two.
( the lightning thief. )
❛ once upon a dream. ❜

PERCY GROANED, turning on his side as his once blackened gaze was infiltrated with a blur of warm gold. He reached a hand up to his eyes, rubbing away the drowsiness invading his view as he pushed himself to sit up in the unfamiliar environment. It was warm, and he felt the glow of the sunlight that peaked through the leaves of the trees fall onto his skin soothingly.

when he managed to settle his gaze onto his location, he was met with the circular columns of mountains trees, breathing out rows of fresh leaves and blossoms—some falling down to dust the leafy ground under his feet. It was unfamiliar yet comforting, barren of malice or danger. He glanced up, noticing the particles of light that shimmered around him as he stood in a small clearing.

He turned to look at the scenery behind him, his eyes going slightly wide to realise he was alone. His thoughts were empty, as though they'd been washed away in a flood. He couldn't recall why he was there, or the events that had led him to being there. Nothingness washed out the thoughts in his mind, leaving him as a simple spectre of liveliness in the forest. Simply emptiness.

Then a rustle.

It was hard locating where it came from; the forest was vast and seemed to swallow everything within it, so recognising where it was had left Percy with furrowed eyebrows. A shiver dared to ghost past his arms, which he now noticed were bare from the elbow down as he adorned an orange shirt that he couldn't recall wearing before.

"Hello?" He called out to nothing in particular, his voice whistling through the trees and melting into wisps of the wind.

He called out again. No response.

Percy paused as a sound past beside him — laughter. Youthful and carefree, bubbly and addictive, a sound that Percy wouldn't mind being familiar with. The sound was as delicate as the petals of a flower, and fell through the air like the rushing of a secluded waterfall that only he would ever have access to. He turned, attracted by the tender sound, his gaze directed onto a nearby tree that he could've sworn he saw something dart past.

And just as he thought he'd found the culprit, he was rendered silent as his gaze met the sight before him. Nothing. Nobody.

The sound slipped away from him, dripping like silver drops of moonlight and water on the leaves of nearby trees. And it made him frown slightly, mostly at the fact that he had been left alone once more.

But the sound of soft footsteps grasped his attention, ringing him to look back at what awaited him, and his expression melted into surprise as he did so. Only a couple of feet away, standing between two large trees and staring back at him with a purple gaze, stood a deer.

it wasn't a regular deer either. It's elegant physique was tall, taller than that of a regular deer, and radiated a compelling serenity, with fur the colour of warmth that shimmered under the light of the sun, glowing in a silver essence. Decorating it's ears, that twitched at the sound of leaves, rested vines and precisely picked flowers, like a crown of nature that had laced itself upon it's delicate head. But what truly caught Percy's attention, was the two spheres of violet that peered back at him curiously.

Percy simply gazed at the creature for a moment, unsure of what to do. He was almost certain that if he approached, the mystical creature would not try to attack, but still uncertainty ran through his veins. Then he took a tentative step forward, as though his body was moving without thinking. Then another, and another until he stood almost face-to-face with the creature, which was actually at least four inches taller than him.

He reached out his hand to touch upon it's Hazel-coloured snout, feeling the soft warmth of breathes against the pads of his fingertips as he did so. But, the creature moved back with a loud grunt, jumping back before the boy could touch it and turning to glance behind it. And with one final glance to the boy—one that he could've sworn was full of a need for the boy to follow after it—the animal ran off into the forest and for a reason Percy couldn't understand, he sprinted after it.

The animal sprinted far, it's chestnut legs parting through the forest as it ran forward with ambition. Behind it, Percy followed quickly, compelled to see where the animal was taking him. The forest seemed to split in two, pouring sunlight into a river above him as the trees parted to reveal an endless sun-kissed path that followed wherever the deer went.

once again, laughter mocked his ears and this time he was determined not to lose it.

His legs threatened to ache, his muscles churning as he rushed after the creature. It seemed to slow as Percy gained speed, only three metres away, then two, the one—

He groaned, startled, as he turned a corner and almost fell face-first onto the nature-filled ground below. But just as his body began to fall, he caught himself by resting his weight upon a nearby tree branch, heavy pants escaping his mouth as he turned to glance around to where the animal once stood. Yet it was barren. Like it had dissolved into nothing but sweet birdsong and particles of light, the creature was gone.

