Forum Thread

Diary Entry
Date: July 3rd, 2022

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Two weeks. It's been two weeks and still nothing.

I've looked everywhere but Illie's still missing and the hearth is cold. I can't talk with Mother anymore and everyone expects me to fix the hearth. The only oddity that I found was a crack in the floorboards, yet I hesitate to point any fingers. It seems almost too convenient for such a clue to be situated so close to the hearth, hidden under the carpet. However, it is the only sign that an outside force has tampered with the sacred fire. If something truly did emerge from that fissure and steal away the two lights I have in this camp, then I fear that even the protection of the hearth may not shield them from an untimely demise.

With each passing day, my patience with Chiron grows thinner and thinner. He refuses to send anyone out to investigate or even look for Illie, instead choosing to wait for a prophecy or a message from the gods while insisting that the camp continues as it always had. Each minute we waste sitting on our hands is a moment when the world grows colder and colder. Tomorrow, if nothing has happened yet, I shall go to Cassandra myself and beg for a prophecy. I am not above lowering myself if it means getting something done.

Closing his diary, Alaparos sighed through his nose. The tension that he had carried with him since the beginning of this incident was concentrated within his stiff shoulders and down turned lips. It was an oddity to see the Son of Hestia so downtrodden yet the atmosphere at camp was undeniably gloomy. Despite the best efforts of various campers to keep up the cheer, things were grim. How could things not when a camper was missing and disaster was on the horizon? Despite the brightly shining sun and clear suns, it mind as well be cloudy with thunder rumbling faintly. Running a hand over his face, Alaparos gently patted his cheeks in an effort to re-center himself. There was little he could do right now and stewing over it wouldn't help anyone. Gently rolling out of the cozy sitting room in which the cold ashes of the once brightly lit hearth resided, Alaparos let the well oiled wheels of his wheelchair clatter over the loose boards of The Big House patio.

Hilariously, he had been out in the sun more in these past two weeks than he ever had been in the past two years. It hurt a bit, basking in a perpetual reminder of what he had failed to protect, but he enjoyed the warmth for what it was worth. Watching the still novel sight of campers running around camp doing their daily chores, Alaparos toyed with his dog tags. One of Hecte's children had her callused hands curled around a steaming mug, occasionally sipping from it, while one Tethis' blessed set up the docks whilst greeting the creatures of the lake. Although it was a unremarkable day, mundane in its repetitive motions there was still underlying tensions that buzzed throughout the camp. Something big was coming, he could feel it, but the anticipation was killing him.

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Sign Ups

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"Another morning in this camp, another day without the hearth's light." was the first thing that came to mind as Emika, better know as Darling Desire, or simply DD, sat up from her bed. She didn't need to see the unlit hearth to know it was still extinguished. As a daughter of Athena, she was in tune with her surroundings and could tell things that others couldn't. "Like how pathetic Chiron is being at this time~." DD sighed, used to the voice that made its presence known in her mind. She had to agree with it though. Waiting for a prophecy that would then have to be interpreted was silly. Waiting for the gods themselves to do something as simple as send a message? Pathetic... This had to be solved soon. Who knows what disasters could ensue with this breach in security and the loss of not just the hearth's light but also a 'fellow' camper?? Regardless, DD began her morning routine and prepared for another day of training...

---

Another day. Another.. Day. What else could it be described as? Another chance to be glared at? To be frowned at and shunned, just for being another camper? That's what it was for Dezerae, the poor soul having skipped breakfast and instead chanced staying in their cabin to avoid the rather abusive withering glares cast their way. After all, what was a little hunger over feeling a bit better throughout the day? Dezerae got some practice focusing their ability whilst hiding away (even though that caused the doorway to become a little crooked), and thankfully didn't get any curious eyes or visitors searching for them. At least, not on week one. They were hardly known to be there by more than a few people. The best they could think of for whoever knew them would be the camp director, maybe a visitor from another camp that was the son or daughter of.. Well, any gods of knowledge or vision. Heimdallr was the only name that Dezerae could bring up for gods of vision or knowledge, the controller of the Bifrost bridge. With the current event happening as it was, Dezerae wouldn't be surprised if there was indeed a demigod of the sort in the area. Biting back a sob, Dezerae curled in on themselves more, grimacing under the dull throb of a headache. 'Today will be another bad day,' Disarray thought. The best they could do was sigh and wait for a sympathetic camper to knock on the damaged door.

