughts as Zoe and I walked to into the woods looking for a private area.
For a moment I wondered if she was underestimating me.
There was a chance that I could attack her right here and now, but perhaps Zoe was simply much more powerful than I was estimating right now.
Either that or she's surmised that there would be no good reason for me attacking her.
Which would be right since all I would do was incur Artemis' wrath and by extension the Olympians.
Regardless, I used this silence to allow myself to delve into my thoughts, assimilating all the information that I had filed in my mind for later.
Zoe seemed to be lost in her thoughts as well.
I wonder what she was thinking about.
It didn't take long until we finally reached a secluded spot in the woods which was still within the camp's barrier.
For a moment I questioned whether monsters roamed the outside of the barrier simply waiting for demigod children to come out so they could kill them.
Why were monsters so obsessed with demigods anyways?
I'll have to ask Chiron this night.
I have a lot to ask Chiron this night.
"Stay there and don't leave or I'll shoot." Zoe spoke as she pointed at a tree.
"Sure." I shrugged before I walked to the tree and leaned on it.
Zoe stared at me for a moment before she turned away and closed her eyes.
I had no idea what she was doing.
But I was interested, I'd like to see what she'd learned from her experience as Hunter of Artemis.
Zoe took a deep breath, before she opened her eyes.
Her brown eyes were sharp and focused.
My eyes narrowed.
Has Zoe ever looked so beautiful?
I wasn't sure why, but her beauty caught me off guard.
Although it's true that I never once focused on a person's face like that since I spent my time reading their expressions instead of looking at their actual faces.
But for some reason, just looking at Zoe surrounded by trees and the falling snow made me realize that she was indeed beautiful.
Was this some sort of effect of being a Hunter of Artemis? Perhaps it allowed her to be so in tune with nature that she seemed breathtaking when surrounded by it?
Or perhaps was it her heritage?
What was Zoe's heritage anyways?
A human? A demigod? A nymph?
Usually I can tell whether one is human or not with magic. Same way how I could detect that Bianca and Nico were demigods due to their mortal and divine side.
But with Hunters of Artemis it was quite tricky.
Why? Because essentially if a human joined the Hunters she would be bestowed divinity due to having joined them.
Making her a demigod but not essentially a demigod.
Something close but still not quite it.
But at the same time they weren't a normal human since they carried their mortal selves and contained divinity as well.
What about a nymph? They were spirits according to the orientation video which gave a camp overview. I had no idea what their signatures looked like so I couldn't discern whether one was a nymph or not for now.
What if they weren't human but an entirely different race?
The gods had kids, why not titans?
Although with my limited knowledge I wasn't sure whether there were any titans left who could even have kids without the gods thinking they were trying to rebel after the war they had.
So using my method it was difficult to discern whether a Hunter of Artemis was purely human or just a demigod much less if they were mixed with some other race.
Maybe once I'm able to distinguish between each gods divinity, I'll know who is what.
But for now,
I had no idea what Zoe's heritage was.
I'm in no rush to find out though.
Zoe gripped her hunting knives and unsheathed them with expertise, as if she had done this same act over a hundred times causing it to become as natural as breathing for her.
My eyes remained focus.
I don't know if Zoe knew, but this was a good opportunity for me to gauge her fighting style and capability.
She couldn't force me to fight and she knew that.
So she couldn't force me to join her training or demand a spar since Artemis had only instructed her to watch over me.
I understood that Zoe had no choice but to train in front of me in order to brush up her skills, and she understood that as well I believe, Zoe did always seem cautious after all.
Unfortunately she had no choice, she could either let herself get rusty because she wanted to hide her style from me, or she could keep training so she could become strong enough that it didn't matter whether I knew her fighting style or not.
Zoe lowered her stance and took her first swing.
I blinked.
I had missed it.
Zoe continued her training, she slashed, dodged, and countered as if she were fighting an invisible enemy.
Her attacks were rapid and precise, cutting the falling snow itself and her footwork was graceful as if she were sliding on the snow.
Zoe's fighting style was a mesmerizing dance which caught your eyes the moment you saw it and you wouldn't be able to look anywhere else.
