We do not own Percy Jackson & the Olympians or any works of Rick Riordan. All rights go to their original owners. We only own OCs and concepts we're introducing to the canon.
Writing credits go to Uzumaki Ricky, Monsterhuntergod, Sharad the hedgehog, and Traines.
Masters of Defying Destiny
Book 1: The Frozen Trails
Chapter 6: Tying Up Old Wounds
The first thing Argos felt was the pain washing over his body. From the tips of his toes to the top of his head, he was consumed in pain. And, as if that were not enough, he opened his eyes to see only darkness. Panic set in as he reached for his face, only to feel a towel covering his eyes. With a sigh and a mournful groan, he took off the towel to see a wooden ceiling above him.
"Where? Where am I?" He muttered, biting his lip from a rush of pain.
"The camp's infirmary, kid." A familiar voice told him.
"Coach?" Argos groaned as he tried to sit up.
"Whoa, easy there kid! The Apollo kids just got done patching you up! Don't aggravate your injuries!" Coach Pine told him, stopping him from getting up.
"Apollo? You mean like the musical sun guy, right?" Argos asked.
"He's a god of many domains, but those are two of them, yes." Coach Pine told him.
"Good to know. But Coach… are you high?" Argos asked, putting his hands together.
Coach Pine merely responded by putting his goat legs up on the bed, leaning back in his chair. "Believe me now, kiddo?" He asked him.
"Ah! Goat feet!!" Argos yelped, jumping to his feet. Only to immediately collapse onto the floor like a house of cards, laying on his left side with his legs in a heap.
"I told you not to move, kid! Do you have any idea what dealing with three high level monsters does to a demigod's body!? You're lucky to be alive!" Coach Pine told him, jumping to his feet before clip-clopping over to help him up.
"You're saying words… but all I hear is crazy." Argos groaned.
"So, Coach… is the rookie having the usual reaction?" Another familiar voice asked from the doorway.
Argos turned the best he could to look towards the new voice. Out of the corner of his eye, as he soon flopped onto his stomach, he saw Mike standing there. Weakly, Argos tried and failed to get up as Coach Pine spoke up.
"Hey, Mike. Yeah, kid's taking it about as well as to be expected. How're the other two holding up?" Coach Pine asked, a bit of concern leaking into his voice.
"They woke up before he did. They're taking the news surprisingly in stride. Need some help with him?" Mike replied, raising an eyebrow as he gestured to Argos.
"I… got… this…" Argos groaned as he slowly and weakly tried to stand up.
"Easy there, rookie. You dealt with a Cyclops, a Hellhound, and whatever the hell that naked bear thing was. Take your time." Mike advised, walking over to help him up.
"Stop talking for one second! I just found out my coach is a goat man, and I was nearly killed by Smokey's evil, naked cousin!!" Argos snapped as he finally, and barely, got up.
"Welcome to the hellish world of a demigod, rookie. We deal with crazy stuff like this all the time." Mike replied as he made it over, gently helping Coach Pine get him back into bed.
"If this is what hell is, then I want a refund…" Argos muttered as he sat down on the bed.
"Hang on. I got something right here that'll help you heal up faster for orientation. Just make sure you don't drink and eat too much of it, no matter how good it tastes. You might burst into flames if you do." Mike told him, taking his backpack off his back, unzipping it, and reaching into it.
Argo blinked once, then blinked twice before saying. "You can yap and yap all you like about this crazy nonsense. Just hand me the health super food and get it over with." Argos said, catching both Pine and Mike a bit off guard at his blatant denial.
Pulling out a thermos and a wrapped square of food, Mike set his backpack on the floor and tossed the wrapped food over to Argos. "Think fast, newbie!" He called out, gently tossing it to Argos before holding the thermos out for Coach Pine to take.
The boy swiftly snatched the thermos out of Mike's hand, only for the square mystery food to smack him lightly in the face, settling into his lap. After rubbing crumbs off his face, Argos then chugged the thermos' contents in one go, causing Pine and Mike to panic.
"Are you braindead, rookie!? I told you not to have too much of that stuff!" Mike told him worriedly, snatching it out of his hands once he stopped drinking.
"Oh god, it takes like that tequila I snuck out of my aunt's stash!" Argos said and winced from the bracing, strong taste of the thermos liquid. "Hang on, you got a lemon?"
