2008, The Big House, Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York
"So can I show Harry the camp?" Thalia eagerly asked. It was the end of another super boring, but kinda useful 'training session' with Chiron in The Big House. Mr D stuck his nose in for the last half of it, and chipped in with his own snide remarks.
That day's lesson had been about politics. As soon as Thalia had demonstrated some control over the Mist (' We can always work on it throughout the winter, it may be better once Camp is quieter.' Chiron had told her) and proved she wasn't too bad with a sword (although she would never be half as good as Luke if the way the Ares cabin talked about him was even partly true), then her lessons on politics began.
"We, ah, don't think that will be a good idea." Chiron told her. Sure he sounded like he was sorry, and if he was talking to anyone else, they might have believed him.
But Thalia had grown up with those voices, Miss Carnard, Old Mr Burrick, Mrs Crabner, and almost every other adult before she'd ran away. All of them would tell her 'Oh I don't think that is a good idea' or 'Oh I am sorry sweetheart, but…' whenever she would ask them to help her with her mom. Or Jason.
Yeah, not going there.
So Thalia definitely wasn't going to believe that Chiron was anything at all like he was sorry that Thalia couldn't get what she wanted - needed? - no wanted!
Damn it Grace, you're a 15 year old demigod, not some 7 year old princess-baby, you don't need anyone .
It didn't matter what she told herself, part of her still wanted Luke, or someone (maybe Harry - nope! Not going there!) to trust in. Ever since coming back everyone had changed, even little Annie.
Annabeth! She preferred to go by Annabeth now. Thalia had to remember that.
She had to get used to calling Annie Annabeth now, she wasn't a little seven-year old girl anymore, but an experienced quest-going daughter of Athena. Just like she wasn't Thals anymore but Thalia.
"Why not?" she asked instead, hoping that Chiron couldn't tell what she was thinking, she was super glad that Mr D was by the kitchen table, not facing her. She didn't know if gods could actually tell what you were thinking, but better be safe.
"Because Tamara this is a camp for demigods, not strange mortals." Mr D. huffed from behind her.
"There was that pizza guy that came to camp a few summers ago, and the parents that pick their kids up." Thalia was wracking her brain trying to think of times she had been told that the camp had hosted non-demigods.
"The unfortunate pizza delivery boy was lost, although I believe to no great detriment, and the parents wait on the hill and don't usually ever step foot in camp." Chiron gently brushed away her points.
Thalia could have screamed. She wanted one thing, something that hadn't changed that much, but no, despite all the camp fawning over her, and all her lessons and tutoring by Chiron and Mr D himself, she couldn't get anything. So much for being the vaunted prophecy child.
"What about the Oracle, I'm pretty sure she isn't a demigod." at the look Chiron sent to Mr. D, Thalia knew she was onto something, msaybe, "and the servants of the gods, harpies, pegasi, the Hunters of Artemis aren't all demigods."
Now Chiron focussed entirely on Thalia, but he looked kinda worried. Usually she would have felt a little bad about making him worry, but she didn't care at that moment. She was actually, finally getting her way with something.
"The exceptions you have mentioned were allowed specifically at the permission of the gods-" Mr D. began, but Thalia cut him off.
"Yeah, the gods of the Greek Pantheon ." she couldn't hide her smug tone at that. Harry may have insisted he wasn't a god, but Thalia had overheard enough that Mr D thought he was a magician (which was kinda like a wizard, she guessed) from the Egyptian Pantheon. She still wasn't too sure how all of that worked, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Theodora you would do very well to not mention anything of other pantheons outside of this room." Mr D. growled, but, and Thalia was relieved at this, he didn't do whatever he did when he met Harry. In the privacy of her own mind, Thalia could admit that whatever it was it terrified her.
Outwardly she clenched her fist and, stupidly, turned to look at Mr D. Yeah, like she could intimidate a god. But Ginny could, her brain supplied.
Sadly she was interrupted from her thoughts by Chiron.
"Thalia, you know that Kronos has a spy in camp." At least Chiron said Kronos and not Luke , Thalia couldn't quite believe Luke, but - no, bad brain get back to listening - "...they discover a mention of another force that they could turn to themselves, then it would doom Camp Half-blood." Chiron intoned gravely.