Despite her wielding hunting knives, the nature around especially the falling snow and her beauty made her look like some sort of princess, as if Zoe was truly one with nature.
It was a beautiful dance.
But even while mesmerized, I was still analyzing her fighting style, noting strengths and weaknesses at the back of my mind.
But that was until her dance suddenly changed tempo.
It was still graceful, in fact it was perhaps even more graceful than her previous dance which I just watched.
The reason why?
Well it was because this particular dance was clearly a message to me.
The way she moved, the way her hands swung and the way her feet slid were a direct counter to each and every single move she had first done.
Zoe was essentially telling me to watch and to analyze as much as I wanted to because she already knew the counters to her fighting style.
And those were the exact counters that I had envisioned.
Ever since I left the orphanage, my world has broadened, and despite the dangers that followed there were a lot of impressive things that I couldn't help but be amazed by.
I knew I was neither the smartest nor the strongest.
But just like how I felt when Artemis had trapped me despite me expecting it, I couldn't help but be amazed and appreciative of Zoe's message to me.
It showed me I had more room to grow and it showed me that there was something to strive for out of that tiny world I lived in at the orphanage.
Zoe…
You truly are amazing.
I continued to watch Zoe for some time until I noticed someone walking around us but in a different direction.
I glanced towards it, my eyes caught sight of Thalia who seemed worse for wear, the expression on her face was similar to the one she had when I had approached her while she was lost in her thoughts after her argument with Percy.
I looked back at Zoe wondering if I could leave without her trying to shoot me, especially since she was now practicing with her bow and arrow.
Well, only one way to find out.
"Zoe." I called out to her but she didn't stop, she kept shooting, hitting the exact mark she placed on a tree a few meters away from her.
For every ten arrows, 8 hit their mark while the remaining two were close.
She wasn't perfect, but she was way above average.
"Zoe." I called out to her again but she didn't turn to me.
I sighed, deciding to switch to drastic measures. I knew she was just ignoring me, so all I had to do was something she couldn't ignore.
I shoved a hand into the snow below, grabbing a handful of it before I shaped it into a ball.
I recalled watching other kids at the orphanage do this, sister Griselda called it a snowball.
Not really a crazy name since it's just a ball of snow but regardless, I had made such a ball countless times yet I've never once thrown this at someone.
I only ever used it as target practice to make sure I could aim properly with projectiles like my wind blades and fire balls.
I extended my arm back, aiming exactly for Zoe's head.
And then I swung.
My snowball flew gracefully in the air towards Zoe's head.
Unsurprisingly, before it could hit her, an arrow pierced through it completely decimating my harmless attack.
Zoe glared at me.
"What?" She asked, her voice filled with venom.
I pointed at Thalia's faint figure which would soon disappear behind the constant veil of snow.
"She seems distressed, I want to go talk to her." I told her.
Zoe looked at Thalia's disappearing figure and shook her head.
"No need." She said.
"What do you mean no need? Thalia seems distressed, why shouldn't I help?" I questioned.
Zoe glared at me.
"Do not act like thee is a saint! Milady said you are not to be trusted for now." Zoe said.
I raised an eyebrow, so that was her main issue?
From this I could infer that Zoe doesn't outright hate Thalia. At first I thought they did due to how they seemingly loved to glare at each other but as they continued to interact I began to have doubts on that since they seemed to keep trying to one up the other person.
This meant that these two were less enemies and more of rivals.
Zoe didn't want me going near her because she couldn't guarantee that I didn't have nefarious purposes for approaching Thalia.
"I get that you don't trust me, but are you willing to leave Thalia like that? It could have consequences on her which might affect her future." I explained.
It was true that I wasn't a Saint, but I didn't have nefarious purposes for approaching Thalia.
Zoe looked at me skeptically, her gaze switched from me to the direction Thalia went, her figure had already disappeared.
Finally after a moment Zoe sighed and began to sheathe her weapons.
"I will go too." She said.
I would rather she not.
But not only does she have to be around me due to the mission, but she doesn't trust me in the slightest so refuting her might—no it would backfire in my overall plan to gain her trust.
"Sure, but please stay hidden. I don't think Thalia can open up if she knows you're around." I said to her.
