Chapter 5: Under the Tree at Night
As Nel and the Naiads continued their little game of shoot, fetch, and get wet, a horn blew in the distance.
Nel pushed one of the Naiads who had hugged him from behind off gently before making his way to the bank.
"Awww, going already Nel?"
"It's dinner time, would hate to miss it. I'll see you two tomorrow."
"Bye Nel~"
"Have fun~"
Nel got out of the water and shook his hair with his hand. He was completely soaked from top to bottom but it was alright. A cold breeze magically swirled in and out of his clothes, instantly drying him. He grabbed the bow and morphed it back to a pendant and collected the useless arrows.
On his way to the Pavilion, he dropped the arrows in a box with Scraps printed in big bold letters in front of Cabin 9.
When he finally arrived, Nel realized that he was the last camper to arrive.
Chiron gave him a cheerful smile. "It seems that Nelian has arrived. Good to see you here, we were waiting for a while."
Nel gave a good mannered shrug. "It's kinda far from the pier to here sir. And the Naiads were a little clingy today."
Someone from Hermes cabin let out a wolf whistle. "Flirting with the Naiads again?"
"Oh shut up Luke. They're hard to resist." Retorted Nel as he sat down onto his own table.
Laughter broke out in the entire pavilion.
Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everybody fell silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!"
Everybody else raised their glasses. "To the gods!"
Wood nymphs came forward with plates of food: grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread, and an assortment of meat.
Nel picked up his empty glass and called out to it, "Hot chocolate milk," and the glass magically filled itself with steaming chocolate milk.
As Nel started to chug his drink, Luke called out to him. "Hey Nel! Join us at our table! You look lonely over there being all by yourself."
"Sure, I'll join you."
Nel grabbed a plate, stole some lovely grilled chicken legs and brisket from a passing nymph, along with some bread, before making his way to Hermes table.
"What's up Luke?"
"I'm showing Percy over here how things work in the camp."
Nel have Percy a wave. "Hey Perce, we meet again."
"Sup Nel."
"Let's go sacrifice some dishes shall we?"
"You're right, it's about time." Replied Luke with a darkening look.
"Time for what?"
"Burnt offerings for the gods. They like the smell."
"You're kidding," said Percy in disbelief.
"Be careful with your words Percy. Besides, you haven't smelled burnt offering yet."
Seeing that Percy was still skeptical, Luke approached the fire first, bowed his head, and tossed in a cluster of fat red grapes. "Hermes."
Nel went next and grabbed the thickest slice of brisket before placing into the fire. "Artemis."
Percy walked up to the fire, hesitated, before scraping in half of his plate.
As they returned to Hermes table, Percy nudged Nel in the back. "Why did you offer your meal to Artemis? Isn't she the goddess of the moon?"
Nel sat down and took a big bite of the brisket before answering. "She is the goddess of the moon and the hunt. She is one of the maiden goddesses as well."
"Doesn't that mean.... that she can't have children? Aren't you her son? How does this work?"
Nel shrugged. "I'm undetermined like you. It's just that Artemis offered to be my patron during one of the Winter Solstice meetings when I was young. It's like you in Hermes."
"So you don't know who your godly parent is?"
Nel gave a nod, "I don't know who both my parent are. I'm an orphan, a couple of Demigods found me out on a quest and brought me back because I was found with a dead basilisk in my hand. Figured that I was part god and it wouldn't be safe to leave me alone."
"Oh, that's cool. So Artemis is your adoptive mother or something?"
"You could say it's similar to that. The gods don't interact with their children that much anyways."
"You could say that again." Added Luke with a dark look. The table got a little quiet as the three of them ate in silence.
When everybody had finished eating their meals, Chiron pounded his hoof again for our attention.
Mr. D got up with a huge sigh. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."
A bunch of ugly cheering rose from the Ares table.
"Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."
Chiron murmured something.
"Er, Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."
Everybody cheered and quickly made their way to the campfire. Nel watched as everyone around him left before getting up and walking towards the opposite direction from everyone else.
He leisurely made his way to the tall towering pine tree and sat down at the base. He
Took off a necklace filled with beads, 13 to be exact, and slowly turned them looking at the pictures that were cleverly painted onto the tiny beads.
Nel let out a deep sigh before lifting his head towards the night sky that had finally cleared itself of storm clouds.
"What are you sighing for Frosty head."
"About life, Ms. Plan it All."
Annabeth slowly drew closer and sat next to Nel also staring into the night sky. They continued to do this for a good minute or two, with the faint voices and singing coming from the campfire.
"It's beautiful isn't it? The night sky."
"Yes, you can see so many stars and constellations. It's almost breathtaking. I can see why you like watching it so much."
"I seriously don't know why I love watching the night sky."
"It's ok Frosty Head, everyone has a weird habit or two."
Nel shook his head. "It's almost as if my parents are up in the sky, watching over me."
Annabeth went silent.
"You reckon both of them are still alive? Out there somewhere? Waiting for me?"
"It's hard to say Nel. It really is."
Nel tore his gaze off from the sky and stared back down to the necklace in his hand. "It's frustrating, you know. To not know who your parents are. To wonder every night if they are alive or dead, are they looking for me or did they throw me away. To question if you are wanted or despised."
"Nel, you know that we want you here-"
"Of course I do, I'm grateful for Chiron raising me. I appreciate and treasure all of my friends. But, I just-" Nel threw the necklace onto the floor in anger. "I just wish I would get a sign. Some sort of message from my godly parent. To show me that they are watching over me. To show me they care."
Annabeth watched Nel with a indecipherable expression before getting up to pick up the necklace that he threw.
"Thirteen beads," she said as she observed the pictures on the beads. "One bead for-"
"One bead here for each year."
"To be able to survive so many so many years as a demigod is a happy feat, Nel."
"Annabeth, I've been alive for fourteen years. And of those fourteen, thirteen of them were in Camp Half Blood. I want to go out into the world."
"Nel-"
"I know that you want to go outside as well. It may be for a different reason than mine, but it's still the same. Don't deny it."
Annabeth went quiet and the two of them sat under the pine tree. One staring into the sky, the other staring at the others face.
"When...." said Nel raising his head towards the stars, his eyes drawn to the infinite cosmos, "when I look at the night sky, I think about my parents. Are they looking at the same sky that I'm staring at? Will they feel my gaze like I feel theirs? If I close my eyes, it feels like they are right next to me, giving me love and warmth."
"Nel, you will be able to go to the outside world some day. We both will. And at that day, if you ever need help at searching for your parents, I'll be there. I promise."
Nel gave her a smile that was still heavy but much lighter. "Thanks Annabeth. You've helped a lot. You can leave me alone now. Go have some fun at the campfire, I think they are still singing some songs."
"It's alright, I'll stay. Besides, I can't have my opponent feel down when I utterly crush him during capture the flag this Friday."
Nel let out a laugh. "Bring it on Wise girl, I'll make sure to obliterate all of your plans."
"Not in a million years, Frosty head."
The two of them laughed for a moment or two before staring back into the night sky, with the distant echo of singing breaking the silence of the night.
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