First of all, thanks to whoever has come this far and I hope you guys liked that last one!

Now, we're onto the next...

CHAPTER 7: IT ONLY GETS WEIRDER

Then I woke up, almost as quickly as I passed out. There were no nightmares or weird visions like before, only a massive headache. Slowly my senses returned to me as I realized I was no longer on the hard ground of the forest but lying in a bed, soft as a marshmallow. I give myself a moment to take in my surroundings. Adjacent to me were similar type beds, only they were all empty. The walls around me were a soft blue. I could tell it was a rather nice place.

Better than the apartment that's for sure.

"And he's alive."

At the foot of my bed, sat another person, a boy. As I focused my eyes I could get a better look at his blue-eyed and blonde features. His hair looked unkempt but in a purposeful way, like it took its shape due to a natural breeze. He met me with a bright smile that matched his radiant skin.

"Well it's not like you were dead," he said jokingly. "I think you were stabbed but it somehow healed pretty fast. You just needed time to rest. You pushed yourself pretty hard."

Oh right, I got stabbed… as you do. But then he healed me? After I fought him… he said something about Ares? And then… they ran away… wait, where's–

"Birch!" The panic started to rush back like a flood. "Where is he!? Is he alive!? I left him! Arthur you stupid son-of-a–"

I started rambling and cursing. My mind started to race as everything hit me like a truck. The rage within me started to grow. I tried to force myself back up, off the bed but my body was too fatigued. I was blinded by anger… mostly at myself. Then the blonde-haired guy spoke up, he didn't look distressed or fazed in the slightest. Instead he just gave me a look of sympathy, like a friend would.

"Easy," he softly spoke, "you're safe now and I promise we're here to help."

I don't know what it was, whether it was the way he said it or the tone of his voice but there was something about it. Whatever it was, it was enough to shut me up for the moment, but there was still a tornado of emotions swirling inside of me. I checked for the bandage on my arm which was no longer there, and my sleeve had been miraculously stitched up. I felt around my shoulder and to my surprise the scratch from the hellhound had fully healed, but it left a nasty scar.

"Did you say your name was Arthur?" he said, stopping me from picking at the scar on my arm. "Minus all the swearing and self-loathing."

"Yeah."

"Well nice to meet you Arthur, I'm Will."

There was something oddly nice about this guy. I guess he's just one of those people with that friendly aura.

I just weakly nodded in response. "Thanks… likewise."

"No problem," he smiled back.

There was a little awkward silence in the middle of our conversation. Then my anger quickly turned into confusion as I started to ask questions. A lot of questions. Will did his best to answer them.

"Argus found you last night, after alerting Chiron of some disturbance near the Tree. Then they found you lying on the ground whilst who or whatever attacked you got away. Then they brought you to the Big House, and called me in to check you out."

I probably had a dumb look on my face because Will shortly gave an understanding sigh.

"Right sorry," he said, "I just threw some random names at you. You'll learn them eventually. Argus couldn't see what attacked you, ironically enough, but he could tell you put up a hell of a fight."

I felt a slight tingle of that rush I got during the battle, like a little shock on my finger. I remembered everything moving so fluidly, every action done with precision. Then I remembered getting lost in that sensation, losing focus… I speedily brushed the memory aside.

I wanted to change the subject. "So where am I?"

"Well, currently you're in the infirmary," he told me, "but this is Camp Half-Blood."

Camp Half-Blood. Right, Birch did say something about a camp.

"See," Will said, gesturing down at his orange t-shirt.

The words 'Camp Half-Blood' were written on it, with a symbol of a pegasus below it. At least that's what it looked like. Weirdly, I felt I had seen that same color before, like the ones in my nightmares.

Half-Blood. Those guys mentioned something about Birch taking another 'half-blood' to camp. Were they talking about me?

"Half-Blood," I repeated. "I think that's what one of them called me. They said I was one of them."

Will furrowed his eyebrows, "you were attacked by other half-bloods?"

"I guess?" I replied, uncertain. I was unsure what to think of the shock on Will's face that followed after.

"Did you catch one of their names? Did you see their faces?" he questioned, his calm demeanor breaking for a moment.

I thought hard, "Birch knew one of them, and said his name was Nathaniel."

Will's expression dropped.

"Nathaniel Phorran?" he said, as sadness slowly crept into his eyes.

I nodded. He repeated the name under his breath. He shook his head, returning to his composed self but that hint of surprise and despair lingered.