But he wasn't alone.

She seemed not to notice him at first, but he had certainly noticed her. There was a girl stood not far from him, and quite a pretty one from what Percy could describe. She wore a white dress, clean of dirt or ruin, and adorning silver accents above her shoulders and around her waist. Percy was sure if he looked close enough he could've seen depictions of wild animals and bows and arrows carved onto the silver. Her hair looked soft and velvety, falling in soft locks down her the mid-section of her back and interlaced with small braids decorated with flowers.

But her face was concealed. Hidden behind an extravagant yet fitting mask that covered the upper part of her face, the only visible part being a reveal of her warm skin and pink lips. The mask was fabricated with jewels and crystallised flowers, alongside gold illustrations that were carved into it, and two large antlers sprung from the sides of the mask yet looked delicately realistic.

Then she turned to him, a soft shimmer resounding like that of wind chimes from her mask, and he felt himself gaze back into the same violet eyes. She titled her head at him, as though inspecting him thoroughly before he attempted to step forward.

But, unlike the deer, as Percy stepped closer the girl stepped back as though she'd been burned simply by his presence. His eyes widened as she did so, and he outstretched his hands shakily. "Wait, hold on! It's alright," he called out, taking subtle steps forward as she took subtle steps back.

She giggled, a mischievous smile coating her lips, and now that he had a face ( or at least a figure ) to associate with the sound, Percy smiled nervously. She continued to stare back at him, her shoulders creasing inward as she laughed at something Percy couldn't seem to understand.

Assuming the sound was of approval for him to move a step closer, Percy did so only to slump when she took another step back, her bare feet falling onto the soft ground underneath. And then, before Percy could blink, she'd set off running as wisps of brown hair flowed behind her.

"Wait, don't!" Percy blinked, still standing still as he watched her run, "Where are you going? Hey!" But as he'd ran to chase after her, he groaned as a pounding ache shuddered through his brain, causing him to crease in pain.

And then, darkness.

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HE WAS A WEIRD SLEEPER, Colette concluded from where she sat on the wooden chair beside the infirmary bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her chin resting upon them as she stared down at him almost expectantly. The boy, Perseus or Percy Jackson, had awoken multiple times as though he'd been drowned under water for centuries and was finally taking his first breath.

To say it was a surprise to see the boy collapse on the porch of the big house over a day ago would've been an understatement. Especially since he was the reason she was even in there in the first place—her time trying to repay Katie Gardner having been interrupted by the cabin seven councillor Lee Fletcher (who'd been sneaking up behind his younger cousin and grabbed her by the shoulders with a beaming 'Boo!' Only to have her wrestle him to the floor seconds after) whilst the boy told her that Chiron had arrived home and asked to speak to her.

And right in Percy's grip lay the Minotaur horn — the very one haunting her dreams.

That had been over a night ago, and the boy had taken to waking up and looking around groggily before collapsing back down as she attempted to force ambrosia down his throat. A knitted blanket covered her shoulders as she yawned, gifted by Chiron as he'd asked her to tend to the boy given that all of the Apollo children were busy and she was the next best thing.

She chewed on her lip thoughtfully, frowning as she noticed the trail of drool that crusted down the side of his chin as he snored. It was routinely; he'd wake up with half-lidded and tired eyes, mumble incoherently, stare at her in bewilderment then fall back down. His hair was dark and tousled in strands of raven tresses and his eyes, though hazy, were engulfed in a sea-green glow. Had she not be had her mind set on being a maiden of Artemis, she may've thought him to be pretty cute.

But he didn't... look like somebody who would slay a minotaur.

She tried not to be disheartened. despite common belief, Colette Archer was actually quite the optimist, looking for the warmer, more adventurous fractures of life rather than the sadness that was implemented in the seeds of her existence. Or at least, she was trying to be. So she tried not to let herself fall into disbelief or discomfort. She just needed him to wake up and tell her whatever he knew about the chaos brewing within the gods. All she knew of the boy was simply fragments—his name and age (Percy Jackson, aged twelve ), part of the story of his arrival and that during the journey to the camp, the boy had lost his mother (the information having been edged from Grover), but She wanted to know more. And she also wanted him to stop bloody drooling.