Thalia always acted tough in front of others, something I noticed during her interaction with Percy, Bianca, and Grover.
But when she was alone, she was quite vulnerable.
Something I personally knew because I approached her while she was in that state.
"Be warned. If I see anything suspicious I will not hesitate to shoot you." Zoe warned.
"Huh? Why?" I questioned even though I had an idea of the answer.
"Thalia Grace may not be a Hunter, but she is a maiden and as Milady's follower I will protect any Maiden I come across. Especially from two faced men like you." Zoe sneered.
Two faced men?
I wondered, did I even have a face?
Usually when people had a "face" it usually constituted of the various personalities or fronts one had or/and would put up in front of certain people.
I on the other hand remained completely blank no matter who was in front of me.
So, did I even truly have a face?
Every human being had a face, that's what defined who they were.
So who am I even?
Do I have any defining personalities that I can use to qualify as a human with a face?
"Understood." I said to her as I turned away.
There was no need to think of such things now.
For now I was simply a sentient empty vessel who did things as he was taught.
Maybe one day I will discover who I truly am.
And where I stand in this world.
I kicked off the ground into a sprint.
Not fast enough to make it seem like I wanted to lose Zoe, but fast enough so I could catch up with Thalia.
The snow crunched under my feet as I maneuvered around trees and roots. It was my first time in a place with so many trees yet I maneuvered with expert like agility.
While Zoe and I were walking I simulated myself running across these multiple times.
Why?
Well there's boredom, but also in case I was suddenly attacked in a forest.
If I couldn't maneuver properly, I would be killed.
My foot brushed over a trunk almost causing me to lose my balance.
But of course I wasn't perfect so I couldn't completely maneuver here yet.
But I was getting there.
Not only that, but ever since I got to this place I felt weird, like my magical energy had a spontaneous increase and same for my physique as well.
I was sure what special properties camp half blood had, but this place made me stronger.
In the distance I noticed Thalia was sitting by the Lake which we landed in.
Gradually, I began to slow down until I was now walking.
"Thalia?" I called as I walked out of the woods, trying my hardest to seem as if I had met her out of a coincidence.
Thalia perked up at the call of her name and turned to me.
"Aiden? What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice was normal but the turmoil in her eyes could not be hidden from someone like me.
"I was just taking a tour of the camp." I began as I walked towards her.
"Saw you from afar and thought I should say hi." I made sure to approach her slowly before I took a seat beside her.
Not too close but not too far.
Thalia nodded.
"How do you like it? The camp I mean." She asked.
"It's interesting, I watched the orientation film and…" I looked down trying to look distraught.
"And?" She raised an eyebrow.
"It was so bad…" I sighed.
Thalia had a hint of a smile on her face.
"I never watched it, guess I'm lucky huh." She said.
I raised an eyebrow.
"What? How?" I questioned.
Thalia looked down with a distant gaze.
It would seem I made a mistake.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Sorry if it seemed like I was prying." The best option would be to quickly apologize.
"No… it's fine. It's just—"
"I remember back in the car." I cut her off to quickly change whatever thoughts were in her mind.
Allowing her to finish her sentence would mean allowing her to continue her thoughts, and as I had no idea what they were I had to avoid allowing those thoughts to push this conversation into a point of no return.
"You seemed pale."
Thalia flinched ever so slightly at my words.
Was this one bad too?
"You're afraid of heights aren't you?" I finished my sentence, deeming this particular observation to not be able to throw this conversation awry.
"Huh?" Thalia looked at me confused before her face contorted into shock and mild embarrassment.
"What? No, of course not. How could I? I'm literally Zeus' daughter." She tried to reason but that wouldn't work on me.
"Come on Thalia, you should know already that I'm super smart. Just so you know Apollo believed I was a son of Athena when he and Artemis were talking to me." I revealed to her.
Thali gave up, sighing and looking away embarrassed.
"Yeah alright. The great and fearless Thalia is afraid of heights, you can laugh now." She muttered.
"I would if I could." I confessed.
Thalia punched my arm.
"Hey! You're supposed to say that you won't laugh!" She pouted.
