Our Creators

GRACE IV

"...And THIS is where you will get your weapons from," said Briar, stopping in front of a garden shed at the back of the Athena cabin. The tour had gone on and on for like as long as Tartarus is deep(pretty deep) and I was interested, but I was also HUNGRY. Like as in stomach-eating-its-way-out-of-your-abdomen kind of hungry. So my attention was elsewhere until I heard the word "weapons". I'm a bit obsessed with like swords and stuff. As Briar unlocked the shed's door, I thought--no, DREAMED--about what kinds of gear there would be in there.

The door swung open. I think I heard Augi gasp, but I wasn't paying enough attention to her to be sure. The room was filled with weapons. Stacks upon stacks of bows, quivers, daggers, staves, swords, sickles, and other weapons that I didn't even know the names of cluttered up against the wall, on shelves, etc.

Somehow, one weapon immediately caught my eye. It was near the bottom of the pile. I don't even know how I saw it, but I did. I picked it up. It was a dagger. It wasn't pretty or adorned in any way, but it looked sturdy. It had a long bronze blade and a practical thick leather hilt. It had a ring at the bottom of the hilt and, curious, I pulled on it.

Out slid a second dagger, this one a bit smaller, but just as perfectly balanced as the first. I looked at it, impressed with myself for finding such a well-crafted weapon so quickly, and looked up to ask Briar if this one would be good. I slid the second dagger back in its "sheath" in the larger one and found Briar and Augi a little further back into the shed, looking at swords and spears. I approached them as Briar shook his head at the sword tipping forward in Augi's hands.

"Maybe this one," Briar suggested, handing her a sword with a slightly less wide blade. Not only did it not tip over, but the hilt seemed to have been made to perfectly fit her palm. "Perfect!" Briar exclaimed, delighted. "Now, to find one for Gracie."

I cleared my throat. "Um, I think I've already found one for myself. And if you call me Gracie again, you're gonna die."

Briar jumped like 15 feet in the air. "Oh! Grace! I didn't see you there."

I snorted. "I can see that. But is this dagger good for me?" I showed him the weapon.

He looked at the beautiful dagger. A look I couldn't name passed over his face. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah, I think that should be good. Anything interesting about it? Some of the weapons have peculiarities."

"Well, yeah, kind of, but not in a magical way," I informed him, drawing out the second dagger.

Augi's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything. Why is she so antisocial? I made a mental note to bombard her with questions until I got answers, probably annoying her to Hades in the process.

"Well," Briar said, "This was a successful mission in finding you guys each a weapon that suits you. Now let's go get some FOOD!"

Augi noticeably brightened, which was the most emotion I'd seen from her so far. If she brightened, however, I must've glowed like the sun.

"Okay, ONWARD! To the Dining Pavilion!" Briar shouted enthusiastic-ally. I could tell he shared my love for for food.
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Briar took us to an open area full of picnic tables. Oh, and there were these brazier things that were in a line up one side of it. He led us up through the clutter of tables, informing us which god's children each table accommodated. Finally, we stopped at the last table on the right."...And this is the Hermes cabin, where you will stay until you're determined, or chosen by your godly parent." Briar said in a rush. The Hermes campers grinned at me in a welcoming way. I double-checked that all my sparkly stuff was invisible, and whispered to Augi to do the same, reminding her that Hermes, while being the god of travellers and stuff, was also the god of thieves.

Augi quickly grabbed an ornate locket around her neck and slid it under her sweater, and then grabbed a charm bracelet with only one charm around her wrist and clasped it to the necklace. Note to self: When interrogating Augi, ask about bracelet and necklace.

We sat down next to each other, because we hadn't even MET anyone else, and Briar told us to say what we wanted to drink to the goblet in front of us.

"COKE!!!" I shouted at the cup. Sure enough, it filled to the brim with nice, foaming Coca Cola. Oh, the glory of caffeinated soda.

Seconds later, nymphs swept through the Dining Pavilion carrying fruit, vegetables, barbecue, and a lot more, but no junk food. I hungrily grabbed whatever looked good. I noticed Augi about to dig in, so I elbowed her sharply in the ribs. "Wait!" I hissed. "We're probably going to make an offering!"

Augi gulped. "Um. Okay."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, take the best of something up to the braziers and put it in, usually addressing it to a certain god or goddess. Not that hard. Look, most of them have already gone up to one."

Augi looked at a particularly juicy-looking bunch of grapes on her plate. "Yeah, do those!" I encouraged her. Jeez, this girl didn't know ANYTHING.

I picked the rarest piece of steak on my plate and brought it over to a brazier. "Please tell me who you are, dad," I muttered as I threw the delicious piece of food into the fire.

I settled back into my spot next to Augi a minute later.

Well, there's no time like the present, but maybe I should start out nicely, no annoying. It would be difficult, but I tried anyway.

"So," I said in a voice approaching casual."Where're you from?"

"Um, Manhattan," Augi said, blushing slightly.

"REALLY? ME TOO!" I practically screamed. I asked her more questions and found out that we had actually lived on the same block, practically next door to each other.

"Wait,"I said."If you and I live so close together, why have I never even SEEN you?"

Augi shrugged in an irritated way."If I'd lived in jail I would've had more freedom than with that old hag who calls herself my mother. I hadn't gone outside for more than a few seconds for almost exactly five years before Briar and I left. He was the only person I knew besides my mom, basically. Kind of like the only bright thing in my life."

"Oh." This was one of the rare occasions that I was at a loss for words. Drink in the moment, Augi, for it won't last long.

"So," I said, brightening. "Your mom's mortal? So it's your dad who's a god? Me too! Maybe we're related!" I gave her a friendly punch on the arm. Augi flinched as though she weren't used to contact, but I wanted to get her warmed up to people, so I wasn't gonna give up because she was acting like a wimp. I decided to make it my mission to settle her into this place and to help her make friends.

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Later, in the Hermes cabin, I lay awake, wondering who my dad was. I knew it could be any god, really, and there were too many to consider.

Who are you, Dad? I wondered. Slowly, I drifted into sleep.

A/N Wow! 1320 words! That's a lot for me. I'm usually under 1000, so yeah. A lot more than usual. And in one day. Cool. Thank all of you crazy people who are reading this story! I hope you like it!

HOOTOWLS UNITE!!!

Peace out, my lovely demigod friends!!!