I 02. I

𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔

❝ insult a god ❞

     ONCE ARIADNE CHANGED CLOTHES SHE MET BACK UP WITH PERCY AND ANNABETH, PEOPLE TRYING TO ASK HER WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE WHOLE TOILET THING. Of course, she didn't say anything. She would be asked to explain, questions would be asked and she would be surrounded, resulting in an annoyed Ariadne Phoenix. That was never a good thing.

Even though her hair was still wet, she was in warm clothes, Annabeth wasn't so lucky. "Thanks for leaving me here with him." The blonde gestured towards the boy, who was being pointed at as they walked.

Percy gave her an offended look, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ariadne raised an eyebrow, "Sorry. Gave me a break, which was nice."

"Once again; what does that mean?"

The two girls just chuckled, the boy looking clueless and desperate for an answer as he tugged on his raven-colored hair. They showed him around camp, talking about the camp. Mostly just Annabeth spouting out interesting facts, Ariadne makes snide comments at Percy who shot back.

Once they made it to the rock wall, Percy looked up, the sun shining in his eyes. He gulped at the sight of the lava underneath, bubbling with immense heat. "Has anyone ever gotten to the top?"

Ariadne glanced up from her nails, "Yep. I have," she put a cocky smirk on her face as she popped her hip out, "multiple times."

He rolled his eyes at her cocky expression, "Got it. You're cocky, got it." He grumbled, her smirk wiped away, a scowl replacing it. She opened her mouth before Annabeth cut her off, sending the girl a look as she crossed her arms, pouting at the girl who stopped an argument from happening.

"We have training. Dinner's at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."

Percy looked down, a sudden change in his mood. "Ariadne, Annabeth, I really am sorry about the toilets."

Ariadne shakes her head, crossing her arms as her damp hair leaves tracks down her shirt. "It's fine." Annabeth just shrugs.

"It wasn't my fault." He explained, the brunette goes him a dumbfounded look. Who else would it have been?

She looked towards Annabeth, this time, Ariadne was doing the thinking. "You need to talk to the Oracle." Her blonde friend gave her a look like she was crazy, but the brunette reassured her.

"Who?"

Ariadne scoffed, "Not 'who.' What. The Oracle. We'll ask Chiron."

His eyes drifted towards the lake they were standing by, two Naiads waved up at the boy, who couldn't resist their charm and waved back. Ariadne rolls her eyes, holding back a groan.

"Don't encourage them." Annabeth scolded, "They're terrible flirts."

Ariadne laughed, a slight grin on her face at the comment. Both of Naiads glared at her, scowling at the girl who enjoyed the insult.

For Percy, that was the final straw. "Naiads. That's it. I want to go home."

Ariadne ignored the conversation, sticking her tongue out at the angry Nymphs. "Don't you get it, Percy?" Annabeth asked, a defensive tone rising in her voice. Ariadne stood closer to the water's edge, tormenting the Nymphs who tried grabbing at her. "You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."

"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"

Ariadne glares at the boy, purple eyes not noticing the Nymph's hands growing closer to her hair. "Not human, Jackson. Well, not totally human, that is. Half-human."

Percy raises an eyebrow, "Half-human and half-what?"

Annabeth tilted her head, "You know."

"God." He spoke, "Half-God."

"Your father isn't dead, Percy. He's one of the Olympians."

He shook his head, "That's... crazy."

Ariadne glared at the Naiads who grin coyly, she made a 'I'm watching you' motion before speaking. "Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories?" She raised an eyebrow, "They ran around falling In love with humans and having kids with them. Do you really think they changed their habits, even after a few millennia?"

"But those are just-- But if all kids here are half-gods--"

Annabeth cut him off, "Demigods. That's the official term. Half-bloods."

"Then who's your dad?" He directed the question at Annabeth, seeing as Ariadne was busy slapping at the Nymphs who were picking at her hair.

Annabeth clenched her fist, jaw clenching slightly. Ariadne knew her father was a conversation she would rather not have, "My dad is a professor at West Point. I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American History."

