Whimsical Mortality - SEQUEL OF THICKENING SHADOWS

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 

[Please read Author's Note after this chapter]

Chiron had decided against waking up the Hermes cabin to set him up a bed (apparently they were all very light sleepers) but instead gave him an unused room on the second floor, reminding him that if he had any questions that he would be up all night. Giving him an orange t-shirt with Camp Half Blood on it, a pair of loose track pants, and invitation to use the house shower and a little square of Ambrosia he left Jack for the night, promising to give him a full tour in the morning. Jack sat on the bed and looked at each given item in turn.

The shirt was useless for its intended purpose, so instead he tore it to shreds and used it wrap his ribs tightly (no doubt they would be healed by tomorrow, the cuts on his face had already begun to close), the track pants he discarded (he had kept these pants for three hundred years, he wasn't about to get rid of them) and the ambrosia he threw in the bin. Nico had told him about it. Food of the gods, burn a mortal with a single taste. Now Jack wasn't exactly mortal, but he didn't want to risk it.

He didn't even try to sleep. He cracked open the window in his room and jumped down onto the roof of the veranda. His footsteps remained silent as he pattered towards a drain pipe. There was no wind to help him now due to he protection borders. He was on his own.

Now, he wasn't exactly going against what Thalia said. He had gone to Camp but finding out that a god was allegedly his father was too much. His father was happily married to his mother, and his mother was born and raised religious, she certainly wouldn't cheat. It was a ludicrous idea. Besides, he was a spitting image of his elder brothers (though a little more gangly). He didn't feel like hanging around and lying, so he would go to Percy's apartment and bunk there for the night.

Stepping through the camp he saw a child, no older than ten, tending to the fire pit. He paused misstep as his mismatched coloured eyes met her honey ones. She merely smiled softly and went back to the fire. Jack shook his head and continued through the camp, right until he reached the large pine tree on the hill.

In the distance he could see the singular person they kept on night watch circling the beach, alone with some horrible looking creatures that seemed to be playing card on the roof of the dining hall. Harpies; Nico had mentioned something like that.

Sticking his head around the tree he saw the dragon snoring softly. He could feel the winds presence just beyond the barrier and he smiled softly and was about to leave when a voice stopped him.

"That wouldn't be a good idea, Jack Frost."

Spinning around he saw a man about two meters away. He was taller than Jack, but his form looked frumpy due to his jogging suit. With salt and pepper hair, smile crinkled blue eyes and an easy going look, he resembled a slightly fashion impaired sport teacher.

"Good ideas aren't exactly my forte," Jack chuckled as he tucked his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

"It was a pretty good idea to come here," the man commented, looking at his odd fashion flip phone absently.

"Actually, that was Thalia's," Jack pointed out, "who are you anyway?"

"Hermes," the man smiled, "god of messengers, thieves, and anything that uses the road. Also, I'm not your father."

Jack's mind took a moment to catch up, "you're not? What was all the floaty glowey magic for?"

Hermes chuckled as he sat down on the grass and gestured to Jack to the do the same. The spirit of winter paused for a moment before sitting down across from him.