Monsters Have Voices

Chapter 2:

"Nice to meet you, Clove," Kat said with a warm smile.

"Anyways, now we just have to convince Kholkikos to let us in." Eli sighed. "C'mon, Monster Kid. We're taking you to camp." They strode off.

"Sorry about that. They do that with everyone." Kat said, motioning for Clove to follow. "They, erm, didn't have the best childhood." Kat realized she'd said too much, and closed her mouth, embarrassed. "Don't tell them I told you that."

"Oh, don't worry. I can completely relate. One question, though: why do you call them 'them'?" Clove asked, stopping for a minute to face Kat. 

"Oh, they're non-binary, which means--"

"They don't identify as male or female, but still have a gender." They finished, following Eli.

"How'd you know that? Most of the new campers have never even heard of it, let alone know what it means."

"Oh, erm, I'm genderfluid." Clove turned away. "So! What's this Camp Half-Blood like?"

Kat's face brightened. "Oh, you're going to love it! There's a lake, a strawberry field, this mess hall with an open-air roof, all the cabins (minor and major gods and goddesses, of course)..." She continued describing all the camps features, giving displays with her hands.

Snowball joined in, jumping around and trying to mimic Kat's movements, who laughed. Clove joined in, until they reached a point where they were just jumping around and making random hand gestures.

Clove leaned against a tree, panting and grinning. Snowball's eye caught a leaf, and he jumped around, pawing at it. Kat burst out laughing.

"Hey, you guys coming?" Eli called back. "We're almost there."

"Sorry!" Kat said, running to catch up. "C'mon, Clove!"

Clove followed, with Snowball, having caught the leaf, strutting proudly behind them. Eli and Kat stopped, Clove tripping and smacking into Eli accidentally.

Eli whipped around and caught them by the wrist. "Watch where you're going next time," Eli snapped.

"S-Sorry," Clove stammered, taken aback.

Kat shot Eli a look. "Don't be rude, Eli. Clove, this is Kholkikos." She gestured to a black, scaly dragon with a spiny back, butterfly-like antenna, a snake-like tail, and four gigantic, bat-shaped wings curled around a towering oak tree. Hanging from one of the lower limbs was a milk-white fleece with ancient symbols and drawings stitched onto it in golden thread. It seemed to glow with life and power, and the oak tree's bark was a fuller brown wherever it touched.

"That's the golden fleece," Kat breathed, gesturing to it. Clove stared at the dragon, when suddenly words flashed in her mind.

Intruder. Comes. To steal. Treasure?

Clove jumped, looking around to see where the voice came from, until they realized it was the dragon's.

No, we want to enter the camp, they thought back, keeping one hand on Snowball's beak.

You. And friends. May. Griffin. Stays.

"He doesn't want Snowball to come in the camp," Clove said aloud.

"How do you know?" Eli said. "All I saw was you giving Kholkikos a death stare."

"Just trust them, Eli," Kat said, stepping between them. "Clove, can you convince Kholkikos to let Snowball in?"

Clove nodded. "I can try."

You. And friends. May Enter. Camp. Griffin. Stays.

The griffin comes too, Clove insisted. It's not going to hurt anyone.

Won't hurt. Treasure? Won't hurt. Friends? Do not. Trust.

Please, Kholkikos, Clove begged. I promise he won't hurt anybody. She tried to picture Snowball's head asleep on her lap, sending calm feelings in hopes he might trust them.

It stays. Here. I protect. It. Until. You. Come back.

"He still won't let Snowball in," Clove sighed. "But he will guard him."

"Sorry," Kat said, giving them a sad smile. "He's not very trusting with monsters."

Eli rolled their eyes. "Come on, Monster Kid. It's time you met Chiron."