Percy looked confused, "He's human?"

"What? You assume it had to be a male god who finds a female human attractive? How sexist is that?"

Percy sighed, "Who's your mom then?"

"Cabin six."

"Meaning?"

"Athena." Ariadne rolled her eyes as she raised her chin up, "Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy."

Percy nodded, taking in the information before turning towards the brunette by the water's edge. Watching as she turned quickly at the Naiads who grinned and ducked back into the water, eyes peeking out.

"Who's your parent?" He asked, tilting his head as he watched her annoyed expression soften.

Ariadne opened her mouth, but stopped as she felt a tug on her hair. The girl whipped her head around, finally done with Nymphs who thought it was funny to annoy her.

She threw her ring into the air, letting it transform into her gold sword before pointing the blade at the Naiads throats. "Leave." She threatened, the Nymphs screeched, ducking into the water before heeding her warning.

Percy stood there, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Annabeth had a smirk, raising an eyebrow at her indifference friend. The purple-eyed girl whirled around, placing her ring back on as she gave the boy a bright grin.

"W-what?"

Ariadne laughed, "Hey, it's exactly like your pen. Just a different form." The boy nodded numbly, eyes still wide at the scene. "Anyways, you already met him."

"Chiron?" He peered behind her, "You're not exactly looking like a Centaur."

Annabeth let out a bark of laughter, doubling over as her friend blushed. Ariadne stuttered, eyes narrowing at the clearly clueless boy who gave a cheeky grin.

"HE'S NOT--" She took a deep breath, putting a strained smile on her face. "He's not my father."

Percy's grin vanished, "Mr. D?"

Ariadne nodded, hands on her hips as she smirked. "Dionysus. God of wine, ritual madness, theater, and religious ecstasy."

"Does that mean you don't believe in the Greek Gods? Or does that mean you believe in both a God and the Olympians?"

She gaped at him, Annabeth shrugged at her helpless look. "Religious ecstasy mean you're mentally and spiritually aware. And besides, that's my dad, not me."

Percy nods, slowly understanding. He gets another question which causes the girl to sigh. "Why do you have a sword?"

"Battle, duh."

"You can't be that good, right? Compared to Ares kids." Annabeth could tell Percy liked how his questions annoyed her, and she knew he was trying to get a rise out of her. His funeral, she thought.

Ariadne grit her teeth at the jab, How dare he?

"Careful, Percy." Annabeth spoke up, a warning in her tone. "She's the best sword fighter--no. The best fighter we've had in years."

Percy laughed, a surprised smirk on his face. "What?" he laughed even louder, "She was blinded by the sun and tripped!"

Ariadne snapped, "Says you! You tripped, too! Not once, but twice."

"Those were your fault!"

She got up inches face, all amusement got from both of their faces. "Shut up. I could take you down in less than a second."

"Do it."

The brunette moved, only to be pulled back by Annabeth who had stopped a fight from ensuing. Ariadne panted, a hard glare set on her face. Percy's ocean eyes glared right back, just with as much anger as hers.

Rising oceans battled it out against a wave of purple, fighting for who wins the argument. Percy's eyes blinked, letting a smirk rest on the girl's lips. His mouth curled into a scowl, not wanting to be in her presence anymore. The feeling was mutual.

He looked towards Annabeth, who was watching the two with a weary expression. Ready to jump on Adriane if she needed to, "And my dad?"

"Undetermined. Nobody knows."

"Except my mother. She knew."

Annabeth was becoming more hesitant, "Maybe no, Percy. God's do't always reveal their identities."

Percy seemed sure of his hopeful idea, "My dad would have. He loved her."

Ariadne gulped, crossing her arms and letting her nails dig into the skin on her arms. She didn't want to hurt the boy even more then he already was, he had lost his mother, that wound hurts, she knew from experience.

"Maybe you're right," the blonde started. "Maybe he'll send a sign. That's the only way you know for sure; your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens."

