If there's one thing that Will never expected to happen, a half goat man saving him and his mama from a bunch of angry bird things was definitely on the top of that list.
He blinks, chewing on the straw of his juice box, bright blue eyes flicking between the goat man (Maron or something, he doesn't really remember at this point) and his mama.
"My dad's a what?" He asks, not understanding.
Maron sighs, wiping his face with his hand. Will just blinks at him expectantly.
"A god, William. Which one, I can't be sure but…" The goat man (MARON, Will, manners!) eyes him like he already knows. "You'll be claimed sometime after you get to camp." Will turns his head to look at his mama, big eyes shining.
"Camp? What camp?" He asks, and his mom pulls him into her arms. Will relaxes, the familiar scent of his mama's floral perfume surrounding him.
"Will, baby, there's a special place for kids like you, kids whose parents are gods. It's not safe for you to be with me now that you know who you are." She takes his face in her hands, a sad smile on her lips as she looks down at him. Will frowns a bit. He hates seeing his mama so sad.
"But I want to stay with you, mama." He says, and his mom strokes his hair, brushing the wayward curls out of his face.
"I know you do, baby, but tour is no place for a kiddo, and it's not safe anymore. Maron there said more monsters will come, and I can't protect you. You need to go to camp, Will." He shakes his head, about to protest again but his mom looks over his head at the goat man.
"You'll protect him until you get there?" Will turns to look at Maron, his eyes wide. He realizes that his mama isn't giving him a choice in this. He's going, and there's nothing he can do about it. Maron nods, his arms folded over his chest.
"It's my duty, Naomi. William is safe with me. I've done this for years. Half the demigods at camp now are there because of me." Will feels a little bit better at that. His mom nods, pressing a kiss to the top of Will's head, making him turn back to her.
"Will, baby, I need you to go pack your backpack okay?" He shakes his head again, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Mama–" She shushes him, holding his cheeks in her hands, pressing another kiss to his head.
"Please, baby. Do this for me. You'll be safe, I promise."
—
Will guesses that the monsters had decided to leave him alone for a while, since the trip to this camp that his mama kept mentioning is really easy. No one tries to attack him like those birds had, but he can tell that Manon is on edge anyways, if the way the goat man (satyr?) keeps a tight grip on his arm is anything to go on.
"Um, you said you know who my dad is?" Will pipes up after a while, just as they are entering the camp, and Manon just mutters, shaking his head.
"No, kid, I said I have an idea. You won't get claimed right away, I bet." Will tilts his head, confused.
"Why do you have an idea?" Manon looks down at him, making Will shrink back a little bit. He feels dumb for asking so many questions.
"You look just like him. But I don't wanna jinx it or anything, kid. Don't wanna get smited." Will doesn't know what that means, and he's too afraid to ask any questions now. Plus, getting smited sounds pretty awful.
When they reach a big tree, Manon presses his hand to it and mutters something under his breath, too low for Will to hear. He looks up at the tree, the pine needles moving slightly in the breeze that had picked up.
"Let's get going kid, it's almost time for dinner and you don't wanna miss out on that, do ya." Will shakes his head, following behind Manon.
There's two older kids waiting for them once they get close to some buildings, both with blonde hair, but the girl's is long and curly, the boy's shorter and cropped.
"Taylor, Luke." Manon says gruffly. "This is William Solace. New kid, picked him up in Manhattan getting attacked by some Stymphalians. About ten. Unknown parentage but…" He gestures to him. "Your guess is as good as mine." Taylor laughs, and the sound is like tinkling bells.
"We can get him settled in Manon, don't worry your pretty little head 'bout it." Oh… Will exhales a breath that he hadn't known that he had been holding. She sounds like his mama, like home. Manon pushes him forward and Will stumbles, but the older boy, Luke, catches his arm, keeping him from faceplanting onto the ground like an idiot.
"Woah there, William. Careful." He says in a low voice, and Will looks up, his eyes lingering on the scar, jagged across the other's cheek. Woah.
"Will-" He squeaks, righting himself. "Only my mama calls me William when she's mad at me." Taylor smiles, patting him on the back.
"Well then Will, let's get you settled into camp. C'mon kiddo."
—
"So…" Will looks between Taylor and Luke, blue eyes darting from side to side.
"You're probably wondering who we are huh." Taylor chuckles, kicking a rock hard enough that it soars a few feet. "I'm Taylor Dean, head counselor of the Apollo Cabin. He's Luke Castellan, head of Hermes. You'll be staying with him and his siblings until you get claimed by your…" She eyes him, blue eyes piercing.
"Dad. My dad." Will says after a beat, and Taylor smiles. She reminds him so much of his mama, seriously. It makes his heart ache.
"By your dad." She continues, waving her hand around as she speaks. "Each one of these here cabins represents a different Olympian god." Will peers around Taylor, looking at the different cabins around. Each one looks so pretty. He can't decide which one is his favorite until his eyes linger on one. The sunlight catches it in such a way that it blazes golden, and his breath hitches. Taylor turns her head, following his line of sight and laughs softly.
"That's home for me. Cabin Seven. Apollo." Will has never seen a more beautiful sight than in that moment.
"C'mon Will, let's get you to the Big House so you can meet Chiron before dinner." Luke says, and Will finds himself trailing after the two older kids. He sees kids running around with swords and bows, and more half goat people like Manon had been.
"Manon said he thinks he knows who my dad is. Do you know…why?" Luke looks down at him, and Will shrinks back a little bit. He's not sure why. Maybe it's because the older boy is so much taller than him.
"Well, it's hard to tell someone's parentage by just their looks, but sometimes different campers with the same godly parent share some traits, like the Athena kids have grey eyes. You look a lot like many of the Apollo campers, but then again, I've got blonde hair too." Luke shrugs.
"How long will it take for my dad to… what was it…. Claim? Me?" Luke breathes out a long sigh, and Taylor shoots him a glance. Will's not sure what to make of it.
"Depends, Will. Some get claimed pretty early on. Some… don't." Luke says wistfully and Will frowns. He doesn't like the sound of that.
"Don't worry too much about it, Will. Luke and his siblings will take good care of you and treat you like their own. Maybe you'll even end up a Hermes kid!" Taylor says chirpily. "There's always a chance to be claimed."
