Author's note:
Thanks to Merendinoemiliano and TwinstarDragon for the positive reviews. It is always great to get some feedback about my writing.
Chapter 3: Past and Present Go To War
As the different groups disperse to either go to their cabins or debrief with the camp's leadership, I stop Nico as he moves to follow his sister and the hunters. "Hey, Nico," I say as I hold onto his shoulder. "How about we leave the girls to their sleepover. We don't want to sit around while they paint their nails and talk about boys, do we?"
Thankfully, Nico doesn't notice the death glares that the Hunters toss in our direction. "You're right," he admits. "Where am I going to stay then?"
"You could stay in the Hermes cabin," I suggest. "It is where the unclaimed campers go. Then again, there is another option. But you wouldn't want to know about a super special secret, right?"
There are few things that get children amped up more than sugar. One of the best options to match it is the thrill of knowing a secret.
"A super special secret?" Nico asks as he is clearly very tempted by the idea.
"A super duper ultra special secret," I confirm. "If I tell you, you will be the only other person who knows it."
Nico's eyes practically gleam at the thought. I stifle a chuckle at his excitement. It has been a while since i have seen someone get so hyped up for something so normal. Not since...
I just shake off the thought before guiding Nico off into the woods on an adventure. Hopefully no one thinks this is creepy. Shit.
--
(Minutes Later)
"Here we are, kid," I say as I push open the door of the cabin. While the outside was worn down and covered with foliage, the inside is warm and well-maintained. A roaring fire was burning in the fireplace and it filled the room with the scent of hickory smoke. "This is the long lost cabin of Camp Halfblood, the Hestia cabin. From what I heard, this used to be where the unclaimed demigods used to stay. After Hestia was pushed out of the Olympian council, this cabin was shunted out of the main part of camp and the unclaimed demigods began to stay in the Hermes cabin."
"How did you find out about it?" Nico asks in amazement as he looks around the cozy cabin.
"A guy I met a while back told me about it," I say. "He said there was no better place to feel at home when you were away from home."
"So cool," Nico agrees as he dumps his clothes on a bed before exploring more. No matter how much he wanted to keep looking around, I could see that his eyes were already starting to droop shut as he was walking. After all of the excitement at the school and the ride here, I would be surprised if he wasn't dead on feet. As such, I made the executive decision that we should turn in for the night.
"Alright, Nico," I tell him. "We should probably get some rest. You are going to want plenty of rest for all of the fun stuff at camp in the morning."
He immediately hops into bed before tucking himself in. "I need a story to go to sleep," he instructs me. "Bianca would always tell me one every night."
I couldn't tell if he was consciously using emotional manipulation by mentioning the sister who abandoned him, but it did the job nonetheless.
"Okay," I tell him as I sit down on the other bed next to him. "How about I tell you the story of the Hunter and the Wolf?"
He just rapdily nods in excitement at the prospect of a new story. I just chuckle and start to weave my tale.
"Once, there was a tribe of hunters," I explain. "They had lived in the woods for generations and it was all they truly knew. They had forsaken the outside world and chose to remain in isolation with only each other for companionship. After all this time, the hunters became very skilled. They could track a deer for miles, they could fire an arrow through a fly at a hundred paces, and they could even survive in the frigid tundra or scorching desert with nothing but the clothes on their backs."
"Wow, they sound so cool," Nico says.
"Yes, they were an impressive tribe," I admit. "Now, one day, the tribe's chieftain heard a tale from an eagle spirit about a wicked witch who had descended from the north and had taken over a forest. Since the tribe was known for fighting evil beasts, the chieftain chose to give the task to his son, a great and mighty hunter. The eagle spirit told the chieftain that the witch could only be defeaten by the ancestral magic of her homeland. The chieftain told the son to go to the north, to the land where the witch had come from, and discover how to slay the evil."
"The Hunter roamed up into the frosty woods of the north until he came upon a mountain of spirits," I describe. "Elemental and animal spirits thrived in their home as they lived in harmony with nature. It was a place of both beauty and peace. The Hunter goes to the king of the mountain, a glacier spirit with a beard as white as snow and eyes as crystal blue as arctic ice, and asked for his assistance with defeating the witch. Since the king felt responsibility for the darkness that had been born in his lands, he chose a champion to send on a quest with the Hunter."