"Sorry, sorry. I just didn't think I should lie to you." I shrugged.
Thalia sighed, but there was a small smile on her face.
"Whatever…. But what do you mean you would if you could? I know your voice is monotone and your face always composed… but how could you not be able to laugh?" Thalia questioned with a slight look of pity and curiosity.
I pondered, what should I reveal and how much?
"Well, I wasn't treated well back in the orphanage. Never really been happy but my first few years were always sad. Until I got used to it. Believe it or not but I once cried because I was lonely. I cried and cried until I finally stopped, because I understood that no one would help me." I explained.
What actually happened was I cried and cried and nearly got killed by a monster, after that there wasn't any room for tears anymore.
I would mention that to incite pity from her, but given my presumed knowledge on Thalia's backstory which had to deal with facing monsters, I didn't want to cause her to delve back into her thoughts.
It was about a year or so after that that sister Griselda joined the orphanage and took care of me.
Perhaps if she had arrived earlier, I wouldn't be this empty shell of a person.
Regardless, I'm thankful for her teachings.
That is if I could feel thankful in the first place.
"Aiden…" Thalia muttered my name, she seemed unsure of what to say.
Now, this was enough of this conversation.
I had opened up to her, and I needed Thalia to process that if I wanted her to open up to me and trust me.
What we shared right in this conversation was one secret each. Ignoring the fact that I surmised her fear, Thalia relented and acknowledged it to me meaning that she shared one secret with me and was fine with me knowing. I also shared a bit of my past with her, although it came off as pitiful I didn't feel anything by exposing that section of my past.
Not only was that intentional, but I didn't care about it anymore since it had no effect on the current me.
"It's okay if you have nothing to say. I said this to you because I trust you won't expose this to others willingly without my consent, not because I wanted to hear something from you. There's a reason why I can tell you my past while you can't tell me yours. The reason is simply trust. No, I don't feel offended that you don't trust me. Despite our conversations we've only known each other for a day so it's obvious that you don't trust me." I began to explain.
"Then… why do you trust me?" Thalia questioned.
The exact question I was waiting for.
"The reason is simple. I'm smart, extremely smart, and no I don't mean you're stupid but with my brain I've been able to understand you much faster than you could understand me. I have a better read on you than you could ever have on me. Every action you took while I was around you, how you acted, how you spoke and how your face looked like were things I analyzed with ease. You on the other hand have to work with trying to understand someone like me who doesn't express any emotion neither in his voice nor his face so it's obvious that it'd be hard for you to connect with me but not vice versa. So while I trust you, you don't trust me to that level yet which allows me to confide in you but stops you from confiding in me." I explained to her.
Thalia looked down probably feeling slightly guilty.
I doubted that she would feel this way or openly show it if she were at her best mentally or around others, but because I once again approached Thalia once she was vulnerable and while we were alone has allowed her to open up ever so slightly.
I stood up.
"Don't worry about it, of course I don't have a perfect read of you because I'm not omniscient. But I hope we can continue to get closer and help each other in the future." I said as I extended my fist to her.
Thalia looked at my hand before a smile formed on her beautiful face.
She gazed into my eyes with her electric blue eyes.
"Yeah, I hope so too. Thank you Aiden." She said as she fist-bumped me.
"No problem Thalia. I'll see you later. I should leave you to your thoughts." I said to her.
Thalia nodded.
"Thanks." She said.
I nodded back.
"See you then." I began to walk away.
"See ya." I heard her respond.
As I walked back to where Zoe was I reflected on my past interactions.
As someone who had no friends, all these acts such as a fist-bump and making snowballs were things I learnt from watching the other orphanage kids.
According to sister Griselda, I should never confine my mind to only things I learn on my own.
Meaning that watching others and learning from them was something I should keep doing.
She assured me that one day I would be able to make use of the information acquired, and it seemed she was right since I used that knowledge today.
Bianca, Zoe, Percy, Grover, Artemis, and Apollo.
I have never interacted with so many people in a day.
A single day joining this side of the world and I've interacted more than I ever did in my life.
I didn't necessarily hate it.
But I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever make any genuine connections in this place.
