In the Shadows: A PJo x KotLC Crossover

Chapter 3

Chiron's gaze took in Tam all at once, and then his shoulders dropped. "I don't see any reason he couldn't be a demigod."

"There are many reasons," Annabeth shot back. "For one, Nico says he doesn't know what a birth certificate is." She raised an eyebrow like she expected Chiron to have all the answers to what that meant.

"That is quite strange," Chiron muttered. His eyes met Tam's. "Why is that the case?"

"I was never given a birth certificate. The el- the tribe I was raised in never gave me one."

"A tribe?" Annabeth sounded genuinely curious. She began to pace. "What sort of tribe?"

Tam decided that the best lies were loosely based on the truth. "I grew up in a forest with my tribe; we scavenged vegetables and roots for food, and I went to a school nearby which all the children were taught survival skills. But then they caught some sort of plague and.. here I am."

Chiron nodded. Tam's story was very believable. He had based it on his time with Linh and the gnomes, since they had sort of been living in the wilderness. And Exillium was the school for "survival skills" which was technically also true. Then the gnomes had caught the plague. It was basically the truth in Tam's book.

"Your tribe," Annabeth stated. "They spoke.. English? And in New York, nonetheless. We are not known for our indigenous." She studied Tam's face. "No offense, but you don't look indigenious. More.. of East Asian descent."

Tam nodded. "My tribe are immigrants from.." He paused, his mind roving over Asian Forbidden Cities.  "Coree.. Kor.."

"Korea?" Annabeth asked. "I find it strange that you do not even know where you are from."

"They immigrated hundreds of years ago," Tam explained. "But yes, we are from Ko- Korea."

"Which city?"

"Oh. Shanghai." It was the first city that popped into his head.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow sky high. She looked at Chiron as if to say, "Is he for real?"

"Shanghai is in China," Chiron explained to a bedraggled Tam.

"Ah.. my memory is bad. That was the least of my tribe's concerns. As I said, there was a deadly illness going around."

"Mhm," Annabeth hummed, clearly unconvinced. "What parts if our culture are you familiar to?"

"Pardon?"

"You heard me."

Tam inwardly kicked himself. If only he'd payed attention in multispeciesial studies instead of going on strike against his parents. Actually, no. He didn't really mean that. No regrets, as they say.

"Well, I know what Genshin Impact is," Tam blurted.

Chiron's lips twitched. "Go on."

"So.. it's this game where you.. fight monsters. And follow the storyline. And collect new characters."

Chiron was visibly smiling now.

Annabeth still looked unsure, but it was clear to Tam she was wavering. "For example?" she stated coldly.

"Xiao, Chongyun.. the main guy with the blond hair.." He wracked his mind. Linh liked that game, didn't she? What was another one of the characters she was always talking about? "This small guy with a big hat..."

Tam's friends had other interests too, didn't they? "Oh! And my friend Dex likes this show that features a bald kid with an arrow on his head. I think he has cancer?"

"Caillou? Although he technically doesn't have cancer.." Annabeth started, but Chiron cut her off. He was smiling like crazy now.

"You mean Avatar the Last Airbender? I love that show!" He chuckled. "It was so inspirational."

Tam grinned. "Yes, yes. That one! Dex loves that one. He was always talking about it..." His voice trailed off. There was a pain in his heart. He really missed his friends.

"And then he died because of the plague," Annabeth said quietly.

"Huh? Oh.. yeah."  Tam cleared his throat.

Annabeth shrugged and then smiled kindly. "Well, your story is believable, Tam. But.. you're a demigod. Perhaps that of Nemesis? But I don't mean to make assumptions. She does have vengeful tendencies."

"A.. demigod?"

"Yes, Tam, a demigod. It's the only explanation why you were able to pass the camp's barrier. Normal mortals can't do that."

Silence. What did that mean? 'Normal mortals'? Weren't these people humans? Or were they one of these groups that believed they were superior in some way? Tam didn't know. But he knew he had to find out.

Tam was wary as Annabeth smiled at him and took his hand in hers.  "You're one of us now, Tam."

Tam gulped. No, no I'm not. he thought. I'll never belong here. I'll always belong with the elves.

But he didn't say it aloud.