The tragedy of Will Solace

Introducting: the Apollo cabin

With the help of Chiron and her siblings, Clarisse was taken to the infirmary. Soon, Will found himself surrounded by thirteen other campers: the Apollo Cabin.

- Guys! Give the boy some room to breathe - said the eldest of the group. She was the same girl supervising the competition, the day he arrived. He had learned since that her name was Lisa Huang, and she was the head counselor for Cabin 7. She had the same radiant smile that all the Apollo kids seemed to have. - Will, we are very proud to welcome you to our Cabin! Let's get your stuff from Cabin 11 and get you sorted.

Lisa accompanied him all the way. Most of the crowd had dispersed (it was almost lunchtime), so there were only a few kids in the Cabin. No one said anything. He found Mary sitting in her sleeping corner, looking angry.

- Hey - he approached her slowly. - I'm sorry about the game, I should've listened to you.

She sighed.

- It's not the game it's... - she looked at him and gave a sad smile. - nothing. I'm happy for you. To be clear, what you did was all kinds of stupid - she gave him a look - but it was great to see Clarisse being silenced by a little kid - Will was going to make a comment on how eleven wasn't really adult status, but he stopped himself. - anyway, the point is, I'm angry about another thing, and you being all sunny and apologizing does not help - she smiled, now earnestly. So go to your Cabin, and don't lose anything! I won't be there to protect your stuff anymore!

Will hugged her. She groaned but hugged him back.

Outside, he saw Luke with Lisa. Both looked very uncomfortable, but Will couldn't understand why.

- Hey Will! - Luke gave him his characteristic smile, although something looked different, maybe forced? - leaving us so soon?

- Yeah, sorry about the game.

- Hey! Technically, Apollo and Ares had an alliance, so you are all good - he winked. - Besides, it's good to be claimed, even if you have to risk getting stung by an electric spear just to do it - he ended, a little bitterly.

Will didn't really understand that last part, but Lisa apparently did, because she just said :

- Hey Will, come here, our siblings are expecting us. - and ended the conversation.

They didn't have to walk very far, but Will was still a little bothered with the previous interaction. Before they entered Cabin 7, he asked:

- What did Luke mean when he mentioned the electric spear?

Lisa sighed.

- He just gets a little upset when the gods don't claim their kids immediately. He feels like we shouldn't have to prove ourselves to get, well, acknowledged I guess.

The boy considered those words. Honestly, it made some sense. He was claimed, but he was happier about meeting his siblings than about Apollo himself, which considering his original motivations to go to Camp Half-Blood, it was surprising. Lisa must have noticed, because she placed her hand on his shoulder, and gave her biggest smile.

- Hey, look, I know that the gods can be... confusing. But remember, we have each other, everyone at camp, and now, everyone in our cabin as well.

Will smiled back. It was true. He wasn't alone, and regardless of his feelings for the god, it was in part thanks to Apollo.

Cabin 7 was incredible. At first glance, it looked like a smaller, but better-kept version of Cabin 11. However, when hit by sunlight, it looked as if it was made of solid gold. Most campers couldn't look at it directly, but Will could as if his eyes were made for bright lights. Inside, it was beautiful and calm (the complete opposite of Cabin 11). It smelled like sage, there were no sleeping bags on the floor. There were seven bunk beds, four on one side and three on the other, and books and instruments in each corner. Twelve campers were expecting them, with huge smiles on their faces. He knew Michelle, who seemed the happiest to see him (if that was even possible). He also knew Lee and Michael, the guys holding the competition on his first day. There was a boy, not much younger than Lisa, named Louis, who looked like a Greek statue. Carmen and Aida, a couple of twins around fourteen years of age, looked at him as if he was a new puppy. Another girl, Victoria, who must have been eleven, didn't look as pleased. Not mad necessarily, but rather assessing if Will was worth the trouble. Ben, a boy of the same age, looked quite the opposite, more like a literal golden retriever. Mateo was around fifteen, and his brown eyes were warm and comforting. David was thirteen, like Michael, but very shy, especially compared to the rest of his siblings. He was hiding slightly behind Tamara, who was actually a year younger. Finally, Hannah, the closest of his siblings to Will in age (she was around 10) offered him a proud smile, looking relieved of no longer being the Cabin's baby.