Chapter 16

"He's just petrified, not dead," Lunaria called out as she walked over to the middle of the circle that had formed. "It is easily reversed."

"Lady Lunaria, am I to assume that you were the one to do this?" Gone was the genial smile and the easy demeanor. In its place was a hardened warrior. Castellan's scar, along with his solemn expression made him look older than he was. But Lunaria was unimpressed, for she had done nothing wrong.

"You assume correctly."

"And may I ask why?"

Ria tilted her head, allowing her hair to pool to the side in a curtain of darkness and spoke with steel in her voice, "I do not condone anyone picking on little children."

One of the people surrounding them, possibly another child of Ares, muttered aloud, "He was just toughening the brat up."

Ria fixed the person with a glare, simultaneously erecting a barrier around Wendy. Her voice went cold as she spoke, "Bullying is unacceptable, and your friend here," she said, pointing to the prone boy lying on the ground, "has probably learned his lesson for the time being." With that that she reversed the spell with a casual wave of her hand, not letting up on her glare.

"Come, Wendy, let's get you to your siblings."

With that, Lunaria walked away with a duckling trailing behind her, leaving behind a crowd of demigods, who were wondering what else she was capable of.

And just like that Ria made her first visit to the Apollo cabin. It hurt to look at the solid gold exterior. In fact, it was quite similar to Apollo showing his shiny white teeth whenever he flashed a grin. The inside of the cabin was quite cozy. There was an alarming amount of bright gold from all of the musical instruments, which was in stark contrast with the wooden longbows that decorated the walls.

Ria spent quite a bit of time with Apollo's children, telling them harmless little anecdotes about their Father. The gratitude in their gaze was simultaneously amazing and difficult to look at. What was going on with these children? They were living with false platitudes while fully aware of the neglect of their parents and their own mortality. It was a pitiful way to live and it made Ria want to do something.

Despite having spent all that time surrounded by happy children, Lunaria was walking off her frustration after lunch, and she came across the boy she had seen in the infirmary. He was accompanied by a satyr. She had missed meeting Percy Jackson, despite both of them currently being the talk of the Camp. The first thing she took notice of, was the boy's vivid eyes, very similar to Uncle Poseidon's.

As she walked closer, she caught some of what they were talking about.

"…doesn't have a cabin here." The green-eyed boy said to the satyr.

"No. He doesn't have a throne on Olympus either. He sort of does his own thing down in the Underworld. If he did have a cabin here…" the satyr shuddered visibly. "Well, it wouldn't be pleasant. Let's leave it at that."

"I didn't know my Father was quite that bad?" Lunaria spoke loudly, cutting off the two boys' conversation.

The satyr turned around in surprise and so did the boy.

"Lady Lunaria," the satyr greeted with a deep bow.

Ria just shook her head, "No need to bow to me."

"My Lady, I meant no offense with what I said about your father, please forgive me..." the satyr spoke on in panic, not having heard her at all.

"It's fine," she said sharply to stop his tirade. "I understand my father's reputation and considering you don't know him, you have nothing else to go on."

Percy Jackson came out of his stupor as that.

"Grover!" He whispered loudly. "Who is she?"

"Let me introduce myself. I am Lunaria, Daughter of Hades and Persephone. Pleasure."

Sorry that this one is so short, but I hope it was enjoyable nonetheless.

-clicheluver