His Return

19. Mutual Respect

Hate me if you must
But he was bound to get somewhat nice at some point

Chapter 19: Mutual Respect

'To Receive, You must first give'

Camp Half Blood
Long Island, USA
Day After Battle

««•••»»

Silence.

The only noises being made were the cacklings of the fire in the large amphitheater as the soldiers burned the chrisoms of the ones that had fallen in combat.

It had been a blood spilling battle, the force of the army being brought down in numbers. Still, the survivors considered themselves lucky, for they knew that their lives could have also been lost amongst the others that had sacrificed their bodies to protect their camp.

254 people. All of whom ranged between the ages 15 and 21 years old, respectfully being put to rest by their former comrades that fought alongside them. They were wrapped in beautiful shrouds designed by the members of their respective cabins, specifically made for their burial service today.

Speeches were made, to which were short and sweet, many of them being left incomplete as multiple speakers were unable to finish the orations they had began.

The atmosphere was tight, filled with grief and sorrow, as countless tears were shed at the calling of the slaughtered's names. Eyes were puffy and red. Hair was disheveled and tousled. Each person looked as if they hadn't been groomed in weeks, but alas, it had only been one day.
These were only the minor effects of the great losses they had taken the previous day.

The infirmary was filled, and medics were forced to work overtime, all to prevent the loss of any more lives. The amphitheater was filled, but some campers refused to leave their cabins, as many of them had lost close siblings and friends.
They wanted to mourn the deaths of their loved ones alone.

Hestia sang angelic songs, lifting the moods and spreading hope into the hearts of discouraged and distraught demigods, temporarily ignoring her profound dislike towards them, because no matter her emotions, the loss of a life was above her thoughts and feelings.

Hephaestus, seeing her efforts, took example, willing the fires to glow brighter and a little more beautifully, creating marvelous colors that intertwined with the orange flames.

At special request from Nyx, Hades ensured their passage to Elysium, free of judgement from the three gatekeepers in the Underworld.

All of this, and yet the General was nowhere to be seen, and it angered the demigods to see him display such a lack of respect at a time like this.
But they knew that there was nothing they could do.
They could not confront him, as they feared the consequences of the actions.
They could not oppose him, as it would not be sensible to anger a man as infatuated with violence as himself.
There was no possible way that they could win, so with great effort and strain, they decided to refocus their attention onto the ongoing service in front of them, accepting the fact that he did not respect them as much as they did him, not yet realizing that the said man stood at the very top of the long staircase, watching with intent at the exequies that took place below.

««•••»»

The ceremony went on for hours, but by the amount of people that had died, no one expected differently. As it concluded, the demigods rose from their seats, sparing one last glance at the center of the room, before finally turning around and beginning to file out, when they finally noticed him.