Will grips onto his backpack strap. Always a chance.
Even after the day that he's just had, seeing a half horse guy was not on Will's bingo card. A centaur, if he remembers the word correctly. Chiron is nice enough though, gently talking him through everything that he needs to know about being a…. Demigod. It's hard to wrap his mind around that word. About what it means. How it makes everything in his life that had always been so scary and confusing suddenly make sense.
Taylor and Luke are waiting for him outside when he finishes up, and the older girl smiles warmly at him. He notices a quiver on her back that he hadn't seen before, a golden bow peeking out as well, and his eyes widen.
"Woah... that's cool." He says in awe, Taylor grins, and pulls an arrow out of her quiver to show him.
"Ain't it though? As a daughter of Apollo, I'm pretty handy with a bow. Y'ever seen a real arrow before, Will? No? Here, you can have it. I can always get some new ones from the armory." Will shakes his head and reaches out to grab onto the golden arrow, but the gasp that leaves Taylor's lips makes him drop it.
"Guess you won't be joining us at the Hermes table anymore." Luke says dryly, and Will looks up confused, only to be almost blinded. He shields his eyes, squinting up at the image appearing over his head.
"A… harp? What does that mean?" He says, and Luke barks out a laugh. Taylor bumps his shoulder and shakes her head at the older boy.
"Not a harp, Will. A lyre. The symbol of Dad. Our dad. Welcome to the Apollo cabin, little brother."
—
There's so many names to keep up with at the Apollo table, Will learns.
There's Taylor, the head counselor. Then Chloe, the head Healer for the camp. Sam and Aaron who are a few years older than Will. Daniel, Michael and Lee are just younger than them. There's a few that are missing from dinner, probably off doing something important, Will's not sure. He will meet them soon.
Ten siblings.
"We have some of the most siblings besides Hermes cabin, but not everyone there is Hermes." Taylor says as Will tries to commit all of his sibling's faces to their names.
Taylor with curly blonde hair. Samuel who prefers Sam with long dark waves. Chloe with russet skin and long dark hair. Aaron with his deep set eyes and a wry smile, a blonde streak through his black hair. Daniel with kind chocolate eyes and a pair of dimples in his cheeks. Michael with a fiery temper and a shock of dark hair. Lee who looks like he could be Will's twin brother. He's got this.
"I know it's a lot to take in, Will." Chloe lays a hand on his shoulder. "But we are here to help you in any way that we can. You're our brother after all." His skin burns where Chloe touches him and he wonders if her healing abilities that she had mentioned stretched into calming abilities. Maybe it's just him getting used to the feeling of having siblings.
"I was an only child 'fore." He admits, kicking his feet on the ground under the table. "Mama said she only needed me, nobody else." Taylor hums, nodding in understanding.
"Well, now you got ten of us!" She chirps, and Will can't help the short laugh that leaves his lips. Yeah, he does.
His backpack is already in the cabin when dinner is over, and Taylor picks it up from the entryway as she pushes the door open, pressing it into Will's stomach.
"Here ya go! There's a spare bed under Daniel if you want that, or one of the other spares." She jabs her finger to a couple of empty beds, but Will shakes his head.
"I don't mind sharing with Daniel." The older boy perks up, one of his dimples flashing as he smiles.
"Cool! I was waiting for someone to come bunk underneath me finally! Oh, that reminds me." Daniel climbs halfway up the ladder to his bed, rummaging around. Taylor just looks on in amusement, and Will stares at the older boy. After a second, he climbs back down, clutching something in his hand.
He holds it out to Will, and Will blinks, taking the small item from the older boy. He looks down at it, fiddling with the corner.
"We do really random arts and crafts sometimes, and today there was a crochet needle and stuff, and I dunno, I just got the idea today. One of my gifts from Dad is a little bit of prophecy, so I knew that we would have someone new soon. Didn't realize it would be today."
Will hugs the crocheted sun to his chest, shaking his head.
"No, I really love it. Thank you Daniel." He places it gingerly on his pillow (HIS! pillow) before setting his backpack down on the bedspread. He hesitates, looking back at Daniel with a small frown.
"A gift from Dad?" Daniel nods, and Taylor pats Will on the back.
"Yeah, each of us has something that we are super good at from one of Dad's domains, so there's probably something for you too. We will have to explore that a little bit. Maybe archery since he claimed you when you touched my arrow." Will frowns.
"I'm not very athletic…" Taylor just laughs softly, her shoulders shaking. She brushes a few golden curls out of her face.
"Dad has a lot of domains. Light, healing, archery, music, poetry, prophecy… Everyone has a gift from somewhere. I got music from Dad. I play a mean guitar." Will can't help but smile at the way her accent lilts, the way she says guitar reminds him so much of his mama. "Daniel got prophecy, Chloe and Michael are excellent healers. We will figure out yours, little brother." Will nods, a smile playing at his lips. A gift from Dad…
The thought of that doesn't sound so bad.
—
"This one should be just right for you." Will looks at Lee apprehensively, but he reaches out and takes the bow from his older brother's hand.
"I dunno if archery is really right for me." Lee waves his hand dismissively, laughing softly.
"Nonsense, all children of Apollo are at least handy with a bow. Chloe's not great at it, but even she carries one in battle." Will's eyes widen, and his fingers clutch onto the wooden bow.
"Battle?" Lee raises an eyebrow, his piercing blue eyes boring into Will.
"Solace, didn't you come to camp after getting attacked?" Will nods. Lee turns his wrists, making a particularly sassy "well?" gesture. Will huffs, taking a matching quiver from the armory as well.
"Fine, I'll try..." Lee claps him on the shoulder and gestures for Will to follow him out to the range, where Aaron is already set up, his dark gaze focused as he practices.
Will watches as arrow after arrow hits the center of the target, his brother good enough to make sure each arrow doesn't hit another. It's really impressive, if he's being honest. His fingers curl around the bow again, anxiety washing over him. Lee tugs on his orange shirt, pulling him a few feet away.
"Alright, have you ever used one of these before?" Will shakes his head, and Lee sighs. "Okay, set up how you think and I'll fix ya." Will hesitates before moving his body, waiting expectantly for Lee to fix his posture. The older boy fusses over him, moving his arms and pushing his feet around. "Shit, Solace, you got lead in your shoes? Move your feet. No, not that much. Good. Okay. Arms up. Not that much. Down. Little more up. Tighter. Not that tight. Relax." Lee eyes him after a bit, stepping back. He tilts his head, dark blonde bangs shadowing his gaze.
