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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: My Dad Kicks My Ass

[End of May, 2025]

Astraea quickly dodged a punch aimed to remove her head from her broad shoulders.

Sidestepping her opponent, she nimbly ducked under his swing and delivered a quick jab to his ribs.

But the man didn't even flinch, and closed in again for another series of blows.

It didn't matter if Astraea was only half his age, or had less practical experience, she didn't give up.

She was like her father that way.

She’d take him down, even if it killed her.

An unexpected kick aimed at her face brought her back to the fight, which she ducked under expertly, her foe’s shoe grazing her curly strawberry-blonde fauxhawk.

She jumped, rolled, spun and dodged his heavy strikes, keeping her stance low to avoid his longer reach. His fist flew at her from an odd angle.

Golden wings burst from her back, beating frantically to get behind him. The large and open fighting gym was more than large enough for her twelve-foot wingspan to flap freely. She tucked her wings in, rolling under his strike with the intention to kick the back of his knee.

But he was too quick and kicked her away, lunging forward to continue his attack.

Folding her wings behind her back, Astraea kept them safe from any rogue strikes. She danced around the man, rolling under his barrage of attacks, wishing that there was something in the vacant room for her to dodge behind.

A cool bead of sweat dripped from her hair as she threw out her heel into the mans’ knee— causing him to buckle under his own weight. Sweat softly splashed on her bare shoulders as she continued her assault.

Her breath; a perfect metronome as her heavy fists landed a series of blows against his solar plexus.

Her footwork; rhythmic, despite her bulky physique as she slammed her elbow into his unguarded chin.

Her smile; a cruel grin as she felt him suck a breath at the unexpected hit to the gutt.

Her pride; roaring with pleasure as she dealt pain.

His knee impacted her unprotected stomach, knocking her back a few paces, causing her to suck a quick breath. She barely managed to block his attempt to grab her by the middle and drive her to the ground.

She drove her heel into his foot, distracting him enough to spin around his back and choke him from behind with her left bicep as her right arm pinned his dominant arm to his side.

A backwards headbutt into her nose sent a shockwave of electricity into her brain, causing her to let go and fall to the padded ground on her back and into the padded wall.

But the pain only pissed her off, and with a primal growl, she delivered a kick at the man as he spun around and lunged to pin her against the wall. Her kick knocked him to the ground beside her and she immediately took the chance to grapple him.

Astraea knew he had the advantage on the ground, so she tried everything she knew to keep herself on top.

She fought back as he attempted to twist her onto her back, sending fist and knee into his ribs.

But he didn't budge.

A semi-professional career at wrestling and half a lifetime of fights to the death would do that.

As well as near-invulnerability.

So Astraea thought back to the first lesson she learned when it came to being on the ground in a fight:

‘Get up or on top, by any means necessary’.

She added the ‘by any means necessary’ herself.

With a shout, she threw her legs up to squeeze his neck and with another swift motion slammed him to the side.

His shoulder hit the black mat with a solid ‘THUD’, his head impacting a heartbeat later.

But her opponent didn't falter, he gripped her legs with enhanced strength and easily freed his neck. Spinning, he rose to his feet. A vicious blow to her cheek blurred her vision.

A small stream of blood dripped from her lip— but it wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't stop her.

Nothing would when she started seeing red.

“GrrrrAAAH!” She let loose a furious cry as she ran at him, gloved fists raised.

Her first two punches landed heavily on his face, but her third was halted by an uppercut to her chin.

She hit the mat again. But her opponent didn’t use the opening to grapple her again, but instead decided to fight dirty.

“Is that really the best you can do, Astraea?” He smirked, expertly attacking her pride. “You’re pathetic.”

Her unyielding anger bubbled up from the pool that stayed at a constant simmer, yelling in rage as she jumped at him.

He wasn’t ready for the brutal punch to the center of his chest, and she didn't let up when she heard him suck a breath. She continued her assault, throwing out a series of expertly-performed punches to his face.

Stumbling back a few paces, his eyes were unfocused and blurry. She drove her padded knee into his unguarded stomach, keeping up her momentum.

“Better, but not nearly good enough!”

His knee came out of nowhere, driving itself deep into her stomach with enough force to lift her into the air. She wasn't able to catch herself before she hit the mat, the air sucked from her lungs.

“Wanna call it another win for me?” He asked, his voice fuzzy in her ears. “Just give up.”

“I don't fucking give up!” She sprung to her feet with renewed strength, clearing the distance between them in a blink, throwing out a powerful haymaker into his face, sending him back a few feet.

Left, right, left, right knee, left elbow, another right hook. She kept up her all-out attack with savage brutality.

Her heart pounded, adrenaline pulsed through her veins, her ever-rising anger built up and up until she was ready to explode as her strikes became sloppy and predictable.

“Control your anger.” He deflected her left swing effortlessly and landed a solid punch to her nose, sending her flying back onto the mats yet again.

She felt her nose fully burst this time, but she didn't care— she didn’t even register it, all her mind was focused on was fighting until either her opponent went down or she couldn't fight anymore.

Losing wasn’t an option.

And neither was forfeiting.

Her pride wouldn't let her admit defeat to anyone, not even her opponent.

What did it matter if he had fought stronger, tougher and smarter opponents than her before he was her age?

None of them had her unbridled pride.

Nor her uncontainable seething rage.

With all the subtlety of a crazed bull, she lunged forward, rage shredding her throat while it turned her vision red.

She was a step from cracking his skull in two when he expertly swept her legs out from under her. She landed heavily on her back, her wings groaned as her weight pinned them to the ground.

Before she could ever think about getting up, a fist flew at her face with the power to break her jaw—

—But the fist stopped a single centimeter from her nose, and Astraea felt the rush of her ‘combat-high’ fade instantly.

“You need to control your anger, Astraea.” Her sparring partner removed his fist before offering her a hand up. “You would have had a few good openings if you would have just kept your cool. And what did I say about keeping your wings hidden? You always have to focus on hiding them. It’d reveal your identity as a Half-Blood and put our family at risk.”

Astraea grumbled before accepting the hand and was helped to her feet. She blew her sweaty strawberry pink-blonde hair out of her eyes. And, after a breath of internal debate, she decided to listen, and mentally willed her golden wings to magically hide in her back.

“I know that, dad. Y’say that all the time. It’s just hard when you provoke me like that.”

Her dad gave her a pointed look. “Well I’ll keep saying it until you learn to control your anger. Besides, the whole reason why I provoke you like that is to help you learn to not get so angry so easily.”

Taking off his gloves, he grabbed a water bottle and threw it to her, which she effortlessly caught. “I know it’s hard for you, Astraea. Gods know your father had anger problems too, and they obviously got passed down to you. I know that I told you that anger can help you in a fight, but only if you can control it and use it, otherwise, it will control and use you.”

He fixed her with a stern and warning look. “If you don’t learn to control and master your temper, then it will be your downfall.”

Astraea drained the bottle before rolling her eyes, snorting, “Stop being all doom and gloom, it’s no big deal. I can still kick anyone’s ass I want, besides yours’ and moms’. Now, come on, old man, let's get started on dinner. I’m starving.”

Her dad wiped the sweat from his forehead before combing his fingers through his hair, letting out a small sigh. Knowing his warning wouldn't get though to her, she was too aggressive and short-tempered.

Just like her biological dad.

He headed to the door, saying, “What do you mean ‘we’? I’m the one who does all the cooking while you burn the food and sneak ‘tastes’ of the food while my back is turned. Go get cleaned up and find your sister, then help her set the table.”

~A page break asking you to leave a Review~

Astraea summoned her golden and red-tipped wings as soon as she closed the bathroom door. She hated keeping them hidden, but there was no arguing with her dad.

She had learned after years of experience that he wasn’t going to change his mind. He didn’t understand how it made her feel to keep them out.

He couldn’t.

So whenever she was within his view or in public— which the latter was very uncommon, she kept them hidden in her back. And as he was a stay-at-home dad/coach for her and her little sister, that was more often than not.

With a small flap, she stretched them out, a few golden feathers fluttering to her feet. Damn, now she’d have to find a way of throwing them out without her dad noticing.

She studied herself in the mirror, seeing her bruises from her sparring match with her dad already fading away. It sure helped being a Half-Blood sometimes, and damn did Astraea love it.

It also helped avoid such awkward conversations like, “how did you get that bruise on your face?”, “oh, my dad punched me”.

Yeah, those didn’t tend to go well. Luckily for her, she didn’t have to worry about teachers or concerned adults seeing her bruises. Mostly due to the fact that she was homeschooled and rarely left the house a few times a month. Clothes shopping or special occasions were her only escape from her million-dollar prison.

If only her dad would let them go to Camp this summer, that way she could actually make some friends and not have to hide her wings at all times.

Deciding she didn’t have enough time before dinner to take as long of a shower as she wanted, she washed the sweat off her face and neck with a cloth.

After running a fluffy pink towel through her sweaty strawberry-blonde hair, she quickly braided it back up into her usual fauxhawk. It didn’t really matter if it was messy, only her family would see it.

Giving her stomach an evaluating look, she was happy to find the precursors to abs appearing. All the hours working out with her dad in their world-class home gym several times a week was starting to pay off. Having a famous and fairly-wealthy retired pro athlete as a dad sure helped when it came to getting any exercise equipment she could ever want.

She had always been stronger than the average child— stronger than the average person, actually, but it wasn't until this summer that she saw the physical changes.

She shot up to five foot eight overnight and didn't show signs of stopping. But given how tall her biological parents were, it didn’t surprise her. Her shoulders were broad and her muscles defined, making her vastly different than she knew most girls her age looked like.

Not that she really minded— she didn’t have any friends and didn’t interact with anyone her age besides her sister, who was almost literally half her size despite only being a year and a half younger. Astraea felt pride in her body, it was a result of her hard work and dedication. Besides, she loved working out.

It made her feel closer to her biological father.

She figured that that might sound weird to some people, but she didn't care. Astraea was too young when he died to remember him, so when her dad told her of her father's passion of working out, Astraea strove to find that connection with him.

And damn did she find it.

Not to mention abs. Abs were nice.

A voice from the other side of the door brought her out of her musings. “Hey, Astraea,” called out Aurora, her little sister. “Stop checking yourself out in the mirror already. Dinners’ ready.”

~Page Break~

After dinner found thirty-two year old Percy Jackson doing the dishes with his youngest daughter, Aurora. The thirteen year old was making small talk about a test she recently aced as she dried a pan. But she was brought out of her story when he used his ability to splash her with the water.

“Ahhh! Daaad, stop!” She cried as he sent another small splash of water at her face.

“Who’s gonna make me?” He laughed, swirling the water in the sink around in a threat of splashing her again. “You?”

“I just dried my hair!” She said, using her hands to block a quick stream of water. “Dad, no.” But she couldn't help but giggle as he ‘booped’ her on the nose with the water.

“Use your powers to stop the water before it hits you,” He playfully instructed as he whipped a thin stream of water at her. “Manage to hit me, and you'll get out of dish duty for a month.”

But he was disappointed when instead of using her hydrokinesis, she used a large dish as a shield. Finally, he stopped his playful attack and, with a subtle wave of his hand, brought all the water that was on the floor, walls and countertops back into the sink.

“...I’m sorry, dad.” Her face dropped and she averted her eyes from him.

Letting out a breath, he put a reassuring hand on her thin shoulder. “Don’t be sorry, Aurora.” He instructed, giving her a fatherly smile. “I know it’s hard for you, but I know you’ll get it in time. You’re a child of the seas, after all. It’s in your blood. One day, I’m sure you'll be stronger than me.”

No pressure, she thought.

She was saved from replying when her older sister Astraea stomped down the stairs, walking past the spacious kitchen and into the family room. She was in a pair of pink pajama bottoms and a tank top, her golden-red angel wings on full display for all to see.

Percy jerked around and suddenly pulled the blinds shut, before immediately peeking through them worriedly.

Astraea caught the paranoid reaction out of the corner of her eye and instantly knew what was coming. She let out a swear under her breath.

“What are you doing, Astraea?” He all but demanded, turning to face her. His face a mix of paranoia and frustration. “You know better than to walk around with your wings out.”

Her nearly twelve-foot golden wings rustled in annoyance. But she chose to reign in her frustration. “Well, why would anyone be in our backyard anyway? And how? We have a six foot fence, not to mention like two dozen magical wards around the house. You said yourself that a Titan would have a hard time getting in.”

She gave a miniscule flap of her wings, water dripping off of them as she did so. “Besides, y’know I need to dry off my wings when they get wet. So just chill already, will ya?”

Percy’s eyes narrowed slightly, taking a step towards her, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “It doesn't matter, Astraea. You know the rules, so don’t argue with me. I already told you when we were sparring earlier to hide them.”

Her own vibrant golden-red eyes narrowed dangerously. “Yeah, I heard you the first time. Seriously, I’m just drying them for fucks sake.” She mumbled as she began to walk away.

Percy faltered for a second, not used to this kind of attitude from her. “Don’t give me that attitude, young lady.” He gave her a strict look. “You know that you aren’t allowed to summon your wings in the house. They're too big and you run the risk of being seen.”

Astraea rolled her eyes as she reached the stairs and couldn't help muttering under her breath, “Well considering you don't let me go to school, let alone fly, when exactly am I supposed to fucking summon them?”

Percy felt a low growl in his throat as he heard her comment. He and Annabeth were fairly lenient when it came to Astraea cussing, but not in this situation.

“Don't use that language with me, young lady.” He ordered strictly. “It’s for your own safety—.”

“‘For my safety’? Fuck that!” Astraea scoffed, loudly slamming her fist on the banister. “You let Aurora go to school, leave the house and have friends! Why not me?!”

Percy was genuinely surprised by her sudden outburst and instantly felt all the anger and combativeness drain from him. Astraea had a fiery temper, sure, but never with him.

Never like this.

He took a calm step forward, reaching out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Astraea, it’s not that simple. If only you knew—.”

“Don't touch me!” She swatted his hand away and glared at him with watery eyes. She scoffed again, but this time it was subdued. “You don't treat her like this.”

Astraea’s eyes shot towards her little sister who had turned pale and was silently watching the fight, which was without a doubt the worst fight they had gotten into from behind the counter.

Letting out a low mumble, she continued, “Oh yeah, it’s because she’s the favorite while I’m the one you don't want anyone to know about.”

Her glare hardened and her little sister visibly recoiled. “Because she’s your real daughter. While I'm adopted.” Her words were like venom, silencing and freezing the two around her. After a breath, she spun on the spot and quickly stormed up the stairs. Slamming her door with enough force to rattle the walls.

Percy dropped his outstretched hand as he felt his heart drop.

He had no idea Astraea felt that way. She hadn't said anything before beyond the occasional request to go to school the next year. Letting out a heavy breath he didn't know he was holding, he ran a hand through his messy hair.

His internal musings halted by the arrival of his wife.

“What just happened?”

Percy sighed again, looking to his wife who had just gotten home late from the office. She hadn't even put her purse down yet. He absently greeted her with a quick peck on the cheek before starting for the stairs.

“Astraea… just yelled at me.” He told her, unable to believe it. “I didn't know she was that upset about it. I'll go try and talk to her—.”

But Annabeth stopped him with a hand around his wrist before handing him her bag. “Better let me talk to her, she’s mad at you, not me.” She shrugged. “Besides, I haven't seen her since yesterday morning.”

Suddenly, a timid, stuttering voice sounded from behind them. “Y-you should really just let Astraea go to school… She has full control of hiding her wings now… A-and you said you’d let her go to school with me when she could.”

Percy and Annabeth looked at their youngest child with surprise, but didn’t say anything. So Aurora continued, “...J-just saying, okay? Astraea is really upset about not being allowed to l-leave the house or have friends.”

Percy raised a brow in confusion. “This is the first I’ve heard of this.”

But Annabeth gave him an unreadable look, “That’s because that girl never gets mad at you, babe. Usually she’s mad at me. She probably didn't want to say anything for a long time and it just built up until she exploded. I can’t even remember the last time you two got into a fight.”

Annabeth looked back to her youngest daughter, a genuine reassuring smile on her face, “Thank you for telling us what Astraea told you, Aurora. I know you two are pretty good at keeping secrets, but it was right to tell us. I’ll go check up on her and see if she wants to talk with me.”

Facing her husband again, she said, “We’ll talk about letting Astraea go to school next year in our room after I’m done checking up on her. She’s old enough for us to trust her not to reveal her wings. She’s not a child anymore, she’s almost fifteen.” Without another word she climbed the stairs and headed into her daughters’ room.

Percy stepped up to his youngest child and wrapped a calming arm around her shoulder, bringing her in for a hug. In a soft voice, he said, “Don’t worry, Aurora. You know Astraea isn’t really mad at you, it’s my fault she said those things.”

Giving her a supportive smile, he asked, “Is there anything you want to say to me or your mom? Your mom and I want you to know that you can always be completely honest with us… So… is there anything you want us to know?”

The tiny girl was silent for nearly a full minute, and Percy could almost see the gears spinning at a million miles per hour in her head. Finally, she shook her head, her long black princess curls swaying from the motion.

Her answer was even more subdued than before. “...Not really…”

Percy couldn't help being skeptical, though he didn't show it. “Any more problems at school?”

“It’s-fine.” She mumbled out quickly.

“...I heard you up late last night…” Percy started, hesitantly. “...Are you still having nightmares? Because I’m sure I can talk to Hypnos about—.”

“I appreciate it, dad. But I really don't want to talk about it.” She mumbled quickly before avoiding his gaze and running upstairs into her room without letting him respond.

Percy stood alone in the center of the spacious kitchen, wondering when he had stopped paying attention to what his girls were feeling.

~Page Break~

It was just after eleven and Astraea knew that she wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight.

She kept replaying the fight with her dad in her head over and over again on repeat. She had never yelled at him like that before. But the single point that brought tears to her eyes everytime was how she yelled at her little sister.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” She mumbled to herself as she sat in the dark on her large poster bed. “Why did I yell at her like that?”

She honestly didn’t know why she said those things about Aurora. Her little sister was sweet as can be, and was always there to listen to her complain about their parents. Sure, Aurora could get a little annoying when she corrected Astraea or acted like a know-it-all, but her sister didn't deserve the anger that was meant for her parents.

With a nod to herself, Astraea decided to go to Aurora’s room first thing in the morning and apologize for being such a dick. Hopefully she’d forgive her after she begged a few times.

But would her dad forgive her?

And should she forgive him?

Her dad.

He was so— so amazing and kind and loving and funny and caring and yet so overprotective and paranoid and worried and unable to see how he made her feel.

Astraea did honestly regret the comment about him loving Aurora more because she was his biological daughter while she was adopted, though.

Because in her heart she knew it wasn’t true.

Not even close.

Her parents didn’t have favorites, she knew that. Sure, she got along better with her dad than her mom, and Aurora tended to get along better with their mom, but Astraea knew that they both loved and cared for them equally.

Regardless of who the biological daughter was.

She decided that she was going to at least apologize for that, after all.

With a huff, she climbed out from under her covers and made her way to her large window, sliding it open silently with practiced ease. After checking to see if her door was locked and scanning the neighborhood for people, she summoned her golden angel wings and jumped into the air. Flapping hard to gain altitude in the dead cool evening air.

She flew mindlessly for nearly an hour, no real destination in mind. Though she made sure to avoid the city in order to limit the chance of her being spotted, of course.

Not that someone was likely to see her this high up through dark clouds, but her dad was right about one thing: If the Zealots saw her, then she’d be putting her family at risk.

She rose another hundred feet just in case.

Astraea absolutely loved flying. But since her dad didn't let her, sneaking out like this was the only time she was able to.

She didn’t know why she loved flying so much. ...It was like something in the sky was calling her, if that made any sense.

That probably didn't make any sense.

But she was a Half-Blood, and her mom told her that their lives rarely made sense.

Though considering her birth mother was the Titaness of the Dawn and the Mother of the Wind and Sky, there could be a connection.

Her birth parents.

Just thinking about them made her heart ache slightly. Not out of sadness of having lost them, but out of a sadness of having never really known them.

Astraea could still remember the first time her mom sat her down to tell her about her birth parents like it was yesterday. She had been so devastated to learn that the wonderful people who had been raising her for as long as she could remember weren't her actual parents.

She remembered running away into her daddy’s arms as her mom tried to explain.

She remembered weeping so heavily that she had nearly hyperventilated.

She remembered telling him that mom told her that they weren’t her birth parents. And begging for it not to be true.

But she also remembered what he told her, “Yes, it’s true. We aren’t your birth parents. We weren’t the ones who created someone as beautiful and strong and courageous as you. But, we’ve always tried to make sure to give you the love that not every child gets…”

“...So that makes us your parents…”

Astraea bit her lip as she flew, wiping away a rogue tear. Trying her best to figure out how she was going to apologize to them in the morning.

As she flew higher and higher above the clouds, she scanned the heavens for her birth parents.

She saw countless stars, a half dozen constellations and a few luner beings dancing and flying around the dark skies… all but her parents.

They just sat there silently.

Unmoving.

Like they were dead.

They never waved when she looked their way. Never smiled when she neared. Never whispered sweet words of love reserved for parents and children as she called out to them. Never comforted her as she silently wept herself to sleep.

They never would. She knew that. But it didn't make seeing them unmoving in the stars every night hurt any less.

She flew higher still, her wings straining at the effort and her lungs burning as she pushed herself through the thinning air. Her parents were destined to live among the stars forever.

While she was destined to never be with them again.

And she couldn't tell you how much she wished she could just fly until she reunited with them.

But it was impossible. They had died saving Olympus and the world when she was ten months old. And her mother, the Titaness Eos, has used the last of her strength and last breath to create a new constellation of her and her husband, Leonidas Dione Reed— her father, called The Lovers.

Astraea would give anything to just be able to talk to them.

Just once.

She ignored Ursa Minor as it ran up to her, looking to race again. Instead, she climbed ever higher into the moonless heavens. She wasn’t in the mood.

She just wanted to be alone tonight.

After another hour or so, the cold and exhaustion was getting to her, so Astraea decided it was about time to head back. She had homeschool with her dad in the morning and he’d be suspicious if she was falling asleep at her desk. Again.

She was not looking forward to the uncomfortable conversation they were going to have in the morning.

But she wanted to make sure she apologized for claiming that he didn't love her.

~Page Break~

Tiny bare feet beat frantically against the ground, the thundering sound of hooves behind them. Gaining on them. Around trees, through bushes, over rocks and under branches, they ran. The three of them.

Trying to escape the cowing cackle of petrifying laughter and hooves behind them.

The smallest of them stumbled over a twisting tree root, crashing to the ground and letting out a cry of pain. “Come on, Theo!” The eldest boy yelled to his youngest sister, scooping up the four year old into his arms. “We have to keep running!” Andrew grabbed the arm of Julie, his other sister, and pulled her behind him through the brush.

Andrew didn't know what was going on. All he remembered was waking up to find his house on fire and people with torches and masks killing his mom. Andrew tried to help her, but she screamed at him to take his siblings and run away, to leave her and save themselves. The eleven year old hated it, but he obeyed his mom and fled with his two sisters into the night.

He didn’t know where he was taking them, or who was chasing them— other than they had horses, but he knew one thing: if they were caught, his sisters would be killed. Just like their mom.

So Andrew half pulled-half carried his sisters through the eerie vastness of the moonless night.

“Don't let ‘em escape!” A gruff voice called out through the shadows, sending a chill down Andrew’s spine.

“Burn the devils!” Another called, this time a woman.

Andrew ran and ran, frantically stumbling over tree roots and through bushes, trying to get away and protect his sisters. Trying to find someone to help them. He looked around for any adults, parents, police or other children, but could barely see his hand in front of him as he ran through the woods.

“W-what’s going on?” Theo asked him, crying in his arms.

Andrew covered her mouth the best he could as he ran. “Shh! They’ll hear us.” He whispered breathlessly.

“What happened to mom?” Julie asked from next to him, making sure to keep her voice down as they hid in a bush to catch their breaths.

“I don't know.” Andrew lied, whispering, shielding Theo’s body with his own. “But we need to get to town and find Sheriff Stone. Mom said to find him if we’re ever in trouble.”

“But what can he do?”

“I don't know.” His shoulders dropped, but he kept on a brave face for his sisters. “But mom said to, so that’s what we’ll do.”

“If you’re sure—.”

“Where’d they go?” A voice called out, not so far away. The sound of hooves got louder. Andrew hoped they would be hidden in the dark bushes, but what he heard next, broke that thought.

“Bring up the dogs!” Nearly a dozen barking dogs could be heard off in the distance, and Andrew knew that they would be found now. So he grabbed his sisters and ran again.

“There they go! After ‘em boys!”

The dogs were closer now, with men on horseback close on their tails. Andrew cursed as they reached a clearing, knowing that it’d be easier for them to see them. He was about to pull his sisters to the side when a shot rang out in the night.

‘BAM!’

Andrew’s heart fell as Julie let out a cry beside him, falling to the ground a second later. A bloody hole in her head.

“Julie!” Theodosa yelled, trying to reach her fallen sister.

“No, Theo! We have to leave!”

“But Julie’s hurt—.”

“Leave her! We’ll both die if we stay here!” Tears fell from Andrew’s eyes as he swept her up again and dashed into the trees.

“But—.”

“No! Mom told me to keep you safe, and that’s what I’m going to do!”

Thundering hooves echoed after him, the barking of hounds caused his blood to chill. The animalistic cries of men reminding him of the stories of the Underworld that his mom told him about, where the souls of the damned would cry out in agony and terror for the rest of time.

Where his mom said their dad came from, but where even he was terrified to live.

If only he was here, Andrew thought. But mom said he couldn't leave the Underworld. So if we’re ever in trouble, to find Sheriff Stone.

A maw around his leg pulled him to the ground, causing him to drop Theo. In a second several more dogs were on him. Pinning down his arms, legs and back of his neck with their teeth. He heard Theo screaming his name, but it was like he was hearing her through water, everything was muddled and distant.

Then Andrew realized what was happening; he was dying.

He supposed that he should be afraid— and he was, don't get him wrong, but a small part of him was also relieved to not feel the pain for much longer. And if he were lucky, then he and his sisters would finally meet their dad in the Underworld.

“Drop ‘em! Drop ‘em! Good dogs, good dogs!” A horse stopped in front of them, a man climbing off the animal. He moved the dogs away and grabbed Andrew by his pajama shirt, flipping him over on his back with savagery.

Theo was still screaming next to him, uselessly trying to kick the people in masks away from her. “Tie her up already! Don’t let a little girlie get the better of ya!”

A cloaked man grabbed Theo only to let out a hollowing scream of pain as his hands started to decay. “AHH!”

“She’s a demon!”

“Careful!” A woman ordered. “Tie her up behind a horse, bring ‘em into the middle of town.”

“Theo, no! Leave her—!” Andrew was silenced by a swift kick to his stomach.

“Careful with him too. Never know what kind of devil powers these creatures have.”

Andrew was bound and gagged, a cloth sack pulled over his head. He couldn’t see Theo, but from her muffled cries, she was being treated the same. Before he knew it, they were tied behind horses and dragged through the woods. It was only when he felt pavement under his burning skin did Andrew realize they were taken into town.

“Bring ‘em to the center of town.” A gruff voice ordered. “Tie ‘em to the posts of town hall.”

A gloved hand grabbed Andrew by his wrist, and he tried to fight back, but it was no use. With his arms and legs bound, he couldn’t do anything but shake. Theo continued to scream muffled cries of terror next to him.

Andrew wished there was something he could do to save her, anything, but there wasn't. Against two dozen adults with guns and dogs, he was helpless.

A bat to his stomach knocked the air from his lungs. Boots to his head made his brain go fuzzy. Blades slicing into his skin made him breathlessly cry out in pain. Andrew could feel himself fading, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop them. Conceding to his fate.

But muffled screams of his little sister lit a flame inside him. He felt shadows burst from his skin, striking out at the masked people and slicing limb from body.

His body shook violently as shadows flailed out in all directions, suffocating and mutilating everyone around him.

“Kill the demon already!” A woman yelled. Andrew was just turning his head to the sound when he heard a rifle fire.

‘BAM!’

Theodora cried out as her brother fell to her feet, unmoving. She had managed to get her hands free when he had fought against their attackers, but hadn't been unable to untie her legs yet. The four year old wept violently as she hugged her brother, frantically pushing away the hands that attempted to grab her.

“No! Leave me alone!”

“Tie her up already!” The same woman ordered. “Then worry about the other one.”

“W-why did you kill our mom? Why are you t-trying to kill us?”

The woman crouched down in front of her, pulling down her mask, a cruel smile on her tattooed face. “Because your mother had children with a devil. And devil-spawn like you have no right to live on God’s earth.” She drew a knife from her waist and stabbed Theo in the stomach, twisting the knife with savage glee. “So give thanks, child, for God will show you mercy.”

~Page Break~

Percy and Annabeth Jackson turned off the TV with shocked silence. Annabeth held onto her husband in the darkness of their living room, tears streaming from her eyes after seeing the evening news report.

“How can anyone do that to children…?”

“...I don’t know, Beth. But sometimes people can be worse than Monsters.”

The two had just seen a breaking news story from a small town in Alabama where three children had been found brutally beaten, tortured and eventually lynched in the center of town. The mutilated bodies of the children were found hanging between the wooden posts on the town hall the next morning by the mayor and the Sheriff was quickly called.

Horse, dog and boot tracks were left everywhere, but no other evidence could be found. But, it was clear who had killed the children. There was only one group that was willing to brutally torture and lynch children like that;

The Zealots.

A group of religious fanatics that saw all half-bloods and those of divine descent to be devils and demons. And saw it as their duty to cleanse them from the earth.

The Zealots numbered somewhere in the few hundreds to thousands, though Percy secretary believed that they numbered even greater than that, and that they kept their true number and strength hidden.

Ever since the half-bloods of the Theocratic Republic City-States of Greece— a growing society of half-bloods from around the world that gathered in Camp Half-Blood, publicly announced themselves to the world eight years ago, startling reports of violence and oppression against half-bloods started to rise.

And it wasn’t before long that half-bloods had started being murdered in the streets. And the biggest and most violent group called themselves the Zealots.
That they truly were. Deeply religious radicals who desired the eradication of every half-blood in the world. It was why Percy refused to let his daughters attend Camp, in fear of them being sent out into the world on a Quest. And also why he didn’t let Astraea out of the house very often. She had been born with golden-red angel wings, and those alone would give her identity as a half-blood away. He knew she had better control over hiding them now, but that fear was always there.

If the Zealots were to find them, he didn't want to think about what they would do. Especially if they learned that he was one of the half-bloods that fought in Manhattan during the Promised Day.

But he pitied the poor fool who broke into his house and tried to harm his family. They’d quickly learn why his name meant The Destroyer.

He helped his wife off the couch and led her to the stairs. “Come on, Beth. Let’s check on the girls… I need to see them before I go to bed.”

They made their way upstairs and silently opened Astraea’s door. Percy felt a breath of relief escape his lips. She was fast asleep, curled up in her fluffy pink covers. Quietly closing the door, they went to the next door and opened it without a sound. Another breath escaped his lips, relieved to see his youngest fast asleep in bed, having fallen asleep reading a large book.

Annabeth’s face contorted as she bit her lip to keep herself from crying, worrying for her girls. She couldn’t imagine her own children being submitted to the same savagery. She hugged her husband tightly.

“Don’t worry, Annabeth.” He whispered silently into her hair. “Nothing will happen to our girls. I’ll keep them safe, I promise.”

Closing the door just as silently, the two made their way to their room and got ready for bed. Making sure to burn extra offerings for the gods to keep their girls safe.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: To Camp or not to Camp?

[The Next Day, Jackson Household, Chicago, Illinois]

“Why the hell do I have to learn this?” Astraea whined dramatically, dropping the heavy textbook on the table. “Ugh! I’d rather stab out my own eyes with a rusty spoon.”

Aurora paused her own studying to indulge her sisters’ dramatics. “Thanks for that graphic image, Astraea. What are you even reading?”

“I dunno.”

Aurora’s brow raised. “You don’t know?”

“Uh-huh.”

“How do you not know?”

“Cus’ it makes no freaking sense.”

Aurora let out a sigh and took her sister’s book. “Fine, what do you need help with?”

“I can’t solve problem seventeen, it literally makes no sense—.”

“X is 42.” Her sister cut her off.

Astraea grabbed the math book back, “How did you solve it so fast?”

She shrugged, “I passed Geometry like a year and a half ago. Grandma Athena thinks I can try some Trigonometry this year.”

Astraea groaned loudly, dropping her head onto the table. “Just rub your genius in my face, why don’t you?”

Aurora rolled her eyes, ignoring her sister. “I’m sure she can help you too. Isn't she coming back on Monday to tutor you again?”

“I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“Ask her.”

“And why not?”

“Because she already went over it yesterday with me for twenty minuets.” Astraea mumbled, sitting back up straight. “And I told her I got it just so we could move on to something else. Then she had to give me an even harder problem to solve!”

“...So you lied to Grandma Athena that you figured out how to do it and now you’re too embarrassed to do it?”

“I'm not embarrassed!” Astraea defended herself. “I just don’t wanna go over it again.”

“You’re right. I apologize, that was uncalled for.”

“That’s better. I forgive—.”

“You don’t want to ask her because you're scared of looking dumb.”

Astraea let out a low growl. “I ain't scared of shit.”

Aurora shrugged as she continued her studying. “Then prove it.”

“Fine, fine! I’ll ask her for help on Monday.” Astraea grabbed her book with a deathgrip and slammed it open, violently turning the pages until she found the right one. Mumbling under her breath about her ‘know-it-all’ little sister the whole time.

Aurora gave a small victorious smile, smiling down her own textbook with the intent of getting in another few hours of study before dinner. She knew she could easily move to another place in their mom’s private library to study in peace away from Astraea, but after the bad fight yesterday between Astraea and their dad, they hadn't spoken much. Aurora knew her sister wouldn’t admit it, but she could tell she was feeling lonely and needed to be around someone, so she decided to sacrifice some of her study time to spend with her sister.

Aurora was only given three minutes of silence before her sister spoke up again. “He still hasn't spoken with me. Not really. I mean, he lectured me about World War I for an hour this morning in class, but did he even bring up our fight? Nope.” She loudly popped the ‘p’, rolling her eyes and putting her book down.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don't wanna fight again, but I can't stand him acting like nothing happened.”

“I don't think he’s acting like nothing happened.” Aurora told her, reluctantly putting her own book down. “You didn't see him after you left, he looked like he was about to cry.”

“Pfft. Dad doesn't cry.”

“He does when he’s really sad.”

“And why would he be sad?” Astraea all but demanded. “He’s the one who’s kept me locked up my entire life and won't let me have any friends or fly or anything.”

“...Because he realized that he was making you miserable… And because he thinks you might… hate him.”

That made Astraea pause. She hadn't really considered how her outburst would make her dad feel, at least not like that. She let out a breath through her nose, moving her book away absentmindedly.

“Well, if he decides to talk to me, then I’ll apologize.”

“...He really does feel bad, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I feel shitty about it too.”

Deciding to change the subject, Astraea asked, “Maybe mom’ll actually be able to convince him to let me go to school this year. I’ll be a Freshman. I don't wanna miss out on all of high school just ‘cus he’s paranoid.”

“You are literally the only person I know who is excited to go to school. It’s not as good as you think it is.” Her voice lowered and her eyes dropped. “I’d rather just learn at home with dad and Grandma Athena.”

Astraea noticed her sisters’ change of demeanor and leaned forward, keeping her voice down despite them being alone. “Those assholes still messing with you at school? ‘Cus I’d be happy to kick their asses again.”
The last time Astraea caught word of her sister’s troubles with bullies, she risked it all to sneak out of the house while her dad was away and sought them out. She remembered following the boys and cornering them in an alley, then nothing.

Nothing but red.

When she came to, one of the boys was laying on the pavement in a puddle of blood and vomit, screaming in agony as he clenched his face in breathless anguish. Her knuckles quaked in pain, but it didn't matter. She only cared about hurting him for hurting her sister.

It wasn’t until the next morning at the police station that she learned that he shattered his orbital bone, fractured his jaw and broke several others in his face. The boy would most likely suffer permanent damage to his vision on top of a long and painful recovery process. It was only with the aid of her parents’ connections and having gods as relatives that kept Astraea out of juvie and kept her record clean.

She didn't mean to hurt him so much, of course. But she’d be lying to herself if she said that she didn't want him to hurt. Because she did. And that worried her sometimes.

“It’s nothing, I promise.” Aurora mumbled, snapping Astraea out of her thoughts. But she didn't believe her, however. Aurora may be stupidly clever, but she was a terrible liar.

“Whatever. But if I ever see anyone messing with you at school when I finally get to go, I’ll teach them to leave you alone.”

“Just please promise me that if we ever go to school together, that you won’t pick a fight with someone and get expelled on the first day. I don't want to be known for having a crazy older sister that got arrested for picking a fight with the janitor.”

“I don't make promises I don't intend to keep, you know that.” Astraea smiled.

Aurora had to cover her mouth to keep from chuckling in disbelief. “You know, sometimes I don’t get how you’re always so ready to fight someone. Like, I’m literally the only person you talk to on a weekly basis besides our parents and family. “

“I dunno, maybe it’s just my godly blood. Heracles was always getting into fights, so it makes sense.” Astraea flexed dramatically. “With muscles like these, I have to use them sometime.”

Aurora snorted, rolling her eyes. “Maybe you should try using your brain sometime.”

“Fuck. You.” Astraea laughed. “You’re just jealous that you don't look as good as me.”

“If you think looking like a boy makes you look good, then you must be crazy.” Aurora joked.

“Why you little—.” Astraea flew over the table and trapped her sister in a headlock. “Say that again, I dare you!”

“You look like a boy!” Aurora challenged, giggling.

“I'm gonna become an only child if you don't take it back!” Astraea squeezed a little harder, shaking her sister back and forth, causing her to laugh despite herself.

“Alright, alright! I take it back. I take it back!” Aurora struggled in vain to get away. “Just let me go!”

Astraea gave her sister a big squeeze before letting her go. “Maybe now you’ll watch what ya say, huh?”

Her sister sprinted back to her chair just in case, smiling. “Maybe.”

“Pfft, you're lucky you're adorable, ‘cus I’ve been this close to snapping you in two forever now.”

Aurora batted her eyelashes and swept her curls back dramatically. “Awe, you really do care.”

“You sarcastic little shit.”

“You should be careful, dad might hear you.”

“Nah,” Astraea shrugged, deciding to stay standing. “He knows it’s a lost cause to keep me from cussing. He lets me spend too much time with aunt Thalia.”

“Ah, makes sense.” Aurora nodded in understanding.

“Mom doesn't seem to mind, I think. But she warned me about cussing in front of grandma Sally if I want to survive.”

“Speaking of aunt Thalia, do you know she’ll be coming by to visit?”

Astraea shrugged, walking further into the spacious library slash personal study that belonged to their mom. “She usually comes by every summer to spend a week with us, so it should be any time now.”

Aurora followed her sister, forgetting about her studying and instead settling into a several millennia old couch. She knew it was her sister’s favorite, since it belonged to her mother. Their mom said it was one of the most priceless things in her collection, and she only let them sit on it if they promised to be careful. And because of how much it made Astraea feel closer to her mother, of course.

“What kind of story do you think she’ll have for us this time?” Aurora asked. “I wonder what kind of Monsters she’s fighting right now with her Hunters. A dracon, maybe?”

“No idea.” Astraea said, settling into the old couch with uncharacteristic grace. “But whatever it is can't be cooler than the Elder Hydra she killed last summer.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Hey,” Astraea suddenly said. “Have you had any luck at using your water powers? Dad said they should be kicking in anytime now, right?”

Aurora’s eyes dropped along with her tiny shoulders. “...No. I haven't been able to control a single drop of water.”

Astraea looked confused. “But isn’t dad coaching you everyday after school? He trains me to fight while you’re at school. That’s what he told me.”

“...I just can't do it.”

“Because you're scared of them.” Astraea said seriously, her joking from earlier gone.

“I'm not scared of them. It’s more complicated than that—.”

“Yeah, you kinda are.” Astraea fixed her with a pointed look. “...But that's okay. Because I understand… The storm scared me too.”

“Y-you want to know the worst part?” Aurora all but whispered. “...Dad keeps telling me how I’m going to be stronger than him one day. How I will be able to c-control the water and earth… How I could even gain a Domain one day… But every time I try to control water— nothing.”

Aurora turned away from her sister, looking to where their dad’s old sword Riptide hung on the wall, shattered and broken from his last battle on the Promised Day. “I'm the daughter of Percy Jackson, one of the strongest demigods to ever live. One who could control the seas… but I can't even make a ripple.

“...I'm afraid that he's going to realize that I can't do it, that it just won't come with time like he thinks, and he’ll be disappointed in me.” She brought her knees to her chest in a hug as ters freely fell from her eyes.

“Dad would never be disappointed in you.” Astraea warped her little sister in a giant hug, squeezing her tight. She spoke, her voice light and comforting as she joked. “Think about it, Aurora, he’ll be too busy being disappointed in me because I can't swim. I have an Olympic swimmer as a dad and coach, and I can’t even float.”

Aurora couldn't help but give the slightest of smiles. “Yeah, you really do suck at swimming.” Her voice warming, ending in a chuckle. “You sink like a rock.”

“Don't worry, Aurora. Dad probably wouldn't even care if you never get water powers. You’re already smart like mom, you don't even need them.”

“...Yeah, but he’s so sure about it—.”

“Well, I hate to break it to ya, sis, but dad ain't perfect. He could be wrong.”

But Aurora didn't look convinced, and Astraea could tell. “What?”

“...I'm not sure. But sometimes, I swear I can feel the sea calling me— like I get this pulling feeling in my gutt, but then nothing happens when I try to do it.”

“Huh, that’s weird.” Astraea was stumped. She didn’t know much about controlling water beyond what their dad had told them. And there was only one place she could think of where Aurora could learn to harness her power. “Maybe try asking mom to convince dad into letting us go to Camp this year? Chiron is supposed to be the best trainer in the world, right? Maybe he’d have ideas.”

Aurora shrugged. “Or maybe Aunt Kym.”

“Maybe her.”

It was silent between them for a few minutes. Each of them thinking and reflecting on what they had talked about. That is, until Aurora suddenly broke the silence. “...H-hey, sis?” Her voice was hesitant and her stutter was back, so Astraea knew it had to be serious.

“Yeah?”

“...W-what you said about being afraid of t-the storm. Was it the storm t-that scared you, or dad?”

Astraea's eyes went wide. Turning to her sister, she asked, “What do you mean? Why would I be scared of dad?”

“...I g-guess asking if you’re afraid of him isn't right.” She mused to herself, thinking. “I guess it’s more accurate to ask if you were afraid of his power?”

This time Astraea was the one to hesitate. “...You mean when he battled the storm?”

Aurora nodded. “Seeing dad battle that storm and saving all those people was— awe inspiring and impressive, and I'm proud to be his daughter for it, and I understand why he did it… But knowing that that power is inside of me somewhere, just ready to break out at any time…”

“What?” Astraea prompted.

The blood drained from her face and her eyes dropped. Biting her lip, she said. “It scared me.”

Continuing, she said. “Being gifted with the power that could just as easily be used to protect and save people as to hurt and kill people….” She hugged herself again. Tears fully broke from her eyes and she buried her face in her knees.

Astraea didn’t know what to say, how could she. And it made her heart ache at not being able to help her little sister. So she only did what she knew how to do, she wrapped her sister in a big hug.

After a few minutes Astraea rose to her feet and helped her sister up. “Come on, Aurora, that’s enough depressing talk for one day. Let’s go downstairs, I need to hit something.”

“...Maybe I’ll try practicing controlling water before dad gets done with dinner.” Aurora mused as she followed her sister.

Astraea bumped her sisters’ shoulder as they walked side by side down the two flights of stairs. “You’ll get it in time, Aurora. Dad says you can't force it. It’ll come when it’s ready.”

They reached the ground floor and were about to pass by the kitchen where they could hear their dad hard at work on dinner when Aurora suddenly elbowed her sister, whispering frantically under her breath, “Your wings!”

“Shit.” Astraea’s eyes went wide as she willed them to hide in her back.

“Let’s try to ease up on the language, huh?” Their dad smiled as they passed. “You two heading downstairs?”

“Yes.” Aurora answered for her sister.

Their dad turned around and buried his head in the fridge, looking for something. “Okay, I just got started on dinner, but don't tire yourselves out too much. You still have practice after dinner.”

“...Will mom be home for dinner?” Aurora asked hopefully as they paused by the door that led down to the basement.

Their dad hesitated. “Not sure. Her new project at work is really important and it’s taking up a lot of her time. But she’ll try her best to make it tonight.”

Astraea continued walking, mumbling under her breath. “More important than us.” Before disappearing downstairs.

~Page Break~

After dinner found Percy Jackson coaching his daughters in their basement that he had converted into a state-of-the art home gym complete with an indoor pool when he was preparing for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.
He had a major advantage being a demigod son of Poseidon, but he still had to be in and stay in peak shape to compete on such a level. The annual Olympic Games at Camp were nothing compared to the level of competitiveness he faced in London and Rio.

His mom might not have liked that his sole reason for competing was money, but even she understood that he was doing it to make sure that he would be able to support and take care of his girls and wife long into the future. And several choice sponsorships ensured that they had enough money to live comfortably after his retirement in 2016 to look after their girls full time.

Astraea may use the home gym more than him nowadays, but he still kept in shape and exercised everyday. Speaking of his eldest, he found his eyes travelling to where she was beating on a heavy bag with a little more force than necessary. Or normal. She was still mad at him, he knew that. But he didn’t know how to apologize and explain to her why he kept her hidden at home. He knew he could never tell her, though. It was too dangerous, if she was anything like her father, then knowing would only spur her into action.

So until he figured out what to do, he’d try his best to keep her happy and oblivious to the truths of who her father really was and how he died.

Shaking his head of his thoughts, he turned to watch his youngest who was doing laps in the pool at a speed that was impressive for a mortal her age, but not nearly close to where he knew she could go. While he passed effortlessly through the water, she still forced her way through. Her form was perfect, not a single action was wasted, but she still hadn't found that connection with the water yet.

And maybe she never would, he didn't know. Aurora was as smart as her mother, so maybe she would never develop water powers like he assumed. And hoped.

“I know that look, Seaweed Brain. What's the matter?”

Percy greeted his wife with a hug and a kiss to her cheek. “How was work? Busy, I assume.”

“Always busy.” Annabeth returned the kiss before following his eyes to their girls. “Sorry I missed dinner again, but we’re really getting close to sealing the deal for a new skyscraper in NYC. If we get this deal, then I might be finally able to open my own architecture firm in the next year or two.”

“It's okay, Beth. You’d be here if you could. Besides, this is really important to you. The girls understand, even if they don't like it.”

“I don't like missing dinners either. I get home after they go to bed and leave before they get up. Sometimes I feel like I don't see them anymore.” She bit her lip.

Percy wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Don't worry, Beth, the girls know you love them. If you can get next weekend off, we can all do something as a family.”

“That’d be nice.” She smiled. “But, before we talk about that, we have something really serious to discuss.”

“Uh-oh, am I in trouble?” Percy joked. “I didn't do it, no one saw me, and you can't prove a thing.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes affectionately. “This is serious, babe.”

Percy didn't need to be told twice. He nodded before leading the two of them to a couch they had at the far side of the gym. Close enough to watch the girls, but far enough not to be overheard.

“What’s up?”

“I think that the girls should go to Camp this summer.”

Percy’s response was instantaneous. “No.”

“Percy, just hear me out—.”

“If they go to Camp, then I can’t protect them anymore. They could be sent out on a Quest, or get hurt in capture the flag, or people could find out who Astraea’s parents are. The only people who know are my mom and Paul, Thalia, Nico, Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Hera and Heracles and Hebe. If Astraea goes to Camp, then the Campers or even the other gods could find out who her parents are.”

“And would that really be that bad? We could at least tell them—.”

“Tell them what?” He cut her off. “That her father attacked Camp, killed two Campers, then killed Ares? All of Olympus besides a few we trust think that Leonidas was planning on destroying Olympus and killing all the gods. And what about the fact that all of Olympus and Camp think that Leonidas killed Zeus? Beth, you are the only one I’ve told the truth; that I was the one who killed Zeus…”

Percy shook his head. “No. If Astraea goes to Camp, then they could figure out who her parents were. And if that happens, then there’s nothing stopping the other gods or even Campers from trying to hurt… or even kill, her.” His voice shook, tears threatening to break from his eyes. “No, I won't put her in any danger. I promised Leonidas to protect her.”

“I understand that, Percy. But keeping her hidden away in our house isn’t what Leonidas would have wanted. Nor is it what’s best for Astraea.” She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Astraea may be better suited to protect herself than most her age, but if she were to ever be put in actual danger, I want her to be best prepared to protect herself.

“And what about Aurora? She is still holding herself back, you said it yourself. She isn’t any closer to being able to use her abilities than when she was twelve. And if you can't teach her how to connect with them, then the best and only place to send her to develop her half-blood abilities is Camp. Chiron is the best trainer of heroes in history, if anyone can teach her how to control water, then it would be him.”

“But I don’t want my girls to become heroes, Beth.” Percy stressed. “You of all people know what the life of a hero is like. The girls will face nothing but hardships, pain, loss and death. And as their father, I can't put them through that.”

“And no good father would want to put their children through that, babe. But you know as well as I that the Fates don't care how much you try, you just can't fight Fate. And the life of a half-blood is never an easy one.” She paused to turn his chin to face her, looking deep into his eyes. “And the sooner you accept that our girls are going to grow up despite your wishes, the sooner you can start preparing them for the real world.

“The Greek world is the only place of danger for them, Percy. With those Zealots running around, no half-blood is safe in the mortal world. Even if the Monsters are all but gone, the streets are still no longer safe from those that wish us harm.

“I know that you only want our girls to be safe— and I love you for it, but while doing so, you’re making them miserable.”

Percy's eyes widened, his heart stopping. “I-I’m not—.”

“Yes, you are.” Annabeth gestured over to where their girls were still exercising, none the wiser. “Astraea doesn't have any friends. She is almost fifteen and she has never been allowed to have a friend, much less a best friend or boyfriend. And for a child her age, they are important. You don't let her out of the house without you, and even then she only leaves two or three times a month. When she was a toddler I didn't have a problem with it, she had wings after all and it was a risk to show them in public. But now she has full control over them, and you still won't let her leave the house.

“She’s never been to school, or a real doctor, never been to a movie, or an amusement park, or on vacation, or to the beach, or the mall, or anything that a normal fourteen year old girl is supposed to do.” Annabeth let out a long breath, calming herself down. She didn't want to yell at her husband, but she was getting really frustrated lately with his overprotectiveness for their daughters.

“Percy, I know that you are only doing what you think is best for Astraea, but you've taken it too far. If her last fight with you is any indication, then it will only get worse as time goes on, and I cannot bear to watch you two split apart. So, please, Percy, for my sake and for Astraea and Aurora’s, think about what I am telling you. And consider letting them go to Camp this summer. And, after that, if there are no incidents, let Astraea go to school in the fall and have a regular childhood.”

Percy cursed, tears running down his face. All he could think about was how he only wanted what was best for his girls, only to find out that he was making them miserable. And if he didn't change soon, then they might hate him forever.

“I only wanted to protect Astraea…” He cried. “I promised Leonidas as he was dying to protect and look after her… But now I see that he would be furious with me for how I raised her.”

With a nod to himself, he let out a breath and composed himself. “You’re right, Beth, as always. I haven't been the best father to our girls as I can, and that kills me. So I’m going to think about what you told me— as well as what Astraea said, I promise.”

Annabeth smiled. “That’s all I ask, Seaweed Brain.”

“There's just one person whose advice I want to get first before I make my decision. I want to see what my mom thinks.”

~Page Break~

“O Fleecy, do me a solid.” Percy waited for the mist to disappear as he saw his mom’s living room form before his eyes. Her and Paul’s new house was easily several times larger and nicer than their old apartment, and Percy couldn't think that his mom deserved it more. That's why he bought it for her and Paul on her birthday a few years ago. It was the least he could do for everything she did for him as a child. She tried to reject the gift at first, and in the end it took Paul’s convincing to make her accept it.

Paul appeared in the IM first, he was busy going over some papers at the kitchen table when he saw Percy. His eyes lit up like they always did, and it made Percy feel somewhat better. Even if Paul wasn’t his real dad, he was a great man and a member of the family in his eyes. Someone who he tried to emulate now that he was a father.

It didn't take Paul long to notice the look on Percy’s face. His smile dropped slightly but it was replaced by a supportive expression. “Hello, my boy. What can I do to help?”

“Hey, Paul. Sorry to drop in like this so late, but I was hoping to get some advice.”

Paul’s smile peaked. “Your wife is always right, even when she is not. That is my greatest advice to you, my boy.”

Percy chuckled without humor. “Thanks, Paul. But I already learned that years ago.”

“Then you are far smarter than I. As I’m still learning it myself.” His eyes twinkled for a moment, before studying Percy. Finally, he let out a breath and gave him a reassuring smile. “But I assume you didn't call to get marriage advice from me, did you? Something big is troubling you, something only your mom is equipped to handle. Wait there, I’ll get her for you.”

A few moments later, his mom appeared in the IM. “Percy, honey, are you okay?”

“Mom, am I a bad father?”

His mom nearly crawled through the IM. “No, you're not! Why would you ask that?” When he didn't answer for nearly a minute, she spoke again. “Percy, dear, what's wrong? What happened?”

So Percy told her about his fight with Astraea, and what Annabeth told him. As well as how he had been hiding Astraea away for most of her life in order to protect her. They spoke for nearly two hours, Percy unloading all of his concerns and fears onto her. It felt good to get it all off his chest. And in the end, he had a better idea of what he needed to do.

After he finished they both sat in silence for a while, his mom thinking about her response. And finally, she looked up to him with her comforting smile. “Percy, you’ve fallen into the trap that all parents face at one time or another.”

“What’s that?” He asked, hoping for an answer.

“You are afraid of your children growing up. And you’re holding them back because of it. Percy, I understand that being a parent of a half-blood can be really scary at times, but there comes a time that we must accept that in order for them to grow up and achieve their fates, that we must let them go.

“But letting them go is the hardest part of being a parent. That instinct inside of us is always there, always wanting to protect them with everything we have, but at the same time, it holds them back. And our children will never achieve their fates or dreams if we hold them back, much less be happy.”

She gave him the same smile that kept him going as a child, the one that always reassured him and kept him strong. “Percy, you are a wonderful father because you love and care for your girls with everything you have, but you are holding them back. Don't forget that children need freedom to grow. If they never have chances to make mistakes, then they will never grow. And if you keep them safe all their lives, then what will happen if you are no longer around to care for them? What will you do when Astraea turns eighteen? Will you still force her to stay at home in order to keep her safe? What if she finds someone and wants to get married? Will you make her and her husband live with you?

“How will you know she’s ready to take care of herself if you always take care of her? How will she grow into a competent young woman if you are holding her back?”

Percy didn't know what to say. He just sat there absorbing all his mother had told him. He thanked her for the advice, wished her and Paul well, and closed the IM. He sat in his office for another hour, silently thinking over what he was going to do. He had several things in mind, but there was one thing he needed to do first.

Apologize to Astraea.

~Page Break~

It was well past eleven, but Percy knew his eldest would be awake, so he knocked on her door, but was met with silence. After knocking a few times and calling out, he tested the doorknob to find it surprisingly unlocked. He opened it hesitantly, calling out again. Walking into the spacious pink-clad room, he didn't see any sign of her. But from the open window along the far wall, he knew where to find her. \

He climbed out of the window and onto the roof, where he found her hunched over, knees to her chest and frantically trying to wipe away a tear.

“So, this is where you go off to, huh? Pretty nice view.”

“What do ya want, dad?” She mumbled, looking away from him. “I’m not in the mood to talk right now.”

He let out a sigh. “Then you don't have to talk if you don't want to, but, please, just listen. I want to apologize.”

“...What for?” She asked, pretending she didn't know. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him.

“For not paying attention to how I was making you feel. For ignoring your wellbeing and happiness in favor of your safety.”

He gave her a sad look, one that made her heart clench. “Since the day I first laid eyes on you thirteen years ago, I promised to take care of you the best I could. To give you the safe, fun, loving childhood that I never got. To love you every second of every day, and to make sure that you knew it… but, as I’ve been learning, I haven’t done the best job of it the last few years.”

He looked to her with pleading eyes, “Can you ever forgive me, Astraea? For making you feel like I was hiding you away? For not taking your wishes to heart? For not listening to you when you needed it most? ...Can you forgive me for failing you as a father?”

Astraea’s own self-control broke, her tough facade crumbling, tears streaming from her eyes as she embraced him. “I'm sorry too, dad. For what I said about you loving Aurora more than me. Because I know it’s not true! I forgive you, so, please, forgive me too.”

Tears fell from his eyes as he held her, a relieved smile forming on his lips. “Of course I forgive you, Astraea. We both said and did things that we shouldn't have. Things we didn't mean. And I want you to know that I promise to do better, as a father. For you, and for your little sister too. I won't just focus on keeping you safe, but on keeping you happy.”

He continued to hold her as she wept, silently running his fingers through her hair like he did when she was little. After she was able to calm herself, he kissed her hair before looking up to the sky. “Now I see why you come out here. They look really peaceful up there.”

She followed his gaze to where her parents’ constellation sat in the heavens. She bit her lip as she felt her emotions rise back up to the surface. “Dad?”

“Yeah, my little star?”

“Can you tell me another story about them? About my parents? One you haven't told me before?”

He scratched his chin in thought. “One I haven't told you before, huh? Do you want to hear a funny one, a sweet one, or a serious one?’

She thought about it for a few seconds, her hair blowing in the light breeze. “...A funny one? Or maybe a sweet one, about my mom?”

His sea-green eyes brightened. “Well then, how about a sweet one that’s kinda funny? Your father may have been a rather serious guy most of the time, but he sure as Hades did get into a few hilarious situations.

“Okay, this one he told me a few months after we first met. And it happened several months before the two of us met. When your mother was pregnant with you, actually.”

He felt himself smile as her face lit up with glee. “Your father told me that while your mom was as sweet as can be, she was a really cranky pregnant lady. Just like your mom— don't tell her I said that.” He gave her a wink, which made her smile. “And, one day before breakfast, as he was out working in the garden, he heard her yell from inside their cottage. Worrying something was wrong, he immediately dropped everything and ran inside… but bumped into her, knocking her tray of fresh homemade cheesecake onto the floor—.”

“Wait,” Astraea interrupted. “Why was she eating cheesecake before breakfast?”

Percy smiled, “Because women get these crazy cravings when they’re pregnant. Could be cheesecake, could be ice cream and pickles, or it could be kelp and sardine smoothies like your mom—.”

“Mom craved kelp and sardine smoothies? Gross.” Astraea asked in disgust, a smile forming on her face.

“Yup, and boy did she love those disgusting things! It was kind of gross, actually. The apartment absolutely reeked of seaweed and sardines for three weeks. I may be a son of Poseidon, but even I couldn't stand the smell for very long. It nearly made me sick to my stomach.

“So anyway, Leonidas was stood in their tiny kitchen, looking around for trouble, when your mother looked down at the entire cheesecake on the floor and started crying. Just absolutely bawling like her horses had died. He tried to apologize, of course, and promised to make her more, but she just swatted him away, crying out “you murdered my beloved cheesecake, I hate you”, over and over.’

Astraea broke out into laughter, wiping away a happy tear. Percy felt himself smile too, glad to see her happy again for the first time since their fight. Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, he said, “It’s good to see you smile again, Astraea. ...I was worried that it would be really bad between us for much longer. ...And, as your dad, there isn't a worse feeling than knowing that I hurt you and didn't even notice.”

He pulled her in close, resting his chin on her hair. “All I can ask is for you to forgive me, and all I want from you going forward, is for you to always feel like you can talk to me. That you can tell me when I'm not being fair, that I'm not listening, that I'm worrying too much. ...That I'm making you feel unwanted.”

Tears broke from his eyes again as he held her. “...I promised myself to be the father to you girls that I never had growing up… but I’ve failed that in the last couple of years. And it took you yelling at and breaking down in front of me to realize how I was making you feel…. And, for that, I have to apologize again.” He gave her another big squeeze. “...So, can you ever forgive me, Astraea?”

She returned the hug immediately. “‘Course, dad…. I love you.”

His smile returned like it hadn't since he first laid eyes on her all those years ago. “O love you, too, Astraea.”

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Constellations Make Poor Conversationalists

[A few days later, End of May, 2025]

It was a few days after Astraea patched things up with her dad when she decided to press her luck over dinner. Her dad hadn't even sat down for two seconds when she spoke up. “Hey, dad?”

“No, you can't eat your dessert first again.”

She rolled her eyes. “No, dad, I wanted to ask you a question.”

He paused as he began serving the mashed potatoes. “...Can it wait until after dinner? We’re about to eat and we have something important to—.” Upon seeing her face drop, however, he said, “But if it’s important, then ask away.”

Astraea hesitated despite herself, this was something she learned to stop asking for years ago. “...Can I maybe join a kickboxing or MMA gym this summer? You’ve been teaching me a lot, but I want to train against other people—.”

Surprisingly, it was her mom that interrupted her. “Sorry, Astraea, but you can't join any gyms or programs this summer because—.”

“Oh come on, mom. Please?” Astraea was already getting angry. She had thought that her parents would start changing their minds about letting her do things outside of the house, but she must have gotten her hopes up too high.

“Listen to what I have to say before you interrupt, huh? I have news you may actually like.” Her mom gave her a placating smile. “You can't go to any gyms this summer because you will be going somewhere really special this summer.”

From the way her mom’s eyes brightened, Astraea knew it had to be really special. But one look at her dad’s darkened expression made her reconsider. Where could they possibly go that made them so divided? She didn't get to go anywhere anyway.

Aurora spoke up softly from beside her, her voice dripping with nervousness. “A-are you t-talking about Camp Half-Blood?”

“Yes.” Her mom’s eyes brightened even more.

Astraea felt her heart nearly explode. Ever since her parents first told her of their adventures at Camp when she was young, she had wanted nothing more than to go. A place where she can train and fight everyday? A place full of people her own age that she can become friends with? Somewhere she can walk around with her wings free? A place away from her overprotective dad? It sounded perfect!
She had dreamed of being able to go for years now, but never once did she actually believe that she would be allowed to. Maybe Aurora in a few more years, but never her.

“But we also have one more big announcement for you two.” Her dad started, breaking her out of her thoughts. His frown had disappeared somewhat. “Your mom and I have thought about it for a while, and you two know that she has been wanting to open up her very own architect firm. And the opportunity has opened up, in New York… And as it would be impossible for her to lead the company from here in Chicago, we have made the decision to move back to New York this summer.”

Astraea couldn't believe her ears. She had lived in Forest Glen, Chicago since she was a toddler, and had no memories of when they used to live in New York. But she wasn't sad to leave Chicago, that would be impossible because she never got to experience any part of it that wasn't in their house.

“Where are we moving?” Aurora asked. “And when?”

“To Manchester, an hour outside the city.” Her dad answered. “Your mom managed to score quite the deal, it was well out of our price range, but she managed to work her magic.”

Annabeth preened at the praise. “Well, being work friends with one of the original architects of the house doesn't hurt. Not to mention scoring a few big deals. It’s more money than we ever expected to pay, but I think it’ll be the perfect place for us.”

“It sits on 740 acres, so we’ll have our privacy. Don't get me wrong, I’ve lived in the city all my life and I love it, but it’ll be nice to have some peace and quiet for a change. We could practice outside all we want without worrying about being seen.”

