TONGUES & TEETH; Luke Castellan [ 1 ]

< POMPEII >

LUKE'S POV

Luke leant against the bed frame lazily waiting for Percy to wake. He knew if he was in Percy's position he wouldn't want to wake up in camp with no one and nothing.
Besides he was curious of his glory anymore.

"Minotaur, Luke, he must be good." Chris beside him mentioned again, his other side Gordon polished his own sword.

Finally with a gasp Percy jolted awake. Nightmare. "You okay?" Luke ignored another hesitant whisper from Chris, strolling towards to greet Percy.

"Super." Percy snarked pulling himself to his feet, while Luke's half siblings continued whispering around his back.

"We all have them, you know." Luke poked the side of his cheek with his tongue, "Intense, recurring nightmares. That's normal here." He smiled awkwardly, "And the daydreams, and the ADHD, and dyslexia." Percy fidgeted awkwardly, the disorders were all too familiar.

"Demigods just process reality differently
than humans do. For the first time in your life, you're just like everyone else." No he wasn't. Luke knew he wasn't.

"So are you also..." Percy trialled off hoping Luke truly was like him. "Do you not know who your—" He struggled to explain, Chris snickering behind him before Luke sent him a look.

"Am I unclaimed?" Luke waited for Percy to nod, "No, Hermes is my father." God he hated the name, "That doesn't matter, we're all on the same team here."

"Why is that okay? Why do they get to bring us here to just ignore some of us?" Percy laughed in disbelief. Percy would make a great asset.

"Spend too much time trying to figure out
why the gods do whatever it is they do,
you'll drive yourself crazy." Rubbing his neck awkwardly Luke knew it was the truth, "Sooner you stop worrying about that,
the sooner you can enjoy what this place actually does offer."

"And what's that?" Percy's questions would get on his nerves eventually.

"Glory." His face flushed with pride at the mention, Luke had earned himself loads of glory at camp, Pandora even more, "Demigods have always fought for glory.
They used to call it kleos." He led Percy out of the cabin, dragging his feet as he walked.

"It's like this stuff that attaches itself to your name." Chris added beside the pair, Chris had earned himself loads of glory similar to Luke but wasn't as good of a fighter. "Makes your name bigger, scarier, more important, Luke has tons." Luke swatted him away playfully, rather embarrassed at the praising.

"Basically, people listen closer when you talk, they work harder to be your friend
and they think twice about messing with you."

"So that girl.. the one that won't stop watching me, is she messing with me.. who even is she?" Luke knew immediately who Percy referred to. Across camp, Rhea seemed to be talking Pandora's ear off. Instead of listening as intently as she should've Pandora's eyes were trained to Luke and Percy.

"She's not staring at you Jackson." Chris snickered, as Luke's cheeks flushed once again, with a quick tilt of his head, returning his own gaze back to Percy. "That's Luke's girlfriend." Chris teased and Luke pushed his hand away.

"That's.. uh.. that's Pandora.. my girlfriend." Chris and Gordon both broke into laughter, a small smile on Percy's face.
"She's-" He knew she didn't like to advertise but it was hard not too, "She's the daughter of Hades." Percy's eyes widened and he turned to Luke.

His shock didn't last long as Clarisse shouldered her way past shoving Percy to the ground. Quickly Luke stood between the pair, Chris helping Percy to his feet, "Hey! Knock it off, Clarisse. It's his first day, come on." Clarisse sized Luke up but retreating a step. His phrase was more than familiar, he'd said it on Pandora's first day, Percy standing his ground similarly.

"Wait, so this is the kid who killed the Minotaur. Is that right?" Luke tensed at the mention again. Percy hadn't even gotten through his first day and he had earned more glory than Luke had in his first year.

"Yeah?" Clarisse's eyes widened, "I'll bet.
Look, you want attention around here, dummy? You better be ready for it when it comes." Are's cabin chuckled ugly laughs as they passed, Percy now back on his feet.

"Well, she seems nice." Percy snarked brushing himself off. His distaste was clear his eyes hardened on the retreating cabin.

"Ares kids. They come by it honestly." Luke scoffed patting a hand on Percy's shoulder.
"-Why don't they mess with you?" Percy looked to Luke.

"They know better."

PANDORA's POV

Pandora watched as the group of Herme's children grew further away and Rhea snapped a finger in front of her face, "Stop staring at them! I'm sure the new kid isn't as interesting as they say." Rhea groaned pulling at Pandora's camp shirt.

"I'm sure you're right Rhea, it's just distracting." Pandora nodded allowing the younger girl to drag her along the stone pathways across camp, Rhea had grown taller since the year before. The blonde girl was still quite fair, and beautiful. Aphrodite's children mostly looked stunning.

"Can you pay attention to me!" Rhea stomped her foot angrily stopping in front of Pandora, "You're a forbidden child I don't see why Percy Jackson is such a big deal." She huffed blowing a loose strand of hair back in place.

"Rhea.." She knelt down to her level which wasn't very far considering Pandora had to look up once crouched down, "Ever hear about the prophecy?" Pandora didn't mind telling the younger girl, most of camp knew.

"Heather mentioned it before, but I don't listen very well." She shook her head, glancing around for her older sister.

"Well, there is a prophecy that a forbidden child is destined to save Olympus," She left out the part of destroying Olympus, "I think it's Percy." She whispered secretly with a smile, Rhea giggling at her antics, "But you can't tell anyone, not even Luke alright." She thought she may as well play it off as a joke.

"Can't tell anyone except Luke." She tried to communicate, Pandora gasping dramatically, "Anyone including Luke!" Rhea corrected herself nodding eagerly.

"Is my secret safe?" Pandora gripped Rhea's hands in hers. In the distance, "Eleven! Fall in." Luke's voice travelled from his cabin, time for dinner she assumed.

"I won't tell a soul Pandora." Rhea ran off to join her cabin as the conch horn sounded.
Rhea would keep her secret she loved games, especially secrets.