Being the child of a lesser-known goddess had it's downsides, but hey, at least Tyche was prevalent enough to have her own cabin at a camp for those like him. He had already started his day, being one of the last out of his cabin, and begun doing his daily chores. He greeted everyone he passed with a welcoming smile before continuing on. He had quite the reputation around the camp, as he had gone here yearly since the mere age of 8, and had quite the personality. Quinn had been running around, doing chores as something crossed his mind, as it did every day. For quite a while now, one topic had been on a lot of campers minds, his was no exception. The hearth had gone out and the air had gotten heavy, filled with worry and concern. He felt it, and he knew a lot of others did too. It was frightening just thinking about it, but he always tried to act like he was like he always was. On that note, he reminded himself not to think about the situation any further and that he had work to do. Today, it was his turn to clean the cabin, which wasn't that big of a task. He didn't have many brothers and sisters, and the ones he did have weren't all that messy. He grabbed the supplies he needed and walked back into the cabin. He was greeted by someone else inside, someone he did not expect to see. "Oh, hey Darrius. Aren't you supposed to be in a class right now? Or were you taking a break?" Quinn let out a small chuckle and set his stuff down so he could get ready to clean. As soon as he finished, Darrius turned around and looked at him with a smile. "Ha ha, very funny..." He then got up from the chair he was sitting on and walked over to face Quinn. "I actually came here to talk to you. Is that alright?" It was a little weird that the 17 year old, who didn't usually make much contact with anyone at the camp, had decided to talk to him. "Uh... Yeah, I guess that's fine." Quinn reached for the nearest bed, which happened to be his own, and sat down. Once he looked back at Darrius, he noticed that his expression had changed. He now looked quite serious, and he saw a little bit of fear in his eyes. "Sorry for being so sudden, but don't you find anything weird about this? The hearth? Chiron? Even you! Something is going on here a-and I don't know what's going on! You've been acting strange lately and it's making me worry..." He was getting increasingly panicked and seeing that made Quinn feel the need to get up and calm him down. It concerned him knowing that Darrius saw a change in his behavior, considering the fact that he didn't think he was paying much attention to him.

---

It was just another day in cabin 9. Except way gloomier and disheartened. Everyone knew it. The hearth had been out. The hearth was out? Suvansh couldn't believe that, no. It had been blazing since the day he came to Camp Half-blood, 6 years ago. It was absurd, and they were doing nothing about it. A camper, a child of Apollo, had been missing, but Chiron was waiting on a prophecy! He could at least issue a quest...a search party...but no, he wouldn't do anything without the gods' words.
Suvansh hated it, but he could do nothing but wait in anticipation with the other campers, and try to continue his normal routine. So he went for breakfast, towards the Dinning Pavilion, as usual, just that there was no spirit in the demigods, with minimal chatter about. He burnt offerings as per the ritual, and sat on the Hephaestus table with a few of his siblings, but none talked a word, just kept glancing at each other nervously. Being the eldest present, Suvansh wanted to console his siblings, that all was good, but he didn't even know how true that was- and couldn't get himself to speak.

---

Quinn gently rested his ever so slightly shaking hands on the boy, muttering a few words to him as he set Darrius back down on the chair. "Yeah, yeah I know... It's all very strange, but it's not like we can do anything about it." Letting out a sigh, Quinn turned away and grabbed a broom and began sweeping the floor, looking at the clock on one of the nightstands. "Go on and go to breakfast, I'll meet you there." It wasn't long after when he heard the footsteps heading towards the door, letting him know that Darrius was leaving.

After a few minutes of work, the cabin was clean enough that he could consider it finished for now. He was running a little late anyways, so it wasn't like he had much of a choice. He slipped on his jacket and headed out the door, picking up the pace so he would make it on time. He was strangely hungry, which only encouraged him to get there quicker. He grabbed his plate and made an offering to the gods, throwing in a prayer for the future. He couldn't help but to be impatient with them, since there was pretty much no reponse from them no matter how hard anyone tried. He then went to his table and began to eat, quietly watching his siblings as they did whatever they were normally doing. It was weird being the oldest of the group, considering that every child of the goddess of fortune would seem like they would live to be older. Well, there were only about 10 of them so it wasn't hard to believe the ages were largely spread out. His interest was currently fixed on a game of cards two of the older ones were playing, since that was the only thing going on at this table. Even being extremely lucky had no effect on how a game was played, as some would be luckier than others. Throughout his years of being a camper, he had learned that some children inherented more of their godly parent's power than others, and Quinn was lucky enough to be one of them. While it wasn't as neat as being a fire wielder as an offspring of hephaestus, he could at least control luck, and quite a bit of it too. Some were just a bit luckier than the average mortal, which wasn't exactly the most impressive. He quickly finished his meal and silently sat as he watched the tables around him when the card game finished, thinking to himself in the process.