“How big is it?” Astraea asked. “I still get my own room, right?”

Her dad chuckled. “Of course, sweetie. It’s four stories, and has eight bedrooms and bathrooms. So each of you will get your own. We’ll turn the others into studies or family rooms or something.”

Astraea whistled. “Damn.”

“Language.” Her mom said instinctively, before going into more detail. “You’ll be happy to hear, girls, that it has its own pool house, equipped with a state-of-the-art gym, 60ft pool, sauna, and hot tub.”

“Double damn.”

Annabeth ignored her eldest, instead turning to her youngest. “This should make you happy, Aurora, it comes with several stables and over two dozen horses—.”

“Horses!” Aurora looked like she was about to explode from sheer happiness. “Can I have my own horse? Please?!”

Annabeth chuckled. “Of course, honey.” Aurora shook so much Astraea feared she’d pass out. “But you should know that your father doesn't have enough time or resources to look after that many at once, so we will be selling most of them—.”

“Can I pick out my favorites to keep first?” Aurora interrupted at a rapid pace.

“I wouldn't have it any other way.” Percy told her. “But keeping horses is no small task, so I expect you to take it seriously. If you don't keep up with your homework, studying, training and extra work from grandma Athena, then your horse privileges may be taken away—.”

“Don't worry, dad! I will!”

Percy smiled, happy to share his passion for horses with his daughter. He faced his eldest next. “And Astraea, the bigger gym means that we can get more equipment, but that also means that I want to know beforehand that this is something you really want. If you can take your training seriously, then I’ll support you by getting anything you need.”

Astraea found herself out of her seat and hugging her dad before she could blink. “Thank you, dad.”

“Your welcome, sweetheart.”

Astraea wanted to apologize about getting mad with him earlier, but couldn't find the words.

“Back to the matter of Camp Half-Blood,” her mom began. “We will be moving to New York the first of June, and we will take you to Camp a few days after. We’ve already told Chiron, and he’ll be expecting you, he will have a Counselor give you a tour. You two remember Chiron, right? Aurora, you might not, since you were so young. But Astraea, you remember him, right?”

“Yeah, he was really nice. I don’t really remember much except thinking that it was really weird how he magically pulled his horse legs out of his wheelchair.”

“It was weird the first time I saw it too.” Her dad said, before becoming really serious. “And Astraea, we need to have a serious talk about Camp, and I think it’s worth it to have it now.”

Dread pooled in Astraea’s gut, nervously, she asked, “...What?”

Her dad looked beside himself with emotion. One part uneasy anxiousness, and the other twitching anger. It didn't help her nervousness. “...I’ll be honest; I never intended for you to go to Camp, so I never prepared you for what you had to do. And that’s my fault alone. But while you’re at Camp…” He paused to gather his thoughts, looking over to her mom for help. But her mom wasn't giving him any, she was only offering an unreadable look that Astraea couldn't decipher.

FInally, he let out a heavy breath and looked into her eyes, his own dark and unwavering. “While you're at Camp, you can’t tell anyone who your birth parents are.”

“Why the hell not?!” Astraea demanded.

“Language, Astraea. Just listen to your father for a second so he can explain—.”

“I will not just listen!” She cut her mom off, slamming her fist down on the table. “Why can't I tell people who my parents are?”

Her dad’s expressions darkened, his voice softening. “Because people… because it’s dangerous for you to. Your parents… well, they had a lot of… enemies, and some people might try to hurt you if they ever found out. It wouldn't be safe there for you if certain people ever found out.”

“But you said my dad died a hero! You said he died saving Olympus and the world! That he even saved your life!” Astraea was all but screaming now, she couldn't comprehend why her dad was saying this. “The Monsters and Titans are almost all gone, so who the fuck could try to hurt me?!”

“Astraea,” her mom tried to calm her down again. “Just listen and let us explain—.”

“No!” She slammed the table again, this time shattering her plate and sending food everywhere. Her sister flinched and was trying to become as small as possible in her seat. While her dad was remaining firm and unmovable. “You need to tell me right now why I can't tell people who my parents are! My dad is Leonidas Dione Reed, the son of Heracles, the grandson of Athena, and the savior of Olympus!”

She shot up from her seat and jabbed a finger at her dad. “You said that! You said my dad was a great man! That I should be proud of being his daughter! Well how the hell am I supposed to be proud of being his daughter if I can't tell anyone that?”

“It’s for your own safety.” Her dad said loudly, his voice firm but level, not quite a yell. “You will do as you're told because I am your dad and I know what is best for you. You do not need to know my reasons, you only need to do what I say. Your father asked me to keep you safe—.”

“Percy, let’s maybe talk about this later—.”

“I’m only trying to explain—.”

“Bullshit!” Astraea yelled, her wings bursting from her back in anger, ripping the back of her shirt to shreds, sending a small shot of pain through her wings for a second. But she didn't care. She even felt a spike of rebellious pride when she saw it made her dad visibly angrier. “Why are you always saying that things are for my own safety? Why can't you just let me live my life?”

“Because life is dangerous and you don't know what’s out there.” Her dad tried to explain. “People could try to kill you if they found out—.”

“Then fucking tell me what's out there!” She gave a mocking prompting gesture. “You've never given me one straight answer about how my parents died.”

Her dad suddenly clammed up, becoming noticeably more nervous. “I-I told you, your dad died a hero. And your mom—.”

“That’s not an answer.” She wasn't yelling anymore, but she wasn't pleasant either. “Just tell me how they died.”

“They died defending Olympus and the world, your father also saved my life and the lives of many of my friends, so, for that, I owe him a debt I can never repay. He asked me to take you in and keep you safe, so I will. And soon after taking you in as a ten month old, I fell in love with you and vowed to take care of you.”

That was more than he had ever told her before, but Astraea still sensed that he was holding things back. “Tell me how he died. Did he die in battle? From a wound? Did someone kill him? And how did my mom die?”

Her dad hesitated. “...Your mother Faded into the Void. It's what happens to deities when the world either forgets about them, or their Domain is destroyed or damaged beyond repair.”

Astraea felt her heart ache at this new knowledge, and she thought about it for nearly a minute. Finally, she asked, “...Was she in pain?”

Her dad gave her a sympathetic look. “Up until that point? Yes. She was in a lot of pain for many years, she had lost nearly all of her power and strength, it… it was only because of your father that she lived so long.”

“What do you mean? How?”

“He… he tied his life force with hers. I'm not sure how she did it, but she formed a connection with him that empowered her, but drained his life force in return.”

Her heart dropped. “M-my mother was killing him? Is that why he died?” Her mouth went dry. “D-did she kill him?”

“Gods no! Astraea, you have to believe me when I tell you that your mother and father loved each other so much, they’d never do anything to harm the other. But your father did agree to share his life force with her in order to prolong her life. It caused him a great deal of pain and he only survived so long because of his godly blood and strength, but he did it out of love. Just as I would do anything to save your mom, he would have done anything to save your mother. And he did several times.

“Astraea, your father literally travelled to the edges of the world, beyond the mortal realm, deep into the bowels of the earth and fought against Monsters and beasts not even gods could defeat alone just for your mother. And for you. He wanted to create a world where not only you, but all future generations could grow up in love, peace and kindness. Your father… was the greatest man I have ever known. He alone is the reason why the new gods interact with us more, why they claim all their children now. He was a great man. I considered him a friend and a brother.”

Astraea had a hard time taking this all in. For years her dad never told her anything beyond that her father died a hero. Now he’s telling her that he died trying to bring peace to the entire world? Why didn't he tell her this years ago?

“...If he didn't die because of my mother dying, then how did he die? If he was so strong, then who could have possibly killed him?”

His face cracked, his jaw clenched tight. “I’m sorry, Astraea, but I can't tell you anymore than that.”

“Why the hell not?”

Her dad’s face dropped even more, his voice becoming more subdued. “...I just can't. I’m sorry, Astraea, but I can't. But I promise you, it’s not to hurt you, and it’s not because I want to keep things from you, but I just can't tell you. And you can't tell anyone who your parents are. You’ll just have to trust me.”

“And why should I trust you after this? After you’ve held back all this stuff about my parents from me my whole life?”

His voice was soft and subdued. “...Because I’m your dad, and I love you. And I would never do anything to hurt you. I just want you to be safe and happy.”

Astraea let out a colorful expletive and ran a hand through her long hair. She didn't want to continue the rift between her and her dad. Never in her life had they been at odds like this. They never got into arguments before, they usually got along perfectly. She always sought him out to spend time with him, to listen to stories of her birth parents, to train, to watch movies or just hang out. But now just being around him was pissing her off. But she didn't want to ruin their relationship, so she decided to go against her wishes and agree.

“Fine. We’ll do it your way. For now.”

A weight seemed to drop off of her dad’s shoulders. “Thank you, Astraea. I swear, I’m not holding things back for no reason, it’s just the way it has to be.”

“Whatever.” She mumbled, ready to end this conversation as soon as possible and run off to her room. Her appetite was gone and all she wanted to do was hit something. Hard. “So what do ya want me to do when people ask who my parents are? Or did you not tell people I’m adopted?” She thought alone made her anger bubble up again.

“No, no.” Her dad placated her. “We’ll tell everyone you’re adopted, just that we don't know who your parents are.”

Astraea felt her frustration spike again, but chose not to act on it. With her luck, her dad would just change his mind and forbid her from ever going to Camp. She hated it, but it was smarter to behave and agree with whatever he said. “So you want me to lie? That it?”

Her mom looked uneasy. “...Yes, unfortunately. Chiron is the only person at Camp who knows, and he’ll assure that it stays that way. I know you don't like it, Astraea, but your dad is right. It’s not safe if people know who your parents are. I wish it weren't true, but it is.”

“Whatever.” Astraea shoved her chair back under the table and started to leave. “I’m done with this conversation. Night, mom, Aurora.”

“Astraea,” her dad called out as she disappeared around the corner, but it fell on deaf ears. “We still have something to tell you—.”

Percy slumped back into his seat. He knew that this wasn't going to be an easy conversation, but he didn't expect it to go wrong so fast. He didn't know what to do. Telling Astraea the truth was out of the question— she couldn't know that it was in fact Zeus, the former King of the Gods, who killed her father, that would make her hate the gods and possibly send her down a path of revenge, and Percy knew Leonidas wouldn't want her to follow in his footsteps. His only option was to keep the secret until he was sure either she could handle it, or if there were no possible dangers. But until then, he had to lie and let her hate him. He had to keep her safe.

~Remember to leave a Review~

Annabeth gave her husband an icy glare as soon as her youngest left the room. “I thought you were going to be more honest with Astraea? You didn't tell her anything.”

“I told her more about her father and how her mom died.” He replied. “What am I supposed to tell her? That her father was killed by Zeus, and that her father was trying to destroy Olympus and kill Zeus and all the gods? Or how about the fact that that is all a lie? That it was in fact me who killed Zeus because he mortally wounded Leonidas?

“Beth, we’ve been over this. Hera had to lie to all of Olympus and to the demigods that Zeus died a martyr at the hands of Leonidas. While I hate that it had to happen, it’s for the best. It would split the Council and send Olympus into a full-blown civil war.”

“There has to be another way, Percy. She is going to find out sooner or later, and it will crush her knowing that you never told her.”

“She’ll never find out.” He countered. “The only people that know are us, Hera, Artemis and Apollo, and Heracles and Hebe. And they’ll never risk causing Olympus to go to war.”

“I still don't like it.” She hugged herself, cold despite the summer heat. “There has to be another way.”

Percy gave a shrug, a tired expression on his face. “If you can find a way for us to tell her that the entire Greek and Roman worlds hate her parents and would wish her dead if they ever found out who she is, then we’ll tell her. But until then, I won't risk putting her in danger. I still don't like sending them to Camp or the thought of letting Astraea go to school in the fall. But you and my mom made good points, and while I want Astraea to be safe, I also want what's best for her. But if I have to choose between the two, I’ll choose to keep her safe.”

Annabeth let out a long breath, running her fingers through her hair in thought. “I don't know how to tell her either, babe. I understand why you don't want to tell her, and I agree with you, but I wish there were another way.”

He put a hand on her cheek. “Well, like I said, if you find a way, I’m all ears. But until then, I can't tell her the truth.”

Annabeth covered his hand with hers, silently running through ideas in her head, but ultimately not coming up with any. “I still don't like it.”

“I don't either, but it's the only way.” He rested his forehead on hers and they stood like that for several minutes, silently thinking.

It was only after several minutes of silence that Annabeth spoke up, her voice uncharacteristically timid. “Hey, babe?”

“Yeah?”

“...I think something is wrong.” She put a hand to her lower abdomen. “I have a bad feeling.”

His eyes widened. “Are you okay? What's wrong?”

“...I don't know. I can't explain it, but I just have a bad feeling. I know that I shouldn't get my hopes up considering, but I was just hoping that this time—.”

He kissed her hair, cutting her off. “Beth, don't worry. You can't help it, so don't worry about it. I am hoping too…, but we can't get our hopes up too high.”

Ters formed in Annabeth’s eyes. “I was just praying that this time would be different.” Tears fell from her eyes. “Is that too much to ask?”

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. “No, Beth, it’s not. We just have to pray to the Fates. That's all we can do. ...When will you know for sure?”

“It’s too early for the clinic to detect, so except for her mom, Jenny-Lee would be my only option.”

Percy gave a brave nod, trying his best to reassure her. “Then we’ll talk to her first thing when we take the girls to Camp. She’ll be able to help you. And if not her, then we could always try her mom.”

“I'm just tired of getting my hopes up.” Annabeth wept into his shoulder. “It’s killing me.”

“I know, Beth.” He squeezed her tighter, whispering into her ear. “I know.”

~Please Follow & Favorite~

Astraea never wished she could talk to her birth parents more than she did right now.

She was flying high up above the clouds looking to where her parents’ constellation sat in the heavens. Astraea had made it a commitment to talk to them at least once a week since as long as she could remember. She only wished they could respond back to her, even a simple reassuring smile would do. But they never moved, never waved, never even noticed her there. Not like the other constellations.

Astraea had the ability to talk to constellations. Yeah, she admits it sounds weird and it doesn't really make any sense to her, but she can do it. She guesses that anyone could talk to constellations too, but they don't respond to anyone but her. Okay, ‘respond’ may be a bit of a stretch, she can talk to them, but they can't talk back. They mostly just wave or nod as she passes under them. Sometimes ursa minor would race her, but she didn't feel like it tonight.

It makes her feel closer to her parents when she talks to them, even if they never respond, or even move, like they're dead floating in the night sky. But tonight it just made them seem further away.

“What kind of person were you, father?” She asked her silent and still birth parents. “My parents say you died a hero protecting Olympus and the world, but they also say that people hate you. That they’d want to hurt me because of it. Is that true?”

Or course, he didn't respond. She climbed higher into the clouds.

“And how strong were you? Were you really stronger than dad? He said you were, that you killed a giant boar the size of a cruise ship with one punch… but I can’t even picture something like that in my head. It sounds crazy, like it’s impossible, but I don't think he’s lying.

“Did you really love mother like he says? ...Did you sacrifice your life force to help her live? I can't imagine doing that for someone— well, I’d do it for Aurora without question, but other than that? I don't think I could do it.

“...How did you die? Were you killed saving Olympus? Dad won't tell me, mom either, but I think that's what happened. He'd probably tell me if you died from a different way. But who killed you? Dad says you were the strongest demigod he had ever met— the strongest in history, even, so who killed you? Was it a Titan? A group of them? Some kind of super-powerful Monster? What? Dad says you could destroy a mountain with a single punch… so how did you die?

“And why did you ask mom and dad to take me in? Do you not have a family? Dad hasn't told me anything about them if you do. Well, I know that your dad is Lord Heracles, of course, but other than that I don't know.”

Astraea climbed ever higher until her lungs strained for air. It was getting late and she wanted to get up early to run, so she started back home. But not before giving her silent parents one last glance.

“Goodnight, father, mother. I just hope I get the chance to ask you these things in person one day… I love you.”

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Forests, Storms and Nightmares

[May 31, 2025,]

[Recap: Astraea Dione Jackson— born Astraea Dione Reed, daughter of the late son of Heracles, Leonidas and the Titaness Eos— is the eldest adopted daughter of Percy and Annabeth Jackson. She was taken in by Percy and Annabeth at ten months old when her birth parents died defending Olympus and the world on the Promised Day.
Her father, Leonidas, once intended to destroy the Thrones of the Olympians to remove the old gods and usher in a new era of love and peace, free of idiodic, selfish gods. But in his last few weeks of life, Leonidas decided to spare Olympus and aligned himself with Percy, who promised he would change the gods for the better.
Leonidas and Percy defended Olympus in its last hour during the Promised Day, when countless Titans, Monsters and otherworldly creatures swarmed the golden city. Leonidas killed Ares and mortally wounded Zeus, but the King of the gods struck from behind and killed Leonidas, sending Percy into a rage that caused him to murder the King of the gods.
With his dying breath, Leonidas begged Percy to take in his demititan daughter, Astraea, as his own and raise her as he would any other. As Leonidas’ soul left his body, Eos— his Titaness wife— used the last of her power to create a constellation of their likeness called The Lovers so they could be together for the rest of time, despite her Fading into the Void and his soul being put into the stars.
Now, fourteen years later, Percy refuses to tell his daughter the truth about how her father lived and died. For how could he tell her that the entire Greek and Roman worlds hated him? How they celebrated his death? How they thought him a demon and a monster? How could Percy bear the thought of revealing to Astraea the truth: that if the Campers and gods were to ever learn of her lineage, that they might try to kill her?
With no other choice, Percy hid her away in their house under his ever-watchful gaze and assortment of magical wards. But now, with Astraea and her little sister Aurora set to attend Camp in no less than a weeks’ time, he has set himself the task of training her harder than ever to prepare her for the dangers the Greek world has to offer. But little does he know that the mortal world is just as— if not more— dangerous.]

Astraea threw out her fist, landing a solid blow on the trunk of a massive tree, causing it to tremble slightly. Her hand hurt a little, but the triple-padded gloves helped.

“Again.”

Astraea complied, hitting the tree with her left this time.

“Again. Harder.”

She increased her power and punched the tree again, leaves falling around her.

“More power.”

She hit it even harder.

“Again. Harder.”

She hit the tree with more force this time, sending a dull throb through her arm and into her shoulder. But still, her dad wasn’t satisfied.

“Again. Try to knock it down.”

That gave Astraea pause. Looking up to the great oak before her that was wider around than her uncle Tyson, she seriously doubted she could knock it down. Well, not without majorly messing up her hand.
Her dad had been training her to fight for years now, but always told her to hold back her inherent strength, to instead overwhelm her foes with flawless technique and strategy rather than raw power. But today, in preparation for them going to Camp, he asked for her to give it her all.

And Astraea was more than happy to comply. “Knock it down…? Shit, better stand back, old man. I’m gonna send this tree flying.”

“We’ll see if you're hot shit.” Her aunt Thalia said from next to her dad, watching her closely. “Give it your all, no holding back. Don't worry about hurting yourself, I may not be a healing goddess, but I can take care of whatever damage you do to yourself today.”

“Sweetness.” A wicked grin crept on Astraea’s face, greedily excited to finally be allowed to use all of her strength.

“Whenever you’re ready, Astraea. Today we’re trying to draw out a hundred percent of your strength, so hit it with everything you have, don't hold back.” Her dad told her, before motioning to her sister to take a few steps back. “Stand back, Aurora, this could get messy.”

Aurora looked from her sister to her dad just as Astraea threw out her arm, “Messy?”

The tree exploded in Astraea’s face, sending bark and dust everywhere. Aurora gave an “eep” as she jumped behind her dad, who used a thin veil of water to block them.

“Fuck- bleh!” Astraea hacked and coughed as she was engulfed by the cloud, her arm stuck in the middle of the tree.

As the cloud of dust, dirt and bark settled, they could see Astraea covered head to toe, trying in vain to wipe her face and hair clean. “It’s in my mouth! Bleh! Bleh! Gross!”

“As I said, messy.” Her dad had a shiteating grin on his face that Astraea wanted to smack off, but instead decided to be ‘mature’ and threw some of the bark dust at him.

“You didn't warn me on purpose.” She accused.

“Guilty as charged.” He couldn't hide his chuckle. He inspected the fist-sized hole in the tree, looking somewhat disappointed. “That punch was stronger than most half-bloods ever get, but not nearly as strong as I know you are. Don't worry about dusting yourself off, Astraea, go again on the next tree.”

Astraea stepped up to the next tree and dropped into a boxing stance.

“Whenever you're ready, kiddo.” Her dad told her. “Hit it with everything you have.”

She threw out her fist and this time the tree cracked in two, falling over and crushing a line of bushes to her left. Her fist quaked and her knuckles stung, but she managed to knock it down this time. “Showed that tree who’s boss, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you really scared all the other trees in the forest.” Her aunt said in a sarcastic tone with a smile on her face. “They must be shaking in their roots.”

Her dad laughed at the terrible joke, while Aurora rolled her eyes, doing a near-flawless imitation of their mother.

“Ok, Astraea.” Her dad pointed at the next tree in the line. “Punch that one, but this time, with as much force as the last punch. Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it.” She answered, dropping into her stance. “Easy enough.”

“We’ll see. The last one didn't go too well, did it?”

“Shut up, aunt Thalia.”

Her aunt gave an innocent smile. “I was only trying to help.”

“Just watch me, I'll get it this time.” Astraea launched her fist into the tree with a shout, causing it to explode like the first tree. But instead of knocking it down like the last, the tree remained standing firm despite the hole in it.

“But- how?” Astraea didn't know how the tree was still standing. She swore she hit it with the same amount of power, and this tree was thinner than the last too! So why didn't it fall?

“Try again.” Her dad instructed, not letting her think about it too long. He pointed to the next tree, saying, “Now hit this one with the same amount of power as the one you just hit. “

With a shout Astraea struck the tree, but let out a growl when she impacted it harder than the last three combined and it shattered into a thousand pieces. She looked at the ruined mess that was once the trunk, wondering why this one broke easier than the rest. She knew she tried to hit it with the same percentage of power… but she couldn't keep the output level the same—.

“Starting to figure it out, are you?” Her dad broke her out of her thoughts, walking up next to her, inspecting her handiwork with an impressed eye. “Tell me, what was the difference between each tree you hit? What happened?”

Astraea thought about it for a few seconds. The answer seemed obvious to her, but her question was why it was happening. “...I'm not hitting the trees with the same amount of power each time. Sometimes it feels like more power, other times like less.”

“Bingo, that’s my girl.” Her dad smiled, making Astraea preen at the praise, this was how her dad usually was with her, and it made her happy they were no longer fighting. “From what I’m able to guess, your body isn’t used to putting out so much power at once, probably because I’ve always told you to hold back in training in order to not hurt yourself and reveal your half-blood nature. But, out in the real world, on a Quest and at Camp Half-Blood, you will not need to hold back.”

“Especially on a Quest.” Her aunt Thalia broke in. “In a fight for your life, there is no holding back. There’s no fighting dirty. No wondering if what you're doing is right or wrong… In order to survive, you need to give it your all. And if you aren't strong enough, well, there's a reason why only a small percentage of Campers ever make it back from Quests. Most aren't prepared to face the challenges, and they die. That's why your parents and I agreed to get you and your sister as prepared as we can for when you go to Camp in a week.”

“Not that you will be going on a Quest anyway,” Her dad told her confidently. “There haven’t been any in over a decade, well, official ones, anyway. Most are just scouting and rescue missions for young half-bloods in danger, but I already asked Chiron not to send you on any Quests, regardless of what Rachel— the Oracle— says.”

“A-are Q-quests really that d-dangerous?” Aurora stuttered nervously, looking like she was going to faint at the thought.

Her dad’s face softened, “...Yeah, honey, they are.” He put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Your mom and I decided to never hide that from you… so yeah, they are. You can come across any kind of Monster, and you won't have anyone there to help you but your friends. If you make one wrong move… well, you can die. That’s the reason why we’re out here. If I'm going to let you two attend Camp, then I need to know that you two can take care of yourselves.”

Aurora didn't look convinced, if anything, she looked more terrified than usual. So Astraea decided to say something. “Don't worry, sis, I'll always have your back. If any Monster tries to get to you, they'll have to get through me first.”

Astraea had hoped that would have made Aurora a little more reassured, but it seemed to just make things worse.

“But when you are out on a Quest,” their aunt said. “Every member must do their best for the group. You can only get through it together, so you must be able to rely on each other. You must be able to know what the others are thinking and trust that they know what you’re thinking too. You have to do everything as a team. You can't just rely on others to take care of you. It's the same thing I teach my Hunters.”

“But don't worry, Aurora. I’ve already talked to Chiron, Rachel and your uncle Jason, they won't send you two on any Quests. I promise.”

Aurora still looked a little pale, but didn't look at risk of fainting anymore, which was good.

“A-are you sure?”

“Yeah, honey, don't worry. I'm sure.”

“...Okay…” Aurora ran her fingers through her curls, thinking. “...But do I still h-have to go to Camp? B-because I'm sure grandma Athena c-can just teach me everything I n-need to know—.”

“Yes, Aurora, you’re still going to Camp.” Their dad did his best to give her a reassuring smile. “You can't learn everything from books, some things you have to learn by doing.”

“...If you promise I d-don't have to go on Q-quests or f-fight anyone…”

“I can't promise that you won't have to fight anyone in training, I'm sorry.”

“...”

“Don't worry, Aurora.” Their aunt said, “Chiron will take care of you. He won't push you too far. If you don't want to fight people at the beginning, then he won't make you.”

“...Okay…”

“We’ll work on teaching you to control water in a minute, honey. I just need to finish with Astraea real quick.”

“...”

Astraea’s dad looked back to her, pointing to the next tree in line. “I want you to focus on maintaining the same level of output, Astraea. Try to use the same level of strength for five punches in a row.”

She gave him a confused look, “So how do I make sure I always punch with the same strength? Each one is totally different.”

“Practice. Practice, training and repetition.” Her dad answered. “What you need to learn and focus on, Astraea, is consistency. From what I’m able to see so far, you can either draw out your maximum regular mortal strength, or draw out a random percentage of your maximum half-blood strength. There’s no in between. No consistency, no repetition. That's what I want you to focus on for the rest of the day. Keep punching trees, and try to draw out, say, twenty-five percent of your max strength.”

“Why only twenty-five?”

“Because your body isn't used to putting that much power out yet. Yes, aunt Thalia can heal you, but continued damage from overusing your strength can cause permanent damage to your body. So, for now, I only want you to aim for twenty-five percent.” He nodded towards the nearest tree. “Whenever you're ready.”

Astraea nodded, fired up and ready to go. She was never allowed to use her half-blood strength before, so she was going to make the most of it. She threw her arm out again and the tree trembled from the blow, but didn't shatter, fall over or blow up, if fact, it didn't look damaged at all. “Shit…” She whispered under her breath. “I can't be getting tired already, so what gives?”

“Continue on your own for the next twenty minutes, then take a break and get started again. You’ll figure it out in time, I'm sure. This is exactly how your father learned to control his strength.” Her dad instructed, leading her little sister Aurora away. “I’m going to help Aurora for a bit.”

Her father had learned to control his strength this same exact way? Then Astraea knew she had to do it too, and hopefully, he was watching.

~~~

Aurora was dreading what was going to come as soon as her dad took her aside to help her train. While her dad may be Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, the only demigod in history with godly Domains, she couldn't control a single drop of water. ‘He’ll probably give up on me before long’, she thought. ‘I'm hopeless’.

She followed him to a small stream— more of a creak, really— the water was flowing so slowly she could barely see it. He waded into the water until he was knee deep. She didn't follow.

“Okay, Aurora, I want to try— oh come now, no need to be worried, come on in. The waters’ not going to bite.”

She knew that, she wasn't afraid of the water. Just afraid of disappointing him. Afraid of… it didn't matter.

“...Okay.” Her voice squeaked with nervousness and she chastised herself for appearing so scared, but she couldn't help her shoulders tensing or her knees shaking with nervousness, or her teeth chattering like she were in a freezer. She waded into the creak after him, finding the water that only went up to his knees nearly went up to her waist. It made her feel even smaller and weaker than normal.

“Just think of it like being at the pool at home, Aurora. It’s not any different than it is there, if anything, this water is natural, so you should have an easier time connecting to it. It will come to you when you let it.” He said all this like it made sense, and like he hadn't said it a hundred times before. But she still couldn't control the water.

He always tried to explain that he felt a connection to the water, like it was drawing him in, a pull in his gut, but she never once felt that connection or draw. And she feared she never would.

“Focus on the water around you. Concentrate on how it flows and moves. Find the current and watch it. Notice how leaves and sticks float down stream. Just focus on it. Feel it in your body, the water flowing down the stream.”

Aurora stood in the stream for nearly thirty minutes feeling like a fool. She had no idea what her dad was trying to explain to her. What he was saying didn't make any sense to her. She could see the flow of the water, of course, but what did he mean by feel the water flowing?

But she of course didn't voice these questions. Her dad would be disappointed in her. Even more than normal.

“...I um- I d-don't feel anything. I’m sorry.” She added quickly.

“There's no reason to be sorry.” He tried to reassure her, but she didn't trust his words. “You'll get it in time. You can't force this type of thing. You could just be a late bloomer, you still have another year or so before the last demigods get their abilities.”

“...W-what if I—.” She cut herself off, not having the courage to voice her worry.

“What if you what?”

‘What if I never get any half-blood abilities?’ Was what she wanted to ask, but couldn't say it. Her dad still had hope in her— how— she didn't know, but it was the only thing that made her still try.

“...”

Her dad put a hand on her shoulder, nearly engulfing it, it made her feel small and weak again. “Don't worry about not being able to get it yet, okay, honey? After we move back to New York we’ll go to the ocean, and I don't have any doubts that you’ll make the connection there.”

“...But w-what if t-that doesn't work?”

“Well…, if that doesn't work, then I’ll ask your aunt Kym or your grandpa. They’ll have an idea for sure. But don't worry, honey, you’ll get it in time.

‘Don't worry’, ‘you'll get it in time’. He had been saying those things since she turned twelve, but now, over a year later, she was wondering if he was ever going to stop saying them.

“...”

“Hey, let’s try something else, huh? Something fun.” Her dad was trying to cheer her up, a massive smile on his face. “There's a really big lake a few minutes’ walk from here, let’s go for a swim, maybe that’ll help with your connection to the water.”

As much as she wanted to, Aurora could never turn down the opportunity to swim. “...O-okay…”

“You brought your swimsuit like I asked, right?” Aurora gave a mute nod. “Good. Let's go check up on your sister and see if she wants to join us. You two can get changed in the camper while I talk to your aunt.”

~~~

Astraea had just punched through another tree when she heard her dad and sister coming back off in the distance, and from one look at her sister’s face, the training hadn't gone so well.

“Let’s take a break, Astraea.” Her aunt told her. “They're back.”

“But I haven't even got two equal strength punches in a row yet. Can't I just take a break later? Like when we’re eating dinner?”

“Don't be so eager to get better that you don't listen to your body. You're tired. So let's take a little break, huh?”

“...Fine.” Astraea punched one last tree for good measure, splitting it in two. She let out a low growl, the power behind that one was even more erratic than usual!

“How’s the training been going, honey?” Her dad asked when he finally reached them, looking over her handiwork. “Well, you have the idea when it comes to strength, the control will come with practice, trust me. But it’s time to take a break.”

“Then why are you making me take a break? I'm not that tired, I can still go a few more hours.”

“Yes, that’s true, but it's good to let your body recover and relax. Come on, your sister and I are heading down to the lake for a swim, wanna come?” He then looked to her aunt. “You're welcome as always, Thals.”

“I guess I could go for a swim, I haven't swam since Artemis and I hunted that giant Polynesian Firesquid last year.”

“Well I'm not swimming,” Astraea stated firmly. “No way in Hades are you getting me in the water.”

“Come on, honey, the only way you can get over your fear of water is to get comfortable in the water. Just get into the water with us, I'll be right there, so there's nothing to worry about.”

“Why would I get in the water if I can't swim?”

“If you would ever let me teach you, maybe you'd be able to.”

“How about you three go splash around or whatever and I'll stay here training?”

“Sorry, kiddo, but you're coming too. It won't be that bad, I promise. We can work on teaching you how to float first. Come on, you two go get changed in the camper, I need to talk to your aunt real quick.”

“What about?” Astraea couldn't stop herself from asking.

Her dad hesitated despite himself. “...Nothing important—.”

“It's about your birthday,” Her aunt broke in. “Don't wanna get spoiled, do you? Then go on already.”

Astraea left it alone and climbed into the camper attached to her dad’s truck. She wasn't convinced in the slightest that they were talking about her birthday, which meant that her dad was still keeping secrets from her.

~~~

As soon as the girls were out of earshot, Percy turned to his cousin. “Her birthday, really? She's smarter than that, she didn't believe you for a second.”

“Well I wasn't the one who made a point to say that we were going to talk to each other without them, was I?”

“...I guess you're right.”

“Course I am.” Thalia smiled, before it quickly faded. “So, tell me already, how's Annabeth? The other day she told me she’s been getting a lot of pains recently.”

“She got them a lot when she was still pregnant with Aurora, but after she was born she got better. And, well, you know the two of us have been trying to get pregnant again for a few years now, but we haven't had any luck. Those same pains come back whenever she’s pregnant.”

“...Is she pregnant again?”

“We’re not sure.” He answered honestly. “It’s too early for the mortal clinics to detect, but—.”

“But not for a god.” She cut him off. “So you two have another reason to go back to New York, don't you? I know you two haven't gone back to Olympus since… you know, but if you were to call for him, I'm sure Apollo would be happy to help. That, or even Eileithyia. I'm sure she’d be willing to help you and Annabeth out, she’s pretty cool.”

“Well, we don't want to get the gods involved right now…” He told her slowly, like he was thinking it over in his head. “But when we get to Camp, Annabeth is going to talk to her daughter and get a check-up. We’ll be able to see how she’s doing then.”

“I pray to Chaos for you two, Percy. I know Annabeth wants more kids, but ever since she got that injury from Leonidas…”

“Yeah, I know.” Percy let out a breath, finding his eyes wandering over to the camper where Astraea was. “Ever since he accidentally hit her with that knife while she was pregnant with Aurora, she hasn't been able to have any more kids. And, if by some miracle she does, hopefully they won't turn out so small and weak like Aurora…” He bit his lip, cursing.

“It’ll be fine, Kelp Head. Aurora may have been really small and sickly when she was a baby, but with Eileithyia, Hera and Apollo’s help she isn't any different than any kid her age.”

“But it really stunted her growth, you know that. She was always so small— still is, and she was so sickly as a baby… she’s too small for her age. So… what if the same happens for this child? What if they’re so sick and small and weak?”

Thalia brought him in for a hug. “Then we’ll help take care of them like we did Aurora. You must be an idiot to think we’d just sit by and do nothing.”

Percy returned the hug, putting on a brave face for when his girls came back. “You're the best, Thals, have I ever told you that?”

“You could stand to say it more,” She joked. “Come on, that's enough depressing talk for one day, let's just have fun today. The three of us can talk later when you two move back to New York.”

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The water was mocking her, Astraea knew it.

It was just sitting there, mocking her over her inability to swim. Making fun of her for being afraid of it.

She glared at the crystal-clear surface. “Fuck you, water.”

Her dad turned around from where he was talking to Aurora. “Huh? Did you say something, honey?”

“No. I just don't wanna get in the water.”

“Then how are you ever going to get over your fear of it if you won’t try?”

“Why do I even need to learn to swim anyway? I have wings.” She summoned her large wings and gave them a flap, the setting sun glistening off her golden-red feathers. “I can just fly over any water I come across.”

“And what will you do in the ocean? Just fly all the way across it?”

“Well, I— What would I be doing in the ocean anyway? The ocean is evil.”

Her dad’s face dropped slightly, “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Look, Astraea, I don't want to force you to do things that make you uncomfortable or that you don't want to do, but you asked me to help you get ready for Camp, and, well, there’s canoe racing and water-based warfare training there. What would happen if you had to sail a canoe across the lake?”

“I would just fly over it.”

“*sigh* And what if the training says you can't? That you have to sail across it?”

That made Astraea pause. “Well, I…”

“Would you admit defeat that easily? Would you risk losing just because you're afraid of some water?”

A flame lit inside Astraea, she was an incredibly competitive person. She wouldn't admit defeat so easily. “Fine. I'll do it.” She said, willing her wings into her back to keep them from getting wet.

Her dad smiled, motioning for her to follow him. “Come on, you can't learn to swim fifty feet from the shore, let's go.”

When Astraea arrived at the waterline she saw her little sister shooting through the water like a torpedo, zipping around rocks and fish at an incredible pace. Aurora may not be able to control the water, but she sure could swim like she could. Astraea even noticed some freshwater Naiads joining her for a friendly race. It made Astraea slightly jealous of Aurora’s natural affinity for the water.

Not that it didn't make sense, considering Aurora was a granddaughter of Poseidon while she was a granddaughter of Heracles and daughter of Eos.

“...So, how do we start?”

Her dad chuckled. “We start by getting in the water.”

“Smartass.”

“You could at least pretend to try to not cuss around me, you know.” Her dad smiled as he walked into the water until it was to his waist. “If I ever cussed like you did around your grandma, well, let’s say I might not have survived.”

After a moment of hesitation, Astraea put a foot in the water and instantly she recoiled. The second her toe touched the water, a massive shiver went through her body, like some primal flight or fight instinct was warning her against it. It made her go on edge, her pulse quickening and her body tensing, ready to fight if need be.

“It’s not that cold, come on.” Her dad must have misunderstood the reason for her shiver. He beckoned her further out. “You’ll get used to it in a minute.”

Astraea hesitated, her feet still firmly on dry land, eyeing the water cautiously, this was the first time she was going to get into water that wasn't in her shower. “Can't I just try this at home in our pool instead?”

“We’ve already tried that like a dozen times before, remember? But it's time to fight that fear, kiddo, we’re gonna teach you to swim today, no matter what.”

Still Astraea hesitated. The pool at home wasn't sounding too bad right now, the touch of the water still made her shiver, but not as nearly as bad as this. The water in this lake made her want to vomit. But she wouldn't give up so easily. “...Fine.”

“That's my girl. Now, walk out to me. It’s only waist-deep here, we’ll practice floating right here, you won't have to go out any further than that.”

Despite all her instincts screaming at her to stop, Astraea powered through and stepped into the water, a feeling of nausea engulfing her. She ignored it, however, and pushed her way through the water, the liquid feeling like molasse as she forced her way to her dad.

When Astraea reached her dad, she was careful not to go an inch further. She hugged herself as she stood on the spot, shivering despite the summer warmth as she waited for instruction. “That wasn't so bad, was it?” If only he knew. “Now, I want you to lay back in the water— you can hold yourself up with your arms or legs if you need to, we just want you to get used to it.”

Astraea did as instructed and as slowly as she could, leaned back into the water. Every new inch of skin that hit the water felt like it was getting pricked by thousands of pins, they didn't hurt, exactly, they just made her back go numb. Like when her leg fell asleep, but times a thousand and across nearly her entire body.

“Good, good. Now, try putting your head back.” She let out a grumble and leaned back even further. She did as instructed.

“Gah!” The second her head hit the water it was like ice-cold rods were stabbing into her brain, causing her to summon her wings and jump out of the water in order to get away. She flew off in a random direction— which just so happened to be further out into the water— but her feathers were completely soaked, making her unable to stay in the air for long. She crashed back into the water, flailing.

“Help! Dad!” Astraea kicked and lashed out as she sank to the bottom, her screams pulling all the air from her lungs. The pins and needles were stabbing her entire body now, feeling more like knives than pricks. Her entire body was going numb, her mind was going a mile a minute as panic fully set in.

Something brushed against her side and Astraea kicked at it with all her might, refusing to let some water Monster drag her down even further.

She flailed and flailed, screaming breathlessly as water filled her lungs and darkness clouded her mind, wondering where her dad was. He wouldn't let her drown, he promised… Something bumped her again and she kicked it with everything she had, but it gripped her leg and held it down. She felt it grab under her armpits, she swung her fists randomly, connecting three or four times before it overpowered her and held her arms down. Astraea feared what was going to happen next when her head suddenly broke the surface.

She tried to suck a breath of air as soon as the sun hit her face, but she couldn't take in any air.

“Stop fighting me, Astraea!” Her dad’s voice sounded in her ear, making her realise that it was him who had pulled her from the water. “Stop moving! I need to get the water out of your lungs.”

It felt like she was vomiting up her entire stomach when he used his abilities to pull the water out of her throat. The second the last drop of water left her lips she sucked a giant breath of air. Her lungs screamed in protest, but she didn't stop taking in breaths until she felt lightheaded.

“Slow down, Astraea.” Her dad ordered. “Take it easy, slow your breathing. You're okay, honey, you're okay.” He hugged her, squeezing her tighter than ever before. “You're okay. I have you, I have you. I won't let anything happen to you. You're okay, you're okay…”

Astraea didn't know how long she laid there on the riverbank in her dad’s arms, listening to him reassure her. She mindlessly recalled her sister and aunt there, panicking as they checked up on her, even her uncle Apollo stopped by, but Astraea couldn't tell if that was real or not. Then everything went black.

~~~

When she woke, she was laying down in their camper. The first thing she noticed was that she was freezing. She shivered despite herself.

“Oh, honey! You're awake!” Her dad crashed into her, engulfing her again with a hug. He kissed her hair. “I was so worried, honey. When I saw you fall back into the water, I swam right for you, but you kept fighting me away. I'm just thankful I managed to pull you out when I did.”

“Sweetie! Are you alright?” From the other side of the camper Astraea saw her mom through an Iris Message, where her aunt was. Her mom looked like she wished she could crawl through the IM to hug her. “When Thalia called me I was worried sick. Are you okay?”

“...Y-yeah, I’m okay.” Her voice felt raw and dry. “Dad, can you get off me? And can I have some water?”

“Oh! Of course, honey.” Her dad leaped to his feet and ran to the mini fridge, grabbing her a bottle of water before opening it and giving it to her. “Here you go, sweetie.”

Astraea took careful sips. Everyone in the room— and even out of it— was watching her, and it felt awkward. “Can you all stop staring at me?”

“Oh, sorry, honey. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Thanks, dad, but I'm fine, really.”

“Are you okay, Astraea?” Her sister hugged her, squeezing her tight. “I was so scared…”

“I'm fine, Aurora, just tired. And cold.” She hugged her little sister. “I'll be okay.”

Her aunt stepped up and handed her a small biscuit-like cube. “Here, Astraea, take this. It’s ambrosia. Apollo gave me some before he left. He said you’d be fine, but he wanted to make sure you got your strength back.”

“Thanks.” She took a small nibble of the golden square, the taste of her dad’s homemade caramel apple galette washing over her tongue. She took a larger bite and instantly she felt a calming warmth wash over her body.

“Feel better?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Of course. Just take it easy, okay? Apollo said you had a lot of your energy drained, so it’ll take awhile to gain it back. So just rest up, alright?”

“‘Kay.”

“What happened, sweetie?” Her mom asked through the Iris Message.

“...”

“I was trying to teach her how to float.” Her dad spoke up for her, a regretful look on his face. “Everything was going fine, then suddenly she cried out in pain and tried to fly off but crashed into the water….” He clenched his jaw, looking away from both the IM and Astraea. “I wasn't listening to Astraea, I made her get in the water. I was trying to help her get over her fear of the water, but I pushed her too far—”

“No, dad, you didn't.” Astraea wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and hugged herself, still feeling a little cold. “I didn't tell you how bad it felt getting into the water. I was being stubborn. If I did, then you wouldn't have told me to do it.”

“Neither of you are to blame,” Her mom assured them. “Accidents happen. I just thank the Fates that your dad was there to help you.”

“W-what happened in the water?” Aurora squeaked next to her.

“...I… I don't know.” Astraea answered honestly, shrugging. “It felt like a thousand pins were poking me, then when my head hit the water it just really hurt. I got all nauseous and felt sick, like I was going to throw up.”

“Maybe something in the water hurt you?” Aurora asked aloud, thinking. “I saw plenty of naiads in there, they can be a little mean in mythology, but they were really friendly. Maybe there was some sort of water Monster in there too?”

Her dad’s brow rose in question. “That doesn't make any sense, this water is extremely pure. The naiads living in it took excellent care of it, they always drive away dangerous water spirits. I even asked if we could swim in it first. Nothing in it should have hurt you.”

“Maybe it was the water itself.”

Four sets of eyes all turned to her aunt. “What do you mean, Thalia? How could the water hurt her? It’s pure water—.”

“What if it’s like how you are with the sky, Percy?”

“What do you mean?”

“You're a child of the Seas, and my dad never let you fly, remember? But even now, you still get really uncomfortable in the air, right?”

“...Yeah, I do.” He thought for a few seconds, exchanging a glance with her mom. “Do you think that could be it?”

“It’s possible.” Her mom agreed through the IM. “But I've never heard of a half-blood having such a bad reaction to water before.”

“What are you talking about?” Astraea asked, feeling incredibly out of the loop. “What’s going on?”

Her aunt answered for them. “I think it is your demititan blood that is hurting you in the water, Astraea.”

“W-what? How? That doesn't make any sense.”

“Doesn’t it? Think about it, Astraea, your mother is Eos, the Titaness of the Dawn, mother of the Wind of Sky and daughter of Hyperion, the Titan of the Eastern Sky. Eos was connected to the skies far more than most Titans. Now think about your father, Leonidas. He was the Legacy of Athena and the son of Heracles, who, in turn, are both children of Zeus.”

“You're a child of the Skies, Astraea.” Her mom told her softly. “That's why we think you had such a bad reaction to the water. It could also explain your fear of it, at least, combined with… the plane crash.”

Astraea didn't let herself think about that day.

Her dad was quick to speak. “But don't worry, honey, we’ll figure out how to help you with that, later. For now, it’s late, you and Aurora should go to sleep, we’re heading back home first thing tomorrow morning.”

Her dad hugged them goodnight, offered them more blankets and pillows, then took his leave after her aunt.

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After they were a suitable distance from the camper, Percy created a small spring of water so Thalia could call Annabeth back over the IM. “O’ Fleecy, do me a solid.”

“Is she really going to be alright, Thalia?” Annabeth asked her best friend.

“You heard Apollo, Astraea will be fine—.”

“I mean going forward. With everything. This strange weakness to water… it worries me.”

“Me too.” Percy said quickly. “Now I'm even more worried about sending Astraea to Camp. She’s going to be closer to the ocean than ever— I mean, she’s never liked the water before, but now, I’m worried about this affecting her.”

“The girl will be fine, you two are just freaking out ‘cuz she’s your kid. But believe me, she’ll be fine. Especially at Camp.” Thalia said quickly when Percy looked like he was going to speak. “Chiron will be there to look after them, plus, even though he’s busy, Jason will keep an eye on them from time to time. The girls will be fine, don't worry.”

“I still don't like it.”

“That’s a shock.”

“But the mortal world isn't safe for them either, not with the Zealots running around, so I have no choice.”

Annabeth cursed. “Those monsters, have the gods had any luck learning anything about those half-blood children who were murdered but the Zealots?”

Lightning sparked on Thalia’s fingers. “No. Whoever they are, they’re good. They didn't leave any trace, no prints, no scents, no hair, no magical detection, nothing. Artemis says she hasn’t seen anything like it before.”

Annabeth looked like she was going to cry. “How someone could do that to innocent children… I just can't understand it.”

“We’ll catch them sooner or later, and when we do, we’ll make them pay.”

“Is the Council hunting them down?”

Thalia sighed. “Unfortunately not.”

Percy looked aghast. “Why not?”

“The Council is split,” Thalia explained. “Some of us say we should step in and track down the Zealots and be more progressive in protecting the unclaimed half-bloods, but there are others who say that this is a mortal issue. And, that it is not our place to intervene in every mortal matter. The Council cannot make a move without a vote in favor, you know that. I’ve been pushing the topic for weeks, but it keeps getting vetoed.”

“Fuck!” Percy swore. “These are innocent children that are getting killed, both half-blood and mortal! How can the Council just sit by and let that happen?”

“I agree, but my hands are officially tied. But,” she lowered her voice to a whisper. “Artemis, the Hunters, Apollo and I have been patrolling the town where the kids were killed, looking for any evidence and keeping an eye on things. And if we see any Zealots, we’ll take ‘em down, hard.”

“Don't take it easy on them when you do.” Percy said.

Thalia gave a cruel grin. “Oh, don't worry. Nico has a few choice punishments in mind for them, along with a reserved spot in the underworld. He said, and I quote, “I’ll make Prometheus’ punishment look tame.” So I think he has it covered.”

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Aurora started crying on the spot as soon as their parents left. Astraea was quick to pull her in for a hug. “Hey, I told you I'm fine, don't cry.”

“I-I was just so scared.” Aurora sobbed. “I didn't know you fell into the w-water, I came up for air and d-dad was screaming your name, swimming out into the lake. A-and when he didn't come up with you immediately… I… I thought you—.’

“Shh, don't cry, I'm fine.” Astraea squeezed her sister tighter, refusing to let go until she fell asleep on her shoulder. With a little difficulty, Astraea managed to lay her down and tucked her in.

Now feeling incredibly alone, Astraea thought back to the water, but not to earlier today when she nearly drowned, but to the plane crash in the storm she saw as a little girl. The one that instilled in her her fear of water, and the reason why her sister refused to use her abilities.

She didn't shake the rogue thoughts away like she usually did. She hadn't let herself think about that night, even when it crept up against her wishes from time to time, but now, she let herself dwell on it as she faded into sleep.

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“Come on, girls, your parents are here.”

Seven year old Atraea and five year old Aurora ran out of the door their grandma Shall was holding open and down the steps to see their parents. Astraea crashed into her dad while Aurora hugged their mom.

“Daddy! Do we have to leave already?”

Her dad smiled as he picked her up, kissing her on the cheek. “Hey, little star, don't want to say goodbye to grandma and grandpa just yet, huh?”

Astraea shook her head. “No! Grandma is so fun! She took us to the park yesterday—.”

Her dad’s eyes widened. “You did what?” He all but demanded, looking at her grandma.

“I took them to the park, Percy.” She told him defiantly. “They’re children, they should act like it and go to the park.”

He hugged Astraea tighter. “But it’s too dangerous—.”

“Babe, not now,” Their mom whispered, but Astraea still heard her. “You'll scare the children.”

“...Fine.”

Astraea didn't know what was going on, but she got the feeling that she was never going to be allowed to go to the park ever again. Or maybe even spend the week with her grandparents again.

Her dad suddenly smiled, giving her a big hug. “Were you two good for grandma Sally and grandpa Paul?”

Astraea nodded, “Mhm.”

“They were perfect.” Her grandpa Paul said, “Like little angels.” He ruffled Aurora’s hair, causing her to giggle.

“Then how about we get some ice cream on the drive home?” Her dad asked with a massive smile, making Astraea forget about him being upset earlier.

“Yay!” Astraea cried, pumping her arm into the air. “I want strawberry!”

“C-can I h-have b-blue ice cream?” Aurora stuttered.

