I 02. I

𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒓𝒆

❝ firelight ❞

IT WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING WITH DREW. Ever since the daughter of Aphrodite had joined camp, she had made nothing but a show of everything. One would practically believe that she was really a daughter of Dionysus based on how dramatic she was. Ariadne was sure that she would purposefully throw herself in Tartarus if Drew had been her sister. A terrible thing to say, but the Asian girl was nothing short of jealous of her.

Drew would often complain about how Ariadne was the star of camp. Many simply just said it was because the brunette was incredibly powerful, and how she couldn't be charmspeaked--and that irked Drew to no end. But it wasn't Ariadne's fault that she was powerful. It wasn't her fault that she had been dealt the wild card that cursed her with the ability to rip the country apart, and ruin the minds of every living soul on the planet. If Drew wanted that then she could have it.

Out of all the cards in the card deck, she wasn't sure what hers truly meant, and if it was a wild card hiding a joker underneath.

That was a bit ominous she realized.

Ariadne had sat in that spot for a good five minutes before realizing she had left Jason alone with Drew. She wasn't necessarily fond of the blond boy, but no one deserved to be left with that manipulative child of Aphrodite.

She hurried toward the Big House. It was just like she had remembered and seen all those years; nothing had changed in the slightest. Just a four story manor painted baby blue with white trim. The wraparound porch had lounge chairs, a card table where her father usually was, and an empty wheelchair that belonged to Chiron. Wind chimes shaped like nymphs turned into trees as they spun. On the highest table, a bronze eagle weathervane spun around.

The brunette noticed Drew and Jason up ahead, the girl seeming to get cozy with the awkward boy. Her eyes almost rolled out of her head.

"You're waiting for a sign," Jason guessed, noticing the Asian girl staring at a spot right above his head. "Like what popped over Leo's head."

"What? No! Well... yes. I mean, from what I heard, you're pretty powerful, right? You're going to be important at camp, so I figure your parents will claim you right away. And I'd love to see that. I wanna be with you every step of the way! So is your dad or mom the god? Please tell me it's not your mom. I would hate it if you were an Aphrodite kid."

"Why?"

"Then you'd be my half brother, silly. You can't date somebody from your own cabin. Yuck!"

"But aren't all gods related?" Jason asked. "So isn't everyone here your cousin or something?"

"Aren't you cute! Sweetie, the godly side of your family doesn't count except for your parent. So anybody from another cabin—they're fair game. So who's your godly parent—mom or dad?"

"Don't push it, Drew," Ariadne said, making her presence known. The two turned to see the intimidating girl staring them down. Her hands rested on her hips, and Jason noticed that she made the orange camp shirt seem like it was made of the priciest diamonds on earth. Even better than Drew looked. But he didn't say that.

Ariadne was too scary to make him speak.

Drew gave the girl a supposedly confident smirk. "Don't worry, hon, I'm not pushing. I just assumed since he's powerful and all, that he would be immediately claimed. Like, you know, Percy." Her voice turned wistful. It was no secret that the moment Drew had set her eyes on Percy they turned to hearts, and she hadn't stopped flirting with him anytime the older couple visited.

The daughter of Dionysus scoffed.

Then she heard footsteps on the front porch. No—not footsteps—hooves.

"Chiron!" Drew called. "This is Jason. He's totally awesome!"

Rounding the corner of the porch was a man—except he was part horse. From the waist up he was human, with curly brown hair and a well-trimmed beard. He wore a t-shirt that said World's Best Centaur, and had a quiver and bow strapped to his back. His head was so high up he had to duck down to avoid the porch lights, because from the waist down, he was a white stallion.

Chiron started to smile at Jason. Then the color drained from his face.

"You..." The centaur's eyes flared like a cornered animal's. "You should be dead."

Chiron ordered Jason—well, invited, but it sounded like an order—to come inside the house. He told Drew to go back to her cabin, which Drew didn't look happy about. The centaur had a staring match with Ariadne, which she eventually won because he was out of it.

The centaur trotted over to the empty wheelchair on the porch. He slipped off his quiver and bow and backed up to the chair, which was opened like a magician's box. Chiron gingerly stepped into it with his back legs and began scrunching himself into a space that should've been too small. Ariadne smirked at Jason's dumbfounded face as the centaur'a lower half disappeared and the chair folded up, popping out a set of fake human legs covered in a blanket, so Chiron appeared to be a regular mortal guy in a wheelchair.