Closing the thermos up, Mike twisted it shut before twisting the cap on. "That's Nectar, rookie. The drink of the gods. It tastes like the best food or drink you've ever had in your life. Don't wanna know what that says about your life…" Mike told him before putting the thermos back in his backpack.
"Best food or drink is a questionable statement in regard to what I've had to consume. Well might as well get the mystical sea biscuit wafer out of the way then." Argos sighed before picking up the square cube food in his lap.
"That's Ambrosia, kid. The food of the gods. Once again, the taste will vary depending on what you like." Coach Pine told him.
"Like and food are two words I don't particularly use often together." Argos said as he looked it over.
"Then remind me to invite you over to a barbecue for one of my stepdad's famous inside out, Philly triple bacon double cheeseburgers." Mike told Argos sympathetically.
"Don't ask for extra cheese. Those things will be the death of me." Coach Pine chipped in.
Argos rolled his eyes at his companions before taking a bite. Texture wise, it reminded him of a dense pastry with a more nugget center. However, as he chewed, he was then hit with a sudden burst of salty, fishy flavor. This sudden reaction further confused Mike and Pine as Argos then forcibly swallowed his biteful of food.
"You keep saying it's supposed to be the best food I've eaten. Reminds me of that overly salty caviar I had a month ago." Argos said, as he tried to grab the thermos again.
"We gotta get some good mortal food in you some time if that's what it tastes like to you…" Mike said, shaking his head disappointedly.
"Alright, you filled me with health food. What's next?" Argos asked impatiently. However, when he attempted to get up from the bed, the pain began to melt away. When he stood up straight, he didn't just feel good, he felt better than he ever had. The pain, the aches, and the cuts he had from the chase were all gone. He felt like a new man.
"... Got any more of that stuff?" Argos asked curiously.
"Sorry, rookie. Outside of quests and emergencies, we're limited on how much of that stuff we can have. I barely managed to get that much from the guy I know in Hermes Cabin." Mike replied with a shrug.
"Of course, the good stuff is in short supply." Argos sighed mournfully.
"If you're still hungry, I know another guy who can get us some stuff from out of camp." Mike offered helpfully.
"... How many guys do you know?" Argos asked, raising his eyebrow at the statement.
"I could tell ya', but then I'd have t' kill ya'." Mike replied simply.
Coach Pine then began walking towards the door, his hooves pattering loudly on the wooden floor. "Alright, you two. Let's get to the amphitheater. The boss will be making his speech soon." He said, motioning them to follow him.
"Not sure how much of a speech it's gonna be, Coach. You know how Mr. D always is." Mike replied before following behind the old satyr.
"And this Mr. D character is?" Argos asked confusedly.
"Dionysus. God of Wine and Camp Director of Camp Half-Blood." Mike replied with a shrug.
"... Sure. Fine. Let's go with that." Argos sighed.
"Anyway, follow us, kid. I'll have Mike give you the grand tour after orientation." Coach Pine told Argos.
"I have a name, you know." Argos answered annoyedly.
"Sorry, Argos. Force of habit." Coach Pine told him.
"I'm not. Last more than a month after your first quest and I'll learn your name, rookie. 'Til then, you're an extra body for the monster meat grinder." Mike replied with a shrug.
With that, the trio began to walk along a dirt path away from the infirmary. It hit Argos pretty quickly that he had entered into a completely different world. Lush forests, rolling fields, a big shimmering lake, and more nature than he had ever seen in his life. Buildings built in clearly an ancient style littered the place, what he could gather being Ancient Greek. Dozens to hundreds of other kids were out doing various activities or hanging out. He even saw hordes of more goat men like Coach Pine intermixed with the campers. Even when he looked up, he saw a pair of kids riding a great, black-winged horse. His head kept looking around on a swivel, trying his best to take it all in.
Mike grinned when he noticed Argos' wandering eyes. "Drink it all in, rookie. This is your life from now on." He told the smaller, less well-built boy.
Argos however kept looking around, not hearing Mike. However, his body language then changed, as if he realized something. He then clutched his wrists under his sleeves for a moment, before taking up a more guarded stance. This change, however, was quickly picked up by the older pair ahead of him.
"Something wrong, Argos?" Coach Pine asked in concern.
"You guys got… long sleeve versions of the camp shirts?" Argos asked nervously.
"We normally save those for the fall, but yes. Why?" Mike asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I… I like wearing long sleeves more." Argos answered with a small gulp.