“Of course.” Her mom said. “We know where they make the best blue ice cream in the world.”

~~~

It was dark out really early, and Astraea knew that was weird. She didn't like it, something in her told her that something bad was going to happen. The whistling wind and thunder booms outside the car didn't help her either.

They were on their way back to Illinois, driving along the ocean, when a massive storm came out of nowhere. Astraea had never been in a storm like this before, so she was scared, but she made sure to stay brave for her little sister, who was curled up in the backseat next to her.

The truck hit a gust of wind and swerved. Aurora cried next to her and Astraea hugged her tight.

“We’ll be okay, girls.” Their dad reassured them as he drove. “It’s just a little wind and water. Nothing to worry about. It’s super past your bed times, so try to get some sleep, ‘kay?”

“But daddy—.”

“We’ll be okay, Astraea. I’ll protect you. I’ll keep us safe. I promise.’

That simple reassurance filled Astraea with confidence. Her dad always looked out for her and her sister and mom. He was strong and brave, and he could control water. So if he told her he’d keep them safe, she’d believe him.

They drove on through the storm, Astraea watching the clouds and water from the window as Aurora slept with her head on her lap. Their truck swerved again, but Astrea wasn't afraid. Her dad would keep them safe.

Astraea was on the verge of falling asleep when thunder boomed above them, waking Aurora up with a cry. Astraea hugged her, telling her to go back to sleep. The truck was pushed by a gust of wind again.

“Percy, I think we should pull over.” Her mom said. “It’s getting too dangerous.”

“I see an overpass coming up ahead, we can sit under there until the storm blows over.”

They parked under the overpass, beside several other cars who had the same idea. Aurora was falling back to sleep, but Astraea kept watching the storm, fixated on it.

“We’ll be okay, sweetie,” Her mom told her, climbing into the backseat to sit with them. She picked up the sleeping Aurora and pulled Astraea in to lean against her. “It’s just a big rain storm.”

But Astraea still had a bad feeling.

Screams broke out though the storm and waves. “Somebody help! Get some rope! We need some rope! Help! They're drowning!”

Astraea pressed her face against the cold window to see what was going on. A nearby bridge had fallen into the water and cars were sliding off of it. There were people running around everywhere in the storm, trying to pull other people out of sinking cars. Before she knew what was happening, her dad opened his door.

“Percy, no!”

“I need to help them, Beth. People could be dying.”

“But—.”

“I need to help them.”

Her mom looked extremely worried, but nodded. “Just promise me you’ll be okay.”

“I'll be fine, Beth.” He kissed her and smiled at Astraea. “Take care of your mom, will you, sweetie? Be brave for her and your little sister, okay?”

Astraea couldn't help but shake her head. “But daddy, the storm is really bad! You could get hurt!”

“And if I don't help people, then they could die.”

That made Astraea pause. Aurora woke up as he was closing the door. She didn't know what was going on and was scared. She cried for him to come back, but their dad couldn't hear her over the sound of the wind and waves.

Astraea watched in fear as her dad ran out into the storm and jumped into the water while the people around them were busy trying to pull a car out of the water. Her dad burst out of the water and flew on top of waves further out into the ocean into the eye of the storm. He has all but a speck at this distance, but Astraea watched him closely. Aurora cried next to her, and their mom tried to comfort her best she could.

He flew even higher into the air, supported by a swirling column of water, battling the storm. The skies were so dark she could barely see, but Astraea could make out a bright glow of sea green energy around her dad.

Astraea didn't know how long he was in the eye of the storm, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours, it could have been days for all she knew. But she kept her face to the window, watching him.

Suddenly lightning flashed overhead, followed quickly by an air trembling crack of thunder. The people pulling the injured out of the water yelled, Aurora screamed, their mom shook, and Astraea broke the door handle she was gripping it so hard.

A giant sound rumbled, like the sky had been split in two. Astraea forced her eyes away from her dad to the direction of the noise and her breath caught in her lungs. “Oh gods…”

A plane was diving towards the water, one of its wings was on fire and smoke was billowing out, leaving a trail in the clouds. It didn't take Astraea long to realize that the plane would crash into the water any second, any when it did, all of those people would die.

She screamed. For what, or to whom, she didn't know. But she screamed. Aurora cried next to her. Her mom started a prayer in Ancient Greek.

Suddenly her dad leapt off the column of water and soared to intercept the plane in a swirl of seawater and wind. He flew through the storm and dove into the water, vanishing from sight. Astraea pressed her face and hands to the window even harder.

When the plane was only a few seconds from hitting the waves her dad burst out of the water and lifted it upwards to crash the falling plane. The noise of the plane hitting the water made Astraea’s bones rattle and she cracked the glass with her hand in surprise.

The plane started to sink immediately and her dad jumped back into the water and disappeared for several minutes. Aurora’s screams sent a shiver into her bones, their mom was trying her best to calm her down, but nothing was working. Astraea kept her eyes glued to the water for any sign of her dad.

The tail of the plane erupted out of the black waves and started to get pushed to shore by waves and winds. Astraea could hear the people remark and yell, but she kept her eyes glued on the plane, wondering where her dad was.

Astraea cried for joy when her dad broke out of the water, using his abilities to pull the plane to the shore, fighting off the storm at the same time. She watched in awe as he walked on the waves, pulling the tail of the plane behind him up to the rocky shore.

As soon as he reached the beach, the people rushed the broken plane attempting to search for the injured. Her dad quickly jumped back into the water, swimming away and out of Astraea’s view. A minute later her dad called them via IM, telling her mom to meet him a few miles down the coast where he was hiding from people.

The only thing Astraea remembered after that was being in awe of her dad and his power, but utterly terrified of the ocean.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: The Young Immortal

[June 3, 2025, New York City]

[Recap: After years of refusal, Percy has finally allowed his daughters, Astraea and Aurora, to attend Camp Half-Blood for the summer in only a few days' time, and decided to bring them out into the forest to start their training. Astraea was tasked with learning how to control her incredible half-blood strength, while Aurora was taught how to find a connection with the water. But to no avail.
Now, the Jackson family is moving from Forest Glen, Chicago, back to New York, to their new ultra-luxury home in Westchester County. With plans to take the girls to Camp tomorrow, Percy and Annabeth decided to let them spend the day with their grandparents while they got their new house situated.]

It was a few days later when the Jacksons finally moved back to New York, and Astraea could be happier. Chicago never felt like a home to her, despite spending nearly all of her life there. One of the downsides of never being allowed outside, she supposed. She really hoped her dad would let her out of his sight going forward, but she honestly doubted he ever fully would.

Their parents had hired a moving company to pack and send all of their belongings to their new house in Westchester County, New York, the day before, with the four of them arriving via car the next day because his dad worried about taking Aurora in a plane.

The drive was boring and uneventful, but Astraea loved it. She had never been in a car ride for so long before, and while some people may have gotten bored and tired of the long trip, she loved it. She spent the entire time looking out the window, taking in all the sights she could. She had never been on a trip before since she was a little kid and too young to remember it, so she appreciated every second of it. She didn't know what was going to happen at Camp or what to expect, and honestly, that excited her.

How many half-bloods would be there? How many would be her age? Hopefully she’d be able to befriend them all. What would the activities be like? When was the first capture the flag? When would she be able to start training with weapons? What would the counselors be like? Would they be really nice, or really strict? Hopefully they wouldn’t forbid her from summoning her wings like her dad. Maybe she’d be allowed to fly as much as she wanted! What was taking so long? Why weren't they there yet? She wanted to get there already.

“Are we there yet?”

Her dad sighed, probably tired of hearing the same thing for the past eleven hours. “Like I said twenty minutes ago, we’ll be at your grandparents house in a few minutes. We just have to get through rush hour traffic in New York City.”

“Why do we have to go to grandma and grandpas’? Why can't we just go to Camp right now?”

“Because Chiron isn't expecting us until tomorrow. Don't you want to see grandma and grandpa? I thought you’d be excited to visit them again? It’d break your grandma’s heart to hear that you don't want to see her.”

Astraea felt a little ashamed. “I didn't mean it like that. I just, well… I just want to go to Camp already.”

Her mom smiled. “Don't worry, honey, we understand. You just need to be a little patient. Your dad and I need to go over some final paperwork to get our new house today, and the company didn't have any openings tomorrow. So you two will spend the day having fun with grandma and grandpa while we do all the boring paperwork. We’ll take you two Camp first thing tomorrow, don't worry.”

“Alright.” Astraea relented. “I'm just excited.”

~Page Break~

“Finally! We’re here!” Astraea hadn't even let her dad fully park the car before bursting out of the car and bounding up the steps and practically tackling her grandparents.

“Oof! Well, it's good to see you too, Astraea. My, look how big you’ve gotten.” Her grandpa chuckled, ruffling her hair. “You’re almost as tall as me already.”

“Astraea, dear! Oh gods, look at you, you look so beautiful.” Her grandmother said, making her preen.

“Hey, grandpa, grandma. I missed you guys.”

“And we missed you too, kiddo.” Her grandpa said before looking back to the car. “Now, if I wasn't mistaken, there were two of you before… Where’d your sister go?”

“Still in the car.” Astraea answered. “I don't think she’s very excited about going to Camp tomorrow.”

“Well I understand that it can be a little unnerving,” her grandma said. “But she’ll have fun and make plenty of friends. It will just take some time.”

“I don't want to wait until tomorrow, but mom and dad say I have to.”

“Waiting is boring, everyone hates it.” Her grandpa told her with a chuckle.

“Your parents tell me they’ll be letting you go to school this year, are you excited?”

“I can't wait!” Astraea cheered. “I'll finally be able to do sports and clubs, and have friends.”

Her grandma looked a little sad at her words, but quickly hid it. “Well, then we should celebrate, shouldn't we? How about the four of us go see a movie, then get some ice cream afterwards? Sound fun?”

“It sounds awesome!” Astraea had never gone to the movies before, and she hadn't gone out for ice cream since she last stayed with her grandparents seven years ago. She was practically bouncing with excitement. “Let’s go right now!”

“Hold on one moment, I want to say hello to your parents first. I haven’t seen them in years. We’ll go in a bit.”

Her sister came up the stairs next, giving their grandparents hugs. Astraea looked over to the truck, where her parents were still sitting inside, talking. They sat talking for a minute or two, before getting out and making their way towards them. Her dad helped her mom out of the car, which wasn't very common. In fact, if Astraea thought about it, her dad had been practically hoving around her mom the last few days. So much that he hadn't been spending as much time with her and Aurora. Her mom had kept a straight, calm face the last few days, but their dad was a ball of nerves.

It made Astraea concerned, but she hadn't figured out how to bring it up.

“Percy, Annabeth! How are you?” Her grandma engulfed the two of them in a massive hug, not letting go until they begged to be released. “How have you two been?”

“Let’s head inside, girls.” Her grandpa told them, leading them in the door. “I think your grandma is going to be awhile. You two had a long trip here, you must be thirsty. Want something to drink? Or eat?”

~Page Break~

After taking half an hour, Astraea’s parents were finally done talking to her grandma and they left to go meet with the realtors. Astraea noticed that her grandma looked a little shaken when she came back inside, but she quickly put on a smile and said it was time for them to go.

“Sorry that took so long, girls. Let’s go see a movie, shall we? There are a few showing, which do you want to see?”

“Oh! The new Star Wars one with Delilah Keres!” Astraea was quick to suggest.

Her grandpa smiled. “I'm interested in seeing that one too. I'm a sucker for anything Star Wars. Even if they aren't as good as they used to be..”

“Isn't Delilah that famous half-blood actress?” Grandma Sally asked. “The one with the red skin and horns that can shapeshift?”

“Yeah! She’s so cool.” Astraea said. “She’s the first half-blood actress and model. She can change her appearance to look like anyone and play any role.”

“But she always keeps her horns, doesn’t she?” Grandpa Paul asked.

“She does. I saw an interview with her where she said she does that because she's proud of her appearance. And that she can look like a normal person, but chooses not to because she shouldn't have to.”

“Huh, that’s interesting. She does talk about half-blood rights on TV a lot, so that makes sense.”

“Is she a demigod?” Her grandma asked. “Or is she a type of Monster?”

“She’s a Lilith.” Aurora answered. “They’re D-Demons from the Underworld. They're an extremely rare race of all female demons. Uncle Nico told me about them. He’s never actually met one before, just heard of them.”

“The Greek Underworld?” Grandpa Paul asked.

“No, they’re from another one altogether. I don't know much about them other than they're said to be immortal.”

“Come to think of it,” Grandma Sally said. “Doesn't she work for the Half-Blood Fellowship?”

“Yeah, she does a lot of interviews for them I think.” Astraea replied. “She’s my favorite celebrity. A publicly known Monster that's an actress, model and celebrity? That’s never happened before! And she’s so beautiful too!”

“It’s very impressive that she’s able to do any of that at all. Most half-bloods can never have their godly heritage revealed because it’s too risky.”

“I wish I could do that.” Astraea said, mostly to herself. “Walk around with my wings out, be who I really am. That’d be cool.”

Her grandma gave her a small hug, “I know what you mean, Astraea. But right now, it’s too dangerous to tell anyone that you’re a half-blood. Not with those Zealots out there hunting down half-bloods.”

Just hearing that name made Astraea’s blood boil. It wasn't hard to hear about the people who hunted children for sport on the news or online. If Astraea ever met them, she’d send them to Hades herself. “It’s not fair that I have to hide them.”

Her grandparents shared a look, but didn't say anything about it, instead her grandpa led them to the car, saying he was excited to see “a decent-looking Star Wars movie”.

The four of them climbed into her grandpa’s newly rebuilt 1955 Chevy Bel Air Convertible and headed to the movie theater. On the way, Astraea didn't stop talking about Delilah Keres, which led to her employer, and leader of the Half-Blood Fellowship and richest man in the world. Who just so happened to own the tallest building in the area.

“Oh! Look, look! There’s Tyche Industries.” Astraea pointed out the window as they were stopped at a light, her full attention on the shimmering building. “Delilah works there for Alexander Lieber. The building is so cool.”

“It’s k-kind of unusual that he can be so famous and w-wealthy despite being publicly known as a half-blood.” Aurora said. “Mom says she keeps being a half-blood secret at work so her company doesn't lose business. But Alexander told the whole world he’s a half-blood.”

“He’s even popular with mortals.” Her grandma said carefully. “Though he seems a little eccentric.”

“I heard he has a dragon in his building that guards his money.”

“I wouldn't doubt it,” Grandpa Paul said from the driver’s seat. “You don't get to be the richest man in history without being cautious.”

“Being a son of the Goddess of Fortune doesn't hurt either.” Her grandma said. “Or coming from a rich family in Italy.”

“Did you see what he did online yesterday?” Astraea asked, watching the building fade into the distance as they drove off. “He walked into a pizza place and gave every employee there a ten thousand dollar tip.”

“I wouldn't say no to ten thousand dollars.” Grandpa Paul muttered.

Her grandma turned around in her seat, her voice level and measured. “Don't let his apparent generosity fool you, Astraea. Someone can't get that rich by always giving away their money. Besides, I don't fully believe his billionaire philanthropist persona, he may help half-bloods that get into legal trouble and fight for half-blood rights, but he still has his own agenda. People like him always do.”

~Page Break~

“That movie was awesome!” Astraea nearly shouted as they were walking out of the theater. “The way Delilah jumped around and spun with her lightsaber, cutting that big aliens’ head off! She was so cool! I didn't know she could do her own stunts like that.”

“I guess b-being a Lilith has its advantages. They’re stronger and m-more nimble than mortals and most half-bloods.”

“I have to admit, that movie was pretty good. It didn't have anything on the originals, mind you, but—.”

“You think the original trilogy was peak cinema, honey. Admit it, this one was really good.”

“...Fine. It was good from a story perspective, the way she rebelled from her Sith master, killed him and became Empress over her arm of the galaxy, but it doesn't come close to the originals—.”

“You are hopeless. The original trilogy wasn't even that good.”

Her grandpa looked appalled, his eyes like dinner plates and jaw on the floor. “H- How can you say such sacrilege?”

Grandma Sally rolled her eyes but hid a smile behind her hand. “Come on, girls, who’s hungry? I know the best place to get ice cream in the city.”

The ice cream shop was packed, but they managed to get a seat at the far corner of the pavilion. Which Astraea was happy for, this way they could talk about Camp without being overheard.

“Are you two excited to go to Camp tomorrow?” Grandma Sally asked as ate.

Astraea paused devouring her ice cream to answer, some food still in her mouth. “I can’t wait. I’ve been dreaming about going there since I was little, but I never thought I'd be able to go!”

“Finish chewing before you talk, Astraea.” Her grandma told her. “Didn't your parents teach you table manners?”

“Mom says she has the table manners of a Cyclops.” Aurora said helpfully.

Astraea stuck her tongue out at her little sister.

“Rude. And childish.”

Astraea was about to flick some ice cream at her sister. “I’ll show you childish—.”

“Okay, girls. That’s enough.” Grandma Sally said, taking the spoon out of her hands and putting it on the table. “Aurora, what about you? How do you feel about going to Camp tomorrow?”

Aurora looked like she wanted to turn invisible. “...I- I um, c-can I be honest with you, grandma Sally?”

Her grandma gave her a comforting smile, “Of course, dear. You can tell me anything.”

“A-and can you p-promise not t-to tell my d-dad?”

“...If it’s not something he needs to know.”

Aurora shrunk in her seat, her voice like a mouse. “...I don't w-want to g-go to C-Camp.”

“Why not?” Astraea nearly demanded. “Camp sounds so cool! We’ll get to fight, make friends, do cool activities, go on Quests—.”

“Hold on, Astraea. Let your sister speak.”

“...Sorry.”

Aurora watched Astraea carefully, nervously fidgeting in her seat. “...I-I, I just d-don't want to go.”

“And why not, dear?”

“...B-because I-I'll have to fight p-people…, and use my abilities….”

“...Still no luck discovering your half-blood abilities, huh? We’ll don't worry about it, Aurora. Being able to control water or fire or be really fast or fly doesn't make you a half-blood. Your mother can't do anything like that, but she’s incredibly smart. The smartest half-blood I know.”

Aurora still didn't look comforted, so Astraea put a hand on her shoulder, engulfing it. “Don't worry, sis, you’ll figure it out once we get to Camp, I know it.”

“...”

Here was an awkward silence at the table for a minute before her grandpa suddenly spoke up. “So, have either of you two met any cute boys lately? I won't tell your dad.”

Aurora stuttered out an incoherent noise, turning bright red. “I-I'm t-too young!”

Astraea on the other hand ‘hmphd’. “I'm a prisoner in my own home, so how can I meet anyone? I don't even have any friends. But once I get to Camp, I'm going to change that.”

“Not everyone at Camp will be nice to you right off the bat,” grandma Shall warned them. “Your dad told me a few stories of when he first went to Camp. But, overtime, you’ll make a lot of friends. Just make sure you pick them carefully, okay?”

“Maybe you'll meet some cute boys there.” Grandpa Paul teased, a massive grin on his face.

Astraea threw her plastic spoon at him, making him laugh. Grandma Sally didn't approve, but she still let herself laugh at her husband’s expense.

~Page Break~

[Olympian Throne Room, Olympus]

Getting summoned to the Olympian Throne Room was always a big thing, even if he had been here numerous times. He was always nervous coming here, even now after Zeus and Ares were dead despite the new Olympians being kind to him. What could he say, he was a nervous person.

Or goat, to be exact.

“Thank you for coming, Grover.” Lady Artemis said from beside her old throne, looking both imposing and kind at the same time.

“Lady Artemis, it’s my pleasure to work on behalf of the gods.” Grover said somewhat nervously, giving her a bow. He then looked to the goddess on the throne, giving her a slight bow out of respect, though he knew she hated it. “Lady Thalia, it is good to see you again.”

The Goddess of Lightning rolled her eyes. “Call me ‘lady’ one more time, Grover, and I'm gonna zap you. We’re friends and equals here.”

Grover chuckled despite the tense atmosphere in the room. “What can I do for you, Thalia? Artemis? Is there something wrong with The Wilds?”

“No, nothing like that.” Lady Artemis said, her tone level. “Though we have some troubling news, my noble Satyr, news we are hesitant to let be made public. So I must ask that what is said here today stays between the three of us.”

Grover gulped, this sounded really serious. “Of course, Lady Artemis. You have my word as a Satyr.”

Thalia spoke up this time. “We have received troubling reports from Hecate. As you know, she and her godly children keep an eye on the Mist to watch for new unclaimed half-bloods, and she has detected a new one in New York City. And you, Grover, have been selected by me, Artemis, Chiron and my brother to track down this new half-blood and bring them to Chiron at Camp Half-Blood.”

Grover let himself relax slightly. He had brought countless half-bloods to Camp the last several years. This wasn’t anything unusual. “Understood. I won't let you down—.”

“A word of warning, honored Satyr, Hecate reports that this particular half-blood has a… dangerous aura around them. One even her magical eye cannot penetrate. It is almost like her vision is being blocked. We do not know if this is simply an ability of the half-blood in question, or if it is the work of another.”

“Even Lady Hecate can’t break through it? I didn't think that was possible.”

“Neither did we, and that is what concerns us. So take heed, noble Satyr, proceed with caution and subtlety as you search for this half-blood. And let no one know of your mission.”

Grover gulped. “I understand. I will leave immediately. Do we have any other information on this half-blood? Are they a boy or a girl? Do we know the age? Or have any idea of their godly heritage?”

“I am afraid not. Hecate says that she can only sense the powerful aura around them, and that it is incredibly old. Ancient, even by our godly standards. It is possible that this half-blood is a child of something older than Greece… older than the Greek pantheon itself.”

~Page Break~

[New York City, same time]

A young man stumbled down an alleyway at full speed, crashing into garbage cans and over trash like a steamroller, barely even noticing them. He was around seventeen or eighteen, incredibly tall and large, with a tanned complexion and long black hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks.

His breathing was frantic, his footwork clumsy. His clothes unwashed and dirty, his shoes tattered and possibly as old as he was. He was bundled up warmly despite the summer air, he could never get the cold New York winter chills out of his bones. If you ever had to sleep on the streets in a New York winter, you would too.

He didn't look any different than the other countless homeless in the city, other than he was still in high school. But his height and short beard made him look older than he was. It kept the police from questioning why he wasn't at school. And kept people from taking pity on a homeless teenager and giving him some food.

If only the school year didn't end, he’d get to eat every day. The summers were hard, especially when he didn't have a couch to crash on.

The young man tripped over a pile of trash and crashed into a grimy wall. It didn't hurt, but it probably wasn't good for his head either.

Once he rose to his feet, he tried to catch his breath, his fingers drumming against the dirty brick wall frantically. He had no idea how long he had been running, but it felt like he couldn't run a step more. His feet quaked, but he couldn't stop his left foot from tapping.

His right arm lashed out suddenly, gripping at nothing but air. After a few seconds he managed to subdue his rogue limb and forced it into his tattered jeans.

“...Stop that.” He ordered breathlessly. “Stop moving.”

A ghostly whisper echoed in his head. {...Hunger… dying… We-must-eat…}

“Shut up!” The young man yelled, clutching his head, as if to prevent the voice from escaping his ears. “Get out of my head!”

{...You are… weak… We… need to take… it…}

“SHUT UP!”

{...immortality…. We shall… gain it. All you… need to do… is take it…}

“No!” The young man roared, clawing at his ears. “Never again! Get out of my head!”

{We… will not last much… longer… I cannot… allow you to… kill me…}

The pressure in his head was blinding. “NO! GET OUT OF MY- AH!” He fell to his knees, the pain unbearable as he screamed. “LEAVE ME ALONE!”

{Foolish child… you cannot stop… me…}

“Hey, bub, you okay?” A homeless man came out of nowhere. He reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. “D’ya need some help—? AHH!”

The teenager lashed out at the man like a cobra, his gloved fingers digging into his skin with a vice-like grip. In an instant the young man forced off the glove on his other hand with his teeth and grabbed the man by his face with his massive, glowing hands, lifting him off the ground.

The homeless man screamed and kicked and punched and cursed, but the young man didn't react, even as blood dripped down his face.

“Lemme go, man, I’ll give ya my smokes—.”

“Stop! You're hurting him!” The teenager begged. “Let him go!”

{I will not… allow you to kill me…} The whisper said in his head. {If you will not… let me feed… then I shall… do it myself…}

Suddenly the ghostly voice erupted from the young man’s lips. “HUNGER!” He gripped the homeless man’s face tighter, causing him to scream and lash out in pain, but it was to no avail. The young man wouldn't let go.

The man flailed out for half a minute, his body slowing and weakening with every second that passed. Finally, he stopped moving and was ceremoniously dropped on the ground.

The young man stumbled back, falling against the wall, shaking his head like he had come out of a trance, his bright hazel eyes clouded. He spotted the dead man before him as he came to.

“No…!” He wheezed, “Not again… not again.”

Tears fell from his eyes as he curled up on the ground beside the man. “No no no no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to- I tried to stop him, I promise… I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.”

The teenager laid there on the ground for several hours as night fell around him, completely deaf to the sounds of the city that never sleeps as he cried over his latest victim. And soon, darkness engulfed his mind and he fell asleep.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: When your parents are more popular than you

[June, 2025, The Theocratic Republic City-States of Greece]

[Recap: After moving back to New York City, Astraea and her little sister Aurora are finally going to Camp Half-Blood. While Astraea is extremely excited to be allowed to leave the house, have friends and use her half-blood abilities, Aurora is utterly terrified and would rather not attend Camp at all. But will Camp be everything Astraea hopes it to be? ]

~o~o~

Astraea hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, she was too excited about going to Camp in the morning. She watched in agony as the minutes crept by, eventually getting out of bed early and going out for a run on their property.

The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon and Astraea felt stronger with every passing minute. She didn't know for sure, but she believed that the sunrise made her stronger. It never amounted to much, mostly she just felt more energized and regained her stamina faster, but it was barely noticeable. The effect went away once the sun cleared the horizon, however. She personally assumed that it was due to her mom being the Titaness of the Dawn.

It was one of the reasons why she liked running so early in the morning, even if she was never allowed to run outside at their old home— having to run laps in their home gym. But now, with all of the property their home sat on— and the numerous magical wards their parents had installed— Astraea was able to run against the rising sun, a smile never leaving her lips.

After a good run and a quick workout session in their new unfinished home gym, Astraea showered, dressed, and finished packing her things for Camp. She spent longer than she cared to admit picking out her outfit for today. Her first impression on everyone at Camp was really important. She finally decided on a pair of stylishly ripped jeans, an athletic sleeveless tank top and a pink hoodie. She realized with a huff that she didn't have much of a wardrobe, never having a reason to before when she didn't leave her house. Hopefully she’d be able to buy some new clothes at Camp, she was starting to outgrow them anyway.

Besides clothes, her comfiest pillow and fluffiest blanket, she didn't really own much, so packing went quickly. It was barely six in the morning and she was ready to go, despite being the only one awake and her parents not planning to leave for a few more hours. With a breath, Astraea got up and headed back down to their gym, deciding to practice controlling her strength output until everyone else got up.

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“Time to go, kiddo. Your mom doesn't want to wait, so we’re leaving early.”

Astraea’s concentration was broken when her dad appeared in the doorway, causing her punch to be even more erratic than the last. The heavy bag swung back wildly and Astraea stopped it with a hand.

“‘Kay. Gimme a minute.” She quickly wiped the sweat off her forehead with a towel before running after her dad. She hopped into his truck and got buckled in before he and her mom ever reached the vehicle. Her sister was the last one to arrive.

The drive from Manchester to Long Island seemed to take forever, but eventually, they arrived.

And Astraea was immediately unimpressed.

“It’s not exactly what I had in mind…” Astraea admitted, a little let down. They were driving along a dirt road nearing an old, beat up farm bearing the sign ‘Delphi Strawberry Service’. “It looks like crap.”

Her dad snorted. “The farm is only there to act as a cover against mortals. The entrance to Camp is a little further down.”

They drove for another minute or so, driving down several dirt roads until they came to a dead end. There was nothing there but an old wooden gate flanked by two stone pillars. Astraea looked for any signs of Ancient Greek lettering or magical wards, but didn't see anything.

“I don't understand… Are you sure this is the right place?”

“It’s where Clarisse told me to enter.” Her dad said, looking over a parchment written in Ancient Greek. “She said they had to move the main entrance a few years ago to make it more secure. She said to wait here for exactly three minutes and someone will come out to greet us.”

It was a terribly boring three minutes.

Well, until soldiers with spears and armor ran out of the tree trunks and surrounded the truck, weapons raised.

“State your business!” One of the soldiers ordered.

“We’re Half-Bloods.” Her dad yelled out of the window. “Chiron is expecting us. My name is—.”

“Half-Bloods?” Another soldier asked. “Step out of the vehicle! All four of you!”

“Someone get Heather out here.” Another yelled.

Astraea slowly climbed out of the truck, anxiously watching the soldiers with swords and spears aimed at her and her family. She clenched her fists and tensed her arms. Aurora was shaking like a leaf next to her. Her dad put a comforting hand on her sisters’ shoulder and faced the soldiers.

“My name is Percy Jackson. Like I said; Chiron is expecting us.” His voice was level and calm, but he watched the spears facing them with a calculating mind as his body tensed in preparation. Her mom looked like she was going over in her head how best to take them down as fast and efficiently as possible. “Now, will you kindly stop pointing those spears at my family?”

Astraea tensed her fists even more.

Three more people walked through the wall of trees. Well, people may not have been the most accurate. The goat horns and legs gave away their identities as satyrs pretty quickly. They were unarmed except for the pan flutes in their hands. The satyr in the middle, a female, stepped up to her dad and promptly sniffed him.

“Um, what?” Astraea couldn't stop herself from asking.

The female satyr sniffed again, before stepping back and smiling. “He’s who he says he is. He’s Percy Jackson.”

All of the soldiers and satyrs around them gasped. The soldier that looked like the leader stepped forwards, taking off his helmet and giving her dad a sheepish look. “We’re sorry about that, Mr. Jackson, we didn't know for sure if it was you. We have to be careful nowadays.”

Her dad let his stance relax. “It’s no problem, really. But please, just call me Percy. I'm a Camper, just like you.”

The soldier looked like her dad had given him the biggest compliment of his life. “Y-yes, sir.”

“You can drop the ‘sir’ too—.”

“What’s everyone standin’ around for?” A gruff female voice yelled out through the trees. A tall woman in full armor with a boar tusk helmet and a shimmering spear stepped into view. She was flanked by a large man with dozens of eyes and a hispanic man with a mischievous grin.

The tall woman took one look at the scene in front of her and let out a curse in Ancient Greek. “Prissy? Annabeth? You’re early. We wasn't expecting you for two more hours.”

“Sorry, Clarisse.” Her dad said, putting a hand on Astraea’s shoulder. “My girls couldn't wait to come to Camp. And I guess neither could I or Annabeth.”

The woman known as Clarisse nodded to the soldiers. “Get yer spears away from them, ya idiots. Nick, you too. Prissy here could destroy ya before ya blink.” She took off her helmet, giving her parents a massive smile before giving her mom a hug and her dad a firm handshake. “It’s been too long. I was startin’ to think ya two forgot about us.”

“It’s good to see you, too, Clarisse.” Her mom returned the hug before looking her right in the eyes. “Sorry, but can we enter Camp? I—.” Her eyes flashed to Astraea and Aurora. “We’ve had a long ride, and I need to use the restroom.”

Clarisse seemed to understand whatever her mom had told her, because she nodded and ordered all the soldiers back to their posts. “‘Course, Annabeth, we’ll go see Chiron. All of ya get back to work! The city won't defend itself!”

The woman known as Clarisse whispered something to the tall Hispanic man next to her, then kissed him on the cheek before sending him running off back through the trees. She faced her parents again. “Chris is lettin’ Chiron know you’re here. Now, come on, let’s head inside. I don't like standin’ out here any longer than I have to. Too big a risk for the mortals to spot us.”

“Is it really that bad?” Her dad asked.

“Yeah, but don't worry, this is still the safest place on earth for half-bloods. Their vehicle.” She pointed to the truck and a satyr through a magical net over the truck that shimmered and made it turn invisible, replaced by a flowering bush. “You’ll have to leave yer truck out here, gas and diesel vehicles aren't allowed inside. I’ll leave a few campers to guard it, don't worry.”

Astraea found herself following her parents as they walked through a massive tree like it wasn't there. It must have been some sort of powerful magic.

Stepping through the tree, Astraea felt her breath get taken away when she saw what was on the other side.

“Holy shit.”

They were on a wide dirt road that had flowering trees, bushes and flowers of every color flanking each side. Past the road were giant fields of strawberries, grapes, corn and lettuce, even a few with apple trees, pastures of cattle and sheep were further off. There was a small river with a stone bridge, several barns and sheds, even a large farmhouse at the far end of one of the fields.
Down the dirt road, Astraea could see a large arena behind even more crop fields, with what looked like training grounds and an archery range next to it.
There were a few stone pathways that functioned as roads further down, each with several small rustic houses forming tiny neighborhoods. Past the houses was a modern apartment complex, with larger, more elaborate and expensive-looking houses behind them.
Way off in the distance, Astraea could see what could have only been the Big House her parents had told her about years ago. She couldn't see the godly cabins, but they could simply be too far away to see.

“Wow,” her mom said. “It doesn't look anything like I remember.”

“I know, Beth. It’s gotta be bigger than Camp Jupiter now.”

“Yer right about that, Prissy.” Clarisse told him, looking at the four of them. “Camp has gone through a lot of changes in the past decade. Have ya been keeping up with everythin’?”

“I’ve tried to catch up on all the letters from Rachel and Grover, and they told me about a lot, but they didn't mention how big Camp got.”

Clarisse smiled. “Well, I'm not the best at tours, but I guess I can give ya one while we walk to the Big House. First thing ya should know, this isn’t Camp Half-Blood.”

“What?” Astraea asked.

She pointed down the dirt road where the Big House was just a speck in the distance. “That, is Camp Half-Blood. But where we’re standin’ right now is a small town called Perseus City.”

“Perseus City?” Her dad echoed, his eyes wide.

“Yeah,” Clarisse laughed. “Figured you'd get a kick out of the name. Believe me, I didn't pick it. Perseus City is where a lot of the non-Campers live. There’s a town hall we’ll pass by soon with a Post Office in it. A few stores and businesses like the ROFL Shoppe, Mac’s General Store, Winter’s Library, etc. But those are further down and I don't have time to show ya all that yet. Chiron told me to take ya four to see him as soon as ya get here.”

“I-I didn't know there w-was a town here.” Aurora stuttered, looking up to Clarisse. “I t-thought it was just all one camp?”

“What’s yer name, kid?”

“...Aurora.”

“Well ya look like an exact cross between yer parents. Which means, bad for you, as you get yer dad’s ugly face.”

Astraea laughed while Aurora just looked like she didn't know what to say. Her mom chuckled behind her hand and her dad just rolled his eyes.

“Nice to meet ya, Aurora.” She looked to Astraea. “And yer name?”

“Astraea.”

“Good to meet ya two, I’m Clarisse. A friend of your moms’ and a kicker of your dads’ ass at times.”

“Clarisse, language. Please?”

“Sorry, Beth. Now, to answer yer question, Aurora. Where do ya think the rest of the people live? And the adults? In the cabins? Nah, they live in the town.”

“You're talking about the TRCSG, right?” Her dad asked. “Rachel mentioned it a few times, same with Grover, but I never paid too much attention to it.”

“Yeah, part of the first thing ya gotta learn is that Camp Half-Blood isn't just for kid and teenage half-bloods anymore. After the Promised Day, many half-bloods who had been living among the mortals fled here because they were worried about being found out. And with those kids and teenagers came their parents and families. Believe it or not, but not many parents would allow their children to live at some Camp halfway across the country and never see them again. So Camp started to get bigger and bigger as more people came here.

“After a few years, Chiron and the senior Campers decided to set aside and build a place where the mortal families of the Campers could live, and soon, they built a small town, which was eventually named after you.
“And as the town started getting bigger, stores and restaurants and shops opened up. Not just to provide clothes, food and stuff for the families and Campers, but also to help the families here who couldn't leave Camp make some money. Some of them had their identities as families with half-bloods revealed in the mortal world after the Promised Day, leaving them nowhere to go. So Chiron took them in and let them start new lives here. The town of Perseus City soon followed.

“Second thing ya should know, some of the more political Campers and people here elected that we should have a name, so, after a few years, we settled on the Theocratic Republic City-States of Greece, a mouthful, I know. But they said it fit.. The TRCSG emcompasses Camp, everything around it, and Perseus City and New Athens.”

“New Athens?” Her mom asked.

“Yeah, it was founded a few years ago and is the newest addition. So far it’s only a few farms, houses and a small library, but there’s talk of building a university there in a few years.”

“Why do they need two cities?” Astraea asked.

“Well, the simple answer is that not everyone could agree on if we should use modern technology and such. Perseus City has wind turbines, hydro-electric plants and solar panels that generate all the electricity they need. They have a few electric tractors and trucks the Hephaestus kids made too to help with agriculture and to get them around. All the houses and farms there have electricity and running water and stuff like that.

“While New Athens, on the other hand, is more traditional. The people who made it didn't want to use modern technology. They mostly just have farms and vendors there, but they’re planning on building a university in a few years. But it's taking forever, since they’re only using the ancient Greek tools to build.”

“C-can we visit them?”

“Sure,” Clarisse huffed. “But later. Chiron told me to bring you to him when you got here. He’ll assign someone to give ya a tour. I gotta stay at the wall.”

“Are you guarding the city against Monsters?” Astraea asked.

“Nah, most Monsters have been gone for over a decade. Same with the Titans.”

“Then who are you guarding it from?”

Clarisse growled, “The Zealots.”

Her mom mumbled a curse in ancient Greek.

“Do you have any Campers here who were attacked by them?” Her dad asked.

“Only a few.” Clarisse answered. “Unfortunately, not many half-bloods survive once the Zealots go after them. It's only thanks to Lady Artemis and Thalia and some sheer dumb luck that they made it.”

“What happened to them?” Astraea asked. “The half-bloods who survived?”

Clarisse looked uneasy. “Well, two of ‘em didn't have any living family, so they became orphans. But Chiron took them in, so they live here now.”

“And the other ones?”

“...He died two days later from his injuries.” She said softly, stopping to point at a large polished granite wall down the way that had bundles of flowers and candles all around it. Beyond it was a vast field with flat stones in neat lines. “He’s resting over there. Same with the rest of the half-bloods who’ve died since Camp was founded.”

Astraea paused to stare motionless at what she now recognized as a memorial and graveyard. As a minute passed, her eyes found more and more tombstones, plaques, statues and flowers in neat, perfect lines. They stretched back over the hill and beyond her vision. The ones in the front were obviously the newest, with clean headstones, with the ones further back crumbling, but still periodically surrounded with flowers and jars filled with candles. It was obvious they were all maintained and preserved, despite their age.

All in all, Astraea had to assume that there were tens of thousands of them.

Astraea’s mouth went dry and she barely had the ability to speak.

“...H-how many of them are there?”

Clarisse stood tall and stoic, but her face was obviously tense. “I'm not sure, only Chiron knows. He’s kept a record of every half-blood he’s trained and raised since he started three thousand years ago. Every single one. From Achilles and Ajax, to Oileus and Phoenix. He’s made a headstone for each one, and, every year, on the anniversary of their death, he leaves them flowers and prays for them.”

“...That… I don't know what to say…”

Clarisse gave her a reassuring look. “It’s one of the things ya have to remember, Astraea. While we may be half-bloods, children of the gods and far stronger and more powerful than any mortal, we are still that: mortal. We live, and we die. When the Fates decide yer time, ya will end up here, with yer half-blood brothers and sisters.”

Astraea didn't say anything as they finally walked away from the graveyard and up to the Big House, where the old centaur in question greeted them on the porch. Looking up to him, Astraea thought of him differently than how her parents had described him. He was smiling and friendly, but she could see the age in his eyes, and with the age, she saw a deep sadness.

“Ah, Annabeth, Percy! Come over here and give this old centaur a hug.” Chiron greeted her parents, giving them a big hug.

“Percy, my boy, you look more and more like your father with every passing year.” He focussed on her mom. “And Annabeth, my child, you become more lovely every time I see you. I hear from Thalia that you’ve opened up your own architect firm in the city? I couldn't be prouder of you, my child. Oh, it is wonderful to see you again. How have you been? Tell me everything.”

Her dad looked happier than he had the last few days, while her mom looked uneasy. “It’s great to see you too, Chiron. It’s been too long. These two are Astraea and Aurora.”

Chiron focussed on the two of them, offering them a welcoming smile. “Ah, yes, I don't know if you remember me, Astraea. But I met you once when you were a very young girl.”

“I kinda remember you. But not really.”

“That's fine, that's fine. You were so young when we met.” He gave her another smile and faced Aurora. “Hello, Aurora, was it? My name is Chiron, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“H-hello.”

“I’m sure you’ve already been introduced, but the charming woman who brought you here is Clarisse La Rue-Rodriguez, a daughter of the late God of War, Ares. The person standing over there with all the eyes is Argus, a Monster created by Lady Hera who is in charge of security. Don't worry, he isn't nearly as frightening as he looks.”

Argus gave a silent wave, his countless eyes darting around everywhere.

“The man sitting with his feet on my centuries-old cypress coffee table is Chris, Clarisse’s husband. He is a son of Hermes. Say hello, Chris, and please remove your dirty boots from my table.”

“Sup, everyone.” The man known as Chris said, giving a mock salute. He pulled his feet from the table and plopped them on the ground. “Sorry, Chiron. Won't happen again.”

“I shall believe it when I see it.” The centaur muttered before facing two newcomers into the room. “Ah, and here is our Oracle, Rachel Elizabeth Dare and one of our dryads, Juniper.”

“Hey, Percy! Annabeth!” A mass of curly red hair and paint stains tackled her parents from the side, embracing them in a hug. “I missed you two. You don't call, you don't write, here I am thinking you forgot about me.”

“Hey, Rachel, sorry about that.” Her dad said sheepishly. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good, how about you?”

“We’ll catch you up later,” her mom said. “It’s good to see you.”

“‘Kay.”

A creature that could have only been the dryad Chiron mentioned walked up next and gave her parents hugs. Astraea had never seen one in person before, only in drawings and a photo from Grover, her parents’ satyr friend. “Percy, Annabeth, it’s great to see you two. I trust you are well?”

“Hey, Juniper. We’re tired from the trip, but excited to be back, at least for the moment.” Her mom smiled. “I like your flowers.” She said, pointing to the flowers in her hair.

“Thanks.” Juniper blushed. “Grover gave them to me before he left.”

Her dad frowned. “Left? Wait, is Grover not here?”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly tensed. Chiron cleared his throat. “Grover is… currently away at the moment.”

“Well, where is he?”

“I am afraid I cannot say, my boy.”

“Why not?”

“He was summoned to Olympus.” Rachel said quickly. “We don't know what he's doing or when he’ll be back. But I can assure you he’s fine.”

“I must insist we leave this discussion for later,” Chiron said. “For when we are in different company.”

Her dad didn't look pleased. “Fine.”

Chiron cleared his throat. “Now that introductions have been made of the present company, shall we explore Camp Half-Blood for our newest Campers?”

~Please Follow and Favorite~

After her parents talked a little with the Oracle, Rachel, and the dryad, Juniper, the four of them were led by Chiron on a small tour of the Camp. The old centaur and her parents were deep into conversations about how they had been the last few years, so they were walking fairly slow. So Astraea and Aurora took the lead, following the dirt road. It gave them a little time to talk and take in their surroundings.

“This place is so cool!” Astraea said, a massive smile on her face. “I never thought I'd ever be able to come here!”

“...I-it’s not like how mom and d-dad said it was…”

“True, I guess. But I think that’s because Camp just got bigger since they left. Chiron said we’d reach the Cabins soon, and I can't wait!”

“Where do you think we’ll be staying? In grandma Athena’s Cabin or grandpa Poseidon’s?”

That made Astraea pause, she hadn't thought about that. “Not sure. Maybe we’ll be able to decide? If we get to, I’d say we stay at grandma’s.”

“Why?”

“Because it’ll have other people there. Grandpa’s Cabin won’t have anyone there since Aunt Kym took it over and she doesn't have any kids. It would just be us. That’d be boring.”

Aurora looked like she would have welcomed the privacy. “...Y-yeah…”

A voice sounded from off to the side. “Hey, is that Percy and Annabeth?”

Astraea turned to see a small group of adults running up to them, all smiling and yelling out her parents’ names.

“Percy, Annabeth! Why didn't you tell us you were coming?” A pretty woman around her parents’ age in a colorful rainbow shirt tackled her parents, grinning wide. “We would have thrown a party.”

“It is you two!” A man said, smiling and embracing them. “How’ve you been?”

“You two are moving back, right?” Another asked.

“It’s been forever!” Another yelled. “We’ve missed you.”

The questions and greetings just kept coming and coming as the group of Campers got bigger and bigger. Soon, Astraea and Aurora were surrounded.

“Heard you two moved to Chicago, how has it been treating you?”

“How long are you staying?”

“You’re moving back, aren’t you?”

“Percy, saw you on TV! I didn't know you were doing cereal commercials now.”

“You’re staying for dinner, right?”

Finally, her parents had to break up the small gathering. “Alright, alright.” Her dad chuckled, a massive smile on his face. “It’s good to see all of you, it’s been too long. Unfortunately Annabeth and I are only staying half the day—.” The crowd murmured, and a guy in the back boo’d. “—so we’ll have to make it short, but we’ll make sure to visit and talk to everyone. But, that’s not why we’re here...”

He put a hand on Astraea’s and Aurora’s shoulders, moving them forward. “We’re here to drop off our daughters to Camp. Everyone, meet Astraea and Aurora. Astraea and Aurora, everyone.”

Suddenly she and her sister were the center of attention, and Astraea had no idea what to do. She had never been in front of a crowd before, in fact, she had never talked to this many strangers before either. So she put on her best confident smile. “...Uh, hi. I’m Astraea.”

“Hey, Astraea~!” The woman in the rainbow print practically sang. “I’m Amethyst, daughter of Iris, nice to meet you. I used to work for your dad as his secretary.”

Astraea had heard her parents mention Amethyst once or twice, but she honestly didn't know anything about her, let alone that she was her dad’s secretary. Her dad had a secretary? Why? “Hello, Amethyst, right? Nice to meet you too.”

“Aurora, wasn't it?”

“...Y-yes.”

“You look just like your parents, it’s almost scary. I wish I had curly hair like that, it’s so cute.”

“T-thank y-you.” Aurora stuttered. Clearly overwhelmed with all the people around them, watching them.

“Damien. Nice to meet you two.” A man greeted them. “I never thought we’d meet you two.”

All in all, Astraea was introduced to over a dozen of her parents’ old friends, but she was terrible with names, so only a few stuck out. Hopefully Aurora remembered their names, she was good with that kind of stuff.

“Okay, everyone,” Chiron spoke above the crowd. “Let’s not overwhelm the new Campers, shall we? You’ll all have time to meet and speak with them later, but now, we must go to the Cabins.”

“See you two later, Annabeth, Percy.” A man said as the crowd walked away. “Good to meet you, Astraea, Aurora.”

“Lovely seeing you again, Percy, Annabeth.” Amethyst smiled as she left. “If you need a personal assistant, Percy, just ask! And Annabeth, if you need a secretary for your new architect firm, you already have my number!”

“Bye, Amethyst.” Her dad chuckled. “We may just have to take you up on that offer. Talk to you later.”

Once the five of them were alone again, Chiron took charge of the tour. “Come now, you two, it’s time to see the Godly Cabins. I trust your parents have explained them?”

Aurora just nodded while Astraea spoke up. “Yeah, each god or goddess gets their own. There were originally only twelve for the Olympian Council, then more were added.”

“Correct, Astraea. The original twelve Olympians had their own Cabins, of course, and after your parents made the gods agree, more Cabins were made. The agreement was for each god or goddess to have their own, but sadly, not everyone wished to participate, or could be found. So while we have a lot of Greek Cabins now, we do not have anywhere near enough for all of the gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon.”

“How many Cabins do you have now?” Astraea asked.

“Over fifty in total, with most of them for the Greek gods. Four are for the other gods, and the rest are private Cabins.”

“Other g-gods?”

“Yes, my child. Other gods. Camp Half-Blood is not just home to Greek half-bloods anymore, but half-bloods of several pantheons. The Greek half-bloods live in Camp proper, while the other pantheons live just beyond. I will be having someone give you two a more in-depth tour later as I catch up with your parents, she will answer all of your questions.”

“What other pantheons are here?” Astraea asked. “You mean like the Romans?”

“We do have many Roman half-bloods here, yes, and they do make up a majority of our non-Greek population. But they are far from the only other pantheon we boast here.” He gestured to a group of six half-bloods playing basketball off to the side— five guys and one girl— one of which was an extremely tall and large young man that looked like a modern viking. The large viking man waved back, smiling wide.

“The group over there are all Norse half-bloods, of various parentages. You will be able to meet them at dinner, if you wish. Just ask to speak to Snorri and he shall introduce you.”

“Snorri?” Astraea asked with a snort, finding it silly. “What kind of name is that? Does he snore really loud or something? Is his godly parent the god of snoring?”

“It’s an Old-Norse name.” Chiron answered as they walked on. “A word of caution, if I may, Astraea. Camp Half-Blood is made up of individuals from all around the world, of people of every nation and language and color. And as such, you will encounter those from countries and regions you have never met nor experienced. So kindness and acceptance is key if we are to coexist together. A name that may seem odd or silly to you, may be sacred or carry great meaning to another. Why, even ‘Astraea’ is an Ancient-Greek name, and thus is uncommon or even unusual to hear in many places across the world.”

Feeling thoroughly chastised, Astraea apologized. “...Sorry.”

“It is alright, my child, I know this will all take some time to get used to, just take to heart what I said.” He gave her a smile, letting her know she wasn't in trouble. “But it would not be wise to attempt to make fun of Snorri.”

Astraea looked back to where the large young man was playing basketball and laughing with his friends. “Why not? Is he dangerous or something?”

“Oh no, heavens no.” Chiron waved off quickly. “Not for any such reason like that, of course. Snorri is the Co-Head Camper of the Xenos Cabins, and, as such, holds a high position here in Camp and he has earned the respect of everyone here. They might not take kindly to it.”

Before Astraea could ask what ‘Xenos Cabins’ were, Chiron continued. “Along with Roman and Norse half-bloods, we have Egyptian, Celtic, Mayan, Chinese and many more as well, though not nearly as many as we have Greeks. When we meet for dinner at the Dining Pavilion tonight, I would suggest introducing yourselves to those around you. Not only will it give you the opportunity to make new friends, but it will also help you get a better idea of Camp from those that live here. Ah, here we are...”

They stopped walking and Astraea tore her attention from Chiron, finding herself in front of the Greek Cabins. There were the original twelve her parents told her about, the ones belonging to the original twelve Olympians. Then there were several more in the shape of an omega symbol that her mom helped design back when she and her dad still lived here.
Then, forming a ring around them, were more than two dozen other Cabins, all beautifully unique and strange. Some looked like more traditional cabins, while others looked like greenhouses, bunkers, cottages, lighthouses, planetariums and even one that looked like a tower made of ice and snow. And all around them, Campers went about their daily lives.

She must have looked at them in awe for several minutes, taking in every detail about them before Chiron spoke again, holding out his hand.

“Welcome, young heroes, to Camp Half-Blood.”

“Wow, it’s so cool!” Astraea nearly shouted. “How many are there?”

Chiron smiled at her enthusiasm. “Over forty.”

“And some of these are the non-Greek ones?”

“No, these are all the Greek Cabins. The non-Greek Cabins, or the Xenos Cabins, are located further down this path. We will travel there shortly.”

“W-which Cabin w-will we be staying in?” Aurora asked with a stutter.

The old centaur gave a shrug. “That I personally cannot say. As you have both the blood of Poseidon and Athena in your veins, you have the choice of either Cabin Three, the Kymopoleia Cabin, or Cabin Six, the Malcolm Cabin, which had previously been the Poseidon and Athena Cabins, respectfully.”

“What about me?” Astraea asked, feeling suddenly nervous. Her father had been a demigod and her mother a Titaness, so where would she live? She looked to her dad in question, knowing she wasn't supposed to talk about her birth parents in public.

Thankfully, her dad understood her wordless question. He spoke to Chiron, his voice low to avoid being overheard. “What about Astraea, Chiron? You know that her parents were… who they were. What Cabin will she stay in?”

“My guess would be Cabin One.” Her mom said. “As her father was a legacy of Zeus.”

Chiron frowned, which didn't fill Astraea with confidence. “Cabin One has been given to Jason, the new King of the gods after his father—,” his eyes quickly darted to Astraea, making her even more confused. “...Passed. So it would be up to him whether or not to accept Astraea to his Cabin. The same will go for Cabin Three and Cabin Six. You will have to ask Kymopoleia or Malcolm.”

“If I asked, I'm sure I could get Malcolm to let Aurora stay in Cabin Six.” Her mom said before looking to her dad, who nodded.

“And as for Kym, I know she won't have a problem with it. So the decision will be up to Aurora.”

Chiron looked to her sister, giving her a big, calming smile. “So, my child, it seems the decision is yours. Which Cabin do you wish to reside in? Cabin Three or Cabin Six?”

Aurora spent a full thirty seconds studying the two Cabins in question, Astraea could see her eyes looking them over for every tiny detail. But she just didn't look at the Cabins themselves, but the Campers of each. Or, should she say, the Campers of Cabin Six, as Cabin Three was completely empty.

“...I-I want to stay in C-Cabin Three.”

Her parents both looked happy and proud, while Chiron smiled. “Then, young one, Cabin Three shall be your new home, but know that if you ever change your mind and wish to move to Cabin Six, you need only ask. Go now, take a look inside the Cabin. The cleaning Harpies will move in all of your belongings shortly.”

Aurora looked utterly terrified as the two of them walked up to the tiny Cabin made out of coral and sea-stone, while their parents and Chiron were still standing talking a few Cabins away. Astraea thought it looked really cool with the small bubbles of water around its window that formed a tiny coral reef, despite being terrified of the water. It even had several brightly colored fish swimming among the sea plants and rocks.

“Come on, Aurora,” Astraea prompted. “Let’s check it out. They're taking forever.”

“O-okay.” Still nervous, Aurora walked up to the Cabin first and promptly politely knocked on the door.

“...What are you doing? No ones gonna answer it. No one lives there.” Astraea deadpanned. “Just go in already, I wanna check it out. It looks really cool on the outside.”

Aurora, while still nervous for gods know what, hesitantly opened the door and Astraea was immediately overwhelmed with the smell of the ocean. It was like salt water was being forced into her nose, it was so strong. It also smelled like seaweed and fish, gross.

“Woah…” Aurora muttered, walking into the interior of the small Cabin. “It’s like being underwater in here. There's fish swimming in the walls.”

“Really?” Astraea asked, taking a step forward into the Cabin. “Lemme see—.”

Suddenly Astraea was hit with a massive wall of seawater, knocking her onto her butt out of the door. She quickly got up to find, to her horror, the Cabin filling up with seawater.

“Aurora! Get out!” Astraea yelled. “Get out now!”

Her sister stood in the center of the room, distracted by the fish and octopus swimming in the walls and ceiling. “Huh? What did you—.” When the water reached her ankles, she snapped back to reality. She started looking around frantically. “What’s happening?!

“Get out of there!” Astraea ordered, banging on the solid wall of seawater that blocked the door. She punched the water several times, but nothing happened.

“I can't!” Aurora yelled, her face as worried as Astraea felt. She attempted to walk out though the wall of water, but it was like a solid wall. The water inside the cabin was at her waist now and rising fast.

“Help! Dad, mom! Chiron! Help! Aurora’s gonna drown!” Astraea yelled as she continued to wail on the wall of water, her fists going numb.

From off in the distance she heard her worried parents’ voices and a scrambling of feet, but couldn't make out what they said in her panic. A small crowd of half-bloods was forming a circle around the cabin, but she ignored them.

“Astraea, help me!” Aurora begged, the water was at her shoulders now. Her face contorted with fear, tears streaming from her eyes.

Astraea threw her shoulder into the wall to no avail. “I'm coming!” The seawater passed her head now, and Astraea knew her sister couldn't breathe underwater like their dad, so panic set in more.

“Aurora!” Losing all concentration and focus, Astraea’s wings burst from her back as she punched the water with all her might, making her arm go numb, but even still, nothing happened. Aurora swam up with the water, inches from the ceiling. Soon, there would be no air left and her sister would drown.

Astraea punched the water even harder. “AURORA!”

“Astraea! Get out of the way!” Her dad appeared at her side in a moment, pushing past her and diving through the wall of the water like it was solid air. He shot towards Aurora like a torpedo and grabbed hold of her, creating a bubble of air around her so she could breathe.

The next second her dad shot back out of the flooded cabin with her sister in hand, landing at her feet. Aurora gasped for air as their mom hugged her.

“Sweetie, are you okay? What happened?”

Aurora kept gasping for air. “Slow your breathing, honey.” Her dad said calmly. “You're okay, you're okay.”

Astraea nearly threw her mom to the side to get to her sister, hugging her tight. “Aurora, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm okay… Just… just out of breath.”

“Are you alright, child?” Chiron asked, his face pale.

“I'm okay.”

“What happened?” Her father demanded, looking to Chiron. “Why did the Cabin start flooding? Aurora could have drowned!”

Chiron looked even paler. “I believe it is because Astraea attempted to enter it.”

Astraea paused hugging her sister to look up at the old centaur. “Why me? I didn't do anything.”

Chiron looked unnerved. “...I am aware. The problem stems not from anything you did… but from who you are…”

“What’s that mean?” Astraea practically demanded.

“Maybe I can explain.” A voice suddenly sounded from the cabin itself. Seconds later a goddess with hair like jellyfish tendrils appeared out of sea mist.

“Kym?” Her dad asked. “What's going on? Why did the cabin flood with water?”

“My cabin has natural defenses on it,” She explained. “It prevents those half-bloods of other domains from entering it.” She paused to look right at Astraea, her eyes boring right into her. She had met and talked to her aunt Kym several times over the years, but this was the first time she frightened her. “And Astraea, I’m afraid, cannot enter my cabin.”

“Why not?” Astraea asked. “You know me, aunt Kym. We’re family.”

The goddess grew sad, frowning. “Yes, we are, my niece, and family of the seas stick together… but we are not family in blood. And blood, especially godly blood, carries great power.”

“What are you saying?” Her dad asked.

“I am saying, baby brother, that Astraea cannot reside in my cabin because her godly blood prevents it. As a half-blood of the skies, she cannot enter a cabin of the seas. I am sorry, but it is out of my control. Astraea will have to stay somewhere else while she lives at Camp.”

Astraea’s heart broke. All she wanted was to have fun at Camp and spend time with her sister, but now, now she couldn't even stay in the same cabin as her.

“So what is she supposed to do?”

“She must find another cabin to take her in.”

“Maybe we can ask Malcolm,” her mom offered quickly. “I'm sure he won't have a problem with it—.”

Kym cut her off. “I am sorry, Annabeth, but she will not be able to reside in Malcolm’s cabin either.”

“Why not? Malcolm is the god of wisdom, that’s not a specific domain like yours. I can still ask him—.”

“Asking Malcolm will do nothing, I am sorry.”

“Why?” Her dad all but demanded.

Her aunt’s face dropped. “Because no Greek cabin will accept her… they will not accept her blood. If she were to attempt to enter another gods’ cabin, they would be alerted to it and come here, believing her to be a threat.” She looked to her dad, giving him a careful, warning look. “You know what I mean, baby brother, blood is a powerful thing, and the other gods will not accept her.”

Astraea looked to her dad for answers. “Dad, what does she mean?”

“But where is she supposed to stay?” Her dad didn't answer, worry clear on his face. “The other gods didn't sense her blood, right? They still don't know?”

“...” Her aunt paused, considering her words as she studied Astraea. “...No, they did not detect her. But take heed, brother, for they will if she were to ever enter another Greek cabin.”

Astraea was even more confused now. “What does that mean—?”

“Not now, Astraea.” Her dad interrupted her. To her aunt, he asked, “Where’s she supposed to stay?”

Chiron was the one to answer. “If the Greek gods will not accept her blood, then the only place she can reside are the Xenos cabins.”

“What’s the Xenos cabins?” Astraea asked, confused and getting angrier and angrier by the second by not having her questions answered. “Can someone tell me what’s going on here?”

“I-I think it means ‘outsider’ in Ancient Greek.” Aurora said from beside her.

“You're right, Aurora. Xenos means ‘outsider’.” Their mom said, before looking towards Chiron. “But what does that mean? Why are they named ‘outsiders’?”

“It is the name for the non-Greek Cabins here in Camp Half-Blood.” The centaur answered.

Astraea was getting more confused. “But why is my blood or whatever not letting me stay in the Greek Cabins?” She asked, looking from Chiron to her dad. “The godly Cabins are related to our godly parents, and my parents are—”

“Unknown, I know. We don’t know who they are.” Her dad interrupted her, lying. He gave her a warning look before looking wearily to the small crowd of Campers that had circled them having heard the commotion. Her dad looked back at her, his eyes telling her to listen to him. “I guess it makes sense that someone who isn't of Greek blood can't enter a Greek cabin.”

Astraea felt utterly infuriated. She had no idea why her dad was making her lie by saying she didn't know who her parents were, or who she was related to. Her father was a son of Heracles, the most famous Greek demigod ever, why would anyone have a problem with that? Or, was it possibly because her mom was a Titaness? Astraea thought about that for a few seconds, guessing it could make a little sense.

As if he was trying to make her angrier, he whispered under his breath so others wouldn't hear, “Astraea, your wings. Put them away. What have I told you?”

Astraea honestly didn't realize that her wings were sticking out of her back and on full display for the few dozen campers around them. Good thing she was wearing a tank top with an open back, otherwise her shirt would've been shredded and her wings could have gotten injured.

“Yeah, sorry, sorry.” Astraea mumbled, trying really hard not to swear. “Won't happen again.”

“Hold on, young one.” Chiron said, interrupting them. She noticed him— and everyone in the crowd as well— looking at her wings with either interest or intrigue. Astraea figured most half-bloods didn't have wings. “You are among friends here, both our half-bloods and mortals. There is no danger in letting them free. After all, you were born with wings, they are from your godly blood, so to hide them would be to hide a part of yourself.”

Astraea looked from her dad to Chiron, who was giving her a reassuring smile. “Of course, I cannot make you do anything, and I cannot tell you how to express yourself. So if you would like to keep them hidden, by all means, do so, but if you wish to keep them out, you may.”

“...Really? I can have my wings out here? All the time?”

“Yes, my child, you may.” Chiron smiled with his eyes. “Here at Camp we encourage our young half-bloods to be who they are, to live as they wish, to express themselves how they wish. Your wings are a part of you, so I can not in good conscience forbid you from embracing them.”

Astraea didn't know what to say, but she had to bite her lip to keep herself from tearing up. She had never had an adult say that to her before. “...I… I— Thank you, Chiron.” She said, hugging him.

“Of course, my child.” He returned the hug, carefully avoiding bumping her fragile wings. He whispered in her ear. “Never be afraid to express yourself and be who you are. Not here, not anywhere. Not for anyone. Be who you know you are inside.”

Astraea quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand before pulling away from the hug. She looked to her dad for final approval, finding his face conflicted. “Dad?”

Her dad let out a sigh before regarding Chiron and everyone around them looking at them, as if debating in his head whether her having her wings out risked people finding out who her parents were.
Finally, he nodded. “The rule was that you hide them at home and when we went out so people wouldn't know you were a half-blood… but here, there's obviously no reason to hide that fact.” He gave her a reassuring smile, but Astraea knew he wasn’t happy. “So, of course you can have your wings out whenever you want.”

She didn't stop herself from hugging him too. “Thanks, dad. It- it means a lot…” She mumbled in his ear, not knowing how to put it into words. “It just… feels wrong to hide them… like I’m lying to myself.”

A wave of frustration washed over her dad’s face, like he was mad at himself. “I know, little star… It’s just, it was dangerous in the mortal world. The Zealots would try to kill you if they found out. I was just trying to keep you safe.”

Astraea pulled away, giving her wings a small flap to stretch them out. “I know, dad, but they’re my wings, I should have been allowed to decide what to do with them.”

“When you turn eighteen and move out, maybe.” He joked before seemingly remembering that they were being watched by a few dozen Campers who had no idea why a cabin flooded, a goddess showed up, and now a heart-to-heart was going on. He cleared his throat. “Just promise me you’ll remember what we talked about, alright?”

Astraea sighed, knowing he meant not telling anyone who her parents were. “Yeah, got it.”

“Good girl.” He kissed her hair before returning to stand next to her mom. “Stay safe.”

“So, if Astraea can't stay in the Greek cabins, then where will she go?” Her mom asked, bringing the conversation back. “At those Xenos cabins you mentioned before?”

“Yes, she will.” Aunt Kym said. “It is too dangerous otherwise, and the other gods will not permit her to regardless.”

“What are the Xenos cabins like?” Astraea asked. “Are they like the Greek ones? One cabin for every god?”