"But Olympus would be fine as always." Thalia muttered, not bothering to hide her frown. Of course the gods wouldn't care so long as their Olympus was untouched!
"Olympus has stood against many foes, at the very least we can stand against some magician ." Mr D outright sneered the last word. But that gave Thalia and idea.
"What if Harry isn't on his own, what if he brings friends, or other magicians and things from other pantheons-" Thalia cut herself off. The prophecy about the 'Child of the Eldest Gods' was the whole reason for her and the tree and Luke-
Yeah, nope!
Anyway, she wasn't making herself a good candidate for not being re-tree-ed by actually talking about attacking Olympus, to a god .
Thalia turned and stepped back toward the stairs so she could see the entire first floor of the Big House, god and centaur included.
The God of Wine just looked at her with no emotion on his face, his eyes occasionally flicking to Chiron, maybe the were having some mental-psychic conversation or something?
After a few beats of silence, Mr D spoke, but he sounded kinda different.
"I do hope young lady that you are not advocating the destruction of Olympus to me?"
She could feel something slowly building in the air - ohgods not this nonono - but she tried her best to ignore what her brain - her entire body really - was trying to do, begging her to stop, and she forced herself to stay in place.
Oh gods it was so difficult, she couldn't even think without hearing her mom again.
"Mr D!" Thalia never thought that Chiron's voice could boom but it kinda did, amplified by the big house it sounded so so loud-
And just like the meeting with Harry, the feeling (although it was much less this time, whatever it was) immediately went away.
Mr D looked, almost, kinda apologetic. That literally floored Thalia, she stumbled backward until she fell flat on her backside. She didn't think Mr D knew what an apology was.
"Hmm, don't get used to me being pulled out of my justified annoyance, Thalia Grace. You had best not actually antagonize any god, have you been learning nothing from the old myths and stories?" But without the feeling of madness and alcohol all around her, Thalia realized that Mr D wasn't half as intimidating, and scrambled up off the floor to look him - not eye to eye because she was still too short for that - at least higher up than she was.
"Mr D I believe a brief interlude would be of great help."
"Ha, to you or me?" Mr D scoffed, but stood up and snapped his fingers lazily. The next second he disappeared with a pop, leaving behind a smell of wine and grapes that Thalia had to fight not to gag on.
Chiron then looked at Thalia, sadly. It made her feel very small, and she really didn't like it.
"Thalia I know you feel strongly about this, but the risks-"
"Luke knew about Harry, just like I did! He was the oldest one, and Harry usually talked to him and me about stuff that we didn't tell Annie, if Luke is with Kronos-"
"He is." Chiron tried to cut her off, but Thalia was on a roll.
"Then Kronos already knows about Harry and magic and other pantheons, Harry mentioned some when we first met. Camp doesn't now about it because I haven't told anyone. We will get hurt, or even killed, if Kronos turns up with a load of magicians. Harry could help me - us!" Thalia quickly changed, but she could feel herself blushing, "A-and he would only really do that if he could see what the camp was like, what he would be helping us with." Thalia quickly finished, stumbling more than she meant to, but hopefully Chiron got the idea.
"Thalia, my dear, try to see it from the other point of view. If Harry feels that he should join Kronos like Luke for whatever reason, then it would be wiser for him not to see the camp or find out our strength. Or if he decides to join us any advantage of surprise would be lost with the spy in camp reporting to Kronos any plans that Harry may help with." Chiron stopped there, but Thalia, for a split second, could see he was about to continue.
"And?" she asked, "What else? We already have a spy in camp, so it doesn't matter what Harry sees. Are there other reasons Harry shouldn't come into camp?" She'd got him there, Chiron began stroking his beard, like he did when he was really thinking, or when he was discussing some Olympian politics.
"Thalia, there are many reasons, some justified, many not, why other pantheons may not look to kindly on the Olympians." Chiron began, he was about to go into lecture mode, something Thalia was way too familiar with from her lessons.
"But Harry isn't a god or anything, why would he have a grudge?" Thalia was really confused at this, like Posiden and Athena really didn't get along, but Percy and Annabeth were joined at the hip, and plenty of Aphrodite girls and boys were going out with kids from the Hestaphus cabin, even though their parents were famous for, well, not . Just because a god or whatever did something, demigods didn't need to follow them. Her and Luke were prime examples of that.