"Follow me," he ordered. "We have lemonade."

The living room looked like it had been swallowed by a rain forest. Grapevines curved up the walls and across the ceiling, which Jason found a little strange. He didn't think plants grew like that inside, especially in the winter, but these were leafy green and bursting with bunches of red grapes.

He found it especially strange as the vines seemed to follow Ariadne around, wrapping around her shoulders as if to comfort her, and she only smiled.

Leather couches faced a stone fireplace with a crackling fire. Wedged in one corner, an old style Pac-Man arcade game beeped and blinked. Mounted on the walls was an assortment of masks—smiley/frowny Greek theatre types, feather Mardi Gras masks, Venetian Carnevale masks with big beak like noses, carved wooden masks from Africa. Grapevines grew through their mouths so they seemed to have leafy tongues. Some had red grapes bulging through their eyeholes.

But the weirdest thing was the stuffed leopard's head above the fireplace. It looked so real, it's eyes seemed to follow Jason. Then it snarled, and Jason nearly leaped out of his skin.

The blond became all flushed as Ariadne stifled her laughs behind her hand, and was hit by Chiron, who gave her a warning look.

"Now, Seymour," Chiron chided. "Jason is a friend. Behave yourself."

"That thing is alive!" Jason said.

Chiron rummaged through the side pocket of his wheelchair and brought out a package of sausages. He threw one to the leopard, who snapped it up and licked his lips.

"You must excuse the decor," Chiron said. "All this was a parting gift from our old director before he was recalled to Mount Olympus. He thought it would help us to remember him. Mr. D has a strange sense of humor."

"Mr. D," Jason said. "Dionysus. Ariadne's father?"

"Mmm hmm," Ariadne hummed. She strolled over toward the fireplace, arms crossed while adorning a black windbreaker with a sea-green trident in the corner. Jason assumed it was her boyfriend's. "If you think this is bad, you should see our cabin."

She scratched Seymour underneath his chin. A purr escaped his mouth, making the boy wonder how he did it without a body. The girl whispered something to the head and it chortled.

Chiron poured lemonade, though his hands were trembling a little. "As for Seymour, well, Mr. D liberated him from a Long Island garage sale. The leopard is Mr. D's scared animal, you see, and Mr. D was appalled that someone would stuff such a noble creature. He decided to grant it life, on the assumption that life as a mounted head was better than no life at all. I must say it's a kinder fate than Seymour's previous owner got."

Seymour bared his fangs and sniffed the air, as if hunting for more sausages.

A scratching sound sounded outside the front door, and Ariadne rolled her eyes. She took large steps and opened the door to let in Zoe. The tiger have Jason a snort and laid at the base of the fireplace, seeming to look up at Seymour and strike up an animal conversation.

"If he's only a head," Jason said, "where does the food go when he eats?"

"Better not to ask," Chiron said. "Please, sit."

Jason took some lemonade, though his stomach was fluttering. Chiron sat back in his wheelchair and tried for a smile, but Jason could tell it was forced. The old man's eyes were as deep and dark as wells. Ariadne leaned against the wall without even trying to cover up the fact that she didn't like the new boy, because a hard glare was making him wish he was up in flames.

"So, Jason," he said, "would you mind telling us—ah—where you're from?"

"I wish I knew." Jason told them the whole story, from waking up on the bus to crash landing at Camp Half-Blood. He didn't see any point in hiding the details. He didn't react to the story, other than to nod encouragingly for more.

When Jason was done, the old man supped his lemonade. Ariadne sat staring intently at her gold ring on one of the leather couches.

"I see," Chiron said. "And you must have questions for me."

"Only one," Jason admitted. "What did you mean when you said that I should be dead?"

She wanted to know, too. From the looks of it, it was as if some other powerful demigod came to fill Percy's missing place, that he could be replaced—she was angry because of that. It was as if the gods could care less about him. 

Chiron studied him with concern, as if he expected Jason to burst into flames. "My boy, do you know what those marks on your arm mean? The color of your shirt? Do you remember anything?"

Jason looked at the tattoo on his forearm: SPQR, the eagle, twelve straight lines.

"No," he said. "Nothing."

"Do you know where you are?" Chiron asked. "Do you understand what this place is, and who I am?"

"You're Chiron the centaur," Jason said. "I'm guessing you're the same one from the old stories, who used to train the Greek heroes like Heracles. This is a camp for demigods, children of the Olympian gods."

