The Sons of Light and Dark

I Don't Deserve This!

This peace was nice. The peace to relax under a tree, thinking about what was going to be served for dinner tonight and if anyone was going to try and sit with me again. After two wars, both of which I was a vital part against my will, I needed some relaxation time. I and the rest of the Seven were granted immunity from quests for a good long while unless it specifically called for us, which no one could help. Nico too, now that I remember. He was a big part of the war, too.

Unfortunately for me, the Fates were not on my side.

It started when I was on patrol near Thalia's tree, wondering how she was doing in the Hunt. I was looking up into the branches, wondering where Peleus had gone to when I hear a roar, followed by a scream. I turned, unsheathing Riptide as I laid my eyes on a kid with black hair, only a bit lighter than mine, scooting away from a cyclops that held its giant club high above its head, ready to smash the poor kid. I launched myself down the hill, barreling into it and knocking it back a few steps. Before it could understand what was happening, I sliced through its throat, causing it to burst into dust.

As the golden dust rained down, I turned around to see the kid's seaweed green eyes glaring at me.

"You alright?" I asked, stretching out a hand to him.

He smacked my hand away. "I'm fine," he growled as he picked himself up. I frowned at his hostility.

"Okay, then. Well, since the monster's dead, why don't you go to the Big House and meet Chiron. It's that one right there-the big one. Oh, and don't freak out when you meet him. Not too much at least."

"I don't need your help."

I frowned even deeper, brows furrowing. "Sorry. Just trying to be nice."

Before he could retort, his eyes darted to something behind me. I whirled around, ready for it to be another monster, only to see another dark-haired kid jogging up, waving his hand. He had something on his back, but I didn't get to register much else as I was suddenly hit with a bout of drowsiness. My legs suddenly went out from under me and I barely managed to catch myself. I glanced up to see the other guy running towards me when I was suddenly hit in the back of the head and lost consciousness.

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When I eventually came to, I opened my eyes to see the roof of the infirmary tent. I tried to sit up but the pain made my vision swim.

"Hey, there." I heard a voice say. "Take it easy, you were hit pretty hard." The owner of the voice pushed me back down. When I could see again I saw that it was Will who was tending to me. For some reason, he looked grim.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice hoarse. Will handed me a glass of water and began to speak.

"You remember that kid you saved earlier?" he asked. I nodded. "He claims that you were knocked out by a monster and that he saved you. I didn't believe it for a second, but some of them did. The kid, Alex Mare is his name, hasn't been claimed yet, so it's possible that he is a child of Aphrodite and has charmspeak."

"Yeah, it's probably that." I agreed, handing the glass back to the blond son of Apollo. "Who did believe him?" Will's face tightened.

"Many of the Aphrodite cabin, almost all the Hecate, Hypnos, Morpheus, and Ares cabins, and-" Will stopped abruptly.

"Will," I said carefully. "Who else?" He turned away from me in response. After a minute he said a name.

"Annabeth doesn't doubt that you were knocked out, but she doesn't believe it's the whole truth. That's all who I know," he said quietly. I felt my world tilt.