She pursed her lips, staring down at him impatiently. "Wake up." She mumbled, reaching out a finger to poke his cheek and tilt his head the other way, yet it lolled back towards her. She huffed, leaning back on her chair absentmindedly as she placed down a pot of ambrosia onto the table beside her.

It made sense that the boy in her dreams would arrive soon, but she had never expected it to be so soon.

She jumped as a loud groan emitted from the boy, his eyebrows creasing as he attempted to wake up. His eyes were clouded with blurriness and it took him a moment to let his gaze focus on her, but once it did, he gaped at her in silence. And she looked back at him the same.

In painful silence.

Finally, Colette reached out a hand to push back his forehead awkwardly, "Stop doing that." She frowned, wincing as he fell back down. He groaned again, and she gave him a slightly unsure glance.

"You... how are you here?" Percy asked tiredly, disbelief laced into his voice.

The brunette opened her eyes again, her expression filled with confusion as she placed down her hands and stared at him with surprise, "excuse me?" She shook her head dazedly, "okay, whatever. What's happening at the summer solstice?" She breathed out, though Percy's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell back into sleep whilst she let out a string of, "oh, gods. Don't go back to sleep," she whined, tapping the side of his face harshly yet his nose simply twitched in his sleep, "please, don't go back to sleep."

But it was no use, Percy was knocked out cold.

With a quiet grumble, Colette stood up from the wooden chair, stretching with a yawn as she did. "Some Minotaur slayer you are." She mumbled, sparing him a final glance before pushing open the infirmary doors and being greeted by a flood of sunlight and a head of curly blonde hair.

"Collie!" Annabeth greeted, her grey eyes absorbed in a passionate need to know about the proclaimed minotaur slayer. "Did the boy tell you what's going on? What's happening at the summer solstice?" Annabeth rushed as the two moved down the porch.

"No. I tried to ask, but I don't think he was actually listening." Colette shrugged, "But it's him, Annie, He had the horn." She told the blonde, "but, uhm... I mean... he doesn't look super strong, or smart really. And he drools when he sleeps."

Annabeth made a face, grimacing faintly. "Oh." Colette glanced to her at the disheartened sound. The frown on Annabeth's face brought a frown to her own; she knew of the blonde's desperation for a quest beyond the walls of the camp. And this was supposed to be her opportunity—their opportunity.

Nudging her arm lightly, Colette gave her a faint smile. "I'm sure he'll prove himself worth something, An. And then we'll get out there." She smiled promisingly, watching Annabeth's face light up at the thought.

"Hm, he better." The blonde shrugged, "Now, come on. I want to practice with my new dagger." The blonde stated, tugging along the brunette and allowing them to get lost in the adrenaline of the clashing of swords.

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WHEN PERCY HAD finally managed to keep his eyes open for more than a minute, awakening tiredly and praying that the events of the days prior had been nothing but his imagination tormenting him cruelly, he was alone. Yet, no matter how his heart clenched around the memory of his mother, Sally Jackson was no more.

He felt bitter whilst he conversed with Grover, achy and overwhelmed as he and the satyr walked along the porch to where a pinochle-playing Mr. D and mr. Brunner awaited beside an unfamiliar blonde girl who kept looking over her shoulder as though she were awaiting somebody. His jaw slacked in bewilderment at the information that the small, cherub-looking man by the name of Mr. D was actually the God of Madness and Wine, Dionysus and that his Latin teacher was actually the trainer of heroes, Chiron.

It took him quite a while to mentally recover from the information that:

a) the mythological gods of ancient Greece were real and living in the glorious paradise of Olympus. and b) there was a camp for the children of such — and he was in it!

But once doing so, He and Chiron strolled through the endless plethora of paths and activities all adorning campers battling or laughing, arguing or running. There was a constant stream of activity in the camp.

Most of the campers were older than him, and pointed to him as he passed them by whilst whispering to those around them. Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover too, all of them trotting around in orange camp half-blood T-shirts, with nothing else to cover their shaggy hooves. He frowned, almost insecure, as he shrunk under the gazes of the campers — they all stared at him too expectantly.

