3rd POV
"AND FIRE" Chiron bellowed, watching as a volley of arrows rained down on the approaching monsters.
Summer had just started and it was already looking grime. To start off twelve campers had not return for the summer session, this only happened when demigods got to old or were...well, Chiron had hoped for the first option. He tried iris messaging them, however, he couldn't get a single one to go through. This left only one gruesome explanation, a monster had gotten to the poor children before they could make it back to camp. Honestly, Chiron should be use to loosing demigods, it happened every year, but he never could quite shake the sorrow that followed each tragedy.
It wasn't uncommon for three or four demigods to perish during the school year, but twelve was a worrisomely high number of bodies. And not to mention the five deaths that had occurred inside the camp. All week there was monsters constantly knocking at the property boarders, a few of the stronger ones had even clawed their way through the magical boarder. It was like these creatures were on steroids, they seemed stronger and faster, ready to rip demigods to pieces.
———————————————————————————
(on olympus)
Aphrodite chewed on her bottom lip as she gazed at the one way Iris message in front of her. The shimmering rainbow displayed the image of camp half-blood and the attack that was currently happening. The love goddess watched worriedly as her oldest son stabbed a hellhound right before it could pounce on a younger Apollo child.
She had been in a constant worried state all week, watching every single monster attack that had occurred. Earlier that week the love goddess had sat there and gazed on as her young daughter, Lilian, perished at the hands of a cyclops. Now, she waited to see if yet another one of her few children would become just a lifeless corpse.
Apollo walked into the love goddess' chambers, sensing his presence Aphrodite turned to flash him a tight smile. With no other acknowledgments Apollo silently sat down at the female's side. Both taking comfort in the others presence.
"What are we going to do?" the question quietly floated from the goddess' mouth.
"There's nothing we can do." unexpectedly the statement didn't come from Apollo but rather the god leaning in the door frame.
Hermes raised his eyes brows as the other two finally noticed him.
"So we just continue to sit here and watch our children die," Apollo snapped.
With fake amusement Hermes replied, "That wouldn't be anything new," he paused studying his brother, "What's with the sudden care?"
"I've always cared," the sun god scoffed.
"Not like this," Hermes opposed, "at least not for many years".
It was true, for the past few hundred years the greek gods had distanced themselves. Now, some of this cold behavior was due to Zeus' rules, however, many of the gods had become more reserved as the years went on. Watching your lovers and children die throughout the years tends to do that to people and gods.
"Whatever," Apollo stood to leave.
"Oh come on sunny boy, you're really going to get that mad over one little comment?" Hermes yelled as he followed the other god.
"Children," Aphrodite whispered as she watched said children bicker just outside her chamber door.
With a deep breath Aphrodite allowed her mind to wonder back to her own children. Something was terribly wrong. There had already been so many casualties and summer had just begun. Also, the monsters seemed to almost be enhanced somehow, they seemed to be stronger and faster than ever.
And what were the gods doing? Absolutely nothing. Zeus refused to even acknowledge that there was a problem. That bastard never truly cared about the demigods, not even his own kids, he only paid them any attention if they could do his dirty work or bring him glory. And ok maybe Aphrodite was being a bit harsh with her thoughts of the king but if he was going to sit there and just watch all their children perish he deserved all the negative thoughts.
———————————————————————————
(underwater)
Poseidon sat on his throne trying to will away the incoming headache. One of his patrolling troops had reported back a sea monster sighting close to the outskirts of the city. That was the third sighting in the last two days and the monsters kept moving closer.
Usually the sea monsters would stay away from the underwater city, not finding any interest in the merpeople who lived there. However, ever sense the start of the week the creatures seemed to have gotten tired of ignoring the sea dwellers and had started inching closer to the city walls.
Poseidon was pulled out of his headache inducing thoughts by the sound of the door being thrown open. Soft foot steps approached the sea king and small hands reached out to tug on his ankle. The god reached down and grabbed his youngest child settling the sea prince on his lap.
"Did you need something," Poseidon asked as he laid a soft kiss onto dark hair.
"Miss you," Percy snuggled into his father's chest, his hands clawed into Poseidon's shirt.
Percy quickly fell asleep in his father's arms. Poseidon cradled his child and gently rocked him back and forth. A comforting silence fell onto the throne room and the sea king closed his eyes, finding comfort in the light weight that rested on his chest. The monsters could wait a few hours, at least until after nap time.
Sorry for the long wait. Let me know you have any suggestions for future chapter or even future books.