"Good enough. Alright." He helps Will notch an arrow before moving back a few paces. "Let 'er rip Solace."
Will can feel his hands shaking, but he listens to Lee's advice, pulling the arrow back and releasing it, shutting his eyes to avoid seeing the result. He hears a sharp thwack, and peeks one eye open.
His face falls at the sight in front of him.
While Aaron's arrows always hit their mark, Will's arrow is buried in the ring closest to the edge, almost missing the target entirely. Lee turns to look at him, a harrumph leaving his lips.
"Well, looks like you might be closer to Chloe then." He claps Will on the shoulder, making the younger boy jump. "You're not bad for your first try, but not every Apollo kid needs to be a great archer." Will scuffs his foot on the ground.
"But everyone else can shoot, can't they?" Lee looks at him for a long moment, before sighing.
"Look, Will. You hit the target on your first try. You've still got some talent for archery from Dad. You don't have to force yourself to be a great archer. I'll still teach you, so will Aaron." The tanned boy salutes Will from behind Lee, making Will laugh softly. "You won't be defenseless in a battle, I promise. Maybe you can ask one of the other cabins' kids to help you with sword fighting or something. None of us are really good at it. But you'll be fine." Lee shrugs.
"What should I do then? To find my gift from Dad?" Will asks, looking up at Lee with big blue eyes. Lee pats him on the top of his head, ruffling his curls.
"I think you should go help Chloe in the infirmary. Most kids that aren't as good at archery here end up being better healers. I bet you'll find your gift there."
—
He wasn't allowed in the infirmary, actually. At least not on today of all days.
Apparently some kid had come crashing into camp followed by a Minotaur, of all things, and Chloe had kicked everyone else out to let him have some peace, since there weren't any other campers in need of healing at the moment. So Will is stuck in the Apollo Cabin instead, watching Sam cheat at cards when Taylor isn't looking.
"Is the Minotaur a big deal?" Will asks, and Aaron just shrugs, reaching forward to take another card off the pile.
"I mean, it's only one of the most famous monsters in Greek mythology, right Chelle?" A dark haired girl Will had only met recently named Nychelle nods, slapping Sam's hand away from the pile.
"No, fuck you, you already took one, Levanter. Yeah, the Minotaur is pretty crazy for a monster that follows you into camp. That Percy kid must be powerful." Will nods, swinging his feet off of the edge of his bed.
"You said Percy's not claimed yet, Taylor?" Chloe asks from her bunk, the smell of nail polish in the air. She had been removed from the infirmary too, once it was clear Chiron would be taking care of Percy. Taylor nods from her spot on the floor, tuning her guitar quietly.
"Yeah, Chiron let us know at the meeting. Luke's already setting up a bed for him in Eleven. Apparently Annabeth is over at the infirmary too. Grover's his satyr so…" She shrugs. Will knows who Annabeth is but he's never met her. She's like a year older than him, but has been here forever apparently.
"I got a look at him when he came out of the Big House." Aaron comments. Will's eyes widen. He'd been at arts and crafts when everything had gone down, so he'd not yet caught a glimpse of this Percy kid. "He's just a scrawny kid. Like 12 or something." A snicker. "Shut up James, I'm 13, I can call him a scrawny kid! Anyway, there was definitely power there. I don't think he's Hermes, but I dunno how long it'll take him to be claimed." Michael scoffs, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You think Cabin Eleven can't have power?" Aaron flips off Michael without looking, making Will stifle a giggle.
"Did I say that, you little shit? It was just different than anything I've ever felt. Power, Tay. Serious power. There's rumors he's one of… them." Taylor frowns, and Will looks around in confusion.
"...Them?" All the heads in the cabin snap to look at him. Taylor and Chloe share a long look, and Taylor sets her guitar aside, crossing over to sit next to Will on his bed.
"The Big Three, Will. Children of Hades, Zeus or Poseidon. They don't really have kids these days since there was a pact after World War II and all of that destruction the war caused. Aaron, do they have any proof Percy's a Big Three or is it just random kids sayin' a bunch of BS?"
The smirk on Aaron's face is hilarious to Will and there is a glint in his dark eyes.
"He blew up the bathroom and sprayed the fuck outta Clarisse."
"AARON BLACK! LANGUAGE!" The cabin bursts into giggles, lasting well into the night, at least until Taylor calls for lights out before the harpies get them.
—
"Will, can you grab me another roll of bandages from the storage room? I need one more for your bag before we head out." Will jumps off the bed and jogs back to the storage room, picking up a large roll of bandages and bringing it back to Chloe. He hands her the roll and she shoves it in the satchel before snapping it all up and handing the bag back to him.
"Do you remember the hymn I taught you?" Chloe asks, and Will nods. He'd finally gotten some training under Chloe and Michael in the infirmary, and, as it had turned out, healing was his gift from Dad. He'd taken to it quite naturally, and Chloe had already commented on how well he was picking it up.
So today, instead of taking to the offense during the apparently weekly game of Capture the Flag with the rest of Apollo Cabin in alliance with the Athena and Hermes cabins, Will was on medic duty, just in case there was something big that happened.
Will really hoped that there wouldn't be.
"Will, back here with me." Chloe calls out to him as the game starts. Will tears his eyes away from where the Hermes cabin had gathered, trotting towards his sister.
Percy wasn't as scrawny as Aaron had made him out to be. Will would even admit he was cute, at least to himself. He hadn't seen much of the other camper though, since everything was a bit of a mess before the game had started.
"Just wait here with me. We are kinda supposed to be neutral, even though our cabin is with Athena and Hermes." Chloe explains, tying her curls back into a ponytail with a hair tie that came out of nowhere. "If anyone gets hurt, we help Chiron out with some healing. No matter the side." Will frowns, running his fingers through his golden curls.
"Is anyone supposed to get hurt?" He asks in a small voice. Chloe shrugs, and Will stares at her, confused by her blasé attitude about the whole thing.
"Shit happens, baby bro. Ares kids happen."
That doesn't give him much of a vote of confidence.
He never expected Capture the Flag to be BORING.