"You mean sometimes it doesn't?"

The brunette looked at her feet, the ground, the sky. Anywhere but his eyes, she didn't want him to see her with a sad look. She had made many friends from the Hermes cabin, many always asking her what it was like to be claimed. And when she did, they showed an exterior of being amazed, which they were. But inside their eyes, was the sadness of never being able to experience that. Never feeling the rush of their godly parent claiming them as theirs, stuck inside a cramped cabin never knowing the truth.

Ariadne sighed, "The gods are busy." Her eyes meeting his in the tense silence, Annabeth never opening her mouth. Percy stared at her eyes, noticing the sadness in them. For some reason, he felt a slight tug, which he blamed on the idea of never being claimed. "They have a lot of kids and they don't always... well, they sometimes don't care about us, Percy. They ignore us."

She glanced over at the blonde, who kept quiet. "We're the lucky ones. Annabeth and I. Along with all the others who know, never being cursed with the knowledge. We will never understand what it's like, never understand not having the closure, never understand the thought of who our parent is. The one that's always in the back of their minds. We are lucky, so lucky."

His eyes downcast, a frown working its way onto his lips."So I'm stuck here, that's it? For the rest of my life."

Annabeth gave him a grim look, "It depends. Some campers only stay the summer. If you're a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you're probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year."

Ariadne clears her throat, trying to remove all sadness's form her eyes, but Percy saw right through the act. "But, for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We're year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they'll ignore us until we're old enough to cause trouble - about ten or elven years old. But after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive out in the outside world and become famous. Believe me, if I told you the names, you'd know them. Some don't even realize they're demigods. But very, very few are like that."

She scratched the back of her head, "To be honest, I don't remember ever riding in a car. I don't remember what malls are like, what a cellphone is. I've been here since I was young, learning everything here. It's too dangerous for me to go out."

Percy gave her a look of sympathy, "So monsters can't get here?"

"Not unless they're intentionally stocked in the woods or summoned specifically summoned by somebody on the inside."

The boy was confused on the last part, "Why would anyone want to summon a monster?"

Annabeth shrugged nonchalantly, "Practice fights. Practical jokes."

"Practical jokes?" The boy eyed the camp warily, looking out for anything.

Ariadne uncrossed her arms, relishing in the warmth that dried her hair. "The borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing usual, just a strawberry farm."

"So," he started, "you guys are year-rounders."

The girls pull out their beaded necklaces, Annabeth had one less than Ariadne. Technically, Ariadne had been there two years longer than the blonde, but Annabeth considered her father's college ring as a bead.

"I've been here since I was seven, Ariadne has been here since she was five." Percy looked at the brunette, who was busy trying not to meet his eyes, knowing there's a question already ready to spring from his mouth. "Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year."

Ariadne moved next to Annabeth, "Most counselors haven't been here as long as us, and they're all in college."

"Why did you guys come so young?"

Annabeth kept messing with the ring, but much harsher this time. "None of your business."

Ariadne looked at the boy who stared at her, begging the girl for some information. So she gave him a small piece to somewhat ease his mind. "For me?" He nodded, "Mommy issues."

A moment of silence passed through the air, Percy standing in front of them awkwardly before he, thankfully, filled it. "So... I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?"

"Technically," Ariadne started, "yes. But it would be suicide, you could, with my father's or Chiron's permission. But they wouldn't give it to you until the end of the summer session unless--"

Percy looked at her, wanting to know what she was going to say before she cut herself off. "Unless?"

"You were granted a quest. That hardly ever happens. Last time it did..." Her mind flying back to the incident with Luke, his quest hadn't gone as planned.

The boy looked towards Annabeth, "Back in the sick room, when you were feeding me that stuff--"

"Ambrosia." Annabeth answered, Ariadne eyeing the lake, smiling softly at the sight of a turtle crawling on top of a rock.

"Yeah. You asked me something about the summer solstice."

The brunette snapped her head towards Annabeth, wanting to know more. "So... you do know something?" 