"The spirit mountain had many powerful warriors to choose from," I tell Nico. "A polar bear spirit whose strength could crush boulders and whose claws could rend trees. A fox spirit whose cunning and creativity could escape any trap and craft any plan. A doe spirit whose kindness endeared her to nature itself and let her control it with a whim. When the king looked over his knights, he did not choose any of these spirits. Instead, he chose a wolf spirit who was more of a stray dog than a spirit of reknown. The Wolf had never truly belonged on the mountain since he was born to a spirit and a mortal woman. This left him alone amongst the true spirits who called the mountain home. When the king saw the one spirit who sought adventure beyond what his lands could provide, he knew that the Wolf was the only choice he could make."
"So the wolf spirit goes with the hunter?" Nico asks.
"Yes, he does," I say. "The Hunter did not trust the Wolf at first. A wolf had once attacked and scarred the Hunter before he was trained. As such, the Hunter did not allow himself to trust in the Wolf's assistance. The Wolf could not help but respond in kind since he once more felt out of place."
"Thou best know thy place, dog!"
"Oh, I guess all Hunters really are a bunch of bitches!"
"Yet, as time passed, the Hunter and the Wolf were forced to depend on one another as they journeyed to the land of the witch," I describe. "Beasts and evil spirits sought to fell the pair, but they overcame all obstacles that crossed their path. Man and spirit began to fight in sync as they grew to care for each other, despite their own misgivings."
"Do not entertain the idea that I am thankful for your interference, mongrel. Thy actions were a detriment rather than a benefit."
"I know, I know. I even peed in your sleeping bag to show that nothing has changed between the two of us. Bye!"
"Dog! I will wear thine hide when I find you!"
"As the two grew closer, they were able to find a balance between them," I say. "They were able to be the missing piece for one another. The Hunter found a partner and the Wolf found his pack."
"Stop moving, dog! I am lowering myself to this disgrace after thou lost thine sleeping bag! The piercing cold is the only reason I allow this slight. If I find thou in thy human form, my knife will find thine flesh!"
"Oh, please! Get over yourself, princess. You know you want to cuddle with this fluffy boy. I always knew you only wanted me for my body."
"That best be thy final word until the morrow."
"Fine, fine. Cuddle time it is. Ow! I stopped talking!"
"In all too little time, the two reach the witch's woods," I tell him. "They fight through hordes of evil spirits, monstrous trees, and more ghastly opponents as they push closer to the witch. In a triumphant moment, they break through the enemy lines and confront the witch herself."
"Oh, it was an incredible fight," I describe. "The Hunter fired arrow after arrow with a precision that would boggle mortal minds. The Wolf used speed and ferocity to give the witch no quarter and no room to recover. As the two fought in perfect harmony, the witch was left with no chance of escape. With one final shot through the heart from the Hunter, the witch was finally defeated and the forest was freed once more."
"You totally stole that kill from me!"
"Thou needst thine eyes examined. I just finished the fight. There was no theft of glory. If thou wanted to defeat her personally, then it was thine own fault for being slow."
"Oh, is that how you want to play this? Fine. Whoever gets the kill on our next hunt gets a favor from the loser."
"What perverted acts dost thou want?!"
"Get your mind out of the gutter! I was right all along. You really only want me for my body. Hey! Stop shooting at me! It was a joke!"
"They journeyed back to the spirit mountain of the north," I say as my eyes became a little unfocused. "Upon hearing the news of victory, they threw a massive feast in honor of the valient warriors back from their conquest. Yet, during the feast, the king pulled the Wolf aside. He asked the spirit what he wanted to do. The king gave two choices. The first option was that the Wolf returned and became a knight. He could serve the lands and truly be a part of the kingdom."
"What was the second choice?" Nico asks. I had almost thought he fell asleep from how quiet he was until now.
"The second choice was that the Wolf could leave with the Hunter," I explain. "If he chose that path, he could not return to the mountain for the rest of his life. But if he chose to stay, he would never be able to truly leave."
"Which did he pick?" the boy asks, practically vibrating in anticipation.
"The Wolf chose to follow his heart," I answer. "He had found a home with the Hunter and would not trade that for anything in the world. It was a gift he had always searched for, but he finally found."
