The Labyrinth Through Camelot | {COMPLETED}

Chapter 8 - Campbell

"We're off to kill a god, the very worst of her kind. I hear that she's been a bitch and really needs to die. If any god needs to be stopped, it'll have to be Hera because, because, because, because, because! Hera needs to be stopped. We're off to kill a god, the very worst of her kind!" Kenna sang under her breath to the tune of 'We're off to see the Wizard' now that the group had taken a break from their walk just behind a turn from the opening that would take them into Olympus.

Aside from Koa, Wren, Hudson, and Grant, everyone was hiding in the tunnel, anxiously awaiting their return from the resources and scouting trip. The remaining three Goddlets had settled on the floor and Luna had resumed crying only a few minutes ago. Although Nesrin had pulled her into her arms, anyone could see that the daughter of death was just as distressed as Luna was despite her attempt to cover it up. Zach was in shock, a dead look in his eyes, and Campbell sighed, reminded for the umpteenth time that the group's energy had disappeared. It had been all fun and games at the start, just like any other mission the Knights were tasked with. Now, with the threat of death looming over their heads, this assignment wasn't fun anymore.

Campbell sighed again and sat down next to Zach, crossing his legs and leaning back against the wall. "Hey," He mumbled carefully. Zach glanced up at him and gave him a small nod of his head. "I know we haven't talked very much. But I guess this group hasn't spent that much time together yet..." Campbell stopped, unsure if joking around right now was the best thing. "I guess I just mean to ask how are you doing?" Zach let his knees fall down to the ground and he rested his arms on top of them.

"I... I failed him..." Zach mumbled. Campbell shifted and nodded his head, letting his head fall back against the wall. "I... I just let him die. I did that..."

"It's not your fault though," Campbell replied quickly. He tilted his head in Zach's direction but before Campbell could continue, Zach shook his head, already set in his ideas.

"No, you really don't get it. I didn't care. I didn't give Zale another thought. I just walked past him without so much as another word. I knew, I definitely knew, that something was wrong, and yet, I did nothing about it. This is all my fault," Zach mumbled. He covered his face with his hands and slumped over, his elbows landing on his knees. Campbell set a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it comfortingly, but he wasn't sure that he could find the correct words to respond. "This really is my fault. Not even Koa would have done that to him. Even Koa would have waited in the back for everyone else to go through. And now I've let Zale die. I did this."

"You didn't do this!" Campbell interrupted, finally finding the words to input. He shook his head and continued to rub circles gently on Zach's shoulder. "None of this is your fault. If anything, it's all Hera's. She's the one who cursed the Labyrinth. She's the one who decided to kill one of you. That is not on you. That has nothing to do with your choices. None of this is your fault. You were dragged into this mess, just like the rest of us. You didn't even want in this in the first place."

Zach didn't reply at first until he sighed and glanced up slightly, eyes swollen red. "Poseidon's going to kill me." His lip quivered as he brushed the tears from his face. "He's going to kill all of us. We let one of his favorite children die and left the other like that..." He gestured over to Luna weakly before shifting and hiding his face in his hands again. "She's putting us at a disadvantage and she knows it. Hera had this planned from the very beginning. I even bet that she set Koa up and already had the son of Hecate to send us on this goose chase."

Campbell didn't try to argue with Zach. Instead, he just let the young god sulk in his new reality before the undeniable battle against Hera would start. Unsure of what he could say to help the situation, he returned his attention to the ten feet in front of him where Kenna had started to teach Jude her brand new cover from 'The Wizard of Oz,' but there was no humor in her voice. Ever since the death of Zale, her humility had switched on like a light switch and instead of being the normally chaotic bitch everyone knew her as, she was a quiet, empathic human who kept her silence to allow the others to mourn their loss.