Well.
Maybe it isn't to the kids running around slashing at each other with swords and knives, or to his siblings crouched in trees with their bows but…
He sighs, stretching his legs out over the grass, his back propped up by the tree he's been sitting against. Chloe looks over at him with a laugh.
"Bored, Will?" He nods a little bit, resting his chin on his hand.
"I dunno, I expected more excitement." Chloe shushes him, her expression dark.
"Ah, ah, Solace, don't say stuff like that. You'll jinx it and someone will die, seriously." He can tell by the look marring her features that she's being really serious.
"Have you ever had that happen before? Have someone die?" Chloe sighs, pulling her legs up to her chest, resting her cheek on her knees.
"Yeah, Will. I have. I'm a healer. Even our best attempts to save someone can come up short. I've lost kids that never even fully made it here to camp." She clenches her fist, breathing out deeply. "I tried to help Chiron with Thalia, but that didn't work." Will looks at her with a question in his expression, and she leans her head back against the tree.
"Five years ago, I was just 11 and training under Savannah, the healer before me. It was maybe my second year at camp? Anyway, Luke and Annabeth came in chased by some horrible monster, and they had another demigod with them, Thalia. Daughter of Zeus." Will looks at her in alarm, remembering the conversation that the cabin had the other day about children of the Big Three gods, but he doesn't say anything, not wanting to interrupt her. "Yes, Will. Zeus. But she was struck down in battle. We tried so hard to save her…" Chloe looks off wistfully, and Will can tell she's stuck in her memories about the day. "Her father had been watching apparently, and he saved her, well… in a sense." Chloe gestures towards Half-Blood Hill, and Will follows the movement with his eyes, remembering what lies beyond the hills. He remembers Manon, and the moment that the satyr had taken when he had first brought Will to camp.
"The pine tree?" Chloe nods.
"Zeus turned her into a pine tree to stop her from truly dying, but… she will be that way forever, Will. And I couldn't save her. Sometimes you can't save people." Will frowns and reaches out to touch Chloe's arm, hoping he's giving off the same warm, calming energy that she so often gives to him.
"I'm sure you did the best you could, Chloe. I–" He's cut off by a cacophony of shouts, and both he and Chloe scramble to their feet, running towards the sound.
Luke tears through the forest with the enemy flag in tow, flanked by Will's brothers Aaron and James, their arrows flying as they fight off Hephestus kids, a few of the campers from Hermes with them. Will runs after them, Chloe just a bit ahead since her legs are longer. Once they make it to the border line, there's cheers, and Luke is lifted onto the shoulders of some of the stronger kids, a loud laugh leaving the taller blond's lips.
Will's heart is beating fast as he gasps in a breath, his hands on his knees. Jeez, he really needs to work out more. Chloe pats him on the back, and soon they are joined by Michael, his pack slung over his shoulder not carrying his quiver.
"No injuries?" Chloe asks, and Michael shakes his head.
"Nothing serious, I don't think. Jackson looks a bit roughed up though." Will's eyes move to the other camper, and he sees thick red blood dripping from Percy's arm. He frowns, but before he can decide to move to help Percy, there's a loud growl.
"Get behind me!" Michael shouts, pushing Will and Chloe behind him into the cover of the trees. "Aaron! Lee!" The other two Apollo campers appear at his side, their bows drawn, ready to protect Chloe and Will since they are unarmed.
Chiron comes thundering into the clearing, his bow drawn and ready for action.
"Stand ready! My bow!" Before Will can even comprehend that he understood the Greek (Taylor's been teaching him, but still) a dark shape comes out of the forest, red eyes gleaming like two rubies.
"What is that?" He asks Chloe, his voice wavering in fear. Chloe inhales a sharp breath, her fingers tightening around her satchel.
"A hellhound. How the hell did it get past Thalia's tree and into camp?" She mutters a curse in Ancient Greek, and Will feels his heart rate start to pick up again. Manon had said that he would be safe here! Monsters can get inside camp too?
"Percy, run!" He hears Annabeth call, and watches as the older girl steps in front of Percy, only for the shadow creature to jump over her and barrel straight into Percy. Will shrinks back, watching as Chiron orders his siblings to unload arrow after arrow into the creature. He feels Chloe slip her hand into his own, her warm healing aura calming him down. He looks up at her, feeling tears welling up in his eyes.
The monster falls dead, and Chloe takes her hand out of Will's, shifting her bag on her shoulder. She walks purposefully toward Percy, and Will tags behind her as she moves to get closer, presumably to ask Chiron if he needs assistance from Apollo Cabin.
"Quick, Percy, get in the water." He hears Annabeth say, which makes Will's eyebrows furrow. Why should he get in the water? He needs to be healed, not get more wet. Will watches as Percy steps back into the creek, completely lost on what the heck is going on.
"What the fuck?" He hears Chloe curse, and he blinks, looking closer at Percy to try and see what his sister is seeing. But his attention is drawn away by a gasp from Sam, and a green light that hangs above Percy's head. A trident. It reminds Will of his own claiming. He turns his head to look at Chloe, who reaches down to squeeze his hand again. She gives him a warm smile.
"It is determined." Chiron calls, and Will turns back to look at the centaur. Chloe starts to kneel, as do Michael and Aaron, and the latter tugs on the back of his camp shirt, making him do the same. Will kneels, a million emotions brewing in his chest. This didn't happen for his claiming…
"Poseidon. Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."
Oh heavens above.
—
"I need you to hold still." Will says gently, setting the tray down on the bedside table. Andrew, one of the older Ares campers, glares at him with fire in his eyes, a disdainful look on his face.
"They got some squirt running this place now? Where the fuck is Reed? I don't want you touching me, pipsqueak." Will frowns, crossing his arms over his chest in a rare moment of defiance.
"I'm perfectly fine at healing. I'm just cleaning and wrapping your leg up anyway since you've already eaten ambrosia." Andrew eyes him again, a frown marring his features.
"Oh for fucks sake, Andrew, just let the kid patch you up! Chloe is busy, and Will needs the practice." Michael barks, and Andrew just harrumphs, relenting, turning his upper body away from Will.
Will rolls his eyes and picks up his utensils, starting to clean the wound gently. Under his breath, he sings the hymn that Chloe had taught him to pray to Dad to heal. Whenever he sings it, he can feel this warmth in his chest, moving like liquid gold through his veins down to his fingertips.
