The Unusual Half-Blood

Chapter 10: The disaster at the Gateway Arch

[ One and a half hour later]

"Here," I said, handing out a soda bottle to Annabeth.

She took a huge gulp.

"Better?" I asked.

"Yeah, kind of"

I matched her pace as we walked around, looking at various exhibits.

We were currently inside the underground Museum beneath the Gateway Arch. It was about a mile from the train station. From the outside, it looked like a simple monument. But in reality, it was a temple, dedicated to Athena.

Eero Saarinen, the Finnish-American architect who designed the Arch, was one of her Demigod children.

Being a sacred sanctuary, it was safe to assume that no monster could follow us inside. The museum featured exhibits on various topics including westward expansion and the construction of the Arch.

They also had cafés and gift shops. Grover was busy browsing around, leaving me and Annabeth alone.

"You like historical stuff too?" She asked.

"I Guess so. I've never been here before, but it's riveting. Standing here, looking at all these things from centuries ago, makes you realize how far we've come as a civilization- both us and the mortals. I've always found it utterly fascinating."

"Yeah, same. Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to come here," Annabeth told me. "If you are a child of Demeter or Aphrodite, you can easily live in the outside world with some training. But for most of us, it's too dangerous. We don't get to see the real world unless we're on a quest."

"You never left the camp ever since you arrived?"

She nodded.

"I arrived when I was 7. Even if I wanted to leave, I don't have a place to stay anywhere else."

"What about your dad?"

"I'd never stay with him. I hate him from the bottom of my heart."

"Did he do something to you?"

"That's none of your..........." her voice trailed off.

She sounded more upset than angry. Her hand unintentionally reached for the gold college ring on her necklace.

"I'm sorry." 

"No, it's not your fault. I just don't like talking about him, with anyone. That's all."

"What about Athena? "

She shook her head.

"I saw her last year at the winter solstice, but I only watched from afar. She had no reason to talk to me, so she didn't. That's how the Gods are, Keith. They claim us, but after that, most of them stop caring until they need us. Despite all that, we train, fight monsters, and go on quests because no matter what we feel about them, a part of us always yearns for their attention and approval......"

It was a cruel fate, for every hero. The Gods never changed their habits in the last millennium. There was no reason for them to change now.

As for me, I never saw Nike either. I had no recollection or memory of her as a child.