Percy and Chiron continued to walk regardless, walking through the paths and conversing until they reached twelve tall and unique buildings all arranged in a U-shape, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And each held their own individual qualities, each more bizarre than the last and the next. The only unifying symbol on the cabins were the numbers placed upon each—odds on the left, evens on the right—and they all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field, dotted with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops.

In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined firepit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine-years-old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick and adorning a content smile on her face.

"Zeus and Hera?" Questioned Percy, noticing the two large cabins at the head of the field that looked like his-and-hers mausoleums. Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a hologram, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them. Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.

Chiron nodded towards the smaller boy, "Correct." He responded.

"Their cabins look empty." Percy noted thoughtfully, subconsciously tapping his finger against the rough material of the Minotaur horn in his grip.

Chiron shrugged lightly, looking off at the cabins instead of looking back to the boy. "Several of the cabins are. No one ever stays in one or two."

Percy stopped in front of Cabin three, glancing in curiously. It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were designed of rough gray stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been summoned straight from the bottom of the ocean floor. He peeked inside the open doorway and Chiron's eyes widened momentarily, "Oh, I wouldn't do that!" Before he could pull Percy back, the boy caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. The interior walls glowed like abalone. There were six empty bunk beds with silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there. The place felt so sad and lonely, and he was glad when Chiron put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Come along, Percy."

The two continued on until they reached the further cabins, specifically Cabin Eleven where the blonde girl he'd seen sat with mr. D and Chiron was resting, a book in her hands and her grey eyes scanning the pages quickly with analysis.

"Oh, look, Annabeth is waiting for us. Ah, as is Colette." Chiron smiled fondly, "quite the little helper she's been to you, Percy. I'm sure you'll get along just fine."

Percy briefly scanned over the blonde before his eyes trailed over to the girl beside her. He paused in recognition, his mind trying to investigate where he'd seen her before, yet he simply couldn't remember. Then it came to him — she'd been the one leaning over him during the short period where he'd wake up.

Nevertheless she was quite a captivating girl—her hair was satiny and brown, falling in smooth locks down her back before curlings in shiny twirls. Her skin was aglow with warmth, though not quite as tan as the girl next to hers, and the skin over her nose was decorated with soft freckles that seemed to accentuate her features and fit her appearance unlike the orange-y ones of Nancy Bobofit, his previous school bully. And her eyes were illuminated with lilac, a shade he'd never seen beyond his dreams.

Dreams. He was sure that's where he'd seen her, in his dreams.

Her features were delicate almost, as though fabricated with the softest of pearls and the brightest of stars. She reminded him of something that he couldn't put his finger on, something innocent-looking and dreamy.

She wore an orange 'camp half-blood' shirt and denim shorts with a silver keychain attached to a belt-hoop. Around her waist, a loose belt hung where a holster and silver dagger rested. And she wore a pair of black converse that tapped against the ground below, with small white stars stitched onto the black fabric.

He stared at her in silence, his mouth slightly agape and his head tilted. And for a moment, he was back in that forest, hypnotised by the grace of laughter against the shell of his ear. Gazing into those same violet eyes. Simply him and her in an atmosphere of serenity.

"Annabeth, Colette." He flinched faintly, whipping his head around to Chiron, "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"

The two shared a small glance as though having a telepathic conversation with each other before nodding. Colette glanced at him briefly and he ducked his head to avoid her gaze. He'd been caught staring once and he didn't want the same outcome to occur. "Yes, sir."

"Cabin eleven," Chiron turned to Percy, gesturing toward the doorway. "Make yourself at home."

Out of all the cabins, eleven looked the most like a regular old summer camp cabin, with the emphasis on old. The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Over the doorway was a winged pole symbol with two snakes wrapped around it—a caduceus.

Inside, it was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number of bunk beds. Sleeping bags were spread all over on the floor. It looked like a gym where the Red Cross had set up an evacuation center. Chiron didn't go in as the other three did — the door was too low for him. But when the campers saw him they all stood and bowed respectfully.