“No, the Xenos cabins do not have a cabin dedicated to each god.” Chiron explained. “There are a total of only four. You will be sharing a cabin with several others.”

“How are they split up?” Astraea asked.

“By gender.” Chiron answered, looking off in the distance at a newcomer. “The founder of the Xenos cabins decided it would be most appropriate. But instead of explaining everything about the Xenos cabins myself, I shall let the co-Head Camper explain them herself.”

A woman stepped up next to the centaur, offering everyone a wide smile. “As-salaam alaikum.” The woman greeted in another language— was that Arabic? “Hello, I am Rana Muhammed, it is a pleasure to meet you.” She gave them another brilliant smile.

Astraea studied the new woman. She looked to be eighteen or nineteen or so, had a golden-almond skin tone and wore a light blush pink hijab and a fashionable modest ankle-length skirt and a light sweater. She had a natural, effortless kind of beauty that would make any woman or goddess jealous. Astraea figured that even her aunt Piper wouldn't have been able to find a single thing wrong with her outfit.

“Hey, I'm Astraea.”

“...Aurora.”

“Hello, Astraea, Aurora. As I said; I’m Rana. I am a Co-Head Camper of the Xenos Cabins, and as such I can explain them to you. Chiron asked me to give the two of you a tour today, so, whenever you're ready, we can begin.”

~Please Follow me on Twitter~

“So which cabin am I going to be staying in?” Astraea asked. “What are the Xenos cabins? And where are we going?”

She and her sister had just left on another tour with Rana, leaving her parents and Chiron behind. Astraea found the silence comfortable with Rana, but she didn't want silence right now, she wanted answers.

“I will explain everything as we go, do not worry.” Rana soothed her, a calm smile on her face. “From what I gathered, you are unable to stay in the Greek Cabins due to your blood. As am I, as I have Egyptian blood. But what confuses me is why your blood would be preventing you from staying in the Greek cabins. Are you not the child of Percy and Annabeth? Children of Greek gods?”

“I’m adopted.”

Rana, for her credit, had the decency to not react. “Ah, there is no reason to feel any way about that, there are many half-bloods here who are adopted. Do you know who your godly parent is? Or their pantheon?”

“No.” Astraea lied, remembering her promise to her dad to not tell anyone who her birth parents were. She still didn't know why, but he insisted that it wasn't safe to tell people.

“That is quite alright, not every half-blood is claimed, especially non-Greeks.”

“...Are there…” Astraea hesitated. “...Are there many adopted people here?”

“Oh, yes indeed. For one reason or another, whether it was for an external or internal reason, many young half-bloods are left on their own, and Chiron takes them in. I myself was forced to leave home at a young age, being sent from my home to live at Camp. We may not be blood, but here, at Camp, with Chiron, we are family.”

“Huh.” Astraea didn't know what to say.

“May I ask something about you?”

“Yeah.” Astraea shrugged as they walked.

“Do you have any natural affinities or abilities or skills? You may not know who your godly parent is, but we might be able to use your natural-born skills to narrow it down. If you can, for example, control water, then we would first look at water deities.”

“Well, I have wings.” Astraea said matter-of-factly, giving them a few flaps.

“Anything else?”

“Um,” Astraea didn't know what she should say, but she figured the truth wouldn't hurt, there were bound to be dozens of gods and goddesses who were strong, and it would be too hard to hide anyway. And, if she were honest, she didn't plan to hide her strength once her parents left. “I’m strong.”

“Strong, you say? Yes, I would have assumed so.” Rana said with a chuckle. “You are obviously quite strong, given your muscular physique. I'm rather jealous I cannot look like you.”

“Oh?” Astraea’s brow rose, looking the young woman up and down. “Well, if you wanna get buff, then you gotta put in the work and eat right. You'll be able to if you put your mind to it.”

Rana laughed, it was like Apollo himself was playing a chord. “You misunderstand me, Astraea. I mean that I cannot dress or hold myself like you. It is not considered proper where I come from.”

Astraea paused to think. “Is it because of your…” She pointed to her own head, not knowing how to bring it up. Thankfully, Rana looked amused.

“Because of my hijab? Yes. But my decision to wear it and dress a certain way is just that, my decision. Still, I must admit that the prospect holds a little excitement for me, but given the choice, I would still choose to wear modest clothing.”

Astraea looked from Rana’s super-modest outfit to her own more casual one. She didn't consider her clothes to be inappropriate or anything— gods know her mom would kill her if she wore something like that— but her arms were completely bare and her stomach visible. It made her think. “Sorry, but… does what I'm wearing make you… uncomfortable?”

“Oh, no no.” Rana waved off quickly. “Nothing like that, don't you worry. But thank you for asking. Feel free to wear whatever you wish. Here at Camp we encourage everyone to be who they are, so dress and act as you like. Just ensure that you dress appropriately out of your room.”

“My room?”

“Yes, the Xenos cabins are split into two main cabins— one for boys and one for girls—, with Campers being split into rooms, instead of one one like with the Greek cabins. I always thought that the girls deserved more privacy, so when Chiron came to me asking how I wanted to set up the Xenos cabins, I elected to split them up by gender.

“Each Xenos Camper— bar some select few exceptions— is paired up with a roommate and given a room to share. We currently have only one room with only one occupant, do you wish to share that room or get your own?”

“Share it.” Astraea said easily. “It’ll be fun.”

Rana had an uneasy smile before it was quickly replaced. “Yes, it should. Your room will be number 3. I’ll have the cleaning harpies move in all your belongings while we meet the rest of Xenos Cabin Two.”

“R-Rana? Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Aurora. What is it?”

“You said you formed the Xenos cabins, right? Why did you put them so far away from the Greek ones?”

Rana looked a little sad. “Because most of the Greek half-bloods did not want us to be closer to them.” She explained carefully. “When I was first trying to set up the Xenos cabins several years ago, there was a lot of…” She paused to consider her words carefully. “Discourse between us and the Greek half-bloods.”

“Why?” Astraea asked.

“Because they believed that this Camp was only meant for half-bloods of Greek heritage, and that half-bloods of other pantheons should not be welcome here. Roman half-bloods were the first to move here from New Rome,” She explained. “Wishing to live away from the strict military rule, and while there were a few small incidents, the Greeks and Romans quickly got along and accepted each other. The same, however, could not be said when I, an Egyptian half-blood, and other pantheons arrived.”

“Why did they not like the Egyptians?” Aurora asked. “My parents met a few of their gods and magicians before, they eventually got along. Mostly.”

“Old wounds still bleed.” Rana replied. “At least, that’s what they said, and I have to admit that I have to agree. You have to remember that we are not just individuals, but half-bloods of gods and pantheons that have existed for thousands of years. Eventually, every nation fought another, and with that, every pantheon. Of course, over the past two thousand years or so, the gods have tried their best to soothe relations with another by mostly avoiding each other, but us half-bloods still hold on to that strife.

“That is why I work so hard to mend the divide between the Greek and Xenos cabins. Why I work with the Head Campers of the Greek cabins to create fun events and activities for us all to participate in. I truly believe that the only way to bridge the divide between our cabins is through love, friendship and acceptance. That, at least, is what I think.”

“Are there a lot of problems between the Greeks and Xenos cabins now?”

“Not like there used to be, no. Now, it is more like we are separated and too stubborn to let go of the old ways. It is fortunate, however, that most of the older Campers that had problems with us left a number of years ago. The half-bloods that are left are too young to remember what it was like back then. Something I can only be grateful for.”

“Rana,” Aurora said. “You talk like you’ve been here a really long time… but you can't be that much older than us, can you?”

Rana gave a dazzling smile. “You are quite right, I’m eighteen, not much older than you. But I have been here a really long time, I was sent here when I was five years old, so I saw Camp go through a lot of changes over the years.”

They came up to the top of a small hill overlooking a large valley, and inside of the small valley were two large buildings that looked more like lodges than cabins. They were completely identical, except for the small groups of half-bloods milling around them.

“Here we are, ladies. May I introduce you to the Xenos cabins.”

“Wow, they're really big.” Aurora said, taking them in.

“Which one will I be staying in?”

“Xenos Cabin Two,” Rana explained as they walked closer. “The girls cabin. My cabin. Xenos Cabin One is, naturally, for the boys. Snorri leads them. With Xenos Cabin Three being for Snorri and myself. It’s a little further down this path, around the bend and behind a small stand of trees. If you ever need anything, please know that my door is always open.”

“There are only three cabins here, then?” Aurora asked as she looked around. “But didn't Chiron say that there were four earlier? What about the fourth one?”

“Oh, yeah. He did, didn't he? Can we go see it?”

“No, you may not.” Rana said quickly, looking uneasy. “Xenos Cabin Four is… a private cabin. With only a single resident, and they are not allowed any visitors. I would, also, advise extreme caution. Do not, under any circumstance, go there. I have heard of a few older Campers trying to dare new ones into going up and knocking on the door.

“So, let me be perfectly clear.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “If I find out that either of you two go anywhere near there, then I will have you two on cleaning duties for two months. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Rana.”

“Y-yes.”

Now Astraea wanted to check out that forbidden cabin even more.

“Good.” Rana transformed back to the kind and cheerful woman she was a moment ago. “Then, if you would like, we can begin our tour of the Xenos Camp.”

“Astraea and Aurora Jackson, is that you?”

Astraea turned to see two unknown half-bloods walking up to them. The guy was really tall and scrawny, lanky like a twig. He was in baggy brown pants and a t-shirt, looking like he lived on the couch. While the girl was short and plump, with a very expensive style and air around her, her entire outfit was pressed and fitted to perfection. Both were in their early twenties. Astraea didn't know who the guy was, and she had never met the girl in person, but she had seen pictures of her before.

“Hey, do I know you?” Astraea asked blankly, unable to remember her name.

“She’s Jenny-Lee.” Aurora whispered in her ear quietly. “Mr. Davenport’s daughter. We met her once back in Chicago.”

“We did?” Astraea whispered back. “Huh, she looks familiar, but I don't remember that.”

“You have a terrible memory. You should try using your brain more.”

Aurora was saved by Jenny-Lee and who Astraea assumed to be her boyfriend or husband, given how they were holding hands and walking really close.

“I thought it was you two,” the woman known as Jenny-Lee said with a wide smile. “I knew that your parents were coming today, but I didn't know they were bringing you.”

“You knew our parents were coming today?” Astraea asked, confused. “No one else seemed to know that. When we were walking around we got swarmed and everything.”

Jenny-Lee bit her lip and looked between them before looking up to the man next to here. “Oh, uh, well… your mom contacted me a few days ago, telling me she would be here today. I'm going to be meeting her in a few minutes, actually.”

“She did? Why?”

“You all know each other?” Rana asked, interrupting the conversation. “That’s wonderful.”

“Our mom worked with Jenny-Lee’s dad a few years ago.” Aurora explained. “She designed his new office building.”

“And our estate.” Jenny-Lee said with a smile. “Father still can't get over it, he fell in love with it. Now that you’re living in New York, I'm sure he’ll want to see your parents again.”

The tall man next to Jenny-Lee coughed, getting their attention. “Oh, goodness me, I nearly forgot to introduce you, dear, I'm so sorry.” She gestured up to the tall man. “Astraea, Aurora, this is Gregory, my boyfriend.”

“Sup, everyone, names Gregory, but call me Greg. Nice to meetcha.” While Jenny-Lee spoke like a proper wealthy young person, Gregory talked like anyone on the street. It was kind of refreshing. “I'm a son of Asclepius and a Legacy of Bia. I'm also like the Head of the Asclepius Hospital.”

“Hospital?”

“Yeah, like, where do you expect all the injured to go? The Big House? Nah, there’s like, hundreds of people here, there wouldn't be any room. So we made a hospital a few years ago. Jenny-Lee and I both work there. Just lemme know and we can give ya two a tour later, it’s kinda cool. We have a magical injuries ward, you wouldn't believe the cases we get in there.”

“You work at the hospital, too, Jenny-Lee?” Astraea asked, giving a sheepish look. “Who was your godly parent again? Sorry, I'm terrible at remembering names.”

“Oh, not to worry.” Jenny-Lee smiled. “My mother is Eileithyia, the goddess of Childbirth. I run the Maternity Ward, but I also help out wherever I’m needed. We don't get too many births here, for now, at least, so I help out wherever I can.” Before Astraea had the chance to speak again, Jenny-Lee continued. “So, will you two be attending father’s school this year?”

“You mean his fancy prep school for snobby rich kids in the city?”

For her credit, Jenny-Lee just looked amused. “That would be the one I was referring to, yes. It’s not that bad, I’ll let you know. In truth, it is one of the best schools on the east coast. You could do a lot worse than it.”

“I think so. Dad said he and mom still have to talk to the principal, but that’s the plan.”

“Excellent. I'm sure you will love it there.”

Greg cleared his throat, tapping his watch. “Jenny-Lee, your ten o’clock…”

“Oh, heavens! I nearly forgot.” Jenny looked at the time and gave an apologetic look. “I am afraid we must cut this conversation short. I have an appointment in twenty minutes and I cannot be late. Feel free to come see me over the next few days and Greggory and I can give you a tour of the hospital.” Jenny-Lee said as she and Greg left.

Alone again, Astraea thought on what Jenny-Lee said, looking to her sister. “Why do you think mom and dad are gonna see Jenny-Lee later? Why did she know they were coming but no one else did?”

Aurora didn't answer, she just continued to watch Jenny-Lee and Greg quickly walk off into the distance.

“Are you two ready to continue the tour?” Rana asked. “Astraea, I thought we could check out the girls’ cabin now. What do you say?”

~o~o~o~

“So this is Xenos Cabin Two, the girls cabin.” Rana explained as they walked through the large lodge-like cabin. They were in what looked like a large shared living space, with a small kitchen set up along one wall. A long table with plenty of chairs separated the kitchen from the living space, it itself filled with couches and lounge chairs.

“There are over twenty rooms here, not all occupied.” Rana continued. “As it stands, every girl here has a roommate, well, except for one.”

“Why’s that?” Astraea asked with a grin. “She snore really bad?”

Rana didn't chuckle. “No, well, yes— but that’s not the reason. She is rather… difficult to manage. So she has her own room. I would advise you to stay out of room number two, as well as keep the door to your room locked when you or your roommate are not in there. As your room, number 3, is right next to hers, it will be at the most risk.”

“Oh, so she’s a thief?”

“Not by choice.”

“What’s that mean? You have to choose to steal things, don't you?”

“You are quite right, you do have to make the choice, but for Eda…, she can not help it.” Rana stopped walking to look at Astraea. “But if anything of yours goes missing, please, inform me, as I will handle it. Please, do not confront her yourself. It will only make things worse.”

“Um, okay, I guess?” Astraea shrugged. “I don't have much besides clothes anyway.”

“Just keep a close eye on all of your belongings, alright?”

“Yeah, sure. So, who’s my roommate? When can I meet her?”

Rana opened her mouth to reply, but a gruff shout sounded from down the hall. “Get outta my way, fox! What’re you lookin’ at?!”

Astraea turned to see what could only be described as a bipedal, six foot hairy boar monster in human clothes stomping through the hallway like it had personally offended her, pushing a smaller girl with a fox tail and ears out of her way. The monster was slightly hunched over, with a large boars’ head and snout with tusks. Her neck was thick and her upper body was bulky and monstrous, completely covered by coarse brown-grey fur. While her legs were short and stubby like a boars’, ending in misshapen hooves. The weirdest thing? She was wearing an oversized shirt that read ‘IZ’ and a Hawaiian flower print skirt and no shoes. But Astraea figured that this strange-looking monster probably couldn’t fit into any regular pair of shorts, pants or shoes.

Just as Astraea was wondering what on earth she was looking at, the hulking boar monster noticed Astraea’s staring and she let out a snort of rage. “What’re you lookin’ at, princess? Close yer mouth before I close it for you!”

Astraea blinked. “Sorry, I just- well, I was just wondering what kind of monster you were—.”

“Monster?!” The female monster yelled, getting angrier by the second. “I ain't no monster!”

“Oh, sorry. Well, what are you—?”

“I’m a HUMAN!” She roared. “Same as you! Now stop lookin’ at me already or I’ll kick yer pretty ass!”

“Girls,” Rana spoke up from beside them. “Let’s all calm down, shall we?”

Anger started to boil inside Astraea as well. “Hey, I wasn't trying to be rude. You don't have to be such a dick!”

“Yer the one being a dick!” The boar girl yelled. “Lookin’ at me like that!”

“Like I said; I'm not trying to look at you like anything. I just haven't seen someone like you before—.”

The boar girl gave an animalistic growl, taking a bold step closer. “I don't look like nothin’!”

“Girls,” Rana repeated, her voice becoming more firm. “Take a step back and calm down-.”

“Stop yelling at me!” Astraea yelled back, fists tightening.

“Fucking make me, you pretty little shit.”

Astraea brought her fists up. “Insult me one more time, pig, and I’ll-.”

“PIG?!” The boar girl was running at Astraea the next second, her massive, heavy fists flying at her face. The large girl had the size advantage, but Astraea was confident she was stronger and faster. So she danced back to avoid a sloppy punch, bringing back her fist to prepare for a counterstrike.

“THAT IS ENOUGH!” Rana jumped in between them, expertly deflecting their attacks with her open hands and throwing them back in opposite directions. Astraea hit the large dining table and was stunned for a second. Opening her eyes and ready to continue the fight, she was suddenly stopped when a blur whipped out from under Rana’s hijab and flew right at her face, stopping only an inch from her nose.

Suddenly taken out of the fight, Astraea realized that the ‘thing’ that was pointing at her nose was in fact a huge stinger, which was— once she dared her to pull her eyes from the threatening stinger— connected to an extremely long scorpion tail.

“Both of you have cleaning duty for a week,” Rana declared firmly, standing tall and imposing in her fashionable sweater and pumps. “For that utterly unacceptable and unbefitting behavior. Kala, you know better than to let someone get to you so easily. And you, Astraea,” Rana’s venomous glare focused on her. “You raised your fists first, so your cleaning duties will actually be extended for two weeks.”

“But she—.”

Rana glared, making Astraea stay silent. “I shall only say this once, but fighting is explicitly forbidden here at Camp. If I catch you fighting again, then I will have to speak to Chiron about possibly removing you from Camp.”

The weight of what happened hit Astraea. She realized how close she was to being kicked out of the only place she ever wanted to be on her very first day.

The scorpion tail started retreating back to Rana, pulling back under her hijab, which she flawlessly fixed to perfection. It was only now when Astraea realized that it was Rana’s hair spun around and coiled together to form a really long scorpion tail.

“I'm done with this shit.” The boar girl mumbled, walking towards the exit behind Astraea. “Why can't Chiron just let me have my own private cabin like that demon, huh? It's not fucking fair.”

As she was walking past Astraea, she purposely bumped her shoulder, muttering, “Yer lucky Rana was here to save yer ass, blondie. Next time we settle this.” before leaving and slamming the door behind her.

Mumbling something in a language Astraea didn't know, Rana put on a strict face. “Astraea, I want you to be careful from now on how you treat us half-bloods with inhuman features. We are no less human, despite our sometimes monstrous appearances. Why, even you, with your wings, do not appear human. Should I or another half-blood make fun of your appearance too?”

“I-I… Okay, I'm sorry.” Astraea apologized, realizing she was kind of an ass for assuming the boar girl was a monster. “Just, who was that? And why do you have a scorpion tail coming out of the back of your head?”

Rana paused, looking back to the door as if making sure the boar girl was gone. “Her name is Kala, Kala Frederick, and she is a human. Not a monster.”

“A human?” Astraea asked, disbelieving. “But she, well, not to be rude, but she didn't look-.”

“Human?” Rana asked, interrupting her. “Yes, Kala does not appear to look human, but, I can assure you, she is a human.”

“How?”

“She looks like that because she is a demigod.” Rana explained. “Her godly parent, Kamapuaʻa, is the Hawaiian boar god. And, as such, Kala has a lot of boar features; snout, tusks, fur, hooves, things like that. But, she is still human.”

“...Oh, sorry.”

“Don't apologize to me,” Rana said firmly. “Apologize to Kala. You two should learn to get along, for both your sakes.”

“What’s that mean?”

But Rana didn't answer, instead she turned to face the small group of girls watching the impromptu fight. “Ladies, there is nothing to see here. Go back to whatever you were doing.”

Most of the girls gave a mumbled, “Yes, Rana” before heading off to other areas of the cabin. While a few stayed in the living area, sitting on the couches and talking. Satisfied that the scene was over, Rana left the cabin, seemingly going after Kala or finding Chiron or her parents.

Shit, Astraea thought, her parents would be pissed she got into a fight on her first day.

Astraea was left awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do or what to say. She hadn't even met these girls yet and she had already gotten into a fight in front of them. At least it seemed that this Kala girl wasn't too well liked, and Astraea hadn't gotten into a fight with the most popular girl in the cabin.

The small girl with the fox tail and ears Kala had pushed earlier walked past and Astraea called out to her. “Hey, uh… what's your name?”

The fox girl regarded Astraea carefully, like she was worried she would make fun of her too for her appearance. “...I'm Huli jing. I'm in room 5.”

“I'm Astraea Jackson, nice to meet you.” Astraea put on her best friendly smile and held out her hand.

The small fox-like girl observed her outstretched hand for a few seconds, not blinking. It was kind of unnerving. Suddenly, the girl spoke. “Are you an angel?”

“What?” Astraea asked, confused by the questioning tone.

“Are you an angel?” Huli jing asked, her head tilted, unblinking. “Or I guess you could be a Tennin.”

Astraea blinked. “Um, I don't know what a Tennin is?”

The fox girl looked her up and down, unblinking. “It's what you are.”

“Um, I'm really not.”

“Are you sure?”

“Um, I think so?”

Another girl laughed behind them. “Come on, Huli, stop confusing the new girl.” The girl walked up to them and took Astraea’s hand, giving it a firm shake before chuckling. She was two or three years older than Astraea, slightly taller than her, really pretty with golden hair and ethereal, slightly glowing skin. Her casual and ‘rough and tumble’ choice of clothing drastically contrasted her regal features. She gave off major tomboy energy, much like Astraea herself, which she instantly felt a connection to.

“I'm Ketevan, the only known child of Dæl, Georgian goddess of Hunting and… other stuff. You’re the new girl, Astraea, right?”

“Yeah, I'm Astraea Jackson.”

“Jackson? So you are Percy and Annabeth’s kid, huh? Which means you're really famous around here.”

Astraea blinked. “I am?”

“Of course.” Ketevan looked at Astraea like she had gone crazy. “The kid of the two most famous demigods to ever go to Camp? Of course you're famous. But,” Ketevan paused, giving Astraea a confused look. “Why are you in the Xenos Cabins? I mean, don't get me wrong, it’s cool you're here, but shouldn't you be in the Greek Cabins?”

“I'm adopted.” Astraea said for the second time today, this time feeling a little embarrassed. “I don't know who my godly parent is.”

“Adopted?” Another girl asked from a table playing checkers with another girl. “I thought I heard that Annabeth had a kid on Olympus?”

Astraea felt like an animal in a zoo. “...That's my little sister, Aurora. She's… my parents' biological child.”

“Oh,” Ketevan said, eyes widening. “I guess that makes sense. But I never heard of you before, actually. What can you do?”

“Excuse me?”

“What can you do? I'm good with a bow and can make anyone do what I ask when I bat my eyelashes.” She gave an overdramatic bat of her eyelashes, laughing. “The boys always trip over themselves when I sigh. It's funny sometimes, but it gets kind of annoying now. They won't leave me alone.”

She pointed a thumb to the short girl with fox ears and tails that was sniffing an apple in the kitchen. “Huli there can shapeshift. Valka— the giant redhead over there on the couch— is really strong and can control lightning.” Astraea followed Ketevan’s finger to the couch, finding who could have only been Valka. She was a full head taller than Astraea and built like a rhino, but a very pretty rhino with a regal face that didn't fit the rest of her body. Valka didn't say anything, but gave Astraea a respectful nod.

“Those two over there playing checkers are Kai and Agatha.” Ketevan introduced. Kai was clearly from somewhere around the Pacific islands and built like a swimmer. While Agatha was shorter and…. full-bodied. Astraea didn't know how to describe her otherwise without sounding rude. She looked plenty nice, though. “Kai can do magic, and Agatha can grow food and heal minor injuries.”

“I make a mean squash.” Agatha said with a smile before moving a piece on the checkerboard, giving Kai a grin. “King me.”

“Awe.” Kai whined dramatically, groaning. “I was distracted by the new girl, that doesn't count.”

“That piece has been there for like five turns, my dude, maybe you're just not good at this game.”

“Shut it.” Kai said playfully.

“That’s everyone that's down here for now.” Ketevan said, gaining Astraea’s attention again. “We’ll introduce you to everyone at dinner.”

Astraea looked at the dining table. “We eat at the Dining Hall, with the Greeks, right?’

“Yeah, but we didn't used to until a few years ago. It took Rana forever to convince Chiron.”

“We’ll introduce you to the boys later.” Agatha said as she decimated Kai at checkers. “We’re on a break from activities right now, but we can meet some of them later.”

“What room are you in?” Ketevan asked. “You got your own room, right?”

“Nah,” Astraea shook her head. “Figured it would be boring. I'm in room 3-.”

Half of the girls in the room gasped. Agatha said “fuck you didn't”, and Valka said something in Norse.

Astraea suddenly got the feeling they knew something she didn't, and she was starting to get the feeling she knew why. “What's the problem…?”

“Your roommate.” Ketevan said. “That’s the problem.”

“Why? Who’s my roommate?”

“Dude, Kala is your roommate.” Agatha answered, giving Astraea a look like she had been sentenced to death. “The girl you just got in a fight with.”

“Fuck.”

“Yup.” Agatha agreed. “Fuck indeed. It’s been nice knowin’ you, tho.”

“Just apologize when you see her.” Ketevan suggested. “Kala’s always angry, but it might help. Maybe… Probably not, but there's always hope?”

“I’d just ask Rana for a different room.” Kai said seriously. “I'd rather sleep outside than in the same room as her.”

Astraea remembered how angry Kala was at everything. “It can't be that bad, can it?”

“Yeah, it can.” Agatha said. “She gets into a fight like every week now. Sent Reine to the hospital last month. Broken arm and nose, plus, like a dozen teeth knocked out.”

“It was only three teeth, Greg was able to grow them back the same day.” Ketevan corrected. “And it was a sprained wrist, not a broken arm.”

“But she did break her nose.” Agatha reminded.

“That’s true.”

“Well, fuck.” Astraea repeated. “Do you think Rana will let me change rooms?”

“Probably, especially now since you already got into a fight with Kala. It wouldn't be safe to let you sleep in the same room with her now.”

“I can take care of myself.” Astraea huffed, not liking that the rest of the girls assumed she’d lose to Kala.

“Yeah, maybe, but Kala’s crazy. She bit Snorri once, and that guy is huge.”

“Well, whatever, I can handle myself.” Astraea reaffirmed.

“Sleep with your back to the wall.” Agatha suggested. “And, like, maybe a sword.”

“I have a sword!” Huli said excitedly, popping up out of nowhere, apple peels in her hair. Astraea flinched when the tiny fox girl was suddenly next to her.

Ketevan frowned. “You don't have a sword, Huli.”

“Well, maybe not, but I can find one-.”

“What did Rana say?” Ketevan interrupted. “We're not allowed to have swords in here anymore.”

Huli looked aloof for a second, then sad, then aloof again before scampering off somewhere out of sight, her fox tail swishing back and forth. Astraea watched her disappear with a raised brow. “She's… kind of odd.”

Agatha snorted. “You have no idea. Now, come on, join me in checkers so I can once again become the undefeated champion of the cabin.”

~Follow, Favorite and Review~

Annabeth sat in a sterile, blank, white room, feeling completely exposed and utterly terrified. Her fingers nervously fumbled with her medical gown in between rubbing together, this medical room was so cold it made her shiver.

Or maybe those were her nerves.

The door sliding open seemed so loud in the too-quiet room. Annabeth turned to face a nurse her age with a supportive smile and clipboard. “Good morning, Annabeth. How are we doing today?”

Annabeth, despite herself, stuttered in her nervousness. “H-hey, Jenny-Lee. I’m not doing good, if I'm honest.”

Jenny-Lee didn't visibly react to her words, but Annabeth knew she was observing her carefully.

“Would you like to talk a little first? To ease your nerves? Or would you like to stick to business?”

“Business. For now.” Annabeth said, feeling like she couldn't handle small talk right now. Not with the weight in her gut. “We can catch up later.”

“I do hope so,” the squat woman said with a smile, going over a few notes on her clipboard. She lowered the clipboard and sat in a rolling stool next to the bed, moving close to Annabeth. “You said that you have been discharging a lot of fluid, yes? And your stomach is hurting a lot?”

“Yeah, I've been getting cramps the last week.”

“Hmm.” Jenny-Lee made a note. “Have you been experiencing light-headedness or dizziness? Nausea?”

“Sometimes when I wake up.” Annabeth admitted. “But they sometimes go away by the time I go to work. I assumed it was stress at first, then, well, good news. I thought I was finally pregnant.”

“Have you done an at-home test yet?”

“...No, I haven't.”

Jenny-Lee raised a brow. “You haven't? And you haven't gone to a clinic either?”

“No…”

“Hmm.” Jenny-Lee made another note. “Well we can certainly check today. I’m much more accurate than any mortal test, after all. Back to symptoms, have you been experiencing a fever? Weight loss? Back pain?”

“Yes.”

“For which one?”

“All three.”

Another note.

Jenny-Lee sighed, adjusting her glasses. “Now, last question. Have you been to a doctor yet?”

“No,” Annabeth said, letting out a breath. “I-I… I'm worried about getting bad news.”

“I fully understand that, Annabeth. Sometimes fear and anticipation makes things worse, especially when it comes to medical issues. Have you been keeping check of your cycles?”

“No, I haven't.”

Jenny-Lee raised a brow. “You haven't?”

“No…”

“Hmm.” Jenny-Lee made a note on her board before putting it down, giving Annabeth her full attention. “Annabeth, if I can be blunt, why did you come all the way to see me? Especially when you can find out faster at home? Or, you could have even gone to Olympus and asked my mom. I know you and Percy haven’t been to Olympus since you left Camp, but my mom could just as easily come to you.” Jenny-Lee sighed, adjusting her bulky glasses. “What I'm asking, Annabeth, is if you really want to know…”

Annabeth paused, not understanding the question. Of course she wanted to know. She hadn't been able to sleep for two weeks because she was worried about it. Why wouldn't she want to know?

Jenny-Lee, it seemed, understood Annabeth’s confusion and put a calming hand on her own. “I just want to make sure that this is what you want, Annabeth. Because once I check, well, I've never been wrong before. You’ll know for sure…” She let it hang.

Steeling herself, Annabeth bit her lip and nodded. “I'm sure. Do it.”

“Alright, then. I'll prepare for the examination.” Jenny-Lee said, all business. She slipped on some medical gloves and rolled back over to Annabeth. “Lay down, please. And relax.”

“I am-.”

“You are nowhere near relaxed.” Jenny-Lee cut her off. “Your shoulders are tense and you're going to damage your teeth if you keep clenching your jaw like that. Relax.”

“Fine. I'll… try.”

“That’s all I ask.” Jenny-Lee said, giving her a reassuring smile. “Now, this is going to be uncomfortable, but it is imperative that you don't move for the entire examination. I’ll use my abilities to check you and… the embryo. If it is indeed there.”

“O-okay.”

Jenny-Lee paused. “...Do you want me to get Percy? As long as he stays calm, he can be here with you.”

“No, no. He’d just fuss over me more than he already is.” Annabeth joked. “I told him to wait outside.”

“...Is there possibly someone else you wish to be here with you?”

“No, only my girls are here… and I don't want them to be here for this. Gods, they don't even know…”

“We don't know anything for certain yet.” Jenny-Lee reassured. “You said on your form that you ”just have a bad feeling”, we have no confirmation yet.”

“But I can feel it…” Annabeth whispered. “Somethings wrong, I can feel it.”

Jenny-Lee didn't react, instead she raised her hands and they started to glow with an ethereal aura. “We’ll get our answers soon, Annabeth. Don't worry. Just stay still, this is going to be uncomfortable.”

~Page Break~

Astraea had just met back up with Aurora around the Big House where their parents had told them to meet. They’d be leaving soon and made them promise they’d say goodbye.

Astraea had met a few more girls in her cabin, as well as several of the boys. Luckily, she hadn't gotten into a fight with any of them. She was in the process of retelling the story with her little sister when her parents appeared around the corner. She was about to call over to them when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her heart frozen.

Her mom was crying.

Like, full-blown sobbing. Her eyes and nose were red and puffy and she had more tear stains running down her face. She was also practically leaning on her dad for support, her walking unbalanced and unfocused.

Astraea knew her mom was strong, the strongest person she knew. She never cried. Without a second thought, she ran up to her. “Mom, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Her mom looked even sadder for a moment when their eyes met, but she quickly hid it away. Wiping her face with her hand. “I-I’m fine, sweetie. I just-... I just received some… bad news.”

Aurora appeared next to her. “What news? Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“Your mom isn’t doing well right now.” Their dad said, giving them his best reassuring smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. “We’ll tell you later, but when you mom is in a better state.”

“But what happened?” Astraea insisted. “Is mom going to be okay?”

“She’s-.”

“I'm going to be okay, honey, don't worry.” Her mom interrupted, trying her best to smile. “It makes me so happy that you're so worried about me… But don't worry, I’ll be okay.”

Aurora studied her. “Are you… in pain?”

“A little…” Their mom admitted. “But Jenny-Lee and the doctors gave me some medicine, so I’ll be okay in a few days.”

“A few days?” Astraea asked, eyes wide. “What happened?”

“We’ll tell you later, girls.” Their dad repeated. “For now, give us some big hugs and promise you’ll have fun and behave yourselves, okay? We need to be leaving and it looks like Chiron is waiting for you.”

Astraea took a second to tear her gaze away from her mom, and she did indeed find Chiron a respectable distance away waiting for them.

“But, m-mom,” Aurora mumbled. “You're in pain…”

“I'll be fine, sweetie. Don't you worry.”

“But-”

“Girls.” It was Chiron, but Astraea didn't pay him any mind. “It is time for camp activities. Your parents must be leaving. Please, say your goodbyes and follow me.”

Astraea took her mom's arm. “But why can't you just tell us what's wrong?”

“Listen to Chiron, Astraea.” Her dad said. “And to us. Your mom will be fine, she just needs some rest. We’ll IM you two when she’s ready.”

Astraea didn't want to give up, but she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere. “Fine.” She gave her mom a hug, holding her tight. “Just promise me you'll tell us what’s wrong…”

“I will, honey. Don't worry.” Her mom hugged both of them for several minutes, before finally giving their dad a turn. And all too soon, their parents left.

Astraea watched them as long as she could, and even after they were gone. She just watched the empty path they left on, as if expecting them to come back.

And a part of her hoped they would. The first time she would be away from her parents in a decade, and she suddenly wanted to go back home.

Astraea chuckled at the irony. For most of her life, she couldn't wait until she got away from her parents, but now, she missed them.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Why does everyone think I’m a shoe?

[June, 2025, Camp Half-Blood]

[Recap: After years of waiting, Astraea Jackson and her little sister, Aurora, have finally been allowed to attend Camp Half-Blood. But Camp has changed a lot since their parents attended; children of Roman, Norse, Egyptian and many more pantheons have begun attending, and the divide between them and the Greeks is growing by the day. Even on Astraea and Aurora’s first day, they are learning this first hand. ]

“Do you know how to fight?”

“Does a centaur know how to shoot a bow?” Astraea replied.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” Ketevan smiled. “Come on, we have sword combat first. Let’s find you a weapon.”

It wasn't very long until the bunkhouse time was over and the girls from Xenos Bunkhouse Two headed over to the training fields. First up on the schedule: sword combat lessons.
Astraea couldn't be more excited. She walked with Ketevan, Agatha, Valka and Reem, who were all kind enough to show her the way. On their short walk, they met up with some of the boys from Xenos Bunkhouse One, several of whom introduced themselves to Astraea.

The first one to introduce themselves was Snorri Lawson, the son of Forseti, the Norse god of Justice and the Head of Xenos Bunkhouse One. He was really nice, despite his large size and intimidating nature. He told her to let him know if any of the guys ever give her any trouble. From the way he stressed it, Astraea couldn't help but wonder if he had to deal with things like that all the time.

After giving brief hellos, Astraea followed Ketevan and the girls to the armory to find her a temporary weapon to use before getting her own.

“So, you're telling me that I’ll be able to get a personal weapon made in the forges? And it can be whatever I want?” Astraea asked as she browsed the rows and rows of weapons.

“In reason, yeah.” Ketevan said, appraising a bow with a skilled eye. “The Leo Cabin can build pretty much anything, but they're also proud of their work, they won't just make any random thing. If you ask for something silly, then they'll refuse.”

“Makes sense.” Astraea said, gravitating towards a wall lined with hammers.

“Have you ever used a hammer in combat before?” Valka asked her, showing off her own. It was of decent size but small in her massive hand and forged with Norse runes on the head and handle.

“No,” Astraea answered. “My dad said I never needed one before. I don't actually own any weapons.”

Valka huffed like what Astraea said was absurd. “That will change soon enough. No bunkmate of mine will go into battle unarmed. My mother would strike me down.”

“Your mother? Who’s that?” Astraea asked before realizing what Valka said. “Battle? We’re going to battle? When? That's awesome!”

“We’re not really going to battle,” Ketevan chuckled, giving Astraea a reassuring look. “Valka is just talking about Capture the Flag tonight. She’s acting general tonight for the Xenos Bunkhouses and she—.”

“Wait,” Astraea cut her off. “We’re doing Capture the Flag? That's sweet!”

“You know about Capture the Flag?” Ketevan asked.

“Yeah, of course! My parents told me all kinds of stories of them playing it when they went to Camp.”

“Then you know how serious it is.” Valka said, holstering her hammer and inspecting the wall of weapons for Astraea. “I don't like to lose. So, newbie or not, I expect you to pull your weight. I will not lose today, it would be a dishonor to min mor.” She didn't say another word and walked down the aisle to inspect more weapons.

“A dishonor to what?”

“Her mother.” Ketevan answered for her. “Valka is Norwegian, and she sometimes mixes Norwegian and English together. I can understand what she says most of the time, mostly from just knowing her for a few years, but sometimes I literally have no idea.” She explained, handing Astraea a small warhammer the size of a wooden spoon. “Try out this one, how’s it feel?”

“Like I look silly. What am I supposed to do with it, scratch my back?”

Ketevan frowned. “This is a real warhammer, you know. Those giant ones you see in movies and games are totally ridiculous and impractical. Nobody could lift them.”

“I could.” Astraea said smugly, handing back the tiny hammer. “Give me something more badass.”

Ketevan sighed. “It’s not about ‘looking badass’ or whatever. For half-bloods, it’s about finding the right type of weapon for you. Every half-blood is different, and no two half-bloods can wield the same weapon. For one, the weight could be a gram too heavy, for another, the hilt could be slightly too short. That’s why each and every weapon is made unique for the owner. We don't have time to get one made for tonight, so you’ll have to find the best one you can for right now. We’ll use it as a baseline when ordering your own custom weapon.”

“So every weapon here is really that unique?” Astraea asked, looking up and down the countless rows of weapons. There were everything from swords, shields and spears, to halberds, katanas and tonfa. “What kind of weapon do you have, Ketevan? You said you were pretty good with a bow, right?”

The golden-skinned girl smirked. “‘Pretty good’? Honey, I’m the best damn archer in Camp. I’m not just ‘pretty good’.” She chuckled a little to herself. “But really, yeah, I have a special bow.” She pulled her bow off of her back holster and presented it to Astraea. It had a glowing aura to it— much like Ketevan’s skin and hair— but also felt incredibly old, like centuries old.

“That’s really cool.” Astraea complimented. “I’ve only shot a bow a few times, my parents had a small archery range in our home gym, but I never really used it that much. I could just never get the hang of it.”

Ketevan hummed, which could have been mistaken for the Muses strumming a chord. “Well, if you ever want, I can help you out. As I said, I'm the best archer at Camp, not even Kelly can hold a candle to me, and she's the best Greek archer by far.”

“That’d be cool, thanks.” Astraea put the tiny hammer away and began looking at the larger ones. “Who’s Kelly?”

“Kelly Cross, the last child of Apollo and honorary Head Camper of the Will Cabin. Though she doesn't live there anymore.”

“Why not? And how is she the last child of Apollo?”

“Because she’s nineteen.” Ketevan answered. “And therefore moved out of the cabin. We call her the last child of Apollo because she quite literally is.”

“How do you mean?”

“You see, fourteen years ago on the Promised Day, the old Olympians— Poseidon, Apollo, Athena, all of them— stepped down from their thrones and elected their demigod children to take the thrones.

"Lord Jason took the late King of the gods Zeus’ throne, Lady Kymolopia took Poseidons’, Lady Hebe took Lady Hera’s, Lady Miranda took Demeters’, Lord Sherman took the late god of War Ares’ throne, Lord Malcolm took Athenas’, Lord Will took Apollo’s throne, Lady Thalia took Lady Artemis’, Lord Leo took Hephaestus’, Lady Piper took Aphrodites’ throne, Lord Travis took Hermes’, Lord Pollux took Dionysus’ and lastly Lord Nico took Hades’ throne.”

“I knew about the demigods becoming gods and taking the thrones.” Astraea said. “I’ve met my aunt’s Thalia and Piper a bunch of times. I just don't understand why Kelly is considered ‘the last child of Apollo’.”

Ketevan nodded. “It's because— for whatever reason, and we have no idea why— now that the old Olympians are off their thrones, they haven't been having any mortal children.” Ketevan told her. “So since Apollo hasn't had any children in the last fourteen years since leaving his throne, Kelly, who is nineteen but was only five during the Promised Day, is the last child of Apollo.

“That isn't the only thing, though.” Ketevan continued. “Since Lord Will is married to Lord Nico, and y’know, the god of homosexual men, he hasn't had any demigod children either. So, ever since Kelly turned eighteen and moved out of the Cabin to live in the apartments like the other adult demigods, Cabin 7 has been empty. And, in all likelihood, it will never have Campers again.”

“Dang, I had no idea about that.” Astraea said. “Are there other Cabins like that? Or is the Will Cabin the only one?”

Ketevan shook her head, “No, there are currently nine empty Cabins. There used to be ten, but now with your sister in Cabin Three, we’re down to nine empty Cabins.”

“Nine empty Cabins? How are there that many? Which ones are they?”

“The Jason and Hebe Cabins are always empty.” Ketevan answered. “And so was the Kymolopia Cabin until your sister came today. Both Lord Jason and Lady Hebe are married, to Lady Piper and Lord Heracles, respectively. Lord Jason and his wife, Lady Piper, have both sworn off having children with mortals, so their Cabins will most likely never have demigods in them. And since Lady Hebe is the Goddess of Marriage, she doesn't go around having affairs with mortals anymore.

“The Will Cabin is empty, as I just said, and so is the Thalia Cabin. Though, for different reasons. Lady Thalia, much like Lady Artemis, doesn't have any mortal children but instead uses her Cabin to house her Hunters when they are at Camp.
“The Travis Cabin is also empty, and there are only two children of Hermes left in Camp; Chris Rodriguez, who is in his thirties and married, and Jocelyn Steele, who is nineteen and just moved out of the Cabin a year ago. Lord Travis, the son of Hermes, isn’t married and has not publicly sworn off having demigod children, but he has not had any children since taking his father's throne.”

“Any idea why?” Astraea asked. “I know that the new Olympians are different from the old ones, but the one thing everyone knows about them is that they always have demigod children.”

Ketevan hummed in thought. “Okay, this is just a rumor— and Rana doesn't like us spreading it around, so don't let her hear you say it— but we think that Lord Travis has a thing for Ms. Gardner.”

“You mean Katie Gardner? The daughter of Demeter? Doesn't she work here at Camp?”

Ketevan looked confused. “How do you know who she is?”

“My parents have talked about her over the years. She’s even IM’d them before a year or so ago.”

“Huh, okay. Well, anyway, Lord Travis isn't married, and neither is Ms. Gardner, and we’ve seen him stop by Camp from time to time, usually it’s to deliver messages to Chiron, but he always without fail goes to see Ms. Gardner. Reem swears she saw him go in there with a bouquet of singing flowers once. So, yeah, they’re totally into each other at least, if not dating.”

“That’s cute.” Astraea said. “I’ve only talked to her once, but she seems pretty nice. Isn't she a therapist here?”

“Yeah, she is, and she's just lovely. Ms. Gardner is one of the nicest people I've ever met.”
“Anyway,” Ketevan said, continuing. “The Nico Cabin is also empty, as I already said. So is the Aristaeus Cabin ever since Kent, the only known child of his, died during the Promised Day. No one has seen or heard from Aristaeus since, not us, not Chiron, not even the other gods. Some say that he Faded during the Promised Day, but no one really ever checked up on him to see if he’s still alive or not.

“The last two empty Cabins are the Eileithyia and Asclepius Cabins. The last two known children of them are Jenny-Lee and Greg, who I heard you already met.”

“Yeah, I met them before I came to the Bunkhouse. It’s really sad that we have all those empty cabins, how many did you say there were again?”

“Nine in total. Jason, Hebe, Will, Thalia— when the Hunters aren't here—, Travis, Nico, Aristaeus, Eileithyia and Asclepius.”

“Damn.”

“You can say that again.”

An idea popped into Astraea’s head. “Can I go check out the Greek Cabins after training? I want to see all the Cabins, used or not. What’s after this?”

Ketevan frowned. “After Sword Combat we have Archery, and then it’ll be a break before dinner. After dinner will be Capture the Flag… But I don't think it’s a good idea for you to go to the Greek area just yet.”

“Why not? I was just there earlier.”

“Yeah, with your parents and Chiron. No one would say anything with them around. Besides, no one knew you were a Xenos Camper yet, being the daughter of Percy and Annabeth, everyone would have assumed you were Greek. No one knew you were adopted or a Xenos Camper.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ketevan let out a breath, “Look, Astraea, you may be the adopted daughter of Percy and Annabeth, but you still have a lot to learn about how things work here at Camp. First thing you need to learn is that not all Greek Campers like us. Because of that, Xenos Campers can't just go waltzing around the Greek areas. Rana and Snorri can because they’re the Head Campers for the Xenos Bunkhouses and have weekly meetings with the Council, but they never go over there to just ‘check them out’. Sorry, girl, but it’s not a good idea for you to go over there alone.”

“Well, what if I ask Rana to go with me?”

Ketevan frowned again. “Rana is busy, she has meetings with Chiron and the Council until dinner, so she can't take you, sorry.”

Astraea rolled her eyes. “Whatever, I don't care if I'm not allowed over there or not. I wanna go see my sister and check out where my parents grew up. What’s the worst that could happen? Someone ‘disapproves’ of me being there. Yeah, I'm so scared. They can kiss my ass.”

Ketevan’s golden eyes glowed as she took a step closer. “‘The worst that could happen’ is you getting messed with, harassed or pranked. Not only are you a new Camper— always a big target for pranks and hazing— but you're a Xenos Camper too. You might get a little leeway because of who your parents are, but the Greeks don't like us in their area. If you go over there alone, you'll get messed with, and believe me when I tell you that they won't hold back, and pranks on Xenos Campers tend to get out of control really fast.”

“I can take care of myself.” Astraea said proudly.

“And risk getting caught fighting again?” Ketevan asked. “If Rana finds out, she’ll rip you a new one.”

Astraea deflated. “...Fine. I won't go into the Greek area. I just wanted to see my sister, I'm sure she's not doing well by herself.”

Ketevan wore a contemplative look before cursing in another language. “...Alright. If it’s just to go see your sister, I’ll take you over there.”

Astraea’s eyes widened. “Really? You'd do that for me? Why?”

“Yeah. ‘Course. We may have just met, but I like you.” Ketevan said with a dazzling smile. “We Xenos girls have to stick together, after all.”

“Not that I’m not thankful… but why didn't you offer earlier?”

“Because you said you wanted to go over there to just check them out, and that isn't a good reason. But going over there to see your sister? Sounds like the best reason to me.”

“Thank you, Ketevan.” Astraea said sincerely. “It means a lot, Aurora—my sister— and I don't usually spend time away from each other, it’s only been a few hours, but I want to see her and make sure she’s doing okay.”

“It’s no problem. We can go see her after training. And, if we have time, we can check out some of the other Greek Cabins on the way in and out.”

“Really? Are you sure? I mean, you said it wasn't a good idea just a minute ago.”

“I said that it wasn't a good idea for you, a new camper, to go there alone. But I get along with most of the Greeks really well, with the exception of a few. Even if someone tries to do something, I should be able to stop them pretty easily.”

Astraea’s brow rose, looking to her bow and hunting dagger. “You mean… with force?”

Ketevan laughed, sending warm tingles down Astraea’s spine. “No, no, nothing like that. Let’s just say I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be, and leave it at that.” She smiled, flashing her dazzling teeth.

“Um, okay.”

“Come on, girl, that’s enough talking for now. Select a weapon already. I'd suggest a sword, as we have Sword Combat first. That way, you can use it as practice for Capture the Flag tonight so you don't have to learn how to use more than one weapon before then.”

Astraea eyed the giant wall of swords that spanned the entire length of the building. “There’s gotta be like a thousand swords in here, how do I know which one is right for me without trying them all?”

Ketevan thought for a second. “Close your eyes.”

“Excuse me?”

“Close your eyes.” Ketevan prompted. After a second, Astraea complied. “If you don't know which one to pick, let fate decide. Pretty much every pantheon has gods or goddesses of Fate, so send them a quick prayer asking for guidance. Walk down the row several times with your eyes closed and let fate decide where you stop. If they are listening, then they’ll pick the best weapon for you.”

“Really? Is this like a normal way demigods choose their weapons?”

“Sometimes, but not always. I’ve only seen it done with demigods who have a real hard time picking a weapon. It usually happens to demigods who have a fate marred with indecision, or so they say.”

Letting out a breath, Astraea sent a quick prayer to not only the Fate Sisters, but also her father, mother and grandfather for guidance. She knew her father primarily used a warhammer, so that’s what she wanted as well, but if he, her grandfather or the Fate Sisters suggested otherwise, she knew better than to ignore them.

Silently with eyes closed, Astraea slowly walked the entire length of the building, only stopping when she felt the wall in front of her and turned back around and walked the length again. In total, she walked seven laps before she felt a fire in her gut, like her internal organs were heating up.

With still closed eyes, she tenderly reached out her hand, letting out an anxious breath when her hand grabbed a handle. Hesitantly she pulled the weapon to her, finding the weight surprising but somehow familiar. With trepidation, she slowly opened her eyes.

Astraea’s breath caught as she looked at the weapon in her hand. Unlike her hopes and expectations, it wasn't a warhammer, but a greatsword of tremendous length. It had to be about seven feet long, and considerably heavier than she would have expected by the look of it. The blade seemed to be made out of Celestial Bronze, but it was golden in color and gave off an aura that Astraea had never felt before on a Celestial Bronze blade before. The blade was wider and considerably thicker than Astraea had seen in sword blades before. There were worn Ancient Greek symbols and markings that Astraea could only barely make out, and she could only read one word, ‘God’.

The hilt was meant for two hands and was tremendously thick, making Astraea happy for the first time to have what she called ‘man hands’, because if her hands were any smaller, she wouldn't have been able to properly wield the blade.
Other than the golden shine and faded script on the hilt, the blade was bland and unremarkable, but it felt right in her hand. From next to her, Astraea heard Ketevan gasp, shaking her out of her thoughts.

“A-Astraea, do you know what kind of blade that is?”

Astraea had to force her eyes to break away from the sword and look to her new friend. “Um… a badass one?”

“No, that’s an Olympian blade. Made out of Celestial Bronze and Olympian Gold. They're incredibly rare… I’ve never heard of a demigod using one before, at least, not living ones.”

“So it's badass and really rare? Cool.”

“You don't understand, when people see you with that, well, if the Greeks didn't like you being a Xenos before, then they'll hate you now.”

Astraea raised a brow. “Why? I mean, what's wrong with this sword?”

Ketevan looked uneasy before shaking her head. “I'm not the best person to answer that, I'm not Greek and I honestly don't care that much about swords to know much about them, so we need to talk to an expert.”

“Like who? Chiron? Or do you mean like Leo or Hephaestus?”

“Chiron will find out you have this sword by dinner, this Camp can't keep secrets. As for Leo or Hephaestus, they’d be nice, but I was thinking of someone a little more local.”

“Who do you mean?”

Ketevan gestured for Astraea to follow as she headed to the back of the armory. “Come on, I think it’s time you met the half-blood who runs this place. She’ll have more answers for you than I ever would ever think to ask.”

~Please Follow me on Twitter & Instagram~

Ketevan led them through a door at the back of the armory that read ‘No Trespassing, Violators will be gutted alive’, which Astraea was hoping was a joke. She looked to Ketevan to gauge if it was one, but couldn't read the look on her golden face.

They entered what Astraea could only describe as a neat freak’s worst nightmare. The forge was cramped and packed to bursting with swords, shields, and other weapons, raw iron and other metals Astraea could only guess at. A whole corner of the room was dedicated to armor scraps and bits. There were three chariots stacked on top of each other with no wheels, for whatever reason. Every workbench was cluttered and Astraea couldn’t fathom how someone could find anything in the mess. There was a broken old box TV in the middle of the narrow walkway that was completely gutted yet still sparking that they had to carefully step over. Astraea found it extremely difficult to maneuver the gigantic sword through the narrow paths in the junk, not to mention her large wings, which she had to fold up against her back since she refused to hide them.
Everything also looked charred and burned, like it had been repeatedly thrown into a fire dozens if not hundreds of times. And from somewhere behind the impenetrable wall of junk, Astraea heard the sound of hammer striking metal.

As they turned around a corner packed with half-charred training dummies, Astraea saw a teenage girl on fire working at the forge. And the strangest and most concerning thing about it was that it didn't look like she noticed.

“You're on fire!” Astraea yelled, dashing to a small fire extinguisher on the wall under a sign that read ‘In Case of Party’, snatching it, fumbling with the pin and pointing it at the girl who was turning around at the noise.

“What did you-?”

Rainbow glitter confetti and shaving cream shot out of the fire extinguisher and covered the girl from head to toe. A second later, she caught fire again.

Astraea’s eyes went wide and her brain stopped as she was trying to process what was happening. “...Um…What…?”

At some point Ketevan started laughing her ass off. “Hahaha! Oh my gods! That- that was hilarious!”

The now covered in flaming glitter girl looked at Astraea like she was trying to figure out how best to cook her alive. Astraea suddenly began worrying that this was the same girl who made the sign at the door.

“Why did you shoot me with the party extinguisher?” The girl asked, wiping shaving cream off her face with a flaming hand. Her left boot caught fire next, but she didn't seem to notice. “Now I'm going to have to fill it again, thank you very much. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get the glitter to shaving cream ratio correct?”

Astraea wasn't sure if she was expected to answer or not, which was good as she could only say, “...Uh…”

‘Plegh.’ The girl spit out a blob of shaving cream and confetti onto an old cash register that sat on the floor. The flaming girl turned her attention to Astraea. “Who in Hera’s name are you? I’m pretty sure I've never seen you before.” She faced Ketevan. “I’m guessing she's new?”

“That’s right.” Ketevan answered, having just calmed down. “Her name is Astraea and she’s a Xenos. We came to the armory to pick out a sword for her to use today.”

The girl nodded. “Ah, that makes sense, I guess-.” Her eyes went wide as she noticed the sword Astraea was holding. “Put that down!”

“Uh, what?” Astraea asked, snapping back to reality.

“Put that sword down right now!” The girl ordered again, making her way towards Astraea. “It isn't a toy, you know.”

“I know that. You see, Ketevan told me that all half-bloods either pick their weapons or have them made custom-.”

“I know that!” The older girl interrupted. “Who do you think makes all of them?” She attempted to snatch the giant blade out of Astraea’s hand but Astraea refused to let go. She had just gotten the thing, and it was awesome, she wasn't going to give it up now. “Give it here.”

“How about you tell me why you want it so bad?” Astraea asked, lifting the sword up above her head with a little effort where it brushed the ceiling and was far out of the shorter girl's reach. “From what Ketevan said, it should be mine now.”

“Yours?” The girl asked incredulously, trying in vain to jump and grab it, Astraea was easily able to move it out of her reach. “A sword like that doesn't just choose anyone, you know. Do you even have any idea how special it is?”

“No, I don't. But that's why we came here- or at least that's why I think we came here.” She turned to Ketevan with a questioning look. “Why are we here? Are you sure this is where we’re supposed to be?”

Ketevan laughed melodically. “Yeah, this is where we’re supposed to be, alright. Elizabeth,” She said to the currently smoldering girl. “Astraea didn't steal this sword, it chose her.”

Just like that, the girl's personality did a complete one-eighty. She stopped trying to snatch the sword out of Astraea’s hand and started examining her like she was a difficult and interesting puzzle.

“That… is most unexpected… and, far more exciting; impossible.”

“Why is that impossible?” Ketevan asked.

The girl named Elizabeth looked at Astraea like she was studying her, her blonde hair catching fire again. She was almost a head shorter than Astraea, but built with broad shoulders and arms from working in the forges all day. She seemed to notice the fire this time and patted her hair until it went out.
Finally, she spoke. “Because, you said she’s a Xenos Camper. That blade she is holding is unlike any other in our armory, because it wasn't made by a demigod.”

“Then who made it?” Astraea asked.

The girl’s eyes trailed every inch of the blade up to Astraea’s face. “My father, Hephaestus.”

Astraea’s breath caught. She looked at the sword in her hand with more awe and admiration. “And that’s unusual?”

“Unusual?!” Elizabeth cried. “It's the only sword in Camp made by him! The rest, while beautifully made by myself and my brothers and sisters for centuries, are all utter garbage compared to his. Hephaestus just doesn't give out his prized creations to just anyone, especially ones like this. …You don't even know what you're holding.”

“Then why don't you tell me?”

The girl held out a hand. “May I see it?”

Astraea sent a look to Ketevan, who nodded. WIth a weary feeling, she handed it over. The older girl took the sword with both hands, nearly dropping it due to the weight. She cradled the sword as if it were a newborn and gently laid in on her workbench. She then lit a lantern with her finger and held it close to the blade.
“Did you see the symbols and markings on it? Right here?”

Astraea and Ketevan stepped up next to Elizabeth, seeing the light from the flames dance along the golden blade. “Yeah, but I was only able to make out the word for ‘god’. What does that mean?”

“It denotes the purpose of the sword, or, at least, that’s what this section that we can read says.”

“And what is the purpose of this sword? I mean, aren't all swords made for the same thing? Battle?”

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed like she had just been insulted. “Battle? Maybe all mortal-made swords… but this one? It was made for a grander purpose…”

“...And that would be…?”

“This sword was made to kill gods.”

Astraea gasped and Ketevan let out a curse. “I was worried about that.”

“Why?” Astraea asked.”And what’s so special about this blade? And why is it a problem that I have it? I mean, it's not like I'm going to kill a god-.”

“Yes, you are.” Elizabeth cut her off.

“No, I'm not.”

“Yes. You are.” She repeated, stressing the words. “You say this sword chose you, correct?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“That’s right.” Ketevan answered. “She walked down the wall of swords seven times before she stopped, right in front of it. Her hand shot right towards it, too. It was fate. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.”

Elizabeth’s hair caught fire again, but she was too stunned to notice. “Is this true?”

“Yeah, it's true.” Astraea said. “But I still don't understand what's going on. Why is it such a big deal? Why are you saying I'm going to kill a god?”

“Let me answer that question with another question; if someone was not going to kill a god, then why would they have a god-killing sword? If fate decided that you should wield this blade, then that means that you will kill a god. It isn't up to you.”

Astraea’s brain was going a hundred miles per hour. “But why- I mean, how-.”

“Do you see the golden shine on the blade?”

Astraea could only nod.

“This blade is forged out of Celestial Bronze, of course, but it was mixed with Olympian Gold, which can only be forged in one smithy in existence. I'll give you three guesses to which one it was and the first two don't count.”

“Hephaestus’ smithy.”

“Correct in one.” Elizabeth nodded, inspecting the sword with a jeweler's eyepiece. “Olympian Gold isn't anything like any other metal in the mortal world, even Imperial Gold, which the Romans use. While our Celestial Bronze and their Imperial Gold are specially made to kill Monsters, Olympian Gold is the only substance known to god or man that can kill a god.”

Astraea felt like her head was spinning, and all she wanted to do was talk to her parents. “But if this sword is so special, then why is it here? Shouldn't it be on Olympus under lock and key? I mean, if it’s so dangerous to the gods, then why are they letting it just sit here at Camp where any half-blood could use it?”

“That, I do not know. All I know of the blade I have already told you. My cabin has kept a record of every weapon and piece of armor created and brought in here since Camp was founded, and I've gone through the lists a half dozen times, but I can't find any information on it. There's no entry when it was brought in, no cataloged attempt to clean, polish or repair it, nothing. There’s not even any record of it being here until the seventies, and, according to some older campers, it’s been here long before that.”

“Any idea on how long?”

Elizabeth shrugged, her hand catching fire. “None. All I can guess is we’re talking a long time.”

Astraea had a million questions she wanted to ask, starting with why did it have to be her? But finally settled on another. “So… what does this mean? Like, for me?”

Elizabeth and Ketevan shared a look. “We should talk to Chiron.” They said in unison.

Astraea let out a breath.

”But for now,” Ketevan said with an encouraging smile. “Forget about what we said, it’s your first day at Camp and we have Capture the Flag tonight, you have more important things to worry about. We can talk to Chiron after dinner, if he doesn't find you before then, okay?”

“I… I just, I mean, all I want to know is why the Fates think I’m going to need to kill a god? I mean, no one has ever killed a god before, like, ever, right?”

Both Ketevan and Elizabeth shared a nervous look.

“What?”

Ketevan’s golden skin dimmed slightly. “That, um, that isn't really correct.”

“Wait, what do you mean? Which god was killed?”

Elizabeth gulped. “The late Lords Zeus and Ares. May they rest in peace.” She gestured over her heart the same way Astraea had seen her parents do only a few times in her life.

“Who killed them?”

Ketevan gave her a confused look. “Shouldn't you know?”

“Why would I know? I’ve never been to Camp before.” Astraea told them. “My dad told my sister and I that the old gods stepped down on the Promised Day and both Zeus and Ares died, but he never told me who killed them or what really happened. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ketevan looked at her like she had said something absurd. “Well, because you're the daughter of Percy Jackson, of course. Out of anyone, I’d figure you would know. Everyone knows that Percy was on Olympus when it happened, he even killed the thing that killed Lords Zeus and Ares.”

“Well? What killed them? Some kind of Monster?”

Ketevan shook her head, looking really uneasy. “It was a monster, yes, but not a monster like a Hydra or a Hellhound or something like that… it was a demigod.”

“A demigod? Who?”

Ketevan’s skin lost all its golden sheen. “I don't know.”

“How can't you know? It seems like everyone should know who killed Zeus and Ares.”

“We’re forbidden to talk about it.” Elizabeth said nervously. “Chiron and our Oracle are the only ones at Camp that know who it was, but they refuse to tell us. We’re not even supposed to talk about it, so we should really stop before someone hears us.” Elizabeth said nervously, looking over her shoulders as if expecting Chiron to storm through the door.

“Is it really that forbidden?”

“You have no idea.” Ketevan told her seriously. “We learn about the Promised Day in our history lessons, but even there, we aren’t told who killed Lords Zeus and Ares. All we know is that Lady Hera declared the knowledge forbidden before she stepped down from her throne. Some say it was her last decree. So, yeah, it’s forbidden and I won't get in trouble for talking about it.” She said with a tone of finality, Astraea sensing she couldn't be convinced to talk about it more.

“Alright, fine, I get it. We’re not supposed to talk about it.”

“Sorry, girl. But even as Xenos campers, we have to listen to Chiron and Lady Hera. Sorry.”

“It’s fine, I understand.” Astraea said, not at all understanding. Why hadn't her dad told her the truth about how Zeus and Ares did? Why was he still keeping things from her?

“So… I know you can't talk about this demigod, but…, since I have this sword now, I need to know; did they have a god-killing sword too?”

“That, we don't know.” Elizabeth said. “But I can tell you that if they did, they didn't use this sword. My records say it hasn't been moved since it first came here.”

“Well, at least that’s some good news…” Astraea paused to think. “Can I just pick a different sword? I mean, if this sword is so bad, why can't I just pick something else? I can find another greatsword-.”

“That won't work.” Elizabeth cut her off.

“Why not? There's a million swords here, I'm sure I can find something-.”

“You don't understand.” Elizabeth stressed. “It's not possible. Fate decided to give you that sword, so, it’s not up to you, sorry. It is not wise to ignore fate. You have no other choice but to wield it.”

Astraea cursed. “Alright, fine. I guess I’ll just use the forbidden, evil god-killing sword, then. What could go wrong?”

Elizabeth grunted. “That sword isn't evil. No weapon is, even cursed or enchanted ones. Weapons are simply tools, no matter who forged them. You having that sword means that you will have to kill a god sometime in your life, yes, but it doesn't make it— or you— evil.”

“But wouldn't killing a god be a bad thing?”

“If they're a good god, sure.” Ketevan agreed. “But mythology has plenty of evil gods and goddesses in it, so I'm sure there's a few out there that could use a good killing.”

“So you're saying I'm going to kill an evil god?”

“That would be my guess, but you should still talk to Chiron as soon as possible.”

“We’ll see him at dinner, right? I'll talk to him then, and hopefully talk to my parents.”

“A word of caution about that sword, though, Astraea.” Elizabeth said. “I don't know anything about it and we have no idea or owned it before you or what it does, if anything.”

“...And…?”

“Be careful.” Elizabeth’s eyes sparked with flame. “We are allowed any weapon in Capture the Flag and use full contact against armor, but that sword was forged to kill gods…, so it isn't just a hunk of metal. So, just be careful.”

“And be ready for the Greeks to be weary of you.” Ketevan warned her.

“Why? I mean, my parents are Greek.”

“Why do you think?” Ketevan asked. “You're a Xenos Camper with a Greek god-killer sword. If you weren't the daughter of Percy and Annabeth, they'd expect you to be a traitor and threat based on that alone.”

“Shit.”

“But what's confusing me is that Astraea shouldn't be able to wield the sword.” Elizabeth mused. “It should be impossible for her to wield the sword or to be chosen by fate because she is a Xenos, as it should only allow half-bloods with Greek blood to wield it.”

“Elizabeth, you're the weapon expert here,” Ketevan said. “Any idea what's going on? How is it possible?”

Elizabeth raised her hand to her chin in thought, her hair catching fire again. She mumbled to herself, but Astrea couldn't make any of it out. “...For now, I have several theories, each more unlikely than the last, but, nothing I'd bet money on. So, no. Sorry.”

“That’s fine, thanks for all your help, Elizabeth.” Astraea said, trying her best to put on a smile as if her life just hadn't changed.

