Chapter Seventeen

"Today's the day, huh?"

Luke asked as he was catching his breath, sitting on a rock in the north woods as I leaned on a tree, absently watching the other demigods with an uninterested look.

"Yeah."

I nodded, my eyes scanning around the campers that were rolling up their tents. Formations and strategy, a whole week before they leave the camp to go into the word until they come back next summer.

The encounters with monsters would have them leave with focus, tense, ready for anything, even for a brief period of time after they leave.

I was expecting them to survive and come back, these were the ones that wanted to leave the camp, most of the cabin leaders and some more experienced demigods.

Those who wanted to come along for the experience were here as well. The tranquility of the camp would be disturbed occasionally by monsters that the campers would have to fight off, getting them used to being alert.

"You do this every time someone wants to go back?"

I nodded at his question, my eyes straying from one side of the camp to the other, my mind very aware of the spear leaning on the same tree as me, just within my reach and out of Luke's.

"It keeps them alert on the way out."

I shrugged and pushed myself off of the tree, grabbing the spear and twirling it around, lowering the tip to the ground.

"You really like to do that, huh?"

I turned my head, raising an eyebrow.

"The twirling spear thing."

Luke explained, and I looked down at my spear for a moment and shrugging.

I would need to change this spear in a few years, it was light, I was used to there being more weight in the front.

"It's just what I do."

I explained as I waved him over to follow me. Luke got off the rock and walked behind me as I made my way around what was once a campsite and now as a bunch of teenagers and kids hurrying around to gather up their belongings to head back to the cabins.

I hummed, as I saw some of the campers already done with their packing and ready to move out, keeping a lookout for the ones that were still working on their items, taking turns in packing to make sure everyone was safe, good team work, if nothing else.

"Luke?"

I spoke suddenly getting his attention.

"Where's your bag?"

He blinked, looked back to where we came from, where he left the bag at the rock he was sitting on and we were already halfway across the campsite.

He took a deep breath, sighed and started walking back.

I smirked. He was a quick learner, but he learned by making mistakes, unlike Thalia who learned in the heat of the moment, he learned after. One was better then the other here.

Chuckling, I continued walking forward, putting the shaft of my spear on my shoulders.

___

"Do you think they will come back?"

Thalia asked as we stood at the entrance of the camp, with me holding my helmet at my side, and the spear in the other. In all honestly, I wasn't sure. You could never be sure, but I could hope.

"I don't know."

I sighed, looking at the others that would follow me to escort the campers outside, just in case.

"Don't you trust them?"

She asked, raising an eyebrow challengingly. I huffed, raising an eyebrow at her for a moment.

"Your Zeus is showing, Thalia."

I pointed out and she sighed, her shoulders slumping.

"Sorry..."

She mumbled and I just patted her head, chuckling as she slapped it away, wincing slightly as her fingers hit the vambrace, causing her to shake her hand in an effort to seemingly shake off her pain.

"I do trust them, I just don't know the situations they will get into that will be out of their control."

I shrugged and she eyed me for a moment before nodding.

"That makes sense, I guess..."

I nodded back, putting the helmet in my hands on top of my head, adjusting it so I could see better. Wrapping my fingers around my spear, I took it's bottom end out of the ground and sighed.

"We'll be back in a bit, try not to blow up the camp, will you?"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as I walked forward, joining the rest of the Demigods who were armored and armed.

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