The Exiled God; A Trials of Apollo Fanfiction

Lost in the Forest

Y/n's POV

The good news was that from where we were standing at the top of the hill, you could see Camp Half Blood. You could see the whole valley, actually. I saw the amphitheater, the sword fighting arena, the dining pavilion, the Big House, and of course, the cabins. Twenty of them lined the central green where the communal hearth fire glowed cheerfully. In the back, on the tallest hill, the Athena Parthenos shone in all its glory.

Meg's jaw dropped. "Wow. What is that place?"

"Home," I breathe out, a small smile settling on my face. "That is home. It's a safe place for kids like us. Camp Half Blood."

"How come I've never heard about this place? Do you need tickets?" Meg asked.

"No," I laugh. "The magical borders camouflage the valley, so from the outside, most humans would see nothing here except boring farmland. As for tickets, well, the camp doesn't let in just anybody. Lucky for you, I'm a senior counsellor, and I know the activities director well."

"Something doesn't feel right," Meg muttered and bit her nails. "Those woods...Percy said they were wild and enchanted and stuff." 

"These are the west woods," I announce. "Most of our capture the flag games take place here, but closer to the camp, obviously. And for good reason. This is as close as monsters can get to camp, and some of them like to lurk around just in case a lone camper wanders out here. But don't worry. I know the way."

"Plus the campers are very friendly. They'll welcome us with tears of joy. And wait until you see the orientation video!" Apollo added. 

"Gods no," I groan. "That video sucks. Meg, avoid it at all cost. Now lets go."

The woods were worse than I expected. The trees loomed over us, blocking out almost all of the sun. Trunks blocked paths and guided us towards new ones that were covered in tree roots. It was an obstacle course trying to get over the bumps, nots, and loops. Before I knew it, we had been hiking for hours. We should have arrived at the Big House by now. After we passed the same boulder for the third time, Apollo stopped in his tracks.

"You have no idea where we are, do you?" Apollo quizzed.

"Of course I know where we are," I defend. "We're just....this way is....yeah, I'm kind of lost. These trees seem like they're trying to stop us."

"Don't you have any wilderness skills? Reading moss on the sides of trees? Following tracks?" Meg posed. 

"That's more my sister's thing," Apollo revealed. "And I doubt Y/n knows how to do any of that stuff either."

"Oh my bad. Sorry my father is the god of the ocean, not the woods," I apologize sarcastically.

"Maybe Peaches can help," Meg suggested and turned to the karpos. "Hey, can you find us a way out of the woods?" 

Instead of responding, Peaches vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"Well that's great," I say.

"We can't stay here," Apollo insisted and glanced around. "We need to find a way to camp."

"Lets go then," I urge and trek deeper into the woods.

"We have to hurry," Apollo demanded and rushed, running through the trees.

Meg and I looked and eat other, and when we saw that he wasn't gonna slow down, we chased after him. We stumbled over tree roots, heading blindly through branches with no sense of direction. When we came to a small clearing, I spotted Apollo wading into a stream.

"Apollo! Wait!" I shout and run to catch up with him. I was so focused on Apollo that I didn't see the large tree root in front of me, and I tripped over it, twisting my ankle in the process. I groaned when my body hit the ground with a thud, and for a moment, I lay there motionless trying to gather myself.