“My pleasure.” Elizabeth smiled, “Let me know if you learn anything about it, though. I'd love to hear it. But, for now, that’s all I can help you with.”

“For sure. If I learn anything, I'll let you know.”

“Thanks. I’d offer to clean up and polish your sword like I do for everyone else, but no mortal tool can affect that blade. Believe me, I’ve tried tinkering with it before.”

Astraea inspected the blade with a raised brow. “Is the blade dull?”

Elizabeth snorted like she had said something stupid. “Don't ask such a dumb question, my dad’s swords don't go dull. Now, I'd love to talk more, but I have a lot of work to do before Capture the Flag tonight, so, if you'll excuse me.” She wasted no time to go back to hammering metal.

“Um… thank you?’

“Don't bother trying to talk to her while she's working, Astraea.” Ketevan said, putting a glowing golden hand on her shoulder, directing Astraea to follow her. “Elizabeth doesn't even realize we’re still here anymore. Take your new crazy sword and let's go.”

Astraea picked up the massive seven foot sword and immediately wondered how she was supposed to carry the thing. On her back, maybe? “Hey, how am I expected to carry this thing? It’s massive and-”

As if hearing her, the oversized greatsword shrunk into a golden armlet in the form of a coiled snake. Astraea blinked. “The fuck? Well, that’s convenient.”

“And really pretty. I’d love for my bow to transform like that.” Ketevan said. “But it makes sense, a lot of ancient Greek weapons transform so they can be hidden.”

“Cool.” Astraea moved the armlet around to get a better look at it. It took the shape of a very detailed snake and still had the faded name for ‘god’ on it, but no other illegible words were visible. It also weighed a lot for its size, making Astraea wonder if it was pure gold, but considerably lighter than it was as a sword. “Wait ‘til Aurora sees this.”

“Come on, we need to get to Sword Combat lessons, we’re already late.”

“Shit.”

“Eh, don't worry about it. Arthur teaches the class and he’s a sucker for a pretty face, so I'm sure we’ll be fine.” Ketevan said with a melodic laugh. “He's never been able to tell me no before, especially when we were together.”

“You two dated? Who’s this again? Sorry, I'm bad with names. Have you mentioned him before?”

“Arthur Penn, son of Ares and head of the Sherman cabin. He’s probably the only decent guy in the cabin’s history, though. And, yeah, we dated for like half a year.”

“Did it not work out, or…?”

“Nah, we just didn't match up. Don't get me wrong, he was a great boyfriend, probably the best I've had here, but we were just better as friends.”

“Okay, well, at least it didn't end badly.” Astraea had never been in a relationship before— not that she had ever had the chance, not being allowed to go to school or leave her house alone— so she didn't have any dating experience. “Oh, hey, is it fine for Xenos campers to date Greeks? I mean, from what you’ve told me, they don't like us much.”

“There's no explicit rule about it,” Ketevan explained as they left the armory. “And some Greeks have problems with it, sure, but most don't care. Arthur certainly didn't, which makes him about the only one from his cabin to think that.”

“Does the Sherman cabin have such a problem with us Xenos?”

“Like you wouldn't believe. They seem to think that only Greeks should be allowed in Camp, so I'd watch your back around them during Capture the Flag, they never hold back against us Xenos.”

“So we’ll be fighting them?”

“Among others.” Ketevan told her. “But we can talk about that later. First, I need to flirt with Arthur so he doesn't get us in trouble with Chiron. He was a bit too straight-laced for my tastes when we dated, always a stickler for the rules.”

“Doesn't sound like an Ares kid from what I’ve heard of them.”

“That’s what everyone says. Some say he’s more like a child of Athena. He has the skill of an Ares or Sherman kid, but the mind of an Athena or Malcolm kid.” She explained before her face seemed to glow an even brighter gold as they approached a dirt field with a circle of campers. They were all standing facing a large teenager that looked like a stereotypical Ares kid from what Astraea had heard from her parents and aunts and uncles.

“Hey~ Arthur,” Ketevan sung, her voice melodic and enchanting. Astraea was sure she was using some kind of love magic or ability or something. She batted her eyelashes, “So sorry for being late. I was showing a new Xenos around and we met a little unexpected complication in the armory.” She nodded her head towards Astraea. “This is Astraea, Astraea Jackson.”

Astraea wasn't sure how she liked Ketevan using her last name to try to get her out of trouble— along with flirting with their instructor— but she decided to go along with it.

“That's fine, Kete, just don't make it a habit of showing up late.”

Ketevan winked. “Unless I want to. You can always show up late with me, if you want…”

Arthur blushed, though he tried his best to hide it, but failed miserably. “Uh, um-...” He cleared his throat. “Just join the circle, you two, please.”

Astraea and Ketevan joined the circle, standing with all the other Xenos campers. “Well, that was easy.” Astraea whispered.

Ketevan smirked devilishly. “Arthur always is…” She sighed longingly. “Not that Reine isn't a great girlfriend, Arthur was just special.”

“Wait,” Astraea thought to the tall and beautiful Afro-French girl she had met earlier. “You and Reine are dating?”

“Yeah.” Ketevan whispered back, looking at Astraea closely. “What? Do you like her or something?”

From the way she said it, Ketevan didn't sound angry, but Astraea knew to be careful. “No, no, nothing like that. I just didn't know.”

Ketevan shrugged. “It’s fine if you did, just so you know. I don't mind, and neither would Reine, we’re in an open relationship, it’s one of the reasons why Arthur and I didn't work out.” Whispering, she continued. “But Reine is like two and a half years older than you— so am I— so I don't think she'd want to date you, no offense.”

Astraea went pink. “N-no, it’s not like that, I swear.” Reine was pretty, sure, but Astraea hadn't thought of her like that. Plus, she was certain she didn't like girls.

Ketevan tried to hide her smirk, “It’s fine, Astraea. I'm just teasing. What, have you never had a boyfriend or girlfriend before?”

“...I- um-...”

“Ladies, can we keep the side conversations to a minimum, please?” Arthur called out, drawing attention to them, making Astraea embarrassed.

“Sorry, Arthur.” Ketevan gave him a dazzling smile. “Won't happen again.”

Arthur snorted, before continuing. “I'll believe it when I see it. Alright, as I was saying, we’ll break into smaller groups and go through the basics on how to best hold your sword…”

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After a quick demonstration by Arthur, they were divided into smaller groups and instructed to practice basic forms with their partners. As Astraea had guessed, all the Xenos campers were put together. She was partnered with Ketevan, Agatha and Huli jing. Though Agatha didn't seem very motivated to join them.

“Lemme know when we’re done, Godlie,” She said to Ketevan, sitting off to the side.

Astraea sent a questioning glance to Ketevan who whispered under her breath. “Agatha isn't interested in a lot of activities, including Capture the Flag. She doesn't train at all.”

Astraea couldn't understand that mentality at all, considering she couldn't wait to get started. “So, is it just the three of us?”

“Looks like it. Come on, let’s see what your new sword can do.”

“Sword?” Huli jing questioned, popping out of nowhere. “You have a sword? Where is it? What does it look like? Can I see it? Where are you hiding it?” She looked Astraea up and down as if expecting her to be hiding it under her clothes or something.

“Um, a little space, please?” Astraea asked, a little uncomfortable at how close the tiny fox-like girl was.

“Huh? Oh! Sorry.”

“S’fine. And yeah, I got a sword at the armory. Apparently it's really special.” She said, taking off the golden armlet and looking at it expectedly. “Um, how does this thing work exactly?”

Ketevan shrugged. “By will, I think? I don't know, that's how it transformed earlier.”

Astraea looked at the golden snake armlet in her hand and did her best to will it back into a sword. At her thought it transformed into a sword again and she had to use all of her grip strength to keep it from falling to the ground.

“Wow! That's so cool!” Huli jing cried.

Astraea smiled. “Yeah, pretty badass, huh?” She was cut off when she heard a collection of gasps and mumbling around her. She turned to find all eyes on her, everyone at Sword Training was staring at her, from her fellow Xenos and Arthur Penn, to all the Greeks. And not all of the looks from the Greeks were exactly friendly, with a select few making her uncomfortable.

“Um… what's everyone looking at me for?”

“How do you have that sword?” A boy her age asked from the far side of the field.

“That's a Greek sword, a Xenos camper can't own it.” Another said.

“Just because she’s the adopted child of Percy and Annabeth doesn't mean she’s one of us.” A girl sneered.

“Isn't that a god-killer sword? Why does a Xenos like her have it?” A third boy said. “I always wanted that sword, it's not fair she gets to wield it.”

“What's going on here? Why isn't anyone training?” Arthur stepped into the middle of the dirt field with an annoyed expression before his eyes fell on Astraea, or technically, the sword in her hands.

“You were selected to wield that sword?” He asked as he walked up to her. He didn't sound angry, more like he was impressed. Astraea nodded. “You're Astraea, right? Astraea Jackson?”

“I am, yeah. And this sword picked me. It was fate.”

Arthur nodded as if this made sense. “Seeing as you're the daughter of Percy and Annabeth, it only makes sense you get chosen to wield such a blade.” He frowned for a second. “But why are you in the Xenos Bunkhouses? Shouldn't you be in the Kymopoleia or Malcolm cabins?”

“I'm adopted.” Astraea said for the unknown time today. “I'm not related to them by blood.”

Arthur too had the decency to not overreact. “Oh, okay. Sorry about that.”

“‘S’fine.”

He paused, noticing all eyes still on them. “What are you all looking at?” He yelled, snapping them out of their stupor. “Get back to training!” Everyone went back to training, but Astraea was still getting a lot of not-so-subtle sideways glances.

“Sorry about them,” He said, facing her again. “Some Greeks don't like Xenos campers much, as I’m sure you've realized already.”

“I'm starting to.”

“Well, anyway, regardless of what weapon you have or who you are, I still have a duty to teach you. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” he smiled. “Because I have to teach you individually instead of with a group, so you and I may be spending a lot of time together as you learn to master that sword.”

“Why’s that? Why can't you teach me with a group?”

“Just take a look at your sword, it should explain everything.”

Astraea looked down to the massive golden greatsword in her hands. “Because it’s a special god-killer sword?”

“No.”

Astraea frowned. “Then why?”

“Because of its size.” He answered simply. “That sword is longer than you are tall, and, from the look of it, incredibly heavy and unwieldy. So I cannot teach you the same as everyone else, as all of those basics, stances and forms won't apply to you. Before we begin, I have a question; how well are you able to lift and move it?”

Astraea lifted the sword up with both hands until it was at her eye level. “Pretty well. It’s really heavy, even for me, but I can pretty much move it with two hands no problem. Though I don't know for how long.”

Arthur raised a brow. “And with only one hand?”

Astraea let her left hand go and immediately grunted at the weight. “I can hold it up, but I don't know for how long.”

“Then let's see.”

“Huh?” Astraea asked, focussing on balancing the massive sword.

“Let’s see how long you can hold up your sword with only one hand.” He instructed. “It won't be any good to start teaching you how to wield a sword if you can't even hold it up. So, just keep holding it up and we’ll time you.”

“‘Kay.” Astraea grunted, her arm already shaking as she tensed it.

She tried her best to concentrate on holding up the sword, ignoring the few sets of eyes on her.

“How are you feeling?” Arthur asked half a minute later.

“...Like my arm is going to fall off…” She mumbled through gritted teeth.

“Do you want to stop?”

“...No, I can keep going.”

“Prove it to me. Else I’ll make you stop. I won't have you get hurt.”

Astraea grunted as she hefted the sword a little higher. It was incredibly heavy, even when she used two hands. But with only one hand? It was painful. She could now see why this sword once belonged to a god, as she was sure only a handful of half-bloods in history could even use the sword effectively. If she had to guess, she’d wager it had to weigh at least fifty pounds, which she could comfortably lift, but never trained to hold out in front of her.

Astraea was considerably strong for her age— even just using her mortal strength— but this sword was just too heavy. Every minute that passed felt like an hour, the effort sapping her strength and stamina. It made her wonder if it was a special property of the sword. But why would it sap her strength? It seemed counterproductive, right? Why would it purposely weaken the wielder?

With a grunt, Astraea dropped the sword to the ground, which rumbled the earth under it. Astraea had to bend over and support herself with her knees as she caught her breath. Her hand and arm felt like it was on fire and she couldn't get it to stop trembling.

“Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds.” Arthur said, tapping his phone screen before pocketing it.

“Only three…” She sucked a quick gasp of air. “...and a half seconds?” Astraea barked between deep breaths. “How the Hades was that…” She took another breath. “...only three and a half minutes? It felt like it had to be nearly twenty.”

Arthur eyed her greatsword on the ground. “That sword isn't a normal sword, Astraea, as I’m sure you have been told. Don't be discouraged, with its size, it has to weigh a lot, so I wouldn't expect many half-bloods to be able to hold it up for that long.”

“You try it.” She said, her breathing slowing down. “I wanna see how long you can hold it up for.”

Arthur looked weary. “I'm not sure that's a good idea… You were chosen by fate to wield that sword, someone like me shouldn't-.”

“Don't be a wuss. Just pick it up already.”

Arthur still looked worried. “Are you sure? It is your weapon, and weapons are-.”

“You worry too much, Arthur.” Ketevan told him. “Just pick up the damn sword already.”

Arthur sighed. “If you're sure…” Hesitantly he picked up the sword with one hand, easily bringing it to waist-level. It was when he brought it up to his chest that he started to waiver, but he steadied his breathing before holding it out with a straight arm.

“Time starts now.” Ketevan said, tapping her phone screen.

“Gods,” He sucked a breath. “This is heavier than it looks.”

“How’s it feel?” Astraea asked, curious.

“L-like I'm going to- gah!” He dropped the sword, falling to his knees.

“Fifteen point two seconds.” Ketevan announced with a frown. “Not as impressive as I would have thought.”

“You try …” Arthur gasped. “Holding that thing.”

Ketevan rolled her golden eyes. “I'm not stupid. If you struggle holding it up, then I probably can't even lift it. No, I'm not hurting myself.”

“Can I try?” Huli jing asked excitedly.

Ketevan frowned. “I'm not sure that's a good idea-.”

“But I want to!”

Ketevan sighed. “Knock yourself out. But don't say I didn't try to warn you.”

Huli eyed the sword, trying to figure out how best to pick it up. Ketevan whispered in Astraea’s ear. “How much do you wanna bet she can't pick it up?”

“Alright, here goes everything.” Huli bent down and gripped the long hilt with one hand and pulled with everything she had.

And to no one's surprise, nothing happened.

Huli tried again with a different stance, but the result was the same. She couldn't even get it to budge. “Can I try with two hands?” The fox-like girl asked.

“I guess if you still want to get disappointed.” Astraea said, one hundred percent confident that the tiny girl in front of her could never lift the sword.

Huli tried lifting the sword with both hands, but it didn't even budge. Huli plopped to the dirt breathing heavily, defeated. “How in Hera’s name can you two even lift that thing?! It’s like a million pounds!”

“More like fifty.” Astraea corrected with a shrug. “It's not really that much, it’s just holding it out that is the hard part.”

“Only fifty pounds!” Huli scoffed. “That's like more than half of me! How much can you even lift anyway?”

Astraea shrugged. “I'm not sure, actually. My dad never let me use my half-blood strength in training before. So I honestly don't know how strong I am. But I sure as Hades can't wait to find out.”

“You should check out the training field this weekend,” Arthur suggested. “We have a lot of weights there for you to train with. Plus, I’d be lying if I said I wasn't curious as well.”

“That’d be awesome!”

“Alright, meat-heads, try not to get too excited.” Ketevan rolled her eyes with a smirk.

“Remind me later to show you where it is.” Arthur told Astraea. “We can work out this weekend if you want.”

Astraea smiled. “Up for a little friendly competition?”

Arthur gave a barking laugh. “With you, Astraea, I don't think any competition would be friendly. I may be one of the strongest guys at Camp, but from watching you hold that sword alone, I can tell you're in a whole other league.”

Astraea couldn't help but preen. “Thanks.”

“It makes me wonder who your godly parent is.” He said, thinking. “Whoever they are, they must be incredibly strong, even for a god or goddess. There can't be many who can have half-bloods as strong as you are.”

Astraea froze internally. From what Ketevan told her, Arthur was extremely smart, so she was worried about him connecting the dots that she was related to Heracles. But it seemed that she didn't need to worry as he sighed.

“I'm only really familiar with the Greek pantheon, sadly, so I don't know of many other pantheons, let alone gods or goddesses related to strength.”

Astraea breathed a sigh of relief.

“Well, I think that’s enough of a break.” Arthur said in his previous instructing tone. “Astraea, I want you to practice holding the sword up for the remainder of today, switching back and forth between one and two hands. Think you can do that?”

“‘Course.” Astraea said confidently, eager to get back to training.

“Good. Next lesson we’ll try the basic stances, but for now, go easy and don't injure yourself, we have Capture the Flag tonight.”

“Got it.”

“I'll come back later to check in.” Arthur told her, before sending a not-so-subtle glance to Ketevan. “I'll see you ladies later.” He left without another word, going to the next group who has been watching Astraea the entire time.

“Alright,” Astraea let out a breath, getting herself ready to continue training. “Ketevan, can you time me as I try again?”

Ketevan pulled her phone out of her quiver with unseen speed. “Of course. Whenever you're ready, girl.”

~Remember to leave a Review~

After a hard hour of trying— and failing— to beat her record, Astraea decided to call it a day from training to hold up her sword.

“Okay, girl, if you're still up to it, we can go check out the Greek area now.”

“Yeah, I am. Just give me a moment.” Astraea caught her breath before willing her sword to turn back to an armlet, her exhaustion nearly doubling and her vision spinning as soon as she did so. “Oh, fuck.” She swayed on her feet. “That doesn't feel right.”

“You okay, girl?”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just- Just felt like I was about to pass out.”

Ketevan and Huli jing watched her with concerned expressions. “...Perhaps it isn't the best idea to use that sword in Capture the Flag tonight, Astraea.” Ketevan cautioned. “If it’s wearing you out this much without even using it properly-.”

“No, I'm good. I'm good.” Ketevan shook her head, trying to forcefully shake off her quesiness. “I don't give up. I'll use this sword even if it kills me.”

Ketevan’s golden skin dimmed. “That's what I'm worried about… but I won't say anything to Rana unless I think it gets really bad.”

“Whatever, I'll be fine. Let's go.”

With Agatha, Huli and the rest of the Xenos campers returning to their bunkhouses, Astraea and Ketevan were left alone to head to the Greek cabins. On their way, they passed by Xenos bunkhouses One and Two. While they were walking down the cobble path, Astraea noticed a small building hidden behind a stand of trees at the far end of the valley.

“Hey, what’s that building?” Astraea asked, stopping and walking to the edge of the path to get a better view. “Rana didn't show me that on the tour.”

The building looked like an old fallout bunker made out of concrete and Celestial Bronze panels, with a thick, heavy door that looked like it could stop a meteor, and a feeling of cold and stillness that multiplied with every step closer Astraea took. All Astraea could describe the feeling the building gave her was ‘unnerving’.

“I can't see it very well…” Astraea said, focussing on the bunker, taking a step off the path. “Is it another armory or something-?”

Suddenly Ketevan grabbed her arm and forced her back on the path with surprising strength. “Are you insane?!”

“Hey! What gives?”

Ketevan’s skin dimmed, a look of unease on her face. “That building is off-limits. We’re not supposed to get this close.”

Astraea eyed the distance, confused. “Close? But we’re like two hundred feet away-.”

“Doesn't matter. Chiron has ordered that cabin off-limits to everyone but himself and Rana.”

“That's a cabin?” Astraea asked in disbelief. “But it's made out of concrete and Celestial Bronze. And there's no windows…” She squinted her eyes, barely able to make out any details at this distance, but she was able to see large metal chains and heavy locks on the door. “Is that lock on the outside of the door? What in Hera’s name do you keep in there? A minotaur?”

Ketevan’s skin lost all its ethereal glow. “A demigod.”

“A demigod? Why would-,” Astraea’s eyes widened. “Hey, that’s the Xenos cabin Rana said we weren't allowed to go to, isn't it?”

Ketevan nodded, a visible chill running down her spine as she took a few steps back. “If Rana told you about it, then you should know how serious it is. We’ll get in a lot of trouble if we go anywhere near it.”

“Why does that demigod live by themselves in a locked bunker? That seems kind of… cruel? Are you sure Chiron is the one that put them in there?” Astraea asked, eyes not leaving the ‘cabin’. “ Are they a boy, or a girl? I guess they're probably a girl, if Rana is the only camper allowed to go there.”

“We’re not supposed to talk about her, but, yeah, it’s a girl.” Ketevan warned. “Rana has only told us that she’s immune to the girl, or whatever, so she's the only one allowed in.”

“Immune to her? What does that mean?”

“I don't know, that's all Rana said before ending the conversation, and I know better than to bring it up.”

“Gods, this place is getting crazier by the minute.” Astraea said with a huff. “It seems like no one can give me a straight answer about anything.”

“Sorry, girl. We’re not supposed to talk about it.”

Astraea couldn't help but roll her eyes, “Just like the demigod who killed Zeus and Ares? It seems like every other thing is forbidden here.”

“Those are pretty much the only things we aren't supposed to talk about, actually. I heard that Chiron gives you a month of cleaning duties and activity restrictions for going anywhere near that cabin.”

“Rana threatened to give me two months.”

“And she wouldn't hesitate, either.” Ketevan warned her, giving Astraea a stern look. “I might like bending the rules sometimes, but even I won't cover for you if you go near that cabin. Chiron has it under constant watch with a few dozen magical wards and ancient runes. I heard Hecate made them herself.”

Astraea whistled. “Sounds like overkill to me. I mean, my house doesn't even have that many, and Hecate put those in herself too.”

Ketevan shivered. “Then that just means Chiron and the gods think this demigod is more of a threat than your family is in danger.”

Astraea couldn't help but doubt that. From everything she knew, her dad was as paranoid with their family’s protection as anyone, and the gods owed him a lot of favors. So he always got the best magical wards in the mortal world. Why would Chiron think this one demigod girl was such a threat?

A question popped into her head. “If this demigod is so dangerous, then why is she here? It seems like a big risk to me.”

Ketevan shrugged. “I don't know. But no one at camp wants her here, I can tell you that. Pretty much everyone hates her.”

“Wait, how do they hate her? Have they seen her?”

“No-, well, at least, I don't think anyone has. From what I hear, Chiron only lets her outside her cabin at night, and then only once or twice a month. Khat told me she saw her from a distance a few months ago, and it nearly scared her to death. And Khat isn't the type of girl to get scared by any little thing, so I'm keen to believe her.”

“This demigod is scary? What, does she look like a monster or something? Like Kala?”

Ketevan shook her head. “No, not like Kala, but a hundred times worse.” Ketevan shivered, her glowing golden skin dimming. “Khat said she looked like a walking skeleton.”

“You mean like a zombie?”

“I have no idea. That's all Khat told me. She only saw the girl for a second before running the other way.”

“Sounds like an over exaggeration to me.”

Ketevan shook her head, clearly nervous. “I doubt it, honestly. There's all these rumors, about that girl, each more ridiculous and farfetched than the last… but the thing is, I believe most of them.”

“Such as?” Astraea prompted.

Ketevan gulped. “Like that girl is cursed.” She said in a lifeless tone, all color drained from her face. “...and that death follows her like a breeze.”

Before Astraea could say anything more, Ketevan shivered before promptly walking away as fast as she could. “Come on, girl, let's get out of here before Chiron notices us, or worse, that girl.”

~Page Break~

Astraea didn't know what she was expecting, but she wasn't expecting a feast. No one could say that half-bloods didn't eat well. If she were in a better mood, she’d be stuffing her face and having the time of her life.

But if Astraea were honest, she’d rather eat stale crackers and be able to sit with her sister than eat delicious food alone.

Not that she was actually alone, not really, she was at the incredibly long wooden table on the far side of Dining Hall where the Xenos Campers all sat. All in all, there were well over forty. Unfortunately, she was on the complete opposite side of her sister. She could barely make out her curly hair from behind so many backs.

When Astraea asked why they had to sit so far away from the Greeks, the only answer she received was; “Because we’re Xenos Campers” like that explained everything. Which it was starting to. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the Xenos Campers were treated poorly by the Greeks. There wasn't any open hostility, at least from what Astraea had seen from her half day at Camp, but she could practically sense the divide at dinner. From the way the Greeks entered and sat down first, to the fact that they got served by the Harpies first, it was clear who was favored by the gods and the Campers in charge.

Astraea was sitting next to Ketevan and Reine— the Afro-French girl who was seventeen years old and one of the few girls at Camp taller than her as well. She was nice enough, but she had a very heavy French accent that Astraea found hard to understand at first. The only thing Astraea didn't like about sitting next to Reine was that she was practically glued to Ketevan’s lips throughout the entire dinner.

It made enjoying her chicken tacos and rice a little less palatable.

Ignoring the two older girls who were making out next to her, Astraea listened to Valka and Hilda— another Norse demigod and a daughter of Brynhildr— who sat across from her, discussing their battle strategy for Capture the Flag tonight. Astraea was a little lost as they talked back and forth, mostly because they kept mentioning names of people she didn't know and of locations and battle maneuvers she had never heard of, but also because they kept slipping into their native languages before catching themselves after a second or two. Several names were those of boys from Xenos Bunkhouse One she recognized from her very brief introductions, while several more were who she assumed to be Greeks to watch out for during the game.

At the end of dinner, three Greek Campers approached her, much to the confusion and worry of the Xenos Campers around her. She saw Snorri and Rana— who sat at the head of the table— watching them with a careful eye, as if waiting to intervene at any moment. Ketevan tensed next to her, her hand drifting to something hidden under the table. While Valka and Hilda went one step further and rested their hands on their weapons in full view of everyone at the table.

Astraea, not knowing who these people were or why they wanted to talk to her, but not really wanting to get into a second fight on her very first day, did her best to smile. “Hey, what’s up?”

“You're Astraea, right?” The tall boy in the middle asked. He looked to be a few years older than her. “The adopted daughter of Percy and Annabeth Jackson?”

Astraea didn't like the stress he put on the word ‘adopted’. “Yeah, I am. Can I help you with-.”

“Who’s your godly parent?” The sole girl almost demanded, interrupting her.

“Huh?”

“Who’s your godly parent?” The girl repeated like Astraea was stupid. “You have to be Greek, I can't see why the two most famous Greek demigods in history would willingly adopt a Xenos kid.” Astraea had heard the word ‘Xenos’ said by a dozen or so people countless times today, but this was the first instance that it sounded like an insult or a slur. From the reactions of Valka, Hilda and Ketevan around her, they interpreted it the same way.

“Excuse me?” Astraea asked, bewildered. “And how would you know what my parents would and wouldn't do? Have you ever even talked to them before?”

The girl’s eyes went wide. “Of course not. You can't just ‘talk’ to Percy or Annabeth Jackson, they're living heroes, the most famous demigods in history.”

“Then how would you know what they think, huh?” Astraea challenged.

“Because everyone knows they're loyal to Olympus, and they've fought the Romans, Egyptians and Norse before. Plus, your parents are the strongest demigods around, and everyone knows Greeks are the strongest-.”

“Perhaps you’d like to test that theory.” Valka growled, standing up and brandishing her warhammer.

The girl’s eyes widened in fear for the briefest of seconds before Snorri’s deep voice cut the tension. “That is enough. You all disgrace yourselves, your parents, and your ancestors. Valka, stand down and sheath your weapon. Greeks,” his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Tread carefully and watch your words, someone might take them the wrong way.”

The group of Greeks all scowled, but sent a weary eye to Chiron who was silently watching the conversation from the far side of the Dining Pavilion. The tall boy in the middle spoke. “Hey, hey, all’s good. We didn't mean anything, I swear. No need to overreact, I know how you Norse like to fight, but we didn't mean anything. We were all just talking all day about who we think Astraea’s godly parent is.”

“A few said they think you're either an Ares kid or a Sherman kid, depending on how old you are.” Said the second boy, who was shorter and dark-skinned with a devious grin. “But the most popular bet is that you're a Nike.”

“People are betting that I'm a shoe?” Astraea asked, confused. “Or they're betting that I'm a daughter of Nike?”

“The second one, obviously.” The girl said vemously. “Dumb-.”

“The second one.” The tall boy in the middle repeated, cutting the girl off. “It makes sense if you think about it. Nike is the goddess of Victory and heavily attributed to sports and athletics, and you sure as Hades put on a show today in archery and training. If you were in the Greek Cabins, we’d recruit you for the Olympic games next summer for sure. And even if Nike isn't one of the main Olympians, she’s important and big enough to make a respectable godly parent. Plus, you have wings, so does Nike. Not many other main Olympians have wings, so she’s the best choice.”

“Well?” The dark-skinned boy asked.

“Well, what?”

“Are you a Nike kid or not?”

Astraea didn't know what to say. She knew her godly heritage and parents, of course, but she also knew that she wasn't supposed to tell anyone who they were. For what reason, she didn't know, but her dad had made her swear not to tell anyone, and Astraea figured he must have had at least a decent reason why. So she didn't know if she should just openly dismiss the question that she was a Nike kid or not. If she was supposed to tell everyone she didn't know who her godly parent was, would it make sense to straight up dismiss it?

Luckily for Astraea, Ketevan spoke up for her. “You Greeks can't be very smart, can you? Everyone heard that Astraea was kicked out of Kymolopia’s cabin earlier today and was told she wasn't allowed in the Greeks cabins. So obviously she's a Xenos.”

All three Greeks glared at her, the tall boy in the middle ready to say something until Ketevan flashed a brilliant smile and winked at him, diffusing the tension and calming both boys down. “Let’s all calm down, shall we?” The same could not be said for the sole girl, however, who looked ready to draw her dagger.

“Hey, stop using your magic on my boyfriend, Xenos.” The girl spat. “I know you can't get any attention without it due to your freakish golden skin, but you shouldn’t go around controlling guys.”

“I'm not controlling anyone,” Ketevan said softly, Astraea clearly able to sense the magic in her words. “I’m simply asking them to calm down. If he really wanted to, he could refuse. It was only a question, not an order.”

“Let. Him. Go.” The girl demanded.

“I don't see why I should, he’s much more attractive this way, being silent and all, I mean.” Ketevan laughed, which sounded beautiful, but also mocked the younger girl. “Perhaps I’ll have him start singing and dancing? Or maybe juggle food? Or even tell another girl he loves her? Maybe have him go kiss Kala-?”

The girl drew her dagger. Valka and Hilda drew their weapons, Snorri and Rana rose from the head of the table. Astraea gripped her armlet in preparation. The girl launched herself at Ketevan but a hand caught her wrist, twisted it until she dropped the dagger and held her in place.

Astraea’s eyes went wide. She hadn't seen the new person move. With a blink she realized it was Arthur Penn, the son of Ares and head of the Sherman Cabin who taught Sword Combat earlier.
Arthur gave a relaxed smile. “What did I say, June? I said to leave the Xenos Campers alone.”

“Arthur?” Her eyes went wide like she was a child caught in the act. “W-we weren't doing anything and these Xenos attacked-”

“Save it.” His tone left no room for debate, especially with his hand still twisting her wrist. He pulled his eyes away from her like she wasn't worth his time, focussing on Snorri and Rana who stepped up beside him. “I must apologize for Maverick and Gunner, they disgrace my cabin with their actions. I'll talk to Victoria of Cabin Six, inform her of June’s involvement as well.”

“But I didn't-.”

“Unless you wish to dig yourself into even deeper trouble,” his tone turned firm and strict. “I'd suggest shutting up.”

June wisely shut up. Arthur finally let her wrist go, it was red and she immediately rubbed it.

“We must also apologize for our campers,” Snorri said, who gave Ketevan an angry look. “They were not without blame.”

“That might be true, but my campers started it.” Arthur said, glaring at June to keep her mouth shut. “For that, Maverick, Gunner, June, you all have cleaning duties for a week and are also barred from Capture the Flag tonight.”

Gunner cussed. “But Arthur, we’re your best warriors, you need us on the field-”

“No, you are wrong. I have no need of campers who get into childish fights.”

“But-.”

“One more word,” Arthur stepped up to the short boy, towering over him. “And it will be two weeks, understood?”

“...Yes, sir.” They mumbled in unison, like the word ‘sir’ physically hurt.

“Good. Now, you three go back to your cabins, Maverick and Gunner, I'll talk to you both before Capture the Flag. June, I technically don't have any authority to give you punishments or revoke privileges since you're not in my cabin, but I'm good friends with your head camper. I'm sure Alexandria will agree with my punishments, so expect to find her waiting for you after dinner.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, now get out of here, you've caused enough of a scene as it is.” Hesitantly at first, but not willing to incur the wrath of Arthur any more than they already had, Maverick, Gunner and June all left the Dining Pavilion and back to their respective cabins.

Arthur turned back to Snorri and Rana. “This divide between us is getting worse, just like you said it was going to, Rana. I didn't want to admit it, but it is.”

“We will do all we can to bridge the divide,” Rana said. “But most of the problems stem from the Greeks, so in order for there to be a change, it must start with them.”

Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but Chiron stepped up to them and cleared his throat, cutting him off. “Perhaps it is wise to save this conversation for later? When you are in different company?” His eyes quickly scanned the crowd of half-bloods that had been watching the entire ordeal. His eyes stopped on Astraea, which she knew couldn't be good.
“My child, may an old centaur be so rude as to request a moment of your time?”

Astraea had the feeling it wasn't a request. “Of course, Chiron.”

She followed the centaur to the end of the pavilion, watching the large crowd of demigods filter out back to their respective cabins. She could see Ketevan and Agatha watching her with concerned expressions.

“I know that you must get ready for Capture the Flag, so I will make this quick.” He said, his full attention focused on her. “I have been made aware of you being chosen to wield the god-killer sword.”

Astraea couldn't help her breath catch, the only thing she had ever wanted was to go to Camp, now on her very first day, she was told she was destined to kill a god. What was Chiron going to do? Would he let her stay at Camp? Was he going to tell her parents? The gods?

“It is, if I may be so frank, quite troubling to say the least. In all of my years here training heroes, no other half-blood has been chosen to wield that blade. So I must ask myself why the Fates have chosen you to wield it.”

Astraea couldn't help herself but gulp.

“However, I must remind you that simply owning that sword does not make you any less trustworthy or any less of a hero as any other demigod here. The Fates move in mysterious ways, and it is not our place to try to understand them, so, until something concerning happens, I will not step in. Instead, I am content to simply watch to see how you proceed, Astraea. After all, you are the child of not only your adopted parents, but your birth parents as well.” He gave her a grandfatherly smile that honestly did little to calm her nerves, but she really appreciated it. “I trust we can expect great things from you, great things indeed.”

Chiron left without another word, leaving Astraea wondering what he exactly meant. She didn't get much time to think as Ketevan appeared next to her.

“What was that all about, girl? Chiron didn't get mad at you or anything, did he?”

Astraea shook her head. “No, no, he didn't. He just told me he found out that I got the god-killer sword, and that he won't ‘step in’ unless something concerning happens, whatever that means.”

“Huh. Knowing Chiron, that could mean anything.” Ketevan nudged her shoulder. “Come on, girl, We need to start preparing for Capture the Flag.”

“Preparing to win?” Astraea asked hopefully.

Ketevan’s skin dimmed. “I wish.”

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Xenos vs Greeks

[Recap: Astraea’s breath caught as she looked at the weapon in her hand. Unlike her hopes and expectations, it wasn't a warhammer, but a greatsword of tremendous length. It had to be about seven feet long, and considerably heavier than she would have expected by the look of it. The blade seemed to be made out of Celestial Bronze, but it was golden in color and gave off an aura that Astraea had never felt before on a Celestial Bronze blade before. The blade was wider and considerably thicker than Astraea had seen in sword blades before. There were worn Ancient Greek symbols and markings that Astraea could only barely make out, and she could only read one word, ‘God’.

The hilt was meant for two hands and was tremendously thick, making Astraea happy for the first time to have what she called ‘man hands’, because if her hands were any smaller, she wouldn't have been able to properly wield the blade.
Other than the golden shine and faded script on the hilt, the blade was bland and unremarkable, but it felt right in her hand. From next to her, Astraea heard Ketevan gasp, shaking her out of her thoughts.

“A-Astraea, do you know what kind of blade that is?”

Astraea had to force her eyes to break away from the sword and look to her new friend. “Um… a badass one?”

“No, that’s an Olympian blade…”

“...Did you see the symbols and markings on it? Right here?”

Astraea and Ketevan stepped up next to Elizabeth, seeing the light from the flames dance along the golden blade. “Yeah, but I was only able to make out the word for ‘god’. What does that mean?”

“It denotes the purpose of the sword, or, at least, that’s what this section that we can read says.”

“And what is the purpose of this sword? I mean, aren't all swords made for the same thing? Battle?”

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed like she had just been insulted. “Battle? Maybe all mortal-made swords… but this one? It was made for a grander purpose.”

“...And that would be…?”

“This sword was made to kill gods.”

Astraea gasped and Ketevan let out a curse. “I was worried about that.”

“Why?” Astraea asked.”And what’s so special about this blade? And why is it a problem that I have it? I mean, it's not like I'm going to kill a god-.”

“Yes, you are.” Elizabeth cut her off.

“So you're saying I'm going to kill an evil god?”

“That would be my guess, but you should still talk to Chiron as soon as possible.”

“We’ll see him at dinner, right? I'll talk to him then, and hopefully talk to my parents.”

“A word of caution about that sword, though, Astraea.” Elizabeth said. “I don't know anything about it and we have no idea or owned it before you or what it does, if anything.”

“...And…?”

“Be careful…” ]

~Recap~

“Alright, everyone.” Rana said in an overly cheery voice. “Let's get ready for Capture the Flag.”

Half of the crowd groaned.

Shortly after dinner, both Xenos bunkhouses assembled outside Xenos bunkhouse One to prepare for Capture the Flag. Astraea was beside herself with excitement, but it seemed like she was in the minority.

Out of the forty plus Xenos campers, more than half walked away, all grumbling something along the lines of “I'm not getting crushed by the Greeks again”, to “Why do they even try to make us participate?” or even “It's not fair, we’re not going to win, so why do we even try?”

Astraea watched confused as over half of the Xenos campers left, leaving only twelve Xenos who were willing to participate, including herself. Astraea had expected Agatha to opt out of participating, but not nearly the entire boys’ bunkhouse. Looking around her, she counted only four boys, all of whom she had not met earlier today, and out of the four, only one looked like he could fight. For the girls, there were only eight, including herself, all girls she knew. Ketevan, Reine and Huli jing stood next to her, while Hilda, Reem, Valka and Kai stood off a few feet away talking to the boys about battle plans. Only Valka and Hilda looked enthusiastic.

Astraea wasn't surprised at all to see that her angry, furry roommate, Kala, wasn't participating. Astraea hadn't even seen the boar-girl all day, even at dinner.

“Hey, new girl.”

Astraea turned around, finding the four boys walking up to her. Well, three of them were walking, the fourth was floating, surrounded in golden light. She frowned. “I have a name, y’know.”

The boy in the middle smirked, he looked Japanese, had a mischievous grin, and electricity danced off his hair. “But since I don't know it, I have to call you ‘new girl’.” He put both hands behind his head and smiled wide, eyes closed. “I'm Raeden, what can I call you, other than ‘beautiful’?”

A boy beside him snorted, laughing behind his hand. Astraea’s brain stopped. Was he flirting with her? She had never had a boy flirt with her before. What was she supposed to do? Flirt back? Think of something smooth to say? The boy was handsome enough, but nothing special. Was he being serious? Or was he messing with her? From the looks of his friends, they weren't taking him seriously.

Astraea blinked, trying her best to figure out what to say so she didn't sound rude or like an idiot. “...Um… Sorry, I'm not really interested.”

Raeden visibly deflated, nearly falling over. “You can't fault a guy for trying after seeing a girl like yourself.” He sighed dramatically. “Oh, well, guess it’s pointless to ask you out this weekend?”

Astraea didn't know if he was still being serious, it seemed like her rejection hadn't bothered him, so at least she didn't have to worry about that. “Uh, yeah, sorry. Are- Are you being… serious right now?”

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but his friend cut him off.

“Sorry about him, new girl.” The boy beside him said, laughing. “He always gets like this around pretty girls… He's also kind of an idiot-.”

“No, I'm not!”

“-Ignore him. How about we start over?” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “What is your name?”

“I'm Astraea.”

The boy blinked. “As in Astraea Jackson?”

“So I'm told.”

“Well… crap, that's so cool. Must be awesome having famous parents. I'm Guo Guan,” he told her kindly. “Son of Chenghuangshen.”

Astraea blinked this time. “Can you repeat that…? Like a hundred times slower?”

The newly introduced Guo smiled. “It's fine if you don't know how to pronounce it, honestly. It's an old Chinese name, I wouldn't expect you to be able to pronounce it.”

“Is your parent a Chinese god?” Astraea asked. “I’ve never met a Chinese demigod before. What’s Chengu- Changa- … your godly parent the god of?”

“Moats and walls, mostly. He’s a god of boundaries. If I had to compare him to a Greek or Roman god, I’d say he’s closest to Janus. But, unlike Janus, he’s more of a protective deity.”

“Janus I know.” Astraea said. “That’s cool, though. So he’s like a god who protects towns and cities?”

“Basically, yeah.”

“Cool.”

“So, Astraea,” Guo said kindly. “I'm guessing you haven't met my friends? The guy who failed to hit on you is Raeden, son of Raijin. The flying glowstick over there is Olatokunbo, the son of Olorun, and the walking boulder is Ixtepeque, son of Cabrakan.”

Astraea frowned. “Does everyone here have a really difficult name to pronounce, or what?”

The boy introduced as Ixtepeque laughed, which sounded like two rocks grinding together. “I like you, new girl.” He attempted what Astraea guessed to be a smile, but with his rocky face, it was hard to tell. “Call me ‘Ix’.”

“‘Ix’? I guess I can remember that.”

“I hope so,” he tried to smile again. “It’s only two letters.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Astraea.” The hovering boy greeted her. He had dark skin, with high cheekbones and a noble face. He was honestly more pretty than he was handsome, if that made any sense. He was freely hovering a few inches off the ground surrounded by a golden light. “As Guo said, I am Olatokunbo.”

“...Any chance you go by an easier nickname?”

“Sadly, no.”

“Well, I'll try my best, but I suck at remembering names.”

“It's fine.”

“Enough talking!” Valka yelled as she stormed over to them. “We have a battle plan to go over.”

“We’ll talk later.” Guo told her, smiling.

“How many do we have?” Valka asked, looking at the small crowd of assembled half-bloods.

“Only twelve.” Hilda told her. She was dressed in full viking armor and warpaint. “It’s not optimal, but we’ll make due.”

“Valka’s in charge tonight, right?” Astraea whispered to Guo.

“Yeah,” he whispered back. “Valka is acting general tonight. Hilda is her second-in-command.”

“If only Snorri was allowed to participate,” Valka mused. “We could use the muscle and experience.”

“Why isn't Snorri allowed to participate?” Astraea asked. “He’s a Xenos, isn't he?”

Guo whispered, “Snorri and Rana can't participate because they're over eighteen. Capture the Flag is only for demigods under eighteen-.”

Valka looked at her, scowling. “Why do we have to let this newbie join us? It’s only her first day, she doesn't even know how to fight.”

“Hey,” Astraea retorted angrily. “I can kick the ass of anyone here, don't underestimate me.”

Valka grinned viciously. “Oh? New girl has some spunk, huh? We’ll see how long that lasts.” She looked Astraea up and down, as if evaluating her. “Have you ever fought with a weapon before?”

“Well, no,” Astraea admitted. “I’ve only trained hand-to-hand-.”

“And if you try to fight hand-to-hand out there tonight, you're likely to lose a hand.” Valka countered. “You’ll serve as a reserve in the back. If you're lucky, you'll never even see combat.”

Astraea growled. “Hey, don't-.”

“I think we should put her up front.”

Astraea turned to find Ketevan defending her. “I know she’s new, but remember, she was trained by Percy and Annabeth Jackson. Plus, you saw her today, if we need muscle, well, she might be the strongest we have.”

Valka looked conflicted, then cursed in Norwegian under her breath. “Fine. But since you're vouching for her, Ketevan, if she turns out to be our weakest link, the blame is on you.”

“I'll take the risk.” Ketevan smirked.

“New girl.” Valka said gruffly, looking at her. “You get your wish. You'll be up front with me and Ix. This way our physically strongest and toughest fighters are up front, protecting our flag defenders. This will free Hilda up to act as backup for us, which we’ll likely need.”

“Sounds good to me.” Hilda nodded.

“Alright,” Valka growled. “Here's the plan…”

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The twelve Xenos campers assembled on a steep hill at the far corner of the boundary, their backs protected by the boundary lines and their front protected by a fast-running river. The hill was connected to the main field by a thin and narrow wood and stone bridge, which would only allow two people to cross side by side at a time. Valka explained that it should prevent the outnumbering Greeks from swarming them all at once, but also trapped the entirety of the Xenos forces on the hill. But, as Hilda told them, if they were to lose the hill, the game would be over anyway as the Greeks would quickly capture the flag.

Astraea joined Valka and Ix at the back of the bridge, with Valka taking point and Astraea and Ix to the sides of her. She watched as Ix used his abilities to form towering earth walls at the base of the hill, which, combined with the large ‘S’ river in front of them, made their hill resemble the walls and moat of a great medieval castle.

“Guo,” Valka nodded. “You're up.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Guo took a position near the top of the hill, in front of the flag, and raised his arms. Four boundary markers popped out of the ground, two in front of Valka, Astraea and Ix, and two behind them. Walls of shimmering green energy formed between the markers and connected together. Looking around her, Astraea realized that Guo had not only formed a protective barrier in the gap of Ix’s stone walls, but had essentially trapped the three of them in place, preventing their advancement towards the Greek forces, but also from their escape.

“We Norse don't retreat,” Valka told Astraea, noticing her reaction. “It would dishonor our parents, ancestors, and gods. Our lives are fated, and, if we prove ourselves in this life through battle, then Odin will select us to stand with him in Valhalla. For us Norse half-bloods, there is no greater honor than dying in battle.”

While Astraea respected and understood the sentiment, she hoped Valka realized this was only a game, and there was no risk or threat of death.

“Reem,” Valka looked towards a short and nimble Egyptian demigod. “Bless our defenses, boost their strength.”

“On it. I just need a minute.” The daughter of Hemsut, the Egyptian goddess of Protection and Fate bowed her head, praying for several minutes until the dwarfing earth walls and green energy barriers started glowing with a golden energy.

“What’s she doing?” Astraea whispered to Ix.

“Reem can increase the physical durability of objects.” Ix answered, his voice like grinding stones. “She’s better at doing it to inanimate objects than living things. After she’s done, not even a Hydra should be able to break through my earth walls or Guo’s energy barriers.”

“Shit…” Astraea mumbled, watching in awe as Reem commanded the protective wards to engulf their defenses. “She’s that powerful? Why don't we surround the entire hill with dozens of barriers and have her ward them? That way, there would be no way for anyone to get in.”

Ix shook his head. “Unfortunately we can't. While I can create that many earth walls, Reem has a limit to how many things she can protect at once. As it is, she’s past her limit already. But the major downside is that she has to maintain her concentration the entire time or the protections will wear off, so, for the entire time, she can't move.”

“Really?” Astraea looked at the shorter girl who was standing a dozen or so paces behind them with her eyes closed and arms raised. “Is she going to be able to keep it up for that long?”

Ix shrugged. “No idea. But, for our sake, let's pray that she can.”

“Reine, Huli jing, Ketevan, you three guard the riverbanks on our side of the field, don't let any Greeks cross it.” Valka ordered, sending them running off in different directions. Huli jing dropped to and ran on all fours through the tall grass on the Southern bank, becoming invisible within seconds. Ketevan knocked a glowing arrow on her enchanted bow, guarding the Southern riverbank. While Reine surprised Astraea by summoning a horse from nowhere and taking to the Eastern riverbank, using her greater speed and maneuverability to protect it by herself.

“Raeden, Kai.” Valka ordered, “take Ix’s stone walls. Keep the Greeks from trying to cross the river with lightning and magic.”

“You got it, babe.” Raeden smirked before walking off.

“Understood.” Kai nodded.

“And finally,” Valka took a breath. “Hilda, Olatokunbo, you two take the top of the hill next to the flag. You're our last line of defense. Protect Reem at all costs, because if she loses concentration and drops her protective wards, the hill is lost.”

The two nodded and took their places, silently waiting just as everyone else was for the Greeks to attack.

“So,” Astraea said to Ix. “Let me get this straight; it's the twelve of us versus sixty plus Greeks?”

“Yup.”

“That’s not fair at all.”

“Nope.”

“The Greeks don't care about fairness.” Valka mumbled with a huff, turning to her. “They preach unity and kindness, but they're the ones who treat us as lessers just because of who our parents are. They’d never live it down if we beat them in anything, so they make it impossible for us to win. Us Xenos have never won Capture the Flag, or any events at the Olympics, or any other Camp activities. The Greeks make sure of it.”

“But what about Chiron?” Astraea asked. “Surely he would do something about it?”

“What about Chiron?!” Valka snapped. “He’s Greek, just like the Council members who run Camp. He’s the one who separated us from the Greeks. The one who doesn't let us go on Quests. The one who favors the Greeks.” Valka snarled like an animal. “No, don't look to Chiron to do anything to help us Xenos… he’s just like the rest of them.”

Astraea didn't know what to say. From everything she knew of the old centaur, he was supposed to be kind, extremely so. But she couldn't look past what she had seen on only her first day at Camp. The Greeks treated them terribly, and Chiron, like it or not, was in charge… So, in a way, if he didn't do anything to stop the Greeks, then Astraea could see how the Xenos thought he was to blame.

Valka let out a breath before shouting to all those around her. “Fear not, my fellow Xenos, for today shall be the day when we beat the egotistical Greeks! They may outnumber us five to one, but with our battleplan and conviction, we shall defeat them!”

Only a few of the Xenos cheered. Astraea wasn't one of them. “For too long the Greeks have looked down on us, but no more! Today, they shall recognize us as equals! Because, after we defeat them, they will respect us!”

“So hold strong, my Xenos, for today is already fated and our lives are in the hands of the gods! Let us show our parents and our pantheons just how worthy we are!” She raised her sword and shield to the sky, roaring. “For we are Xenos!”

“XENOS!” The crowd roared.

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“The Greeks usually divide themselves into three armies.” Valka explained as they waited for the Greeks to arrive. “The Sherman and Malcolm cabins always leading two of them, with the third being a toss up. The Sherman cabin focuses on battle strength, allying themselves with the most powerful cabins. Today, they are allied with the Pollux, Nemesis, Nike, Palaestra and Kymopoleia cabins.
“They may be the smallest army with only fifteen half-bloods, but they’re the best. They make up for their lack of numbers with raw power. Tyler, the son of Pollux, isn't a powerhouse, but his powers of rejuvenation can heal his allies. Elgan Black, the son of Nemesis, is stronger than he looks, and wicked with a blade, watch out for him. The Nike cabin are good all-arounders, not excelling in any one thing, but not also having any gaping weaknesses. Marshall of Palaestra is a monster at close range, if he gets a hand on you, it's all over, so, everyone but Ix, keep your distance. Then, there’s the Sherman cabin, each one of them is a prodigy at fighting and they have no fear in battle. Plus, they hate us Xenos most of all, so don't get separated from the group, or they'll swarm you like ants. And finally, we have the Kymopoleia cabin, consisting of just your little sister.”

Valka gave Astraea a hard look. “Even if she’s a newcomer and only thirteen, the Sherman kids must assume she’s a powerful half-blood given her parents. And, if I'm honest, I don't exactly like the idea of facing off against a child of Percy and Annabeth Jackson. So, tell me, new girl, what's her weakness?”

“Excuse me?”

“What's your sister’s weakness?” Valka repeated in her gruff tone. “We need anything we can exploit, anything that will give us the edge, anything we can use to defend ourselves against her. I'll admit, I hadn't taken her into account when I devised our battleplans last week. If I knew she was going to be here, I wouldn't have set us up surrounded on two sides by a large river…” She narrowed her eyes. “So tell me, how do we defeat her? I don't care if you're sisters. This is a battle, game or not. Your loyalty lies with us, your Xenos family. The Greeks are your enemies now.”

“Don't worry about my sister… she's useless to them.”

Valka’s brows rose in disbelief. “What?”

“My sister…” Astraea paused, searching for the right words. “...Has no half-blood abilities. And… she can't fight- no, she won't fight.”

“What do you mean, ‘she can't fight?’”

“I mean…, my sister is dead weight to them. She can't control water, she can't fight, the only thing she can do is swim, and even if she did, she’d be too scared to get into the water with Kai and Raeden defending the river.” The words burned in her throat, and Astraea felt like she was betraying her sister with every word, but in her heart she knew her sister wouldn't be able to defend herself, especially against a dozen angry Xenos campers all with grudges against the Greeks. All of whom would be looking to take out their frustration on the newest youngest Greek camper. So, even as it hurt her to insult her little sister like that, she knew it was best to convince Valka Aurora wasn't a threat, this way, she would be safe.

Valka silently studied Astraea for a full minute, trying to see if she could detect any lies in her voice. Finally, she must have determined that Astraea was telling the truth. “You better not be lying to protect your sister, new girl.” She threatened. “Because if I find out you two are working together to help out the Greeks…” She leaned in close, lowering her voice so only Astraea could hear. “...I’ll beat both of you senseless, you got me?”

Astraea barely stopped herself from reacting to Valka’s threat against her sister. “I understand. You have my word, you don't have to worry about my little sister. She won't even join the fight.”

Valka laughed. It was almost cruel sounding. “Then those idiotic Sherman kids don't realize it. Because they’d never team up with a useless teammate. Ha! Maybe our luck is finally turning around.”

Astraea had to stop herself from saying anything.

“Alright,” Valka said, continuing her instructions. “The Malcolm cabin leads the second army, with Alexandria leading them, she’s as clever as they come, so watch out, because she will have a plan. They’re allied with the Leo, Miranda, Piper, Hecate and Aetna cabins, consisting of twenty-one campers. They have more campers than the first army, but they aren't as battle-focussed. In all honesty, while the Malcolm kids are smart, they’re not as good at battle as Athena kids, so at least we have that in our favor. The Leo kids usually try to set up traps, so don't leave our hill. And the Miranda and Piper cabins aren't much to worry about. Julia, the last child of Aphrodite, has Charmspeak, but it isn't nearly as powerful as Queen Piper’s was when she was a demigod. The biggest threats actually come from the Aetna and Hecate cabins.”

“Why’s that?” Astraea asked.

“The Hecate cabin is hard to counter.” Valka told her. “Their magic is wild and unpredictable. Even with Kia’s magic, she’s defending the Southern wall and won't be able to hold off all four of them at once. Morrigu Bluefire, their head camper, is the most powerful magic user at Camp, and I'd prefer to never face her in battle if I can help it. But I'd say the biggest threat is Cay Rivera of the Aetna cabin.”

“Why’s she so dangerous?”

Valka snorted, “You must have not seen her yet, new girl. Because if you did, you'd understand.” Valka explained. “Aetna is a volcano goddess, and Cay’s hair is made out of molten rock and lava. She’s totally immune to fire and heat, and even if she can't wear any armor or wield any weapons, her lava works as an impenetrable shield and powerful weapon all at once. None of the Greeks except for some Leo kids can get close to her, so it’s smart for them to team up. All it takes is for Cay to cover herself in lava and simply walk towards us, if we don't want to get melted, we’ll have to retreat.”

Astraea paled. “...So how do we counter her? Can our defenses stop her?”

“I'll take Cay.” Ix said, pointing to himself with one rocky thumb.

Valka looked to him with the most concern and emotion Astraea had seen her show all day. “Are you sure, Ix? You're not immune to her lava-.”

“I stand the best chance of stopping her if she gets close.” Ix cut her off. “My entire body is made out of rock and earth, I can take the heat for a short time.”

“Yes, but not forever.” Valka countered, putting her hand on his stony shoulder. “She can still melt you! No, I won't allow it. I'm acting general tonight, I won't allow you to face her alone.”

“Please, Val. I'm the only one who’d be able to survive.”

The two of them stood opposite for almost a minute, not saying or doing anything but looking into the others’ eyes. Astraea felt like she was intruding on a private moment between them. Finally, Valka relented.

“Fine, you will be tasked to fight her if she breaks through, but only if we can't stop her.” She stressed with a growl. “And only as a last resort, understood?”

“I understand,” Ix nodded. “But don't worry, Val, I’ll be fine.”

Valka’s eyes shot to Astraea, as if suddenly remembering she was there and they weren't alone. She cleared her throat, taking a step back and acting as if nothing happened.
“The third army is, in all honesty, the remnants of the cabins who weren't selected by the two best armies.” Valka explained. “They consist of the Iris, Hypnos, Leucothea, Tyche, Persephone, Khione, Terpsicore and Rhapso cabins.
“They're the biggest army, consisting of over twenty-five campers, but most of them aren't worth worrying about. Nemuri of Hypnos can make you drowsy, but it takes several seconds and physical contact, and she’s not much of a fighter anyway. The Iris cabin are all non-issues. Ino Cea of Leucothea could be a problem if she gets into the water, since she can turn into a mermaid, but with Raeden and Kia guarding the river from above, she won't risk getting too close. The Tyche, Terpsicore, Persephone and Rhapso cabins are all non-issues as well, none of them are strong or battle-oriented at all. The only real threat is Blake North.”

“Who’s Blake North?” Astraea asked, guessing. “Is that a son of Khione?”

Valka nodded. “Blake is genderfluid, actually, but yeah. Blake’s the head of the Kione cabin. Winter is their only sibling, but her power is nothing compared to Blake’s. They can freeze you solid before you blink, but Blake’s stamina is their weakness. They’ll only be able to get off one or two big attacks before they're spent. So watch out for Blake and keep your distance, because if they get close, you'll get frozen in a glacier before you can blink.”

Astraea whistled. “Shit. I thought our defenses were unbeatable, but against all those Greeks, I'm starting to doubt it.”

“We’ve never once beaten them.” Ix told her.

“But there's a time for everything.” Valka said, determined. “And our time is now. The gods are on our side. I swear to my mother, we will win this night.”

All of a sudden horns sounded off in the distance, cutting through the night and filling the Xenos with fear and anticipation.

“Alright,” Valka said, donning her helmet and unsheathing her sword. She yelled to the assembled Xenos campers around her. “The Greeks are coming! Everyone, stand together, stand firm, do not waver! For the gods are with us! We will show the Greeks and their gods that we deserve their respect! Everyone, pray to your parents and to your pantheons for strength and conviction!” She took a bold step forward, eyeing the waves of Greeks already starting to pour over the far row of hills. “For we are Xenos!”

All twelve Xenos campers echoed her this time. Astraea transformed her golden armlet into her god-killer sword, standing tall. She’d be lying to say if she wasn't excited for her first fight. Maybe too excited.

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The second and third Greek armies began surrounding the long ‘S’ river that blocked their path to the Xenos’ hill, trying to figure out the best strategy to conquer it. While the first army, led by the Sherman campers, charged straight onto the narrow bridge right to the Xenos campers. They were only stopped by Guo’s energy barriers, which they beat on with savagery.

Astraea realized that Arthur Penn— the son of Ares and head of the Sherman cabin— wasn't with his siblings, which she was glad for, as she had been told that Arthur was the best sword fighter in Camp since her dad.

“Reem! Guo!” Valka called out, watching the Sherman kids beat on Guo’s barriers. “How are your defenses holding up?”

“J-just fine.” Guo answered for them, but Astraea was clearly able to tell that he was struggling, just as Reem was. “But try to keep them from beating on it so much.”

“You got it.” Valka said, yelling to Raeden and Kai. “Focus your attacks on the Greeks on the bridge! If Guo’s barrier goes down, we’re screwed!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Lightning and magic shot down from the towering earth walls at the Greeks.

Astraea’s heart stopped. She strained her eyes looking at the mass of Greeks before her, trying to see if she could spot her little sister in the fray. But to her relief and expectation, Aurora was nowhere to be seen.

The Greks raised their shields to block the oncoming waves of lighting and magic, slowly marching forward as one unit.

“Keep it up!” Valka roared, before facing Astraea and Ix. “The barriers won't last forever, and the second it falls, we’re going to charge them. We can’t risk giving them a single chance to take this hill.”

“Understood.” Ix nodded, bracing his stone fists.

“Bring it on.” Astraea smirked, raising her massive sword.

A short boy jumped out from in between the shields of the Greeks and struck the energy barrier with a black blade, making Guo yell out in pain. “Gah!” Guo dropped to a knee, the barrier fading for the briefest of seconds before reforming. Hilda helped him back to his feet, but he looked like he was about to pass out at any moment.

“Shit.” Valka cursed. “That’s Elgan Black, son of Nemesis. I was worried about his sword… the Sherman kids are smarter than they look, or Arthur came up with the idea. Wherever he is.”

“What do we do?” Astraea asked, gripping her massive blade.

“We prepare ourselves.” Valka answered her. “And pray to everyone who’s listening to give us strength.”

Suddenly a glacier of ice erupted from the southern earth wall, crumbling it. Kai nearly avoided being frozen solid, jumping to the side at the last second. The Hecate and Malcolm kids began swarming the fallen wall like ants over honey. From the corner of her eye, Astraea saw flashes of magic swirling as Kai attempted to defend the southern wall all by herself.

“Olatokunbo!” Valka roared, “give Kai support!”

“I'm coming!” Olatokunbo yelled, flying on golden light, firing down blinding light at the invading Greeks.

“Reem! How are you holding up?!”

“She’s barely standing!” Hilda answered for the smaller girl. Astraea spared a glance backwards, her breath catching when she saw a stream of blood flooding out of Reem’s nose as she tried to hold her concentration by sheer will. Her face was beginning to lose all color.

“New girl, eyes up here!” Valka yelled at her. Astraea focused on the fading energy barrier in front of her. “The Greeks are almost through!”

“Open fire!” Astraea recognized Elizabeth Brimflame— the daughter of Hephaestus— standing in front of a large catapult. The camper beside her pulled a lever and the catapult arm swung, throwing a large clay sphere right at them.

“Ix, maneuver seven!” Valka grabbed the larger boy, spun on the spot, and threw him a clear fifty feet in the air. “GAH!” Ix crossed his arms in front of him, slamming into the clay sphere with the force of a crashing train, exploding into flames a second later.

“Ix!” Astraea yelled, seeing him fall to the ground outside their barrier.

“He’s fine!” Valka yelled, though Astraea could hear the worry in her voice. “He’s immune to fire, but curse those Greeks! Using Greek Fire in a game?! What are they trying to do, actually kill us?!”

“Reem’s almost down!” Hilda told them over the roar of the engulfing flames.

“Xenos, prepare yourselves!” Valka roared. “Reem and Guo, drop the barriers!”

The energy barrier faded in front of her, leaving nothing to protect them from the incoming waves of Greeks. Letting out a calming breath, Astraea gripped her sword and charged the nearest Sherman kid.

“Xenos!” She screamed, slamming the flat side of her blade into the boy’s midsection, cracking his chestplate and throwing him back into his siblings.

“Nice one, new girl!” Valka cheered, running up with her own sword and shield, taking on three Greeks at once.

A half dozen Greeks swarmed Astraea all at once. “Get her! We’ll show her how strong the Greeks really are!”

Astraea slashed at her opponents with wide swings, keeping them at bay only thanks to her superior reach, but it would last forever.

“The eastern wall has fallen!” She heard over the sounds of clashing blades. “Ketevan and Huli are down, the Greeks have taken the southern bank!”

“The Greeks aren't winning,” Valka yelled. “Not today!” She slammed her shield into the chin of a Sherman kid, throwing him off the bridge and into the river.

Astraea swung her massive sword over and over, but for every Greek she knocked off the bridge, two more took their place. With widening eyes she realized that it would only be a matter of time until the Greeks overtook them. Every swing sapped some of her fading stamina, slowing her with every attack.

But she wouldn't give up. With a roar inside her heart, she called out to her father and mother for strength.
“GAAAAH!!!” Astraea felt her veins flood with adrenaline as she launched herself at the wall of Greeks. Screaming, she cut a swath through their ranks, slamming the flat part of her blade into their heads or midsections to either knock them out or thrown them off the bridge and into the river below.

“Rwoooar!” Astraea yelled, punching a Nike kid in the face, feeling her nose break from the impact. She rushed the Hecate kids before they could attack her with magic, slamming pummel and elbow into their helmeted heads, knocking them to the ground.

A fist connected into her face. Astraea stumbled backwards, her vision blurry. She found Arthur Penn in front of her, sword raised.

“Looks like you didn't need as much training as I thought…” He smirked. “But let's see what you do against me, huh?”

Astraea rushed him with a yell, but he easily parried her strike, knocking her backwards. He lunged with a flurry of blows, narrowly missing her head. Their blades met with a deafening ‘cling’ of metal on metal, Arthur more than a match for her.

And frankly, it pissed her off.

“RAA!” She bellowed, driving her elbow into his face, making him stumble back. She wasted no time slamming her gloved fist into his armored stomach over and over, feeling the Celestial Bronze crack under the force.

His shield slammed into her forehead, making her vision go black for a second. She swung fist and sword blindly in front of her, hitting nothing.

“You fight like a maniac,” Arthur said. “You know that?”

Astraea launched at where she heard her voice, but her fist only met Ix’s stone wall. Blinking away the pain, Astraea frantically looked for her opponent.

Three Greeks tackled her from behind, driving her to the ground. Her wings screamed in pain from the weight of body and armor. “Get her!”

“Sorry, Astraea.” Arthur appeared, standing before her, looking down at her. “You’re good, of that there is no lie. But no matter how strong you are, you can't win against all of us.” He gave her a genuine smile. “No hard feelings, right? It’s just a game-.”

“Don't underestimate me!” She roared, throwing the Greeks off her back and flying at Arthur with sword raised. The massive blade struck his armored stomach, launching him into the crumbling earth wall.

“Nice one, Astraea!” Valka yelled as she joined her side. They stood back to back, weapons raised, ready for anything. The Greeks ran forwards, their warcries deafening Astraea, but she held firm, gripping her sword so tight her hands trembled. She lifted her blade to strike-.

“THE XENOS’ FLAG HAS BEEN CAPTURED! THE GREEKS WIN!”