"So you believe those gods still exist?"

"Yes," Jason said immediately. "I mean, I don't think we worship them or sacrifice chickens to them or anything, but they're still around because they're a powerful part of civilization. They move from country to country as the center of power shifts--like they moved from Ancient Greece to Rome."

Chiron began speaking in Latin. Ariadne could pick up a few words; gods, real, claimed. Jason seemed to know exactly what he was saying, making her suspicious, her eyes narrowing on the blond boy. He hadn't noticed her stare because he was answering the centaur. She didn't like anything of their situation. It was off to her, as if everything was going to flip upside down and the whole chess board would become a mess or pieces and broken oaths. She just knew that it was happening. 

Seymour the leopard snarled. 

Ariadne and Chiron waited, and Jason realized what had just happened. The centaur has switched to another language and Jason had understood, automatically answering in the same tongue.

"Quis erat--" Jason faltered, then made a conscious effort to speak English. "What was that?"

"Latin," Ariadne stated, her voice sharp, as if one word and his head would be rolling on the ground. Zoe sat at her feet, letting the demigod run her fingers through the snow-white fur, looking as if she was sitting in a throne of marble rather than a leather couch. "Most of us demigods can recognize a few phrases. It's in our blood, but not as much as Ancient Greek. I can't speak Latin fluently. Usually we need practice."

The fire reflected in Chiron's eyes, making them dance fretfully. "I taught your namesake, you know, the original Jason. He had a hard path. I've seen many heroes come and go. Occasionally, they have happy endings." His tired eyes fluttered over to the brunette girl who looked at the warm fire. She looked sadder. "Mostly, they don't. It breaks my heart, like losing a child each time one of my pupils dies. But you--you are not like any pupil I've ever taught. Your presence here could be a disaster."

"Thanks," Jason said. It reminded her of Percy in a slight sense. "You must be an inspiring teacher."

"I am sorry, my boy. But it's true. I had hoped that after Percy's success--"

"Percy Jackson, you mean. Ariadne's boyfriend, the one who's missing."

Ariadne glowered at the firelight. Jason imagined her looking older, exhausted even, with her eyes wishing to forget everything they had seen. He wondered what she had seen in her years at camp. There were over a dozen clay beads on the string around her neck, with a gold hoop and purple pearl around her throat, as well. Something about her made him hold his breath. She stared at the fire as if she could squash it with a snap of her fingers, and he shivered at the thought of ever fighting her in battle.

Chiron saw the girl's look and sighed. He patted her hand in care, nodding. "I hoped that after he succeeded in the Titan War and saved Mount Olympus, we might have some peace. I might be able to enjoy one final triumph, a happy ending, and perhaps retire quietly. I should have known better. The last chapter approaches, just as it did before. The worst is yet to come."

In the corner, the arcade game made a sad pew-pew-pew-pew sound, like a Pac-Man has just died. 

"Ohh-kay," Jason said. "So--last chapter, happened before, worst yet to come. Sounds fun, but can we go back to the part where I'm supposed to be dead? I don't like that part."

"I'm afraid I can't explain, my boy. I swore on the River Styx and and on all things sacred that I would never..." Chiron frowned. "But you're here, in violation of the same oath. That too, should not be possible. I don't understand. Who would've done such a thing? Who--"

Seymour the leopard howled. 

In a split second, a quick blink, Ariande saw Jason to his feet, sword drawn. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. Seymour's howl turned into a cough like he'd sucked in a hair ball. The fire crackled to life, the arcade machine beeped, and Chiron said, "--would dare bring you here?"

"Probably the lady in the mist," Jason offered. 

A chill went down her spine. She felt unsettled, and her a voice whisper in her ear, "Ariadne," before it disappeared. A pain lashed through her hair but she fought her wince to focus on the conversation happening. She could be in pain later.

Chiron looked up in surprise. "Weren't you just sitting... why do you have a sword drawn?"

"I hate to tell you this," Jason said, "but I think your leopard just ate a goddess."

He told Chiron and Ariadne about the frozen-in-time visit, the dark misty figure that disappeared into Seymour's mouth.

"Oh, dear," Chiron murmured. "That does explain a lot."

"Then why don't you explain a lot to me<" Jason said. "Please."

Ariadne glared. "Didn't you hear him? He can't. He swore on the River Styx, and those promises, if broken, curse someone with something far worse than death. And, besides, I'm not fully ready to trust you. You can't even remember how you got on that bus or who's child you even are. I should be focusing on finding Percy, not him."

