The Trials of Will

Home is Wherever I Go

Authors Note: TW! There are mentions of suicidal ideation, thoughts, and mentions in this chapter. It's not extremely graphic, but there nonetheless. 

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Will dreamed of home. He dreamed of the fortified walls of Redmont, the beautiful castle of Araluen, and wildflowers sitting in a vase by the window seal, giving life to a humble cabin in the woods. It was home, a sweet melancholy lingering on his tongue.

He awoke with a strange calmness after the dream, it could be considered a nightmare. Will felt empty within his soul, a homesickness he had grown accustomed to ever since he woke up in the future. The dreams didn't help, they made him ache more.

He was once more laid in a cot, sun beaming from the windows, yet no other Demigods lay with him. Will sat up, his body ached but he could still move with relative ease.

"Huh," he muttered with furrowed brows. Will expected more pain, no, he expected to be dead. He was dying, his entire soul burning aflame. Yet he sat in a cot, alive and healthy. "Magic," he muttered to himself, a concept he grew familiar with.

Will hung his legs over the bed. No one was in the infirmary so he slipped out of bed, intent on finding someone instead. He had no idea what happened after he ran at Typhon. Was he successful? Did Typhon get driven to Tartarus? How was he alive? Will couldn't find answers by lying around.

Will pressed a hand to the wall to stabilize himself, he walked out to the entrance and squinted at the sun assaulting his eyes. Camp was normal, demigods were walking around, chatting among the clang of metal. Everything was fine, with no sign of panic or Typhon raging above, they did it. They defeated him.

Will was still here.

"Treaty, you're awake!" He didn't get to turn before arms wrapped around him. The smell of a fresh ocean wafted his nose, Percy, Will thought and the demigod pulled away, hands laid on his shoulders. A bright grin was upon his face, and Will smiled back. "I'm... Gods, I'm glad you're ok. I mean, you scared me back there," he hesitated, the words caught in his throat. "I thought you died," so had Will.

"I'm alive, aren't I?" He said, grateful to be breathing another day. Will didn't want to die, he wanted to go home and see his family. How was he supposed to do that dead?

Percy nodded. "You are, congrats"

"What happened after I passed out? How long was I out? How am I healed already?" Will sprung question after question, the words tumbling from his lips.

Percy chuckled. "Typhon was shoved into Tartarus, thanks to you," he nudged Will. "You were out for a week and... your father, Apollo, healed you."

"He did?" Will whispered in disbelief. A God went out of their way to heal him. Apollo's his father of course, but Will never saw him as anything more than a powerful God. A God who was too out of reach to be real, let alone heal him. Percy confirmed his father did care for him in some way, at least enough to save his life.

"He did," Percy said. "Sometimes the gods can be decent, they aren't all bad." Will wondered if Apollo would be a real father to him, or if he'd continue to leave him be. Will wasn't sure if he wanted such a thing either. It'd be best for both of them if he stayed in the sky.

The greetings and welcome backs were cut short by a visit to Chiron. The Gods wanted a personal meeting with him to decide his fate, whether he would return home or stay at Camp Half-blood. Not the best thing to wake up to and Will was eager to go, knowing this was his only chance of returning home.

"You're in a hurry," Solace said, leaning against his bed. Will was throwing on some proper clothes, his cloak was ruined along with most of his usual attire. Will was forced to buy from the camp store, wearing the typical Camp Half-blood shirt and these pants called 'jeans.' "I guess it's a big day, huh?" Will noted the tone in his voice, the same tone Percy had when he explained the Gods wanting to see him. He knew if the Gods agreed to let him go, he'd also leave behind any friends he made. Solace was one of them.