The Guardian of the Home
I was still getting accustomed to my new life here at camp half-blood. I had embarrassed myself in front of the Hermes cabin (as well as in front of Annabeth), blew up a toilet right in the face of a girl named Clarisse, and learned that there was a chance my dad, who was apparently a god, could never claim me. Thinking of him only made me think of my mom, so I decided to get that thought out of my mind for now. The only redeeming thought I had was that if Greek myths existed, then so did Hell. There was still a chance for me to get my mother back.
I decided to walk around camp since I still had three hours before supper. That was when I saw a girl, around 9 years old, tending to a fire lit up in the middle of the U-shaped cabins. She looked lonely, just like me. I decided to approach her. ''Hey!'' I said, sitting next to her. ''My name's Percy, I'm a newbie here.'' The girl had turned to look at me, an expression of shock written all over her face. ''You can see me?'' She said in disbelief. ''Well… yeah… Should I not be able to see you?'' Then I thought back to how I was now in a world where mythological creatures existed. ''Hold on… you're not a ghost, are you?''
''No, I am not.'' She replied, smiling brightly.
''I'm sorry if the questions are too personal but why are you here tending to the fire while everybody is playing outside? Don't you feel lonely?''
''I do sometimes, however I must tend to the fire, it is my work.''
''Well then, I'll stay here with you.'' The girl smiled. ''You are a good boy, Perceus Jackson.'' Chills ran down my spine. I'm pretty sure I didn't tell her my full name. ''Who are you?'' I asked her.
''My name is Hestia.'' The name seemed familiar until it suddenly hit me. I remembered that name from Mr. Bruner… or Chiron's class. She was the first born of Kronos and Rhea, the big sister of the first gods. I was casually talking to a goddess. The only god I had spoken to was Mr. D, and for a first impression it was bad. I quickly got up and bowed. ''I… I'm sorry Lady… or Miss…'' Seeing me panic seemed to amuse her as she gestured for me to take a seat next to her again. ''None of those formalities with me Percy. You can call me Hestia or Aunty Hestia.'' Immediately I felt myself calm down before taking a seat next to her again. ''I'm sorry, it's just, this whole thing is completely new to me.'' Hestia simply looked at me with a look of understanding. Her presence made me feel like I was at Mohawk with my mom again. ''Do not worry, every demi-god here felt the same thing when first arriving here. Tell me your journey.''
And so, I pretty much told her the story of my life. She never interrupted me, but it felt like she already knew of what I had been through. I told her everything, even things I had kept from Grover or my mother. I felt like I could share anything with her and by the end tears were flowing from my eyes. Hestia dried them.
''Do you know why I was surprised when I heard you talk to me?'' The goddess asked. I shook my head. ''You are the first person in hundreds of years to see me without me willing for it. Despite all your hardships, you have a pure heart and your attachment to your family knows no bounds.'' I looked down at the ground. ''And yet here I am, with no mom and a father who never spoke to me.'' Hestia put her hand on my cheek.
''Do not worry about your father, he is especially busy as of right now, but he will make his presence known soon.''
''So, you know who my father is?'' I asked her, hope creeping itself into my voice.
She nodded. ''Sadly, I cannot tell you, however he will reveal himself to you very soon. Plus, I'm sure if you think about it, you will conclude his identity.''
I continued talking to her for a little while before returning to the Hermes cabin. There, Luke gave me some essential toiletries that he had apparently stolen. After that we went to the cafeteria to eat our last meal of the day. We had to throw a part of the food given to us as an offering for the gods. When my turn came, I went to the fire and threw a part of my grilled brisket into the fire. 'For Hestia. Also, dad, whoever you are, please tell me.''
After that we all went to the amphitheatre where the campfire was. The children of Apollo were the ones animating with songs while we were grilling marshmallow. The next few days passed like a blur. Annabeth was giving lessons on ancient Greek, which I picked up easily (or as easy as I picked up on English, which was at least something). I was horrible when it came to archery and I didn't really excel in any activity except for kayaking, which wasn't the most heroics of activity. Though there was one saving grace, I never had problems when it came to athleticism, and even if I had never been part of any sports club back at school, PE class was the only subject where I averaged an A. Ever since I had killed the Minotaur with my bare hands, I had only felt stronger. In wrestling I was even able to give Clarisse a hard time, however she was older than me and had more experienced in the sport, so I still lost every single time. I felt the other campers examine me, as if it was a game to figure out who exactly my father was. I was mediocre at archery unlike the children of Apollo, I didn't have the talent to learn how to use weapons quickly like the children of Ares or Athena (hell none of the weapons given to me ever felt right in my hands), I wasn't as smart as the children of Athena, I didn't have the forging talent of children of Hephaistos nor the influence over plant like the children of Demeter or Dionysus. In the meantime, I also talked with Hestia when I was free, which was nice.
Three days after my arrival to camp, I had my first actual lesson on swordplay whit cabin 11. Luke was the teacher and apparently, he was the best swordsman of the last three centuries. Long story short, when it came to duelling, he washed me. However, I also learned a lot, even though my sword felt wrong in my hand (as always). When break time came though, as soon as I drank water and splashed some of it in my face, I immediately felt refreshed, and Luke invited me for a spar to teach a disarming maneuver. By some miracle, I had managed to disarm Luke during our first spar, however when it came to the second one, Luke had no problem dispatching of me. Maybe beginner's luck?