Percy gave her a look, "Well... no." Ariadne clenched her eyes shut in disappointment. "But back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the Sumer solstice. He said something like we didn't have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?"

Ariadne let out an aggravated sigh, "Wish we knew. Chiron and the Satyrs, they won't tell either of us. I thought they would have after I mention how I'll hear thunder and the sound of waves when there isn't any." She clenched her fist, "Something is wrong in Olympus, really wrong. Last time we were there, it was normal."

"You've been to Olympus?"

Annabeth nodded, "Some of us year-rounders - Luke, Clarisse, Ariadne and I and a few others - we took a field trip during the winter solstice. That's when the gods have their big annual council."

Another question rolled off of his tongue, "But, how do you get there?"

"The Long Island Railroad, obviously. Get off at Penn Station, Empire State Building, special elevator to the six-hundredth floor." Ariadne stated, "You are a New Yorker, right?"

"Oh, sure." He replied, sarcasm evident in those words. A smile rested on his face, "It's not like my mom worked at Grand Central Station and I lived near there."

She growled slightly, stepping forward again as Percy didn't back down. "I will break every bone in your body."

"Sure you will, Curly Fry."

Annabeth stepped between the two, "Right after we visited, the weather got weird, as if the gods were fighting. A couple of times since, Ariadne and I have overheard saytrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen. And if it isn't returned by summer solstice, there's going to be trouble."

Ariadne finished what the blonde was going to say, noticing the look she was given. "When you came, we were hoping... I mean - Dionysus isn't the problem, nor Athena. She can get along with just about anybody, excluding Ares. And of course, she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. Dionysus gets along with everyone, I'm the only one who does not favor Ares, I'm also not a fan of Poseidon after I found out about the whole Theseus thing. But, I mean, aside from that, we thought we could work together. We thought you might know something."

Water lapped at her feet, sand pulling her feet slightly into the ground as her body froze. "Children! Poseidon children." But the sand sank, causing the girl to jump near Percy, who stood the furthest from the water.

The boy steadied the girl who shook slightly, she gulped. "What happened?"

"What always happens when you insult a god or someone they are proud of. Poseidon is already not a fan of mine." The water died down, the Naiad's from earlier stuck out their tongues, blowing raspberries at her as they giggled.

If she could swim, she would go in there and find them. But since she just pissed off Poseidon and that was the Naiad's territory, she wouldn't take the chance.

She realized her hand was wrapped around Percy's causing the two demigods to separate quickly, Ariadne inching away from him as she blushed slightly. Percy cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck before looking at the lake.

Annabeth ignored the interaction, "I've got to get a quest. I'm not too young. If they could just tell me the problem..."

Ariadne couldn't help but look at the raven-haired boy who was supposed to help her and Annabeth, well, he was supposed to help her with two things. One, being the ability to get a quest. The second, helping her figure out why she was dreaming of pink dust all the time. A stupid reason, but she needed to know.

***

ARIADNE SAT AT TABLE 12 IN THE DINING PAVILION, JOINED BY HER BROTHERS, A GROUP OF SATYRS AND HER FATHER. She stared at the Coke in her goblet, for once, never having the urge to gulp it down like she usually would.

Her brothers chugged whatever they were drinking, wiping at their lips as it dripped onto the front of their shirts. The satyrs chatted loudly, her father joining in every once in a while, but he mostly just moped about being forced to drink non-alcoholic drinks and being around heroes. Fun fact about him; he despised heroes.

Her eyes glanced up, meeting those of Annabeth's who held amusement. The blonde motioning in the direction of the Hermes table, Ariadne looked over, biting on her lip to hold in her giggles.

Percy sat half on the seat, his face held one of panic as he looked around. The boy squished in the table not meant to hold that many campers, he found her purple eyes, taking notes of the amused expression on her face.

Ariadne sent him a small grin, mouthing, "Hang in there." Making a small tease about how he was hanging off of the seat. His eyes narrowed slightly, but a smile creeped its way onto his face.

