43 Chapter 43

"Huh... you're a centaur," Alex pointed out.

The half-horse raised his eyebrows before giving a smile of acknowledgement.

"Well, that's one way to start," he chuckled. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Alexander. I am Chiron, your guide and, if you'll have it, your teacher."

Chiron? The one from the stories? The trainer of Hercules and all that?

"Yes, Alexander, I am."

Did he say all of that out loud?

"You did."

Alex squirmed embarrassedly in his seat. When the silence stretched for more than ten seconds, he spoke again.

"Didn't you die taking Prometheu's place?" Alex objected. "I'm pretty sure you're a constellation."

"You're quite knowledgeable in mythology," Chiron noted with a hint of surprise.

Scoffing, Alex folded his arms in front of his chest. "I think it's normal to want to learn about a world where there are monsters that want to sink their teeth in you."

Chiron's eyes dropped slightly. "The unfortunate truth," he then paused before answering Alex's question. "Eons ago, the gods granted me a wish; I could continue the work I loved. I could still be a teacher for heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish... and I lost as much. But I'm still here, so I can only assume I'm still needed."

Yeah. After the killer lions once statues, the friends with goat legs, a lady that was the mother of almost every monster, an old man that spoke through nightmarish-looking creatures, and everything else he'd seen that a normal person would call fantasies, an immortal centaur wasn't that weird.

However, despite all that, Alex was still a bit surprised by the conversation that followed. Chiron began to give him a brief explanation about camp. Apparently, this place had some sort of orientation film that also did the job, but the centaur insisted that it was better if he did the talking. 

It ended with another brief but detailed talk about the Greek Gods and how they occasionally had offspring with humans— he already knew that, of course, but hadn't realized it could get so complicated with some specific gods. Anyways, these offspring would come to be known not only as demigods but also as half-bloods.

"That's where you come in, Alex," Chiron said. "Of course, I was led to believe you already knew most of what I told you."

"Yep."

The centaur nodded.

"Do you..." Alex muttered. "I mean, how does one know who's their godly parent? Apart from dream visits and whatnot."

"Normally, a demigod is claimed the moment they reach camp. A large bright symbol representing their parent is displayed above them." Chiron answered. He paused, then sighed. "But occasionally, it takes a while for the child to be claimed. A lot of things can be at the root of why. Mostly, said child is so disconnected from their parent's domain, only when they come in contact with it, can the god claim them."

That sounded awfully like an excuse that an absentee parent would come up with for not talking with their child, but Alex figured it was best if he didn't comment on it. 

"Can... can a demigod never be claimed?" he asked, already knowing the answer. 

Chiron nodded. The smile that seemed to be present on his face since the beginning disappeared for a moment. 

That was all Alex needed to know before he wanted to desperately change the subject. Still, he couldn't help but ask more questions for someone who finally had answers. 

"What about Thalia, Luke, and Annabeth? Where they claimed?" He asked before clarifying. "I mean, I know I've been out for at least a day, so I'd hope they..."

"Indeed. They were claimed at the campfire sing-along last night." The smile returned to Chiron's face.

At least there was that. Alex sighed in relief— he had no idea what would happen to unclaimed kids, and the last thing he wanted was Annabeth not having a cabin of her own. Well, not 'her own' per se, but one she would share with her siblings.

There was a little voice in the back of his head that told him he should be jealous; his mother probably wouldn't claim him. Thalia didn't seem to hate her father, and it was hard to miss who he was; Luke, no matter how much he hated him, had a father who seemed to care for his son. Then what about Alex?

He shook his head, trying to ignore those stupid thoughts.

Chiron stood there, scanning Alex's face like he was waiting for a specific reaction. 

"I know it's a lot, Alex," Chrion stated after a moment of silence. "And I know you had a rough start to the journey that being a half-blood is."

That was an understatement. 

"In your head, you must be asking yourself 'Why me?'. There are many who feel the same," Chiron then looked out from the porch and down into the valley.