Would I smile and laugh as I play snowball fights with the others?
Would we sit together and tell each other stories and jokes and laugh about it like a family?
Would I be happy?
I was curious, I wasn't desperate but these were things I couldn't help but wonder if the future had such in store for me.
Looking back on it, why was I even interacting with these people?
For Artemis and Apollo it was them who approached me first, although I made use of it to understand gods.
Percy and Grover just seemed chill. I've never actively gone to them seeking something aside from information.
But they would be good allies to have.
The same for Bianca, Zoe, and Thalia. I only ever spoke to them for information and to form allies in this unfamiliar world.
I picked Bianca because I assumed she'd be the easiest to connect to due to us sharing an unfamiliarity with the world we're in, although I had more experience with monsters, aside from that in particular I was about as clueless as she was.
For Zoe and Thalia they seemed strong so I thought it wouldn't hurt to try and be allies with them.
Of course I'm not solely dependent on them here, but I'm not arrogant enough to believe I can do everything on my own.
I cannot.
Because of this I needed allies.
Whether I made those allies through genuine connection or a simple sense of necessity was still to be seen.
For now this was just a social experiment to me.
How far could I go with this method of living?
How far could I go with the mind I was born with?
How far could I make it without holding myself back?
I wanted answers to those questions and at the same time I wondered if I would still be the same person I was today in a few weeks, months or even years.
I wanted to know.
I continued walking until I finally met with Zoe who was leaning on a tree.
When we met eyes, she seemed to be contemplating something.
Guess she heard our conversation.
Not that I had a problem with it of course.
"Do you have something to say?" I asked her.
Zoe shook her head.
"No, let us go." She responded with her usual tone as she began to walk away.
I shrugged and followed, speeding up a bit until we were side by side.
I wondered how long I would be able to walk with Zoe like this.
I understood that our dynamic was unique due to the way we both acted, but I couldn't help but be curious whether this girl would be the catalyst or perhaps the one who would change me and allow me to learn what I couldn't learn in the orphanage.
"Zoe." I called out to her but received no response.
Yet I wasn't deterred.
"What does it mean to be somebody? Who are you and who am I?" I began to talk without caring whether she would answer me or not.
She was the one who prompted me to think back to who I truly was, and what face I had deep within me.
For now I was simply an empty vessel, a piece of clay that had still yet to be molded using true experience.
The only thing that the orphanage did for me was make me a mouldable piece of clay.
Sister Griselda had always warned me to remain true to myself, she always told me that while I should learn from others, I should never allow it to influence or change who I am.
But who exactly am I?
I don't know.
"I'm a nobody." I answered my question out loud.
"But who are you Zoe? If you take away your position as Hunter of Artemis… what remains?"
Zoe turned around and glared at me.
"Be quiet! I do not want to hear any more of thee's ramblings!" Zoe sneered.
"Sorry, my bad." I backed off.
My goal was completed anyways.
Zoe and I spent the remainder of the day together, not as if we could be separated because Zoe wouldn't leave me unless I was doing something private like going to the bathroom.
Throughout all of this we didn't share a single word after her outburst at my question.
I'm sure Zoe was currently wondering what my goal was, and why I had asked her that question.
But at the same time by contemplating such a thing she would ask herself the question as I intended for her to.
Artemis' warning made sense, but she had severely underestimated me if she thought a warning was enough.
No, I wouldn't say she underestimated me, she had used Apollo's domain to gauge my thoughts and deemed it in her mind that I wouldn't be able to sway Zoe in any way.
Not that I was currently swaying Zoe, had she known the answer to my question, my words wouldn't have had a single effect.
But did she know the answer to the question?
Suddenly I heard the sound of a horn.
It was time for dinner.
Zoe said nothing as she began to walk towards the pavilion where dinner was held, she seemed intent on not listening to me.
Not that I had a problem with it.
I walked by her side diligently until we reached the pavilion for meals which wasn't full but a few people were already there.
"I can't sit at Cabin Eight's table." I spoke for her to hear.
Just like the camp itself, the Pavilion contained tables instead of Cabins which were used to segregate the different demigod children.
Zoe didn't respond to me and quietly went to Cabin Eight's table.