"Well I suppose that explains the patch-up on your wound," he sighed. "Nate was never a killer."

The blonde boy fell silent, I could visually see his mind working as if piecing together a puzzle.

"He said something, it confused me at the time." I suddenly remember what Nate said after I had knocked him down. "He told me that I was… a child of Ares?"

"Ah." A look of recognition ran across Will's face, that friendly smile returned. "Arthur, I'm guessing things have been a little weird lately."

I nodded furiously.

"Well, it's gonna get even weirder from here on out," he said with his best attempt at a reassuring smile. "I've learned that the best thing to do is to just keep calm and-"

As if right on cue, a tall, lumbering figure stepped through the doorway of the infirmary.

Oh yeah… he was covered in eyes.

I screamed, rather embarrassingly, nearly jumping off the bed, "What is that!?"

The figure crossed his arms like he's seen my very reaction a million times over. He proceeded to roll his eyes, all one-hundred of them, which looked very strange.

"HE is a friend." Will raised his hands to calm me down. "His name is Argus, our head of security. He saved your life."

Right. He was one of the people Will said found me. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a man covered in eyeballs.

It's been a long day… days? I don't even know anymore.

"Arthur." Will gestured towards Argus. "What do you say to someone who saved your life?"

The towering man just stood there. Honestly, he looked a bit too 'surfer-dude' with his golden hair to be a security guard but still an imposing figure. it looked like he was just waiting for this ordeal to play out. Also could have possibly been amused. I, on the other hand, was still stunned. Nevertheless, I manage to muster up some common decency as Mom never failed to lecture me about.

"Thank you," I said shyly, "Argus."

He simply nodded. Then he turned towards Will, who nodded back.

"Yeah he should be good to go," he said.

Before he let me go, he reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a small cube. He told me that if I ate it it would make me feel a bit better. Hesitantly, I agreed and followed as instructed. He wasn't wrong. For some reason, that bite tasted just like the first time Mom tried to bake chocolate chip cookies. It was her attempt to cheer me up after a bad day. They weren't great but I didn't care because it was nice to see her try. I still remember eating the whole batch. I got that same feeling of warmth when I ate the cube. Immediately I could feel some strength return to my body as I slowly began to shift out of the bed.

When I finally stood up, I was face to face with Will.

"Argus will take you where you need to go," he said.

"What about you?"

"I got some stuff to take care of here." He put his hand on my shoulder. "And remember, it only gets weirder."

Great.

I shook his hand and started heading towards the doorway where Argus waited patiently, arms still crossed. Argus waited for me to step through first before closely following behind.

"See ya around, Arthur!"

That was the last thing I heard before I exited the infirmary and into the hallways of what I assume to be the aforementioned Big House. The walk turned out to be very silent which I found to be pretty crap because I'd just start getting lost in my own thoughts which was not a good idea at the moment. I started to remember what Nate told me before I passed out; not to trust anyone other than myself. I mean, should I listen to someone who literally stabbed me? Then again he supported the 'not killing me' choice too, and when he spoke to me he looked pretty genuine.

Not keen on getting stuck in my own head for too long, I tried to strike up a conversation with the hundred-eyed man.

"Sorry about the freak-out earlier by the way, I didn't mean to insult you or anything. This is just all new to me… like very new."

Argus, in the most minimal way possible, just responded with a friendly thumbs-up.

"So, Will said you're like the head of security of this place, probably really good at it too because you can… you know… see everything."

He didn't respond.

"Actually, can you see everything? I'm assuming you see better than most but can you like, see through walls?"

Not a word.

"Hey we both kinda got similar names; Ar-thur, Ar-gus. Sometimes I get a nickname like Artie. Do you have a nickname Argus? Like Arg or Argie? – no, that's dumb. It just makes you sound like a pirate… do you want a nickname?"

Complete silence.

"I'll take that as a maybe."

Somehow it got more quiet

"I like talking to you. You're a good listener… are you a ladies man, Argus?"

Wow this walk felt like an eternity.

It was at that moment that Argus brushed past me, leading me towards a door. I watched as he turned the knob, giving view to a clear sky and vast green fields. It was hard to see but the entire valley surrounding the house was littered with clusters of what looked to be cabins and other unique architecture in the distance. There were groups of people that occupied various spaces and, from where I was standing, looked like small black specks. I stood on the deck of the Big House that gave way to this pretty sweet view. All kinds of lawn chairs and tables were delicately set along the deck to make the place feel more homey. This seemed unlike any camp I've ever been to.

