Chapter Ten - I Enjoy A Dream Tour of Immortals
Posted: Wednesday, January 10th 2024

Whilst still clearly suspicious of me, Annabeth had sorted out getting me some basic supplies, including a clean set of clothes, a towel and some toiletries. I showered the lake smell off of me and dressed in a new pair of jeans and an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

By the time I was done, it was almost dinner time and I followed at the end of the line of Athena campers to the dining pavilion. Before we ate Chiron introduced me to the campers and I did my best to avoid the looks I was getting, clearly my arrival in the form of a lake bungee jump without the bungee chord had spread around the camp.

Whilst Chiron had shown me around the camp, he had told me what had been going on recently. A few weeks earlier, the camp had undergone an invasion and a battle. There were some small telltale signs of a recent battle, some campers sported injuries, some had slings or bandages, and one camper was walking with the help of crutches.

After Chiron was finished, we grabbed some food and then filed to the fire and everyone began scraping a section of their food into it. When I reached the front of the line I scraped a portion of my food into the fire and prayed to Zeus, asking him not to smite me for ending up here.

We ate and the Athena campers chatted away with each other. None of them spoke to me.

After dinner, we all made our way to the campfire and there was a singalong led by the children of Apollo, who made me uncomfortable as like Will Solace, they all resembled their father immensely.

I wasn't in a signing mood, but I was exhausted, so once we were dismissed to bed, I fell asleep without much effort. I hadn't even considered the fact that my dreams would return without Apollo's presence until a dream took form around me.

I was standing in beautiful scenery. To my left, the sea stretched for as far as the eye could see. To my right, green hills rolled into the distance. I wasn't alone though. Apollo stood in front of me a look of apprehension on his face.

"What do you want now?" I demanded of him, crossing my arms tightly across my chest, "Come to finish off the job? Decided you're bored of having a mortal shackled to you already?"

"Ri-"

"Honestly there are far better ways to kill someone than shoving them off the back of a chariot," I continued. "You could have just poisoned me."

"I-" he tried again.

"The least you could do was ignore me now, it's kind of rude to try and kill someone and then turn up in their dreams."

"Let me speak!" He cried.

"What's the matter? Not used to people not listening to you?" I arched an eyebrow at him, I had absolutely no intention of listening to him. I was absolutely furious with the god, he had tricked me, lulled me into a false sense of ease then lured me out of the relative safety of Olympus and tried to kill me at the first opportunity he had.

"I wasn't trying to kill you if you just let me explain!"

"What so you can try and trick me again? No, thank you. Leave me alone Apollo, I don't want to speak to you."

"No tricks," he promised, "I will admit that I did take you on the chariot with the intention of pushing you off, but it was for you that I did it!"

"You pushed me off a chariot for me?" I demanded, "Oh I'm going to enjoy hearing how you spin this one. My father was right, you never should trust a god!"

"I couldn't stand seeing you so miserable about being cooped up on Olympus," Apollo said, "I knew you would do anything to leave, so I helped. I flew just low enough that you wouldn't die. I told Zeus that you fell off, he's mad but not furious. I think he likes the idea of you being at camp, being away from me."

I blinked at him, "you threw me off a chariot to help me escape?"

"Yes," Apollo sounded proud of himself.

"That's the stupidest plan ever," I said.

"Well, I'm not the god of plans!" Apollo said, "But you're at camp now, Zeus isn't going to kill either of us and you can experience the mortal world!"

"How do you want me to explain to everyone here how I fell out of the sky and didn't die?" I asked, "They already have questions! Chiron told me not to tell anyone anything, he doesn't want to panic the campers, which apparently having a daughter of Nyx in their midst would do. What do you expect me to say?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Apollo grinned at me. He leaned in as if expecting a kiss. I placed my hand on his forehead and pushed him away.

"Oh no you don't," I said, "I'm still furious with you."

"I think you'll get over it," Apollo said.

"Maybe," I replied curtly.

Apollo opened his mouth to say something, but the dream was changing, and before he could speak, I was in a different place, with a different person standing in front of me.

"Ariadne," my mother said, a cold smile on her face, "I sense you have finally left Olympus."

"Yes," I replied, "what do you want?" I hadn't seen my mother since the night of my accidental wedding. I wondered vaguely if she couldn't visit my dreams on Olympus. I struggled to believe that she would have willingly left me alone for almost a year.

"Marriage suits you," my mother remarked, "you're as radiant as the southern stars."

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically, "what do you want."

"Can an immortal mother not simply want to check in on her daughter?" She asked.

"You never have before," I reminded her.

"Well things are different now child," she said, "the fates have intervened in your life in a way they never have before. You are destined for greatness, I must ensure that you remain on the correct path."

"I choose my own path," I told her.

Nyx laughed, "Mortals never cease to amuse me. Your belief in free will is laughable. Your life was written in stone before you were even born. I am curious to see what tapestries the fates are spinning for you. I come with a warning, stay out of this war girl. I do not want you choosing sides, night is impartial and you would do well to remember it."

"Please leave me alone mother," I said, "I don't have anything to say to you."

"One day Ariadne, you will see all I do for you and you will not be so ungrateful."

My dream evaporated, the last thing to go was my mother's face. I awoke covered in cold sweat in the Athena cabin and opened my eyes to see a curious Annabeth standing beside my bed and looking at me.