I sighed, looking around for the Hermes Cabin table.
According to camp rules, unclaimed demigods usually lived in the Hermes cabin and was sort of treated like an adoptive child of Hermes due to his status as the god of travels and hospitality.
As soon as I spotted the table, I quietly went over there and took a seat.
I hadn't interacted with any campers at the moment, due to having stayed by Zoe's side so perhaps this was finally an opportunity for me to do so.
As time passed more and more people filled the room. I recalled that the number of campers was a lot smaller than I had initially thought meaning that the Pavilion would not be full for dinner.
I noticed Percy walk in, he looked miserable.
I didn't think Annabeth's fall would affect him so much.
Guess they were closer than I thought.
Thalia walked in next, we shared a nod of understanding before she moved to her seat.
Some time later Bianca and the remaining Hunters walked in.
She conversed with them, they listened and laughed with her.
She seemed to be getting used to the place already, that was good.
As if she felt someone staring at her, Bianca turned and we met eyes.
She waved at me and I waved back, which caused me to earn glares from all the other Hunters of Artemis.
At some point I noticed two brothers who seemed quite energetic and annoying walking with Nico.
I pondered whether I should talk with them but decided to delve into my thoughts for a moment so I pushed myself to the edge of the table.
Once a good enough number of people were in, Chiron stood at the forefront of the Pavilion, he was in his centaur form with his horse half exposed for all to see.
"To the gods!" He raised his glass.
Everyone else did same.
"To the gods!" Everyone responded, even me, although I didn't share their enthusiasm.
The beings known as wood nymphs or dryads came forward with plates of food such as grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread and barbecue.
I looked down at my glass and was unsure of what to do.
"Hey man! You look new!" I was suddenly approached by the two brothers who sat with Nico.
"Oh Aiden! Good to see you here." Nico sounded excited as he pushed himself to join us.
"You two know each other?" One of the brothers asked.
Nico nodded.
"Yeah! He can do cool wind swords!" He cheered.
I took a mental note to not show Nico my abilities, it'd do me no good if he kept exposing my abilities out of excitement.
"Oh really?" The two brothers turned to me with mischievous smiles.
I just want to drink something.
"Hello, I'm Aiden. Do any of you know how to get a drink here?" I asked them as I noticed their cups were filled with different drinks of which I had no idea where they came from.
"I'm Travis, this is Connor." One of them introduced.
"Sup!' Connor placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Uh-huh." I responded before I glanced back at my empty cup.
"Oh yeah my bad! So for this you just have to—"
I caught Travis's hand which was going towards my pocket.
"Carry on." I said plainly.
"Hahahaha damn… well you just have to speak to it. You can get any drink you want, as long as it's not alcoholic of course." He explained before I let him go and focused on my cup.
"What was that?' Connor whispered but I heard him.
"He caught me before I could even pickpocket him, this guy's good." Travis responded.
"Oh? This looks fun." Connor snickered mischievously.
They don't seem bad, but I'd rather not be forced to be conscious about my pockets every hour of the day.
I focused back onto my cup, he said I could have any drink as long as it wasn't alcoholic.
The only drink I'd ever drank was water which was from the orphanage.
Sister Griselda said water was plain and simple yet was extremely healthy so I always drank water.
But I'm not in the orphanage right now, I could drink absolutely anything I wanted as long as it's not alcoholic.
Why would I pick water?
I remembered a particular drink that some of the other nuns loved drinking, it pertained to the candy I ate the most due to its sweet taste.
"Hot chocolate."
Almost instantly my glass was filled by a steaming brown liquid.
I took a whiff of it and felt my body relax, it smelled the same—no even better than what the nuns were drinking.
I might just stay in camp forever if I could drink this everyday.
Once I was done, I loaded my plate with food, especially barbecue since it had such an amazing smell and I had never eaten it before.
I took bread out of familiarity although I was tired of eating it since I ate it all the time back at the orphanage.
Regardless, when I was about to take a bite, I noticed most of the people here carrying their plates toward the fire in the center of the pavilion which surprisingly burned clearly despite the cold caused by the falling snow.