"Mr Pride," a voice says to my left, "I see you're up and rising with the sun."

Will was right, it does just get weirder. I had to blink a few times in order to believe what I was seeing. I'll start with the top half because that was easier to comprehend. Standing before me was a man that looked to be middle-aged, definitely on the older side. His brown hair and gruff beard gave me the impression of a teacher or professor. He even dressed like one. Yet, his gaze and regalness also struck me with an underlying presence of strength and status. Now his bottom half is a bit harder to explain, because it was– well… it was a horse.

Okay, maybe not that hard.

"Now, Mr Pride, there is much to discuss," he said. "You will most definitely have many questions."

Does he know who I am?

"You're a centaur!" I stuttered.

He raised his eyebrow before giving a smile of acknowledgement.

"Well, that's one way to start," he chuckled.

Yeah. After the killer dogs-once-statues, the officer with goat legs, nightmares of weird monsters, glowing hands, 'child of Ares', a large man covered in eyes; my brain's starting to work it out. Plus, the centaur caveat? I just remember that from watching the Chronicles of Narnia when I was younger. Now that I mention it, satyr's were in that too.

However, despite all that, nothing would prepare me for the conversation that followed. I learned that the centaur I was speaking with was Chiron, which sounded familiar, and he began to give me the explanation I so desperately needed. Apparently this place also had some orientation film that also did the job but Chiron insisted that it was better if he did the talking. He did so in simple terms but, boy, was it hard to keep up. Turns out I was right about the Greek Mythology hunch. Chiron went into this brief but detailed explanation about the Greek Gods and how they occasionally had offspring with humans. This gets a little complex he said but told me it wasn't necessary for the moment. Anyways, the offspring of these gods would come to be known as half-bloods or demigods.

"That's where you come in, Arthur," Chiron said.

"You're saying I'm… a demigod?"

The centaur nodded.

"And Ares," I realized, "he's my…"

"Indeed. You were claimed the moment we found you."

Chiron stood there, scanning my face like he was waiting for a specific reaction.

The gods are real?

My mind can't even begin to process how that works. Besides history class, I had some basic knowledge of the old Greek pantheon either through pop culture or some of Mom's stories. And Ares… It's been so long since I've ever bothered to wonder who my father was. I remembered asking my Mom about it once a long time ago but it was a subject she never spoke of and always avoided. It was almost like he didn't even exist to her, and after some time he stopped existing for me too. After all, she was the only family I needed. But now, I'm just finding out that he is out there and he's the fricking god of war!?

At the same time, Nate's words continued to nag at the back of my mind. Never trust the gods, he said.

"I know it's a lot Arthur," Chiron stated.

That was an understatement.

"There are many who feel the same," Chiron then looked out from the porch and down into the valley.

"Camp Half-Blood." The name rang like a bell in my head as I looked down at the specks of people gathered below. "They're all half-bloods… children of gods."

"Yes. They are all like you."

Then, he started making connections that I couldn't have guessed in a million years. Why I could move and react so quickly in a fight. Why I could understand the funny-looking symbols in our Greek history textbook. He also told me the many dangers that came with being a demigod, like how we give off this 'natural scent' for monsters.

"Is that why I have my anger issues too?" I asked, hoping for a straightforward answer. "Do all demigods have it?"

I looked down at my hands, the vision of that terrible day flashed through my mind. That bloody face was still stuck in my head. It was almost like I could feel the blood on my fingertips again.

Chiron shook his head.

"Oh," I sighed, "so it's just me, huh."

Chiron thought for a moment. "Well, it's most likely something you took from your father's nature. Ares has always been known for his temper and rage in battle."

"So you're saying he's the reason why I'm like this."

If he's trying to win Dad of the Year, it's safe to say he's not doing a very good job.

Chiron proceeded to just look at me, like he wanted to give me a better answer but couldn't.

I did my best to adjust to all of this new knowledge. Finally, I have the answer that I've dreaded for so long but now I'm wondering if I was just better off not knowing them. All these aspects of my life, my ADHD, dyslexia, anger issues, was all because of my father… who's a god? I just didn't know how to take that. It was logical and illogical. Made sense but felt unfair.

So this is just how I am? These are the cards I've been dealt, with zero choice in the matter? When I would lose control, beating another student half to death, is that my fault or his? Maybe a combination of both? How could anyone cope with this?

