Leo Valdez - the Android

Chapter 4

Leo had to admit, it had been a long time since he had a dinner as delicious as this. The bites made him go down a lane of memories, of his family grilling barbeque and making tofu sandwiches back when he was still their little boy, back when things were at the peak of his life. He could not lie, back then he rarely acknowledged the efforts of his parents to provide him with a somewhat stable and prosperous childhood. It was until much later when he hit the roads that he realized the importance of those small moments, and how cherished he kept them within himself. His nightmares made him remember his mother's face, and he was quite thankful for them else he wasn't he would have remembered her, as he did not even have a single picture of hers for remembrance.

He had looked for Jason, Piper and that girl-Annabeth in the dining area, but was unable to spot them anywhere. After eating, there was a tradition to sacrifice a part of their food to the gods, something that Leo found foolish yet necessary at the same time. Foolish cause why would the gods care if some food is not being sacrificed for them. Necessary because it had to done, a switch from the past circumstances where people worshipped the deities in full swing. Their worshippers had decreased, and perhaps their sacrifices helped them get stronger by increasing their powers through their kid's belief.

The campfire was a bizarre experience. Seeing so many kids together, laughing and thriving with each other, was a stark contrast for Leo. Standing aside from his cabin, taking support of a pillar, his mind wandered down the first orphanage he had been to after his mother's dad. The owner was nowhere concerned for the kids there, and it was the job of the oldest of the bunch to keep and provide for the youngsters. He had been there less than a month, but the differences in situations almost seemed unfair to him. 

With a small sigh, he saw the three absent members that were missing, join the fray with another red head. Jason seemed stressed, more than Leo had seen him when he had joined the school three months back. Piper seemed on the edge too, her hair almost having a little bit of bed look to them, as she looked for him through the crowd after seeing Jason. When her eyes finally found him, an relief spread across them as he realized that in a new environment she was seeking something that she could recognize, something that she could be familiar with.

Once the songs ended, a centaur trotted in with a spear in hand as Leo recognized who he was. "Very nice! A special welcome to the new arrivals. I am Chiron, the camps activities director, and I'm happy that you all are here alive with your limbs attached. I promise we'll get to the s'mores, but first-"

"What about capture the flag" yelled a dude from what Leo figured out the cabin of Ares as grumbling broke out.

"Yes" Chiron said as he stroked his beard. "As known the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."

"And kill people!!"

"However, until the dragon is brought under control, that would unfortunately not be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that."

Nyssa looked uncomfortable as she grumbled, "We're working on it."

More grumbling.

"How, Nyssa?" asked a Ares kid as Nyssa shifted once before answering. "Really hard."

A lot of grumbling and complains followed Nyssa retaking her seat, making Leo understand more about the severity of the situation when his sister had told her about the morale of the camp. The fire sputtered chaotically, making Leo wonder whether the fire seemed to reflect the emotion of the crowd. Chiron stamped his foot against the pit, making the campers fall in line and become silent.

"We will have to be patient," Chiron said. "In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss." 

"Percy?" someone asked. The fire dimmed even further, but Leo didn't need the mood flames to sense the crowd's anxiety. Chiron gestured to Annabeth. She took a deep breath and stood. "I didn't find Percy," she announced. Her voice caught a little when she said his name. "He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we're not giving up. We've got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis —everyone's out looking. We will find him. Chiron talking about something different. A new quest."