"You truly wish to stay with the huntress?"
"Yeah. I found what you always said I would. A home. A North Pole of my own to come back too."
"Even if she swore her oath for eternity? You are willing to remain her friend instead of wanting more?"
"Of course I would want more. But even if I lose everything, even if it is only for another minute, I will be happy. It is because I love her too much to need anything more. Just being able to see her every day is a dream come true. I can live without the extra stuff."
"As they journeyed to the Hunter's tribe, the Hunter asked the Wolf why he stayed instead of returning to his people," I tell him. "The Wolf replied that his journey wasn't over until his friend was safe and sound. As they grew closer, the Hunter had them make camp for the night in a snowy field. He would go the rest of the way on his own to talk to his Tribe in person. The Hunter knew they would not take kindly to outsiders."
"When the Hunter returned and told his chieftain about the victory, the chieftain realized the bond between the Hunter and the Wolf," I explain. "He gave the Hunter the same question the king gave to the Wolf. Stay forever or leave forever. The Hunter looked into his heart and told his father the truth. Accepting it, the chieftain had the Hunter leave."
"That night, the Wolf had been asleep waiting for the Hunter to come back," I describe. "As he hears rustling through the nearby snow, the Wolf thinks it is the Hunter until arrows fly through the tent and narrowly miss him. He bolts out and into a newly arrived snowstorm. The Wolf could not see or hear his attacker through the howl of winds and the creaking of trees in the gusts. The only signs of his pursuer were the arrows which would arc out of the white with no warning. As the Wolf runs, he is stuck in the leg by one of the shots."
A wolf races through the forest as arrows pierce the trees around him. The winter storm had picked up too quickly for any visibility to remain and it dampened his sense of sight, smell, and hearing to uselessness. As he darted around a tree, an arrow landed in his left front leg and caused him to tumble into the fresh powder. The shaft snapped off in the fall, leaving the arrowhead lodged in the wound.
As he fell, he reverted to a human boy who gripped his wounded arm in pain. Stomaching the agony, he picked himself up and ran as fast as he could away from his attacker. He ignored how the blood was leaking out of the puncture and the red trail it was scattering through the snow. His only thought was surviving to see his love again.
"The Wolf made it out of the forest to a cliff face only to be shot once more," I say. "As he sees the fletching on the arrow for the first time, he recognizes it immediately. It was a unique design amongst the tribe of hunters. There was only one person who it could be. As his pursuer steps out of the trees, the Wolf understood who it was."
"Who was it?" Nico asks. "Was it the chieftain?"
"No," I reply with a shake of my head. "It was the Hunter."
He holds his newly wounded side as he looks in disbelief. It was almost like a dream, but the pain was too real for any such hope. He couldn't believe his eyes even if he knew it was the truth. The hunter he had worked with, the girl he had fallen in love with, Zoe Nightshade, was standing in front of him holding her bow.
For a flickering moment, he wanted to believe that she had come to his aid. However, he had seen enough of the world to know the truth. She was here to kill him.
"The Hunter?" Nico asks in shock.
"He had seen the Hunter crafting the fletching hundreds of times when they rested at camp," I explain. "When the Hunter was asked by the chieftain whether he would stay or go, he chose to stay. To him, the tribe would always be his true home. So, the chieftain ordered him to prove his devotion to the tribe. The Hunter would have to kill the Wolf to show that he put the tribe above everything else."
"So, the Hunter killed the Wolf?" Nico guesses.
"No, the Wolf had other plans," I answer.
"So, Artemis wants you to kill me, huh?" he asks. "I guess you are going back to the Hunters, right?"
"They are my home," Zoe says through gritted teeth. "Not that I expect thou to understand, dog."
After so long, he couldn't help seeing what she tried to hide behind insults. She was suffering. Her eyes were full of pain while her hands trembled slightly against the bow. Even if she made her decision, it still hurt her to kill him by her own hand.
When he realized how he felt about her, he had always promised himself that he would never hurt her. Here he was, breaking that promise. At the very least, he can take some of the pain away. He pulls a knife from its sheath on his hip. As Zoe tensed up to fire at the threat, he doesn't give her a chance to react. Instead, he just drives the knife into his chest as her eyes widen in shock.
