The Unclaimed

Chapter 29: The mist does not guarantee the truth stays hidden

Hello everyone, just a heads up that this chapter is not in Jessica's point of view. I hope you enjoy.
While the hunters were sleeping, they had gone to bed earlier than normal because they knew that had to wake up early the next day, it was dinner time back at camp. Chiron sat at the long table in front of everyone; he watched the campers as they ate. For the first time in a while, Dionysus wasn't there. He had left to, as he put, handle godly business that Chiron wouldn't understand. Chiron didn't mind Dionysus's absence though, it fact he was grateful for it. It was hard for Chiron to try and analyze the plans of the gods when there was always a god right by his side.
Chiron looked over to the Hermes table, where he saw Michael eating a few seats away from the other campers. Just like how he and Jessica used to eat; Michael got along with almost everyone but when you got to the bottom of things, it was always him and Jessica against the world. Just the thought of Jessica was enough to make a wave of guilt crash over Chiron. For the past two years he had seen her go from a slightly mistrustful but still loving teenager to a cold and hateful young woman. She wasn't always cold, especially when she was around Michael, but most of the time the light in her eyes was barely visible.
For the past two years Chiron had seen the campers treat her poorly but he hadn't intervened. Every time he heard someone call her a name he winced, whenever he saw others exclude her he wanted to step in, but he never did. For all his life he had been told that hero's had to find their own paths and fight their own battles. Chiron had taken that to mean both the battles against monsters, mortals, and other demigods. But now after he had seen what had happened to Jessica, he was starting to think differently. Demigods still needed to know how to find their own paths and fight their own battles, but maybe they didn't have to do it completely on their own. Jessica had made him realize the difference between a disagreement or fight between two demigods and a demigod who got bullied. He had realized that it wouldn't be a bad thing for him to intervene in cases like Jessica.
"Hey, who threw this at me?" Chiron's head snapped up. An Ares camper was standing up and glaring over at the Hermes table. In his hand was a meatball. Chiron sighed. Ever since Michael had lost his memory and Jessica had left, tensions at camp had been rising high. The Hermes campers were mistrustful of everyone else; Michaels memory was returning slower than everyone had expected and he was acting much different than he used to. He was quieter, not as happy, and more secluded then he was before the accident.
When his siblings in the Hermes cabin had realized how different he was, people had started to doubt the mist created image of what had happened at sword training. Enough people had talked about how much it looked like James had almost hit Michael, like how very close it had been, that people were starting to remember the real memory. Cabins were split. Some believe that James had actually hit Michael with his sword and caused the amnesia. Others believed what the mist had shown them. Fights had broken out more and more frequently at camp; it was no longer just fights between rivals, it was fights between everyone.
"Be happy it was a meatball that hit your head instead of a sword." One of the Hermes campers shouted. Some ooo's came from multiple tables in the pavilion. Chiron some James, who was seated by some of his friends, tense up. James still knew the truth about what had happened, he and Jessica were the only two that the mist couldn't manipulate. Chiron willed for James to stay seated, if he spoke up than that would just make matters worse. Chiron's wish was not granted though, he hadn't expected it to be. The Hermes campers comment had been aimed directly at James and everyone knew that. If James didn't respond he would be seen as weak and his reputation would get even more tarnished, which was something James did not want. He stood up and turned so he was facing the Hermes campers.
"It your best response for throwing something at one of my siblings really a lie about me hurting Michael?" Though James spoke confidently, Chiron heard his voice go up slightly when he mentioned. "I'll admit that it might have looked like I hit but I didn't. Michael passed out during our demonstration and Jessica just way overreacted about it. So instead of acting like I'm the enemy here, why don't you apologize to my brother become I come over there and kick your ass." Chiron looked around the pavilion and saw multiple sets of groups bickering, some believed James and others didn't. Before the Hermes camper could respond, Michael stood up. Everyone immediately quieted down.
"Don't talk about her that way," Michael shouted. "She doesn't deserve your hate. All she did was protect me; there was no overreaction." Chiron stood. One of the oldest Hermes campers rushed over to where Michael was. Everyone was muttering, wondering if his memory had come back.
"Who doesn't deserve our hate Michael?" Adam, the senior Hermes camper, asked him. "Who just protected you?" Everyone could tell that he was desperately hoping Michael would say that he remembered everything. The color left Michaels face.
"I, I don't know," Michael stuttered out. His head turned from side to side and he saw that everyone was staring at him. "I don't know why I yelled that. Well actually I do, or at least I did, but I can't remember. I'm sorry, I don't think I should be here right now." With that Michael turned and sprinted away, leaving everyone in shock. Though he covered it quickly, Chiron did see a quick flash of guilt appear on James face.
"Dinner is over," Chiron said loudly. "Everyone back to your cabins now." The tone of authority in Chiron's voice was not to be messed with. Before anyone could object, Chiron galloped after Michael. As he tried to find his camper, Chiron prayed to the gods that they kept both Michael and Jessica safe. (Or at least alive)