“NO!” Astraea yelled in disbelief, looking up to the top of the hill to find Hilda, Guo and Reem captured at sword point, with a Nike kid lifting their flag up high in victory.

“Fuck!” She swore, throwing her sword to the ground in frustration. “How did they get past us?”

Valka swore in Norwegian before putting a hand on her shoulder. “As much as I hate it, they won fair and square. There is no dishonor in losing as long as you gave it your all.”

Astraea wanted to say something, but she could only feel the adrenaline flooding through her veins and her chest still pounding.

Ix limped up to them, his rocky skin was still smoldering. “Well, that sucked.”

“You can say that again.” Valka let out a huff. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” He gave a nonchalant shrug, smiling. “It’s not the first time you've thrown me headfirst into things, and it probably won't be the last. I'll live.”

“Good.” Valka smiled.

“Ha! We showed you, Xenos!” A Sherman kid mocked as a group of Greeks passed carrying their flag. “What was all that talk about being equals with us? Maybe you’ll finally learn your place.”

Astraea growled, picking up her sword. “What did you-?”

“Astraea, stop.” Ix grabbed her arm, stopping her. “They aren't worth it. You attack them now and you'll get cleaning duties for a month.”

Astraea grumbled. “...Fine.”

“That’s what I thought!” The Greek yelled. “You Xenos talk all tough, but you never have the guts to do anything when the time comes!”

“Shut up before I let them punch you, Kevin.” Arthur said with a tone of finality, silencing the small crowd around them. “This is just a game, not a battle. The Xenos campers are our allies, not our enemies. Show them the respect they deserve.”

“But they're just Xenos,” He said like it excused his actions. “They have no place here. This Camp is for Greeks-.”

“This Camp is for Half-Bloods!” Arthur yelled suddenly. All eyes on and around the hill snapped to him, no one dared utter a word. He glared at his bunkmate. “Outside the boundaries of Camp, our kind is getting tortured and murded in cold blood! Are you blind, or just stupid?!” He took a step forward, craning his neck down to glare at the smaller boy.

“All across the world, young half-bloods are being murdered in their sleep for the blood that runs through their veins! It's not the Xenos who are doing it, or the Monsters, or the Titans! It's the Zealots! THEY are our only enemies!”

“B-but the Xenos-.”

Arthur pushed the boy back, throwing him into a crowd of his siblings. “That is enough!” He roared, his low voice sounding more like a growl. “For too long we Greeks have treated the Xenos as lesser, and for too long I haven't done enough to stop it, but no more! The next Greek who even thinks about pranking, harming, or fighting the Xenos will have to deal with me!”

The assembled crowd of Greeks and Xenos stood silently in awe for half a minute, no one daring to say a word. Finally, Arthur pushed his way though the crowd and down the bridge. “Sherman cabin, you’ll all be receiving two weeks of cleaning duties and bans from all activities. Don't even try to complain to Chiron, he’ll support my decision.”

With that, he walked away. Leaving his own cabin cursing his retreating form. “Where does he get off acting like that?” One Sherman kid asked once he was out of earshot.

“Why is Arthur even allowed to lead our cabin?” Another asked. “He's a son of Ares, not Sherman. Ares is dead and no longer the god of war, he has no authority anymore. One of us should be in charge of our cabin.”

“That’s right. A Sherman kid should lead us, not an Ares kid.” A third said. “We should do something…”

The small group of Sherman kids walked off the battlefield and into the night. The crowd didn't say anything as they began to disperse as well.

“Come on, Astraea.” Valka put a hand on her shoulder, “Put your sword away. The game is over, we lost. It's late and Rana won't tolerate us sleeping in too late, we have activities in the morning.”

Astraea willed her sword back into its armlet form, nearly falling to her knees from sheer exhaustion. “Fuck…” She swore, sucking a quick breath. “I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that…”

Following her fellow Xenos, Astraea headed back to her bunkhouse.

~Page Break~

Astraea returned to her room after Capture the Flag exhausted, sore, angry and pumped up. It was late, and she knew her furry roommate didn't participate in the game, so she tried her best to sneak in as quietly as possible, figuring the boar-girl was asleep. Surprisingly, however, Astraea found the room sans fur.

Astraea shrugged as she dropped her things in a corner and climbed into bed. Kala wasn't her problem, she shouldn't concern herself with her angry roommate. Astraea paused as she laid down, trying to find the best way to sleep with her wings out. She knew it would be easier and more comfortable to just hide them, but after fourteen years of not being allowed to have them out, she refused to do so now. She refused to hide a part of who she was just because her parents didn't agree.

Rolling over, Astraea quickly fell into the world of Hypnos.

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Astraea woke up suddenly.

She listened for a few seconds, wondering what woke her, when she heard the telltale ‘clip clop’ of her roommates’ misshapen hooves on the wood floor. Opening a single eye, Astraea watched her monstrous roommate try her best to sneak in carrying a longboard before promptly stashing it under her bed.

Kala suddenly turned towards her, but Astraea feigned being asleep. After a few seconds, Kala got into her own bed and was snoring within a few minutes.

Astraea started to wonder what her anger-prone roommate was doing all night, but she stopped herself after a second, deciding that she didn't care.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: My dad’s old crush sends us to our doom

[The next morning, second day at Camp]

Astraea woke up before the sun even dared to rise after Capture the Flag still frustrated over their loss. Deciding to not wallow all morning, she got up as quiet as possible as to not wake up her tempermental roommate. Quickly changing into some workout clothes, she headed out for an early morning run.

Reaching the dirt track and field she saw the day before, Astraea was surprised to see a small group of Xenos huddled in a group looking over the track. Walking up to them, she recognized Reem, Kojika, and Lily Plant. They all gave her friendly waves or smiles when she approached.

“You're not here to run, are you, Astraea?” Reem asked.

“Yeah, I was.” Astraea said with a frown. “Why? Is it off-limits or something?”

“It might as well be.” Lily groaned, her eyes drifting to the dirt track. “That girl is using it.”

Astraea followed her line of sight to see an extremely short, lithe, tan-skinned girl sprinting down the track at a speed she hadn't thought possible. The girls’ white shirt, shoes and midnight blue shorts were a blur as she sped across the dirt.

Astraea watched in awe as the girl ran and ran, practically gliding over the ground. She had seen Usain Bolt during the Olympics and had been amazed at his speed, but this girl was beating him out easily.

“Who’s she?”

“The girl we’re not supposed to talk about.” Reem told her under her breath. “The one from Xenos cabin four.”

Astraea’s eyes went wide. “That’s the girl everyone’s afraid of? She’s so small, and she doesn't look so scary to me.” Astraea studied the smaller girl, she was extremely thin— almost sickly— but she didn't look like the demon everyone treated her as.

“Yeah, that’s her.” Reem said. “I think her names’ ‘Sack-net’, or ‘Snacky-neit’, or something like that. Ix told me how to say it, but I can't pronounce it.”

“Ix knows how to pronounce her name?” Astraea questioned. “Does he know her?”

“No.” Reem shook her head. “But he’s from the same part of the world as her, Belize or Honduras or something, I can't remember.”

“She doesn't speak English that well.” Lily told her. “I think Ix managed to talk to her once, but he's the only one that can.”

“Who’s her godly parent?” Astraea asked aloud.

The girls shrugged. “No idea, don't care.” Reem said.

Astraea watched the girl as she blitzed around the track. “I’ll just ask her.” She decided, beginning to walk towards her..

“Are you crazy?!” Reem demanded, grabbing her arm. “That girl is dangerous! Chiron locks her up in her own cabin for a reason.”

Astraea easily pulled her arm free. “If Chiron locks her up, then why is she out here right now?”

“He only lets her out once or twice a month, I heard.” Kojika spoke up for the first time. “They say Chiron only lets her out when he knows it's safe.”

The similarities between this girl and herself didn't escape Astraea. This made Astraea want to talk to her even more, if only for a few minutes. “She can't be that dangerous-.”

“She had to leave the orphanage she grew up in because she got everyone sick.” Reem cut her off. “At least, that’s the rumor going around Camp.”

“I heard she makes everyone deathly ill.” Lily added.

“I heard she sucks people’s blood, like a vampire.” Kojika said.

Astraea couldn't help but roll her eyes. “Sucks people’s blood? Are you serious? There's no way she’s a vampire.” She pointed up to the sun rising over the horizon. “If she was a vampire, she’d be killed by the sun. And plus, vampires aren't real.”

“Yeah, they are.” Lily told her. “They just live mostly in New Jersey. Anyway, believe the rumors about her or not, that girl is dangerous, and I for one don't want to risk getting sick or hurt by her, so I'm leaving.”

“Me too.” Reem and Kojika said in unison.

“We’re gonna find somewhere else to run.” Reem said, “You're welcome to join us, Astraea.”

Nodding, Astraea followed the girls. Once they were almost out of sight of the track, Astraea looked back to see the tan-skinned girl gone and a large black and white eagle flying off in the direction of Xenos cabin four.

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After a long day of sword, archery and mythology classes, it was once again time for dinner.

As she was heading over to the Xenos table, a Greek she didn't know approached. She was about fifteen, with short, curly brown hair, a large and a troublemaker's smile. The girl presented her with a box of gum, a single stick of gum sticking out. “Hey, new girl. Want a piece of gum? I swiped it from the Travis cabin.”

Astraea eyed the gum for a second before accepting. “Uh, thanks. I- OW!” The stick of gum sent a small shock of electricity through her fingers. “Hey, what was that-?”

The girl burst out laughing. Like, fully belly, nearly falling over, laughing. “Y-you *laugh* should *laugh* seen *snort* your *wheeze* face!”

Astraea gave a face of hurt. “What was that for?”

The girl wiped a tear from her eye. “Sorry, sorry. That was just a joke to break the ice. Did it work?”

“Well-.”

“Anyway,” the girl cut her off, her words tumbling out of her mouth at such a speed Astraea almost couldn't keep up. “I'm Thaleia Jones, daughter of Gelos.”

“Gelos?” Astraea questioned. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She was terrible at remembering names.

“The god of Jell-O.” The newly introduced Thaleia told her.

Astraea raised a brow. “Really? I'm not buying that.”

The girl sagged in defeat dramatically, before popping up with a bright smile. “Say, you're smarter than you look, muscles-.”

“Muscles?”

“Anyway,” the girl continued with stride. “I feel absolutely gutted about earlier, how about we shake on it and introduce ourselves properly this time?” She held out her hand, a massive smile on her face.

Shrugging, Astraea took her hand only to get another shock. “OW!”

The girl burst out into a stream of guffaws and chortles, wiping tears from her eyes. “Y-you're just too easy!” She wheezed.

Feeling slightly betrayed, Astraea took a step back, not wanting to get shocked for a third time.

“What’s with you and shocking me?”

The girl snorted, finding far too much amusement in what happened. “You and I are gonna get on swimmingly, I can tell.”

“What do you-?” Astraea was cut off by Chiron who stepped up to the head table, stomping his hoof on the ground.

“Young heroes, let us pray and give thanks to the gods… Dinner is served.”

Leaving the strange, shocking girl, Astraea sat down at the Xenos table next to Ketevan and Ix. After giving them a few hellos, she dug in to her food. A few minutes into the meal, Astraea noticed a stubby hand reach out from under the table and grab her spoon with unseen speed. Looking around, no one else seemed to notice. Wondering for a second if she was seeing things, Astraea kept her eyes open, pretending to eat.

The hand shot out again, taking a dirty napkin this time. ‘So I'm not going crazy…’ Astraea thought.

A minute later, the hand struck again, trying to grab her fork, but Astraea managed to grab the thieving hand, pulling the body attached to it out from under the table and lifting it into the air.

“What's the big idea?” Astraea demanded of the absolutely tiny girl at the end of the stocky hand. She was just under four feet tall, squat, and was dressed in an odd floor-length coat stitched out of dozens of scraps of fabrics, from zebra print, to neon green, random rags, fur, and even an ‘I love Albuquerque’ shirt that looked like it had gone through a blender full of dirt and orange juice. Needless to say, Astraea was surprised to see what she had caught.

“Um, what the heck are you?”

The small girl hissed like a wild animal, champing her teeth menacingly, causing Astraea to drop her with a yelp. The girl hit the ground hard but quickly snatched a chicken bone off a neighboring plate, put it in her mouth like a dog, and promptly started to crawl off at a high speed.

Astraea deadpanned. “...what the fuck?”

“Ah, there you are.” Rana appeared out of nowhere, snatching the small girl like a small child and hefting her into the air.

“Um, Rana, who exactly is that?”

Rana turned to Astraea, struggling to keep the tiny girl from scampering off. “Oh, hello, Astraea. This is Eda, Eda Ormr. She’s the girl I told you about on your first day, the one who has the tendency to take things that don't belong to her.” Giving the small girl a hard look, Rana asked, “Eda, do I need to ask if you have anything you shouldn't?”

The filthy girl shook her head frantically. “N-no, of course not, Rana.”

Rana didn't look convinced. Frowning, she took the girl’s mismatched coat off and shook it, making dozens of things fall out, from spoons, coins, used gum wrappers, bottle caps, old dentures, and, strangely enough, a tiara full of shimmering jewels.

Rana gave the girl a look like one would when scolding a small child. “Eda, what have I told you about taking things that don't belong to you…?”

The girl named Eda began to weep. “I-I'm sorry, Rana. I- I couldn't help it!”

“I know, little one, I know. I'm not mad… Let's give everything back, okay?”

The girl snatched a used gum wrapper like a lifesaver and held it to her chest, crying. “No! They're mine! I don't want to give them back!”

Rana gave the girl a sad smile. “I'm sorry, Eda. Come on, let’s go back to your room, hm?”

The dirty girl threw down the gum wrapper, snatched her ragged coat, and promptly ran off as fast as her short legs could carry her.

Utterly bewildered, Astraea looked to Rana. “What was that?”

“That was Eda Ormr.” Rana explained with a sign. “As I was saying, she’s the girl I told you about. She's the daughter of Fafnir, a Norse dwarf obsessed with treasure. Eda can't fight her compulsion to steal and hoard things, whether it's a utensil, gum wrapper or shiny rock.”

“Or a tiara full of jewels.” Astraea said, looking down to the shimmering tiara at their feet. “Where the hell did she even find something like that?”

Rana frowned. “I do not know, and that concerns me.” She picked up the tiara and slid it into her pocket. “I will have to inform Chiron. Eda isn't allowed to leave Camp, and I know for certain we don't have anything like this here. She must be getting out somehow.”

Sighing, Rana told Astraea she needed to check Eda’s room for other stolen items, and left. Sitting down, Astraea started to eat again.

She didn't even get three bites in before the dining pavilion went deathly silent. Looking around, Astraea asked Ketevan, “What’s going on now?”

“It's her.” Ketevan hissed, nodding to the far side of the pavilion.

Astraea followed her eyes to find the same girl from this morning at the track, the one no one dared but whisper about, the one they only spoke of as ‘that girl.’ The sickly thin girl ignored all the nasty looks from the crowd, quickly walking to Chiron at the head table, a mask of fear on her face.

“Has she ever come to dinner before?” Astraea asked Ketevan.

The golden skinned girl shook her head. “No, most Campers haven't even seen her before… I have no idea why she’s here.”

Astraea couldn't help but overhear hushed whispers about the girl. “Why is she here?” A Sherman kid asked aloud.

“I hope Chiron yells at her for leaving her Cabin.” Said another Greek.

“She’s hideous, she's skinny as a skeleton. She’s ruined my appetite.” A pretty Greek girl said with disgust, turning her nose up to the girl as she passed.

“I don't understand why Chiron let's her stay here, she’s too dangerous.” Said another.

“Yeah, and it's not like anyone here wants her around.”

Astraea looked up the tan-skinned girl again. Yes, she had to admit the girl was extremely thin and sickly, but she wasn't as bad as everyone said. Kala looked ten times worse, at least this girl didn't have fur and hooves. Astraea had no idea why everyone hated her so much when they clearly didn't know her. How could you hate someone you had never met or seen? It didn't make sense to her.

Chiron watched the skeleton girl walk up to him, his face filling with dread with every step she took. Stepping around the head table, he gave her his best reassuring smile. “My child, what is the matter? What is wrong?”

The girl only said five words, but Astraea was certain she would remember them for the rest of her life. In heavily accented English, the girl whispered;

“Someone is going to die.”

The crowd was silent for what seemed like eternity as everyone took in what she said, until worried whispers broke out. Astraea saw several Greek Campers rise from their seats and draw their weapons, eyes fixed on the tiny, tan-skinned girl, as if she was the threat. As the seconds passed, more Greeks joined them, brandishing their weapons. Out of the corner of her eye, Astraea saw Snorri and Arthur Penn put their hands on their weapons, not taking their warry eyes off the Greeks. But before anyone could move, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the head table behind Chiron and the girl.

All eyes flew to Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the Oracle, who was floating a foot off the ground, arms and hair raised. Green smoke spewed out of her mouth and eyes like a fog machine. Like the sun had been turned off, all warmth was sucked out of the dining pavilion.

In a raspy voice, she spoke;

“Three must journey to where ancient gods lay,
To keep safe a Tablet of Clay,
From the Young Immortal who craves the Authority it can bestow,
Find the desert angel in the snow.
Do not put your faith in truth and lies,
Foes and allies alike shall surprise.”

Rachel Elizabeth Dare crumpled to the ground a second later, unconscious. Several of the older Campers at the head table rushing to her.

Pandemonium broke out among the crowd. It seemed like every Camper was yelling, all looking to the small girl at the head of the pavilion like she was a sign of cataclysm.

“ENOUGH!” Chiron roared, stomping his hoof, bringing all attention to himself. With a calm and level voice, he said. “For the first time since the Promised Day, a Prophecy has been spoken…” He looked to the Oracle who was beginning to wake. “Rachel, my child, are you well?”

The redhead rubbed her head. “Yeah, why can't I ever land on my feet?” She gave the old centaur a worried look. “You're not going to like this, Chiron… and neither is Percy.”

Astraea’s ears perked hearing her dad’s name. What was wrong? Why wouldn't he like what was happening? Was… was her dad being sent off on another Quest? Or…? Astraea’s heart stopped. “Oh, …fuck.”

The Oracle looked right to her, her green eyes filled with sadness. “Astraea Dione Jackson, please step forward.”

Astraea was frozen in her seat, not daring to move until Ketevan pulled her to her feet and gave her a small shove forward. Almost failing to catch herself before falling over, Astraea walked on shaky legs to the head table where the Oracle stood. Every eye in the hall was on her, and Astraea would be lying if she said she wasn't excited about going on a Quest. Traveling the world? Fighting dangerous Monsters? Battling Titans? Sign her up!

Stopping in front of the Oracle, Astraea looked to her expectantly, only to be ignored when the Oracle looked back to the crowd. In a loud, commanding voice, she said; “Aurora Dōrothea Jackson, please step forward.”

Astraea’s heart stopped. ‘No, no, no.’ She thought, ‘Not Aurora… She- she can't go on a Quest.’

Astraea watched with dread as her little, timid, defenseless sister walked up to the head table, unshed tears in her eyes. She could tell her sister was a ball of nerves, barely able to stand, let alone move. As her sister stood beside her, Astraea took her in her arms, giving her a comforting hug. “It’s okay, Aurora. It’s okay. I'll protect you.”

The crowd and Chiron said nothing as the Oracle began to speak again. “Now… for our third and final member…” She took a nervous breath. “Sacniete Xmucane Trejo, please step forward!”

The crowd was deathly silent, no one knew who this ‘Sacniete’ was, but no one dared ask. After a few seconds, everyone began to look around, trying to find this mystery camper. But as Astraea turned around to look at the crowd, she saw a look of absolute horror on the small tan-skinned girl who gave Chiron the warning.

“I-it's you,” Astraea said, breathless, realizing. “You're Sacniete.”

With a silent nod, the skeleton girl took a single step until she was standing next to Astraea and Aurora, looking up to the Oracle expectantly.

“Astraea, Aurora, Sacniete,” The Oracle began with a whisper, scanning their faces with worried green eyes. “You have been chosen for this Quest.”

The pavilion exploded with disapproval. Almost every Greek was on their feet and yelling, demanding that Greeks be sent on the Quest, not them.

“It’s not fair!” A Greek yelled through the crowd. “Just because they’re the daughters of Percy and Annabeth doesn't give them special privileges!”

“Yeah,” another yelled. “They just got here yesterday! Send one of us instead!”

“Why is she going on the Quest?” A Sherman kid demanded, looking right to the newly named Sacniete. “She's a demon, not a Camper-”

Chiron stomped his hoof, silencing the crowd. “The Fates themselves dictate who goes on the Quest, not our Oracle, she is merely the means in which they communicate to us.” He gave the crowd a hard look before turning to the three girls before him. “Do not question the Fates… Now, Astraea, Aurora, Sacniete… you must come with me to the Big House… there is much we need to discuss before you leave.” The old centaur gave Astraea and Aurora a sympathetic look. “I only pray your father takes the news well.”

“Shit.” Astraea cussed, knowing her dad would rather take on a Primordial alone than allow them to go on a Quest. “He’s not gonna like this.”

“Indeed.” Chiron said, “But your father knows the importance of Quests and Prophecies, and he knows that not even he can stop them.”

“I'm sorry, Astraea, Aurora.” The Oracle, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, said, giving them a sad look. “It's only your second day here… I wish I didn't have to send you away so soon.”

Aurora looked like she was about to collapse on the spot, while the silent Sacniete simply looked like she had accepted her fate. Giving a brave nod, Astraea said, “It's no problem. It's an honor to go on a Quest for the gods.” She put her arm around her sisters’ small shoulders. “We’ll make you and the gods proud.”

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Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete followed Chiron and Rachel to the Big House, trying their best to ignore the stares of the Campers around them.

Chiron let out a tense breath as soon as he closed the door. Looking to the three of them, he began to pace. “My apologies, my children, but I do not have the authority nor ability to cancel this Quest, or to task other Campers with it… so, unfortunately, the three of you must go on a Quest.”

“Where are we going?” Astraea asked, excited. “And when?”

Rachel answered for him. “I can see glimpses in my mind, they show me a desert, with stone towers covered in snow…”

“Snow in a desert? Isn't that like impossible?”

“N-no,” Aurora stuttered, speaking up for the first time. “It can snow in certain deserts.”

“Exactly, Aurora. You're as smart as your mom.” Rachel smiled, before continuing. “You need to travel west, deep into the deserts and canyons of Utah. I can't see a full picture, but I have a feeling that you will find what you need there.”

“What are we even going to look for?” Astraea asked.

Both Chiron and Rachel said nothing, which didn't fill her with confidence.

“...You have no idea, do you?”

“I'm sorry, Astraea, but no.” Rachel admitted. “But, from what we can piece together from the Prophecy, you three will be searching for a tablet of clay.”

“A clay tablet?” Astraea repeated. “Is that it? Is that all we have to go on?”

Chiron’s face dropped. “...Yes, I'm afraid.”

“Well, who said Quests were supposed to be easy.” She turned to her sister. “Are you up for it, Aurora? As long as we’re together, we’ll be fine.”

Her little sister looked like she was about to collapse. “N-no…”

Well, at least she was honest.

Turning to Sacniete, Astraea asked, “What about you, uh… Sorry, how do you pronounce your name again?”

The thin, skeleton girl studied her with black eyes, searching for something she knew not. “...Sacniete.” Her voice was scratchy and rough, like she wasn't used to speaking. Which, given what Astraea knew about her, fit. This was the first time that Astraea had gotten a proper look at her. She was incredibly short— but not nearly as short as Eda— barely standing over four foot. She had tanned skin, was unhealthily thin, so much so her joints and veins were visible through her skin, and had abyss-black eyes that bore into your soul. Finally seeing the girl up close, Astraea could see why some Campers thought she looked like a skeleton.

Astraea tried to put on her best confident smile. “Well, Sacniete, what do ya say? You ready to go on a Quest?” She held out her hand. “We’re in this together, the three of us.”

The girl regarded her outstretched hand as if it was a deadly snake. Instead, she turned to Chiron. “Can I go home?” She asked in accented English.

With a sad look, Chiron nodded. “Yes, my child. But be ready to depart first thing in the morning…” He looked to the three of them. “For now, you three go back to your cabins and get some sleep. The Oracle and I will discuss the particulars, as well as plan how we will inform your parents of you being selected for a Quest.” He said the last part to Astraea and Aurora.

“Dad’s not gonna be happy.”

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: The demon of Xenos Cabin Four

[Early June, A few days later. Somewhere in Utah]

[Recap:
“Three must journey to where ancient gods lay,
To keep safe a Tablet of Clay,
From the Young Immortal who craves the Authority it can bestow,
Find the desert angel in the snow.
Do not put your faith in truth and lies,
Foes and allies alike shall surprise.”]

~ Recap ~

Astraea decided she hated Utah in June.

It was hot, like, unbearingly, melt your face off, rather crawl under a rock and die, hot.

The three of them— herself, her little sister, Aurora, and Sacniete, the so-called ‘demon’ of Xenos Cabin Four— had been dropped off in Utah by a few of Chiron’s centaur frat brothers three days before, with the task of looking for a tablet of clay.

What did this tablet do? Good question, no one knew.

Where was it? Another good one, unfortunately, no one knew that either.

Why was it important that they find it? No idea.

What pantheon did it belong to? Why are you even expecting an answer at this point?

Astraea decided that Quests were much more boring than she expected. She had grown up hearing stories of Quests and adventures from her parents, aunts and uncles, and they had all sounded more exciting and fun, if you took out the chances of death, of course. Astraea was looking for fun and adventure just like anyone else, but she'd rather be alive to experience it.

Anyway, it was terribly boring in the desert canyons of Utah, and just so gods-dammed hot.

But if Astraea was having a bad time, her sister was having a worse one. She figured that a granddaughter of Poseidon’s natural environment was the furthest place than where they found themselves right now. Her sister looked like she was about to melt on the spot.

The only one who didn't complain was Sacniete. Come to think of it, the tan-skinned skeleton-esque girl hadn't said a single word since they left Camp three days ago. Not even asking to take a break, or asking for food or water, or saying she needed to sneak away to go to the bathroom behind a rock. She wasn't even fazed by the starling frigid nights of the desert. It was kind of unnerving.

Deciding ‘screw it’, Astraea looked to the shorter girl as they walked down a long canyon. “So, Sacniete, where are you from?”

The sickly thin girl said nothing for a minute, instead regarding Astraea with caution like she was debating if it was a trick question or something. Finally, with a rough voice, she spoke; “Quetzaltenango.”

Astraea blinked. “...Sorry, where’s that?”

Another long pause. “Guatemala.” She answered with a heavy accent.

“What’s it like there?”

No answer.

Astraea wasn't fazed. “Do you miss it?”

Sacniete’s eyes narrowed, flashing with dark energy. Her gaze bore into Astraea’s, making her unnerved.

‘Alright, wrong question. Got it.’

“D-do you want to take a break, Sacniete?” Aurora asked, speaking up for the first time in awhile.

The tan-skinned girl paused and sat down on the spot, saying nothing, not even bothering to sit in the shade just a few feet away. Astraea decided to be smart and sat in the shade alongside her sister. Pulling out some rations, she gave some to Aurora, before holding some out to Sacniete.

“Want some Ambrosia?”

The girl said nothing, only stared at the godly food for a second before turning away.

“Oh, come on.” Astraea sighed. “You haven't eaten all day, you've got to be hungry.” She was met with silence. “Well, when you’re hungry later and done being moody, you can have some.” More silence. This girl was harder to talk to than Narcissus.

After a short break, the trio started off again on their journey down the winding canyons. Astraea would have thought the scenery was beautiful if it wasn't so damn hot. She wiped sweat off her forehead, oh how she had dressed wrong for this Quest. Her pale, bare shoulders, arms, stomach and legs were being assaulted by the unrelenting sun. Even her feathered wings, that weren't used to being summoned for so long, couldn't stand up to the sun, so she had chosen to hide them for the first time since attending Camp. Her sister had been smart and had brought a thin rain poncho, that was keeping her protected from the sun. While Sacniete didn't seem to care, she let the sun burn her away without complaint.

At least Astraea was certain now that she wasn't a vampire.

It was nearing sundown by the time they decided to set up camp. And by ‘camp’, they meant an old four person tent, a pitiful fire that took them nearly twenty minutes to light, and some smelly sleeping bags that looked like they had been around since Chiron was a young colt.

The three sat down on their sleeping bags around the tiny fire in the fading sunlight. Astraea was completely exhausted, as she knew her sister was too, the only one who looked unbothered was Sacniete. Who hadn't said anything else all day.

Sighing, Astraea opened the bag of rations Chiron gave her. “Anyone want a can of beans and sausage?”

Her sister leaned over to grab a can. “I will, but you can have my sausages.” This was one of the times where Astraea was happy her sister was a vegetarian, it meant more sausages for her. As her sister picked through the goopy can of beans, Astraea looked to Sacniete.

“Want any?”

The girl didn't say anything, only looking at the can with suspicious eyes before turning away again. Astraea was starting to think this girl was so thin because she was just a picky eater. The two of them couldn't be further apart, as Astraea loved pretty much all food, maybe a little too much. Well, except poultry like chicken and turkey and such, it was just a little weird to eat something with wings when she herself had wings.

“Nope, you're not gonna get out of eating again.” Astraea said sternly, reaching over and holding out the can for her to take. “You literally haven't eaten for almost two days, and you've only drank like half a bottle of water, you keep this up, you'll die in this heat.”

“I don't care. Not hungry. Please…” The girl said in a low voice, completely surprising Astraea. The girl had literally only said two words the last three days. “Leave me alone.” The girl stood up and started walking away. She only got a few steps when Astraea called out, pissed.

“What's your problem?” She stood up, glaring at the girl. “We were sent on this Quest together, we’re a team. We need to look out for each other… And if you don't eat or drink anything, then you won't be strong enough if we run into any Monsters.”

The girl said nothing, only continuing to stare into the darkness.

“I get it, it's not the best food, but-.”

“Stop talking.” Sacniete cut her off suddenly.

Astraea growled, “Who the fu-?”

“Something is here.” The girl cut her off again, slowly turning on the spot, looking out into the shadows, her eyes now the piercing yellow of a big cat.

Astraea didn't need telling twice, she jumped to her feet, summoned her greatsword and stood protectively in front of Aurora. “What is it?” She asked Sacniete. “What’s out there?”

The Guatemalan girl started walking into the darkness like a phantom, her footsteps silent, and her body almost now completely invisible in the blackness. “...Perro.”

“What?”

“A dog?” Aurora asked from behind her. “Are you speaking Spanish?”

Sacniete said nothing, only silently nodding while she drew a small, black stone ax out of her bag, walking further out into the darkness. Astraea had no idea how Sacniete could see anything, she could barely see her hand in front of her face.

“A dog?” Astraea repeated in confusion. “Why would there be a dog out-?”

A giant mass of black fur leapt out of the darkness, snatching Aurora by the leg and dragging her off. A Hellhound. “AURORA!” Astraea screamed, running off blindly into the black.

“Astraea, help me!”

“I'm coming!” Astraea shouted, blindly running through dead bushes and narrowly dodging jutting boulders. “Aurora, I’m-.”

A lithe, black figure shot past her in the direction of Aurora and the Hellhound, leaving Astraea in its dust within seconds. “What the Hades…?” Astraea hadn't gotten a good look at it, but it was far smaller than the Hellhound from earlier.

A low, guttural growl sounded out from the darkness before the Hellhound let out a ‘yelp’ of pain.

“Aurora!” Astraea pushed herself to run faster, following the sounds of slashing teeth and claws. “I'm coming!”

Astraea ran forward— flashlight in one hand, her greatsword in the other— towards the animalistic growls. “Aurora!”

The Hellhound whimpered in pain, letting go of Aurora’s leg just as Astraea neared. Swinging her flashlight, Astraea saw a smaller mass of pure black fur standing in front of Aurora. Not thinking twice, she dropped the flashlight, lifted her sword, and started to strike the unknown animal with all her might-

Aurora suddenly jumped in front of the large animal, her hands out in front of her. “Astraea, stop! It’s Sacniete!”

Astraea froze on the spot, greatsword held above her head, ready to strike. “...What? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure.” Aurora nodded, still standing protectively in front of the large, black-furred animal. “It’s Sacniete, she saved me.”

Transforming her greatsword back into her armlet, Astraea picked up the flashlight and shone it upon the animal. She gasped, unable to believe what she was seeing. “...Is- is that a black panther?”

As if to confuse and bewilder her anymore, the large wildcat shook its head and spoke. “I'm a black jaguar, actually.” It was unmistakable, the big cat even had Sacniete’s accent and lifeless, dull tone of speech. Astraea couldn't say anything, she was so surprised. The black jaguar used its large paw to block the flashlight from its eyes. “Please turn that off. It's hurting my eyes.”

Needless to say, Astraea wasn't expecting this turn of events. “...Um, y-yeah, ‘course. Sorry.” Moving the light out of the jaguar’s eyes, Astraea looked between her sister and the big cat. “Sacniete… is that really you?”

The jaguar said nothing, proving it wasn't any more talkative than the girl. Without warning the jaguar stood up on its hind legs, its large, long body shrinking and transforming into the 4’2” body of Sacniete. It was actually pretty disturbing, in all honesty. Sacniete stood there in the darkness looking up to her as if she hadn't just done something completely unexpected and crazy. Staring back, Astraea noticed that her eyes were still the piercing, bright yellow eyes of the jaguar.

Unconsciously, Astraea pointed to her own eyes. “Um, your eyes are still transformed?”

Sacneite said nothing at first, only continuing to stare at her with that piercing, unblinking gaze. Finally, she spoke. “Yes.” Was all she said.

“Can I ask why?”

More silence.

Now Astraea felt awkward. “Um, unless you don't want to tell me.”

“They let me see in dark.” She answered after a few seconds, her English not perfect as usual.

“Ah, I guess that makes sense.”

Sacniete said nothing in reply, only continuing to look out into the darkness.

Thankfully, Aurora decided to speak up and break the awkward atmosphere. “Sacniete, t-thank you for saving me.”

Silence.

Aurora looked unsure now. “Um, j-just wanted to let you know.”

“You're welcome.” Sacneite said suddenly, surprising both of them. Without warning she started to head back to their campsite. “You two sleep. I will watch for more perros sueltos.”

“Watch for what?” Astraea asked.

“Don't look at me,” Aurora shrugged. “I don't speak Spanish. I only know a few words from Uncle Leo, and most of them only apply to attractive women.”

Astraea nodded in understanding. “Well, you can speak Ancient Greek and Latin almost fluently, so I figured you’d know more Spanish than me.”

Aurora opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Sacniete, who looked slightly irritated. “Hurry up.”

Needless to say, Astraea and Aurora hurried back to their campsite. “Come on, Aurora, let's take a look at your leg. How’s it feeling?”

“N-not too bad, actually.” Aurora replied, laying down on her sleeping bag. “Do we have any Nectar?”

“Right here.” Astraea said, handing her a small bottle. “We can patch it up, don't worry. Chiron gave us a first-aid kit.”

“Thanks, I-.”

“Sleep.” Sacniete ordered. “No talking.”

Deciding to not incur the wrath of a girl that could transform into a freaking jaguar, Astraea and Aurora complied, trying their best to fall asleep, under the silent watch of Sacneite.

~Please leave a Review~

Astraea woke up a few hours before dawn the next morning feeling revitalized, at least more than she felt during the day. Sitting up in their cramped tent, she found her little sister still fast asleep, cuddling a pillow like a stuffed animal. Looking around, Astraea wasn't surprised to see Sacniete wasn't there, the girl hadn't slept in the tent with them the whole Quest. Trying in vain to fight off the chilling early morning air, Astraea wrapped herself in a blanket and climbed out of the tent.

She found Sacniete facing away from their dying fire, turning to look at her after hearing her approach. Saying nothing, she turned back to the vast empty backness of the desert.

Walking up to the shorter girl, Astraea was happy to find a few empty cans of beans and sausages strewn about. At least she was finally eating. Deciding to not give up trying to get to know the weird, silent girl, Astraea sat down on a rock a few feet away from her. “Morning, Sacniete. See any more Monsters?”

The girl shook her head, her piercing yellow jaguar eyes staring unblinking into the darkness. “No.”

“Well, that's good.”

“Obviously.”

Astraea blinked, giving the girl a second take. Was that sarcasm? Or was it serious? It was really hard to tell.

“Anyway… thanks for keeping watch.”

She was met with silence.

“You can take a break, if you want.” Astraea offered. “Go get some sleep, I’ll keep watch until morning.”

“I'm fine.”

“No, you’ve been up all night.” Astraea countered, adamant. “And I'm honestly not convinced you've even slept the last few days. You’ve been working too hard, not eating or drinking enough, plus, you saved Aurora and fought off a Hellhound. So, please, get some sleep, okay? I’ll take watch until morning, and we’ll work it out between the three of us who keeps watch tomorrow night. You don't have to stay up and keep watch every night by yourself.”

Sacniete stopped her watch to turn to her, her features unclear in the dim light, catching her completely off guard by saying, “Thank you.” She stood and walked off into the darkness without another word, leaving Astraea speechless. Did- did the so-called ‘demon’ of Camp Half-Blood just thank her?

After Sacniete left to go sleep who-knows-where, Astraea kept herself busy by talking to the constellations in between keeping watch. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor were dancing side by side in the heavens above her. While other minor, unnamed lunar beings flew about at incredible speeds, only stopping to occasionally give her a wave. Celestial and lunar beings were always friendly to her, Astraea figured most mortals couldn't see them, and that most immortals who could, probably didn't give them a second glance, so she figured the celestial beings appreciated it when someone took the time to say hello.

But the celestial and lunar beings above her weren't who Astraea wanted to talk to. It was her parents.

It wasn't hard to find her parents’ constellation. The Lovers, a constellation that still befuddled astronomers to this day over having somehow never seen it before, was her only connection to her parents. As her parents were dying, her mother, Eos, used the last of her power to transform the two of them into a constellation, which was later named The Lovers. It depicted her father holding her mother in a loving embrace. It was crude, as all constellations are, but to Astraea, she could see them clear as day.
You see, when she looked at constellations, she didn't just see the individual stars and have to connect the dots, she saw the lifelike figures as she would see any person or animal. Be it stag, bear or opinionated hunter, Astraea saw the constellations and celestial beings like no other mortal. All thanks to her mothers’ domain.

So when she saw her parents’ constellation in the heavens above her, she didn't just see stars, she saw them as if they had never left the mortal world. But unlike all other constellations and beings she saw, they never danced or flew above her. They didn't wave greetings or say hello. They didn't even move. They just laid there, unmoving, unblinking, like they were dead.

“Hey, mom, dad… It's me, again.” Letting out a breath, she kept her eyes focussed on their unmoving forms. “Sorry for not talking to you the last couple days, I was sent on a Quest to Utah to go look for some kind of Clay Tablet or something, Chiron has no idea what it is, really. Which sucks.

“Mom and dad— I mean, Annabeth and Percy, y’know, my adoptive parents— weren't exactly happy to hear that I was sent on a Quest. Dad most of all. Shit, you should have heard him over the Iris Messege. He was about to travel to Olympus and pick a fight with the Fate Sisters right on the spot, but mom and aunt Thalia were able to calm him down. He's still not happy, though.

“I was sent with Aurora— y’know, my little sister, Percy and Annabeth’s daughter— and another Xenos girl named Sacniete… she’s… well, I don't really know how to describe her. I don't know who her godly parent is, but I know she’s Guatemalan and can transform into a black jaguar. It’s pretty cool, except if you see her do it. It's kinda gross. Anyway, she's really weird. Like, she barely talks, and everyone at Camp hates her for whatever reason, but I have no idea why. They all call her a ‘demon’, or a ‘skeleton’ because she’s really skinny and sickly looking, but really, she's not even that bad looking. I mean, Kala— the boar-girl I told you about before— looks more like a monster or demon than her.”

Pausing to think for a moment, she tapped her thigh absentmindedly. “But she’s not all bad, really. We’re not even close to being friends yet, but I haven't given up yet. She’s different… just like me, so I think we’d get along if she just talked to me. But, after seeing how everyone at Camp treats her, I see why she doesn't want anything to do with anyone.”

Looking out into the eerie darkness, she sighed. “Quests aren't as fun as I thought they'd be.” She told them. “We’ve been walking aimlessly in this desert for three days now, and have no idea what we’re looking for or what it does. Like, not even Chiron knows anything about it, and he knows almost everything.

“...I just hope something exciting happens soon. Monster attack, rogue Titan, I don't care, I just want to kick some ass, explore cool places and fight with Aurora and Sacniete, not that Aurora can fight, but you know what I mean… But I'll protect her, mom, dad, I swear. Just like you protected Olympus, I’ll protect Aurora, and Sacniete too.” She added as an afterthought. “I swear.”

Astraea talked with her parents until the sun broke over the horizon. She didn't see any sign of any other monsters the whole time.
Standing and stretching, Astraea summoned her wings and beat them in the cool morning air. Oh, how good it felt to let them be free again! It didn't hurt to hide them, per say, but it just didn't feel right, like she was hiding a part of who she was. Flapping her wings and giving them a good stretch, she spun on the spot, letting her wings enjoy the cool breeze.

She stopped on the spot to find Sacniete looking at her with a mystified expression. Feeling more than a little embarrassed, she folded her wings behind her back and tried to play cool. “H-hey, Sacniete. Want breakfast?” It didn't work.

Sacniete, surprisingly, replied. “Yes, please.”

Astraea gave a mental fistbump, but she tried her best to actually play it cool this time. “‘Kay. What do you want? We have more cans of beans and sausages, trail mix, granola bars, some dried fruit, jerky, and some oatmeal in a bag. It tastes better than it sounds, and looks, trust me.”

Looking more than a little overwhelmed by the number of options, Sacniete thought on it for a few seconds. “What do you like?”

“I'm in a jerky, dried fruit and oatmeal in a bag kind of mood this morning.”

Sacniete looked a little apprehensive. “Can I have the same?”

Astraea scoffed, “‘Course you can.” She smiled, digging into the bag of rations. “You can eat whatever you want.”

“...I- I can?” She asked in disbelief.

Sacniete’s tone made Astraea pause, but she quickly played it off like she was reading a label on a granola bar. “Yeah,” She tried her best to sound casual. “Eat whatever you want.”

“Really?” Gods, the way Sacniete said it almost made Astraea drop the food. It was almost like the girl had never been given the option to choose what she wanted to eat before. Astraea had no idea what that felt like. Her parents let her eat pretty much whatever she wanted, as long as she ate healthy, which was fine with her. But Sacniete, as she was starting to figure out, probably wasn't so thin by choice.

Shaking her head of her thoughts, Astraea acted like nothing happened. “Yeah, just take whatever you want from our bag. It's not mine or anything, I'm just like twice yours and Aurora’s size, so I can carry it easier. But eat whatever you want, it's no big deal. I don't care.” Astraea handed Sacneite her food.

Sacniete accepted the food with a mute nod, not meeting her eyes. After inspecting the dried fruit for a few seconds, she popped a small piece in her mouth. Her eyes widened in glee and her face morphed into the biggest— and only— smile Astraea had ever seen on her face. “This is delicious!” She cried, practically shoveling half the bag in her mouth in one go.

“Woah, woah, slow down.” Astraea couldn't help but chuckle. “You're gonna choke, and I don't know the heimlich.”

“I do.” Aurora said, stepping out of the tent and looking at the odd scene in front of her. “Who’s choking?”

Astraea waved her off, pointed to Sacniete who hadn't even heard her, too engrossed in devouring all of the dried fruit, her cheeks stuffed to the brim with food. “Nobody.” Astraea said with a smile. “The chipmunk over there is just trying to see how fast she can eat five pounds of dried fruit.”

Giving Sacniete a brief worried look, Aurora joined them around the extinguished fire. “Is there any food left, or did Sacniete eat all of it?” She joked.

“Hope you didn't want any dried fruit,” Astraea smiled, seeing that Sacniete had finally noticed she was stuffing her face like a glutton and had begun eating more subdued. “But we have everything else.”

~Page Break~

After convincing Sacniete to not eat their entire supply of dried fruit, the trio broke down camp and began wandering aimlessly down the desert canyons in search of the mysterious clay tablet.

It was just after nine in the morning when they stopped for a quick break, sitting in the shade of some large boulders. Astraea took a big gulp of water before holding out the bottle to Sacniete. “Want some water?”

Sacniete didn't hesitate to take the bottle and greedily drain it. After a moment, she handed Astraea back the empty bottle, looking a little ashamed. “...Sorry.”

“No problem, no problem.” Astraea assured her. “If you need water, drink water.”

“So,” Aurora spoke up. “Sacniete, you said you were from Guatemala, right?” Sacniete nodded. “That's cool, I’ve never been, but from what I've seen, it looks beautiful.”

Sacniete gave the closest thing she had ever done to a shrug. “I guess.”

Wanting to keep the conversation going, Astraea joined in. “It has to be better than this place, right?” She joked.

A ghost of a smile peaked at the corner of Sacniete’s mouth. “Much better than here. Not as hot. And more trees.”

“Were you born there?”

“Yes.”

Astraea, using her knowledge of her failed conversation yesterday, chose her words carefully. “Cool, I was born in Maine, but grew up in Chicago until a week before coming to Camp. And Aurora was born in New York.”

“Main?” Sacniete asked, saying the word like she had never heard it before. “Where’s this?”

“It’s like four or five states northeast of New York, up almost into Canada.” Astraea explained. “I don't remember it much, only bits and pieces, but I'd love to go back someday. Maybe even live there, if it wasn't so cold.”

“I have heard of Canada.” Sacneite said with a heavy accent. “Chiron said giants live there.”

“I've heard the same from my parents.”

“Your parents… Percy and… Annabelle?” The end sounding more and more like a question.

“Annabeth.” Astraea smiled, letting her know it was okay. “Yeah, they're my parents, well, my adopted parents, actually. But I consider them-.”

“Adopted?” Sacniete cut her off with her question.

“Yeah, adopted. It's like, they're not my birth parents, but they-.”

“I know what adopted means. I'm not stupid.” Sacniete cut her off again, no anger in her voice. Her voice dropped noticeably. “I lived in an, oh, how it called…? Orphanage.”

Astraea tried her best to not visibly react, she hated people reacting when she said she was adopted, so she figured Sacniete wouldn't appreciate her reacting. Trying her best to word her question carefully, she asked, “Um, not to sound insensitive or something, and feel free to not answer if you don't want to, but… do you know who your godly parent is?”

Sacneite said nothing, but kept eye contact with her, so that was an improvement at least. Thinking fast, Astraea added, “I don't know who my godly parent is.” She hated to lie, especially like this, but it was a truth she wasn't allowed to tell.

“I don't want to talk about it.”

That was all Astraea needed to drop that particular subject. “What’s Guatemala like?”

“It has a lot of rain forests, no places like this where I lived.” She gestured to the canyon walls around them.

“Can I ask how long you lived in the orphanage?” Astraea asked hesitantly.

“...My whole life.” Sacneite answered softly, pulling her knees up next to her chest, wrapping her thin, bony arms around them. “I don't remember anything before that.”

All three girls sat in silence for a few minutes, until Aurora spoke up, breaking the silence. “W-what was the orphanage like?”

Sacneite tensed and Astraea immediately worried her sister had hit a nerve, but it seemed like Aurora was lucky as Sacneite relaxed after a few seconds. “...Small. It was in a church. It was really poor, but the Sisters took care of everyone, gave everyone their food…” Her eyes flashed with dark energy, her voice growing bitter. “But they hated me. And I hate them. If I could, I’d kill them all now.”

“Why?” Astraea asked before she could stop herself.

“My blood.” Sacniete said venomously, Astraea figuring she meant because she was a half-blood. “And… they thought the Devil lived in me.”

She held up a bony hand, shadows dancing across her fingers. As she held up her hand, Astraea was able to see a lot of almost-faded scars on her arms she hadn't noticed before. “They tried to use God, prayer, and holy water on me, but my abilities never went away… and they got angrier and angrier every time.” She explained with a growl, extinguishing the shadows and putting her hand down. “And when they got angry… they wouldn't let me eat. ‘To starve out the Devil’, they said. But it got worse, whenever I was really angry or hurt… everyone got sick. And they attacked me in my sleep.”

Aurora let out a soft gasp of shock. “Gods…”

“They thought I had the Devil in me, so they didn't care about being gentle.” Sacneiete continued, her voice like bristling venom, having not heard Aurora. “They locked me in a cold room full of crosses, Rosaries and holy symbols to try to get the Devil to leave… to make me ‘normal’, but it never worked. And, when they learned the ‘Devil’ wouldn't leave by himself,” She grabbed her side instinctively, pain clearly evident on her thin face. “They tried to make him leave by force.”

Her eyes turned black as night, glowing with dark energy as she glared at Astraea. “You ask why I hate them? Why I want to kill them? Because they beat me with crosses and bibles until I could not feel anything. They poured holy water on me until I could not breathe. They starved me until I had to eat the ratas that lived in my mattress when I was too hungry to sleep.” Her eyes glowed darker than before, the air around her growing bone-chillingly cold. “And Chiron and the other Campers are the same. They lock me up like before, not letting me leave. They are the same.”

Astraea’s mind was blank, she had no idea what to say or what to think. “B-but surely Chiron-.”

“Chiron is just as bad!” Sacniete cut her off with a scream, her breathing heavy and wild. She jumped to her feet and ran off faster than Astraea could track, and before Astraea could react, she was gone.

“Shit.” Was all Astraea could say, looking at her little sister who had tears running down her face.

They didn't see Sacniete the rest of the day.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: We go look for a thing

[The next morning]

[Recap: “W-what was the orphanage like?”

…“...Small. It was in a church. It was really poor, but the Sisters took care of everyone, gave everyone their food…” Her eyes flashed with dark energy, her voice growing bitter. “But they hated me. And I hate them. If I could, I’d kill them all now.”

“Why?” Astraea asked before she could stop herself.

“My blood.” Sacniete said venomously, Astraea figuring she meant because she was a half-blood. “And… they thought the Devil lived in me.”

…“They tried to use God, prayer, and holy water on me, but my abilities never went away… and they got angrier and angrier every time.” She explained with a growl, extinguishing the shadows and putting her hand down. “And when they got angry… they wouldn't let me eat. ‘To starve out the Devil’, they said. But it got worse, whenever I was really angry or hurt… everyone got sick. And they attacked me in my sleep.”

Aurora let out a soft gasp of shock. “Gods…”

“They thought I had the Devil in me, so they didn't care about being gentle.” Sacniete continued, her voice like bristling venom, having not heard Aurora. “They locked me in a cold room full of crosses, Rosaries and holy symbols to try to get the Devil to leave… to make me ‘normal’, but it never worked. And, when they learned the ‘Devil’ wouldn't leave by himself,” She grabbed her side instinctively, pain clearly evident on her thin face. “They tried to make him leave by force.”

…“You ask why I hate them? Why I want to kill them? Because they beat me with crosses and bibles until I could not feel anything. They poured holy water on me until I could not breathe. They starved me until I had to eat the ratas that lived in my mattress when I was too hungry to sleep.” Her eyes glowed darker than before, the air around her growing bone-chillingly cold. “And Chiron and the other Campers are the same. They lock me up like before, not letting me leave. They are the same.”

Astraea’s mind was blank, she had no idea what to say or what to think. “B-but surely Chiron-.”

“Chiron is just as bad!” Sacniete cut her off with a scream, her breathing heavy and wild. She jumped to her feet and ran off faster than Astraea could track, and before Astraea could react, she was gone.

“Shit.” Was all Astraea could say, looking at her little sister who had tears running down her face.

They didn't see Sacniete the rest of the day. ]

~Recap End~

Astraea had expected Sacniete to return on her own after calming down. She assumed it wouldn't be more than an hour or so. So when the hour turned into two, and two turned into eight, and eight turned into twelve, Astraea was more than worried.

It was nearing nightfall and Sacniete had yet to return when Astraea accepted that the Guatemalan girl might not be coming back. Astraea had even gone as far as to fly up into the air above the thin cloud line in search of her, but after an hour or two of hard flying, she saw no sign of the girl. But considering how fast that girl could run, she could have been miles away at that time.

Now that it was just the two of them, Astraea and Aurora took longer shifts to keep watch overnight. Aurora took the first shift, while Astraea took the second. By suggestion of her little sister, they set up a few small torches of ever-burning Greek Fire along the perimeter of their miniscule campsite, to not only allow them to see their surroundings in the dark, but to also hopefully ward off wild animals or Monsters. The last thing Astraea wanted to come sneaking into their campsite was a hungry mountain lion.

It was a long and boring night, and bone-chilling cold, too. Astraea was glad to have extra fires around to help keep the cold at bay. Neither one of them had seen or heard any signs of Monsters the entire night. After a quick check of her digital watch, Astraea estimated that it was roughly an hour and fifteen minutes from sunrise. Don't ask her how she knew when the sunrise would be on any given day, she assumed her mom being the Titaness of the Dawn had something to do with that. Just like her dad could know exactly where he was on the ocean, she knew when the sun would come up. In her opinion, her ability was much more useful in everyday scenarios.

The hour and fifteen minute wait to dawn was a boring one. All Astraea craved was to see the sun peak over the horizon and wash her in light and warmth. She wasn't built for the cold.

It was just as the sun was sneaking over the horizon when Astraea heard a rooster crow.

“Da fuck?” Astraea stood up at the sudden ear splitting sound, looking around for any sign of the rooster, but all she could see was mile upon mile of desert.

The rooster crowed again, but much closer this time. Astraea’s ears rang for a full three seconds after the sound stopped.

“Hey, Aurora!” She shouted at the tent where her little sister was sleeping. “Get out here!”

“W-What?” Came her groggy reply.

“Do roosters live out here?”

Aurora’s response was delayed and extremely confused. “...What?”

“Do roosters live out here?” She repeated, eyes scanning the horizon.

The rooster crowed and louder and closer this time. Astraea’s teeth rattled from the sound.

“I'm up, I'm up.” Aurora said, emerging from the tent in her sleep clothes and a tiny dagger in her hand that Astraea knew she couldn't use. “Why are you yelling about a rooster?”

The rooster crowed again, making both of them cover their ears to ease the pain. After a few seconds of silence, they lowered their arms. “DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?!” Astraea shouted, unable to hear how loud she was being.

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO YELL!” Aurora yelled back.

“WHAT?!” Astraea moved closer to her sister, aligning her ear so she could better hear.

“I SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL!”

Astraea moved closer, unable to hear anything. “WHAT WAS THAT?!”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “THE ROOSTER’S CROW HURT YOUR HEARING, SO YOU CAN'T TELL HOW LOUD YOU'RE BEING. SO JUST-!”

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” Astraea cut her off.

“OH, FOR THE LOVE OF HERA-!”

The rooster crowed louder still, dropping both girls to the ground in pain. “AHH!”

“WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?”

“I DON'T KNOW,” Aurora said. “BUT IT'S GETTING CLOSER!”

As Astraea rose to her feet, she saw a mass of feathers run over a hill towards them. She was about to summon her sword to chase it off when it stopped on the spot to stare at them, its head moving back and forth like a bird. With it in one spot, Astraea was able to see that it looked like a normal rooster, well, except it was easily five times the size and had scales, bright red eyes, talons like daggers and a serpentine tail. And, oh yeah, it was breathing fire.

Fire erupted like a jet engine from the rooster's beak, which Astraea was now able to see was lined with rows of sharp teeth.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!”

“I THINK THAT'S A COCK-”

The rooster crowed, cutting Aurora off. Both girls dropped to their knees in pain. Curiously, the rooster didn't make a move.

Astraea turned to her sister, a knowing smirk on her face. “I DON'T KNOW IF I'M THE BEST TO TELL YOU THIS, SIS, BUT THAT'S A ROOSTER, NOT A COCK! THEY LOOK NOTHING ALIKE!”

Her sister had the maturity to ignore her. “NO, A ‘COCKATRICE’!”

“WELL, WHAT THE HELL IS A ‘COCKATRICE’ AND HOW DO WE KILL IT?”

“YOUR SWORD SHOULD WORK.” Aurora said, and Astraea summoned her sword, ready to attack. “BUT THEY'RE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!”

Astraea faltered. “HOW DANGEROUS?”

“I READ THAT THEY CAN KILL YOU WITH A SINGLE LOOK!”

Astraea pointed to the Cockatrice with her sword. “SO HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN US BEING ALIVE WITH IT LOOKING RIGHT AT US?”

Aurora shrugged. “IT MUST BE A BABY, IT’S MUCH SMALLER THAN I'VE HEARD THEY USUALLY ARE. SO MAYBE IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT ABILITY YET. BUT WE-”

Astraea waited no time charging the Cockatrice at full speed, sword raised. “GAAAH!”

“I WAS GOING TO SAY WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL!” Aurora yelled at her sister’s retreating form. “IT MIGHT STILL WORK UP CLOSE!”

The Cockatrice made no move to avoid Astraea as she neared it. It just continued to stare her down. Astraea swung her massive greatsword when she was within reach-

But the Cockatrice darted out of the way like a blur, Astraea hadn't even seen it move. “What the…?” Astraea asked, her hearing starting to come back. “How in the Hades did you-?”

The Cockatrice rocketed at her before she could blink, fire erupting out of its beak. Astraea’s heart stopped as she watched the flames fly at her in slow motion. She knew that no matter how fast she moved, she wouldn't be able to dodge, so she prepared to block the flames with her greatsword and arms-

Only to be suddenly dashed out of the way!

Blinking, Astraea realized that she was fifty yards to the side of the Cockatrice, and she wasn't alone. “Sacniete?!” She cried in disbelief. “Wha- what are you doing-?”

“Kill el gallo ruidoso now, talk later.” She cut Astraea off, brandishing a pair of tiny axes that almost looked to be made out of black glass.

“Astraea!” Aurora screamed in worry, climbing over a hill in thedistance. “Oh, thank the gods, you're- Sacniete? When did you get here?”

The Cockatrice began scratching the dirt with its talons, staring them down and getting ready to charge again. Astraea yelled, “Get ready-”

The Cockatrice flew at them in a blink of an eye, giant talons launching at their faces. Sacniete jumped, flipped and kicked the Cockatrice’s beak in midair, sending it hurtling back into a boulder with a sickening crunch. Sacniete landed like a cat, or, rather, like a jaguar, her feet and hands sprawled out, piercing black eyes focused on the Monster in front of her. Astraea was almost too stunned to move.

“Astraea!” Sacniete yelled at her, knocking her out of her thoughts. “Get ready!”

“On it!” Astraea held her greatsword aloft, ready to parry or block the next attack.

The Cockatrice crowed again, sending all three girls to the dirt in agony. It felt like someone was drilling into her ears with a blender, it almost made Astraea pass out on the spot. But she refused to go down so easily, especially as her little sister was behind her, helpless. Forcing herself to a stand, Astraea brandished her godkiller sword. “Come on, you stupid bird. Fight me for real.”

It was quite possibly one of the dumbest things she had ever said.

The Cockatrice seemed to understand her words, and it grew angry and flames started to billow out of its beak.

“You run at it.” Sacniete whispered under her breath. “I'll attack it from behind.”

Astraea looked at the girl beside her, confused. “But how are you going to get behind it-”

“Just go.”

“Right.” Astraea said, trusting her. Charge the giant, fire-breathing Monster with razor sharp talons and beak head-on? Yeah, she could do that, no problem. Astraea smirked, this was what she was built for.

She rushed the Cockatrice the next second with all her speed, her sword swinging. “GAAAH!”

The Cockatrice braced itself and opened its beak to engulf her with flames-

But a blur of black blades struck the Cockatrice from the back with the power of a crashing car, sending the Monster flying towards and then past Astraea, impacting a canyon wall with a muted caw. As it struggled to its feet, Astraea was able to see two nasty gashes in the back of the Cockatrice’s neck, but it was still able to move.

“Shit, Sacniete,” Astraea said, amazed. “How are you so fast?”

Sacniete said nothing, however, instead she prepared for another attack. Astraea followed her lead, running to meet her. “I'm coming-”

The Cockatrice let out a meek crow before hobbling away at an incredible speed. Before Astraea knew it, the Monster was gone and the three of them were alone.

“Well, that was a let down.” Astraea deflated, turning her greatsword back into an armlet and placing it on her bicep. “I wanted to fight a Monster.”

“At least it is quiet.” Sacniete said matter-of-factly.

“Hey, Sacniete,” Astraea nearly shouted, jogging up to the much shorter girl. “It's good to see you!”

Sacniete looked genuinely surprised by her words, standing on edge. “...It is?”

“Yes!” Astraea actually shouted this time, a massive smile on her face. “I was so worried, I didn't think you were coming back.”

Sacniete looked away, her voice low. “Neither did I.”

“If I'm honest,” Astraea began. “I'd have expected you to stay out here or run for the nearest town.” She waved her hands frantically. “Not that I'm not happy to have you back, of course. It's just- well… You could have just left. Left Camp, left Chiron and all the Half-Bloods forever… left us.” While she didn't say it aloud, her eyes clearly asked the silent question of ‘why’ she didn't.

Turning to face her, Sacniete said, “I seriously considered it… And I did for a time, but last night I realized that I didn't want to abandon you and Aurora like that.”

“Why not?” Astraea asked. “We’ve only known each other for four days.”

“Because you two are the first people to ever treat me like a person, and…” She paused, looking away. “...I want to try to be friends with you two- I mean, only if you want, of course.”

Not thinking, Astraea engulfed the small girl with a tight hug, a massive smile on her face. “Of course we’ll be your friends!”

Sacniete broke free with surprising strength, standing a few steps back and out of reach, a smile forming on her face. “Thank you, Astraea… for being nice to me even when I wasn't nice to you.”

“No problem, girl. My parents taught me to treat everyone as equals, no matter what.”

A look of longing formed on Sacniete’s face. “From how you talk about them, your parents sound really nice…” Her face dropped. “I have no idea what that feels like… I'd do anything to have parents like yours.”

“Do you want to meet them?”

Sacniete’s brain stopped, “What?”

“Do you want to meet them?” Astraea repeated, not catching Sacniete’s expression. “I'd be happy to introduce you to them.”

The girl looked cautious. “B-but what if they have a problem with me-”

“Don't think like that.” Astraea cut her off kindly. “My parents are the best people in the world, I know they won't have a problem with you or treat you differently. I'm sure that my parents would love you.”

Sacniete didn't have the ability to process what she heard. To her, adults and authority figures didn't love you, especially her. Even if they put on a kind smile, anger and hatred would be hiding behind the welcoming air. To Sacniete, loving parents were impossible. Adults who cared for you were impossible. Adults who wanted you was impossible. Someone wanting her was impossible. But in order to not refuse Astraea’s offer and lose her first friend, Sacniete gave her a timid nod.

“...Thank you…”

Astraea didn't catch Sacniete’s tone, and didn't know what she was thinking, so she continued to smile wide. “Come on, let’s head back to Aurora. We’ll eat some breakfast and then figure out how to find that clay tablet thing. I can't wait to go back to Camp-”

“I'm not sure I'm going back.” Sacniete cut her off, her voice barely above a whisper.

Astraea stopped on the spot. “What? Why?”

“I don't know if I want to go back.” Sacniete whispered, her thin shoulders dropping. “Everyone hates me there… why would I want to go back?”

Astraea risked it and put a hand on her shoulder. Sacniete flinched, but relaxed a little when she saw it was only her. It broke Astraea’s heart all over again. “Not everyone there hates you,” Her voice turned into a whisper as well. “Aurora and I don't hate you… and I'm sure if they got to know you, then Ketevan, Agatha, Reine and all my other friends would become your friends too-”

“I don't want to be friends with them.” Sacniete cut her off. “Not after they treated me like a devil.”

“I understand.” Astraea said, seeing the surprise on Sacniete’s face. “If I were you, I'd hate them as well… but remember that you and I are friends, and I want you to come back.” Astraea bit her lip, picking her next words carefully. “But I also respect your decision. I understand that you wouldn't want to come back after Chiron and everyone treated you horribly. So… if you don't come back, I'll understand. And I'll flip off Chiron for you for good measure.”

A hint of a smile played at Sacniete’s lips. “Thanks.”

“But if you do come back,” Astraea said. “I'll flip him off with you.”

Sacneite said nothing for several minutes, thinking over what Astraea had told her, but also how Chiron and the Campers treated her for so long. Finally, she nodded. “...I'll see what I decide.” She said, “I- I don't know what I want to do yet… so I'll decide as we look for the tablet. And if I want to go back after we find it, I will, but if I don't want to… then you'll never see me again.” Hurt was clearly audible in her voice, but she tried her best to hide it. “I'll decide later.”

Astraea gave her friend’s shoulder a good squeeze. “I understand, and I respect whatever decision you make.”

~Page Break~

“So, yeah,” Astraea told Sacniete. “The first thing we’re doing when we get back is taking you out for pizza.”

“...Is it really as good as you say?” Sacniete asked, unconvinced.

“Of course it is! It’s great, but you have to have the right kind.”

“Right kind?”

“Listen while I explain the intricacies of good pizza.” Astraea said matter-of-factly. “The best pizza ever created is a good deep dish, Chicago-style pizza. None of that frilly, thin, airy, cracker-like, poor excuse for pizza they make in New York.”

Sacniete said nothing at first, looking more than a little confused. “...Sorry, my English isn't the best? What are you trying to say?”

“Don't worry, Sacniete,” Aurora assured her. “Astraea’s just really obsessed with pizza for some reason. Our mom had to ban Chicago vs New York pizza debates at home.”

“It's not my fault dad has terrible taste in pizza.” Astraea huffed in faux frustration.

“Well,” Sacniete said. “I would like to try some pizza, if it's as good as you say.”

“That's my girl!” Astraea cheered. “Wait until you eat a good double cheeseburger too!”

After a meager breakfast— and watching Sacniete eat roughly two and a half pounds of dried fruit—, the three young half-bloods set out for their fourth day of searching for the mysterious ‘Tablet of Clay’, talking about pizza and other foods they were going to introduce Sacniete to once they got back, of all things.

After another hard day of walking and not running into any more Monsters, the trio set up their campsite against the wall of a towering canyon an hour or so before nightfall. All in all, Astraea still considered this Quest to be the most boring Quest in history, but at least they were all together again. As the conversation turned away from food lest they be hungry all night, it turned to their half-blood abilities.

“So you can turn into a black jaguar, what's up with that?”

Sacniete looked up from where she sat a healthy distance from the fire, eating more dried fruit. “What does this mean?”

“I guess we just want to get a better idea of what you can do.” Astraea explained, flexing her bicep with a grin. “I'm really strong— obviously—, and I can also fly,” She pointed to her wing-free back, where they lay hidden and out of the chilly air. “And Aurora is really smart and can swim like a fish.”

Astraea nodded to Sacniete, “Can you do anything else besides turn into a jaguar?”

Sacniete held up a hand, shadows and dark energy dancing on her palm. “I make shadows.” She said, “The shadows can be very sharp, and I can cut through wood and stone with them.”

“Sounds like Umbrakinesis to me.” Aurora said.

“Umba-what?” Sacniete asked, not even trying to pronounce the foreign word.