---

The creaking wood alerted Alaparos to the presence of someone else and for a damned moment he felt hope rise within him chest before the telltale clopping of hooves quashed it in an instant. He kept his eyes trained on the dining pavilion, watching the morning meals, staunchly ignoring the arrival of someone beside him. There was a heavy sigh and a hand gently lay itself on his shoulder. There was a whole unspoken conversation in the oppressive silence, one repeated again and again over the past two weeks. Frankly, Alaparos was tired of it. Quietly shrugging off the hand, he bumped his way down the stairs and pushed himself towards the dining pavilion. Honestly he hadn't meant to do so, only wishing to get away from the silence and the memories, his appetite all but gone by now.

Under the soft light of the ever sunny skies, Alaparos looked a bit like a mess. He hadn't bothered to clean himself up much, resulting in unconcealed eye bags and slightly disheveled hair. It was clear that he wasn't doing too well but the stiff posture he held while wheeling through camp was enough for the others to understand that he hadn't given up yet. If anything, his rumpled appearance was a sign that he was still searching, harder than ever.

As he pushed himself forward, someone fell into step beside him. Glancing up, he was surprised to see the dark chocolate skin of Cassandra, the Oracle offering the other a wry smile. "You just looked like you needed some company." She explained, taking the handles of Alaparos' wheelchair with his permission and the two chatted in low tones all the way to the pavilion. With neither of them having designated tables, they simply found a place out of the way to set their bags down before grabbing something to eat. As was the case every day, Alaparos scrapped half a portion of Moussaka into the fire for his Mother, offering the traditional food that so often reminded him of her warm presence, and offered the best portions of his plate to the other gods.

He was about to return to their claimed spot when the crashing fall of cutlery and plates had him jerking his head to his side. Behind him, Cassandra's golden eyes were nothing but thin rings as a sickly green mist spilled out from her slack jaw. Watching with thinly disguised relief and trepidation, Alaparos clenched and unclenched his hands, waiting almost impatiently for the long awaited prophecy to come. If anything, even if it didn't pertain to anything that was happening, it was an opportunity to get out there and figure out what was wrong. He didn't have to wait for very long as the thick mist enveloped the entire pavilion, rolling green clouds brushing against his ankles. Despite being so close to her, Alaparos couldn't even see Cassandra, making the rattling wheeze of the Oracle all the more unnerving as it hissed out the newest quest.

"To seek what has been lost
The Sun will be your cost
With Wisdom on your heel
Strife and Luck be your wheel
And craft with Fire and Spell
The Hearth will lead to Hell
Before winter's final kiss
Deny blinding love's bliss
Lest we take our final rest
When Dawn fades without protest
Poisoned by frozen Storge"

With a final shuddering wheeze, a thump was heard and slowly the mist began to disperse. As the fog lifted, revealing the stunned faces of the gathered campers, Alaparos hurriedly wheeled over to where Cassandra had collapsed, dragging her prone form onto his lap. Glancing around at the other frozen campers, he grimaced at their inactivity. "Someone get a stretcher and get the poor girl into the infirmary." He commanded, strong voice breaking through the stagnant silence.

---

DD's eyes widened from where she sat at the table of Athena's children. After so long, a prophecy had come forth... She listened closely, wrote the prophecy down and stored the paper away in a pocket for later analysis, but did nothing further. It was not her place to help. Maybe she should...? "Not our problem, my Darling~." She winced a little at the voice and turned her attention back to her food. "I don't see how it isn't my problem. She is the Oracle of Delphi, she deserves respect-" Cold laughter flooded DD's head. "Respect? WE are above all others. It is THEY who should respect US." DD clenched her fist, nearly drawing blood from the palm of her hand. A cool indifference washed over her face that did not reach her eyes. All she could do now was wait... Maybe decipher the prophecy a little... She liked riddles and prophecies were just rhyming riddles that were a bit harder to figure out.