"The Olympic Pantheon sets great store in demigods, indeed many myths revolve around demigods themselves, who are free to act independently of their parents should they desire. However other pantheons do not have this freedom. In, ah, certain pantheons there are no demigods as we would recognize them, but the gods take control of mortal vessels directly. Now bringing Camp to the attention of a member of another pantheon may have benefits I agree, but it also comes with considerable risks my dear."
Chiron stopped there, Thalia guessed it was because he saw the look on her face. How could anyone let themselves get possessed
"But Harry had no idea about pantheons or gods, not really." Thalia couldn't see why Chiron was so against other pantheons - they could help against Kronos, right? - it sounded like he was hiding something. "Anyway he told me that he thought we were asking him about pantheons, not if he was part of one. It was kinda confusing." now Thalia could look back and find it funny - they even built Harry a shrine like he was a household god - but she realized that Annabeth didn't know, she thought Harry was still a god or something.
Was that why Annabeth still believed wholeheartedly in the gods, and why her and Luke didn't, because they knew the gods never actually saved them?
Oblivious to Thalia's internal thoughts, Chiron flew into full lecture mode.
"Some magicians that are used by the Ancient Egyptian gods are not told anything, merely possessed and then given abilities and skills. It is very difficult for them to be possessed, or so I have heard, and thus magicians can be very volatile." Chiron visibly grimaced at this, but carried on "It is through possession by the Egyptian gods directly that affects…" The centaur trailed off.
"Ermm, Chiron?" Thalia was getting slightly worried at this. Possession sounded awful, she couldn't imagine anyone letting themselves be possessed, and by his expression, Chiron found it just as bad.
"Well, it is improper to speak ill of those behind their backs. But I will say that the volatility of magicians, and other pantheons, would carry a significant risk to Camp." Chiron finished, smiling distractedly at Thalia, he was gazing at something else, probably thinking about Gods and Egypt and stuff, she thought.
"But Harry didn't look or sound Egyptian, and he talked about other pantheons so doesn't that mean he could have been from a different one? And anyway he wasn't volatile when he was with us, or when I met him before." Thalia couldn't contain herself. It just wasn't fair!
Harry wasn't at all volatile, in fact he had helped her plenty, and when Mr D got annoyed (and she got scared, like a baby - no, worse than a baby, the actual baby there wasn't affected or crying or scared, but she was) Harry and his wife were about to attack an actual god to protect her, when they sure as hell didn't need to.
"That does not make him less dangerous Thalia, on the contrary it makes him much more dangerous. Associations with multiple pantheons, well, they have always ended poorly for all involved"
"So do Greek tragedies and loads of the stories, but thats because of prophecy and stuff, it's like Hades-" there was a slight rumble of the ground, but not that much, ( huh, Uncle H must be paying attention then Thalia guessed) "- sending all the monsters a-and the Kindly Ones after me, just because of what might happen. But that usually causes bad things to happen anyway!" Thalia actually screamed that last bit a Chiron, she couldn't help herself.
Thalia didn't storm out only because her goal of getting to show Harry around the camp needed at least one of the camp directors aboard. But it was awkward, just staring at Chiron, waiting for him to say something.
"I have been shouted at by many demigods, and even a few gods, in my millennia on Earth, Thalia." A small grin made the centaur look much kinder, "There is little you can do or say that has not been done or said to me before."
Thalia just carried on glaring, she could feel sparks jumping out from her fingers, and could almost smell the ozone in the air.
Chiron may have dealt with other demigods before, but not her.
At that point, the smell of grapes and wine flooded Thalia's nose, and with a pop, Mr D appeared, and Chiron actually looked relieved . Like he was almost scared of Thalia.
Wait, what ?
"Oh, have I caught you both at a delicate moment, so sorry ." Mr D said, sounding not sorry at all. He moved to sit at the table again, snapping his fingers and making a whole tray of diet cokes appear.
"Thalia, disagreements between other pantheons make the olympian disagreements/titan war look pleasant. When pantheons, or their tools, go against each other, millions die. The First, Second and Cold Wars are some of the most recent examples." Chiron carried on, looking at Mr D - even Thalia could recognise the 'help me out here' expression on the centaur's face.