Alex followed his gaze. There were a lot of kids around his age, and both older and younger milling about. Some were wearing the same armour from before, running towards a large arena in the distance, smiles plastered on their faces. 

He could hear giggles and voices from the campers mixed with the sound of the wind shaking the foliage of the trees. If he got a bit closer to the beach, he was sure he would be able to hear the waves as well. 

"Camp Half-Blood," Chiron continued, and the name rang like a bell in Alex's head as he looked down at the specks of people gathered below. "It's a beautiful view, isn't it?"

Alex hummed in agreement. He was sure that when summer came around in a few weeks and it got warmer, it would be even prettier. 

"Are they all like me... like us?" He asked, thinking of his three companions that he was anxious to see. He was pretty sure he'd get an earful from the girls for 'sacrificing' himself, but at least Luke would understand. 

"Well, not everyone," The centaur pointed to a girl tending a small garden down one of the many paths. She was really pretty, though Alex could tell she wasn't human by the green skin and elfish appearance.

"What is she?"

"A wood nymph, or dryad. They're spirits who are born with a certain tree which they will watch over. They are quite the help with the strawberries. Mr D. doesn't bother himself to help apart from making them grow faster..."

The last sentence seemed more like a complaint than anything else.

"Who's Mr D?" Alex raised an eyebrow. It sounded like a nickname you'd give to a teacher.

Chiron sighed. "You'll meet him later. For now, I'd say a tour is in order."

The centaur began to descend the steps of the porch.

"Follow me, child."

==========

Alex only had one question...

How the hell did this place get its funding?

So imagine things you would normally expect to be in a summer camp, and then add a weird twist to it. He was simultaneously apprehensive and amazed.

Chiron started off easy with the volleyball and basketball court, the arts and crafts, the amphitheatre and the dining pavilion with its massive pillars. The climbing wall he'd seen in the distance, which, well, had gotten him pretty excited... occasionally poured lava down from it. 

Then Chiron showed Alex what he said the campers called the 'good stuff'. He took him to the archery range, which seemed fairly normal until you watched the people in it. 

This wasn't some school trip where you shoot some friendly arrows. No, these looked like people training for a battle. Sure, there was still a sense of camaraderie and friendly competition (he saw a poor guy lose 3-0), but man these guys didn't play around.

Next, he took him to the combat arena.

Yes folks, the combat arena.

As to be expected. there were various straw dummies scattered around the field edges. The arena was fairly empty, with only a few occupants that Alex had seen passing by the Big House moments before.

Chiron's tour kept rolling along, his hooves crunching on the gravel paths. He gestured towards a rugged building. The doors were thrown wide open to reveal the flickering glow of fire and the sound of hammering.

"That's the forge," he explained. "It's not just any old metal shop. Here, campers can make their own weapons and armour, although it's mostly the Hephaestus Cabin that frequents it. It's also where they fix anything— from armour dents to broken chariot axles. If I'm not mistaken, your sword was sent here to sharpen. Its edges were getting quite dull."

Alex peeked inside and saw a couple of kids in leather aprons, faces smudged with soot, totally focused on their tasks. Sparks were flying, and the whole place had a vibe like those epic blacksmith scenes in fantasy movies.

It wasn't like he didn't take good care of his sword; he cleaned it regularly. But he supposed he had a misconception that celestial bronze wouldn't lose its edge. 

Next stop was the stables, which were anything but typical.

"Here we have the pegasi," Chiron said as they approached a large barn. Inside, winged horses snorted and pawed at their stalls. One particularly majestic black pegasus tossed its mane and eyed Alex curiously.

The shine in its gaze told just how smart it was. Alex wasn't surprised; he had long concluded that most Greek monsters had a sense of self. 

Still, he didn't see the need for him to learn how to ride a pegasus. He could fly on his own, even if he needed some more training, he thought.

"They do more than just fly around, of course" Chiron chuckled. "They're crucial for aerial training and, well, let's just say they come in handy for special deliveries too."