"I guess I won the bet, Zoe," he says with a weak grin. "I beat you on our next hunt."
"Did the Wolf fight the Hunter?" Nico asks.
"No, the Wolf saw how much it hurt the Hunter to kill his friend," I say. "So, the Wolf did what he could to help the Hunter. Instead of having his friend kill him, the Wolf walked over the ledge of the cliff and disappeared into the waves below."
"Hey, for my favor," he says as he could feel his body getting cold as his blood pooled between his feet and stained the snow red. "Live a long life, could you? I won't be around to protect you, so I want you to be careful. I can't have you go and die on me."
"Why?" Zoe asks. "Why would you do this?"
"Because you are my friend," he says as he struggles to keep his legs steady. "Because I promised to get you back safe and sound. Because of you, this life of mine wasn't so bad. But more than all of that..."
"Because I love you," he finishes.
He gives the huntress one final smile before he steps back and tumbles over the edge of the cliff. By then, his vision had already gone black. The last thing he had seen was Zoe, the woman who against all odds found her way into his heart and made his life worth living. He was just glad he met her before the end. His death could finally have some value if it was for her.
"Why would the Hunter try and kill the Wolf if they were friends?" Nico asks in confusion. "I thought they cared about each other?"
"Sometimes it just isn't enough," I tell him. "You can hold on as hard as you can, but the other person lets you go. The only thing you can do if you really love them is let them go too so they can find their happiness even if it is without you."
"Is that what the Wolf did?" Nico asks as he looks at me. "He let the Hunter go so he would be happy?"
"Yeah," I say. "He did what was best for someone he cared about even if it hurt."
"I thought they would go off together and be best friends forever," Nico says. "That is a really sad story."
"Sorry for being such a downer," I tell him. "I promise a happy story tomorrow. Now, go to sleep. You need all of your energy for the morning."
I wait a couple minutes before I prepare to head out for a camp meeting I heard about. It always pays to keep informed. However, as I begin moving towards the door, I hear Nico's voice ring out with a question.
"Do you think I should let Bianca go?" he asks, his voice quiet but carrying a depth of fear and pain that shouldn't belong to a kid that young. "Do you think she would be happier without me?"
I have never hated myself more than when I realized I had just finished airing my own issues out on an innocent kid who doesn't know any better. He probably picked up on the similarity to him and his sister. After all, the girl chooses to be a Hunter instead of staying with the guy.
"Hey, Nico," I say as I sit on his bed and look at him. "No one could ever be happier without you in their life. I have known you for less than twenty four hours and I can't imagine not having you around anymore."
"I'm not stupid, you know," he mutters bitterly. "I know how the Hunters of Artemis leave behind all men for eternity. That includes me. Bianca wants to ditch the loser so she can finally have some real friends. I should be happy for her, right?"
My heart breaks as I see the tears forming in Nico's eyes. This isn't some new thought that popped up. This is something he had been thinking about for a while and I dragged it to the surface. He tries to put on a brave face and smile for his sister, but it is as fragile as tissue paper. A stiff breeze is enough to break through.
"Hey, stop it," I tell him. "I have never had any siblings worth a shit, so maybe I can't say. But if I had a little brother like you, it would make me the happiest guy in the world. I am sure this is just a teenage phase where she wants to hang out with other girls. One day soon, she is going to realize how awesome it is to hang out with her cool little brother. I mean, what Hunter of Artemis would be able to recite off their patron's Mythomagic stats like you could? I would like to see them try."
Nico chuckles at my joke. It seems I was able to break through the worst of his funk. Now, I just need to get him to sleep before he spirals again.
"Hey, how about I give you something?" I ask before I take off my hat and reach inside of it. Pulling out a small stuffed wolf, I show it to Nico. "This was something my mom gave me when I was little. Her name is Lupa. Mom named her after the Roman goddess of wolves because she was always a big mythology nerd. She always said that Lupa would watch over me like Romulus and Remus if I held onto this while I slept. I don't know about all of that, but I could always feel her watching over me after she passed away. I have a feeling she will watch over you too, bud."
"You are really giving this to me?" Nico asks in amazement. "Why would you give away something your mom gave you? Aren't you afraid of losing part of her?"
"She always told me to watch out for others when I get a chance," I tell him. "And I am not worried about losing part of her. I will always have her right here."