---

The commotion in the pavilion went not unnoticed from the solitary confinement of Dezerae, who had indeed been the one to put themselves there in the first place. Nearly kicking down the door of the cabin (again), Disarray sprinted as fast as they could to the pavilion, throwing the door open. Their first instinct was to cower, though the next was to ask about the prophecy, leading to the guilt of not realizing that the Oracle needed some help. "I'll get her, don't worry." Dezerae, known only as a child of the Goddess of strife, realized that this might be a new page for their appearance, a chance to really let the other campers know what they were, who they were. Trotting briskly towards Alaparos, they kneeled down, slipping their arms under the knees and shoulders of the Oracle, bowing their head to Alaparos quickly before standing again. "She's in good hands." With that, the nearest exit became a fearful target for Dezerae's foot, though they did their best to only push the door open instead of kicking it. The infirmary wasn't too far for Dezerae, even with the added weight.

The moment since Alaparos and Cassandra walked into the pavillion together, with all that was going around right now, Suvansh just hoped there would be a prophecy revealed soon, and he wasn't dissapointed. He had heard a good many prophecies in his time at camp half-blood, but none of the times had the Oracle been so close to him. He wasn't really related to Hestia or even the camper who was missing, but for some reason, he wanted this quest. Whether it was just the adrenaline, or the fact that he had never on a quest, he didn't know. And while he was no son of Athena, the words from the prophecy, "craft with fire", screamed Hephaestus to him, and being the eldest child of Hephaestus at camp at the time, he could probably convince Chiron to let him go on a quest finally!
His adrenaline rush faded just as Alaparos broke the sudden silence, and he decided to go forth and help, but noticed that the fork in his hand had melted. And that there were burn marks on the table. And that his hands were glowing. He hadn't discovered this ability of his for long now, and a big inconvenience of having an underdeveloped power is not being able to control it under strong emotions, like excitement and anger. Ok, kinda-fire-punching that monster once was cool and all, but it causes him problems left and right, like the melted fork in his hand right now. Though being a son of Hephaestus made his skin resistant to fire, the metal of the fork solidifying on his hands would be a problem, so he carefully molded it into the shape of a ball, poured some soda onto it to cool it, and put it into his backpack. And by the time he was done, the new camper, who he didn't really know yet, had taken Cassandra away. With nothing else to do, Suvansh just sat about waiting for things to move on, thinking about the prophecy.

---

All of a sudden, the air changed drastically in the pavilion. Quinn looked up from his finished plate only to see green mist dancing around the oracle, not long after she came in alongside a camper. He instantly knew that what happened next would be a prophecy, much like everyone else here, but disbelief came with the realization. He intently stared at the center of the green mass and listened closely. "Strife and luck be your wheel" Those words echoed in his mind as he tried processing the rest of it, unsure of what it all meant. That particular line though, it stuck out to him. Could it possibly refer to his siblings, or even him? His heart pounded as things came to a close and the collapsed oracle was excorted to the infirmary, uncertainty making his mind to go blank. Commotion slowly began to come up soon after, the residents of the camp all talking about the strange event. He slowly looked over to the rest of his table, wondering if they caught onto the words spoken. Most of them seemed to, and strangely, they were all looking right at him.

---

Up in the treetops, nursing her mildly lukewarm mug of bergamot tea, the daughter of Hecate gazed upon the unmoving evergreen boughs that surrounded Camp Half Blood’s with a dull gaze, icy eyes worn empty by a fatigue she refused to acknowledge. Part of her boredom aroused from the general assumption that there was nothing to look for, that no matter how many times she ascended the ladder, she would find nothing. This day proved to be no different. The air was ripe with the promise of autumn on the horizon, and the leaves around her were still clad in their summertime gowns of luscious emerald; nevertheless, it was brisk enough to allow short sleeves and looser fabrics which flowed loosely around her form. She glanced down at her hands as she bent to take another sip. Wan skin, calloused and coarse from weapons and fighting, stared back up at her. Muted melancholy of citrus, lemon and a slight dash of cream burst over her tongue, laying like a heavy blanket over her conscience. Fallon would always have those times when she couldn’t repress her brooding thoughts, the memories. Sometimes, it haunted her in the morning, or at night. Her mind whispered of what she had done, like a strung-up marionette, a puppet on strings. Stop it. Fallon shifted restlessly on her cot, strands of her ebony hair occasionally falling in front of her face. I don't care about what happened in the past - that’s irrelevant. She forcibly returned her attention to the boughs below, body nearly swaying from the force of exhaustion weighing on her. Her eyebrows were very heavy, almost as if they were laden with molasses,