“Umbrakinesis, it is a rare ability usually reserved by gods, Monsters, and half-bloods originating from the Underworld, or closely related to darkness in some way.” She answered as if she was reading from a book she memorized, as she likely was. “It allows one to generate, alter, control and manipulate darkness and shadows.”

“Bookworm.” Astraea coughed under her breath just loud enough for her to hear.

“You act as if reading is a bad thing.” Her sister huffed. “We wouldn't be anywhere without books and knowledge.”

“Book smarts are good and all,” Astraea said with a grin. “But they won't help you most of the time in the real world.”

Aurora looked like Astraea had offended every book in existence. “How can you-, no. Knowledge is the best tool to have. Wait until I tell grandma Athena-.”

“Grandma Athena isn't just smart,” Astraea countered. “She’s also a goddess of warfare.”

“Yes, but those skills in warfare stem from her wisdom and knowledge in battle strategy.”

“Sacniete,” Astraea turned to the Guatemalan girl hoping she’d side with her. “What do you think? Are books mostly useless or not?”

The girl looked stunned for a second before shrugging. “I would say they are useless-”

“Ha!” Astraea cried, pointing at Aurora dramatically. “In your face!”

“-Because I can't read.” Sacniete finished, making the other two girls go silent.

“You… you can't read?”Astraea asked hesitantly, like she assumed she misheard her.

“No, I can't read.” Sacniete said simply, shrugging. “Or read. The Sisters at the orphanage tried to teach everyone, but most people in my town aren't very good at reading or writing.” Her shoulders sagged. “And they didn't want to teach me.”

“Forget about them, they're all assholes.” Astraea said quickly. “Don't worry about it, we’ll teach you how to read when we get back to Camp.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah, ‘course.”

“You don't have to-.”

“Just let us teach you,” Aurora cut her off, smiling. “Reading is really fun. I'm sure I can teach you to read and write faster than you expect. Finally! I could have someone to talk about my favorite books with!”

Sacniete felt a small smile grace her lips for a second, before it vanished. “Thank you.” She said genuinely.

“No prob, girl.” Astraea smiled. “So, can you do anything besides that cool shadows thing? Or is that it?”

Sacniete thought for a second, “Well, I'm really fast-.”

“Hell yeah, you are.” Astraea added helpfully.

“-And I get faster and stronger at night.” She pointed to the waxing moon above them. “When the moon is full, I get faster. When the moon is smaller, I'm not as fast.”

Aurora put her hand to her chin in thought. “Hm, sounds to me like your physical abilities are connected to the lunar cycles… I haven't heard of any half-blood having an ability like that. Can- I know you said you didn't want to talk about your godly parent, but- um…?

“You can ask.” Sacniete nodded.

“Do you know which pantheon your godly parent is from?”

Sacniete seemed to consider answering the question for half a minute, before sighing. “Mayan.”

“Oh, like Ix.” Astraea said, realizing. “That's why he's the only Camper to have talked to you, right?”

“Yes.” Sacniete confirmed. “Ixtepeque can speak Mayan, so when I ran into him, I let him talk to me.” Her eyes drifted to the side. “But other Campers saw us… so I ran away before we could really talk.”

“I'm not really familiar with the Mayan pantheon.” Aurora said, already making mental notes in her head. “I'll have to do some research in the Camp library when we get back.”

“There's a Camp library?”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “Maybe if you didn't spend every moment at Camp playing with your sword or working out, you'd have noticed. It's a giant, three story building made out of marble, how could you have possibly missed it?”

Astraea shrugged. “I dunno, I was getting gains.”

Aurora rolled her eyes again, doing a flawless impression of their mom. “You're impossible.”

“Getting gains?” Sacniete asked, confused. “What's this?”

“Don't bother trying to understand, Sacniete, believe me.” Aurora said quickly before Astraea could reply. “So, anything else you can do?”

Sacniete thought for a second, “I heal really quickly? And I don't get sick…” She faltered, her eyes darting away. “...And when I get really upset, people around me get sick.”

“What, like a cold and a runny nose?”

“No, really sick.” Sacniete shook her head. “It happened at the orphanage a few times after… after the- yeah… Everyone got really sick, they couldn't get out of bed for days, and they shook a lot. The Sisters thought there was a plague, but when I was the only one who didn't get sick… they said it was me.” She gripped her wrist absentmindedly. “...I think… I think that's why- I think that's why Chiron locks me away. So I don't get people sick.”

Astraea tilted her head, unconvinced. “But we've been around you the last four days, and neither Aurora or I have gotten sick. So it might have been a coincidence. Maybe we can convince Chiron to let you stay in Xenos bunkhouse three with the rest of the girls. If you do, then we can be bunkmates! My current one is a bit of a bitch.”

A look of hope washed over Sacniete’s face for a moment before fading. “...I would like that. But… I only make people sick when I'm… really hurt or angry, and you haven't seen me like that yet.”

Astraea shrugged nonchalantly, “Doesn't matter, don't care. When we get back, we’ll talk to Chiron and Rana about letting you move into our bunkhouse.”

“Thank you.”

“Anytime, girl.”

“You said you can fly?” Sacniete asked abruptly, looking at Astraea's back. “Where did your wings go?”

“Oh, yeah, I can fly.” Astraea confirmed, “Have you not seen me?” Sacniete shook her head. “Oh, ‘kay. I can hide and summon my wings at will, which I'm glad for, as they're way too big to hide.

“Before I came to Camp, my dad wouldn't let me leave the house because of them, “She explained. “It would give away my identity as a half-blood, and, while I'm still not happy about it, I understand. They used to just randomly appear out of nowhere, but after training them for years, I've finally been able to get full control over them. Now, I can make them appear or disappear at will. And, girl, let me tell you, nothing is more painful or annoying than constantly ripping shirts and jackets because your wings suddenly decided to appear and shred them into pieces.”

She shook her head, remembering all the times where she had to throw away clothes because her wings ripped them. “That's why I wear a lot of sleeves and backless shirts now,” She explained, before raising her arms and flexing. “That, and with arms and shoulders like these, why would I hide them?” She ended with a chuckle, lowering her arms.

“Musclehead.” Aurora whispered under her breath just loud enough for her to hear.

Astraea was mature and stuck her tongue out at her. “Scrawny bookworm.”

Saniete’s gaze drifted to Astraea’s back. “Can I see them?” She suddenly asked before she could stop herself, covering her mouth with her hand.

Astraea gave her a confused look. “Whatchya say?”

Dropping her hands, Sacniete’s face returned to her usual neutral look, “Can I see them- your wings, I mean?” Her eyes shifted slightly off to the side to avoid Astraea’s own. “Sorry-, I guess that’s kind of… oh, how it called? Inappropriate?”

But to Sacniete’s surprise, Astraea merely shrugged. “Nah, it's cool.” Before standing, begrudgingly removing her blanket and jacket, revealing a pink muscle tank top. After taking a second to assure the straps were out of the way, she effortlessly summoned her giant gold and red-tipped angel wings. Smirking, she gave a small twirl, her golden wings shimmering in the fire-light.

Sacniete felt herself transfixed on Astraea’s wings. She had heard of a few Campers who could fly, of course, despite it being extremely rare, but none of those Campers had physical wings like her.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Astraea grinned, before promptly putting her layers back on and sitting closer to the fire to warm back up.

Nodding, Sacniete found herself speaking before she could stop. “I can fly too.”

Both girls paused at hearing this. Aurora looked surprised while Astraea looked excited. “What, can you fly as a jaguar or something? ‘Cause, if you can, that'd be awesome.”

Sacniete shook her head. “No, jaguars can't fly.”

“I know that. I was only joking-.”

“I can turn into a bird.”

“What kind of bird?” Aurora asked.

“That’s cool,” Astraea said. “Can you show us?”

Sacniete looked a little uncomfortable. “...Sorry, but I can only do it during the day… and I don't like doing it.”

“Sorry for asking, girl.” Astraea could sense Sacniete was losing the desire to keep talking, so she gave her a big smile before changing the conversation. “Hey, you like any sports?”

“Oh no…”

“Not really. I have never watched them before-.”

“Well when we get back,” Astraea said. “I'll introduce you to the greatest game ever invented.”

“The Mayan ballgame?”

“No, girl, football!”

“Oh gods, here she goes.”

If Astraea went on a two hour rant about how football was the greatest sport in history, she would deny it. And if Sacniete enjoyed every second of it, she wouldn't tell you.

~Page Break~

[Somewhere beyond the realms eternal]

A man in a pure white suit stood at a desk in a vast and open executive suite. The floors were marble, dressed in the finest silk and persian rugs. The walls were constructed out of shimmering gold, speckled with Norse runes, Egyptian glyphs, and Greek wards, and were adorned with priceless artifacts from all corners of the world and from every era. And from the ceiling hung diamond chandeliers and murals of great heroes, kings and conquerors. But out of all the priceless treasures in his vast collection, none came close to the three women standing before him. Each of them was worth more to him than anything on earth.

His back was to them, as he looked out of his window that stretched from floor to ceiling across the entire wall, overlooking a massive tree that stretched between and connected the worlds. Even if it was only a real-time view of the tree, he liked to keep an eye on the comings and goings of the countless occupants of the worlds. Knowledge was power, after all. And power was priceless.

“Ladies,” His voice was warm and sweet, like golden honey, dripping with charm. “What we seek is somewhere in Utah, go there at once, and do not return without it.”

The woman in the middle— a fierce-looking woman in a matching white suit with twin blonde braids and dark sunglasses and all-seeing white eyes— stepped forward. “Yes, Alexander. We will not fail you.”

The man known as Alexander Lieber— the richest man in history and a proud half-blood— turned to face the three women. He was incredibly handsome, but half of his face was burned beyond recognition. Picking up golden Drachma, he flipped it into the air, catching it with unseen speed. Eyeing the coin, he smiled. “I know you won't, Isolde, none of you would fail me. But this Tablet may prove to be more valuable than we first thought… so, be cautious. I suspect we won't be the only ones who desire it.”

The three women nodded in unison, and without a word, turned on the spot and began walking away. A woman with a large afro raised a hand and a portal opened up from floor to ceiling. Isolde was the first to step through, quickly followed by an absolutely massive woman of incredible height, who was barely able to stand upright in the vaulted ceiling. Once they were both through, the dark-skinned woman with the afro stepped through, the portal closing the next second.

Alexander turned back to face the world tree, Yggdrasil, a cool and calculated look on his face. He opened his palm to reveal the golden Drachma landed face up. “Good luck, ladies.”

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: Sunglasses make everyone look cool

[A few days later, Early June. Somewhere in Utah]

[Recap: [Somewhere beyond the realms eternal]

A man in a pure white suit stood at a desk in a vast and open executive suite. The floors were marble, dressed in the finest silk and Persian rugs. The walls were constructed out of shimmering gold, speckled with Norse runes, Egyptian glyphs, and Greek wards, and were adorned with priceless artifacts from all corners of the world and from every era. And from the ceiling hung diamond chandeliers and murals of great heroes, kings and conquerors. But out of all the priceless treasures in his vast collection, none came close to the three women standing before him. Each of them was worth more to him than anything on earth.

His back was to them, as he looked out of his window that stretched from floor to ceiling across the entire wall, overlooking a massive tree that stretched between and connected the worlds. Even if it was only a real-time view of the tree, he liked to keep an eye on the comings and goings of the countless occupants of the worlds. Knowledge was power, after all. And power was priceless.

“Ladies,” His voice was warm and sweet, like golden honey, dripping with charm. “What we seek is somewhere in Utah, go there at once, and do not return without it.”

The woman in the middle— a fierce-looking woman in a matching white suit with twin blonde braids and dark sunglasses and all-seeing white eyes— stepped forward. “Yes, Alexander. We will not fail you.”

The man known as Alexander Lieber— the richest man in history and a proud half-blood— turned to face the three women. He was incredibly handsome, but half of his face was burned beyond recognition. Picking up golden Drachma, he flipped it into the air, catching it with unseen speed. Eyeing the coin, he smiled. “I know you won't, Isolde, none of you would fail me. But this Tablet may prove to be more valuable than we first thought… so, be cautious. I suspect we won't be the only ones who desire it.”

The three women nodded in unison, and without a word, turned on the spot and began walking away. A woman with a large afro raised a hand and a portal opened up from floor to ceiling. Isolde was the first to step through, quickly followed by an absolutely massive woman of incredible height, who was barely able to stand upright in the vaulted ceiling. Once they were both through, the dark-skinned woman with the afro stepped through, the portal closing the next second.

Alexander turned back to face the world tree, Yggdrasil, a cool and calculated look on his face. He opened his palm to reveal the golden Drachma landed face up. “Good luck, ladies.”]

~Recap End~

“There is a problem.”

“What problem?” Astraea asked, looking around her. “Are there more Monsters?”

“No.” Sacneite shook her head. “Worse.”

“W-what could b-be worse than Monsters?” Aurora stuttered.

“We are out of dried fruit.”

The Jackson sisters looked at the tiny Guatemalan girl with blank expressions for several seconds, before they realized she was being serious.

“Well, what did you expect?” Astraea asked, not really concerned. “You can't eat like two pounds of dried fruit a day and expect it to last forever. That was supposed to last the three of us a month.”

“But it is delicious.”

Astraea sighed. “When we get back home, we’ll buy you all the dried fruit you can eat.”

Sacniete’s black eyes doubled in size, drool escaping her mouth. “Really?”

Astraea shrugged. “Sure. Now, come on, let’s finish packing up camp. We won't find that tablet just by standing around here all day.”

“...Mmm… dried fruit…”

“Is she gonna be okay?” Aurora asked.

“No idea.” Astraea said, finally warm enough to take off her hoodie and let her wings go free in the morning sun. “But if she’s broken, we’re screwed.”

“Any idea which way we should go?”

“Nah, not really. We’ve been walking south for three days straight now, and haven't seen any sign of whatever we’re supposed to be looking for, so how about we go west today?”

“Sounds good to me.” Aurora shrugged. “The landscape looks the same everywhere you look anyway.”

“Yup. It sucks.”

~Page Break~

The trio had been on the hunt for the mysterious clay tablet for an entire week when they finally stumbled upon something interesting.

“Um…” Sacniete said as she perched on a tall stone pillar, using her bird eyes to see incredible distances. “There is people ahead of us.”

“Really?” Astraea asked from the bottom of the pillar. “Who is it? Campers or something?”

“Don't think so. Maybe…” Sacneite shook her head. “They have bags like us, but there is a giant with them.”

“A giant?”

“What kind?” Aurora asked. “Hekatonkheire? Hyperborean? Laistrygonian? Earth? Norse Frost giant? Cloud?”

Sacniete visibly paused. “You know my English isn't good, right? I don't know what most of those are.”

Aurora was undeterred. “Well, what does the giant look like?”

“Big.”

Astraea couldn't help herself from facepalming. Aurora looked like she was ready to do the same. “Any other helpful descriptors?”

“It is a woman. She looks human, but is really tall and big.” Sacniete reported. “There are three of them. The other two look normal. They have stopped walking… They are talking, now they are walking again.”

“We should get a closer look.” Astraea suggested.

Aurora paled. “I was going to say we should go the other way…”

“And risk them finding the tablet? What if they're out here looking for it too? I mean, why else would they be out here? And with a giantess too?”

“...I guess that makes sense.”

“Of course it does.” Astraea looked up to call Sacniete down. “Hey, Sacniete. Come on down-”

“I'm already down.” Sacniete said, suddenly next to her.

“Gah!” Astraea nearly screamed, covering her mouth with her hand. “Don't- how- what- don't do that!”

Sacniete had the nerve to look confused. “What do you mean? Don't climb down? Didn't you just tell me to?”

“No, I-... You know what? Nevermind.”

“Okay.”

“We’re going to get a closer look and check them out.” Astraea explained, before pointing a thumb to Aurora. “That way, Aurora can use her big brain and see if she recognizes the type of giant we’re dealing with. That way, we know what to do.”

“What do you mean?” Sacniete asked.

“Each type of giant is different.” Aurora explained. “Most aren't friendly, but hill giants are the most docile, they will mostly likely run from you to avoid conflict. But if it’s, for example, a Norse giant? They’re tricky. We’ll have to out-think them. But a Hyperborean? It'll be a fight, guaranteed.”

Sacniete looked between the two of them, bewildered. “You learned all of this from books?”

“Yes. And some stories from my parents and relatives, but yes.”

Sacniete looked to Astraea like she had been betrayed. “You told me books were useless. But now they seem really useful.”

“Well, I-”

“Ha!” Aurora gloated. “In your face!”

“Whatever.” Astraea rolled her eyes. “Come on, we don't want to lose them.”

The trio climbed to the top of a hill, carefully crawling over the peak so they wouldn't be caught spying on the three mysterious women.

“Shit,” Astraea gawked. “That is one big-ass lady. She’s a giantess for sure.” Looking to her sister, she asked. “How tall do you think she is?”

Aurora studied the giant woman for a second. “...I would say she’s over nine feet… perhaps she’s around nine and a half feet tall?”

Astraea whistled under her breath. “Damn. And look at her, she's not just tall, she's freaking huge. Look at her arms, they're bigger around than Sacniete.”

Sacniete didn't offer any rebuttal. “She is way more than twice my height too.”

“She doesn't look like any kind of giant I've read about.” Aurora mumbled to herself, thinking back to the hundreds of books on mythology she had read in her life. “She looks too human, if that makes any sense.”

“But there's no way she's human.” Astraea countered. “No human has ever gotten that tall before, and no woman has ever gotten anywhere near that tall.”

“I know, that’s what bothers me.” Aurora raised a hand to her chin in thought. “Maybe… maybe she’s only half-giant? It would explain her human features. As well as why she's so short, well, for a giantess.”

“Doesn't really matter. All that matters is if my sword still works on her.” Astraea said, summoning her greatsword from her armlet. “If it cuts her, we can kill her.”

“We don't need to kill her.” Aurora said quickly. “She could be a demigod for all we know. All three of them could be, for that matter. No, we should gather more intel before engaging.”

“So… no killing?” Sacniete asked, sounding disappointed.

“No.”

“Aww…” She sheathed her twin obsidian axs, a frown on her face.

“Look at the other two,” Astraea instructed. “Is it just me, or are they not dressed appropriately for the desert?”

While the giantess was wearing a simple Greek toga, the other two were wearing what had to be the most impractical clothing for a journey in the desert. A muscular blonde woman with twin braids and sunglasses was wearing a stark white pant suit that somehow didn't have a single speck of dust or dirt on it. And the other lady? She looked like she was on her way to a disco. She had a giant afro, bell bottom pants, a stylish open jacket, a bandeau bra, and impressively tall heels that must be almost impossible to walk with in the sand and loose dirt.

“They obviously haven't been out here for that long.” Aurora surmised, “And they're clearly not hikers or campers, so they must be looking for the tablet too.”

“What should we do?” Sacniete asked. “Who do you think they are? Demigods of another pantheon? They don't look Roman to me, no SPQR shirts, no tattoos, nothing.”

“Doesn't matter who they are. We should attack them before they get away.” Astraea suggested, keeping her gaze focussed on the three women as they suddenly stopped walking below them. Lowering her voice, she said. “We need to take the giantess down first, since she’s the strongest.”

“Just because she’s the biggest doesn't mean she's the most dangerous.” Aurora countered.

“Yes it does. I'm the biggest of the three of us, and I'm the strongest.”

“That logic doesn't really-”

“We don't have time to wait around.” Astraea cut her off, gripping her greatsword and spreading her wings. “They could start walking away any second. It's now or never.”

“Astraea, wait-”

“Die Monster!” Astraea leapt over the outcropping and flew down at the giantess with full force.

“Incoming projectile at six o’clock!” The woman with twin braids in the white suit shouted, facing away from Astraea. “Olympia!”

“On it!” The giantess roared, spinning on the spot.

“GAH!” Astraea slammed her greatsword down upon the giantess with full force, but after a second she found that the giantess had caught her blade, and now she was suspended in the air a few feet off the ground.

“Wha-?”

A giant fist slammed into Astraea’s face, sending her flying back into a canyon wall. She barely had time to hide her wings so they didn't get crushed by the blow. Climbing to her knees, Astraea barely had the strength to breath, let alone stand up. How the Hades was that giantess that strong? Not even her dad had thrown her around that hard.

“Fuck… that hurts…” Astraea wheezed. “Good one… but I'm not done yet.” She boasted with false strength, forcing herself to climb to her wobbly feet.

“Impressive.” The giantess said, looking genuinely intrigued. “Not many mortals can survive a single one of my attacks. Just who are you?”

Astraea flipped her the bird, “That answer your question?”

“Ignore her.” The woman in the white suit said calmly, still standing in the same spot, perfectly still, not looking at anything. “She is almost down, she has no strength yet. There are two more up on the cliff directly ahead of you, Olympia.”

The giantess huffed. “Maybe one of them will prove to be a challenge.”

“Don't fucking count me out just yet…” Astraea snarled, raising her greatsword in challenge. “You want to get to them? You gotta go through me first.”

“We shall see.” The woman in white mocked, still unmoving. “Jacquelyn.”

“You got it, sugar.” The disco woman with the afro snapped her fingers and a portal appeared at Sacniete and Aurora’s feet, dragging them through and dropping them on the other side of the giantess fifteen feet off the ground before they could react. The two hit the ground, hard, moaning in pain and not getting to their feet.

“You were saying?” The woman in white asked, arms folded behind her back, still unmoving. “Now, why don't you just comply with our questions and we don't have to embarrass you any more? Who are you? Who do you work for? Why are you here?”

Astraea snarled, pointing her greatsword at the woman. “Fuck you.”

The woman sighed like she was disappointed. “Olympia, teach her some manners, would you?”

The giantess cracked her knuckles, a wicked grin on her face. “On it, Isolde.”

The giantess flew at Astraea with insane speed, driving a meaty fist into her gut. “GAH!” Astraea yelled in pain, dropping her sword and folding in on herself.

“Who are you?” The woman in white asked again, voice eerily calm.

Astraea grabbed her sword, giving the woman a death glare. “You'll have to do better than that, lady. My little sister hits harder than that.” She lied.

“So be it.” The woman known as Isolde said, unmoving. “Jacquelyn, drop them again.”

The afro woman raised her hand, ready to snap. “Alright- AHHH!”

A blur struck her with unseen force, sending the disco lady sliding atop the sand, clutching her jaw. The next second it shot at the blonde woman, but she easily dodged it at the last second. With worried eyes, Astraea spotted Sacniete land on all fours like a jaguar, eyes a piercing yellow this time. “You will have to be faster than that to catch me.”

“Oh? Such impressive speed.” Isolde said, arms still crossed behind her, seemingly unbothered by the turn of events. “I almost didn't see you… almost.”

That made Astraea think. How did that lady see Sacniete strike? Let alone react in time? No demigod should have been able to see her move that fast, and plus, the woman was still looking the other direction! What was going on here?

“Jacquelyn, are you alright?” The woman in white known as Isolde asked.

“It's like momma always said; you have to learn how to get back up in life.” The disco woman easily rose to her feet, brushing the dirt off her clothes.

“Good. Now, take care of those two-”

“OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Astraea charged the woman, sword raised, slashing it at her defenseless back. The blade was a second from splitting her head in two-

-before the woman rolled out of the way with ease. Jumping to her feet and standing with her arms folded behind her back again.

“How the fuck?”

“You might have strength,” the woman said, unconcerned. “But you are far too slow. Jaquelyn, keep the other two occupied.”

“You got it, beautiful.” The afro lady opened several portals, sending rocks flying at Aurora and Sacniete. Sacniete was easily able to dodge them, but Aurora was having a much harder time.

Astraea swung at her again, only for the blonde woman to easily dodge her again.

“And simple-minded, it seems.”

“RAH!” Astraea bellowed, swinging her greatsword at her randomly.

“Olympia.”

A giant hand caught her blade, stopping it immediately and quelling a bit of Astraea’s rage. Following the hand, Astraea found the giantess attached to it.

Another blow to the gut sent Astraea flying backwards. She tried to stand, but her vision was shaky.

“Astraea!” She heard voices calling her name, but she couldn't make them out in her state.

“I shall ask again; who are you?”

“The Queen of England.”

A fist impacted her face this time, sending blood and spit flying from her mouth, staining the canyon wall behind her.

“Which master do you serve?”

“Jesus. I have a pamphlet- AHH!” The giantess kicked her head back, slamming it into the stone.

“Why do you desire for us to hurt you?” The woman in white questioned. “Are you stupid, or do you simply like being hurt?”

“Nothing like that.” Astraea spit out a stream of blood, forcing herself to her feet. “I'm just fucking stubborn.”

“Clearly.”

“How about you and I fight, one on one?”

The woman gave no physical reaction, she simply said. “I'd rather not-” A blur shot at her, but the woman flipped out of the way like a trained acrobat. Landing, she drew twin daggers for the first time as she faced Sacniete. “Still not nearly fast enough to strike me, but I must commend you for your effort.”

She launched herself at Sacniete, milky-white daggers slicing the air a hair-width from her jugular. Sacniete flipped, spun and rolled out of the consecutive attacks, only barely able to dodge.

“Sacniete!” Astraea ran towards her new friend but was pulled back by a powerful force.

“Nuh uh, blondie.” The giantess said, throwing her back. “Your fight is with me. You’re strong enough to survive my attacks, I want to see what you can do.”

Astraea was only able to say a quick prayer for Sacniete and Aurora before the giantess launched herself at her. Astraea only barely managed to jump out of the way, her relatively smaller body an advantage.

“Fine. You want a fight, you'll get a fight.” Astraea didn't have the strength to lift her sword, so she dropped it to the ground, instead raising her fists in challenge. “Come get some.”

“I like you.” The giantess grinned. “You've got spunk.”

~*~*~

Sacniete ran, jumped, rolled and spun, anything to try to catch the woman in white from behind. But no matter how fast she moved, the woman was still able to track her. How was that possible? She was faster than anyone at Camp, this woman shouldn't be able to see her. Sacniete knew she didn't stand a chance against this woman head-on, so a sneak attack from behind was the only way, but she couldn't seem to sneak up on her!

~*~*~

Aurora was fairing the worst against her foe, but as someone with no combat skills, she wasn't surprised. She knew she was the weakest of the three of them, easily. Her sister, Astraea, was a powerhouse of physical strength and durability, gifted with the ability to fly. And Sacneite, who was even smaller than her, ran at such incredible speeds it was only laughable. She could also transform into a black jaguar and was a natural acrobat. But her? She couldn't do anything. She was weak, helpless… useless.

All she could do was narrowly dodge flying rocks sent via portals by the disco lady known as Jacquelyn. But even if she was able to use any demigod abilities, there was no water anywhere around her! She was doomed. She couldn't dodge forever, she was already getting tired, and Jacquelyn had no shortage of rocks.

Jumping behind a large boulder, Aurora felt queasy, like her stomach was uneasy. She was probably about to throw up from the panic. She wouldn't doubt it.

‘Crap crap crap!’ She thought, a pull in her gut nearly making her fall over. ‘Not now, not now!’

“Are you alright, sugar?” The disco lady asked in concern, seeing her face. “You don't look so-” WHAM!

A slab of earth struck the woman in the chest, sending her flying back. Aurora froze, thinking someone else had arrived. But after a second, she realized her hand was held out before her, and when she dropped it, the earth melded back into the ground.

She had controlled the earth!

“Finally!”

“You know, sugar, that wasn't very nice.”

Aurora’s heart stopped as she saw her opponent rise to her feet. She threw her hand out again, but nothing happened. ‘No, no no!’

Jacquelyn raised a hand to snap. “Sorry, sugar, but I'm going to have to knock you out-” A blur impacted her head, sending her to the ground, unconscious. Through tear-filled eyes, Aurora saw Sacniete standing before her, obsidian axs drawn.

“Get up and fight.” She ordered. “Astraea needs our help.”

“R-right.”

~*~*~

Astraea pulled her arm back before launching it at the giantess- only for her to catch her fist, unfazed.

“Oh, is that it? Don't tell me you got my hopes up for nothing.” The giantess lifted her high into the air before slamming her into the ground with all her might. The air was sucked from Astraea’s lungs, not even allowing her to scream. Her entire body was in pain, her head was spinning, and she was fucking pissed. This giantess was wiping the floor with her, and Astraea hadn't even gotten a single hit in.

It was time to change that.

“Bwoooarrr!” Astraea bellowed, breaking free of the giantess’ grip. She sent a barrage of savage blows into the giantess’ knee, dropping her to the ground where Astraea started to assault her unprotected face. “GAAAH!”

Astraea struck the giantess’ face with all her might, creating powerful ‘CRACKS’ in the air with every punch. Her heart was thundering in her chest, her fists quaked, and her body threatened to give out, but she refused to fall. Not before she took out her opponent.

A pain erupted in her side, making her scream out. “AHH!” Her hand went to her side, finding it covered in blood and impaled by a thrown dagger. Tearing her eyes from her wound, she saw the woman in white standing off to the side with her arm still out in a throwing position, a furious look on her previously stoic face.

“You will die for that, girl.” Her voice was low and dangerous. “You hurt my friend.” She drew another dagger- but a blur launched itself at her face. Isolde easily dodged Sacniete’s attack, nimbly rolling out of the way.

“Are you alright?” Sacniete asked beside her, eyes wide with fear seeing the dagger sticking out of her.

“I'm in fucking pain.” Astraea groaned, but she could feel her demigod abilities overloading her on adrenaline to drive out the pain. “But I'm ready to kick this lady’s ass.”

“You won't get the chance.” The woman known as Isolde said. “You may have taken my teammates down, but they will get up in a matter of minutes, I only need to hold you off until then. And that won't be too hard.”

Astraea growled. “You-”

“She's trying to goad you.” Aurora cut her off, stepping up to her left. “Here’s some Ambrosia, it'll help with the pain until we can get that dagger out of you.”

“I don't feel any pain.” Astraea said, and it was true. Her body was being so overwhelmed with adrenaline and hormones that her vision had began to narrow. It was like looking with blinders on. All she could focus on, all she could see, all she could think about was taking down the woman in front of her. The rest of the world didn't matter. The pain didn't matter. Her sister and Sacniete didn't matter. Nothing mattered except killing the thing in front of her.

Astraea was running at the woman before she knew it, throwing her fists out wildy, screaming in rage. The woman deflected her swings with an expert series of movements, before striking at her jugular- Sacniete was there with a blur, kicking the assaulting dagger away.

Landing on all fours, Sacniete launched herself into the air with inhuman speed, kicking, spinning and flipping in vain to strike the woman from all sides. Isolde nimbly dodged every strike like it was a well-choreographed dance. Like she had done it a thousand times before. She blocked foot and fist with her forearm and shin, not even wincing from the pain.

Astraea tried to attack the woman as she dodged, but she too was avoided or deflected with ease. Sacniete and Astraea fought with all their might to strike the woman, but every attack was dodged, no matter if the woman was looking away or distracted. It was almost like she had eyes on the back of her head.

The woman drew another milk-white dagger, throwing it at Astraea’s unprotected back- but an earth wall erupted from the ground, easily blocking the blade, before it vanished and appeared on Isolde’s belt again. Chancing a glance, Astraea was surprised to see her little sister was the one who saved her. “Aurora? How-”

A fist met her jaw, throwing her back.

“Your fight is with me, girl.” The woman in white said, dodging another lightning-fast strike from Sacniete. “Why don't we end this already? Who are you? Who do you work for? Why are you out here? Why did you attack us?”

“Fuck… you…”

The woman growled, a rare sign of emotion. She drew another dagger from her belt. “So bit it. We have other methods of obtaining information- die.” She threw the dagger and Astraea thought her life was over-

-Only for Sacniete to kick the dagger out of midair, landing on the ground on all fours. The dagger vanished and appeared on Isolde’s belt. “You talk too much.” Springing to her feet, Sacniete drew her obsidian axs, spinning like a tornado of blades at the woman. The woman in white blocked the axs with her own daggers with unnatural speed, like she didn't need to see them coming in order to react.

“Astraea!” Aurora yelled, suddenly next to her. She grabbed her arm. “We need to get out of here. Can you fly-”

“You won't get away so easily.” The woman in white threw Sacniete to the ground with a sickening ‘THUD’, before calmly walking towards them. “Remember; you started this by attacking us. Maybe you will learn to be smarter in your next life.” Daggers flew from her belt and sleeves, blades flying out at them like a swarm of bees.

“NO!” Aurora screamed, earth erupting out of the ground and blocking the daggers. Tears streamed from Aurora’s eyes. “YOU WON'T HURT MY SISTER ANYMORE!” The ground trembled underneath them, cracks spiderwebbed up the canyon walls, boulders began to rise into the air, and the sky went dark.

“What- what is this?” The woman in white asked, sounding afraid for the first time.

Earth and stone spun around Aurora like a cyclone, following her up as she rose into the air, arms spread wide and tears streaming from her eyes. Her face racked with pain. “LEAVE US ALONE!”

The canyon walls around them started to crumble, all of the free stone joining the typhoon of earth and rock above Aurora’s head. The skies above them rumbled, the earth shook, and Astraea couldn't believe her eyes. Who knew her little, defenseless, sister was so powerful.

“Aurora…”

The woman in white drew her daggers. “Jacquelyn, get up!” The afro woman began to stir behind them. The woman didn't even bother raising her head to see the sheer amount of earth and stone above her head. Either she was incredibly powerful, or incredibly stupid.

Aurora’s body trembled from the effort she gave, tears flowing from her eyes. She let out a scream of agony, “AHHH!” The whirlpool of earth dropped from the sky all around them, blocking out the very sun. Boulders the size of elephants crashed into the ground with thunderous echoes.

“Shit!” Astraea summoned her wings, intending to fly out of the way with Sacniete when she was stopped by the afro woman who put a hand on her shoulder and directed her out of the way.

“Stand back, sugar. Momma needs some space to work.” The disco lady looked up at the storm of falling earth and stone flying down at her with a determined expression, ignoring several boulders miss her by mere inches. She threw her hands into the air, posed, and snapped. “DISCO TIME!”

A gargantuan portal appeared over their heads, swallowing up all the remaining falling rock and stone. An equally gigantic portal appeared in the sky one hundred and fifty meters away, all of the earth and stone crashing to the ground safely away from them. The second the last stone fell through, the disco lady collapsed to the ground, winded.

“Oh, momma needs a break.”

Astraea watched in silent awe at the empty sky above her as Aurora floated high above them. She still couldn't believe what she had seen, and she probably never would.

Aurora fell out of the sky like someone had cut her string. Panic flooded Astraea’s system. “AURORA!” She let go of Sacniete, jumped into the air and beat her wings as fast as she could-

“I got her, sugar.” Jacquelyn snapped her fingers and a portal appeared under Aurora. She disappeared for a second before another portal opened up on the ground, carefully laying her down, unconscious. Jacquelyn fell back down, trying in vain to catch her breath.

“Aurora! Are you alright?”

“Jacquelyn! Are you alright?”

Both Astraea and Isolde rushed to their fallen teammates, but only Jacquelyn was conscious.

“I'm alright, beautiful. Momma just needs to catch her breath.”

Isolde turned to face Astraea for the first time as she held her unconscious sister in her arms. “Just who are you?” She asked. “I have never seen a demigod with that level of power before…”

But Astraea ignored her, more worried about pouring Nectar down Aurora’s throat. “Come on, come on! Please, please don't die on me!”

“Give her this.” Isolde kneeled beside them, offering Astraea a tiny vial of golden liquid. “It will heal her.”

Astraea glared at her. “How do I know that? You were just fighting us! Why would you want to help-”

“Because if we wanted you dead, Jacquelyn wouldn't have saved her.” Isolde cut her off, moving the vial closer. “Now, if you want your friend to survive, you need to give her this.”

“W-what is it-”

“Doesn't matter. Either you trust me, or she dies.”

Astraea had no choice. “Alright.”

Isolde nodded, saying nothing as she knelt down next to them, gently lifting Aurora’s chin. “She has to drink the entire thing. Hold her still.” Astraea did so. Isolde poured the golden liquid down Aurora’s throat in a single gulp.

“Is- is she going to be okay?”

“Only the Norns can say.” Isolde said, rising to her feet before checking on Jacquelyn. Olympia, the giantess, was already climbing to her feet, seemingly uninjured from before.

Astraea held her sister for several minutes before she began to stir. “A-aurora?”

“...Astraea?” Her voice was weak, and she could barely open her eyes, but she was alive!

“Oh, thank the gods!” Astraea wept, crushing her sister in a hug. Sacniete stood next to them protectively, not trusting the three mysterious women, despite them saving Aurora. “I- I thought- Oh, gods!”

“Praise the gods.” Isolde said, standing in front of them, hands behind her back. “It seems it was not her day to join the Valkyries.”

“Valkyries? Norn? You're Norse,” Astraea asked. “Aren't you?”

“Yes, I am.” The woman confirmed. “Now, would you kindly tell me who you three are and why you attacked us?”

“We are on a Quest.” Sacniete spoke up for the first time.

Isolde didn't turn to face her as she addressed her. “A Quest? So, you are from either Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter, are you? Hmm. You don't wear the SPQR emblems or colors, and I see no tattoos, so you must be from Camp Half-Blood. Am I correct?”

“...Yes.” Astraea nodded.

“And why are you out here, if I may ask?”

“We… we were sent to look for something.”

“A tablet?”

Astraea’s heart stopped. “Yes.”

A smile crept up on Isolde’s face. “Then we are after the same thing. How interesting. And how did three girls your age learn about such a tablet?”

“...Our Oracle told us.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, the current Oracle of Delphi.”

Astraea’s eyes went wide. “You know Rachel?”

“No,” Isolde shook her head. “But we are aware of her.”

Astraea narrowed her eyes. “And who exactly are you?”

“You first.” Isolde said simply. “You owe us that much for not killing you or letting your friend die.”

“She’s my little sister.” Astraea said before she could stop herself.

“Oh? Your half-blood auras look nothing alike… You aren't related, aren't you?”

Astraea had no idea how the lady knew that or what she meant by ‘half-blood auras’, but she nodded. “Yeah, I'm adopted.”

“Curious. And who are your parents?”

“...Percy and Annabeth Jackson.”

Isolde didn't visibly react, but both Jacquelyn and Olumpia gasped. “You are serious.” Isolde said, as if she could tell she wasn't lying. “But it is known that Percy Jackosn only has one biological child… so that must be your sister, Aurora. So you must be Astraea.”

How did this woman know so much? Her and Aurora’s existence was supposed to be a closely regarded secret, so who exactly were these women? “Yes… I am.”

“You must come with us.”

“What?”

“You must come with us.” Isolde repeated. “My employer would desire to meet you.”

“Alexander Lieber.”

Astraea’s eyes went wide. “A-alexander Lieber?! Alexander Lieber is your boss?” She couldn't believe this, it had to be a lie. “The richest man in the world, who is also a demigod, and head of the Half-Blood Fellowship, is your boss?”

“Yes.” The woman said simply. “My name is Isolde Sigmundsdóttir, his personal bodyguard and head of his private security force. The woman with the afro is Jacquelyn Gates, his personal assistant. The half-giantess over there is Olympia, another member of his security force. We are three of Alexander’s elite team.”

“Elite team?”

“Yes, whatever Alexander desires, we do. Whatever he wishes to collect, we find.” She took a step forward. “Alexander sent us on a mission to collect the Tablet for him, and while I loathe returning to him empty handed, I know that he would be interested to meet the three of you.”

“Why?” Astraea asked. “Why would he be interested in meeting us so much?”

“Because you are the children of Percy and Annabeth Jackson, and you seek the Tablet as well. Plus,” She smirked. “You managed to hold your own with us, for how little time.”

“But-”

“I don't think we have a choice.” Aurora whispered, cutting her off. “They're too strong. We have no choice.”

Astraea looked to Sacniete, who gave a silent nod. Huffing, Astraea said, “You don't leave us much of a choice… fine. We’ll meet Alexander.”

Astraea would be lying if she said a part of herself wasn't giddy to meet the most publicly famous demigod in the world, one who fought for half-blood rights and who employed her favorite actress of all time, Delilah Keres, the Lilith Daemon.

So, begrudgingly, Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete followed the three women through a portal, not believing they had a choice to refuse.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: An eccentric billionaire tries to buy us

[Somewhere beyond the realms eternal]

[Recap:

“You must come with us.”

“What?”

“You must come with us.” Isolde repeated. “My employer would desire to meet you.”

“Employer? Who’s your employer?”

“Alexander Lieber.”

Astraea’s eyes went wide. “A-alexander Lieber?! Alexander Lieber is your boss?” She couldn't believe this, it had to be a lie. “The richest man in the world, who is also a demigod, and head of the Half-Blood Fellowship, is your boss?”

“Yes.” The woman said simply. “My name is Isolde Sigmundsdóttir, his personal bodyguard and head of his private security force. The woman with the afro is Jacquelyn Gates, his personal assistant. The half-giantess over there is Olympia, another member of his security force. We are three of Alexander’s elite team.”

“Elite team?”

“Yes, whatever Alexander desires, we do. Whatever he wishes to collect, we find.” She took a step forward. “Alexander sent us on a mission to collect the Tablet for him, and while I loathe returning to him empty handed, I know that he would be interested to meet the three of you.”

“Why?” Astraea asked. “Why would he be interested in meeting us so much?”

“Because you are the children of Percy and Annabeth Jackson, and you seek the Tablet as well. Plus,” She smirked. “You managed to hold your own with us, for how little time.”

“But-”

“I don't think we have a choice.” Aurora whispered, cutting her off. “They're too strong. We have no choice.”

Astraea looked to Sacniete, who gave a silent nod. Huffing, Astraea said, “You don't leave us much of a choice… fine. We’ll meet Alexander.”

Astraea would be lying if she said a part of herself wasn't giddy to meet the most publicly famous demigod in the world, one who fought for half-blood rights and who employed her favorite actress of all time, Delilah Keres, the Lilith Daemon.

So, begrudgingly, Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete followed the three women through a portal, not believing they had a choice to refuse. ]

~Recap End~

Stepping through the portal, Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete found themselves in a spacious executive suite filled with treasures, priceless artifacts, statues, pelts and paintings. The floor was marble, the walls seemed to be constructed out of pure, shimmering gold, and the ceiling was enchanted to resemble the night sky. Along the far wall stretched a giant window that looked upon a tree that was far too large to actually exist. If Astraea had to guess, it dwarfed the very earth. Even if she had never seen it herself, she knew the stories, she knew the legends. She knew what that tree was; Yggdrasil. The world tree from Norse Mythology. As Astraea watched, a giant squirrel scurried past, the magical view following the massive rodent.

But Astraea’s attention was drawn before the window, where a man in a pure white suit sat at an expensive wooden desk. If Astraea was correct, it looked like he was busy doing scratch tickets, completely unaware of their entrance. A human-sized, beautiful and masterfully crafted statue that was in the form of an Ancient Greek woman stood to the side of the desk, holding a steaming cup of tea. She was constructed purely out of bronze, wearing a loose Greek toga that fit tight to her body. Whoever the sculptor was, left nothing to the imagination, as it was making Sacniete blush.

To the left of the man sitting at the desk, who could have only been Alexander Lieber— the burned and scarred face was a dead give away— was a young Japanese woman of unrivaled beauty, adorned in a traditional black and red kimono that was designed for mobility as well as fashion. She stood still as a statue, unblinking, unmoving, unwavering, watching them with clear suspicion, hand on her katana that rested on her left hip, ready to draw it at the first sign of trouble.

“I won again, did I? What are the odds of that? One hundred thousand dollars? Decent.” Alexander asked himself as he held up the ticket, frowning. He put the ticket down and made a note in a journal before him. Looking to the bronze statue, he said, “Ms. Abigail, Cheryl in Accounting just recently had a baby, correct?”

“Yes, sir.” The statue suddenly said, her voice slightly echo-y and metallic, making her sister gasp in surprise. Astraea was startled too, and Sacniete looked like she was about to fall over. The statue moved again, placing the steaming cup of tea before him. “Your tea, sir.”

“Thank you, Ms. Abigail.” He took a sip of the drink, before saying, “A boy if I am not mistaken, Tiberius, right?”

“Correct as always, sir.”

“She must be an automaton.” Aurora whispered to them. Astraea’s eyes widened in surprise, she wasn't very familiar with them, but even she knew this had to be one of the most masterfully crafted automatons in history. If not for her bronze skin, she could have been mistaken for a real woman. Whoever built her, must rival Lord Hephaestus in skill.

“Right, right.” Alexander said. “And I trust she received my congratulations gift?”

“Yes, sir.” The newly described automaton replied, nodding her head, a warm smile on her face. “She was most grateful for your generosity, I personally replied to her email for you on your behalf yesterday morning.”

“Excellent.” He handed her the winning lotto ticket. “Please see to it that she receives this as well, to consider it a ‘thank you’ for such a wonderful job drafting up that financial calendar for next year. And please let her know that we all expect to meet the new addition to the family once young Tiberius is settled enough.”

“Of course, sir. I will see to it at once.” The automaton nodded. “But for now, sir, it seems you have company.”

“Oh?” The man asked, looking up to her from his pile of tickets. “I was sure I didn't have any meetings until 4:15.”

“They just dropped in, sir.” The automaton said, gesturing to them.

Only now did the man in white notice their presence. His eyes lit up upon seeing the three women. “Ah, Isolde, Jacquelyn, Olympia, did you-” His eyes went wide as he finally noticed the three young demigods. “Oh, who might you be, young ladies? If you're here to sell me more Girl Scout cookies, I should warn you; I could buy out your entire stock a hundred times over,” He gave a playful, almost goofy smile that he often used in interviews or on TV. “And I have a terrible sweet tooth.”

Astraea’s mind went blank. She knew who the man before them was, the entire world knew. Alexander Lieber, son of Tyche, the Greek goddess of Luck. The CEO of Tyche Industries, a multi-billion dollar company that was started in Italy by his late father. The founder of the Half-Blood Fellowship, a non-profit organization set up to help half-bloods who were wrongly prosecuted by law, needed financial assistance, or otherwise in need.
The Fellowship also positively promoted half-blood made products and half-blood run businesses. Astraea saw them online all the time, anything from auto body shops or traditional Greek pottery crafted by Greek half-bloods.

Alexander was also the richest man in history, by far. If Astraea was honest, she didn't really like super rich people— thinking they didn't need so much money and could put it to good use helping other people— but she just couldn't not like Alexander. She watched videos of him online all the time, where he would walk into restaurants, order simple meals and give the staff enough money in tips to be able to quit their jobs. He donated to charities all over the world, funded hospitals, rescue centers, non-profits, museums, stuff like that.
She even followed him on social media, for crying out loud, so she couldn't not recognize him. And she couldn't not be speechless in front of one of her celebrity idols. The only celebrity she liked more was Delilah Keres, the Lilith Daemon model and actress, who just so happened to work for Alexander! Oh, Astraea wanted nothing more to be able to meet Delilah here.

Alexander rose from his desk, buttoning his suit jacket, making his way to the front of his desk. Isolde, the woman in white with twin blonde braids, silently moved to his right hand, whispering in his ear under her breath. With the giantess Olympia and the disco lady Jacquelyn standing on either side of them, and Isolde and the unknown Japanese woman flanking either side of Alexander, Astraea realized that they were trapped, unable to leave, fight or even attack Alexander, not that she would be crazy enough to.

Alexander nodded to Isolde once she stopped whispering in his ear, turning to give the three of them his full attention. “Hello, young ladies, my name is Alexander Lieber.” He said it like the entire world didn't know his name. “Nice to meet you.”

“We ran into these girls in Utah,” Isolde explained, looking straight ahead, arms folded behind her. “After they attacked us.”

“Oh, that is unfortunate.” Alexander said casually, looking them over. “But seeing as you are relatively unharmed, I see that Isolde was not wrong in her telling of your strength.” He smiled wide, the burned skin on the right side of his face stretching from the expression. “Please, allow me to hire you.”

“Hire us?” Astraea asked, bewildered. “Why?”

Alexander gave a charismatic smile, “I trust you know who I am, Astraea Dione Jackson, descendant of Heracles?”

Ice shot through Astraea’s veins. Her mind grinded to a halt, her chest tightening and her breathing quickening. Aurora gasped next to her, while Sacniete looked confused, but said nothing. Astraea looked up to the half-burned man before her with shaking eyes. “H-how do you k-know that?”

Her heritage was a secret. A secret not even the entirety of the Olympian Council knew. Of the old Olympians, only Hera, Athena, Artemis and Apollo knew. And of the new Olympians, only Hebe, Heracles and Thalia knew. It was her family’s most guarded secret, one her father had gone to great lengths to keep secret. One that not even Astraea knew why it was so secret.

So, to have this man she had never met, Alexander Lieber, know her connection to Heracles, filled her with fear and worry.

“I make it my business to know things.” Alexander gave a calming smile, leaning back to sit on his desk casually. “Things that may come to use, like the identity of powerful, strong or skilled half-bloods and beings. And you? A granddaughter of Heracles? A god who hasn't had any other demigod children since the times of the gods? How could I not take interest?

“But do not fear, Ms. Jackson,” He said quickly. “I have no ill will towards you, on the contrary. I'm interested in your strength and abilities. As I am with yours,” he gestured to Aurora. “It is well known that Percy Jackson is one of the most powerful half-bloods in history, so of course I wish to hire you three.”

An almost giddy smile was on his face. “Astraea, with strength and abilities like yours? Aurora’s control over the earth? Plus her potential? Sacniete’s speed and agility? You will all make wonderful additions to my collection.”

“Collection?” Sacniete asked in her accented English, speaking up for the first time.

“My employees,” He answered her, gesturing to the four women and one automaton around them. “Each one of the women around you was personally selected for their power, skill or ability. I only hire the best, which, is why I desire to hire you three to assist Isolde and the others collect the Tablet for me.”

“Why?” Astraea asked again. “Why would you want to hire us? Were only teenagers.”

“Because I see potential in you.” He answered simply. “And, with proper training and guidance, I know you would have no limitations to what you could do. You would not officially work for me yet, of course, I do not hire underage half-bloods, but you may assist Isolde and the others in their search for the Tablet. And, if you perform a satisfactory job, as I assume you will, you will have a top position here when you come of age. Who knows, you could even join my elite team in a few years, that is, if you show promise.” He gave them an award-winning smile, one that Astraea knew made grown women swoon and blush. “So, how much?”

“How much, what?” Aurora asked.

“How much money do you want?” He asked casually, like he often offered to hire teenagers to look for ancient artifacts. “I have more than enough, so whatever price you desire, I can assure you, you will receive. Or, if you want something other than money, I can obtain it for you. Anything you desire in this world.”

“Why do you want the Tablet?” Aurora asked instead, eyeing his reaction. “What does it do?”

“You don't know?” Alexander asked, surprised. “You search for something, not even knowing of its power and history?”

The three of them said nothing, which seemed to humor Alexander. “So your Oracle and Chiron truly know nothing about it, do they?” He chuckled. “And here I assumed that they had everything figured out when Isolde told me you were from Camp Half-Blood. But, it seems I was giving that old centaur too much credit.”

Alexander rose to his feet, taking a step towards them, now within arms length. The Japanese woman in the kimono tightened her grip on her katana, as if expecting them to attack Alexander, while Isolde, the woman in white, continued to stand motionless, staring at nothing through her thick sunglasses.

“All you need to know about the Tablet is that I desire it to add to my collection, not use it in any way.” Alexander told them. “I collect ancient, powerful and priceless artifacts from all over the world, from every era and pantheon. Come, I want to show you something. Jacquelyn,” he turned to the afro woman. “If you’d please?”

“‘Course, sugar.” She smiled, snapping her fingers and opening a large portal that spanned from floor to ceiling.

“Young ladies, if you would?” He gestured for them to follow him through the portal, but they hesitated, watching him disappear.

“I don't think we have a choice.” Astraea told her sister and Sacniete, looking at the portal.

“You don't.” Isolde said with finality. “Let's go.” And with that, she stepped through the portal.

Astraea wanted to run, to get out of there, but looking around, she knew they were trapped. She couldn't see any doors in the room, the only window wasn't really a window, and the giantess, the Japanese woman, the afro lady, and the automaton were still there, all watching them. They might have been able to take the giantess Olympia now that Isolde was gone, if she was alone, that is. But with three other women, two of which had completely unknown abilities, Astraea knew it wouldn't be a smart fight.

Deciding they didn't have a choice, the three young half-bloods stepped through the portal once again.

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Stepping through yet another portal, the three young half-bloods arrived in an expansive indoor courtyard, well, massive indoor park was a more accurate description. The glass walls were so high that fully grown trees could grow freely, with Astraea having to squint to try to see the ceiling that she wasn't fully convinced was actually there. The courtyard spanned out in every direction as far as the eye could see, so far Astraea had no idea where on earth they could be. She knew no man-made structure on earth was this big, it couldn't be, it was impossible. Truly, you could put Australia in here and there would be room for all the island nations of the world.
Tables and benches sat around bushes and flowering trees from all corners of the world, and even some from places other than the mortal world, Astraea guessed, if the tree with golden leaves and singing purple flowers were any hint. Tropical songbirds danced high in the treetops, while slow-moving, giant red cattle grazed the grass of the rolling hills that stretched out of view. A small stream, yes, a stream, flowed gently through the landscape. Astraea could easily see countless kinds of Naiads, Nymphs, water spirits and things she could only guess at lazily swimming down the stream. A strange turtle-like humanoid monster floated in the water, its strange head was flat at the top, and it had some sort of liquid in the bowl-shaped dip at the top of its head.
All around them, business men and women went about their day, enjoying what looked like lunch hour. They all wore white dress clothes and badges, like Isolde and Alexander himself, so it must be the uniform.

Astraea figured she should have been a little freaked out, being somewhere she didn't know with people she didn't know, with no way out, but for some reason she felt like all of her fears, worries, concerns and problems were washing away. Her shoulders relaxed, her breathing calmed, and she couldn't remember why she had been worried before. Oh well, it was probably nothing. She should relax, maybe go nap under a tree, or walk through the fields of flowers among the Dryads, and were those fairies? Cool. Oh, maybe she should go for a nice swim in the river, that would really help her relax-

‘Swim?’ Astraea thought, her mind grinding to a halt. ‘I hate the water. I wouldn't just want to go for a swim to relax…’ She stopped walking for a moment, looking around her. Aurora and Sacniete both seemed to be affected like she had been, as were all the business people all around them. Not one of them looked stressed or worried or concerned. Or in their right mind.

“What's going on?” Astraea demanded, glaring at Alexander and Isolde who seemed unaffected. “Where on earth are we? What's happening to us?”

Alexander smirked. “Oh, we aren't on earth.” He said simply, like it was perfectly normal to be told you were no longer on the planet you had been on your entire life. “And as for what’s happening to you, this place has a strange effect on the body; it relaxes you, helps calm your mind, clears you of your troubles.”

This didn't sound like any place Astraea had ever heard of, but she knew enough mythology to know this place sounded too good. It couldn't be long before some terrible monster jumped out and tried to eat people or something.

“Then where are we?” Astraea asked, getting a little nervous, but feeling her body relax and calm down almost immediately. When they went through the portal to meet Alexander, she was convinced that if it got really bad, then they could make a break for it, escape the building, hide somewhere, contact Camp and wait for help. But now? They weren't even on planet earth anymore. They had no other way out except with Jacquelyn’s help.

“The Realm of Tranquility.” He answered.

“I've never heard of it.” Aurora said, suspicious. It seemed that she was fighting the effects of this place as well.

“That’s because no one other than my most trusted employees knows of it.” He explained. “You are the first outsiders to be allowed in here.”

“How is that possible?” Aurora asked. “According to the Norse half-bloods, there are several ways to travel the realms, so how is this realm hidden?”

“Because I own it.”

“What?” Astraea asked. “How? How do you own an entire realm?”

“I won it in a card game a few years back.” He said, like it was no big deal. “10,705 to 1 odds.”

Sacniete blinked like she couldn't even fathom numbers so high.

“Who the hell just bets realms?” Astraea asked. “That’s insane.”

“Oh, it's not as big of a deal as you think,” he told them, waving his hand. “This isn't a full realm— like Midgard, Asgard, Hel— places like that. This is a minor realm. There are literally countless places like this spread all throughout the branches of The World Tree, you just need to know where to look. I own, what is it now? Seventeen or eighteen minor realms now, I can't remember off the top of my head. I haven't visited all of them yet.”

“Eighteen?” Aurora repeated, shocked. “What are they all?”

“Each serves a different function,” he explained, gesturing for them to follow him down the lazy cobble path. “This realm, the Realm of Tranquility, serves as a place of relaxation for my most trusted and valued employees across the worlds. They may freely spend their breaks here, or, if they desire to take a short vacation here, they may.”

They continued their walk, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of the peaceful realm. While they were walking, Sacniete moved up beside Astraea and Aurora, whispering low to not be overheard by Alexander and the two bodyguards on either side of him.

“Um,” Sacniete whispered, her voice low. “Not to sound, how it called, weird? But do you two notice that everyone here is really attractive?”

Sacniete's statement made Astraea pause, looking at the people lazing around in the shade of trees, swimming in the stream, or froliking through the fields of flowers. Eyes widening, Astraea realized that Sacniete was right. Everyone here was like, insanely attractive. From the secretaries and assistants, to the accountants and security guards. Even the women Alexander dubbed his ‘elite’; Isolde, Olympia, Jacquelyn, Ms. Abigail and the unnamed Japanese woman, were incredibly beautiful, so much that it was absurd and unnatural. And from what Astraea knew of Delilah Keres, the Lilith Daemon who worked for Alexander, she was the most beautiful woman slash monster Astraea had ever seen in her life. Not even Aphrodite could rival her beauty.

“You're right…” Aurora agreed, whispering as she looked around. “Something’s not right. There’s no way this is all coincidental.”

“What this mean?” Sacniete whispered in her broken English.

“It means we should get out of here as soon as we can.” Astraea said, her voice so low she could barely hear it herself. She eyed Alexander and the two women ahead of them, neither of them seemed to have heard them, but she didn't want to chance it. She didn't understand how Isolde, the woman in white, had seemed to know everything going on around her. What if she had some half-blood ability that gave her knowledge of her surroundings? And what if that knowledge included hearing and sight? No, Astraea didn't want to risk Isolde learning of their desire and plan to escape.

“Try to act normal.” Astraea whispered under her breath. “Someone might be listening and watching.”

Aurora gave the slightest of nods, while Sacniete’s eyes flashed gold for the briefest of seconds.

“Alright, young ladies.” Alexander continued, turning to look at them. “My office— where we just were— is another minor realm I own.” He told them, which Astraea understood, as there hadn't been any windows nor any doors in or out. “The only way into my office is via Jacquelyn’s portals, and the only people allowed in it are my elite and Ms. Abigail.

“My showroom— the place we will be traveling to next— is another minor realm, that one I bought off a Norse Dwarf for a mere five hundred thousand Brokkr Cobalt pieces.” He explained, like it made any sense.

“Broker Cobalt pieces?” Aurora asked, never having heard of that currency before. Well, she assumed it was a type of currency.

“An extremely rare and extremely valuable coin used in the Norse world, specifically by gods and other such beings.” He explained. “A single Brokkr Cobalt piece is worth roughly fifty million Golden Drachma.”

Aurora made a choking sound. Sacniete wasn't familiar with the value of Golden Drachma, but she assumed it had to be a lot. While Astraea was just now realizing just how rich Alexander truly was. He wasn't just rich because of mortal money, but rich with immortal currency as well.

“And you had five hundred thousand of those things?”

“Oh, I still have more Brokkr Cobalt pieces, I assure you.” He told them, leading them through a grove of giant mushrooms that were debating the chance of rain this afternoon. “I own the only Brokkr Cobalt mine and refinery in all the worlds.” He gave a grin. “But don't tell the Dwarf I bought it off that. Ah, this is far enough.”

The six of them— Astraea, Aurora, Sacniete, Alexander, Isolde and Jacquelyn— stopped. Astraea looked around, this place didn't look any different than where they had been earlier, except that there was no one around.

“Jacquelyn, if you would?”

“You got it, sugar.” The afro lady snapped, another portal appearing before them.

“Jacquelyn is the only way in and out of my secure realms.” He explained, “Well, I have other means of travel, but those are company secrets.” He gave an over-the-top wink, before laughing like he had done something really humorous. “Come now, I have something to show you.” With that, they stepped through yet another portal.

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“This,” Alexander said as they exited the portal. “Is my Showroom. Where I keep and display my most prized artifacts, treasures and collections.”

Show’room’ wasn't really a correct term for it, show’colosseum’ was a much better fit. The building was huge, large enough to hold the Superbowl, three NBA games and a small zoo at the same time.

The walls, ceilings and floors were marble white. Podiums, displays, banners and shelves lined the circular building, each meticulously polished and shined to perfection, not a single millimeter out of place. Anything and everything from swords, shields and armors, to war masks, flags, crests and even a full-sized chariot made up not even a fraction of what Alexander had on display.

Alexander led them on a quick tour of his collection, and while he made more treasures than Astraea could count, he had told them they had barely seen an eighth of his collection.

As they neared the center of his showroom, Astraea’s heart stopped. Right there in front of them, guarding each side of a podium in the very center of the showroom, were four giant, golden dragons, each on high alert, watching them with intelligent eyes. With Alexander there, they didn't seem bothered by their presence, but Astraea wasn't going to give them any reason to attack her.

“Are those golden dragons?” Aurora asked, amazed for not the first time today. “They're incredibly rare.”

Alexander smiled. “Yes, I know. Come, they won't hurt you with me here. I want to show you the prize of my collection.”

He led them forward, to where Astraea could see a stone bowl on a raised marble podium. The bowl was obviously incredibly old, but otherwise uninteresting, if it wasn't in the center of the showroom guarded by dragons, it could have easily been overlooked for the more marvelous treasures. It made Astraea wonder why he valued it so much. From what she could see, it was just an old stone bowl with a medium-sized fire in it. Nothing special.

“Ms. Jackson,” Alexander said, looking to Astraea. “I have a question to pose to you; what makes something valuable?”

Astraea thought it was a trick question, “By how much money it is worth.” She said quickly.

“You are not inherently wrong,” he said. “But not inherently correct either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let me pose it another way: Imagine you are me, the richest being in over twenty realms, to whom money is no object, what would I value more; even more money, or something I could not buy?”

“...Something you couldn't buy?” Astraea asked, confused. “But how could you not be able to buy something? I don't understand.”

He gave her a smile, the realest smile he had shown so far. “Money isn't everything, Ms. Jackson. It is not just a saying, as the richest man in history, I can confirm it. There are just some things that you cannot buy, some things that have no financial price or value, but have value in another way.

“Think of it this way,” he continued, gesturing to Aurora. “Am I correct in assuming that your little sister means more to you than any amount of money in the world?”

“Of course.” Astraea said firmly.

Alexander snapped, smiling. “There you go, that is the answer right there; some things cannot be bought, while some things are worth more than any amount of money. To me personally, I have no need for more money.” He told them, sounding honest. “I have more money than I could ever spend, that’s why I give so much away, that, and because I believe in giving back to those who aren't as fortunate as myself.

“To me,” he continued. “The most valuable, most priceless, most meaningful things in this world have no worldly worth, other than to the person who has it. For most people, it's a loved one, family member or friend. For others, it might very well be a job, hobby or occupation they love. But for others, it might even be experiences or memories that they value over anything else in this world.”

“So for you,” Aurora said slowly, thinking. “You value your collection most of all?”

“That's it.” Alexander snapped, grinning. “To me, I value possessions more than anything else, but they can be anything from artifacts, treasures, enchanted swords, lost texts, my employees,” he said, smiling to Isolde, who went slightly red, showing a rare moment of emotion. “Or pieces of history.” He gestured to the normal-looking fire before him, the soft glow reflecting in his eyes.

“And this…” He said slowly, letting the warmth of the flames wash over him. “Is the prize of collection. This fire represents so much more than you could ever understand and comprehend. More than any mortal mind could ever fathom.” He began to speak quickly, obviously taken over by joy over the fire. “This fire that you see before you, is older than Greece, older than civilization, older than humanity itself.

“It is what sparked all creativity in the world, what gave Leonardo da Vinci his ingenuity and imagination. This fire is what has given us every rhythm, every piece of literature, every piece of technology, every aspect of humanity is thanks to the fire you see before you.”

His speech quickened, his entire body now engulfed by the soft orange glow of the flame. “Truly, humanity itself is thanks to this fire. A fire that has been burning since before the walls of Jericho fell, long before Troy, before man began spreading across the world… Everything humanity has ever achieved is credited to what you see before you. Every creation, every thought, every idea, every thing that makes us human… is thanks to this fire…”

He lowered his hand into the flame, the tips of the fire dancing across and around his fingers harmlessly. The orange flame turned bright white, but didn't burn him, didn't harm him, instead it washed Alexander in a soft white light that Astraea could feel even from a few feet away. “This…” Alexander said, his eyes closed, the soft white flames washing over him. “Is the birth of humanity, the progenitor of creation, the forefather of ingenuity and creation…”

