Camp Halfblood

Chiron directed us to a small office in the large building. I briefly wondered how he would take a seat. My answer came when the centaur shifted into a man in a wheelchair reminiscent of Professor X's chair. It raised some questions that I would no doubt not get a straight answer to. Around the room several demigods fidgeted in the spots they stood. It was sort of funny watching them wiggle in place. 

"Right,' I started. "I'll help with repairs and building new cabins. I just need someone to show me around and point out the things that need to be fixed." 

My mother looked at me with amusement, "Don't you think it's rude not to introduce yourself first?" 

I fought off the urge to roll my eyes, "Hardly necessary, most of them were on Olympus." 

She sighed, "Campers, this is my son, the new King of the Gods, Blake Corvinus. Blake in order these are-" 

"Yes I know, Annabeth, Percy, Silena, Charles, Thalia, Nico, Grover, and Clarisse. Though a couple of them are missing they're the cabin leaders of their respective cabins except for Grover who's a Satyr." 

Grover audibly gulped when my eyes drifted over to him. A few campers snickered at him making him blush. 

"Blessed by Pan… I take it you're now the head of your council Mister Underwood?" 

"I-I- Um, yes Sir Lord Corvinus sir." 

I couldn't help but smile at how nervous the young Satyr was. I could tell that he was a loyal friend to Percy and genuinely wanted to fix things. Percy and Annabeth looked at me nervously as if I was going to smite them at any moment. 

"Relax everyone, I'm not here to smite people. I'm not going to be like Zeus. I plan on actually making sure you guys are safe." 

My words did little to ease the tension in the room, my mother sighed again. 

"Blake, just go out there and get started I'll talk to everyone." 

The daughter of Zeus excused herself and followed me out of the office. She glanced at me for a bit looking like she was trying to decide what to say. 

"Lord Corvinu-" 

"Thalia… just call me Blake please. I really fucking hate titles." 

A wide grin spread across her face. "I like you more than my old man already. Come on, I'll show you around." 

Thalia reminded me a lot of myself when I was growing up. Then again, who didn't have a rebellious punk/goth phase growing up. Her humor was similar to mine though, crude and sarcastic.

Had we been the same age I would have had the biggest crush on her. Maybe it was the fact that I had taken her fathers domains but I couldn't help but to feel a sort of fatherly attachment towards Thalia.

Not that I'd ever admit it. She gave me a tour of the camp, pointing out each building and explaining what it was. Finally towards the end of the tour she led me to a hill towards the camp borders. 

"And this is the boundary tree." 

"The fuck is a boundary tree." 

Thalia giggled, "it's exactly what it sounds like. Only it's basically the heart of a barrier around camp that keeps the monsters out. I also used to be inside this tree." 

"Is that some sort of innuendo?" I teased. 

"Fuck off, no. When I first came here- with Annie, Grover, and… Luke, we got surrounded by monsters. I bought them enough time to get to camp but I- I got killed. Or at least I think I did. Anyways, I was basically dying when dear old dad decided to turn me into a tree that protects the entire camp." 

"So… Zeus turned you into a tree." 

"Yep." 

"But now you're back to being a girl." 

"Yep." 

"But this tree is still here." 

"Yep." 

"Thalia, no offense but I really fucking hate your dad." 

"None taken, I don't have the best relationship with the bastard either. I had a brother, apparently Hera found out and killed him. Zeus didn't really do anything about it, he was too busy doing nothing." 

"I keep that in mind the next time I see her." 

"You don't need to do anything to her. I just want things to go back to normal." 

"What's normal for you?" 

"Before? Trying to survive with Annie and Luke. Now, seeing that I'm probably one of the last few 'Hunters' and Lady Artemis is missing if not dead…" 

"Lena, she's the new Goddess of the Hunt, I don't know if you were there when the Three Cunts announced it." 

"Oh I was there, I just didn't know how official it was with you nearly gutting the Fates." 

"Probably as official as it gets, I'll send her your way. She can help you with rebuilding the hunt." 

Thalia smiled and nodded before walking away. I turned back to the tree that used to be her resting place. I could feel the power radiating from the tree. 

'I can smell a dragon father.'  

'Tia?'  

'They have a dragon guarding this tree.'  

'Where is it then?' 

'It's out hunting.'  

'Want to go talk to it? You're both dragons, it would be nice if you could socialize with other dragons.' 

Tiamat jumped from my tattoo and landed in front of me in human form. She smirked at me sending a foreboding feeling down my spine. 

"I'm going to go show it who's boss." 

"Tia, please don't kill the-" 

She was gone before I could finish speaking. I watched as she skipped off into the forest whistling a happy tune. 

'Fuck, I really hope she doesn't kill it.' 

I sighed and slowly made my way back to the camp. I had a lot of work to do.