Red Skies at Morning | Clarisse La Rue x OC | Percy Jackson AU

Meeting the Mummy

The campfire was pretty lousy that night.

I was finally cleaned up after a shower and a run to Cabin 11. It was a relief to be in fresh clothes. I was no longer covered head-to-toe in blood and feathers but now bandaids covered my arms and legs with random patterns of color and famous cartoon characters. 

After the attack, Tantalus found a way to blame Percy, Tyson, and Annabeth. Of course, because it was their "bad chariot driving that upset the birds," or something that gave Tantalus the right to punish the three. Everyone knew it was just an excuse to make the lives of Percy and anyone who associated with him miserable, but no one wanted to call Tantalus's bull schist out and get wrapped up in his tantrum, especially after Percy told him to chase a donut.

The Apollo Cabin tried their hardest to lead the sing-along and get even a little enthusiasm from the group of campers, but some campers had their own rainbow sleeves of bandaids, and even more had actual bandages wrapped around various wounds; our spirits weren't getting higher any time soon. Even Mr. D had hated the atmosphere enough to turn in for the night early.

The campfire reflected the dejected mood, burning at an underwhelming five feet. A five-foot fire doesn't sound all that bad, but the enchanted fire was usually much larger, reaching even twenty feet on an especially celebratory night. On nights like that the fire burned a brilliant gold, but now it illuminated the faces of dishearted campers with a pale green as they halfheartedly sang the usual camp songs.

"Well, that was lovely!" Tantalus announced at the end of 'I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa'. He was holding a stick with a toasted marshmallow at the end and reaching to grab the marshmallow as if it would stay there and wait to be taken. 

Unsurprisingly, the marshmallow flew off the stick to avoid him. Tantalus wildly grabbed at it, but it jumped right into the campfire, sacrificing itself to continue the cursed man's torture.

"Now then!" Tantalus dropped the stick as if nothing had happened. "Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."

"Sir," Percy spoke up across the campfire from me.

"Our kitchen boy has something to say?" Tantalus mocked, referencing the kitchen duty he'd given Percy as punishment for 'ruining the race.'

A few campers laughed quietly, the Ares campers sitting around me snickering the loudest. Despite the embarrassment, Percy ignored Tantalus's comment and stood up, Annabeth following suit.

"We have an idea to save the camp," Percy declared in a louder voice.

Now that'd caught the campers' attention. An Ares camper beside me was shushed by an Apollo kid as attentive and eager silence fell over the gathered campers, now bathed in the bright yellow light from the slightly larger campfire.

"Indeed." Tantalus scoffed. "Well if it has anything to do with chariots-"

"The Golden Fleece," Percy interrupted. "We know where it is."

Whispers broke out among the gathered campers and the campfire bathed its surroundings in orange light as it reacted to the excitement that seized the crowd of campers. My mind was racing a mile a minute with questions. 

"I've been having dreams of Grover," Percy hurriedly explained before he could be interrupted. "He made an empathy link with me from Polyphemus's island in the Sea of Monsters, and that's where the Golden Fleece is." 

Annabeth stepped in to elaborate. "The Golden Fleece was hung on a tree in the middle of Colchis. It brought prosperity to the land. Animals stopped getting sick. Plants grew better. Farmers had better crops. Plagues never visited." Annabeth paused for a moment to look around the crowd, making eye contact with several kids before continuing. "It can revitalize any land where it's placed. It cures sickness, strengthens nature... The Fleece can save the camp. I'm certain of it."