That was, of course, the crux of the matter, as well as the one-size-fits-all answer. For the past few weeks, she had been trying to sort through the facts and separate them from mere rumor. Given how much sleep she got on most nights, however, it was no easy task. Fallon was already convinced that this monster, whatever or whoever it may be, did not come in through the borders of the camp. Otherwise, there would’ve surely been more witnesses, more campers hurt, more noticeable damage. If there was something out there, something coming, she would deal with it. But the only damn thing anyone found was a crack in between the floorboards, as if that was enough to go by. They might as well consort with ghosts. Perhaps everything bad came in threes: missing camper, no flame, and Chiron’s silence. It’s like he’s hiding something from us- on purpose. The thought didn’t comfort her, especially because whenever the underworld got involved, trouble tended to follow on its heels like an obedient dog.

With a sardonic twist of the mouth downwards, she decided that her night watch was at an end. Fallon’s abilities waxed and wane with the tides of the night. The stroke of midnight had long passed - leaving her nearly mortal in the daylight. She strode towards the ladder that led to the ground, floorboards creaking under her step. Swinging her body with practiced grace that indicated she had done this a many times before, she moved down the rungs, her hands and feet moving with easy tandem. Landing gracefully on her feet, she took a moment to stifle a yawn before beginning her trek towards the center of camp. Night watch, and the vigilance it demanded, was draining. But if there was truly something out there, Fallon wanted to be among the first to know about it. As she made her presence known, she was met with dozens of gazes fixating on her, most of them hostile. When the hearth went out, everyone had started pointing fingers. She’d seen this before, of course. With the current lack of information, it was impossible to put a finger on the culprit. Fallon tried not to look like it was bothering her - she had always been a bit of an outcast since she came to this camp. The other campers were only becoming vocal about it now. She strode through the whispers hissing like snakes around her — Oh look who it is…You think she had anything to do with it? What, of course, she did - didn’ja hear…she, and that other one…daughter of hecate, it’s all witchcraft you know? She’s just bad luck…stay away from her — and filtered them out. There were too many rumors for her to feel annoyed anymore. It was simply too much effort. Judging by the time, it was clearly long past waking time. The crowd was thinning out, most making their way to the dining pavilion. For lack of a better thing to do, she followed. Never mind the fact that she usually took her meals in her quarters.

Fallon sought out Alaparaos, and it wasn’t too hard to find him in the middle of the dining pavillion, ever bound to his wheelchair. Anyone would mistake his expression for pure serenity, but she knew that he was taking this harder than ever. The camper who had disappeared - Ilmatar, a child of Apollo - had been close to Al, so it was understandable that this quest seemed almost personal. Fallon grimaced slightly when he turned to face her, a welcoming smile on his lips. He was always unconditionally kind, a trait that endeared him to many of the newer campers.

"There’s nothing out of the ordinary.” Fallon reported dryly. “Not a speck of movement unless you count the wildlife.” She couldn’t bear long the emptiness in his eyes, the disappointment, so she left him where he was after he murmured a soft affirmation, as well as a reminder to get some more sleep. Oh, hark who’s talking. If I’m not getting enough sleep, then what does that make you? Fallon grumbled sarcastically to herself, meaning the words a lot less than it may seem. Al looked terrible in his eyes, his usually vibrant sun-given glow muted and sickly-looking. Cassandra, who had been positioned near Alaparos’s wheelchair, glanced up, but she quickly looked away after mumbling something about being fine and simply going to grab a bite. Being open was not one of her strengths, and this was something she had no intention of fixing. Her pickings from the food weren’t extravagant by any means, but it was indeed suitably substantial. Sitting herself down on a bench and tucking into the food, she allowed herself a soft sigh of pleasure. Say what you may about Alaparos’s physical state, his cooking remained as rich as ever. (Or maybe it was because she was absolutely starving.) In between bites, she snuck glances at the Oracle, watching mostly for unusual behavior. Chatter flowed and ebbed in her presence, most of the other campers trying to pay as little attention to her as possible. It had only been two weeks since the hearth went out, so suspicion was high. Fallon focused on her food. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could leave.