Percy wouldn't admit it, but their humor was similar, causing him to want to laugh at whatever joke she made. The brunette was nothing like her father, besides the fact that  she had some sort of anger towards him for nothing.

She raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of her Coke. The boy glanced at his drink, raising it to his mouth as he drank it with a small grin. A elbow collided with his arm, the drink sloshing around as it splashed onto his shirt. A panic-stricken face covering the grin that was once there, Ariadne snorted into her drink, causing the liquid to spray out of her mouth and nose.

Percy laughed at the girl who blinked, the burning in her nostrils thanks to the Coke spraying out of them. He watched as she glared at her orange camp shirt, the sticky substance already drying onto it. Her eyes shot up, he looked everywhere but her, acting as if he hadn't seen anything.

Annabeth, who was swatching the two, rolled her eyes. Great. We have two idiots now. The girl chuckled at herself, Ariadne was smart, but not at the right times. If the brunette and raven-haired boy became friends then their stupidity would infect everyone, minus herself of course.

Ariadne and Percy only looked away from each other once the ponding of a hoof filled the chatting pavilion, creating silence as Chiron raised his glass. "To the gods!"

Campers raised their glasses, following the Centaur's lead. "To the gods!" They all cheered out as the nymphs served food, ready to devour whatever had been made.

A Nymph placed a plate in front of her, Ariadne immediately recognizing it as one of the Nymphs from the lake. It bolted, causing Ariadne to grab her plate before it fell. She huffed slightly, but she grew happy at the sight of the steak and cheese. It also held strawberries, grapes and a bread roll.

Hermes cabin was called before hers, Percy watching everyone confusingly as he mimicked their actions. Offering a bit of his food in the fire that burned in the center of the pavilion, walking along the rest of his cabin mates.

Ariadne stood up, plate in hand as she threw in a few strawberries and grapes into the fire, like she normally did. Most campers usually gave the offering in name of their parent, but if she wanted to do that she only had to hand her father something. She did, but when she was at the fire, she offered it to whatever god she was feeling.

"Hestia, receive my offer." The girl had met the goddess when hey took the trip to Olympus, finding a sense of comfort near the goddess. Hestia was probably the kindest person that Ariadne had ever met, her compassion always melting the hearts of others, not literally of course. The women had promised to watch after her, finding a love for the brunette who expressed her gratitude for what she had done.

Help me, please. I want to help, but I need a sign. I need a way to get a quest.

Ariadne sat back at her table, handing her father some of her grapes. The god gave her a brief smile before continuing to eat and stare at whatever he was drinking.

Her eyes met Percy's, who looked uncomfortable at the table full of laughing and pushy Hermes campers. They shifted towards Annabeth, who sat talking with her siblings.

The brunette looked towards Caster and Pollux, only to find the twins deep in a conversation with the satyrs that sat at the table. A soft smile played on her face, biting into the warm roll, sighing at the buttery taste that followed.

Something flew at her head, ducking as she saw where it came from. Percy had a grape in hand, wanting her attention. She tilted her head, the boy grinning slightly because she looked like a puppy.

"Can you actually use a sword?" He mouthed, she glared at him. His sea-green eyes held amusement as she grit her teeth, stuffing more bread in her mouth while rolling her eyes.

Ariadne focused back on him, "Duh." Eating her food, she was planning on throwing a grape back but she was extremely hungry, so she just smirked at him.

The girl made her ring visible, twisting it slightly, but not enough for it to transform into the gold sword she adored.

Percy and Ariadne shared looks of raised eyebrows, smirks, tilting of the head, and grins for the rest of dinner. Only tearing their eyes from each other as Chiron stamped his hoof against the marble floor once more.

All eyes snapped towards her father, the girl sending a smile towards Percy before gazing at the god. Dionysus heaved a great sigh, standing up from the table slowly. Caster and Pollux grinned at their sister, who gave them a grin back.

