He had arrived at his spot and his mother turned around to him. “Hey there Kaleco. I have no idea why the gods are doing this, but I want you to know that I love you” she said, walking over to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. He brushed it off and said, “I don’t need sympathy, I need answers. How does this work? Me being Apollo leader but being your child? I am so.. so lost. Help me please” he broke down sobbing, falling on his knees. His mother got on one knee and a place a hand on his back. "Because you are my child and you know what to do best in situations like these." She softly spoke, knowing that it was too many things to be thrown on him at once. Coming back, taking care of Sona, Canisa giving him responsibility of Apollo cabin, the fire, the reliving his death, everything. It was all too much to place on his shoulders and now he has to lead a cabin into life and fighting back.
"Who's side are you on?" He asked quietly, staring at the ground, the tears gone. "I am taking no side. I cannot say this but I hope my children will side with the sun"
Kaleco smiled and said, "Then I shall" and Athena nodded and disappeared. He turned out of his spot and walked back to camp, checking on the patrols, making sure they were okay. Once he checked on them, he turned back to camp, taking the long route back to camp through the woods. During his walk through the darkening woods, he thought of Athena’s message. “Follow the path of the sun”. He smiled and looked at the forest around him, taking in the quiet and coolness. A flash of green passed him and he stopped. He bent back, looking for the dark green colour again.
He saw it and flashed to it. On a rocky ledge sat Canisa, staring into camp as if she was a statue. The rocky ledge gave any viewer a clean look into camp, no matter the angle. Kaleco smiled and stood next to her. “I don’t want to talk” Canisa said, watching the camp from afar. Kaleco sat down with a sigh, “You never had to. Im here being me. You never have to tell me anything” he spoke softly, looking at the camp that was slowly falling asleep.
They sat like that for a while, not talking, just watching as the camp slept and the moon grew and slowly began to fade. They did not speak, nor did they move. Winds rustled the leaves on the tree’s and Canisa’s hair whilst crickets chirped solemnly but no sound was uttered by the duo.
"I never chose this, but I suppose I deserve this..." Canisa said softly after sitting with Kaleco by her side for hours. He turned and faced her, waiting for her to continue.
"I was just trying to protect my family, but everything went wrong. Why does everything have to go wrong? I should've known what that bastard would do. We did it to my father, mortal father. I should have expected him to use me like a toy, and now I get punished." She explained her voice growing louder and louder with each sentence. Kaleco sat there, not knowing what to say to make it easier, yet knowing nothing could be said to ease her pain. "I wish Zeus would just kill me already! but I suppose thats too merciful for the king of olympus?! No, I get to listen as everyone whom I tried to protect spits my name, and despises my existence." She yelled, her voice carrying through the woods.
"I get it! I messed up! But it wasn’t my fault!" She screamed to the sky. Perhaps Zeus was listening, the council leaning in their seats waiting for his reaction. Perhaps Apollo sat back and smiled with his daughter telling her side. Perhaps Athena proclaimed her siding with Apollo. But no one knew. All the duo knew was the gods were unfair and willing to destroy everything to get their side.
"Why does everyone blame me?!" Canisa shouted, looking from the sky to the ground, tears falling from her face. "Its not my fault. Its not my fault. Its not..." she sobbed into the ground. Kaleco smiled sadly and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Canisa, you should know that I will never blame you. And a lot of people at camp will agree with me. And those who don't are jerks and want to be on the side of their parent. Clarisse and her lot don't know what happened, nor the truth. They will always want war." He said softly, staring into the war-torn camp. Not everyone in camp was on the same side, and not all understood what happened. Jaden and Canisa were the only ones that did know what happened, whilst Kaleco learnt from snippets from Jaden about it. It was never her fault that Kronos took over her mind and forced her to fight for the Titan.