A loud crash drew her attention from her food, sending a sharp shock through the air and making her jump. At first, she assumed that it was just a clumsy camper, but the source of the noise eliminated that option. Her posture became ramrod straight when she saw Cassandra being levitated in the air by some invisible force, her distinctive optic features drowned out by a green haze. Fallon nearly jumped when the mist spread all around the cabin, covering the floor, hiding her ankles from view. The oracle was completely hidden from view, not even revealing the contours of her silhouette. Fallon had never been witness to such a sight, but in her bones, she knew almost instinctively what this meant. Finally...a prophecy. "To seek what has been lost Cassandra wheezed, as if her very lungs were failing her for sharing such a burden with the campers. Nevertheless, she continued. The Sun will be your cost, With Wisdom on your heel. Strife and Luck be your wheel. And craft with Fire and Spell. The Hearth will lead to Hell. Before winter's final kiss. Deny blinding love's bliss. Lest we take our final rest. When Dawn fades without protest. Poisoned by frozen Storge."

Oh...That's a lot to unpack. Before she forgot, Fallon took out a leather-bound tome, the same with which she used to inscribe notes about the night watch, and wrote it down. Strangely, she found that she was strangely inclined to capitalize certain words, namely those mentioned in the way of subjects. It was no accident. Her ideas regarding the meaning of the prophecy were ... quite vague. Her prophecy delivered, Cassandra was released from that strange hold, her body coming to rest none too gently on the ground with a loud thud. But Fallon didn't see the Oracle's rather pathetic state. What she did see was about a fifth of the campers present staring directly at her. Others were fixated on Quinn — which made sense, given that he was the son of Tyche, goddess of luck. Craft with Fire and Spell. Was Spell referring to her, or the children of Hecate with whom she shared her cabin? Or just the mist-walkers alone? Fallon's skin crawled uncomfortably under all the attention, especially when she heard gossip springing up again. Alaparos had been jolted out of his stupor when the strange episode began, and he was quick to take charge. Addressing the camp as a whole, he ordered them to bring Cassandra to the infirmary, his strong voice giving him a distinctive bearing of authority. Swallowing gratefully at the opportunity to take her leave, Fallon seized the opportunity to assist the girl, despite not possessing an altruistic bone in her body. Before she had even taken a few paces, someone else moved in front of her, taking charge of the opportunity. Striking indigo hair that was very nearly garish flashed in front of her eyes, and she recognized her cousin Dezerae - son of Eris. She grimaced at his enthusiasm, knowing full well that trouble tended to follow eagerly on his heels like his shadow. He didn't go looking for trouble, obviously, but trouble always found him. We don't need any more surprises today.

Turning on her heels, she addressed Alaparos, "I better go with him. Don't worry, I'll clean up my stuff when I get back." Without even waiting for an affirmation, she yanked open the door after the fast-retreating form of her cousin, his conspicuous hair-color giving him away easily. In a few swift bounds, she caught up with him, a stern but not unkind look on her face. "Dezerae, slow down, I'm coming with. You're going to get lost." The intent behind her words greatly reduced the prominent sting of her words. She wasn't known for being nice after all. Around her family, she had no problem using their deity-given names instead of the mortal ones. Taking his shoulder, she steered him firmly towards the left hallway, not wanting him to get turned around. If there was one thing that Fallon had learned through and through from her father, it was that family is the only consistency you can have in life. "You don't get to pick your family, but you do get to choose how you treat them. Sometimes, you may not agree with your family. You squabble, you bicker, you fight. You'll see many things pass out of your life. Items will break, friends and coworkers will be taken down diverging paths... Family isn't one of the things that goes away. Those people who share your blood, they're there for life, whether you like it or not. You might as well treat them well, or tolerate them at least. They're one of the things you can always go back to, because they know you would do the same for them." Unconsciously, her gaze drifted to the rune marking on her left forearm, a permanent marking of her mortal family and allegiances. Part of her wondered what her father did when she was away. Who took her position? Did he even remember her?

"So, where were you this morning? I didn't see you or Cataneme when I came back." Fallon asked when she was sure he was going in the right direction. Cataneme was one of her other cousins, the daughter of Achlys who didn't nearly posses the right attitude befitting her parentage. "Were you hiding in your cabin again?"

---

"Good morning Sun! And morning trees!" The high voice of Cataneme rang through the trees and even partially up to the sky. She... did not actually know if there was a bed or even a whole room reserved for her. But she did not mind either, she prefers the outside anyway, which is why she just made a blanket out of leaves and ant goop and slept under it. Now awake, with energy restored and a first day in the outer woods, she just shook the blanket apart and started wandering. Using her basket, she collected some mushrooms and poison ivy on her way, while singing a happy-go-lucky song.
Cataneme is just... Cataneme.