I tap my chest over my heart when I say that.
"It's the same way you will always have your mom too," I say with a smile. "You can always hold her close right in there."
"Got it," Nico says as he bundles up under the covers while holding the little wolf plush tight to his chest. As he was drifting off to sleep, he mumbled one last thing. "Thanks, big bro."
As I watch the smile on his face as he succumbs to sleep, I can't help the feeling of hate and anger that boils up at the back of my mind. Bianca seriously abandoned this kid?
There are many things I can overlook as children being immature and selfish. It is in their nature so I always try and keep that in mind. Despite that, no matter how much forgiveness I might have in my heart, I cannot forgive Bianca for making Nico cry. The sin is too great and I am no saint. In my mind, she doesn't deserve the chance to ever be a part of Nico's life again, even if she were to escape the Hunters. She lost that right when she put herself over her real family. To me, the bitches belong together.
Maybe I am just pushing my own problems onto her. I don't deny the idea. It has been a long time since I was that naive kid who fell in love with no thought of himself. Now, I am just a coward who runs away whenever the going gets tough. Maybe I am too scarred by my past to ever dream of second chances.
Maybe...
--
(Later in the Big House)
I slip inside the meeting as the different councilors are arguing along with some of the other senior campers. Apparently, they were going to be competing against the Hunters in Capture the Flag and they were trying to figure out how to end their fifty year losing streak. Heh, that was all in the past now. The moment I join a team is the moment it becomes a winner. After all, if you don't win, you just weren't cheating hard enough. The campers probably don't know that the Hunters always prepare traps well before the actual prep round for the game. Zoe would always make fun of them for not figuring it out after decades. To balance the scales, I will be doing my level best to make this team something that the Hunters will have nightmares about for the next century.
"Okay, settle down everyone," I say as I step out in front of the pair of ping pong tables they were using for their meeting table. "I know just what you all need to defeat the Hunters so hard it will make up for the past fifty years of losses."
"What could a Christmas tree looking motherfucker like you do about it?" a counselor taunts. From the rough look of her and her siblings, I make a guess that they are the Ares cabin.
"I am glad you asked," I reply as music starts to chime in from above.
"Look, your teams are trending downwards.
Your games continue slipping.
They destroyed your hard earned pride
With bullshit lines and some asskicking!"
I hold up my hands placatingly as some of the campers get angry.
"Well, you've got the better campers.
But if you wanna win,
You gotta study human nature."
I flip my hat into the air and watch as it transforms into a pure white top hat. When it lands on my head, I am now wearing a pure white tuxedo with a musical flourish.
"All those interested, lean in."
Despite themselves, they all lean closer to hear me say my piece.
"People are, one, lazy.
We only care about ourselves.
Your competition knows this,
So their wins line all their shelves.
But we're also, two, desperate.
To feel good, smart, right.
And thats what you have to harness
If you want to win this fight.
See what you're really selling is the way things ought to be.
So your pitch becomes compelling.
Selling more than just a team.
It's a symbol of your values.
It's your ethics, and your cause.
You can either be fake like those silver snowflakes.
Or take a stand for Camp Halfblood!"
We're bringin back back victory.
We're bringin back cheer.
We're bringin back bloody nights, those violent sights, the glow of yesteryear.
Now, it's some slight manipulation,
But it's what we gotta do.
See, we need some confrontation
Or your message won't get through.
We're bringin back decency!
We're bringin back victory,
And that means the bloody scent of a real united team."
I start to circle the table as I watch some of them seriously consider what I am saying. The others are still on the fence, but that's what the rest of the song is for.
"Oh, it would be sure, simple,
To boost how well you fare.
We'd rebrand you all as righteous.
Tell the campers they should care.
But the camp is what?"
They can't help but respond. "What?"
"Tribal!"
"Oh!"
"If you want your ranks to soar,
It's not enough for folks to love you.
They gotta hate the Hunters more.
As an expert, my advice is
Feed that hate, cause hate is strong.
Folks will gladly stand as fighters
To prove those Halfblood haters wrongs!
We're bringin back victory
And all the wins that we lost. (We're bringing it back!)
Give me some blood on earth
Some fighting worth, and Chiron getting sauced!
