The small flame continued growing near the Hermes cabin, illuminating the faces of several campers, until little by little it took the form of a young-looking woman with warm eyes and such a calm presence that even the murmurs of the camp instinctively lowered.
Hestia appeared before everyone. Instantly, the goddess's gaze fixed on the redhead, the softness in her eyes warming the heart of the red-haired god.
"Welcome back, Damon. I hope your stay with Hera was fruitful. I expect no less with me," Hestia said softly, although the thorns could be felt clearly, especially by someone like Damon, who knew his sister very well.
A drop of sweat slid down the back of the god's neck as he laughed nervously. "I'm glad to see you too, Hestia."
The goddess of the hearth smiled a little more, and several campers looked at each other in confusion. To them, she had always been the quiet goddess by the fire, the one who was always there but rarely interfered. Seeing her speak with such familiarity felt a little strange, to say the least.
Percy leaned his head slightly toward Annabeth and whispered, "Is it just me, or do they actually know each other?"
Annabeth did not take her eyes off the two gods. "Percy, they're gods. I'm sure they know each other pretty well."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Don't be stupid. Obviously, I don't have an answer."
Damon heard them perfectly, but decided to ignore them. Hestia, for her part, turned her attention toward the campers. Toward the tired faces of demigods who had grown up waiting for something as simple as being recognized.
"I heard enough," Hestia said. "And Damon is right. If this camp is going to be a place for you, it cannot be only a refuge against monsters. A cabin can protect you from the rain, but a home should make you feel like you belong."
The demigods visibly grew excited. A small girl raised her hand timidly. "Can we have gardens around our cabin?"
Hestia smiled. "Of course."
A boy farther back, with a symbol of wind shining above him, spoke almost at the same time. "And big windows? Like… a lot of them. I don't want to sleep in a closed place like a box."
"That can be done," Hestia replied.
"Can ours be near the lake?" another camper asked, probably the child of some minor deity related to water.
"As long as you don't try to build inside the lake," Damon said, letting out a laugh.
Percy raised a hand. "That sounds like a lack of imagination."
Annabeth elbowed him.
"What? I'm just saying."
And just like that, everyone started talking at the same time. Some wanted higher ceilings, others wanted space to train, others asked for separate rooms, decent beds, their own bathrooms, weapon racks, study areas, windows, fireplaces, plants, fountains, small altars, walls that did not smell like old socks, and actual privacy.
When someone shouted that they should have their own bathrooms, the entire camp seemed to agree for the first time in its life.
"That should've been first!" Percy shouted, pointing at the camper who said it as if they had declared a sacred truth.
Damon glanced sideways at Chiron. "See?"
Chiron brought a hand to his face, clearly feeling his morning slipping out of his control. "It's not that I disagree. I'm only saying all of this requires organization."
"Then we'll organize it, Chiron. Don't overthink it, son," Damon replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
Chiron opened his mouth, probably to remind him that he was several centuries older than most of those present, but decided that arguing about that with Damon was not worth it.
Annabeth, on the other hand, already had stars in her eyes. Her imagination was overflowing, already thinking of twenty different designs before anyone had even asked her for anything.
"Wait, wait," she said suddenly, raising her voice. "Can I be in charge of the architecture and designs?"
Damon let out a small laugh. "I like the initiative."
Annabeth straightened immediately, as if she had just been given a sacred mission.
"I can make separate designs depending on each god's domain, maintain the camp's symmetry, and improve the main paths. We can even fix the Hermes cabin. It looks like it was built by drunk Cyclopes."
Chiron coughed awkwardly. "Annabeth, a little respect."
Damon looked at the Hermes cabin for a second and then turned back to her. "Hahaha, I suppose she has a point."
Several children of Hermes nodded without hesitation.
"Hey, hey!" one of the older campers complained. "It's not that bad. It's still standing."
At that moment, one of the cabin's boards creaked and fell to the ground by itself. Everyone stared in silence, their expressions blank.
A demigod slowly raised a hand. "Well… let's take that as a yes."
Annabeth puffed out her chest with pride, as if she had already won a war. "Then I can do it."
"Sure, you can help lead it," Damon replied. "But listen to the others. Maybe they don't want a monument built according to your architectural ego."
Annabeth opened her mouth to protest, but stopped halfway. Percy smiled. "Look at that. Lord Damon barely knows you, and he already knows how you are."
"Shut up, Percy," the demigod girl said, glaring at him while pointing a finger at him. "You're going to help carry wood."
