violent delights, percy jackson

chapter three

VIOLENT DELIGHTS
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( chapter three! )

CAMP HALF-BLOOD WAS NOTHING like Azalea thought it would be. Micheal, if anything, was a very excitable tour guide once inside the safety of the barrier and Azalea wished he would stop talking. She didn't exactly know how to deal with the now turned talkative boy who seemed to enjoy nattering her eardrums off.

"You're going to love it here," He gushed out loud, as he fell into step beside her. Starting their little walk down one of the main pathways to the Big House. According to him they had to stop there before going on a full tour of the Camp. "The camp life grows on you and soon you'll never want to leave."

Azalea couldn't help but remark as they walked, "How do you know I'm going to stay here?"

He just smirked as if he already knew that she was in love with the place. Truthfully, Azalea couldn't say she didn't dislike the Camp from the small snippets she had seen as they walked. It looked like the ultimate training ground for hero's, with weapons booths where she saw many kids her own age or younger learning how to sword fight and throw spears. She even saw an archery range when passing by filled with nearly a dozen kids firing at once. It was like a dream come true, but Azalea knew better than to let herself hope to stay too long. She had a mission, a plan to follow. Nothing could jeopardize it. Not even the promise of a waterless, less cramped and monster-free training area.

Despite her awe at all the weapon displays, nothing could make her more excited and slightly terrified, than seeing a climbing wall that occasionally sent down a waterfall of lava towards it climbers. Azalea had always liked a good challenge and she would be lying if she didn't make a mental note to at least try out that particular skill set.

Eventually the twosome, had wandered away from the heart of all the action and closer to the looming Victorian styled white house in the distance. It looked like your standard farmhouse, with a wrap around porch and multi-coloured lawn furniture scattered around it. The only thing that even slightly made it seem out of the regular mortal world was the pudgy man in a tiger print shirt sitting and playing a board game with a satyr.

Keeping up the act of being the dumb blonde who couldn't comprehend too much at once, she slowed her pace and forced herself to act both shocked and horrified at the sight. Micheal placed a calloused hand on her forearm and stated that the satyr's around camp were mostly harmless and more or less kept to themselves. That didn't stop her from stammering our a weak response of false shock.

"He-," she licked her lips as she tried to formulate a hasty response, "That kid had the bottom end of a sheep!"

At her statement two heads swivelled towards her voice and the tiger shirted man not only snorted at her comment but clapped his hands giddily. The said satyr however, took complete offence to the comment and told the pudgy man he would be back later for a rematch. Azalea assumed they tiger print guy was clapping about his game rather than her comment, as the frown that appeared when seeing her fully.

"Mitchel Yak, what are you doing away from the south border?" The man asked with a cocked brow and an unimpressed frown as they got closer. "Isn't it your turn to make sure no chipmunk get too close to the barrier?"

"It's Micheal sir," The blonde boy instantly corrected, as they stood just off the porch patiently. Azalea fidgeting with her bracelet all the while. "And that's why I'm here. Is Chiron around?"