Raised from the Depths: The Apple of Their Eyes [A Percy Jackson FanFiction]

Four: From pegasi, to demigods, to centaurs

Within a few moments, Percy and Annabeth landed next to me on their pegai, and Percy jumped off of Blackjack. "Affinity, are you okay?" He demanded, bending down and helping me to my feet.

I blinked, my brows furrowed. "Well, despite the fact that I just fell off a flying horse, I think I'm okay."

Blackjack tossed his head up, huffing. Percy chuckled. "Blackjack doesn't like being referred to as a flying horse."

Annabeth crossed her arms. "I think what Percy meant by the question was how are you alive? That fall should have killed you."

"Oh," I looked to were the blonde boy had walked off, but he was no where in sight, "there was this boy that caught me. He was on a pegasus too."

Annabeth followed my gaze, before pursing her lips. "Hm. Guess it was lucky that he was out flying then." She patted the pegasus she rode on the cheek, before beginning away. Percy followed, jogging to catch up and walk by her side, while I trailed behind, glancing around at my surroundings. To my right was a vast field of bushes, the green color refreshing after experiencing a cruel fall in Marquette (although really there was only two seasons in Michigan, winter and construction). The bushes were very precisely lined up in rows after rows, which led me to wonder if it was sort of farm. To the left was a large building with tall metal doors, and farther away was a large arena-like building.

Annabeth turned and glanced me, her storm grey eyes running over me quickly, analyzing. "So, you said studied Greek mythology?" I nodded. "What do you know about demigods?"

I racked my memory for the different myths I studied. "Well, I know that they're children of a god and a mortal. Most of the hero myths I've read so far are about demigods- Perseus, Theseus, Odysseus, Heracles, uh, I think Daedalus might have been one? I suspected he was a son of Athena, but it never says so in the book I read. I also can't remember if Jason was one or not- probably though." I paused. I had this aching feeling that I was missing someone. "Oh! And Achilles. Sorry, I try to forget about the Trojan War. The Odyssey is cool, but I don't like The Iliad."

Percy huffed. "Man, I wish I knew more about mythology before I got to camp. That would have been useful." He muttered. We arrived at a creek, which separated us from what looked to be the rest of the camp. The closest building to us was a large, baby-blue house with white-trim, and a deck that seemed to wrap all the way around the house.

I raised a brow as we hopped across the creek. "What kind of camp is this anyway? I mean, really, why am I here? Honestly, I don't think I've been asking enough questions here." I stated, following along as we continued on, heading straight towards the house.

"You'll get all the answers once we have Chiron to help you absorb everything." Percy stated.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, looking back at me. "Honestly? Don't let him being ominous scare you. What you're about to find out is gonna be shocking at first, but the shock fades away and then you're just left with the facts. It'll be fine."

Percy looked back as well. "That was the long-winded way to say whatever happens, you'll be okay."

I took a deep breath. "Okay, that only makes me feel slightly better."

Finally, we arrived at the house. Sitting on the deck were two men. One had a black beard and hair, with strange purple eyes. He was wearing a strange leopard-patterned suit, and was playing some sort of board game with the second man. The second man was sitting in a wheelchair with a blanket over his lap. He had a brown beard and hair, and brown eyes. He seemed to be frustrated, probably because he was losing whatever game they were playing.

"Chiron, Mr. D." Annabeth called as we climbed the steps to the deck. The brown-bearded man looked up, while the black-bearded man continued evaluating the game.

When the brown-bearded man locked eyes with me, he turned away from the game, which seemed to annoy the other man. "Affinity, at last you've arrived. Were there any complications?" The man addressed Annabeth and Percy.

"Just a mormo. Nothing we couldn't handle." Annabeth explained.

I shifted uncomfortably. "No one's told me yet what that... Thing wanted with me."

The brown-bearded man looked back to me, and offered a small smile. "Come with me, dear." He instructed, and preceded to wheel himself into the house. I followed silently, Percy and Annabeth behind me.

"Well, first off, welcome to Camp Half Blood." The man stated, looking up at me. "This is where demigods learn to defend themselves from the dangers of the real world that seem to always find them."

"Demigods." I echoed, my brows furrowing slightly. "Like the ones in the Greek myths..." I looked around skeptically. I was fairly sure I wasn't dreaming... No, I had definitely woken up this morning. "But this isn't a myth."

"No, my dear, it isn't." He said. "I am Chiron. I've been training demigods since the ancient times. As the world of the gods shifted to Western Civilization, my camp followed Mount Olympus to here in New York City."

I glared at him. I didn't appreciate being lied to and expected to swallow it as truth, especially when it was something so ridiculous as this man stating that Greek myths were anything more than just that- myths. "Chiron is a centaur. I don't mean to be offensive or anything, but you don't exactly seem like you're galloping around on your four hooves."

"Actually, his wheelchair is magic. He just kinda backs up into it and it hides the lower half of his body." Percy explained. "Don't worry, it had me fooled too, but he really is a centaur."

"And this really is a training camp for demigods. And a safe haven." Annabeth added. "My mother is Athena. I used to stay at camp full time. Actually, both Percy and I are only still here because Chiron asked us to come extract you from Marquette. We had done it once before in Maine a few years back, so we already had experience."

"But why would I need to be extracted here?" I asked. My voice came out a bit shakier than I would have liked it to. My mind was somehow both racing at a million miles a minute and becoming fuzzy, my thoughts blending together so that it was hard to think straight.

"It was imperative that you were removed from your current dwellings. Your parents became aware of the hostile presence surrounding you, and they feared you were in danger. Camp Half Blood is the safest place for demigods such as yourself."

Everything seemed to slow down. Percy and Annabeth watched me with both curiosity and concern. Chiron waited patiently for my response. I couldn't seem to produce one. The very suggestion that I was a demigod was utterly ridiculous. Greek mythology wasn't real. As fascinated as I was with the myths themselves, I knew that they were just there as a way for the ancient Greeks to explain their surroundings to themselves, and that stories of demigods were to entertain the masses and teach morals to children through quest and hardship.

I pressed my hand to my head. The room seemed to be spinning. "I am not a demigod."

"You also said that Chiron isn't a centaur." Percy muttered. "Show her, Chiron."

"Sometimes it takes seeing to believe- although I'm surprised that she's in denial after riding on the back of an actual pegasus for a couple hours." Annabeth said.

Chiron huffed, nodding slightly. "If that is what it takes." He stated simply. The blanket covering his legs fell to the floor, and with it, followed his perceived human anatomy. Somehow, out of the wheel chair, emerged two front legs of a horse body, followed promptly by the rest of the horse. The head, however, was Chiron's head, chest, arms, and torso. He was, in fact, a centaur, his horse half that of a strong, white stallion.

I stared at him in utter disbelief. It was like I could actually feel my brain shutting down as I stood there. "Oh... My God."

"Uh, gods." Percy corrected.

And then I think I blacked out.