Percy's smile disappeared. "Wait, wait a second. I feel like my talent is being ignored."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the opportunity far too much. "Then what's your talent, Percy?"
"Uhhh…"
Percy opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and looked around, hoping for some help. When he received none, his shoulders lowered a little. "Man, I don't know."
Damon laughed when he heard that. "Don't worry, kid. Everything in its own time."
Percy looked at him as if he had just received a deeply wise answer. "Thank you, Lord Damon," the black-haired boy said, almost with hopeful tears in his eyes.
Damon nodded wisely. "But you're still carrying wood."
Percy's expression fell again. "It's settled. I feel like this new government started very authoritarian."
Annabeth smiled with satisfaction, clearly enjoying Percy's misfortune far too much.
Damon, for his part, decided to take advantage of the energy. He snapped his fingers once, and the earth in front of him rose slightly, forming a simple map of the camp. It showed the main paths, the existing cabins, the lake, the forest, the training arena, and several empty spaces that could be used.
"Go look at the locations," Damon said. "Think about where you want your cabins to be, what you need, and what you don't want."
Damon raised one finger. "Three simple rules. Don't fight over territory. Don't build on top of the armory. And if anyone tries to burn something to test whether their idea works, tell me first so I can say no."
A brief silence fell over the camp. Then a dark-haired boy slowly lowered the hand he had already started to raise.
Damon looked at him. "Good decision."
Hestia let out a small laugh, and with that, the tension finally broke. The campers began to move. First a few, then entire groups. Children who just minutes ago had not known what to think were now running toward different parts of the camp, discussing ideas, pointing at spaces, shouting among themselves without fear, as if for the first time the place truly belonged to them.
"The wind cabin should be on a hill!"
"Ours near the trees!"
"No, if they put a cabin full of flowers near the arena, they're going to get stepped on!"
"We need a room to store things!"
"Hermes already had that!"
"Nope, Hermes had a disaster with a roof!"
Luke stayed still with wide eyes, watching the children scatter with an excitement many of them probably had not felt in years. For the first time in a long time, a sense of belonging seemed to grow among his companions. Some laughed, others argued about where to put their future cabins, and others simply ran from one place to another as if they did not know what to do with so much emotion.
Inside Damon's mental space, Kurama let out a low laugh.
"Ha. I've never seen an Uchiha so happy."
Damon let out a small laugh while watching the blond from a distance.
"A little happiness will do the poor kid some good," he answered mentally. "Whether he decides to continue down the path he's on, or seek help from me or those around him, will be his decision."
Damon came out of his thoughts when he saw Hestia approach, stopping just beside him. Her voice lowered enough that only he and perhaps Chiron could hear.
"This will do them good."
Damon nodded as he watched the campers run through the camp. "I feel like I've said this before, but honestly, a rock would have been a better king than Zeus."
"Yes," Hestia admitted, and the sadness in her voice was impossible to ignore. "I have no doubt about that."
Both of them fell silent. There were many things that could be said between them, perhaps too many, but this was not the moment. Not with so many children around. Without saying anything else, Hestia walked after the campers, listening to their ideas, asking questions, and calming unnecessary arguments. Her presence alone made the demigods feel a little less lost.
Chiron watched the scene with a mixture of relief and exhaustion. "At least things have gone well."
Damon crossed his arms, glancing at him from the corner of his eye with an amused smile. "Hahaha, Chiron, I don't know how many times I've heard you sigh today. Relax, man, we're barely getting started."
Chiron sighed again, making a drop of sweat appear on Damon's neck.
"I suppose you're right. I'm being a little pessimistic. I just need a drink after this."
"Then take one, man. You only had to say so," Damon said.
A small explosion of light appeared in his hand, and a golden cup filled with divine nectar materialized before the centaur.
"Thank you," Chiron said simply.
Damon let out a small amused "hmph" before looking toward the hill. "Now, Chiron, tell me about the girl in the tree. I heard her name was Thalia, right?"
The centaur had barely taken a small sip, but at the question, he nearly choked on the golden nectar. Damon glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Explain it while you lead the way to her."
Chiron coughed a couple of times, trying to regain his composure. "E-eh… of course. Of course, this way."
Chiron walked nervously beside Damon, trying to keep his composure as he led the way toward the hill. For the first time in years, a question he had tried not to ask himself crossed his mind again.
Is it possible to see Thalia Grace again?
>>>>>>>
I don't know if it's possible, but maybe one day we will find out hahaha lol thank you thank you boys and girls for the support.
Drop some stones :)
https://discord.gg/KPfkDTvKr
P@treon: Brotato up to chapter 113