Lucas stepped onto the worn trail leading toward Camp Half-Blood, his pack slung casually over one shoulder. The smell of pine and saltwater filled the air, unchanged.
The lights ahead flickered against the growing dusk, and laughter echoed faintly down the hills.
Chiron, who was waiting for him, smiled upon seeing Lucas. Even though he hadn't spent much time at the camp, he was his charge regardless.
"You returned at the perfect time, Lucas. Everyone is gathered at the mess hall; why don't we join them and get out of this cold?"
Lucas nodded, greeting Chiron.
As he entered the camp and made his way to the mess hall, it did not take long for Luke to spot him.
Seeing Luke move, Chiron patted Lucas on the back before making his way towards the table where Mr D was waiting.
Luke sprinted over first, a wide grin on his face that quickly shifted into a scowl as he punched Lucas on the arm.
"What the hell, why did you just up and leave, you never even told us"
Before Lucas could answer, Thalia stormed up too, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
"And you never wrote," she said, stern. "No Iris messages. No letters. Nothing."
Annabeth arrived a moment later, smaller but no less fierce in her glare. "We thought something happened!"
Lucas raised his hands in mock surrender.
"I left because I just didn't feel the camp was for me, as for not telling anyone? It was because I was afraid you may feel the need to follow, you guys were starting to make this camp your home; I didn't want to take that away from you." He shrugged, "As for the lack of follow up, I was a guest at a location that made such things difficult."
Luke raised an eyebrow, "And where was this?"
"The Sea of Monsters, with Circe"
"Wait!" Thalia chimed in, "Not only left us here, but you also went on an adventure without us?"
Lucas had the nerve to be sheepish under the glares from Thalia and Luke.
Luke seemed to think of something, he leaned into Thalia and whispered something Lucas couldn't catch. Whatever it was, Thalia grew a wicked smile, before looking at Lucas like a predator seeing their prey.
"Fine. You can be forgiven... but only if you help me win the game this Friday."
...
Friday came faster than Lucas expected, reuniting with his group had made time flow by, even he didn't realise how much he missed them during his journey, making him feel slightly guilty.
Thinking of this he decided that after Capture the Flag he would send an Iris message to his father, for he had done the same to him; though Steven was more understanding of Lucas' nature.
"Everyone, gather round!"
Chiron's shout echoed, silencing the energetic teens.
"As per usual let us start with the rules!"
Complaints and grumbling grew, but with a stomp of his hoof, the discontent quietened.
"The camp shall be split into two teams and given a flag to guard from the other, the flags must remain in the open and the two guards are not to be within ten yards of the flag."
Chiron turned his head, his gaze almost piercing into the Hermes Cabin.
"Prisoners may be disarmed and sent to the jail but under no circumstances may they be bound or gagged! AND NO DECORATING PRISONERS! Understand, Connor? Travis?"
"Boooo" "That's no fuuuuun" The twins of the Hermes Cabin voiced their displeasure but under Chirons stern gaze they shut up.
Once more turning to the group, Chiron continued.
"Zephyros Creek is the boundary line; the rest of the forest is fair game. Now who wants to be captain?"
Thalia's hand shot up, followed by a hand in the Ares Cabin.
"Thalia shall lead the Zeus Cabin. Clarisse Shall lead the Ares Cabin, come up."
With some shuffling in the crowd, Lucas caught sight of Clarisse who was standing near Thalia.
The sight stunned Lucas, thinking he saw an Amazonian Warrior.
Clarisse may be female but she wasn't a typical girl. Yes, she may have dark eyes and stringy brown hair but with a sneer markinging her face and having the height of a basketball player and the muscular body of a rugby player.
No wonder she didn't fear standing against a child of Zeus, Lucas didn't know if it was courage or ignorance but he respected that.
"Now since the Ares cabin won last week, they get the first pick of cabins, Clarisse" Chiron took a step back, allowing the captains to choose cabins, starting with Clarisse.
"Athena Cabin"
Without much thought Clarisse picked the children of Athena, children of war and strategy, great allies and fitting for children of war like the Ares Cabin. Though watching Annabeth put on a "Fearsome" face to Thalia made him giggle. It seemed it also caused Thalia too, so when Annabeth saw this she pouted and followed her cabin to stand in line.
Thalia looked straight at Lucas and gave a devious smirk, "Hermes Cabin"
Clarisse looked confused, but didn't let the opportunity pass by.
"Apollo Cabin"
Apollo Cabin was as large as the Hermes Cabin, but unlike the group of misfits that made up the Hermes Cabin, Apollo's was structured. It was they who followed Chiron to hold back the Furies and help Lucas and his group to enter Camp.
Thalia and Luke were talking amongst themselves, determining the next cabin to choose. While everyone gave them a degree of privacy to make the choice.
"The Demeter Cabin is better suited; their gifts will help the Hermes Camp sneak through the forest underdetected and steal the flag, let alone they can better defend the flag without any visible traps."
"The Hephaestus Cabin is better, they are stronger, better suited for combat and their intelligence and trap making can allow us to even the playing field with the Athena Cabin!"
Seeing Lucas watching, Luke turned to him seeking aid.
"Lucas, talk some sense into her, the Demeter Cabin should be her next pick"
"The Athena Cabin will take their abilities into consideration, and the power of fire the Hephaestus Cabin has makes the Demeter Cabin pointless. It is best to go with the Hephaestus Cabin, they can help more, we already have less campers, we need their trap-making skills to set ambushes."
"And that's why Demeter Cabin is best!"
Seeing the back and forth, and the growing annoyance of the surrounding campers, Lucas decided to give his opinion.