Every Halfblood hating hunter wants to fight a holy war.
So tell your stalwart fighters
What the hell they are fighting for!
A fight for brutality!
We're bringin back victory!
And it's not comin back with some half cooked fractured team."
The music around me slows down and fades into the background. This is the make or break moment. I either win it all or I go home like a loser.
"I'm talking a winning team for a winning camp.
As I reach to hand the trophy to the winner,
I look out at the crowd and I see a camper, Doug.
Across the field, cheering after letting us fight alone.
Easy-peezy, poor, lazy, deplorable Doug.
Who cares more about convenience than the happiness and respect of his camp, of his gods, of our sacred activity!"
I must have perfectly played with every competitive instinct they had because they all start getting amped up at the idea of fighting together against the Hunters. Time to take it all the way to the end!
"I'm talkin captured flags and winning all that swag.
Getting pumped and giving some lumps.
Beating those sods and glory to the gods!
Gathered round with our family!
We're bringin back victory!
We're bringin back victory!
And kick a ton of ass!
With a good old fashioned team!"
I don't even need to do anything by this point because they are all carried along by the magic of a perfectly executed motivational musical number.
Oh, the thrill and rush of yesteryear!
Oh, the violent sights and all the cheer!
We're bringin back victory!
Ah!
With the final note, they all break out into cheers as they seem to have found their fighting spirit to stand united against the psychos. It appears like my work here is done. Goddamn, I am awesome at this!
--
(Percy Jackson POV)
As he watched the rest of the counselors break out into enthusiastic plans after acticely participating in a musical number, he turned to Thalia who was equally shocked about what she had seen.
"Did I have a stroke?" he asked her genuinely. "Cause I definitely did not just see that."
"We might have been drugged?" she offers in just as much confusion as him.
They just both sit there and try to process what just happened as everyone else was in unbelievably high spirits as they worked together for the first time he had ever seen. To be honest, he was just going to go with the stroke idea. Yeah, that sounds better than whatever the hell that whole thing was.
--
(Intrepid Soon to be Named Main Character POV)
I was walking away from the Big House when a voice calls out to me. As I turn, I see that it is Nico's sister, Bianca. Oh, great. What does she want now?
"What is it?" I ask with a sigh as I address Artemis' newest disciple. "If you don't mind, I want to turn in for the night. I have already been awake far longer than I wanted, so make it quick."
"Where is my brother staying?" she replies. "He was supposed to be staying at the Hermes cabin, but they said they never saw him."
"What brother?" I question with a confused look on my partially covered face. "You don't have a brother."
It was like she was struggling to process what I said until she finally recovered. "Nico," she says. "Where is Nico?"
"Oh, Nico," I say with realization. "Yeah, fuck you."
"What did you just say to me?" she asks as her hands clench into fists.
"Oh, your hearing must be going," I say with fake concern. "Let me say it louder just in case. Fuck! You! Get fucked! Did you hear it that time?"
Her lips twist into a snarl as she takes a step forward. However, she stopped when she felt some hair slide down against her cheek. She reaches her hand up to touch it only for her fingers to be stained red with blood flowing from the cut she found. Her eyes dart to me as I hold up another throwing knife like the one which just grazed her cheek and sliced some of her hair.
"You won't like how this game ends, little Hunter," I tell her with a grin. "You are over a hundred years too soon to test me. Your sisters learned that the hard way. Best not make the same mistake."
"I am not leaving until you tell me where Nico is!" she says with gritted teeth.
"Why do you care?" I ask with genuine confusion. "You don't dump a dog at the kennel and check in to see if someone adopted them. Why the fuck are you still pretending to give a shit?"
"He is my brother!" she shouts. "It's my job to give a shit."
"Too little too fucking late!" I roar in response. The sheer anger in my voice surprised her as my gaze turned into a glare as I look at the elder Di Angelo. "You made your choice! Don't act like you didn't! You chose yourself. Don't lie to yourself and don't fucking lie to me! You traded in Nico for the Hunt! You don't get to pretend to still be his sister when you are leaving him behind!"
"You are telling me to abandon my brother?" she asks in shock. "Who the hell do you think you are?! What gives you the right?!"