Mike looked at Coach Pine who shrugged before then looking back at Argos. "Fair enough, newbie. I'll make sure to get you the long-sleeved ones after the post-orientation tour." Mike told him
"Thank you." Argos replied with a small nod.
Then the small dirt path before them merged into several others, making a much larger and more well-trodden path. Before them was a small waist high wall that curved around for dozens of feet. Walking up to the wall, Argos soon found that it was the edge to a great amphitheater, filled with row upon row of descending lines of stone benches. As they entered, they soon noticed two familiar faces. The other two kids that had been running from the bear with him.
"Corvo! Alastair! How are you two boys holding up!?" Coach Pine called out as he walked towards them.
The younger-looking brother didn't say anything, instead giving a simple thumbs up.
"We're doin' alright." The older one said easily, eyes quickly surveying the area, as if he expected something to jump out and eat them.
'Welcome to the club, pal.' Argos thought as he sat down at the end of the bench row, closest to the stairs.
"Don't worry boys, this orientation doesn't take long. Mr. D doesn't exactly do long speeches." Coach Pine said before sitting next to the older of the brothers.
"Yeah, he's not a huge fan of long speeches. Or campers. Or… pretty much anything about being here." Mike added with a shrug before taking his seat.
"I think we'd get along." Argos muttered.
"Probably not." Mike replied.
"Pipe down, boys. Here he comes." Coach Pine shushed.
At the bottom of the stairs and rows of benches was a large stone stage, essentially a massive slab of rock smoothed for the purpose. All the new campers soon hushed as a scraggly bearded man in a yellow Hawaiian shirt and black unkempt hair walked out. Watery, bloodshot eyes scanned the throngs of new campers before him, causing a grimace to form from his lips.
"Chiron! How many did you say are here!?" The man hoarsely whispered to the back of the amphitheater.
"Forty-five new campers, Mr. D…!" An older sounding voice called from the back.
Mr. D sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. He then opened his hand, and, in a flash, a large bottle wrapped in brown paper appeared. Opening the bottle, a loud, very audible hiss came from it. He then looked inside the bottle and let out a deep sad sigh.
"By the Styx, I wish this were booze." He grumbled, before looking back at the crowd. He blinked once, then twice, before sighing deeply.
"Uh... there's more of you here than last time... Congratulati… I can't do this, Chiron. I tried." he said turning away from the crowd and addressing the back of the theater in an annoyed huff.
"You said you would do a minute this year." The older voice said from the back.
"We all say things," Mr. D said, taking a large swig of his bottle as he turned to his right and quickly walked off the stage.
A deep, audible sigh was heard as, from the back of the amphitheater, came what Argos first thought was a middle-aged man. That was until he saw the lower half of his torso was that of a white stallion. The man rubbed his beard a bit before speaking.
"Greetings new campers. That was our h camp director, Mr. D. Or Dionysus, as you may know of him. I am Chiron, Head Activities Director for Camp Half-Blood." He said in a far more genuinely positive voice.
"Chiron? As in 'the guy who taught Hercules' Chiron?" Argos whispered to Mike.
"Got it in one, rookie." Mike whispered back with a smile.
"You have all been brought here for your protection, and to further train you in your new lives as Demigods. The world we live in is not a kind one. Monsters roam the land and live in the very same places you call home. And you may not know who in your life was a monster in disguise until it is too late." Chiron explained, as audible gasps came from the audience.
Chiron raised his hand to silence them as he continued. "This may come off as not the most encouraging, but I speak the truth. Many of you will die, but I am here to ensure that you have the best possible chance. For what reason your godly parent put you on this earth, I cannot say. But it is my duty to train you, teach you, and nurture you into a Demigod that Olympus would be proud of." He continued.
This began to get more positive reactions from the crowd, who all began to chatter amongst themselves. Chiron then raised his hand again to silence them all.
"Today, you will all follow the guides to your cabin and have today to settle in. Tomorrow, you will begin camp activities in earnest. Hermes cabin will give you your schedule brochures." Chiron explained. "Thank you all for your time. May Olympus bless your day."
Mike then stood up and walked up to the stage. "All newcomers, follow me to Hermes Cabin! Our cabin's counselor will get you situated in your bunks, then my sister will hand out the brochures, and we can start the tour!" He announced.
"Oh goodie. I get stuck in the same cabin as him…" Argos muttered before standing up.
