Chapter Four
They walked side by side out of the cabin, her blonde and green hair swaying just above her jawline because of how short it was. Kai smiled at how joyful she seemed, but he could feel something was off about how she carried herself.
"So, what's your story?" He asked as they walked past the campers who were making their beds.
"My story?The usual half-blood story," She laughed. "Mother sent me away right after The Prophecy."
Kai nodded, "So you fought in the war?"
"Which one?" They reached the door and she opened it for him. "The one that pitted Greeks against Greeks or Greeks against Romans?"
He nodded and stepped out with her following behind him, "The Greeks against the Romans."
"Yeah I fought in that one," She shut the door behind them and pulled her sleeve up to reveal a downwards scar. "Got nicked by a sword before we realized we shouldn't be fighting each other."
"I see," He studied it. "How do you feel about it now?"
"Not much to feel about it," Yas shrugged. "I didn't kill no one."
Kai could smell a strong stench of death on her, "Yet…you have that feeling of loss."
She gave him a steel gaze and shook her head, "I didn't kill no one so let's just drop it."
He glanced at her hands and noticed a scar on it as well, "Sorry, that's on me."
Kai continued past her, ignoring her expression. Soon her face changed from one of anger to regret, perhaps she regretted snapping at him.
"You should probably round up your siblings for Breakfast," Kai said and continued towards his Cabin. "I'll see you then."
He kept his eyes ahead, dark circles were forming under his eyes due to his inability to sleep well. Noticing his Cabin was already headed towards the Pavilion, he decided to skip Breakfast.
"Not much of an appetite anyways," He shook his head. "I'll find Jaiden later."
Instead he turned and continued on his way to the Lake, gazing at the surroundings. Kai touched his own scars and sat down by the water.
"It was not my place to question her past," He sighed and put his hand in the water. "And to ask about her scars when I, myself will not talk about my own."
He closed his eyes and took a breath in, smelling the grass and smell of fresh water.
"You're right," A males voice said. "It wasn't your place to ask about her past."
Kai opened his eyes and his hand darted for his weapon, "Relax, I'm not here to fight just to chat a bit."
"And which one are you?" He kept his hand on the butt of his weapon.
The God chuckled, "How'd you know I was one?"
"It's obvious," Kai smelled the Death's of many on him. "You stink of Death."
"I rarely killed anyone," The God frowned. "I am no God Of War."
"Yes but just because you didn't directly kill someone doesn't mean their Death's aren't on your hands." He glared at the God.
This silenced the God and he scratched his beard, his face was scarred and his beard smelled of oil.
"You and I are not so different," The God said. "Both of us weren't wanted by our Parents."
"Yes but only one of us has been imprisoned since Birth," Kai stared at the man with steely cold eyes. "The other was born out of spite and still accepted by his family."
The God adjusted his overalls and scratched his unruly hair, "True but I know the pain of being thrown away."
"You know only a fraction of my pain, Hephaestus." He crossed his arms.
"Even so, we are similar." Hephaestus shrugged.
Kai sighed, "I suppose that this means all of the Olympians know of my whereabouts?"
The God of the Forge nodded, this put a determined look on Kai's face.
"Very well," He sighed. "Depending on how it goes here…I may begin to move but I swear on the Styx that if I am followed or tracked that everything around me will burn."
"Why is your secrecy and animosity so important, Olethros?" The God asked.
"Because I wish to feel as the Children here feel," Kai looked him in the eye. "I wish to feel what I couldn't down there."
Hephaestus scratched his beard and nodded, "Very well…if you move we will not follow, I will talk with the others."
Kai had a look of surprise, in Tartarus the victims of the God's used evil words and anger towards the Olympians which was unlike this one.
"Really?" Kai let out a thought.
"Yes, really." Hephaestus crossed his arms. "Now enjoy your time…life is fragile amongst Humans."
The God glanced over at the Pavilion where Jaiden,Yasmina, and Clarisse all sat enjoying their food. Kai looked at the campers and smiled a little, this wasn't an act like he put on in the Underworld.
"And one favor," Hephaestus cleared his throat. "Nothing major…just, check on my daughter."
"Which one?" Kai sighed.
"Her name is Nati," He smiled. "She's very strong on the outside but I feel that her upcoming quest may…trouble her."
The two stood in the light breeze, no words were spoken but many were understood. Hephaestus smiled one last time and disappeared in a pillar of orange fire.
Kai picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could, it skipped across the water and struck a stone on the other side of the lake, causing it to crack.
He grinned and wiped his hands on his jeans, quickly moving behind a tree and shifting his clothes into an Orange Camp Half-Blood shirt that was sleeveless and blue jean shorts, his shoes turned from converse to brown sandals, with a thin silver chain around his neck that read Olyth.
"Great," He looked at his arms which were defined and muscular with scars. "Time for some Mortal Food."
His curly hair flew in the wind as he walked up towards the Pavilion, his appearance was by no means normal amongst campers. It was almost divine to the campers but he had no clue about how normal mortals looked, to him this was normal.
"Hey guys!" He greeted his table with a bright white smile.
The campers at Ares table looked up and their jaws almost dropped to the floor, the girls looked him up and down and the boys were studying his physique.
"Sorry I'm late," He didn't notice their stares. "Is there a seat for me?"
The table was full but many of the guys began offering their seats, this made Kai laugh.
"I don't want to take any of your seats," He rubbed his neck. "I'll just sit at an open table."
He sat at a table next to the Hephaestus kids due to how open it was, but the reason it was open was because of the smell of Oil that came off of their bodies.