"Well, then," Chiron clasped his hands together before resting one momentarily on the boy's arm. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner." He galloped away toward the archery range.

The three twelve-year-olds stood in the doorway, looking at the kids. They weren't bowing anymore due to the arrival of Percy, and they were instead analysing him, sizing him up. It was like going to a new school where you didn't know anybody, and it made Percy's stomach churn.

"Well, Jackson?" He turned to Colette, who pushed him forward lightly with a nudge of her arm. "Go on. They don't bite."

He looked back at her unsurely, but his expression fell into one of somebody who'd paid to be hypnotised by a fortune-teller at a fair ground. He was staring at her, or more specifically, staring at her eyes. Then, he turned feigning false confidence as she continued to nudge him forward.

Then he tripped and fell.

An awakening of snickers rushed through the residents of the cabin, and Percy was sure he heard Colette let out a snort of laughter herself. He grumbled internally.

"Percy Jackson," Began Annabeth who suppressed a smile, "Meet Cabin Eleven." She extended her hand towards the curious-eyed children that stood in front of them.

"Regular or undetermined?"

"Undetermined."

Everybody groaned, and Percy turned away almost shyly. Then, a tall boy of about the age of nineteen with dishevelled Sandy-blond hair stood forward. The boy, Luke Castellan, smiled a friendly grin, one that resembled that of what an older brother or mentor would give to their younger. The only unsettling thing about the son of Hermes was the white streak of a scar that ran from under his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash.

Colette leaned back against one of the railings of a bunk bed, sparing a smile to Luke. It wasn't like the daughter of Artemis resented all the boys at camp — she certainly didn't go out of her way to interact with them unless they were one of her cousins or, as she liked to call them, one of the 'acceptables' for instance, Luke Castellan.

Luke, ever the friendly boy with an award-winning smile, had been the first person to actually make Colette Archer feel at home within the camp. Less than an hour after she had arrived, cold and lonely in an unfamiliar place, she'd found herself curled up in one of the Hermes beds, crying softly as she drowned in her homesickness. Then, a chirpy voice had called out to her as a fourteen-year-old Luke Castellan folded his arms on the railing of her bed, his feet perched upon the bunk underneath and a brotherly smile embraced his face.

He'd been the first to talk to her — to show her kindness. The first to show her how to use a blade properly. The first to let her sit at their table before the Apollo cabin once she'd been claimed and was told she'd be spending meal times at her own table by herself. He'd been there, and she couldn't of been more grateful.

"This is Luke," Annabeth introduced to Percy, her cheeks inflamed in a rosy blush and her voice rising a few octaves higher. "He's your counselor for now."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows, turning back to the two girls. "For now?"

"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travellers." He winked, his two fanged teeth displaying in his grin. He seemed comforting, Percy decided. Brotherly.

From behind the Raven-haired boy, Colette watched as he went to lower the Minotaur horn onto the small—tiny actually—section of the cabin that they'd given him, as though to mark it as his own. But then he paused and pulled it back towards him possessively, an untrusting look flashing through his eyes and Colette was sure if she would've blinked, she'd of missed it.

Hermes, god of thieves.

"How long will I be here?" Asked Percy, trying to keep his gaze on Luke rather than the quarrel of beady-eyed campers who looked ready to pick-pocket him the second he turned his back.

"Good question," praised the tall blond boy. "Until you're determined."

Percy frowned, his shoulders slumping noticeably and he swallowed a lump in his throat. "How long will that take?" He asked, only for all the campers to laugh.

"Hey, let's go back to the volleyball court." Percy glanced back over his shoulder as Colette spoke, urging him to walk back towards the doors of the cabin. She glanced at the nearby Hermes campers with slightly narrowed eyes, though the older ones were certainly not intimidated by a twelve-year-old. She liked them, sure. Most of them. But she didn't entirely trust them considering their father was the god of thieves.

"I've already seen it though." Responded Percy, sparing a glance between the brunette and annabeth, who seemed even less impressed with him than they had before.

"Just... come on." Urged impatiently, linking her arm with Annabeth's and the two of them were already walking away by the time percy had registered. The boy sighed before following after the two. It was going to be very long day.