Just Another Day

Althaia sighed and stared out through the magical boundary that protected the camp, sitting on the grass with her knife held in her hand. She was bored of this place. Nothing was new or exciting here any more. But she'd been here her entire life, never knowing any other home. No one had allowed her to leave camp, even after all the training she'd had. Outside the camp, she'd be unprotected, this she knew. But she wanted to see what it was like out there. Glancing back, she saw the other demigods wandering around camp. But here she was by herself again. Her Pegasus, Tartarus, was looming over and she smiled at him. Reaching up, her fingers went to his mane and she slowly ran them through it. Standing, she slid her knife into its sheath and climed onto the Pegasi's back slowly, his wings folded down on each side. A small whinny from Tartarus got her attention and she frowned slightly. He seemed to sense something wrong, but what? "Tartarus? What's wrong?" She pat his neck slowly, trying to calm him, as he spread his wings out a little. Maybe he sensed monsters nearby? It wasn't uncommon for a few to lurk outside the camp, waiting.

Chaotic panted as she ran. What the hell are those things? She kept running until she tripped. She laid there as her ankle started to swell. Panting again she got up and limped up the hill. I have to find help... She thought. She whimpered as the pain started to spread up her leg. "Help!" She shouted.

Althaia frowned as she heard someone call out for help. She wasn't supposed to leave the camp, but.. She saw no other choice. Tartarus galloped outside the border and looked around. First she saw the monsters, then the girl. She must be a demigod. Not saying anything, she drew her bow and started firing arrows at the monsters. Hopping off the Pegasus, she moved in closer and started to attack with her Celestial Bronze knife. The monsters started disintegrating, reduced to nothing but dust. Altha put her weapons away and held out a hand toward the stranger. "Are you okay?"

She whined. "I think so...I may have broken my ankle though...What the hell is that?!" She exclaimed as she saw the Pegasus.

Altha nodded slowly and smiled, "Haven't you ever heard about a Pegasus before? Get on his back and I can get you back to camp." She waved Tartarus over and placed her hand gently on his neck. He was normally pretty friendly, just protective when it came to Althaia.

"Camp? Where am I? Who are you? I don't think I should go anywhere with a stranger." She instinctively crawled away.

"Well if you'd rather I just leave you here.." Althaia sighed softly, shrugging as she began to turn away. This girl, whoever she was, wouldn't last out here alone. Altha paused, not really wanting to leave the girl out here where more monsters would surely come and probably finish her off.

She grimaced. "Alright take me to this camp of yours."

Althaia nodded and helped her up off the ground, onto the Pegasus. She crawled on in front as Tartarus made his way back to camp. "So I'm Althaia. You can call me Altha if you like." She rubbed the neck of her Pegasus, "And this is Tartarus. You are?"

"Chaotic. Don't ask. My father named me because I always cause chaos." She gently petted the Pegasus and smiled. "He's beautiful."

Althaia smiled slightly and nodded, glancing back slowly, the Pegasus flexing his wings a bit as he heard the compliment. "Yeah, he is. And he actually seems to like you. He doesn't normally like anyone other than me."

She smiled again. "He's a good flying horse thing...Sorry but I didn't think any of this was real...Monsters and Pegasuses."

"Well.. What if I told you the Greek gods were real, too?" Althaia asked softly as they passed the magical border into camp. The Pegasus kept walking through the camp, leaving Chaotic free to look around if she wished. "I'm a demigod." She finally added.

"That's...Impossible..." She stammered as they walked through. She pet Tartus softly.

Althaia smirked a bit, wind blowing through her red hair. "As impossible as monsters? Impossible as the very Pegasus you're riding on?" But still, she could understand how it was hard to believe. Hardly any demigod believed it when they were told who they were. But they all had one thing in common, one missing parent. Depending on whether their Olympian parent was a god or a goddess. "What if I told you I knew that one of your parents was never around? Well, that would be because no gods are allowed to see their children. Zeus saw to that.. I'm assuming your mother was a goddess, since you mentioned a father earlier." She sighed for a moment, wondering if her mother was proud of her. She still wondered why she was even born, Artemis had sworn to remain a virgin goddess.

"No. I never knew my mother. My father tells me I look like her." She laughed softly. "Honestly you look kind of like my father. Just feminine. Must be the hair though." Chaotic looked around. It was interesting she supposed. Just different from home. "My father once said my mother really loved him. She had sworn to remain a virgin I suppose, but for some reason she let him take her virginity. After I was born my mother died...He told me she loved me very much. That was my bedtime story until I was 8." She looked down sadly.

Althaia listened, pausing only at the part where she said her mother had been a virgin. That fit only one goddess that she knew of. The very goddess that was her mother. "She.. Was a virgin, hm? Well I can tell you that she isn't dead. And there's only one goddess who had sworn to be a virgin." She stopped Tartarus and looked at Chaotic closely. "Do you know about the goddess Artemis? Sworn to be an eternal maiden, even has her own group of Hunters who she has made to swear off boys in order to join her." She chuckled, almost wishing she herself was a Hunter of Artemis. She had already sworn herself off boys, but only rather to be with girls. What would it be like, hunting with her mother for all eternity? "But I heard there was one man, only one, that she ever gave herself to." She hadn't known her father growing up, but she had known that was the only man Artemis had given in to. Meaning only one thing. But still, she could have sworn she was the only daughter of the Goddess of the Hunt.

"You're saying my mother is the Goddess of the Hunt? Well that would explain why I did so well in archery." Chaotic sighed. "I wish I had known her..." Her hands tightened in Tartarus' mane as she cried softly. "They came to my house...And I had to watch them..." She choked on her words and closed her eyes tightly.

Althaia smiled slightly and just nodded. She wished she had known Artemis as well. She paused as the other girl began to cry and looked at her. "What? What happened..?" She didn't yet mention that she was also a daughter of Artemis. It didn't seem like the right time.

"I...I think they may have killed my dad..." She bit down on her lip and tried to stop the tears. Crying was never a thing she did. She didn't know why she was now.

Althaia frowned and wrapped one arm around her. "Maybe it's not the best time to say this, but.. Um, well I'm the only other daughter of Artemis." She sighed softly and shrugged. At least Chaotic was safe now.

"So I have a sister..? At least I didn't lose all my family..." She let out a choked laugh and pet Tartarus. "Sorry about that buddy..."

Althaia nodded slowly and gave her a small smile. "It'll be okay. This camp can be a pretty nice place once you get used to it. Don't worry. And you get to stay with me in Cabin Eleven, the Artemis cabin." She watched as the other girl pet Tartarus and turned away slowly.

Chaotic wiped her tears away and nodded before climbing off the Pegasus. "Thanks boy." She looked over at her sister. "Where are the stalls? Or does he just go everywhere with you?"

Althaia watched her and climbed off the Pegasus as well. She lifted one hand and pointed towards the stables, "The Pegasus stables are over in that direction. Everyone gets their own, and they take lessons if they don't know how to ride. But he does prefer to stay near me." She smiled slightly and ran her hands over Tartarus' neck.