I felt a hand placed firmly onto my shoulder and looked up to see Chiron, a mix of empathy and worry in his face. It was almost like he could tell exactly what I was thinking, the same way Mom could.

"Arthur," he addressed me like I was his pupil, "you have every reason to feel the way you do. Be it confusion, hatred, guilt, but I believe that there is more to this life than the mistakes we make, the things we regret, or opportunities lost. We forge our own paths. And I promise you; we… this place… can give you the tools you need."

Chiron definitely came from a place of wisdom and knowledge. It seemed like when he speaks, you listen.

"And it's not all terrible," Chiron smiled reassuringly, "being a son of the god of war means you have exceptional fighting skills, better than most, which Argus claims to speak highly of."

I looked back at Argus who returned my gaze with another one of his signature thumbs-up.

"And you stood beside Birch, protected him even though you were outnumbered." Chiron gave me a nod of appreciation and respect, which felt like a big deal.

"That I got from my mom."

Chiron smiled, which made me smile too. It felt good to feel some form of vindication, even for a moment, but that moment disappeared as reality set in.

"Then I left him." My expression dropped as I hung my head low. "Just like that. I left him."

Chiron propped my head up. "We'll bring him home Arthur. Birch was always a tough old satyr. I doubt any monster would have it easy holding him down."

I know he was trying to cheer me up but I couldn't just let it go. Birch was my comrade, my responsibility… my friend, and he could be dead because of me. Still, I appreciate what Chiron was trying to do and I did my best to show my gratitude.

"How long do I have to stay here?" I asked.

"Depends," Chiron paused. "Some stay indefinitely, some return to the outside world… but this place will always be yours. You have yet to understand your full capabilities and for many new half-bloods, beyond the borders of camp are extremely dangerous. You may have to stay for a while."

"What?" I replied, slightly shocked. "But… I can't just leave everything behind."

There was so much going on at once, so much that had happened. It was hard to think straight.

"We've already sent a message to Dana," he said, which surprised me again.

How does he know my mother's name?

"She's always been aware of the life you would eventually confront," Chiron continued."She came in contact with us when the both of you moved to New York."

"She knew…"

Of course she did, this is Mom we're talking about.

It all makes sense now; why we moved to New York, why she gave me the pendant. She told me that there were a lot of things I don't understand but one day I will. I guess today is that day, or at least the start of it.

"As for everything else… well, when the world comes knocking at your door, it's difficult not to answer."

It was hard to argue with that. I mean, if there was any valid reason to put your life on hold for a while; finding out your half-god is definitely one of them. For a moment, Chiron turned his attention away from me for the first time this entire conversation and looked into the near distance. He squinted his eyes, muttering something under his breath. I couldn't quite hear what he said but he was keeping an eye out for something or someone. As he continued investigating the horizon, I stood there quietly as my brain gradually tried to wrap itself around this bombshell. There were still a few pieces of the puzzle that I didn't have full answers for.

"Chiron," I said, catching the wise centaur's attention. "It's just something Mom used to say about our family. How we're related to the 300– spartans that is. Now I didn't believe it at first but with all this talk of gods and demigods, I'm not sure anymore."

It wasn't just that, even the voice inside my head and how the pendant felt like it came to life during the fight, the way I could feel its energy. It was all so strange. I tugged on my pendant again to see if I could sense that same energy but it was silent for now. I waited as Chiron took a second to think, and for the first time he looked unsure and genuinely stumped by one of my questions.

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you." Chiron scratched his head. "If what your mother says is true, then that explains Lord Ares' attraction to her. That line is old, very rare and strong. If you are indeed a blood descendant of one of Leonidas' 300, then maybe there is more to you than meets the eye, Arthur Pride. I may not have the answer now, but in this place? You're bound to find one."

Once again, I fiddled with the stone pendant around my neck, tracing my fingers along the spartan engraving. Mom's words play like a broken record in my mind– '...remember that I'm here. We all are.' I wanted to ask Chiron more, but I think that was enough for today. I didn't want to constantly bombard him with questions and, after all, I was still recovering. He had already offered more than anyone else should. Plus, whoever Chiron was waiting for seemed to have arrived as the centaur glanced back towards the distance as a figure approached. Chiron let out a sigh of frustration as he beckoned the figure over, who immediately picked up the pace. He looked only slightly older than me, maybe a year or two, his curly brown hair bounced around as he sprinted his way up towards the house.

"One more thing," I said.

He turned back towards me, waiting for me to continue.

