His Father's Glory

Chapter 2

The camp was in an uproar when we passed the barrier.

With their greatest hero injured, I can't quite blame them. I was lost in the rush of campers running to aid the medics healing Percy.

When at last he was behind closed doors, in what I assume was a sickbay, I was being noticed.

A crowd started forming around me and I started feeling uncomfortable under their scrutinizing gazes.

They were all whispering to one another. I couldn't hear most of it but I got the gist.

I was one of the oldest demigods they have seen that hasn't been to camp before. I suppose I looked about fifteen when in reality I'm much older than that.

The crowd grew as more campers came to see what the fuss was about. I was becoming overwhelmed with the number of people I was in the presence of.

Suddenly, Annabeth came out of the building Percy was being treated in.

Everyone turned their attention to her.

She smiled as she said, "He's going to be fine!"

A sigh of relief and cheers of happiness rang out from what looked like fifty-some campers that had gathered around me.

I felt a rush of relief hearing that he was going to live.

I had never used that gift on a human before but I had on plenty of monsters.

I'm not sure as to how it works but it does. My father tried to explain it to me but, it was beyond my understanding.

I was brought out of my thoughts as Annabeth started walking toward me.

She stopped three feet away from me and crossed her arms. I knew what she wanted. It was the one thing I couldn't give; answers.

She cleared her throat and waited. She wanted me to make the first move. I wanted her to do the same. Her patience ran out first.

"I don't believe we have been properly introduced. My name is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

"I'm Cleo," I said shortly.

"Got a last name Cleo?" she questioned.

"Not one I use," I replied.

"Ain't that a girl's name?" a buff girl in a camouflaged jacket laughed. "Cleo."

"Maybe. No one's ever had a problem with it." Probably because they are all afraid of what my father would do to them if he heard. "Do you?"

"We've got a ritual for new campers here Cleopatra." She said cracking her knuckles. " Why don't I show you?"

Annabeth stepped between us.

"That is enough Clarisse!" She then turned to me. "Come with me."

She left no room for debate as she made her way through the crowd.

"Take me to your leader," I smiled as I mumbled under my breath.

I paid no mind to where we were going as I thought of my life before living with my father.

My mother was the light in my dark life. She met my father when she was young.

They fell in love and had me. He spent a year with her before he was sent back by the gods to return to his duties.

He was bitter with the gods for sending him back. He wanted to stay with my mother and raise me but monsters were becoming a problem.

I was two months old when he was forced back into the pit. He made sure my mother and I were protected though. He sent monsters to protect us.

I felt like I always had a part of him with me when I was with a monster.

She never truly got over him, not in all of her life. She did end up marrying a successful businessman when I was seven. I ended up taking his last name. It's part of the reason I don't use it.

He despised me. They had a daughter together before he flaked out. Running off with his younger secretary. An absolute prick, he was.

But my sister, she was a miracle. My little May.

"Chiron, there's someone here to see you." I was snapped back into reality as Annabeth announced our arrival. I had mindlessly followed her into a building. I quickly glanced around the room to see a ping pong table in the middle with miss matched chairs strewn around it. On one wall was a mounted head of a leopard.

A sound, close to footsteps but not quite, slowly approached. My hand fumbled in my jacket pocket for the key that was my most valuable possession.

From a dimly lit hallway came a silhouette, too large and obscure to be anything human.

As the figure stepped into the light I realized my first misconception. It was not the sound of feet upon the floor, but rather hooves.

A centaur strode into the room, ducking his head slightly.

It was then I recalled the name Annabeth had called when we first entered the room.

Chiron.

The centaur teacher of Achilles. Son of the Titan Kronos and the nymph Philyra.

He hadn't taken notice of me yet as he looked down on Annabeth with fatherly love.

I knew my father cared for me, maybe even loved me, but never had he looked upon me with the expression I saw now on the face of this centuries-old being.

"Annabeth, child, is all well?" he beamed at her. "Who needed to see..."

It was then he saw me and I knew by the flare of recognition and a tinge of fear swirling about in his eyes, that he had known I was coming.

"Annabeth why don't you see to the plans for a campfire tonight." His voice was low and serious, a polar opposite of what it had been not a minute ago.

Annabeth's brow furrowed as her eyes bounced from Chiron to me and back. She left, not saying another word, but not without shooting me a speculative glance over her shoulder.

"I was told you would be coming," he said after the sound of a door closing.

I was not surprised by this. I knew my father had to pull some strings in order for me to come here.

"What else were you told?" I asked him.

"I told nothing of your name, age, abilities, nothing about you personally. " He paused for a moment, to gauge my reaction, so it seemed. "I was told only that you are the son of one of the most notorious deities known to man..."

The centaur's eyes darkened considerably before whispering his next word.

"Tartarus."