After the stables, Chiron led Alex to what looked like an endless stretch of strawberry fields, with a few campers chatting and picking strawberries under the warm sun. 

There weren't only campers, he noticed. Half of the people there had goat legs very much like Grover, and a few had green skin just like that pretty dryad from before.

"You might not guess it, but these fields fund a lot of our activities. The mortals are under the impression this place is a farm. We sell these strawberries to them and Olympus. Helps keep the lights on, you could say."

Another thing he learned was that, apparently, Olyumpus was in the Empire State Building. On the 600th floor, to be exact. Weird location choice, not to mention he had no clue how the hell they sneaked a floor so high in there. Magic, he sighed.

As they strolled away from the lush fields, Chiron stopped by the camp's boundaries. If Alex squinted his eyes, he could almost see a shimmering, almost transparent barrier.

"The camp's border," Chiron's tone was calm. "Keeps us safe from unwanted visitors. It's what makes this place, dare I say, one of the few safe havens for half-bloods. It's a place where you and your fellow campers can train and hone their abilities inherited from your parents in peace. The unfortunate reality is that this world isn't safe for demigods, and every bit of strength will be of use."

Winding their way back, Alex was starting to get the full picture. He had asked at the forge, and Chiron had explained that only around thirty demigods were at camp at the moment.

"In a few weeks, when summer vacation arrives for most schools, our numbers should reach 100."

There were that many kids like him, without counting the ones who didn't even know this place was a thing. 

"Quite the place, isn't it?" Chiron asked, giving a different meaning to Alex's awed face.

"Yeah, I guess," Alex replied. "Still, I got a question..."

"Go ahead,"

"You said we, uh... demigods; they inherit powers from their godly parents, right?" he asked, and Chiron nodded, visibly intrigued. "Then is that why I have my anger issues too? Do some other demigods have it?"

Alex was hoping for a straightforward answer. He looked down at his hands, the vision of that day flashing through his mind. Hunter's bloody face was still stuck in his head, and even after everything he went through when he ran away, it was almost like he could feel the blood in his fingertips again.

His subconscious had long drawn the line between human and monster, and which it had no problem in hurting. 

Chiron shook his head.

"Oh," Alex sighed, "so it's just me, huh."

The centaur seemed to think for a moment. "Well, it's most likely something you took from your mother's nature. It is, perhaps, a hint at who she might be."

If she was trying to win Mom of the Year, it was safe to say she wasn't doing a very good job.

Chiron proceeded to look at him like he wanted to give Alex a better answer but couldn't.

Alex felt a hand placed firmly on his shoulder and looked up to see the centaur with a mix of empathy and worry on his face. It was almost like he could tell exactly what Alex was thinking, the same way his dad could.

"Alexander," He addressed him like he was his pupil. "you have every reason to feel the way you do. Be it confusion, hatred... but I believe that there is more to life than the mistakes we make, the things we regret, or opportunities lost. We forge our own paths. And I promise you; we... this place... can give you the tools you need."

Chiron definitely came from a place of wisdom and knowledge. It seemed like when he spoke, you listened.

"And all is not terrible," Chiron smiled reassuringly," being the son of a god or goddess means you have better fighting skills than most mortals, and I was told by your friends and even Argus that yours are quite exceptional."

Alex's gaze went to the porch of the Big House, where Argus stood. Obviously, he saw him looking and returned Alex's gaze with another one of his signature thumbs-up.

"And you were willing to sacrifice yourself for your friends, being left to fight the Kindly Ones alone. If that doesn't speak for itself, then I don't know what would." Chiron gave him a nod of appreciation and respect, which felt like a big deal.

"That I got from my dad."

Chiron smiled, which made Alex smile too.

"Now, I believe we still have one place left in your tour," the centaur began to walk again. "And there are a few individuals that would be extremely happy to finally see you out of the infirmary."

Alex could guess who those individuals were, and he felt a shiver down his spine. Better to mentally prepare in advance; he was about to get an earful. 

**********

A/N: Not much left for Volume 1 to end. 

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you on the next one!