10 - The One With The Showoff

PERCY'S POV:

The campers, nymphs, and satyrs were all staring at the army and me in fear and awe. The immortal campers posed ready to draw weapons if needed, but you could read in their eyes their desperate hope that we are allies rather than enemies. Hmm. Apparently they do not trust the word of the Olympians. I decided to ease off their worries.

"Demigods and creatures of the wild, we are not your enemies. My Lord Chaos and the Primordial Council feel that you are incapable of defeating an enemy that has vowed to raze earth stone by stone, so they sent help. What you see right here is exactly that, and in due time, as war comes closer, a few more will arrive."

"Commander. It's very reassuring to have you here, to know that the Creator and the Primordial Council care about us. I am Chiron, the director of this camp, and I welcome you" He politely bowed. Chiron hadn't changed one single bit. Seeing him as well as everyone else was making me very nostalgic, my feelings were getting out of hand.

"No bowing, please. No formalities required. We prefer respect to devotion, which everyone should get. Ours was a very long journey, so now if you don't mind we'll like to rest for a while. We'll meet during dinner time and campfire, and there I'll answer the questions I can sense brewing inside you."

"Of course Commander, but I am so sorry, there has been a misunderstanding between us and Lord Chaos. When we enquired about how many people we had to build a place to stay in, he said you just needed a small amount of space. So we cleaned a few meters of space and decided to build you a cabin the way you liked when we met face to face. We hadn't expected a small amount to be in thousands." He said a bit nervously. Hmm... hoping we wouldn't feel offended and run away I presume. To their surprise, I smiled at them ( I had changed into a different mask in the ship so they could now see my face and eyes.)

"There was no misunderstanding Director Chiron, and if there was any, it was on your part in deciphering the true meaning behind his statement. "

"What other meaning can such a simple statement have?" Asked Zeus incredulously.

"Perhaps that spaces don't define numbers?" I said

Noting their confused expressions I added a bit smugly "We should proceed towards that space you have reserved for us. Allow me to demonstrate it live for you there".

I instructed the army to stay put outside the camp while I set up the tent. I followed the big three and Chiron, the Olympians and immortal counselors right behind me along with the whole camp trailing behind.

The place they showed me was perfect.

"You've chosen a spot of great strategic importance director, I'm impressed. The area is more than sufficient. Thank you."

"Actually the Athena cabin and especially the head counselor, Annabeth Chase were pivotal in deciding this spot."

Of course, she was.

"Oh yeah. I've heard a lot about miss Chase the famous daughter of Athena. She always thinks she's doing what's best for everyone doesn't she?" I said a bit pointedly. Pretty much everyone seemed equally shocked and upset by this statement. They must've remembered exactly what was in my mind - she kicked me out saying it was best for everyone.

"Anyways thank you, daughter of Athena, you have indeed chosen an excellent spot, adjacent to Zeus' fist and at a visible distance plus at a height from camp entrance. "

It was true. From here I could keep watch and warn the camp in case of a sudden attack immediately. So if an enemy chose this path to attack, the element of surprise was certainly not a luxury they would get.

"Th... thank you, Commander." Annabeth stuttered softly. She seemed pretty sensitive to the past. As if she ever cared.

"You're welcome. And now, ladies and gentlemen, I'll build our cabin here." With that, I called in the powers of creation of Lord Chaos from within me, a feat I'd learned when I became part of the Primordial Council. When I could feel the powers flowing within me, I visualized what kind and size of tent I wanted. Bang. It was ready. The size was your average tent, but unlike your average tent, this was more like a tardis. Smaller on the outside, gigantic on the inside.

"It's ready, see, wasn't that hard was it?"

"Uh... so... your army will be staying outside? You know we can create a place for them, it might take time and effort, but it'll be much more comfortable than being outside." Zeus said.

"Yes, the way you said you considered your army your family I'm sure you don't want to give them such treatment. We'd be honored to help you. " Poseidon continued.

"No need. I meant every word I said, but I think we established earlier that you are a bit slow at deciphering the actual meaning" I smirked.

"Sarge. It's ready. Bring the lads. " I said in my walkie-talkie.

"Right away sir" Elmont replied.

In about a minute it looked like people would die of suffocation. I had already instructed Zeus to magically increase the size of camp by five times, but that was only the training and dining arena, not the entrance or this part.

"Soldiers, our home is ready. Get in. You too, Gregory and Elmont. I'll be inside in a few." I instructed. Then, one by one, I watched as every non-army member's eye widened from normal to the size of ping-pong balls. They had just witnessed around 3000 people going inside a tent whose size indicated its capacity to be around 2 or 3 people max. Well, If you put it that way I couldn't blame them. In fact to tell you the truth I had a similar reaction when Lord Chaos showed me this power the first time. But I had the upper hand here, I knew stuff they had no idea about. This advantage of mine I certainly wouldn't lose.

"Now if you'd kindly stop ogling at our home, we could talk?"

"Ohh.. yeah... sorry... it's just that... never mind... - " Chiron started, but I cut him off.

"This is the power of Chaos director Chiron, it's simply limitless. You do understand that don't you?"

"Oh of course I do... its just that... I've lived my life with Olympians and not seen anything even remotely powerful. So forgive me if I'm a little taken aback. "

"The Olympians could very easily do this Director, but unfortunately they do not use their power citing petty excuses. And now I'm really tired, so I'll settle down. We'll be there for dinner, and later on, during campfire, we will hold a meeting regarding whatever you want."

With that, I turned around and went inside the mansion, not waiting for their reply. Now you must be wondering why I was upset with the Gods, but I'm not upset. I'm pissed at them. When I left this camp I wasn't but after a few years as a Council member, I realized that the rules for gods to help their children were pretty flexible, unlike what they had told us. I let that go off my mind to get some peace and rest, tomorrow onwards the days would be pretty long.

The tent, or mansion as the army likes to call it, is not exactly a place to stay. Its a 13-dimensional small area, and when you enter this area you are teleported to a mansion like humongous building that automatically creates itself when I create the tent.

It has all the modern amenities - games, training arena, outdoor sports, all types and origins of food, televisions and all those modern PlayStation games. Elmont is a fan of those, and I can bet you 30 drachmas he'll be there right now. I went to my room, where I just sat thinking about today.

Poseidon hadn't changed much, but upon closer observation, he looked a bit sad and old. Even Chiron didn't look like his old self. That sparkle from his eyes was gone now, and I wondered if it had anything to do with my disappearance. The most shocking, though, was the immortal campers. They were all there. Jason, Reyna, Leo Piper, Hazel, Frank, Nico, Calypso, Katie, the Stoll brothers... her... and a few more whom I recognized. There were few I didn't recognize, I guess they were the children of the minor gods. I couldn't recognize them 'cause they weren't there during my time. But that isn't what was disturbing me. I observed that they all held a kind of desolate sadness in their eyes, like they were alive, but not living.

Almost every single person from my days who I knew resembled such expressions. What happened? I haven't heard of a new war or death of immortals on earth since I left, and I could see them much closer to their parents than before... so what's exactly bothering them? Hmm... will have to find out in today's meeting.

(A/ N: PLEASE REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME.)