"Who I am is the guy who had to watch as Nico cried after his sister left him for good," I tell her. "What give me the right? What gives you the right to keep fucking with Nico's head? You don't get to act like you are still going to be a part of his life! In a couple of weeks, you are going to leave camp and not see him for years! He is going to grow up while you stay running around in your teens! He is going to have kids, get old, and die while you are prancing around with a bunch of other fools for eternity playing make believe like the world isn't a shitshow as long as you have girl power! What give me the right? What gives you the fucking right to still call yourself his sister?!"
I was about to take a step forward when an arrow buried itself in the ground where my foot would have landed. My hand casually tosses the knife it is holding in the direction the knife came from and I watch it disappear into the trees before a figure drops down from the foliage.
"Your pup seems to have strayed from the pack, Lieutenant," I say as the hunter is revealed to be Zoe. "You should really keep better track. You never know what could happen when they pick fights they can't win."
Bianca was about to say something when Zoe spoke up first. "Return to the others, Bianca. I believe that this boy needs to learn a lesson about respect."
"Yes, yes," I agree before waving Bianca off. "Run along, little girl. The grownups need to talk now. This isn't the place for brats."
The girl wanted to argue, but one pointed look from Zoe made her fold and retreat towards the Artemis cabin.
"So, what can I do for the queen bee of Artemis' band of killers and psychos?" I ask. "You want to ask something or do you just want to take my head for the insolence of surviving against your mistress?"
"Thou art another son, are you not?" she asks as her fingers play with the notched arrow on her bow. "Of the northern saint."
"Oh, you mean the jolly fat man?" I clarify. "I will admit to have a good little bit of that Christmas magic flowing through me. You can check if you want. I am told that if you suck my candy cane, it really does taste like peppermint. Want to give it a try?"
She just sneers at the thinly veiled innuendo. "Doest thou seek revenge for thine brother?" she asks as she clearly wants to get this conversation over with. "Is that the cause of thy interference with the Hunt?"
"No, I just wanted to pick a fight and you all gave the perfect opportunity," I admit. "As for my darling little brother, well, I can't say how much we all back home want to thank you for what you did to the little shit."
"What?" Zoe asks with a look of complete confusion on her face as she tries to process my response. "Thou art grateful for his passing?"
"Well, more the fact that you killed him than him biting it in general," I explain. "I mean, we couldn't stand the whiny fucker at all. It was always 'Why am I alone' this and 'Doesn't anyone love me' that. God, talk about a loser!"
"That is what you thought of him?" she asks as her fingers stop fiddling with the arrow and her grip on the bow seems to tighten almost painfully. "Of your own brother?"
"Of course," I assure her. "Why should we give a shit about Dad's bastard kid? Hell, if there is anything I am going to miss about him, it probably has to be seeing his face when we ignore him. Oh, I can still picture it now. Little Nicky was always so crushed when we ignored him."
"You hated him for nothing?" she insists with asking.
"I mean, yeah," I say. "Do you really need more of a reason? Isn't that why you killed him too? Well, because he was a guy, not the whole bastard thing. If anything, I think I have a little more ground to stand on, but who cares? Anyway, you have to tell me. How did you do it?"
"Do what?" she replies as she couldn't connect the dots.
"Kill him," I say. "What was it? Poison in his food? Snap his neck while he was asleep? Oh, did you literally stab him in the back? I have to know. It was hilarious when we heard he was killed by the same woman he was banished from the North Pole for. Sacrificing family for a girl who betrays you has got to be the most pathetic shit he ever did."
I tilt my head to the side as an arrow flies past. Oh, it seems like I finally touched a nerve. Let's make sure she doesn't burn out too soon.
"You know what, I am really starting to doubt the fact that you even killed him," I say. "That shot was terrible. If that was the best you have, I really doubt you killed my cockroach of a half-brother."
"I wager no one will miss thy tongue if I take it from thou," Zoe says as she draws her knives from her belt.
"I hope you know I was holding back before," I tell her. "I knew your mistress was close by, so I didn't want to cause too much trouble between her and my boss. After all, moon gods can be petty at times."
"My lady is not petty," Zoe says with a sneer as she points one of her knives at me. "I will carve some respect in you before the night is done."