"Hmm. Oh yes Tallulah , the last time we were in England, well the natives would always kick up a fuss over something or other. Having a magician who may be associated with them would cause trouble enough walking around camp unsupervised." He drawled, paying more attention to his Diet Cokes, and moving a pack of playing cards around on the table.
Suddenly an idea popped into Thalia's head. Mr D didn't want Harry walking around camp unsupervised , well that could be fixed.
"Mr D what if Harry was escorted around camp by you, when the other campers were away, like on a big Capture the Flag." She was sill annoyed that she hadn't been able to take part in any Capture-the-Flag games, her lessons or sleep always got in the way.
"Thalia have you been paying attention to what I've been telling you?" Chiron looked at her kinda disapprovingly.
"Chiron I bet if Harry is at all a problem, Mr D could easily do something to stop him, and Harry won't see our actual numbers or what we can do, just the cabins and where we live and the kids that are here." Thalia knew Harry had a soft spot for kids - she didn't feel like a kid half the time herself - and showing that he could help more kids would probably make him more likely to help them.
"Hmm, well one magician would be easily contained." Mr D looked deep in thought while Chiron sighed. If Thalia could get Mr D to agree to escort Harry (and her, somehow) then it would be fine. She turned completely to Mr D, he was now shuffling his cards, probably setting up to play bridge or something, it didn't really matter.
After a few moments of shuffling and Mr D humming and thinking, he snapped his fingers.
"Yes, one lone magician would be easily contained, and he could have information on.. others ." Mr D looked at Chiron, who nodded.
Who were the others Mr D was on about? Thalia didn't know, but she forced herself to keep quiet - she didn't want to ruin this, like she usually -
Yeah, nope! Bad brain, bad bad brain! She thought to herself - she was loosing track of things a lot. Thalia shook her head and focussed back on the conversation
"Yes, well that settles it. Tilly , I suppose I could be dragged away from pinochle to give a tour, as long as Chiron can put all the campers into a large Capture the Frog or whatever it is they play." Now Mr D stopped playing with the cards and turned to look at Thalia straight on.
"I will say this young lady, any infraction that this magician makes, anything that causes me to suspect foul play on his part, will result in Long Island Sound getting a new dolphin, do I make myself clear?" Well at least Thalia didn't have to fight against whatever it was the Mr D did when he was angry.
"Yes Mr D, perfectly clear. I'll be with Harry to remind him about your warnings." Barely as soon as she'd finished, Mr D grunted and turned back to the table - now there were three sets of cards floating in the air and Mr D picked up a fourth set.
"Are you still here Tina ? Aren't you supposed to be discussing with Chiron the logistics of this asinine request I've kindly granted?" Mr D grumbled, but didn't appear to bother paying any more attention.
Thalia turned back to Chiron.
She was the daughter of the King of the Gods, not just another random camper after all, of course she would get her way.
A/N:
So Thalia goes into her own head a lot - this may seem OOC but if you've just been turned back to a teenage girl after spending 6 years (half your life) as a tree, you are gonna have some 'tree-like' characteristics and foibles - trees aren't super well known for talking, so Thalia is used to falling 'into herself' a lot and being a lot more intreverted and introspective than a regular demigod (or even a regular teenager)
Chiron and Mr D sound like they are just saying no to Thalia for no reason/to be mean, but from Chiron's point of view, inviting someone explicitly NOT connected to the Olympic Pantheon into CHB at a time when there are at their weakest and preparing to fight a war, has a lot more risks, especially since Harry in their previous meeting was hiding something from Chiron
And Mr D does want to pick Harry's brains about possible other pantheons (I guess he'd want to catch up with some of the other gods in Europe since he can't really go there himself) - and yes Mr D (and a number of Olympian gods) will have a number of reasons to dislike magicians, but that will be explained in a later chapter, the only reason Mr D is giving Harry a chance is because he may be associated with the Welsh and/or Irish pantheons, where Mr D has a lot of friends that he probably hasn't spoken to in years
And Mr D's 'thing' that makes Thalia so scared is just him 'bringing up' his domain for intimidation, Thalia is affected more than most because she remembers her mom being an alcoholic, so Mr D's tactic doesn't intimidate her as much as terrify her, but being a god, Mr D can't bother to tell the difference