Caster and Pollux looked like their father, except they had blonde hair rather than black. Ariadne was the only child with hair close to his, but hers was more brown than anything.

Dionysus gave a bored and tired expression towards everyone, "Yes, I supposed I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."

This enticed the Ares cabin to let out loud cheers, much to the dismay of everyone aside from her brothers, who had many friends in that cabin. Ariadne had never liked their friends, who constantly bullied her.

Her father ignored the cheers, "Personally, I couldn't care less. But congratulations. Also, I should tell you we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."

Ariadne's eyes widened, sending a teasing smile towards Percy who blushed. The boy immediately saw the look in her eyes and shook his head quickly, "No." He mouthed, knowing the name would stick. Not just for the wine god, but for his daughter too. She would torture him with it as long as she could.

Chiron made his way over, murmuring something in Dionysus's ear. "Er, Percy Jackson. That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."

The crowd cheered, jumping from their seats as they quickly mixed with the different cabins, heading in the direction of the Amphitheater. Caster and Pollux sprinted, leaving their sister in the dust as she walked at her own pace.

Annabeth always sat with her siblings, the brunette never minded. So she found Percy, who scanned the crowd for a place to sit. The girl threw an arm around his shoulder, somehow reaching it despite her short stature.

Percy stared down at her, sea-green eyes full of alarm. "Come on, Jackson. Have some s'mores." She lead him towards a seat, far enough from everyone else but close enough to the fire without getting burned.

She hand him a stick, allowing the boy to place a marshmallow onto it. The two toasted the sugary treat before placing it onto the graham crackers and chocolate.

A laugh bubbled in her throat as she watched marshmallow fall onto his hand, the boy mumbling something incoherent. "You need help?"

Percy shook his head, clearing his throat while taking a bit of the snack. He stayed quiet, observing the other campers as the Apollo cabin led the songs. "Tell me about yourself."

Ariadne gazed at him, her s'more gone. Percy only just noticed what color her eyes were, well, what shade they were. He wasn't that oblivious to not notice the purple color, but he never really looked at the shade.

Her eyes were a deep violet, with flecks of gold and a bright shade of purple. They were like gazing into a cave gems, amethyst. For some odd reason, he felt as if he could see the stars in her eyes, or maybe that was just the fire. There was a twinkle of interest that the purple held, and that interest happened to be for him.

The boy blinked, blushing slightly as he had been staring at her for too long. She hadn't noticed, only thinking he was trying to answer her question.

"Um..." he started, "I used to go to Yancy Academy. I hated a girl named Nancy there, she would constantly bully Grover. I like the color blue." Ariadne raised her eyebrows, a slight smirk on her face.

"We might have to visit this Nancy girl, I would like to talk with her."

Percy was taken back, "You want to talk with a bully?"

"Talk." He was still confused, "Preferably with my fists." The boy nodded, a grin on his face at the suggestion.

"That sounds nice. Maybe show her the ol' sword."

Ariadne shook her head, "She wouldn't be able to see through the Mist, probably only see a metal rod or something."

Percy sighed, leaning back so he was resting on his hands. Ariadne placed an arm on her propped up knee, letting her left leg dangle. His sea-green eyes stared at the fire, "Do you ever miss the real world?"

Ariadne glanced at him, looking back at the fire with him. "Sometimes. But I don't really remember it, I just remember my mom."

"What was she like?" He noticed her face drop, "Sorry. Stupid question."

She shook her head, "You're fine. She was beautiful." A slight smile resting on her lips, "Curly hair like mine. Her favorite game to play with me was hide and seek, I was always good at that." The girl let out a pained sigh, "That was before she left me."

"Why?" Percy was curious, she was a mystery to him, and he wanted to know more.

Ariadne felt her jaw clench, "I've never told anybody, don't know if I can. Always feel like it was my fault, so I decided to hide it."

He nodded, glancing at her once more as she looked towards him. A small smile rested on both of their faces, genuine ones.

Unbeknownst to them, Aphrodite sat up above, watching as her greatest work was starting to unfold.