Dezerae's trek to the infirmary was interrupted only briefly after they left the dining hall, hearing footsteps and a tired voice leaping ahead to greet them. The first call had barely been acknowledged, the rush of adrenaline causing blood to pound through Dezerae's ears. The second call, accompanied with the hand on their shoulder, really alerted Dezerae to the presence of somebody else. Fallon, technically cousin to Dezerae.

"So, where were you this morning? I didn't see you or Cataneme when I came back." This caused Dezerae to do a quick stutter-step.
"Well.." Their silence made about as good of an excuse as Dezerae could come up with.
"Were you hiding in your cabin again?" Dezerae flushed bright red, biting back their cough of embarrassment with being found out.
"Uhm.. Yeah." They waited for Fallon to respond, if she was going to, a nervous edge crawling into their mind. "Watch your step, by the way. You're near me. I don't want to have to carry both of you to the infirmary." Dezerae nodded to the Oracle in his arms, who seemed... Comfortable enough, for being coma-like in condition at the very moment.

For a moment, panic rushed through Alaparos when the child of Eris scooped up the prone oracle. The children of strife didn't exactly hold the best reputation for staying out of danger. He would know, keeping watch over the amount of campers hobbling and dragged into the infirmary. However, with reliable Fallon to keep watch over them, he relaxed slightly. With Fallon's sense of loyalty, there was at least some assurance that she would reign her cousin in, which left Alaparos free to muse over the prophecy.

While pointing fingers wasn't something that Alaparos took pleasure in, with what clues that he had found in the big house and the prophecy itself, it was clear that the underworld had a connection to everything that was going on. Why else would there be a line explicitly talking about the Hearth leading them to Hell? Some lines simply didn't make any sense. A Poisoned Storge, a twisted natural love. What a mystery that was. And what did it mean to have Wisdom on your heel and Strife and Luck be your wheel? Sure it rhymed but what kind of nonsense was that? In general the lines in the prophecy didn't sit quite right with him. Of course it sounded world ending but again so were most prophecies. What exactly rubbed him the wrong way, he couldn't quite explain, but he knew that it wouldn't be as simple as it advertised itself as.

With extra food piled on his plate, Alaparos wheeled himself towards the big house. A talk with Chiron would be inevitable but it didn't mean that he was looking forward to it.

---

As Suvansh snapped out of his contemplation, he noticed his siblings were way more cheerful than they were this morning, chit-chatting about various things, though mostly about the prophecy. He smiled, relieved to see them relax after all this time. Then he went onto gather the chatter about and around the hall. The daughter of Hecate, who had been sitting along with Al and Cassandra not long ago, and the son of Tyche, as the conversation suggested, were a few worthy candidates for the quest, according to what a few lines of the prophecy seemed to mean. In his excitement, he literally forgot everything but the words craft and fire from the prophecy, and had to ask for it from a nearby camper, who seemed to have written it. He hastily scribbled it down on a piece of paper and put it into his bag for later.

As the crowd in the pavillion thinned, Suvansh debated whether he should stay around a bit more, go forth to check on Cassandra, or to go towards the big house, where Al had been headed to. Going back to his cabin even seemed a viable option to him, and so did going to the forge and working on something new.
Finally, he just hung around, and decided to go and have a chat with DD about the prophecy. Being a daughter of Athena, she surely would have some peculier ideas about it! So, he walked over to table 6, and seated himself next to DD, "So, how's the brain wracking going!?" He flipped open his backpack as he shot the question, fetching Floof by his tail, which resulted in a flurry of feline bickering. As an apology, Suvansh offered Floof some Sweet Chilli Syrup, getting an enthusiastic purr from him, making him smile.

