After being told to sit with Mr. D and his children, by said god, and offering to Hera a huge thank you via burnt offering, Aaron sat down and waited nervously for Hera to claim him. He knew it would come, he just wasn't sure it would ever happen. To make his nerves worse, Mr. D was giving him a cold stare, calculating and malicious. Knowing what Hera had done to him... well, it was not bound to make them allies.
Soon, the meal wound down and Mr. D stood.
Mr. D got up with a huge sigh. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin six presently holds the laurels." A bunch of stern cheering rose from the Athena's table. "Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Aaron..." Aaron stood, nodding to everyone."... a young witch with a rather,... interesting patron." He looked up, hate in his purple eyes.
There was a thundering and Aaron exploded in the same creamy white light as his new staff had before. His left hand now had a new grimoire in it, thicker than before. His right hand had his staff. His clothes were clean, his hair cut short and perfect. He felt stronger, like all his exhaustion was gone, he like he had a full nights sleep. Dancing above his head was the image of a lotus in the center of a diadem.
Chiron turned, eyes wide. "All hail Aaron... Champion, I presume, of Lady Hera. Queen of Olympus, Goddess of Motherhood, Marriage, Women, and the starry skies..."
Everyone kneeled, but a great many looked at him with hate, and Aaron entirely understood that. Hera had hurt most of their divine parents in horrific ways, especially Dionysius and Hephaestus.
Speaking of Mr. D, he laughed with anger in his voice. "Now, with that... interesting reveal, I think dinner is over. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."
Everybody cheered, though it was muted and tense. Charlie and Silena shocked them all though, and walked over to Aaron with warmth and love. "He is our friend, no one will try anything. He is not his patron." They both stood tall at Charlie's declaration. "We helped him make his staff, we know he's cool, so ya'll be nice."
Silena nodded, her beauty only adding to her fierceness. "I won't let any of you hurt him, he's kind and smart and will be a great ally... besides, you really want his patron mad at you?"
They all shivered, even Aaron. Hera's wrath was legendary, even Zeus feared it.
Chiron sighed. "Aaron, you will sleep in Lady Hera's cabin..."
With that, they all headed down toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along, some warmth oozing back into their hearts. They sang camp songs about the gods and ate s'mores and joked around however Aaron felt their hate the entire time.
'Wards on my cabin will be a must...'
Later in the evening, when the sparks from the campfire were curling into a starry sky, the conch horn blew again, and they all filed back to their cabins. Aaron was greeted with the sight a giant statue of Hera, a braizer and no bed.
"Hello, my lady... I will make myself at home if you don't mind. Glad I brought my camping supplies, but first my wards if that is okay."
He dug out his ward pouches and placed on in each corner. Clapping his hands, the spell activated. In an instant, a barrier of plum colored magic surged like lighting, connecting each pouch until the magic sank into place and he knew he was safe.
Only then did he open up his sleeping bag and fell into a restful sleep.
However, he would never forget the stress, hate and fear that filled the eyes of the campers,... his guard would, forever, be up.
'''
The next few days Aaron settled into an uneasy routine that felt almost normal, if you don't count the fact that he was getting lessons from satyrs, nymphs, and a centaur.. oh and from Silena and Charlie.
Each morning he took Ancient Greek from Silena, he picked up the other language rather swiftly, which pleased them both.
The rest of the day, he'd rotate through outdoor activities he chose. Chiron was his archery mentor, and he was actually not a terrible shot. Not amazing, but good enough that he could actually make the actual target most of the time. Silena taught him how to ride a horse and promised to help him fly one day. Mr. D's twin sons, and the children of Demeter actually got over their collective issues with him fast given that he had some talent gardening, he taught them spells to help plants grow that he knew and that ended up getting the twins to smile at him and introduce themselves as Castor and Pollux.
The boys were actually rather powerful and they ended up agreeing to spar with him if he needed it.
"We never really hated you, but we sort of have to put up a front for dad given what your patron did to him." That made him feel a tad better, all things considered. "Dad uses a thyrsus, a pinecone staff, so we are innately good at that. We can show you how to use your staff."
And like that during his first day he had his first fighting lesson. They showed him how to fight against some straw-stuffed dummies in Greek armor.
Pollux started by showing him how to hold the staff, and Castor continued by showing him how to swing it and where to land blows. What they did not intend on, or realize was that his staff did not suffer any damage from hitting the armor.
Aaron laughed. "Lady Hera blessed it, I examined the blessing this morning, she amplified what it's durability and charged it so that it can handle and disperse monster energy. It can also channel magic properly, so I can use it for magical tasks."
They smirked. "So we can take the kids gloves off then, right?" They said as one.
That unnerved Aaron, rightfully so as he would end up with dozens of bruises he would end up healing before the night was over... but he made new friends and started himself on a path to becoming worthy of Hera's blessing.
And that was everything.
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a blast to write.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.