Chloe had explained that some of their best healers had a warm touch like she did when healing, and that it was an additional gift from Dad that allowed them to calm down the person they were healing. Not much of an influence on their emotions, but like an extension of the healing properties of ambrosia and nectar and their taste of home.
"Aren't you Apollo kids supposed to be good at singing?" Andrew says, and Will accidentally digs his fingernails into Andrew's leg in surprise, stopping the humming under his breath. "Ow! Fuck, Solace! What was that for?" The older boy snaps, making Will shrink back a little bit.
"Don't make fun of Will's singing then." Chloe says as she passes by, patting Will on the head. Will just worries a spare piece of bandage between his fingers, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.
"I've never really been a good singer, unlike my mama." He admits quietly, still staring at the piece of bandage standing out against his tanned skin. "But Dad doesn't seem to mind, since he answers my prayers and gives me the gift of healing. It has the same effect that a good singer would have. I can sing quieter if it bothers you." Andrew doesn't say anything, just rolls his eyes and waves his hand, leaving Will to his own devices.
Will wastes no time in cleaning up the rest of the wound and dressing it with a bandage. He turns his head to look for his sister to check it, and Chloe materializes at his side.
"Good job, kiddo. Just a little bit tighter, we don't want the bandage to come undone and expose the cut to the elements, especially out here. There. Good. Very good work, Will. Okay, Andrew, you're fine to walk on it. You're bein' a pain in the ass in my infirmary, so you can skedaddle and leave Will alone." The older boy just rolls his eyes and sits up, running his hands through his bronze hair.
"Yeah, yeah Reed. Whatever. Don't let a ten year old touch me again." Will sniffs in indignance. He's closer to eleven than ten anyway. His birthday is in August, only a few months away.
"I'll do what I want with my skilled healers, even if they are ten. Will, why don't you go organize some of the extra supplies, hmm?" Will nods, reaching out for the tray of supplies he used on the son of Ares. "No, I'll take care of this. Go on, Will."
He trots away, heading back to the back room where they keep the extra supplies, alongside a desk and a patient bed that had broken down years ago. He sits on the floor to organize some of the mortal medications they keep for small injuries when Michael appears in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You know Andrew was just being an asshole right?" Will looks up at him, and blinks a few times. Michael sighs and crosses over, plopping down on top of the bed, his dark brown eyes analyzing Will.
Michael has one of the more "abrasive" (for lack of a better word) personalities in Cabin Seven, Will has learned, but he knows that underneath the biting words and hard gazes, Michael really cares about all his siblings.
"You have an amazing gift from Dad, Will. I've never seen someone take so quickly to healing. You have a real natural talent for it." Will feels a dark flush creep up his neck at the praise. "You don't need to be good at everything that Dad does. I'm a shit singer too. I can't write poetry to save my life. Don't push yourself too hard trying to be everything, okay? We need you here." Michael waves his hand. "You're a healer, and with the right training, you'll be a great one. I don't need the gift of prophecy to see that." He gives Will a cheeky grin before patting him on the top of his head, getting up and leaving the room.
Will looks down at the medicines in his hand, the words that Michael had said echoing in his head. He knows that his brother is right, of course. But there's this ache in his chest that Will's not sure how to get rid of. Like something is missing. What it is… he's not sure.
—
Will wasn't a big fan of sports, if he was being honest. He's more than content to sit on the sidelines and watch as his siblings ran back and forth, trying to beat the satyrs in volleyball. He's not even sure who is winning at the moment.
James plops down next to him after a particularly rough fall, and Will searches in his backpack for a tissue, which his brother takes gratefully, wiping up the blood congealing on his knee.
"I saw Percy Jackson going up to the Big House earlier with Grover." James says in a hushed voice, and Will stops rummaging in his bag, turning his head to look at James with wide eyes.
"What for?" He asks, and James hums, tapping his fingers on the ground.
"It probably has something to do with the war that's brewing between the gods these days, since he's the son of Poseidon." Will startles, biting down on his lower lip, his heart stuttering in fear.
"The WHAT?" He squeaks, and before James can speak, someone clears their throat, and both boys look up to see Taylor standing in front of them, her lips set in a frown.
"James Holden. What have I told you about scaring the younger campers!" She says in a dark voice, and James throws his hands up in defense.
"What! Will deserves to know if the world is gonna break out into war! Everyone's been talking about it, why are WE the only ones who don't talk about anything?" Taylor just sighs, reaching down and grabbing his arm, pulling the eleven year old up.
"Go tag out Nychelle and tell her to come here. It's time I tell her and Will about everything going on right now." James nods, running into the game to tap out Nychelle. She frowns, but makes her over to Taylor and Will, sitting down primly next to Will. He remembers that she's about his age, and probably just got claimed as recently as him. Taylor looks at both of them with something unreadable in her eyes, but Will thinks it looks like the look his mama gave him when she told him that he had to leave for camp and not stay with her anymore.
"I know I should have told you two about this sooner, before the gossip got around, but James and the other young'uns can't keep their dang mouths shut." Taylor sighs, twisting one of her bouncy ringlets around her finger.
"Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and he and his brother are in one of their biggest conflicts in history." Will's mouth falls open in surprise, and he can hear a squeak from Nychelle as well.
"What?" She asks in a hushed voice, and Taylor leans back on her hands, taking in the sun for a second.
"What's a master bolt?" Will asks before she can speak again.
"It's the main lightning bolt that makes all the other ones, I'm pretty sure. I dunno, it's only been explained to me once by Beckendorf when I asked the same question at the Senior Council meeting. But it's been stolen, and there's only ten days for the thief to return it before there will be all out war." Taylor says softly.
"What does that have to do with Percy Jackson?" Will asks again. Taylor just smiles sadly at him.
"Well, I told you about the Pact that the Big Three took after World War II, remember?" Will nods, thinking about that discussion from the other day. "Well… Percy exists. So Posideon broke the pact, and Percy is a Forbidden Child. With Percy being claimed now as well… it's not a very good look, I reckon. It comes after weeks of them fighting. We've all seen the storm clouds." Taylor points at the sky, and Will can see the dark clouds that are starting to form around the camp.