Before Chiron could say anything, footsteps reverberated on the porch outside. The front door blew open, and Annabeth and another girl, a redhead, burst in, dragging Piper between them. Piper's head lolled like she was unconscious. Ariadne raised an eyebrow at the sight of Rachel, their designated Oracle.

"What happened?" Jason rushed over. "What's wrong with her?"

"Hera's cabin" Annabeth gasped, like they'd run all the way. "Vision. Bad."

Rachel looked up, and Jason saw that she'd been crying.

"I think..." Rachel gulped. "I think I may have killed her."

That was when the world began to sway all around Ariadne, and she heard a whisper in her ear before she blacked out.

authors note:

I'm back. This is late and im SORRY. 

I have a lot to say so here it is:

First! APUSH IS SO FUCKING STUPID I HATE IT UDHIDIUKHIDHIO

Second! I listened to 'Skin' by Sabrina Carpenter when it was released and miss maam it is a bop! I love it so much. and I have to say this: In no way did I think she was attacking Olivia. She was saying how she wished they could be friends, and the parts where she was saying how 'you can try, to get under my, under my, under my skin' is basically toward the fucking haters and supposed fans who are attacking and sending threats toward Sabrina. And the poeple saying that Sabrina is 21 and picking on a 17 year old who is heartbroken, Olivia told her side, and Sabrina isn't dissing, she's replying to the haters who are attacking her, and is saying that she's dealt with it before. We don't know anything about them and THEY ARE PEOPLE TOO!!! I do think that we should support all three of them, and that it's wrong to degrade Sabrina to just 'that blonde girl' because she's so talented! We should give skin the same recognition and talent applause like we gave driver's license. Same thing with Lie, Lie, Lie. Anyways, stan all three of them

Thirdly! I finished Criminal Minds AND I CANT DO THIS HDIDDH:OLDHLJ ITS SO SAD WHY DID IT HAVE TO END HUD:SWQ I NEED SPENCER REID AS A FATHER AND HIM GETTING MARRIED AND MORGAN AND HIM HAVING A TALK AND SPENCER'S KID AND HANK HAVING A FEW PLAYDATES AND JUST THEM GETTING TOGGETHER AND US SEEING HOTCH AGAIN AND JACK WHO IS LIKE FOUR YEARS OLDER AND IS LITERALLY LIKE FIFTEEN WHICH HURTS ME IN WAYS BECAUSE HE'S PRACTICALLY THE SAME AGE AS ME. I NEED MORE LUKE AND GARCIA AND JUST HENRY AND JJ AND MATT AND KRISTY AND THEIR KIDS AND TARA BEING HAPPY AND ROSSI AND KRYSTALL WHO ARE HAPPY TOGETHER

sorry. i honestly feel so bad for you guys having to read my mental breakdowns and for my two firends who are probably annpyed with

Fourth! I was listening to Halsey and The Neighbourhood while writing this so its the bomb.com

Fifth! I went on a walk with two of my neighbors who are like really good friends of mine, and me and my guy friend were screechinga nd scaring my otehr friend (we can call the guy J and the girl A) was getting scared because we were screaming the "I LOVE YOU BABY" from 10 things i hate about you and saying how it's our favorite video. Also! He makes me laugh so much, and A is moving to nevada and Imma cry ebcause she's one of my best friends

Sixth! I TURN SIXTEEN ON FEBRUARY 1 ITS SO CLOSE GUYS hdodo; I'm GETTING OLD AND MY SCHOOL IS ALREADY TELLING US TO GET READY TO SCHEDULE OUR JUNIOR YEAR AND THAT MAKES ME SO SCARED BECAUSE AFTER THTA IS SENIOR YEAR HODKJ:Hlkwjklx

once again i'm sorry. 

Question: WHat is your favorite rom-com movie 

Answer: 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU

I'm also really lonely and i want to cuddle with someone but i can't have spencer reid or percy jackson or dylan o'brien or stiles stilinski or tom holland so there's my issue and i'm sure no one is interested in me beacsue i'm a FUCKING RAT and I LAUGH AT ANYTHING MY FRIEND SAID CHEESEBALLS AND I HONKED LIKE A GOOSE

anyways.

hope you guys enjoyed my terrible writing!

comment your favorite part and what you think is going to happen next

love you gusy!