"Who said I was talking about Artemis?" I say with a grin before my hat changes into a full face mask. I pull it down so that it covers my head and renders me completely white with the suit and gloves I am still wearing. Zoe's eyes rise up to my forehead before her expression turns into a more heated scowl.
"Thou art far from the sands, Fist of Khonshu," she says. "Dost thou believe I can be bested by just one of his champions?"
"Well, I would say I have decent odds," I reply with a shrug. "After all, you aren't exactly the true champion of Artemis with all of the other Hunters leaching away part of the blessing. I would say we both have about half power. Let's see whose god gets the shame today, yours or mine?"
"Neither," a voice rings out. Zoe and I both look over to see Chiron looking down at us in a glower while Dionysius was standing nearby and scowling at a glass of soda instead. The immortal centaur's gaze falls on each of us in turn. "I heard a distressing piece of news from Ms. Di Angelo. Apparently, the two of you were preparing to fight. There are few things I will never tolerate in this camp and one of them is champions fighting for their own pursuits. I have witnessed the fruits of their folly far too many times to allow it to occur again. Gods do not take kindly to their champions starting feuds between deities from mortal pride."
"Ah, man," I say with a shrug as I pull my full mask back up where it reverts to a Santa hat and reveals my face still covered with my normal mask. "I was hoping to finally get into a fight with another moon champion. Well, you can't have everything. I better be off. People to see, places to go. So much to do and so little time. Toodaloo!"
With a jaunty wave, I pass by the centaur, god, and Hunter as I casually walk towards the woods where the Hestia cabin resides. But before I went, I had one last message for another watcher.
"I truly hope that you take this chance to let Nico go, Bianca," I say as I see her looking out from behind a tree. "You don't want to have any attachments to men by the time your mistress returns. You wouldn't like the ways she has you prove your loyalty. If you don't believe me, ask Zoe about Nicky boy. Or, don't. Just know, if anything bad comes for Nico because of you, I will give you the same courtesy that I give all threats: a swift and painful end."
With those words, I fade into the forest like I was never there.
--
(Hestia Cabin)
As I return to the cabin after everything, I find Nico fast asleep clutching Lupa as he slumbered. It made me smile and wonder how long it has been since I could sleep that soundly. I just shake off the thought and go to the fireplace.
With each step, I drop to the ground as human clothes gave way to fur and two legs became four. My steps softly pad closer to the fire before I lay on the ground and rest my head on my paws. I close my eyes and let myself fall into the memories of happier times sleeping in front of campfires at night. Back when I was just Nick. Back when I wasn't alone for the first time.
I can almost remember the feel of her fingers running their way through my fur. The warmth as she stroked my head as she let herself forget for a moment that I was the very thing she hated in this world. The scent of fresh gardens that she brought with her everywhere she went. The calming sound of her heartbeat that could lull me off to sleep.
There is a reason I don't spend much time as a wolf anymore. If I do, I can't help but remember the time I spent with her so long ago. When I was still happy. When I could just be Nick. For now, I let myself remember all of the joy and pain that life brought me.
I wonder if this is the fate of all of his sons. To never truly be a part of either world. Never human but never a real part of the family either.
Instead, I become Nick in my memories for one more night. In the morning, I will have to go back to being me, but the weight will be a little lighter. Sometimes, I just want to forget that I will always be Kenneth Nicholaus Christopher Kringle, the bastard son of Saint Nick.
--
Author's note:
Another chapter completed! I hope you enjoyed getting a peak at the history behind the antagonistic son of Christmas who is gracing Camp Halfblood with his presence. There were mysteries and more that were introduced, but we will see it all in time.
He used to journey with Zoe?
He died?
He is the champion of a different moon god?
So many unexplained plot lines that I will endeavor to explain as time goes on. As for how a Christian can be the champion of a pagan god, it is not like he worships Khonshu. He is more like a longterm employee with cool job benefits. The changing clothes are just a sign that they are really the vestments of Khonshu like in the Moon Knight show.
As for the song, it is based on Bringing back Christmas sung by Ryan Reynolds in the movie Spirited. I adjusted the lyrics a bit, but the core of the song is still the same.
Feel free to write a review and let me know how I am doing. Getting reviews always helps keep me motivated when writing new chapters. I will try and take your thoughts to heart and answer any questions at the beginning of every chapter.
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A pleasure as always,
Titan900
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