"But war…?" Taylor shrugs her shoulders, a sympathetic look on her pretty face.
"No one is really sure, but this fight seems really bad. Everyone's been talking about it, and so many rumors are swirling. That's why I didn't want to tell y'all. There's so many things that we don't know, and so many things that people are making up, it's hard to tell what's real and what's not. But James is right. I should be more honest with yall. I was being a bad big sister and I'm sorry for that." Nychelle shakes her head, reaching out to tug on one of Taylor's curls.
"You're not a bad big sister." She says softly, and Will nods. She's definitely not a bad sister. She's been nothing but great and helpful to Will over the past week or so. "You were trying to protect us and not worry us, but it's okay Taylor… Will and I are ten! We can handle more stuff than you think we can." Taylor reaches out and pulls both her siblings into a tight hug. Will laughs, wriggling in her hold.
"Taylor! Too tight!" He giggles, and Taylor lets them go with a chuckle.
"Sorry, kiddos. At seventeen, you just… forget how strong you are when you're just a kid." She wipes a speck of dirt off of Will's cheek with her thumb, just like his mama used to.
Suddenly, it's like the sky has opened up and rain starts pouring down. Taylor shrieks in surprise, making Will laugh as his clothes get thoroughly soaked, his hair sticking to his face.
"SUNBABIES!" Taylor yells, standing up. Will stifles a laugh at the silly nickname for his siblings. "Back to the cabin! Last one to Seven gets cold water!"
(It was Aaron who made it back last, his dark hair sticking to his forehead and sand smeared across his cheek from where he'd tusseled with Sam.)
—
Chloe's already in the infirmary when Will comes in later, toweling his hair dry from the rain. She's sitting cross legged on one of the beds, cutting ambrosia into little squares and placing them carefully into a Ziploc baggie.
"What are you doing?" He asks, and Michael appears from the back room, two canteens in his hands.
"Here's the nectar that Chiron asked for, Chloe. Oh, hey Will. Did you shower already after the game?" Will nods, and Michael hums in response.
"Thanks, Michael. To answer your question, Will, this is for Percy and Annabeth." Will's eyebrow furrows in response. "They've been approved to go on a quest. I don't know much of the details, but Chiron asked us to get nectar and ambrosia for them so…" She seals the bags closed and stands up, brushing her hands on her exposed legs.
"You and Michael can fold the laundry and put it back in the cupboards while I go give this to Chiron, then when I get back, I'll teach you how to tie a tourniquet, okay? We have to speed up your training just a bit…" She shares a look with Michael, who just frowns, nodding his head. The war, Will understands. They need all the trained healers that they can get their hands on.
"Okay, Chloe. Will do." He says, and Chloe gives him a wry smile.
"You're just like Dad. I'll be back." Her long curls swish as she walks out of the infirmary, and Will watches her back.
"What does she mean by that?" Michael sets a laundry basket down on the bed between them, and they both set out folding the sheets and blankets.
"You made a pun with your name. Dad makes a lot of silly jokes and rhymes and stuff, since he's the god of poetry." Will frowns, his hands running on autopilot as he thinks.
"She's met Dad?" Will asks carefully, and Michael nods.
"Only a few of us have. He's not… around much." Will can hear a bit of bitterness in his voice. "But he's busy, so it's to be expected. I think Chloe, Taylor and… Aaron? Have met Dad once."
Will doesn't answer, just staring down at the blankets as he folds them.
He'd always wondered what his dad was like. His mama always said his dad was warm and beautiful, with wild golden hair, and a smile that could brighten up anyone's day. He knows now that of course, his dad is literally the sun god, so that description makes a lot of sense. His mama had always said that Will reminded her so much of his dad. But she'd never really told him much outside of that. He'd dreamed of meeting his dad, but even at ten years old, he'd already started to give up on that dream. Accepting that his dad was never going to be around.
"Look, Will." Michael says, and Will raises his head. Even though Michael is a few years older, Will is just as tall as him. "Dad not being around is just a thing that is. Who cares? We have each other and the other campers here. All of us in Seven are your family. Lean on us instead of a vision of Dad, okay?" Will smiles a bit. Michael really does give great pep talks.
"Yeah, okay. Thanks, Michael. I mean it." The older boy just hums, turning his focus back to the task on hand.
Will adores his siblings really.
—
Things are really tense at camp, at least as far as Will can tell. He's not really experienced a camp NOT tense, though, if he is being honest.
Every day, he's called to the infirmary to learn new healing techniques with Michael and Chloe, but, unlike the few days before, he gets to practice these on actual campers.
If this is what things are like before war has even broken out, Will is scared for what is to come.
"Can you tell me what happened?" He asks softly to the camper in the bed, his fingers curling around the clipboard in his hands. Chloe had been teaching him to write everything down, so they can keep records. They hadn't had any before Savannah, who taught Chloe, so she was passing it down to Michael and Will to keep things in line easier.
Timothy, one of the Athena kids a few years older than Will, sighs, wiping blood off his hands with a towel.
"Carter and I got into it, that's all, Will." Will nods, writing down a few notes. Carter had a broken arm and multiple sword wounds, and Timothy had a twisted ankle and a long slash across his chest. "I don't expect you to understand."
Will winces at that, gripping onto his clipboard.
"I'm just a healer, Timothy."
"Yeah, well Apollo cabin's siding with Ares so." Will rubs at his eyes tiredly.
For days, multiple fights had broken out between cabins over this war, and what sides they were taking in everything. Taylor had tried to calm down his brothers and even Nychelle, but to no avail. His brothers were skirmishing with Athena campers right alongside Aphrodite and Ares campers.
"I'm not siding with anyone. I don't even understand most of what is going on." Will mutters under his breath, turning to grab a square of ambrosia. He's running low on his tray, he notices.
"Okay, I need you to take off your shirt, I need to clean your wounds and make sure your ankle isn't broken before I give you this." The Athena camper nods, all but tearing the orange shirt off of him. It was half destroyed anyway.
"Sam!" Will calls, and his older brother materializes at his side, looking at him expectantly. "Would you be able to go to the camp store to get another shirt for Timothy? Medium right?" The Athena boy nods. "I can give you a drachma if you need it." Sam just waves his hand, shaking his head.