Confused and curious I stood up and followed, noticing how the people closest to the fire took a portion of their meal and dropped it into the fire.
"It's burnt offerings for the gods. I heard they like the smell." A voice whispered in my ear.
I turned and noticed it was Percy who gave me a bright smile despite the turmoil in his eyes.
"Really?" I questioned, it sounded really ridiculous.
"Yep, I was confused about it during my first time too." Percy snickered softly.
Percy and I continued towards the fire, once we got there he tossed in some of his food and made a seemed to make a silent plea due to the way he closed his eyes.
Once he moved away, I was next.
I tossed in a part of my food and made a silent plea of my own.
Whoever you are, please tell me your name and watch over me.
I made a silent plea to my godly parent even though I didn't really care for who they were.
Although it wouldn't hurt to know of course.
Once I was done, I caught a whiff of the smoke caused by my burning food.
It smelled absolutely amazing.
Not sure how but with this, Percy's words seemed true.
I returned to my seat right after the offering and ate my food.
It tasted incredible.
There was no way I was going back to that orphanage unless I was crazy.
Not that I even had anything else left there, sister Griselda left a year or so ago.
The dinner continued quietly.
Is what I would say if the Hunters of Artemis weren't screaming.
I sighed as I turned to them, they were all drinking and laughing like one big happy family. Zoe sat at the head like the family's mother, she didn't laugh as much but she smiled from time to time.
To be honest with the way she acted around me I couldn't have guessed she was capable of smiling and looking good while doing it.
I glanced at Bianca who seemed to be having fun, she was trying to learn how to arm wrestle from a big girl who defeated her every time to which Bianca didn't seem to mind.
She was fitting in quite nicely.
Once everyone was done eating, Chiron pounded his hoof garnering everyone's attention.
"To the gods!" Chiron toasted once again.
"To the gods!" Everyone followed.
"Now." Chiron cleared his voice.
"I welcome the Hunters of Lady Artemis who have joined us tonight to stay for an unprecedented amount of time. We welcome you and hope you enjoy your stay." Chiron welcomed them.
The campers clapped, but I could tell it was all half-hearted.
"Next, we have capture-the-flag game tomorrow night which is customary to do when the Hunters of Artemis are present. I'm sure you are all excited." Chiron smiled.
The reception this time was better, but these people were clearly not excited.
The hunters on the other hand seemed ecstatic.
"Now for my last announcement before we go, I would like to introduce two new campers today namely Nico di Angelo and Aiden." Chiron said as he gazed at Nico and I causing everyone to turn to us.
Damn, I felt pretty small under all these gazes, did I have social anxiety or was this because it reminded me of the times when my fellow orphans would stare at me for nothing?
I glanced towards Bianca wondering how she reacted to this, she had small but sad smile on her face.
She seemed happy that Nico was fitting in, but perhaps deep down she wanted to be by his side.
Regardless it didn't seem like she was questioning herself so I didn't care.
"We welcome you two to camp Half-Blood." Chiron smiled at us.
"Thanks!" Nico responded enthusiastically.
"Thank yo—" I was cut off by a bunch of gasps.
Confused I looked away from Chiron and noticed everyone was looking at me, no they seemed to be looking right above me.
"Woah! You have a glowing thing on your head!" Nico pointed out.
I raised an eyebrow and looked up, hovering above my head was the glowing symbol of an owl.
Instantly, as if rehearsed every camper even the Hunters went on their knees, Chiron included.
Well everyone except Nico who was initially confused, but the Stoll brothers quickly corrected him.
"It is determined." Chiron said confusing me.
What was determined?
"Athena. Goddess of wisdom, intelligence, warfare, strategy, crafts and artisan skills, courage, inspiration, justice, law, and civilization. Hail, Aiden, son of Athena." Chiron announced.
The campers around me began to clap, same for the Hunters.
I felt like they respected Athena because she was a woman and considered a virgin goddess, but if so then how did I come to be?
My mother was considered the goddess of intelligence, so I wouldn't put it past her to come up with a way to remain a virgin goddess and have kids at the same time, I mean she was a goddess after all.
I turned to the Athena cabin's table, it was completely empty which caused me to sigh.
