Chapter 4

Vince was sitting at a branch at a tall tree, his back leaning on the trunk and his legs crossed at the ankles as he looked over at the mountains that surround the lake. The lake was glistening from the sun's light. The sky was cloudless, another beautiful day in Camp Half-Blood.

He could see naiads everywhere, and he could hear some Aphrodite kids giggling at the edge of the lake as they gossiped. Then at the other side, he could hear the Ares' kids taunting and arguing with the other kids followed by a clang of metals. Vince closed his eyes and feels the air on his face. He could somehow tell the temperature just by feeling it. He has a strange sense of hearing and smell. He could sense danger coming within a certain range by just feeling the air around him. When he shared it to Chiron, the centaur fell into a deep thought and said he might be a son of one of the wind gods.

Only one thing that changed it all. He had hoped that Chiron might be correct. But the wind gods never have control over temperature. Especially the cold, cold temperature that Vince felt when...

"Oi, Vincent!"

Vince opened his eyes and looked down at the gray eyes of Malcolm, son of Athena, looking up at him. "Yes?" he replied quietly.

"Chiron called for you."

Vince uncrossed his ankles and jumped down the tree, flipping his body in midair and landed in a catlike grace on the ground. That's one thing. He can jump from the highest branch of a tree in a slow motion as if the wind was too careful not to drop him and the gravity scared of him dropping on the ground hard.

He patted himself from the unseen dust and nodded his thanks at Malcolm ho smiled and walked away.

Vince could have been mistaken as a son of Hades because of his silent personality and his looks, but nope. Hades never claimed him so it means, Hades is out of question. As well as the gods.

He arrived at the pavilion of the Big House and saw Chiron in his magical wheelchair, playing pinochle with Mr. D. Vince had learned to play that, considering that he was the longest stay in the camp other than Chiron and Mr. D along with some children of the gods who decided to settle down outside of the camp already.

Mr. D suddenly stood up. "I must go now. Get your babysitting straight, Victor."

Vince could only smile at the wrong name. He had come to like Mr. D despite the times that the god of wine was rash and harsh on all demigods. He bowed his head as Mr. D disappeared.

Chiron put down the card and smiled at Vincent. "You're been skipping classes lately, son," he said sternly.

Vince rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Sorry, Chiron."

The centaur's eyes softened as if he knows the reason why. "Don't lose hope, Vincent. Someday we will know who your parent is."

Vince sighed and dropped his arm to his side. "I know. I just... I mean, why took so long?"

"The reasons will be revealed in its own time, Vince. As for now, would you like to come with us for the Summer Solstice tomorrow?"

Vincent's smile appeared on his pale face. Since he's one of the senior campers, he's supposed to go to every solstice that the gods allowed for the demigods to attend. But he doesn't want to go, since all senior campers are already claimed. "I'm sorry, Chiron. But I can't."

Chiron sighed, the way he would do if he knew that he couldn't persuade Vince. "Very well, then. While I am gone with the senior campers, please look out on the newcomers and the others."

Vince nodded obediently. He turned his heels and walked out of the pavilion with Chiron's eyes following him. Chiron was saddened immensely at the situation of the demigod. He'll make sure to tell the gods about the kid. Maybe they'll have an idea on who his parent would be.