"Nah, I'll just get Travis or someone to steal me one." Will sets his mouth in a line, and Sam laughs, clapping Will on the shoulder. "I'm joking, Will. Yes I will get Timothy a shirt. I'll be back."
"You're new right?" Will turns back to Timothy, who is eyeing him.
"What?" Will asks dumbly, gathering his supplies up so that he can start cleaning up the wounds.
"You got to camp and got claimed really recently, right?" Will nods, making a noise of agreement. "Well… I'm sorry this is what you came here to. It's not… usually like this." Will frowns, sitting down on a stool, kicking up the height so that he can reach Timothy's chest without straining his back, like Chloe had taught him.
"What do you mean?" He asks curiously, starting to clean the wound on Timothy's chest.
"Everything's just a mess right now because of the tension between Zeus and Poseidon. There's not usually this many fights. I feel bad for Chloe, Michael and you especially for having to deal with the fallout." WIll shakes his head slightly, placing the bloody tools aside.
"Chloe!" He calls out, and his older sister comes to his side, wiping her wet hands off on her pants. "I think he needs stitches, but I don't know how to do them…" Chloe frowns, leaning over Timothy to look at his wound.
"You're right. Timothy, do you mind if I teach Will how to do stitches on you? I can do them myself if you would prefer, but with everything going on, I'm trying to teach Will everything before I leave next summer." Will frowns at the reminder. Chloe was going into her last year of high school in the fall, so she only had one more summer at camp before leaving for college.
The Athena camper shrugs, running a hand through his blonde hair. His gray eyes flash as he speaks. "That's fine with me. Let the kid get all the practice he needs when the stakes are lower." Chloe smiles gratefully, resting her hand on Will's shoulder.
"Thanks, Timothy. Alright Will, can you go get some sutures while I get him ready? Extra gloves as well." Will nods, standing up and making his way to the supplies, rummaging around in the piles for everything that he needs.
He trots back to Chloe's side, setting up the tray in the way that she had taught him a few days ago. His hands are careful, practiced, as she guides him through the steps for closing up the wound, her voice soothing him as she speaks.
Learning from Chloe is way different than learning from Michael. His brother is a bit more gruff, more direct, and leaves him to his own devices more, which is fine, but Will learns best like this, with careful instruction and patience.
"Good job Will. Those look really great." Chloe praises, a glint in her amber eyes. "You're a natural, really. Dad must have poured all of his heart into your gift." Timothy looks down at his chest and the expression on his face is one that Will can only describe as impressed.
"Damn, Solace, those are neat. Chloe's right. You're gonna be a great healer." He smiles warmly at Will, and WIll feels heat rise in his face. He turns away quickly to fiddle with the leftover sutures, avoiding eye contact with the other camper.
"You should dress it, do a hymn and then give Timothy a square, Will. I need you over here to help me with setting Carter's shoulder in just a bit okay?" Will nods, willing himself to stop blushing. He takes a few deep breaths before turning back to Timothy with a practiced smile.
"Alright, let's get you fixed right up then."
—
Will wakes up with a start, his heart racing and gasping for breath. He sits up, his chest heaving. He's had nightmares before, but this one was different. This one was like nothing that he had ever seen before.
Darkness. Screaming. The voices of his siblings yelling commands. He couldn't make out exactly who, but someone loudly wailing. His hands covered in blood, trembling. A shout in a language Will knows but can't understand at the moment, a flash of black hair and a dark sword. Shadows curling around the edges of Will's vision.
He breathes out, running a hand through his blonde curls, counting backwards from 100 to calm himself like his mama had taught him.
"Will?" He hears Daniel shift in his bunk, his voice coming out raspy from sleep. "You okay?" Will lets out another deep breath.
"It's nothing, Daniel. I just had a bad dream." He hears more movement, then looks up to see Daniel coming down from his bunk, his dark hair sticking up a little bit.
"Demigod dreams aren't nothing, Will. 'Specially for children of Apollo." He says, giving Will a small but sad smile. He motions for Will to scoot over. Will picks up the crocheted sun from his pillow and moves over so Daniel can have a spot. His brother's skin is warm as he presses his body next to Will. "I know better than anyone that dreams suck. I'm here to talk about it if you want to." Daniel flashes a dimple at him, and Will sighs, picking at one of his fingernails.
"There was a battle. I don't know where, but I don't think it was here. I could hear screaming, and I think Michael's voice, maybe someone else's too. Then someone yelled something in a language I didn't understand, but I know I COULD understand it." Daniel nods, resting his cheek on his knees as he looks at Will. "There was so much blood, and it felt cold, dark. I saw a sword I've never seen before, and dark hair. Shadows. So many shadows." Will shivers slightly, pulling his blankets up around his shoulders.
"I wish I could tell you what it means, Will. As children of Apollo, we have limited powers of prophecy, and as demigods we have horrible prophetic nightmares sometimes. But not every dream that we have will come true even a bit. It could be nothing, little brother."
"But it felt so real." Will whispers, and Daniel smiles sadly at him, reaching out to ruffle Will's hair gently.
"It always will. Unfortunately. But we all get them, so you can always talk to whoever is awake. Do you think you can get some sleep? We rise with the sun, you know." Will hesitates before shaking his head.
Daniel sits back against the wall, thinking for a little bit. "Would you like to hear about my eomma?" Will frowns a bit at the foreign word, and Daniel laughs. "My mom, Will. I'm Korean." Will's lips part in understanding and he nods. Daniel hums, tapping his fingers against his leg.
"My eomma was a traditional dancer, back in Korea. She showed me a few of her old outfits and pictures, and she was such a beautiful dancer. She met Dad when she was on a traveling tour here in America, and she used to tell me stories about how amazing that tour was, especially meeting Dad and getting pregnant with me. She had to quit dancing when I was born, and she moved to the United States to give me a better life. She lives in Florida now, with her new husband and my half siblings. I only stay here during the summer, so I'll go back in August to go to school with them again." Will smiles as he listens to Daniel talk about his mom and it reminds Will of his own mama.
"Are all of our moms in the arts?" Daniel shrugs, thinking about it for a little bit.
"A lot of our moms are. But Chloe and Michael's parents are doctors, and Aaron's mom was in the Olympics. I think Sam's mom is a writer. Demigod mortal parents usually have something to do with their godly parent's domains." Daniel says, and Will thinks he understands. His mama is a really good singer, so maybe that's what Apollo liked about her. He yawns, and Daniel chuckles softly.