His eyes opened slowly, the soft-white fire burning in his eyes, almost hypnotizing Astraea and the others. “This… is the Fire of Prometheus. The flame that was stolen by the Titan Prometheus, the Titan of Forethought, and given to man. The fire that brought humanity out of the mud, and what turned us into what we are today… This fire is what created humanity itself. If it were not for this fire, humans would still be living in caves and using rocks as tools… If it were not for this flame, there would be no humanity.”

Slowly, like he had to fight the desire to leave his hand in the flame, Alexander removed his hand from the bowl. He turned to them, his face the realest they had seen so far. “You ask why I desire the Tablet? It is because it may very well be the one thing in all of creation more important, valuable and, admittedly, powerful than the Fire of Prometheus.”

Aurora was the first to speak, “But what could be more valuable than the very thing that created humanity?” She stopped to think, her brilliant brain going a mile a minute. “T-this fire, if it really is the Fire of Prometheus, is what created humanity. It is the single most valuable thing ever described in Greek mythology… so, what could be more valuable than that?”

Alexander smiled a small smile, a smile that only peaked a corner of his lip, a smile that shone in his eyes, a smile that even to this day, Astraea never fully understood. “Something that not only concerns humanity.” He told them. “But something that affects the entire universe.”

As Astraea and the others were still trying in vain to comprehend what they had heard, Alexander pulled out a golden coin from his suit breast pocket and flipped it in the air. Astraea saw the briefest glimpse of ancient runes on the coin before Alexander caught it, and they were gone.

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Astraea felt like she had just woken up from a dream in the middle of the night, like when you weren't fully awake or weren't fully asleep. When you were a second away from either falling back asleep or waking up. In her muddled state, she was able to tell she and Aurora and Sacniete were laying on the porch of the Big House back at Camp. It was the middle of the day, but she was suddenly very tired. Too tired to stay awake, no matter how much she fought it.

As she felt herself quickly start to fade, she heard a familiar voice in her head. “I shall ask you three to work for me once more,” the voice she recognized as Alexander said in her mind. “But if you continue to go after the Tablet and attempt to prevent me from getting it… I will be most displeased, and I may be forced to do things I do not wish to do…”

“Goodbye for now, you three.” Alexander’s voice began to fade from her mind as Astraea felt herself a second from falling asleep. She could hear muffled voices around her, but in her state, she couldn't decipher them. “I will be keeping an eye on you…”

And with that, the three girls fell into blackness, surrounded by a half dozen worried and yelling half-bloods and one extremely concerned centaur.

“Send word for Gregory immediately!” The old centaur bellowed, pointing to the nearest camper. “And get me Khat Somnol!”

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Flipping an immortal centaur the bird

[The Big House, Camp Half-Blood]

[Recap:
Slowly, like he had to fight the desire to leave his hand in the flame, Alexander removed his hand from the bowl. He turned to them, his face the realest they had seen so far. “You ask why I desire the Tablet? It is because it may very well be the one thing in all of creation more important, valuable and, admittedly, powerful than the Fire of Prometheus.”

Aurora was the first to speak, “But what could be more valuable than the very thing that created humanity?” She stopped to think, her brilliant brain going a mile a minute. “T-this fire, if it really is the Fire of Prometheus, is what created humanity. It is the single most valuable thing ever described in Greek mythology… so, what could be more valuable than that?”

Alexander smiled a small smile, a smile that only peaked a corner of his lip, a smile that shone in his eyes, a smile that even to this day, Astraea never fully understood. “Something that not only concerns humanity.” He told them. “But something that affects the entire universe.”

As Astraea and the others were still trying in vain to comprehend what they had heard, Alexander pulled out a golden coin from his suit breast pocket and flipped it in the air. Astraea saw the briefest glimpse of ancient runes on the coin before Alexander caught it, and they were gone.

…

Astraea felt like she had just woken up from a dream in the middle of the night, like when you weren't fully awake or weren't fully asleep. When you were a second away from either falling back asleep or waking up. In her muddled state, she was able to tell she and Aurora and Sacniete were laying on the porch of the Big House back at Camp. It was the middle of the day, but she was suddenly very tired. Too tired to stay awake, no matter how much she fought it.

As she felt herself quickly start to fade, she heard a familiar voice in her head. “I shall ask you three to work for me once more,” the voice she recognized as Alexander said in her mind. “But if you continue to go after the Tablet and attempt to prevent me from getting it… I will be most displeased, and I may be forced to do things I do not wish to do…”

“Goodbye for now, you three.” Alexander’s voice began to fade from her mind as Astraea felt herself a second from falling asleep. She could hear muffled voices around her, but in her state, she couldn't decipher them. “I will be keeping an eye on you…”

And with that, the three girls fell into blackness, surrounded by a half dozen worried and yelling half-bloods and one extremely concerned centaur.

“Send word for Gregory immediately!” The old centaur bellowed, pointing to the nearest camper. “And get me Khat Somnol!” ]

~Recap~

The Big House was in an uproar, and while Chiron was trying his best to put on a calm demeanor, even he had to admit it wasn't a good situation.

Astraea and Aurora Jackson, along with Sacniete, had been off in Utah on a Quest for over a week, with no sign of trouble, until the three girls suddenly appeared on the porch of the Big House, unable to wake. He tried magical herbs, brought in Nemuri of Hypnos cabin, gave the girls Nectar and Ambrosia, but nothing worked. They just wouldn't wake up. Chiron knew that if he could not get them to wake soon, he would have to contact the gods, surely Will, Apollo or Hypnos would be able to do something.

“I can't find anything wrong with them.” Gregory Laurie told him. The son of Asclepius and head of the Asclepius Hospital kneeled before the three girls, glowing hands over them. He frowned. “I can detect exhaustion, but other than that? I can't find anything wrong.”

“But if there is nothing wrong,” Jenny-Lee said. “Then why won't they wake?”

“Something else must be at play here.” Chiron said, trying his best to appear calm for the worried Campers. He looked to a Malcolm child who ran up to him, growing agitated when he saw they were alone. “Where is Khat Somnol? I sent you to collect her.”

“I-I’m sorry, Chiron.” He said, “Khat wasn't in her Cabin, I couldn't find her anywhere.”

Chiron looked up to the sky above him, “Find Khat Somnol.” He ordered the flock of Harpies. “Bring her here immediately.”

“Yes, Chiron.” They chirped, flying off.

“What do you think is wrong with them, Gregory?” Rachel asked, looking to the son of Asclepius.

“Not sure, honestly.” Gregory admitted, waving his glowing hands over them. “I just can't find anything wrong with them. They have no injuries at all. I can detect that Astraea was wounded very recently, but even that injury is completely healed. Chiron, do you think Khat will really be able to help them?”

“If she cannot,” Chiron began, saying a silent prayer. “Then we will have no other choice than to contact the gods.”

Almost five minutes later a flock of Harpies returned half-dragging Khat Somnol, the daughter of Pasithea. She and her girlfriend, Nicky Bach, were both flush in the face and their clothing was disheveled, but Chiron didn't care at the moment. He’d chastise them later, if need be. But for now, there was work to be done.

“Khat,” he said as she arrived. “They need your help, please, check their minds for foreign influences and magic signatures.”

“Oh, shit.” The daughter of Pasithea spit out her cigarette, dropping to her knees and placing her ear over Astraea’s forehead, her curly rainbow hair falling into a curtain, her piercing and tattooed face deep with concern. She listened for a moment to something only she could hear, before looking to Gregory. “What have you got?” While Khat was a trained medic for the Asclepius hospital, she wasn't exacty conventinal, but her half-blood abilities made her an ivaluable asset, even if she spent more time sleeping in class than studying.

Gregory frowned, but continued to send healing energy through them. “I've healed them the best I can, but while I can heal the body, well, the mind is something else entirely… This is your wheelhouse now, Khat.”

“Only you can help them, Ms. Somnol.” Chiron told her.

“No pressure, then. They're just the daughters of Percy Jackson, no big deal.” Khat mumbled, blowing her curly curtain of hair out of the way. She took a calming breath, before placing her hands at Astraea’s temple. “Alright, no one touch them while I'm connected, okay? It could get messy. Greg, I need you to stop healing them, it might affect my abilities.”

“Okay.” Gregory nodded, removing his hands. He and everyone around took a few steps back, they all knew better than to get in the way of Khat’s abilities.

Feeling her abilities begin to swirl in her own mind, Khat let out a slow breath, a cloud of sparkling mist spreading over Astraea’s body until it engulfed her. “Alright, sister, let's see what's going on in your head, huh?”

~Page Break~

“MR. LIEBER, WAIT!” Astraea shot awake like a firecracker. The bright white lights and walls stung her eyes, she had to blink the pain away. She had no idea where she was, she started to move, but found her arms and legs were bound to the bed. “What the- Where am I?”

“My child, you are alright. Please, calm down.”

“Chiron?” Astraea asked, finding the old centaur standing beside the hospital bed. “What's going on? What happened? Why am I tied up?”

“You had to be restrained for everyone’s safety.” Greg answered for Chiron. He appeared on the other side of her in his doctor getup. “When you first woke, you began to thrash about, attacking everything. We had no other choice but to restrain you.”

She hesitated. “...Did I hurt anyone?”

“No one too seriously.” He told her, rubbing his jaw. “Thankfully, I heal almost instantly thanks to my half-blood abilities. Though I can't say the same for Khat, you hit her pretty good. She’s the one who put you back to sleep. If I were you, I’d give her some space for a week or two, you don't wanna deal with her when she’s upset.”

“Khat?” Astraea asked. “Who’s that?”

“Khat Somnol is the daughter of Pasithea, the goddess of Relaxation, Meditation, Hallucinations and all other Altered States of Concinesses.” Chiron explained, seeing Astraea’s confusion. “She was brought in because of her ability to alter the minds of others. She was able to detect the magic that was keeping you, your sister and Sacniete asleep. As I am told, the magic would have worn off by itself in an hour or so, but we had no way of knowing that. When we discovered you three unconscious on the porch of the Big House, we were rightly worried.”

“Well… shit.” Astraea said, laying back down. “So can you untie me now, or what?”

“As long as you promise to not hit me again.” Greg smiled, before releasing her restraints.

Rubbing her wrists, Astraea asked, “So, why were we unconscious?”

“What was the last thing you remember?” Chiron asked. “What happened to you three? Why did you call out ‘Lieber’ when you came to?”

“We met him,” Astraea said. “We met Alexander Lieber. He’s the one who sent us back here.”

Greg looked shocked, while Chiron looked extremely concerned. “I think it may be best for you to tell me everything that happened during your Quest.” Chiron said.

So Astraea proceeded to tell him everything that happened, how they ran into Monsters, fought Isolde and the others, and were brought to see Alexander Lieber. The only thing she left out was how Sacniete ran off, Astraea didn't want her to get in trouble.

“I see,” Gregory said, thinking over what Astraea had just told them. “You were stabbed in the side, yes, I thought I detected some recent injury there, but when I checked, it seemed perfectly fine. Like it never happened.”

“How do you think that is possible?” Chiron asked.

“I have a theory,” Greg pondered. “But Astraea, you mentioned that Alexander flipped a coin before you and the others passed out?”

“Yeah. I think the coin might have had runes on it, I saw some markings etched in it, but I wasn't able to tell if they were Norse or Egyptian or anything. Aurora might’ve been able to tell, but she was looking the other way.”

“Hmm.” Greg stroked his soul patch in thought. “It's possible that this coin Alexander had— whatever it was— healed you, Aurora and Sacniete of all your injuries. Though, the amount of power required to enchant an object with that level of healing is unheard of, and it could have only been made by a god or such being. No mortal could have constructed it, at least, no mortal I've ever heard of. It's also possible that you three passing out was a result of the healing process. Either the enchantment in the runes put you to sleep so it could better heal you, or the healing process caused such a strain on your bodies that you fell unconscious. Either way, that coin is something I'm interested in. Something that can heal a stab wound instantly? As a doctor myself, I can't tell you how valuable that would be. Even with my healing abilities, there are limitations.”

“For now,” Chiron told her. “It is nearing nightfall, so I believe that it would be best for you three to return to your cabins and get a good night's sleep. You and your sister will be excused from all activities tomorrow. As we do not have any leads on the location of the Tablet, we will wait for Rachel to have another vision. Until then, the Quest is hereby on hold.”

“But- okay, Chiron.” Astraea knew better than to argue, though she didn't miss how Chiron didn't mention that Sacniete was excused from activities, since she was never allowed to participate, anyway. Remembering her talks with the Guatemalan girl, Astraea’s blood started to boil as she got out of the hospital bed and started for the door, stopping in the doorway.

“Hey, Chiron?”

The old centaur stopped talking with Greg and turned to look at her. “Yes, my child?”

Astraea flipped the double bird, sending him a dirty look. “That’s for treating Sacniete like shit.” Before leaving without another word.

~Page Break~

Astraea figured she shouldn't have been surprised when her parents Iris Messaged her later that night, either Chiron or Rachel must have told them she and Aurora came back from their Quest. Unfortunately however, her tempermental, furry roomate was there at the time, getting ready for bed, causing more noise than what was necessary.

“Hey-” Astraea called behind her. “Can you keep it down? I'm trying to talk with my parents.”

“And I'm tryin’ to sleep!” The angry boar girl yelled back, heading for the door. “But it doesn't look like you care!” She left, slamming the door.

“Asshole.” Astraea mumbled under her breath.

“You should try being nicer to her.” Her dad told her through the IM. “She's your roommate, you two should try to get along.”

“Kala doesn't get along with anyone.” Astraea said dismissively. “She hates me, why would I want to be nice to her?”

“I thought you wanted to make as many friends as possible?” Her mom asked. It made Astraea think, she had intended to make friends with everyone at Camp, but after arriving here, she realized that some people were just assholes, like the Sherman kids, and Kala.

“If you don't want to have any more problems with her,” her dad said. “Try being nice to her. You'd be surprised what could happen.”

“...I'll think about it.”

“That's all I ask.”

“So, honey,” her mom began. “Tell us all about your first Quest. We want to know everything.”

So Astraea proceeded to tell them everything in detail, even the stuff about Sacniete that she didn't tell Chiron. She only left out the more dangerous parts, and downplayed their fight with Isolde and the rest, knowing her parents would freak out. They talked about the Hellhound, the Cockatrice, and, eventually, about Aurora.

“Mom, dad, you won't believe what happened.” She began, excited. “Aurora controlled the earth! She made this giant cyclone of stone and rock, it flew above her and crashed down. But Jacquelyn was able to teleport it away.”

“That's amazing! I'm so happy for her.” Her mom cried.

“I knew she’d have half-blood abilities.” Her dad said, extremely proud. “She just needed the little push. We’ll have to ask her about it when we call her next.”

“You should have seen it, it was so cool!”

“We’ll have to have her show us when we see you two before you go to school this August.” Her dad told her. “We’re almost done with the paperwork for it, but since it's a private school, there's a lot.”

“The principal wants to have a meeting with us,” her mom explained. “She wants to see if you and Aurora will be a good fit for DPAAA.”

“Which is still a ridiculously long acronym.” Astraea commented. “But they're famous for sports, so as long as I get to play, I don't care.”

They talked for a little more than a half hour more, before her parents let her go to get some sleep, and so they could talk to her sister really quick before bed. After wishing her parents goodnight, Astraea ended the call.

Kala didn't come back to the room all night.

~Page Break~

[The next morning]

Astraea stormed up to Xenos Bunkhouse Four absolutely fuming. She ignored the Campers that watched her with bewildered and confused expressions, as well as the Harpy perched atop a nearby tree that watched her with sharp eyes. Reaching the reinforced door that wouldn't have looked out of place on a bomb shelter, she wasn't surprised to find it locked from the outside.

But it still pissed her off.

She didn't have the key, but that didn't matter. She knocked on the door with her knuckle, testing its sturdiness. She figured she should have done a million other things right then, but she wasn't just about to go back on her word. She brought back her fist and decided to do the ‘mature thing’.

She punched the door in with all her might.

‘BOOM!’

The steel and Celestial Bronze door shook, the walls of the concrete bunker that posed as a bunkhouse vibrated, and Astraea was sure the whole of Camp had heard it. She ignored the Harpy that was still watching her, lifting its wings in preparation to take off. She brought back her fist and punched the door again.

Cracks formed in the door, and Astraea was now sure of her ability to get in. She punched the door a third time, it made her knuckles quake, but she ignored the pain.

She punched the door a fourth time and it flew inwards, slamming against the back concrete wall. She heard the Harpy squawk before it flew off, undoubtedly to report to Chiron. But Astraea didn't care. She climbed through the mangled mess that was once a door, heading into the dark concrete prison.

She came to a second reinforced door, also locked from the outside, but it was weaker than the one on the outside. Astraea figured Chiron never thought anyone would get past the first one, or that they wouldn’t want to. Astraea grabbed the thick iron bars and pulled with all her might, pulling the door off the hinges without much effort. Tossing the door to the side without a care, she stepped into the tiny, dark room.

Room wasn't the right word, however, cell was a much better fit. It was small, about ten feet by ten feet, made completely out of concrete. It was dark, with only a single lightbulb in the center and a minuscule window with steel bars along the far wall that let in more light, but was way too narrow for anyone to get in or out. It was also far too high for Sacniete to look out of, without climbing and holding herself up.
The room was barren except for a thin mattress pushed into the far corner, a cardboard box that stored her limited collection of clothes, and her worn and old running shoes that were laid by the door.

It made Astraea furious. If Chiron had been there right now, she’d have punched him.

Sacniete was sitting on the cold concrete floor in the middle of the room, looking up to Astraea with a startled and confused look.

“W-what's going on, Astraea?” Sacniete asked, her voice rough. Her tone turned worried as she looked around, as if expecting Chiron to appear out of the wall. “You aren't allowed in here. No one is. You will get in trouble-”

“We’re leaving.” Astraea said firmly, cutting her off.

Sacniete’s eyes went wide. “But-”

“We. Are. Leaving.” Astraea cut her off again, stressing every word. Without warning she picked up the smaller girl, put her on her shoulder, grabbed her shoes and headed out the door.

“W-what?! Put me down!” Sacniete cried as they neared the front door. “I'm not allowed to leave anymore! Chiron will-”

“Fuck Chiron.” Astraea interrupted her, stepping out of the bunker and outside. Sacniete had to blink at the sudden sunlight. “You don't deserve to be locked up like an animal.”

“But-”

“No buts,” Astraea said, still holding her on her shoulder. “Now, either you come quietly, or I'm carrying your ass all the way there. And you're light as hell, so don't think I can't or won't do it.”

Sacniete turned red, but was facing away so Astraea didn't see it. This was so embarrassing. “...Where are we going?”

“We’re taking you out for some pizza.” Astraea told her. “Just like I said I would. Aurora is going to meet us there. She and I have today off for activities, so we’re checking out the town, and you're coming with us.”

“Can you at least put me down?” Sacniete asked, getting embarrassed. Campers were watching them with startled faces.

“Only if you promise not to run away this time.”

~Page Break~

[Later]

“Is it always this cheesey?” Sacniete asked, holding up a large slice of pizza, inspecting it like it was an alien object. Astraea realized that this might have been the first time she had ever seen pizza, let alone eaten it.

“Pretty much.” Astraea confirmed, watching the smaller girl across from her. Aurora sat next to her, while Astraea sat at the end of the bench. “Stop just looking at it, give it a try already.”

Ever so slowly, tentatively, Sacniete took a miniscule bite of the pizza. She chewed for a second, eyes closed in deep thought. Her eyes shot open, almost dazzling. “THIS IS AMAZING!” She cried, before taking a giant bite.

“Slow down,” Astraea laughed, watching Sacniete inhale a second slice. “You're gonna choke.”

The three of them, Astraea, Aurora and Sacniete, had gone out to a local, half-blood run pizza place in town, called ‘A Slice of NY’. It was fairly small, but Astraea figured that the tiny town didn't need anything so large. Most of the shops and restaurants were like that; family run and tiny, but everything was a decent price, so she couldn't complain.

After Sacniete devoured the entire pepperoni and cheese pizza herself, Astraea debated New York vs Chicago style with the elderly owner, while Aurora looked over the menu for good vegetarian options. They were having fun, ordering individual slices with various toppings for Sacniete to try, while also introducing her to soda as well. How a girl of fourteen had never had soda before, Astraea didn't know. Well, actually she knew, Sacniete had grown up in a tiny rural town in Guatemala, had been raised in a poor orphanage, and had been purposely starved for most of her life. It made Astraea’s blood boil. How could people— people in a church no less— treat someone like that?
Watching Sacniete eat a second pizza, Astraea decided that as long as they were friends, she’d never go hungry again. Maybe she should invite Sacniete over to her house sometime? Maybe during a holiday? That way Sacniete could try her dad’s and grandma’s delicious cooking. Yeah, that sounded like fun. She’d asked her parents next time they called.

Astraea’s good mood ended when the bell above the door rang and a group of five Sherman boys stalked in like the owned the place. Their dark eyes found Sacniete and Aurora sitting at the table, sneering. One of the boys looked giddy with anticipation. It brought a chill to Astraea’s spine. The boys started for the table, but Astraea hurried over, blocking them from getting any closer as they were only five feet away.

She stared down the boy at the lead, she didn't know his name, but she remembered him from Capture the Flag, he was good friends with the boys who got in trouble from Arthur and banned from the game. The boy took a step closer, he was pretty decently muscled and looked to be about a year older than her, but he was a good five inches shorter than her. Astraea smirked.

“Can I help you?” Astraea asked with a fake smile. “There's plenty of open tables over there.”

“Yeah,” the boy who seemed to be the leader said. He looked her over, his eyes slowing at her chest. It made her feel dirty. And ready to punch him. Her wearing comfortable tank tops didn't give him permission to be a creep. “Yeah,” he continued, not looking her in the eyes. “But, you see, Xenos, that's our table.”

“What are we in, kindergarten?” Astraea asked, giving him an unimpressed look. “You're not the only people who get to sit there. We’re literally the only people here, and there's a dozen other tables. Sit somewhere else.”

“I don't think we will.” The boy sneered, trying to look intimidating, but Astraea wasn't impressed. She could probably bench press him, in all honesty. The boy then glared at Sacniete, who was still eating pizza and drinking various kinds of soda, happy and oblivious and content. The way Astraea wanted her to be. “Hey, who let the demon out of her cage?”

A low growl escaped Astraea’s lips, but the boys ignored her.

“I know, right?” Another boy said, looking disgusted. “First Chiron let's her go on a Quest instead of one of us Greeks, and now he lets her eat around the rest of us like a normal person?”

“She's gonna make us all sick,” a third boy commented. “Or just kill us.”

“She's so skinny, too.” A fourth said. “Like a skeleton. Freaks me out.”

“Don't you fucking say anything about Sacniete.” Astraea snapped, feeling adrenaline already start to pump through her system, courtesy of her half-blood abilities. She shoved the boy who called her a skeleton back against another table with more force than necessary, he nearly fell over. “It's not her fault she looks the way she does! How about you don't assume something about someone until you get to know them?”

“You bitch!” The boy cried, standing back and raising his fist. “You-”

“Astraea, we should leave.” Sacniete suddenly spoke up, silencing the group. Astraea looked beside her, finding Sacniete looking timid and meek, grabbing her bicep as if trying to pull her to the door. “Come on. I don't want to fight.”

“No.” Astraea said firmly, keeping her ground. “These assholes don't get to tell you what to do. If they have a problem, they can deal with it. We aren't leaving.”

Sacniete pulled on her arm again, but she didn't budge. “Please, Astraea- AH!” A boy shoved Sacniete out of nowhere, sending the tiny girl flying back and into a table, knocking it over.

“Hey!” The elderly store owner yelled. “Enough of that! Get out of my shop, or I'll call Chiron.”

“Fuck you!” The same boy yelled back, grinning. “Why does a child of a D-List god think he can tell us what-”

Astraea slammed the boy back against the wall, lifting him up to eye level. She heard him lose his breath, and smiled in glee when the back of his head slammed painfully against the wall. “Does picking on a girl half your size make you feel like a man?” She demanded, pressing him harder into the wall. “Does it make you feel strong? Huh? How about you try that on a girl who’ll hit you back? You dickless piece of shit.”

“I'm not scared of you.” The boy sneered. “You think you're so special, the adopted daughter of Percy and Annabeth Jackson. But you're just a Xenos-”

“And this ‘just a Xenos’ is about to punch you in the fucking face.” Astraea cut him off, raising her fist. “And this ‘adopted daughter’ of Percy Jackson probably won't get in trouble-”

“Astraea!” Aurora cried. “He's not worth it.”

“I'm tired of these Greeks thinking they can mess with us!” Another boy yelled, before rearing back and punching Aurora in the face.

Astraea watched in slow motion as Aurora flew back, her tiny body flying from the force of the boy twice her size. Astraea snapped.

“YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” The boy barely had the time to turn around before her fist met his nose. He flew towards the far wall, knocking over tables. He didn't get back up. Astraea started stomping to him, fist clenched. “I'll fucking kill you!”

“You Xenos bitch!” A boy cried, the remaining boys charging at Astraea from behind. She was turning on the spot to face them when she saw a blur.

“OWWW!” Sacniete had run up behind the boy and kicked him between the legs as hard as she could. Astraea swore the boy was lifted two feet straight into the air. He crashed to the floor, wind knocked out of him, tears streaming from his face. Then he threw up.

Sacniete spun through the air, kicking the other two boys in the face with an impressive maneuver. The boys fell to the ground as well. Sacniete, all 4’2” of her, loomed over them, her black eyes flashing with dark energy. Then she spoke, her voice low and icy, chilling Astraea to her bones. She growled, or should she say, her jaguar form growled. It shook Astraea’s bones.

“Don't hurt my friends, or I'll kill you.”

The boys didn't move for several seconds, until after Sacniete backed off and joined Astraea, who was helping Aurora to her feet.

“You'll regret this, Xenos.” The lead boy said, trying to act tough, but Astraea could see the fears in his eyes, it was really telling because he refused to meet Sacniete’s eyes. “...This Camp is for Greeks, you don't belong here!” They ran off without another word.

“Hey, you ladies okay?” The eldery owner asked. “I already called for Chiron and Gregory, they should be here soon.”

“I f’ink my nose ‘s broken.” Aurora said, clutching the bleeding mess that was her nose.

“I'll get you some ice, hold on.” The old man hurried behind the counter, before returning with a bag of ice and giving it to Aurora. “Here you go.”

“F’ank you.” She mumbled, bringing the ice to her nose.

“I'm sorry you got hurt for me, Aurora.” Sacniete said, looking away.

“It's okay.” She said, lifting her nose to fight the bleeding. “It wasn't your fault.”

“But-”

“It wasn't your fault.” Astraea said firmly. “Those guys are just assholes. Yeah, I'm fucking pissed the hurt Aurora, and I'm gonna get them back, but it's not your fault.”

“But you got hurt because of me-”

“Aurora got hurt because a piece of shit decided to go after the weakest, youngest girl. Like a dick.” Astraea put a hand on Sacniete’s shoulder, giving her a comforting smile. “Listen, girl, it isn't your fault. Really.”

“...T-thanks for sticking up for me.” Sacniete said, brushing her hair back. “...No one has ever done that for me.”

Astraea smiled wider, putting an arm around her shoulder, and, to her surprise, Sacniete didn't pull away. “Don't mention it, girl. That's what friends are for. Now, let's get Aurora to the clinic, and find the names of those boys so I can disembowel them later.”

Sacniete looked out the window that spanned the front of the shop, her smile freezing and her shoulders dropping. “...Chiron is coming.”

“Fuck.” Astraea said. “He's probably not happy I broke you out of your bunkhouse.”

“You did what?” Aurora asked, holding a bloody towel to her face. “You said you didn't have any trouble getting permission for her to join us for lunch.”

Astraea shrugged. “Meh. I punched down one door and pulled another off it's hinges-”

“Astraea.” Aurora chastised.

“-But you should have seen where they were keeping her!” Astraea defended herself. “If Chiron puts her in there again, we’re gonna have some problems.”

“What happened here?” Chiron asked as he entered, a stern look on his face. His eyes found Sacniete who was half hiding behind Astraea. “And may I ask why Sacniete is out of her bunkhouse?”

Astraea knew it was going to be a long day.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Apparently I'm ‘Unladylike’

[Recap: After being sent back to Camp Half-Blood by Alexander Lieber, Astraea had enough of Sacniete being locked up like an animal, so she broke her out of ‘bunkhouse’. After punching in one reinforced door and pulling another off its hinges, she threw the smaller girl on her shoulder and took her out for some pizza, where some Sherman kids picked a fight with them.]

~Recap~

[Two weeks later, End of June. New York]

The next two weeks came and went rather unremarkably. Astraea pushed herself further into her training after her sounding defeat by Isolde, Olympia and Jacquelyn. Aurora spent all her free time trying to reliably use her new half-blood abilities, and Sacniete was sent back to her Bunkhouse by Chiron, but left with the promise of speaking to the gods about letting her live in the girls' Bunkhouse Two.

And before Astraea knew it, it was the end of June and she and her sister had a meeting with the principal of the Davenport Preparatory Academy of Arts and Athletics to see about their enrollment into the world-class sports school this semester.

DPAAA was among the top schools in the world, and was founded by Everett Davenport, a son of Athena and father of Jenny-Lee Davenport, the daughter of Eileithyia. Due to it being only an hour or so away from Camp, and because of Everett’s close connection to Chiron, several of the year-round Campers attended there. The only conditions were that they were skilled in a sport or activity— a prerequisite of the school— had near-perfect grades, and kept their half-blood nature a secret from everyone else at the school.

Out of the entirety of Camp, only a few Campers currently attended DPAAA. With those being; Victoria Alexandria of Malcolm, Elizabeth Brimflame of Leo, Elgan Black of Nemesis, Blake North of Khione and Romeo Valentin of Adonis for the Greeks she knew, and no one for Xenos. If Astraea was to get in, she’d be the first.

Astraea had heard from the grapevine that Greg, Jenny-Lee and Rana were notable Campers that used to attend DPAAA, but had graduated in the last few years.

If you were to ask Astraea how excited she was to attend DPAAA, she would say she was almost as excited as she was to attend Camp. The Davenport Preparatory Academy of Arts and Athletics one of the best college prep schools in the world, sure, but it was also one of the best sports schools in the country, with many of its athletes going pro. That's what Astraea wanted to do; go pro.

She had her entire career thought out. She’d train her ass off in school weightlifting, enter amature weightlifting competitions once she hit sixteen, moving up to the adult competitions once she was old enough, going to the world-class stage once she was good enough. From there, she’d become a professional weightlifting and fitness athlete and hopefully one day, a fitness model. Not that her dad was real stoked about the idea of her one day posing on the front cover of some fitness magazine half-naked and flexing her biceps, but even if he didn't like it, he provided her with all the tools she needed at home to get and stay in shape. He bought all the fitness equipment and machines she wanted, cooked all the specific healthy meals she wanted, and even took time out of his busy schedule to personally train her. She knew he didn't want to imagine her being on some magazine cover one day, but he never deterred her from achieving her dreams.

So Astraea was more than a little determined to get accepted to DPAAA. She planned to try out for the football and wrestling teams this fall and spring, respectively, and for the year-round weightlifting class. If she got into all three, she’d be on her way to achieving her dream body. If she got in, she’d be on her way to achieving her dreams.

Astraea knew not a lot of girls her age cared about getting as jacked as possible, but, to her, muscular women were beautiful and she wanted to be beautiful. Plus, there was just something that stroked her ego knowing that while she could bench press just about anyone her age, she also had a killer set of abs too. She was already extremely fit for her age, also tall, standing 5’9” and seemingly showing no signs of stopping. But she knew her birth parents were both over six feet tall, so it wasn't too surprising.

Her being really fit, taller and larger than most girls her age had always been something she had relished and taken pride in, after all, it was due to her hard work and dedication. But, upon entering and walking through the halls of DPAAA with her parents and sister, Astraea felt immediately out of place.

All the girls here looked like they had just stepped off of the runway. Their hair and makeup perfect, their skin flawless, their bodies slim and elegant, their uniforms freshly fitted and masterfully tailored. Then, there was Astraea, in her stylishly ripped jeans, Nike shirt, shoes and leather jacket. Her mom had told her to dress ‘nice’, these were the nicest clothes she had. Well, that still fit. She swore she saw half the girls give her strawberry pink-blonde fauxhawk the stink eye, looking her up and down like she didn't belong there.

Not that Astraea felt like she belonged there.

Passing a few guys in the hall, they wore the same disgusted looks as the girls, looking at her like she had just crawled out of a dumpster or something. It made her feel incredibly out of place, wishing she was back at Camp where kids had literal boar features, fox tails and rock skin. Here, in this elite, posh, rich prep school, she felt as much as an outsider as she did as a Xenos.

And, before she knew it, they were in front of the woman who would get to decide whether or not she would be allowed to attend.

“Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, please, come in.”

The principal was an old vulture of a woman, all skin and bones, one who Astraea assumed may have been good-looking when she was young, but that was decades ago. Her makeup was thick and excessive, her eyebrows penciled in and her eyelashes so long they were almost comical.

She stood, greeting them with a smile as fake as her nose, delicately shaking her dad’s hand like if she used any more force, she’d snap in two.

“Mr. Jackson, it is a pleasure.” She bared her perfectly straight teeth in an attempt to smile. “I must say, I am honored that you have considered enrolling your daughters here. The best Olympic swimmer in history? If they are half the athletes you are, I’d be proud to let them compete for us.”

“Yes… Thank you.” Her dad said, seemingly not swayed by her flattery. “My girls are both interested in sports, and, not to brag or anything, but they are both incredibly talented and determined. Both have been training for years, and I have the fullest confidence in them.”

“Oh?” The vultures’ eyes lit up like she and Aurora were a goldmine, and, they almost were. Her dad was a famous— the most famous— Olympic swimmer, setting the most records in history. So of course this crusty old woman would want the daughters of such a prolific athlete for her school known for athletics. “Well, I would love to see them try out, barring they get in, of course.”

The principal turned to them, giving her and Aurora her attention for the first time since they entered. She held out her hand for Aurora to shake first, since she was up front, while Astraea was standing just behind her mom due to the narrow doorway.

“Aurora, is it?”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, no need to be shy, my dear.” She gave a smile that would have made Dionysus gag. “It is lovely to meet you. I read that you went to State Championships for swimming last year? And you just missed out on going for gymnastics as well?”

Aurora looked a little put off of how much this stranger knew about her, but Astraea figured a woman like this was the type to do her research.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Aurora nodded, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else right now. “I was just a half a point from making it.”

“That is still quite impressive, indeed. Especially for one so young. Although, every student here is among the best in the country, so, if you make the swim and gymnastic teams, I expect you to give it your all against them.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good, good. “The principal practically waved Aurora off, before turning to greet Astraea, her hand out-stretched. “And you must be A-” she stopped, eyes wide and made a strange choking sound.

It didn't take Astraea long to realize why.

It was because of her appearance.

The old vulture eyed her up and down, her cracked and wrinkled lips forming more and more into a scowl with every inch she took in of her. Her eyes darted between her ripped jeans, gym shoes, leather jacket and, finally, her hair.

“Please, everyone, take a seat.”

They five of them sat, the principal behind her expensive desk, and Astraea, her parents and sister in four comfortable chairs in front of the desk. Astraea not missing that she had been fully ignored.

“Mr. and Mrs. Jackson,” the principal began, shuffling a pile of papers on her desk in an attempt to look busy. “I will not waste your time, nor my own. Myself and the board have already looked over Aurora and Astraea’s applications, grades, academic and athletic achievements, and have come to a decision.”

“And?” Her mom asked, hopeful. “Are they getting in?”

The principal gave a fake smile, looking to Aurora. “Young lady, coach Sterling, the girls’ swim coach, watched your recording at State last year and was most impressed. She said that she had not seen your kind of talent in decades, and she would be most pleased to offer you the chance to try out in the upcoming days.”

Aurora’s eyes went wide. “Y-you mean, I got in?”

“Yes, dear. Welcome to the Davenport Preparatory Academy of Arts and Athletics.”

Aurora gave a small squeal, her parents crushed her in hugs and kisses, and Astraea felt incredibly proud and happy for her little sister. With them both being able to attend DPAAA, they wouldn't be apart.

Her dad gave a big grin. “Thank you, Mrs. Dodge. Thank you. What about Astraea?”

“I am sorry, but we will not be offering Astraea enrollment at our school.” Her voice was cold, heartless, uncaring and brutally transparent.

All of Astraea’s hopes and dreams shattered, her mind grinding to a halt.

She… she didn't get in? Why?

“Can I ask why not?” Her dad practically demanded. His anger was evident, while Astraea’s was there, sure, but she was so shocked and upset she couldn't form a single thought.

“It is simple, really.” The principal said. “Astraea has no academic or athletic achievements to her name. Due to her being homeschooled her entire life, she has no qualifications-”

“But Astraea’s private tutor is one of the best in the world.” Her dad cut her off,

“One that I could find no public information on.” The principal sneered, not looking happy to have been interrupted a moment earlier. “Her tutor, this ‘Ms. Minerva’, whoever she is, has no official qualifications, recommendations, or any information whatsoever. I could not even find a phone number, email or street address in order to contact her.”

“She is… a family friend.” Her dad explained, referring to her grandma Athena, who had tutored Astraea her entire life. But this woman didn't know the literal goddess of Wisdom tutored her, just some no name woman. “She has no public listings for her-”

“Then I cannot accept her word on Astraea’s grades and qualifications.” She interrupted him this time. “I am sorry, Mr. Jackson, but even if I had Astraea take a placement test, there is the other issue of her never competing in any athletics or art programs before. This school, as I'm sure you well know, prides itself on its athletics and arts programs. So much so, that every single student that attends must be enrolled in at least one program. I am sorry, but without prior experience on a team or in a program, I cannot accept Astraea’s application and risk that she can neither keep up academically, nor in our athletics or arts programs.”

“Just take one look at me!” Astraea nearly shouted, her anger rising. “Just look at me and say you can't tell I'd be able to compete in sports-”

“There is also the issue of Astraea herself,” the old vulture cut in, giving her an icy look at her tone. “The Davenport Academy is a place for young gentlemen and ladies to gain the skills and knowledge to pursue professional careers in arts, athletics, music or trade. Our student body is expected to always be the epitome of grace, professionalism and class… and Astraea’s… unladylike appearance, demeanor and personality are the exact opposite of what we expect out of our students.”

Her dad rose to his feet. “Why you-”

Her mom cut him off. “We shall see what Everett Davenport has to say on the matter.”

The principal instantly froze, her bloodshot eyes widening. “...What do you mean?”

Her mom pulled out an envelope out of her purse and practically slapped it onto the desk. “Everett is a personal friend of the family and past, current and future client of my architect firm… and this is a personal letter of recommendation from him for both of my girls.”

The principal snatched the envelope with surprising speed, ripping it open mercilessly and scanning the contents faster than the eye could track. With every line she read, her face grew redder until she resembled a chili pepper.

“I- I- I-”

“Well,” her mom said cooly, with years of professionalism evident. “I trust you have no issues complying with Everett?”

“H-how did you get a personal letter of recommendation from the founder and Chair Governor of my school?” She demanded, looking like she couldn't fathom what was happening. “I did not know you knew Mr. Davenport.”

“Everett is a family friend, and it is his school, not yours.” Her mom said, the corner of her mouth peaked with victory, though her face was a cool mask of professionalism. All those years in board and company meetings were paying off. “It was him who suggested we send our girls to DPAAA, and it will be him who hears of you denying Astraea’s enrollment first-”

“T-there is no need for such r-rash action.” The principal said quickly, almost stumbling over her words. “I am confident we can come to an understanding without involving Mr. Davenport-”

“Excellent.” Her mom stood, grabbing her purse. “We will await both Aurora’s and Astraea’s official acceptance letters in the mail. Good day.” With that, she headed out the door without another word. Her dad quickly ushered them out with a gesture, following after their mom.

Once they were halfway down the hall, her mom gave her an apologetic look. “I'm sorry for that miserable excuse for a woman, Astraea.” She gave her a big hug. “She had no right to speak about you that way. I had the recommendation letters but wasn't planning on using them, but when she started to insult you, well, I just had to shut her up.”

“Thanks, mom.” But Astraea didn't know how to feel. Even if she was getting in, in the back of her mind, she knew she wouldn't have without Mr. Davenport’s help. If it was her alone, she wouldn't have gotten in. Her dreams would have been crushed already.

Her dad leaned in close to her mom, whispering in her ear, but not quiet enough. “That was so hot.”

“Shush, you. They'll hear you.” Her mom smacked him playfully on the arm, before turning back to Astraea and Aurora, looking more like the responsible parent she usually was. “Come on, girls. I think I'm in the mood for a smoothie.”

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 16: Smoothies and Satyrs with iPhones

[Recap: “I am sorry, but we will not be offering Astraea enrollment at our school.” Her voice was cold, heartless, uncaring and brutally transparent.

“Can I ask why not?” Her dad practically demanded…

…“I am sorry, Mr. Jackson, but even if I had Astraea take a placement test, there is the other issue of her never competing in any athletics or art programs before. This school, as I'm sure you well know, prides itself on its athletics and arts programs. So much so, that every single student that attends must be enrolled in at least one program. I am sorry, but without prior experience on a team or in a program, I cannot accept Astraea’s application and risk that she can neither keep up academically, nor in our athletics or arts programs.”

“Just take one look at me!” Astraea nearly shouted, her anger rising. “Just look at me and say you can't tell I'd be able to compete in sports-”

“There is also the issue of Astraea herself,” the old vulture cut in, giving her an icy look at her tone. “The Davenport Academy is a place for young gentlemen and ladies to gain the skills and knowledge to pursue professional careers in arts, athletics, music or trade. Our student body is expected to always be the epitome of grace, professionalism and class… and Astraea’s… unladylike appearance, demeanor and personality are the exact opposite of what we expect out of our students.”

…Her mom pulled out an envelope out of her purse and practically slapped it onto the desk. “Everett is a personal friend of the family and past, current and future client of my architect firm… and this is a personal letter of recommendation from him for both of my girls.”

…“H-how did you get a personal letter of recommendation from the founder and Chair Governor of my school?” …

…“Everett is a family friend, and it is his school, not yours.” Her mom said,... “It was him who suggested we send our girls to DPAAA, and it will be him who hears of you denying Astraea’s enrollment first-”

“T-there is no need for such r-rash action.” The principal said quickly, almost stumbling over her words. “I am confident we can come to an understanding without involving Mr. Davenport-”

“Excellent.” Her mom stood, grabbing her purse. “We will await both Aurora’s and Astraea’s official acceptance letters in the mail. Good day.” With that, she headed out the door without another word. Her dad quickly ushered them out with a gesture, following after their mom.]

~Recap~

[New York City, Immediately after]

The drive to the smoothie place was a fairly long one. Their mom drove, excitedly talking about them getting accepted into DPAAA. She didn't mention that Astraea had only gotten in thanks to her being friends with the founder of the school.

Their dad was scrolling on his phone when he snapped like he had gotten an idea. “Oh, hey, Beth. Do you think he’s still in town?”

Their mom paused for a second. “Should be, but why are you referring to him like that?”

“You'll see.” He said mysteriously, Astraea wondering who they were talking about. “Would you mind if I sent him a text asking if he wanted to get a smoothie with us?”

“‘Course not.” Their mom said. “I haven't seen him in too long. He's still on that mission, right?”

“As far as I know.” He typed out a quick text. “If he’s still in town, and not too busy saving the world or something, hopefully he’ll be able to stop by.”

“Who are you talking about?” Astraea asked.

“It's a secret.” Her dad said, a grin on his face. “We still have to see if he’s-” BZZT “-Oh, he replied already.” He said, looking at their mom. “He’s in. He’ll meet us there.”

“Can you just tell us?”

“Nope.” Her dad smiled, popping the P. “It's a surprise.”

Astraea turned to her sister in a silent question, but her sister merely shrugged. She had no idea who it could be either.

~Page Break~

They arrived at the smoothie place, but Astraea didn't recognize anyone she knew. She figured it had to be one of her parents’ friends, but she didn't have any idea of who it could be. His god friends were out of the question, mostly. They were usually too busy to just ‘stop by for smoothies’.

Astraea ordered a strawberry banana smoothie while her sister and dad ordered ‘whatever was bluest’. She didn't really get their obsession with the color blue, it must run in their blood or something, as Astraea was their family too, but didn't have the obsession. Their mom was still ordering when Astraea and Aurora found a table near the edge of the outside sitting area so they could talk without the mortals hearing.

“How’s your side doing?” Aurora asked as soon as they sat down. “Does it still hurt from when you got stabbed?”

“Nah.” Astraea said, taking a sip of her smoothie. “Doesn't hurt at all since Mr. Lieber sent us back. And, it didn't even leave a scar.”

“That’s good.”

“Says you, I wanted a scar.”

“Why would you want a scar?”

“Because they're cool.”

Aurora opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when their parents got within earshot.

“So, Astraea,” her dad started when he sat down. “You excited to try out for sports next week?”

“Yeah!” Astraea’s eyes lit up. “I'm going to try out for football.”

“DPAAA’s football team is one of the best in the country,” her dad told her like she didn't already know that. “So keep that in mind. And remember that you’ve never played before, so you'll be at a disadvantage compared to everyone else.”

“I know, dad.” Astraea said, wondering what his point was.

He hesitated for a moment, “...Just keep that in mind and don't lose heart if you don't make it, alright? Or if you have to sit on the bench your first year.”

“Then I'll just have to do better than anyone else.” Astraea said simply with a shrug, before taking a sip of her smoothie.

Her dad didn't say anything, he only gave that proud smile of his whenever she did something impressive or mature. It made her smile, too.

Their mom sat down a second later, chocolate-something in her hand. “Once we get home, girls, I’ll help you fit your new uniforms. They should already be roughly the correct sizes, but I might have to make some alterations.”

“Why do we have to wear those stupid uniforms?” Astraea complained with no real effort, mostly just exaggerating.

“Because it's the dress code.” Her mom said, ignoring her attempt to be dramatic. “They're not that bad, all things considered.”

“Ugh.” Astraea moaned dramatically. “Fine.”

“That's the enthusiasm I like to hear.”

“I-” Astraea opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by her dad.

“Hey, there he is.”

Three sets of eyes followed the direction to find a man with curly hair shoved under a floppy hat, a goatee and flower print shirt. He made his way over to them slowly with a pair of crutches, swinging his legs forward.

“Grover!” Astraea shouted, rushing over and nearly crushing him with a hug. She and Aurora had known their parents’ best friend from childhood, and Satyr was always invited to Christmas dinner, even if he wasn't always able to attend.

“Hey, look at you two. You've both grown so much!” He smiled in an almost goofy way Astraea was sure was played up. “Astraea, look at you, you've grown up.” He couldn't really say the same about Aurora, who was as short as ever, but Aurora didn't mind.

“Let him sit already,” their mom chastised softly. “I'm sure he's tired from making his way all the way over here.”

Once sitting and able to catch his breath, he said, “Sorry I'm late, I didn't have any money on me, couldn't get a cab. So I had to hobble the whole way here.”

“It's alright.” Their dad said, “You're here now.”

“You didn't have any money?” Astraea asked.

He leaned in, whispering. “Not any mortal money.” He said with a grin. “I don't need it much when I'm at Camp or Olympus.”

“Makes sense.” Aurora said.

“How are our friends?” Their mom asked subtly, so that people couldn't overhear them talking about the gods. That would be a surefire way for them to get identified as half-bloods. “Thalia told me the debates are getting worse.”

“Oh, you know them, they can't agree on anything no matter what century it is, or who’s there.” Grover said. “The Council is still mostly split between the new members and the old members. They just can't seem to agree on anything.”

Astraea tried her best to follow along, aware that, for safety reasons, they weren't just going to name any of the Olympians by name. She would have to pay attention for any details about them if her parents and Grover gossiped about them more.

“What have they decided about the certain problem, the one down south?” Their dad asked, in a tone that was only reserved for things he hated, which was a very short list. So Astraea assumed he was talking about the Zealots.

“That's the big argument between them.” Grover told them, sighing. “Thalia tells me they’re in a deadlock, with most of the newer members suggesting to make a move, and most of the older members suggesting to just let things take care of themselves.”

Their dad let out a few choice words Astraea had never heard him say before. She eyed him and her mom, but she didn't say anything about him cursing around her and Aurora. From the looks of it, she was just as angry as he was. “I can't believe this.”

“I know, I know. It's infuriating.” Grover said, before changing the subject. “But we can talk about it more when there aren't as many ears around.” He said, obviously referring to the mortals.

“So, what's this new mission you've been sent on?” Their dad asked. “You said you've been looking for something around the city?”

“Not something,” Grover said, biting into a muffin their mom bought for him. “Someone.”

Both their parents’ eyebrows raised. “Who is it?” Their mom asked. “One of us?”

“Not sure,” he admitted. “All Thalia and -” he lowered his voice to a whisper. “Lady Artemis, told me that our resident magician says she has never sensed anyone like it before. And that they, whoever they are, don't feel Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, or like any pantheon we’ve run into before.”

Astraea took a few seconds to digest everything Grover said. It was obvious that he was on the search for a new demigod, but he hadn't been sent on a mission for years. As the Lord of the Wilds, he was usually on Olympus doing important tree-related things or whatever. So this demigod, whoever they were, must be really important or powerful if Thalia and Artemis sent Grover to find them personally.
As for the ‘resident magician’, that sounded like Hecate, the goddess of Magic and the Mist, if Astraea were to guess. So for Hecate, who was tasked with scanning the country— and the greater world at times— for unknown and powerful half-bloods, magic and monster sources, to say she had no idea what this half-blood was, was a big thing. Like, understatement of the century, big. Whoever this half-blood was, wasn't normal.

It made Astraea excited, she had never heard the gods make such a big deal about a demigod before.

“Do they have any theories at the moment?” Her mom asked. “Either about the identity of the child or their parent?”

“Sadly, no.” Grover said. “We’re told it's like there's a void surrounding them, like a barrier, she said. It's keeping her from detecting anything about this kid.”

“Could it be their ability?” Their dad asked. “Like, a really rare, powerful ability that keeps them hidden? Or maybe some type of magic?”

“It's very well possible,” their mom muttered, raising her hand to her chin in thought. She considered it for a few moments. “It's not enough to go on,” she said, mostly to Grover. “At least for me. My mom or someone else might have a few ideas.”

“I’ll run that by Thalia.” Grover nodded, subtly eating his muffin wrapper after he made sure no bystanders were watching. “See if she wants to talk to your mom.”

“In the meantime,” their mom said. “I'll see what I can look up.”

“You don't have to do that,” Grover told her. “The Council isn't asking for your help on this, we know you two have given all that up for a normal life.”

“I know,” she admitted. “Old habits die hard, I guess.”

“But we’ll keep an eye out if we hear anything.” Her dad told him. “But we won't go looking for this kid or anything.”

“I understand.”

There was a comfortable silence between them after that, as everyone finished their smoothies. Their parents and Grover started into some usual conversations about how they had been lately, as Astraea and Aurora were mostly stuck listening to the boring exchanges.

Grover discovered some new kind of Greek onion? How interesting! Oh, their mom’s company was using a new kind of roofing tile? Woah, tell the press! Their dad was going to be on the Wheaties cereal box again? For the seventeenth time? No way!

It was all dreadfully boring to Astraea, who just wanted to hear some of their stories from when they went on Quests or fought Monsters as teenagers. But she knew they wouldn't tell those kinds of stories with all the mortals around.

Before long, Grover said he had to get back to searching for the mystery half-blood or Artemis would notice he’s slacking off. Astraea and Aurora gave their honorary Satyr uncle a big hug before he left, looking for any signs of the half-blood.

~Page Break~

Instead of heading directly back to Camp, the Jackson family briefly returned to their new home, Stonewall Farm in Westchester County. Because they had been sent to Camp immediately after moving to New York, the girls had barely any time to get familiar with the giant house, or mansion, as it technically was.

Astraea knew that her mom knew the architect and, through some business parter or someone, knew the previous owner and seller as well, so they had gotten a really good deal on the $100 million dollar home. Astraea knew her parents were well off, but they had no where near that kind of money to spend on a house, or at least she thought. As it turns out, having the most famous swimmer and Olympic athlete in history as a father made them a ton of money, he only had to do occasional commercials or ad deals from time to time, as well as having an architect for a mom that casually designed mansions and skyscrapers for billionaires. Such as Everett Davenport, the man who had gotten Astraea into his school.
Astraea had never really felt rich growing up in their old home— which despite being in the richest neighborhood in Chicago, was three floors and was decently modest— but now, driving up their private drive to their 740 acre property that had an impressive four story mansion on it, made her feel extremely rich. Her parents had never really spent their money on expensive things, other than a few sports cars her dad bought. Most of their spending went into the house or things for Astraea or Aurora. Like the top-of-the-line home gym, workout area, and indoor pool.

Parking in the big garage next to the old Firebird her dad claimed he was going to fix up one day, so they headed inside. Astraea wanted to immediately head to the currently-being-remodeled home gym, but her mom stopped her before she could make a break for it.

“Come on, girls,” She gestured for them to follow her upstairs. “We need to make sure your school uniforms are fitted.”

“Woop, woop.” Astraea mumbled under her breath.

After what felt like an eternity of torture, Astraea’s school uniform was ready for her first day of school. She was poked and prodded, forced to stand on a stool while her mom fitted her. Who knew her mom was also a fantastic tailor? Astraea didn't. Her mom had like a thousand skills, who would've figured she knew how to fit clothes as well? When asked, her mom simply said Athena was not only the goddess of War and Battle Strategy, but also Handcrafts, which included sewing. Her mom was just full of surprises.

While Aurora’ uniform was simple enough to fit, Astraea’s was more than a challenge. As it turns out, the school didn't expect many of their girls to have biceps, especially the size of Astraea’s. Due to her height as well, the uniforms her mom grabbed from the school were difficult to size as well. But, after her own personal hell, Astraea was let free as her mom took the uniform to her new hobby room to do the bulk of the tweaks. Astraea ran to the home gy before her mom could think of any more measurements to do.

Not surprisingly, Astraea found her sister down by the pool. But Aurora wasn't swimming as she first expected, she was trying to control the water with her non-existent abilities.

“I don't think Poseidon has much control over chlorinated water.” Astraea said in a way of greeting, nearly startling her sister so much she almost fell in.

“Eeep! Will you not sneak up on me?” She threw her hands down in defeat. “I think you're right… or I just can't control water.”

“You don't need water.” Astraea said, trying to console her. “Controlling the earth like you did before was impressive enough. Besides, grandpa Poseidon was also known as the Earthshaker, so you could have just inherited his ability to control the earth.”

“That's what mom and dad think.” She said, plopping down on a comfy lounge chair beside the pool. “They're probably right.”

“Mom’s usually right.” Astraea agreed, not exactly sure what to say. “Hey, you know what you could do instead of splashing around? Something that's guaranteed to work?”

“What?” Aurora asked, skeptical.

“You could get jacked like me!” Astraea smiled, flexing her bicep in a way that made Aurora laugh.

“Pass.” She said with a roll of her eyes.

“What's so bad about muscles?” Astraea fake demanded.

“Meh, they're your thing.” Aurora shrugged. “I'm not that interested in ‘getting jacked’.” She used air quotes. “Besides, have you looked at me? I'm just under four and a half feet tall and skin and bones.” Her eyes trailed Astraea’s larger and more muscular body for a second. “I could never look like you anyway.”

“Oh, stop being so pessimistic.” Astraea told her. “You're not all skin and bones either. You're short as hell, sure, but you're fit for your age. You're a swimmer and gymnast. You can't be ‘skin and bones’ and be both those things.”

Aurora was silent for a moment. “...I know. It's just, well, you look so much older than me.”

“I am older than you.”

Aurora rolled her eyes, doing a near-flawless interpretation of their mom. “You know that's not what I mean.” She said, looking away. “I'll probably always be small, at least, that's what mom says. Since she was injured when she was pregnant with me, it messed up my growth process or whatever.”

Astraea knew this, their parents had only told them a bit how their mom had been injured in a fight while she was pregnant with Aurora, and had to be put in a healing sleep. Because of that, it interfered with Aurora’s development. The only thing the girls didn't know, because their parents had always deflected the question whenever they asked, was how their mom was injured in the first place, and by what. Astraea personally assumed it was some sort of powerful Monster like a Hydra or Dracon or something, as she couldn't imagine her mom being taken down by anything less.

“Well, whether you grow as tall as mom, or stay a midget, you're who you are.” Astraea said, trying her best to cheer her sister up, knowing this was a touchy subject for her. “You're beautiful to me.”

“Thanks.” Aurora smiled, and Astraea could tell it was a real smile. “I guess you're beautiful, too-”

“Thanks.”

“-If you consider a pile of brainless muscles to be beautiful.”

Three seconds later, Aurora was flying through the air, landing in the large pool with a giant splash. The pool was plenty deep, and Aurora was an amazing swimmer, so Astraea had no qualms about throwing her in.

Aurora broke the surface, trying in vain to splash her from this distance. “You're gonna regret that! I'll throw you in next time!”

“Oh? What are you gonna do, tiny?” Astraea mocked, standing just out of range of the splashing water. “You couldn't lift me with a forklift.”

“I'll- I'll think of something!”

“Ooh! I'm shaking in my sneakers.” Astraea chuckled before heading to the weight area, ignoring her now dripping wet sister climbing out of the pool. Aurora wouldn't do anything now, she’d wait and try to think of a way to get back at her. Astraea welcomed the coming prank or whatever her sister came up with. It could be fun.

In the weight section of the spacious gym, Astraea stretched and loosened up. Warming up on the bench press for a bit, before increasing the weight. Technically, her dad only allowed her to use the bench press when he was around so he could spot her, but she didn't care. She was fully confident she could lift the weight without problem. Besides, her dad was busy making dinner and her sister weighed barely more than the bar, so it wasn't worth it to ask her.

Besides, if her dad was here, he would probably want her to take it easy, well, as easy as she usually took it, but she had no intention to play it safe. Thoughts of their easy defeat by Isolde, Jacqueyln and Olympia made Astraea push herself harder in her training. If those three women could defeat them so easily, then they didn't stand a chance against a powerful Monster, let alone a Titan. So, Astraea increased the weights even more. Strength was her strong point— excuse the lame pun— so she should focus on her physical abilities as much as possible. Like her sister should focus on mastering her ability to control the earth, and how Sacniete should focus on getting even faster.

Thinking of the tiny Guatemalan girl, Astraea felt guilty that she was able to leave Camp and act like a normal teenager while Sacniete was forced to stay locked up at Camp like an animal. So, after her heavy workout session, she made a point to talk to her dad before dinner as he was finishing up.

“Hey, dad?” Astraea asked as he had his head in a cupboard, looking for something.

“No, sweetie, foods not ready yet. Just need a few more-”

“I have a question.” She said quickly, cutting him off.

He turned around carrying a large measuring cup. “Sure, what's up?” He set the cup down and started cutting some vegetables.

“I…” Astraea uncharacteristically hesitated, unsure of how his reaction to her question would be. Would he be up for it? Or would he flat out refuse if Chiron was against it? “I… Um…”

He paused, mid cut, sensing her hesitation. “Honey? What's wrong?” He asked, full attention on her. “Did… something happen?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” She said quickly. “I um, just- Um, I was wondering something?”

“About?” He prompted.

“You know that girl I told you about? The one who went on the Quest with me and Aurora? Sacniete?”

His eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh, yes. I remember you telling us about her. Her speed seemed really impressive, even for a demigod.”

Of course her dad would bring that up, as Astraea had left out all the information about her being treated like an animal at Camp. “Yeah, she's really fast.” Astraea agreed absentmindedly. Summoning her courage, Astraea decided to just ask it outright. Her words came out like a stream, rapid fire. “I-was-wondering-if-we-could-invite-her-over-the-next-time-we’re-away-from-Camp? I-kind-of promised-to-let-her-try-your-cooking. I-hope-you-don't-mind-”

“Woah, woah, slow down, honey, catch your breath.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “So, let me see if I got this right; you want to invite your new friend over? And you want her to eat with us?”

Nervousness flooded into Astraea’s stomach. “...Yes.”

A big smile washed over his face. “Of course your friend can come over.” He said, releasing the tightness in her stomach. “And a Jackson doesn't let a guest leave feeling hungry, you know what grandma Sally says, we’ll whip up something delicious.”

Astraea had to forcefully stop the tears from forming in her eyes. She tackled her dad in a tight hug, surprising him. But he was used to her shows of affection enough so he easily returned the hug. “Thanks, dad. Thank you. Sacniete will be so happy.”

“It's no problem, really.” He tried to chuckle, but he didn't know how much it meant to Astraea, and, she was sure, to Sacniete, to be invited somewhere.

“Can we maybe invite her over for Christmas?” Astraea asked, hoping she wasn't pushing her luck. “I told her how delicious your food was.”

Her dad chuckled, returning to the vegetables. “I don't see a problem with that. But we’ll have to see how it's going to look this year,” he explained. “Your mom and I are thinking of having a big family dinner-”

“Can we still invite Sacniete?” Astraea cut him off. “She… she doesn't have any family.”

Her dad stopped chopping. “Of course she can come over.” He told her. “As long as you don't think she’ll mind our crazy family?”

Astraea couldn't help her grin. “I think she’ll love it.”

“Alright, then,” her dad said, continuing. “It's settled. Sacniete can spend Christmas with us.”

Astraea tackled him in a hug again, her dad barely managing to move the chef knife away in time. “Thank you so much!” She kissed him on the cheek, something she hadn't done since she was younger.

“No need to try to tackle me,” he chuckled. “Besides, I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in meeting your new friend.”

My first friend, Astraea thought.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Chapter 17: Mahbubur ibn Abdel Fattah Khalid

[Recap: Astraea's long wait during summer was finally over, and it was nearly time for her first day of school. But, before that, she had to try out for one of the best football teams on the east coast]

~Recap~

[A week later, The Davenport Preparatory Academy of Arts and Athletics]

Astraea and Aurora had been dropped off at Davenport Academy by Argus at eight in the morning. Astraea had hoped to try out and make it onto the football team while Aurora hoped the same for gymnastics. They wished each other luck, before heading off in separate directions, Astraea to the main football field, and Aurora to the large gymnastics gym.

Walking up to the field, seeing more than a hundred guys stretching and warming up, Astraea felt the first wave of nervousness she had felt since deciding she wanted to try out.

She was a freshman, likely to be overlooked just for her age and lack of experience having never played before. But Astraea wasn't one to quit before she started, so she plowed onto the field.

She felt several eyes on her. Boys, freshmen to seniors, watched her as she passed. But she ignored them. She could see a group of older men that could only be the coaches huddled just off the field. None of them had given any directions yet as far as she was aware, she was still twenty minutes early, but she followed suit in loosening up like those around her.

The coaches broke up and headed towards them, walking through the field of hopeful students with an evaluating eye. An older man with a pot belly halted in front of her, looking her up and down like she was something nasty he had stepped on.

“You're on the wrong field, girlie.” He jutted his thumb behind him as he started to walk off. “Cheerleader tryouts are on the south field. Talk to Coach Vanessa-”

“I'm here to tryout for football.” She told him, immediately regretting cutting him off. Last thing she wanted to do was insult one of the people who would decide if she got onto the team or not. “Coach.” She added quickly, saying the word with all the respect she would use for her dad or a trainer at Camp. She hoped it would be enough.

The man snorted, an ugly sound. “Powder Puff tryouts aren't until the week before Homecoming.” He told her, continuing to walk away. “Stop wasting my time and get off my field already.”

“But, sir.” She said, still trying her best to be respectful. “I'm here to tryout for the team. The regular team.”

A few dozen boys and a few other coaches were watching them now, as if they wanted to see the outcome.

The coach stopped and turned around, facing her with a stony expression. “You ever play before?”

“Well, no.” She admitted. “But I-”