I heard a snicker and glanced to see it was Travis.
"They all went back home for Christmas break, only Annabeth stayed…. Wait where is she?"
I stood up before he could ask me any questions, I had nothing to say to him and would say nothing to him.
I walked to the table and sat down, easily noticing the stares I garnered from both Percy and Thalia who were probably imagining Annabeth sitting here.
"Alright now that that is done. Have a good night everyone." Chiron announced.
I walked out of the pavilion, and so did everybody else.
I already knew where the Athena cabin was so I didn't need directions to go there, but it wasn't like I was going there right now in the first place.
I had to talk to Chiron after all.
I turned towards the Big House and began to walk towards there.
"Where is thee going to?"
I sighed and turned around, Zoe was right behind me.
I didn't even hear her footsteps despite the snow under her feet.
"I have to talk with Chiron about demigod stuff." I told her, there was no reason to lie after all.
Zoe looked at me skeptically.
I sighed.
"Alright look, there's no way for you to watch over me while we're asleep okay? I can't enter your cabin and neither can you mine so can we agree that right before bed you don't need to be all over my actions?" I asked.
Zoe sighed, she knew that I was right.
We couldn't stay in the same cabin, and even if we could she would most definitely not sleep in the same cabin as a male so we needed to compromise somehow.
"Alright, but if thee does anything suspicious I will shoot thee down." She warned.
I was getting quite tired of these warnings but knew that they were far from jokes.
"Alright Zoe, good night." I said to her.
She turned and walked away towards her fellow Hunters without giving me an answer.
"You seem happy." I heard a teasing voice from behind me.
"I'm not in the slightest Thalia." I turned towards the sole child of Zeus who was currently snickering at my interaction with Zoe.
"I feel bad for you, but do you even feel bad for yourself?" She asked.
I could tell she was trying to lighten the mood by making a joke about my expressionless face.
I couldn't laugh but I'll give her credit for trying.
Of course for others this might be offensive but I could tell she was just trying to help me.
"Nah, I don't."
Unfortunately I couldn't reciprocate her joke.
Realizing this, she paused.
"O-oh, sorry." She apologized.
"It's okay. E for Effort though."
Thalia looked at me offended.
"Isn't it supposed to be A for effort?!" She complained.
"That's only if the effort was actually good." I clarified.
"Hey!" She lightly punched my arm as she laughed.
In the end I was the one who once again lightened the mood.
Until I learnt how to express myself, I would be the one making the jokes here despite my monotone voice, because whenever these people would make a joke pertaining me, all I could answer was with a monotone voice that spoiled the joke.
Of course unless it was a joke on my monotone voice itself, then I think they'd find it funny.
The children at the orphanage did that a lot.
"Well, I'd love to talk but I gotta go see Chiron to learn some stuff." I told her.
"Alright, good night." She said.
"Good night." I responded before we both separated.
As I walked to the Big House, I couldn't help but notice Percy who walked into his cabin still looking down.
I contemplated going to him, but I had more important things to do like speaking to Chiron.
I walked to the Big House and knocked on the door.
"Enter." I voice responded from behind the door.
I grabbed the door knob and opened the door before walking in and closing it behind me.
I walked into the parlor where Chiron was sitting on his wheelchair sipping tea, for some reason he wore glasses like a professor of some sorts.
He resembled the teachers that came to the orphanage to teach us kids basic school subjects with the help of the nuns, but unlike them he didn't seem suspicious.
"Ah, Aiden. I was expecting you. Please take a seat." He said.
"Thank you." I said before I took a seat on the couch opposite of him.
"Want anything to drink?" He asked.
I shook my head.
"No thank you." I responded.
Chiron sipped his tea once again and placed his cup onto the table with a clink.
"Alright Aiden, what is it you wanted to talk about?" He asked.
I took a deep breath and readied myself.
Because chances were, we would stay up all night.
I was supposed to release this last night and forgot about it, my bad. I had a bit of trouble writing Zoe because of her manner of talking but I hope I managed to convey it and if there's any expert out there I'd appreciate if you could throw some pointers my way. Regardless, I hope y'all enjoy and if anyone has questions just ask.