---

After the long and awkward silence given to him by his table, Quinn spoke up in a quiet, yet concerned voice. "...What?" He had a puzzled look on his face, but his eyes shone with terror as they stared at the unmoving statues in front of him. The anxiety made his senses null, muffling any outside noise and blurring anything he saw that wasn't the occupants of the table. If he had a clear mind at the moment, he would hear other tables talking among themselves as they were before. Another drawn-out silence followed his hesitant question before Darrius, the one who never seemed to be involved, spoke up and answered. "You heard her, didn't you? Strife and luck be your wheel? A quest is about to be issued most likely, and that line means someone here has to go. You're the only one here that would make sense, right?" The boy looked at the others among them, who had turned their attention to him once he spoke. They all seemed to be nodding, something Quinn really wished wouldn't happen. Once the vote seemed to be clear to everyone, their heads turned back to him, who still had the same look on his face. "I don't..." His stare was fixated on Darrius, seemingly pleading to him to change everyone's minds. He tried speaking but his mouth ran dry, words unable to be spoken from his tongue. He turned his head to the rest of the pavilion, who's attention seemed to be mostly fixed on the child of Hecate, a girl he hardly knew. He payed no attention to her most of the time, but everyone else seemed to resent her in a way. His body jumped with the startling touch of the girl sitting next to him, whose name was Farin. She was typically the quiet one of the siblings, but was always quite cheerful. Her gentle hand rested on his shoulder as she spoke to him, trying to reassure him. She seemed to be the only one who noticed his discomfort surprisingly. Every word spoken only fuelled his nausea, causng his head to get lighter and his skin to get even more pale. He tried to politely excuse himself but he felt as though opening his mouth would make his condition worse. He quickly got up and walked out the door, extending his hand behind him to stop his brothers and sisters from following him. It wasn't long before he reached his cabin, where he went to a secluded corner and fell to the floor. His head hurt like hell and the spots in his eyes only got darker. A few minutes had passed and no one came through the door, telling him that it wasn't likely that anyone followed. He let out a deep sigh and let his head fall, closing his eyes and covering his face with his shaky hands. Quinn wasn't sure on what to do, and he wasn't sure on how to take this information.

---

DD looked up from where she was reading her copy of the prophecy when someone ("-dared to sit by her-") made their presence known by her side. It was Suvansh, one of the only people she could call a friend in this camp. With a slight smile, and a giggle at Floof's actions, she spoke. "I suppose it is going alright." she started, looking back at the paper in front of her. "There are some points in this that are obvious. For example, 'To seek what has been lost' must be about the hearth and possibly the missing camper." She frowned a little. "Some not so much. Such as 'Before winter's final kiss'. That could refer to a number of things, like the winter solstice, the last day of winter AKA the first day of spring, or nothing of the nature." Looking at the paper again, her frown deepened. "And don't get me started on who may have to fulfill the prophecy, and what, or who, may be lost because of it." She finished, pointing to the second line 'The Sun will be your cost'. She didn't speak, but she did have thoughts about who may be going on the quest, particularly the third line 'With Wisdom on your heel'. Someone of the Athena camp would go, but wouldn't be truly apart of the quest group. They would follow the chosen group in secret most likely, emphasizing the 'on your heel' part of the line. Who would be the one to do so?? Her gaze shifted over her siblings, who were also pouring over the prophecy. Maybe...

---

Suvansh nodded in acknowledgement. What DD said made sense, and it was about what was in his mind too, though he did not think it through as much as her. "At least we can count on the Hearth to be blazing back down in Hell, where fires never die! Ok, not funny. I take it back. Really not funny. But it is really peculier, the mention of Hell, especially as from what I've heard, there's a crack in the floor near where the Hearth used to glow. Must be all connected to the Underworld then, eh? Couldn't be very pleasant for the questiers-" To this, Floof nods his head. Suvansh chuckles at this, but Floof is actually a really smart cat, being an automaton. Not that normal cats aren't smart enough usually, but if you were to compare, Floof probably was equal to the Aristotle among cats, and though he couldn't relay his thoughts in a tongue they could understand, he already had formed an idea of the entire situation. "Oh that reminds me, I was thinking about volunteering into the quest! Thoughts??"

---

DD was slightly taken aback by this. She thought for a moment. "Volunteer for the quest, he says?? Maybe I should-" "NO." DD winced a little at the force of her voice in her mind. She schooled her expression and pretended to continue reading the prophecy. No one knew about her aside from maybe Chiron and she intended to keep it that way. "And why not? This could be the chance of a lifetime. To be more than just another daughter of Athena." "First of all, it's not our place to help others, only to gain power. Second of all, it doesn't matter WHICH Athenean is assigned, only who decides to go themselves~." DD froze. Of course. 'on your heel' meant following behind. Perhaps... Blinking, she returned to the moment and answered Suvansh. "It really won't matter. The prophecy will play out no matter who is sent, even if it isn't the ones the Heads of Camp send. Besides, the Heads have the final say in who goes. Unless you plan on sneaking out..." she ended with almost a whisper.

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