Outlaws △ Luke Castellan

03.

Chapter Three;

Kaia trekked up Half-Blood Hill. Her feet dragged on the slippery grass, and she was wearing a jacket despite the moderate temperature. She didn't believe her chill had anything to do with the weather, anyway.

The bag on her back weighed a ton, as though she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Which, in a way, she was. All of the possessions she couldn't bear to be parted from were stored in there; little scraps that would mean nothing to anybody else, but were priceless treasures to her.

Camp Half-Blood was magically protected against the mere trifles of the weather, but it had been allowed to reflect the changing landscape. Some trees had lost their leaves, though the woods retained their own. Clouds passed overhead, though Kaia doubted that they would experience any rain: the clouds were too thin to be of any concern.

Home, she thought, her inner voice as empty as a black hole. This is my home now.

The thought didn't exactly make her smile. Kaia hitched her bag over her shoulders and descended to the sprawling camp. With each step, she felt the distance between herself and the mortal world increase. She bit back a bitter laugh. Of course, she didn't belong there. She was part Olympian. That world wasn't designed to accommodate her.

The camp was almost like a ghost town. There was some activity: a handful of campers running around, or canoeing on the lake, but Kaia was used to a presence so much more plentiful than what was before her. It was a little strange, and made her subconsciously pick up her pace.

Without thinking, her feet took her in the direction of Luke's favourite place to train. Sure enough, she found him, going through numerous sword motions.

For a moment she stood there, transfixed. His skill with a blade was not to be exaggerated. And he looked good while doing it, there was no denying that.

Then Luke saw her, and he froze.

"Kaia? What are you doing back?"

Seeing Luke, so ecstatic to see her it was as though he was bathed in sunlight... It was too much for Kaia. Her last emotional barriers came crashing down, dragging her down with them as tears filled her eyes and, in a matter of seconds, she was crying.

"Kaia!"

Within a moment, Luke was by her side. Kaia leaned into his muscular body and sobbed, a patch on his shirt soon soaked with her tears.

Luke rubbed her back. His hands were calloused and dry. They were warrior's hands, yet when he held her, it was with all the warmth of a close member of a family. She could feel how toned his arms were. Within them, she felt completely safe, as though Luke could shield her from the world.

"Let's go to the Big House and get you something to eat," he murmured. "And drink, too. How does tea sound?"

"Hot chocolate?"

"I'm sure I can find something."

The trudged to the tall blue building, Luke's arms wrapped around Kaia's waist. Kaia focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and the comfort radiating from Luke. She was vaguely reminded of cinnamon toast and crackling flames on a winter morning.

Chiron and Dionysus were playing a hand on pinochle when the two demigods approached. Though Chiron raised his head, he made no move to call out to them or make them stop. Kaia was vaguely aware of the centaur and Luke exchanging looks before Luke guided Kaia inside.

Once there, Kaia collapsed on a soft chair in front of the fire. She groaned and buried her head in her hands, tears still present in her eyes. Despite her proximity to the flames, it was as though winter lived inside her: she was cold, devoid of life.