"We should both get some sleep." He says, and Will nods, his eyelids starting to feel heavier by the minute.
"Thank you Daniel. For talking to me. And for telling me about your mom." Daniel smiles at him again, his dimples appearing deep in his cheeks.
"You're my brother, Will. There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you in a heartbeat. Nothing."
—
The weather just keeps getting worse. As a child of Apollo, Sam had explained, he and his siblings fare worse in bad weather, and that much was obvious from the lethargy in the cabin. Nychelle even had a cold… in JUNE.
Will sighs, burrowing himself in his blankets.
"What day is it, Taylor?" He hears Chloe ask in a hushed tone. The two older girls were huddled by the desk, trying to keep quiet so not to wake the napping children of Apollo. Will's been awake for hours, facing the wall so that he doesn't look suspicious.
"Today's the solstice, I'm afraid. Is everything in the infirmary stocked up? I know you had Will and Aaron in there organizing everything for days."
"Yeah, everything's ready to go. Do you really think… is this really happening? Has anyone heard anything from Percy, Annabeth and Grover?"
"Luke said that he Iris messaged with them a week or so ago, but… he didn't say anything of substance. I'm guessing they didn't tell him anything. Which is weird for Annabeth since…" Their voices fall to a hush that Will can't discern, and he furrows his brow in confusion.
What about Annabeth? He tries to think of the blonde girl, searching his memories for something of use. Nothing. He's really only met her once or twice. What does she have to do with Luke? He knows that they came to camp together years ago, but that's it. He shakes his head inwardly.
He hears a knock on the door to their cabin, and a patter of feet as one of his sisters goes to open the door.
"Malcolm, Silena, hey. Any news?" He recognizes the names of two of the other Head Counselors, Malcolm from Athena and Silena from Aphrodite. Silena's pretty, he recalls.
"Nothing yet, I fear. The skies look worse though. Are you all doing okay?" He hears the soothing voice of Silena say. "I know that without the sun, you tend to fall apart a bit." A soft laugh.
"The kids are taking naps. Will's healing isn't as strong, Nychelle has a cold, even Aaron and Michael are sluggish… This is awful, what are we supposed to do? I heard that there's trouble in LA as well?" A sigh.
"Yeah, it sounds like Percy, Annabeth and Grover had some issues over there… I do hope they're alright."
"I'm sure they're doing just fine, Silena." Malcolm's voice is clear and calm, Athena kids ever so level headed when it comes to war and battle, Will muses.
"But the solstice is passing. There will be war tonight, and we don't even know what happened to the questers! Did someone make a shroud for Percy? He doesn't have any siblings…"
Huh? Will's not sure what all of that means. A shroud? For the dead?
Suddenly, a series of loud knocks sounds on the door, waking everyone in the cabin up. Will sits up, his blond hair haloing around his head in a mess of curls.
"Tayl- oh you guys are here too good. Annabeth and Grover are back. Alone."
—
Percy wasn't far behind Annabeth and Grover, so as Taylor had described, Camp Half Blood had one of their biggest parties ever. It wasn't often that people returned from quests alive, apparently. (The thought of that made Will shiver in fear, but he was choosing not to dwell on that.)
At least he finally understood what the shrouds were for.
Taylor had explained that when heroes go on a quest, their siblings weave them a shroud that will be burned in remembrance or celebration upon the end of the quest, varying by how the heroes return. Kinda morbid, if you ask him. But he understands at least.
Annabeth's shroud was silvery and covered in embroidered owls, while the Ares cabin has made a dumb one for Percy. The sight of it, the word loser and the X's for eyes makes Will frown.
"What do our shrouds look like?" He asks Aaron quietly, and his older brother sighs, leaning in to whisper in Will's ear.
"Liquid gold, little brother." Of course. He expected nothing less, truly.
He hopes he never has to see a golden shroud, not in his lifetime.
Camp is a whirlwind once Percy and Annabeth return, and Will barely remembers the rest of the summer. Days with his siblings consist of training, making silly friendship bracelets with song titles on them, and singing songs around the campfire with Daniel on one side, and Chloe on the other.
He doesn't expect to actually meet Percy in the flesh finally.
Will frowns, helping Chloe count the last of the supplies in the infirmary before the end of the summer session. Only Michael is staying year round, Chloe going back to finish her last year of high school before returning for her last summer next year, and Will feels bad for leaving the older all by himself in the infirmary. But his mama wants him back, at least for this year, so he has a flight to Texas booked in the morning.
A loud shout draws their attention and Annabeth, Beckendorf and Chiron rush into the infirmary, Silena hot on their heels.
Will's never seen a person's skin look gray before, but somehow, Percy's is.
"What the hell happened?" Chloe throws her jacket aside, rolling up the long sleeves under her camp shirt. "Will, get nectar and ambrosia, and supplies to clean the wound. Don't walk, run." Will obliges, tearing into the back room.
He can hear his heartbeat louder than ever, feel the urgency pumping through his veins. What does he need? He counts through the checklist in his head that he had memorized a thousand times. Bandages, soap, saline. Check. He grabs the mortal supplies first, holding them in the crook of his arm as he collects the godly ones.
Within a minute, he's running back to Chloe, and he's never seen a darker look in his older sister's eyes. She's scared. Terrified. He can see her look reflected in the eyes of all the other campers as well, Annabeth worrying the ring on her necklace, Silena clutching onto the back of Beckendorf's shirt.
"Thank you little brother." Chloe says, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "But you can't be here for this next part, okay? Why don't you go back to the cabin and finish packing your bag? Please, Will?" He starts to shake his head, but he hears a voice from behind her.
"William, it's okay. I will help Chloe with Percy's healing." He looks up at Chiron with big blue eyes, but the centaur holds steady. Will deflates, nodding his head.
"Okay…" He looks around for a second, and he can tell that Annabeth has been crying. The older girl blinks a few times, and Will suddenly really feels like he's been intruding. "I'll get going now. I'll see you back in the cabin, Chloe…" His sister barely hears him, her focus all on the body of Percy, his skin taking on a more green tint.
Will doesn't look back.
He doesn't see Chloe again before Taylor takes him to the airport either.