PHILOXENIA ➸ Percy Jackson¹

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THREE—To Lay Claimant

─── ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽☼☾.* :☆ﾟ｡ ───

Camp Half-Blood was a place where Lux would always feel safe. Despite everything that happened last year—the invasion of the hellhound, the constant storms, the fear of an all-out war—she knew everything would be all right as long as they still had the protection of Thalia's pine tree.

But this was far different from the Camp Half-Blood she knew.

On the surface, everything was the same.

The Big House was still there with its sky-blue walls and wrap-around porch. The strawberry vines lined up in neat rows in the fields were still ripened with fruit. From afar she could see the same buildings she had run across so many times—the amphitheater, the dining hall overlooking Long Island Sound, the U-shaped lineup of cabins representing each of the Olympians.

But there was an air of danger now, even more so when everyone was on edge because of the faint whispers of war. There was no one striking balls to the other side on the volleyball court. Instead, the counselors and satyrs were stockpiling weapons in the tool shed. The wood nymphs were armed with bows and arrows, standing guard nervously at the edge of the woods.

The forest and the grass meadow were a sickly yellow color that would make any nymph feel queasy just looking at it. The burn marks suffered from the rampage of the Colchis bulls stood out like ugly scars.

The air was thick and heavy, reminding her of that one summer her family spent in Florida when the heat and humidity made it difficult for her to breathe at times.

Someone had messed with her favorite place in the world, and Lux was not happy about it.

As they made their way to the Big House, Lux passed by many familiar faces. She waved at them as she always did, but none of them stopped to talk or said "Welcome back." Some of them did a double take when they saw Tyson, but they all chose to walk grimly past to do their tasks—deliver messages, check on the weapons, and talk in hushed whispers about strategies and patrol schedules.

It was far from the camp that Tyson should have been introduced to, but he didn't seem to care. He was too fascinated by everything he saw.

He pointed at everything, constantly asking what they were. Lux tried to match his enthusiasm, answering any questions that he had, but both Percy and her were too rife with worry and questions that desperately needed answers to give him a grand, all-encompassing tour.

When they got to the Big House, they found Chiron in his apartment, listening to his favorite 1960s lounge music while packing his belongings. It was not a sight that Lux wanted to see, and it hurt her more to see his living space gradually being emptied.

Tyson froze as soon as he saw him. "Pony!"

Chiron turned around, looking offended. "I beg your pardon?"

"Chiron, is it true?" Lux's voice was heavy as she asked. "Are you really...leaving?"

He gave her a kindly smile that made her heart constrict. "Hello, Lux. And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the years."

"Clarisse said you were...you were..."

"Fired." Chiron's eyes glinted with dark humor. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D had to punish someone."

"Beside himself, you mean," Percy growled.

"But this is crazy!" Lux exclaimed. "There's no way you could've had anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!"