The great throng of campers flew out of the amphitheater behind Mike as he led them around the lake. As they walked, they passed various other cabins, each numbered with a great silver plaque. Finally, after what felt like forever, they stopped at a cabin with the plaque stating Eleven. Unlike many of the other cabins, this one very visibly showed its age at the porch, and behind it was a sprawling number of more recent extensions. Its rustic, classical charm was hampered by the misshapen nature of the various expansions, as if the cabin were ready to explode from the inside.
"Well, this one looks like it's seen better days." Argos said, his eyes looking over it acutely.
"This is Hermes Cabin. Don't mind its rustic charm. Also, watch your step. Some of the boards on the porch are bad." Mike explained as he led the group inside.
As soon as the door opened, Argos' eyes were assaulted by the sheer mass of bodies, and the cramped nature of the room. Before him was what looked like the mix between a Viking longhouse and a cabin, with a massive oblong main room, and several other doors and stairs leading in bizarre directions. Some sections had bunks, others had areas cordoned off with canvas for sleeping bags, some even slept in hammocks hung from the rafters. And anywhere there was space in between all of that was cluttered with personal possessions of the various inhabitants.
"Watch your step, watch your head, and try not to bump into anyone." Mike explained as he ushered everyone into the room.
"Hey, Mike. Did Lupe not want to bring in the fresh meat this year?" One kid asked from atop a bunk.
"We played rock-paper-scissors for it and I lost." Mike replied with a shrug before turning to face the new demigods.
"We keep telling you, man. You got to cheat." Another kid piped up from a different bunk.
"I can't anymore. Lupe's onto me." Mike replied before clearing his throat. "Alright, rookies! Welcome to Hermes Cabin! Find a spot to set yourself up! We got spaces in the back, upstairs, and in the basement!"
"There's a basement?" Argos asked.
"We had to expand downward too, due to the influx of new demigods." One of the girls on a bunk explained.
"Hey, bro! I found the perfect spot up here!" The younger of the two brothers cried out from atop one of the sets of the stairs.
"How did he…" Argos muttered.
"Alastair! I told you to stop running off like that!! And make sure it's a good bed!!" The other brother called out before rushing up the stairs after him.
"Well, they're settling in nicely." Mike said with a smile.
"Good for them." Argos muttered.
"Hey, y'all! We got a rich boy in here!" Alastair cried out from the top floor, which got everyone's attention.
"Scream it for the whole camp, why don't ya'?" Corvo growled in frustration from the top floor.
"How did…" Argos muttered as he patted down his pants before his eyes widened. "You stole my wallet!!!"
Argos rushed up the stairs, pushing past people to try to follow Alastair. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he frantically looked around the room, until he saw a group of them clustered together. He rushed over to see Alastair holding up a black credit card, and the group staring at it in awe.
"Give me that back!!" Argos growled as he grabbed the credit card and his wallet out of their hands and began checking to see if anything was missing.
"How'd you get a black card, new kid? Are your parents that loaded?" One of the new girls asked with an impish smirk.
"My parents have a controlling stake in Kastellanos Shipping. That's why." Argos said frustratedly before putting his wallet back in his pants.
"Ooh! What's it like being rich?" One of the other girls asked, a gleam in her eyes.
Question after question began to pour in as the crowd surrounded Argos. However, just as Mike reached the top of the stairs, they heard a loud, sharp whistling that hit them like a dog whistle causing everyone to wince in pain. After wincing and unclutching their ears from the effects of the horrid noise, everyone looked at its source. Leaning against one of the bunk beds stood a very annoyed Corvo, who motioned for a recently arrived Mike to speak.
"Thank you, Corvo. I didn't wanna have to pull out the air horn. Now then, if you're all done harassing the rich newbie, it's time for the new kids to pick out their spots!" Mike said, walking through the door.
At that the group began to disperse, leaving Argos and the two brothers standing with Mike.
"Well, that happened…" Argos muttered.
"Yeah, might wanna watch your stuff in here, Argos. Hermes kids are known for having their dad's sticky fingers. You know, because children of the God of Thieves and all…" Mike warned him.
"I get the point." Argos replied.
"Right. Once you've found your spots, head downstairs to pick up your schedule brochures so we can start the tour. I'll be down there doing pushups on my fingertips while I wait." Mike replied, heading downstairs.
"Do I even want to know if he is joking about that?" Argos asked.
"No." A bunch of campers who had clearly been there longer told him.
Argos then sighed as he started wandering around the cabin. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" He asked himself, as he began the Herculean task of finding an open spot.
To Be Continued…