"Hey," Kai sat on the edge of the table, close to their table. "Do you guys know anybody named Nati?"
The girl he was next to didn't answer him, not to be rude but just because he was so close.
"Uh- Yeah she's in the workshop," A guy nodded. "It's in the basement."
"Thanks!" Kai smiled. "Nice physique, keep lifting."
The guy instantly began grinning and flexed, "Thanks…want to gym together sometime?"
"Couldn't miss it." Kai winked and stood, as he walked towards Hephaestus Cabin he heard murmurs behind him.
"Want to gym together sometime, really?!" One girl hissed.
"It worked." The guy said.
Kai made his way over the Cabin and knocked, no answer. He cracked the door open and a wave of humidity rushed towards his face.
"Woah." He scrunched his face, took a breath in and stepped in.
He felt the wind behind him fade away as the door closed, the heat consumed the Cabin once again. Kai stopped scrunching his face and began searching the Cabin for stairs or ladders.
He found a ladder in the back and lowered himself down with it, the heat increased and he began to sweat. His skin glistened with the new liquid, he wiped his forehead and thrashed his hand towards the floor. The sweat sizzled on the ground and evaporated, joining the smoke in the air.
"Damn that's hot." He looked up and found a girl with her back turned to him.
He approached her and cleared his throat to make his presence known, she glanced back but couldn't see anything but his jean shorts and legs.
"Yeah?What?" She said as she continued her piece of metal.
"You're Nati?" He asked.
"Yeah and I'm also busy so if you could make it quick then I'd really appreciate it." She responded.
He raised an eyebrow and wiped his forehead again, for a Child of a God with lots of patience this was new.
"Your quest," Kai joined her side, his face still not visible. "I want to join it."
"How do you know about it?" She stopped banging at the piece of metal on the anvil.
"I was told by someone," Kai lied again. "Isn't it common for quests to be talked about?"
"Nobody but me was told about it," She dropped her hammer on the anvil and faced him. "So you're lying."
Kai could feel the disappointment from Hephaestus, almost as if he was shaking his head from Olympus.
She studied his arms and nodded, "Not bad…Ares kid,New Hephaestus kid, or just an edgy Hades kid?"
Kai was surprised by her comment, "Well one, I'm an Ares Child and two, that was dark."
She shrugged and tapped his chest, "Welcome to our family."
Nati wasn't short, in fact she was about 5,10 with ginger hair and Green eyes. Her build was muscular and she wore sleeveless Metallica shirts with black dri fit shorts. The shoes she wore were converse but somehow were the cleanest thing about her, as her skin was covered in oil.
"Let's talk about the quest outside?" She dipped her orange hot metal piece in water and placed it on the table after.
"Sounds good." Kai nodded and she made her way over to the ladder, he carefully looked away as she climbed up.
Once she made it outside she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of clean air.
"Man, the workshop smells great but nature smells even better." She opened them and looked at Kai.
He was drenched in sweat, his shirt sticking to his physique and his skin was glistening with sweat still. Kai shook his hair and sweat went everywhere, almost like a dog.
"Woah," She raised her brow. "Aphrodite and Apollo Cabin got some competition."
"Thanks for the compliment? But about your quest." Kai continued.
"You're on," She nodded. "Needed a fighter anyways and you seem to be a good fit."
Kai frowned and looked at her confused, a sweat bead dripped off his nose.
"That's an understatement Voss," A male? Joined them. "He's perfect for it."
"And you are?" Kai asked.
"A.J Jones," The camper smiled. "The third member of this quest."
Kai glanced over at Nati hoping for an answer, but she herself was enjoying his confused look.
"I am trans," A.J sighed. "I have a male exterior but have women's genitals."
"Ah," Kai smiled. "Okay then what about your Cabin?"
"A.J here is a part of Tyche Cabin," Nati crossed his arms. "He's very good at controlling Luck in his favor and manipulating currency."
"I can do way more than that," A.J scowled. "I'm great at map navigation and radios."
The two began bickering and Kai shook his head, "What even is the quest?"
A.J looked at Kai and then at Nati, then back at Kai.
"She didn't tell you?" They asked.
"I was but you interrupted us," Nati stuck a finger in their side. "Now, the quest is simple…kinda."
"Kinda?" Kai asked.
"Yeah, we just have to deliver something." Nati shrugged. "A bag to Camp Jupiter."
"Yeah a bag full of Titan Blo-" A.J began and started coughing after Nati elbowed him. "G-Got it…I'll be at the Pavilion."
He rubbed his side as he walked, his figure getting smaller as he approached the less crowded Pavilion.
"Well, that was cryptic." Kai looked at her. "When do we leave?"
"Tonight actually," She smiled. "We're all packed so just put your stuff in my truck."
"Wait," He frowned." Your truck?"
"Yep, a Ford F-150 2005." She smiled. "My baby, but anyways pack your stuff and meet us at midnight near the front."
She began walking off and Kai scratched his head, "WAIT HOW OLD ARE YOU?"
"I'M 17!" She responded to his call.
Kai grinned and returned to the Pavilion, he joined the remaining Ares Campers in his somewhat dried clothes.
"What happened to you?" Jaiden asked, not surprised by his appearance anymore.
"Hephaestus Cabin." Kai shook his head.
"Oh," Jaiden said and stopped talking. "So…our dates about to happen so why don't you go change…don't want you to um-"
"I get it," Kai patted his back. "I'm sweaty."
He stood and left the Pavilion, the wind swiped at his face.
"Totally because you're sweaty." Jaiden murmured.