"Do all half-bloods live here?"

"Why do you ask?" Chiron leaned in closer.

"Well that night you found us, we weren't attacked by monsters… I think we were attacked by half-bloods."

He froze. There was a similar reaction of shock on his face that Will had but this one looked much more concerning. His eyes turned more intense than before, going from a wise teacher to a more stern general.

"Are you sure?" he questioned, still keeping his composure but there was an urgency behind it now.

Immediately, I started to feel uneasy about the sudden shift in atmosphere.

"Birch even knew one of them," I recalled. "He said that they 'betrayed us'."

The worrying look on Chiron's face didn't get any better. He looked at Argus for a moment who remained silent on constant watch, the two seemed to exchange a look that I couldn't quite discern. Then he looked back at me.

"Who else knows?" His voice remained calm.

I made sure not to fumble my words. "I told Will about it."

Chiron took in a deep breath, he looked away as if giving himself space to assess the current situation. He rubbed his finger across his chin as the boy running in the distance was getting closer.

"Thank you, Arthur, for letting us know," he finally said.

"So you'll find them?" I looked up at him.

"I–"

"And Birch? You'll find him too? I could help."

Chiron once again smiled, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure you will."

The calm and collected visage returned back to his face. After all the crazy and the weird, I appreciated Chiron's patience. Sure, it was probably his job but he still took his time to answer every question. It was the best I could get and I was thankful for it.

"And Arthur," the centaur said once more, "let's keep that detail about the incident between us, shall we?"

He was smiling, but I could tell he was being serious. I nodded, not looking to disobey him.

"For now, this is your new home." He then shifted towards the boy who had just arrived at the front of the house. "Which your guide, who is late, will get you acquainted with."

The guys face was sweating as he desperately tried to catch his breath. I could now get a better look at him. Past the beads of sweat, he had sharp pale features like an elf and wore the same orange t-shirt as Will. He had a mischievous look to him and the slight chuckle he let out as he tried to come up with words was accompanied by a crooked sarcastic smirk.

"Sorry Chiron," the boy heaved. "We were too busy lacing the Apollo cabins' instruments in super glue. They were just about to start rehearsal too."

It was at this moment I heard the door to the Big House slam open, as Will walked out from behind me.

"You what!?" Will screamed, already scrambling down the stairs of the deck.

"Oh hey, Will."

"Travis, I'm going to kill you!"

"Wait!" The boy named Travis surrendered his hands up in defense. "Before you hit me, you should probably warn the trumpet players… I think I can hear them warming up."

Will let out a roar of irritation as he immediately began bolting down the hill. Travis, full on, had his arms wrapped around his belly as his cackle filled the air. I stared at Chiron who buried his face deep into his palm.

"Mr Stoll," Chiron spoke through his disappointment. "I see you are still prioritizing your usual inappropriate antics over camp duties."

Travis just shrugged, "want me to get my brother instead?"

"No!" Chiron quickly remarked. He then sighed, saying something beneath his breath.

"If you could, Travis," Chiron said, doing his best to keep his composure, "please escort Arthur here and show him the rest of the campgrounds."

"Is he a new camper?"

"Yes." I could feel Chiron's patience being drained rapidly.

"Sweet," the troublesome boy smiled, "I'll make sure he receives a warm welcome, sir!"

The boy then gave Chiron this sort of mock salute, which I thought was pretty funny, but Chiron just let out another groan. Almost instantaneously, Travis grabbed my hand and began leading me down the stairs. I looked back at Chiron who just let out another sigh. There was no point in me trying to resist because my apparent tour guide seemed pretty eager to do… whatever he was going to do.

"And find Will once you're done!" Chiron yelled from the deck. "I need to speak with him!"

Travis didn't even look back but just stuck his thumb up as we gradually got further and further away from the Big House. As we made our way down the luscious green hill, Travis hummed an unfamiliar tune as he slung his arm around my shoulder, bringing me in closer.

"So, I get to show you around, huh, big guy?"

"I guess," I hesitantly replied.

"Well you're in luck," he said proudly, "because I'm the best guy for the job."

I wasn't sure whether I should believe that.

"You're not gonna… dip me in glue or anything right?"

What? It's a genuine question.

He just laughed. "Nahhhh, not on your first day at least."

He took me to our first stop, which would become the first of many.

"Well Arthur– wait your name is Arthur right?"

"Yep."

"Okay good." He cleared his throat. "Well Arthur… welcome to Camp Half-Blood."