It's been peaceful these last few days.
No longer was there a storm that covered most of the country. No longer was there an impending sense of doom that hung over the campers.
And so too were the campers of Camp Half-Blood being sent out on a wild goose chase.
Most of them had even returned to camp.
Though, there were also quite a few who took the opportunity to just enjoy their freedom. Chiron had managed to convince the gods to send word to all his wayward campers that the quest was over and to head home. Many of them instead wanted to play around a bit more now that the quest was over.
Overall, things ended in perhaps the best way they could have.
Chiron in particular was pleased.
In a rare bout of fortune, none of his campers died.
Sure, a great many were hurt and needed medical attention. But truthfully, the majority of those had little to do with monsters.
He carefully considered if they should have a driving test as part of the camp's activities.
Thankfully, one of the unspoken agreements was that Olympus would take care of any 'mishaps' that came about due to a forced quest such as this.
That is to say, things like insurance, payments, fees, etc.
While the Mists can be abused to make things 'go away' when convenient, in modern society, it is hard to truly hide something.
Unless something became especially egregious, like destroying a national monument on live T.V., then the gods would silently make it go away in the easiest way possible. Which was usually just throwing money at the problem.
It was one of those things, a small thing really, but big in hindsight. If Questers thought that there would be huge consequences after completing a quest, like suddenly becoming criminals due to some mishaps with human authorities, they might be less willing to participate.
It wasn't like the old times where you could just say you're on a quest from the gods and all the damage you caused was overlooked.
Basically, they just paid the 'bills.'
It was another reason that Chiron was in a good mood. The 'bills' were surprisingly low this time around, especially for such a large quest that was undertaken.
Due to the necessity of it, the gods were more than happy to quickly settle everything, and they didn't even argue.
Well, he was mostly happy.
There was one thing he wasn't particularly thrilled about, but he dared not say a word in protest.
He walked over to the stables.
Something he rarely did because of the…insinuations that many of his younger campers would make.
He peeked inside, and someone looked back at him.
Ares was currently forced down to mortality and was cleaning the stables.
Hera was being particular with her punishment.
Ares, of course, stopped, staring back at Chiron.
Thankfully, none of the kids knew the truth. And he was more than happy to keep it that way. There was just a curt and silent nod as Chiron slowly walked away, doing his best not to insult the God of War more than he already had.
The last thing Chiron needed was an angry God of War once his punishment was finished.
The Centaur trotted back to the main camp towards the Dining Pavilion, where a good portion of his campers were gathered.
They were standing around as Luke once again recounted the story of their quest to them.
"Right, and that's when we got run off the road by Ares' bikers. Next thing we knew, we woke up, surrounded by hundreds of his people—"
Chiron had already heard it, without the exaggeration, so he didn't listen much longer.
He was mostly just checking up on the Quest completers. Seeing how they were doing after having gone through such a difficult quest together and settling back down to the mundanity of camp.
A lot of demigods, in his experience, once they taste that bit of honor and fame, find it hard for them to ground themselves again.
He watched Annabeth running into her cabin holding a bundle of scrolls with an excited look on her face.
It was clear the fame wasn't going to her head, so that was good.
Children of Athena didn't tend to get distracted by that sort of thing. Though they usually had their own set of problems to overcome.
Luke, despite his basking in his newfound fame, didn't seem to change in any real degree. He had always had that sort of personality that just drew people around him.
Chiron also eyed Malcolm sitting not far away.
Most people barely even knew who he was, even after the quest was completed. Sure, his name was now on everyone's lips, but not many could actually put a name to the face, so he tended to be able to hide.
To his own intent, that is.
He looked like he didn't enjoy the attention.
There were always some like that as well.
Lastly, there was Percy.
He kept a special eye on Percy due to other reasons, mostly his parentage and the issues that came with that.
Percy was sitting with Grover at their own table, and Chiron just played a little trick so he could eavesdrop without being discovered.
"Grover, how many times do I have to say it? I'm sorry, but I was kind of distracted." Percy seemed to be apologizing.
Grover let out a sigh. "I'm not blaming you; I'm just…venting."
"Look, if I wasn't getting my ass kicked by Ares, do you really think I'd have forgotten about you?"
"You're right." Grover slumped his shoulders. "I guess I should be lucky that I was only ignored. Not that he decided to just skewer me and be done with it."
Chiron winced slightly.
From what he understood, apparently after Ares caused the kids to crash their car and kidnap them, he just left Grover behind because he wasn't important.
It ended with the kids being rewarded, and Grover left without any acknowledgement. Not anyone's fault, that is; it's just how things turned out.
He didn't even get 'healed' like the kids did.
He had to get back to camp on his own while nursing several broken bones as well.
Chiron felt some amount of pity towards the satyr.
Lastly, he went to check on the progress of perhaps the biggest commotion the camp has ever seen.
Sure, Hera getting angry caused a stir, but the gods get angry every now and then. It was something to be 'expected' after so many years.
However, this was different; it was new, it was unprecedented.
Chiron stared at the new cabin being built.
Smaller than the others, less grandiose, and a little bit away as if cast to the side. However, despite that, it held a grandeur and significance that couldn't be denied.
Somehow, the gods allowed the Goddess of Magic to build her own cabin in camp.
There were already many other lesser gods who were either protesting or wanted the same treatment.
Chiron himself was having a difficult time because many were coming to him demanding similar treatment.
Of course he told them all to take it up with Olympus, which stymied some of the pressure, but it was still just more added to his plate.
And the person responsible for everything was now a name being talked about by Olympians and demigods alike.
The Monster was the son of Poseidon and the strangest Cyclops that Chiron had ever met.
"Mr. Chiron!"
Chiron perked up slightly, smiling warmly as his newest camper came running towards him. "Hello, Lyra. What's that you got there?" He always had a soft spot for the youngest of his students.
"I drew a picture of Mr. Ocean; can I put it on the magic board so he sees it?" She asked.
Chiron's lips twitched slightly. "I don't see why you can't; let's go do it together." He held out his hand as Lyra happily took it.
Chiron would acknowledge that everything seemed to end well.
Somehow.
[Line Break]
Hera was not on Olympus.
It wasn't rare for her to leave, but today, she had a particular location in mind.
Thanks to Hestia, she knew exactly where she needed to go.
To gods, teleporting wasn't something difficult, even intuitive. Simply willing themselves to a different location as long as they knew where they were going.
Hera appeared at the top of a large, albeit well-carved, flight of stairs that seemed to descend a mountain.
She admired the scenery around her.
She didn't know what to expect when going to find this group of mortals, but her immediate impression was rather good.
At the very least, she could say that the ambience didn't leave much to be desired. The view was rather spectacular as well, and simply the entrance into the mortal's homestead held an elegance that wasn't seen much in this era.
She nodded in approval to herself before walking further inside.
The sound of music caught her attention.
As she approached, there was a…dinosaur?
She didn't know what it was.
Some kind of aquatic creature that was sitting down in a tiny little pool of water that was too small for its body. Yet at its side was a mortal radio playing music she believed was from south of the border of their territory.
She recognized the sound of maracas even if she wasn't too familiar with their southern neighbor's musical notions.
The dinosaur was happily bobbing its head back and forth as it listened.
That was until it noticed Hera.
Its eyes sprang open, and it froze in place.
God and Monster stared at each other in silence for several awkward moments while Mexican music played.
"Great Goddess!" Ocean Song arrived as quickly as he could once noticing her arrival.
Hera's attention was momentarily pulled away, and once she looked back at the dinosaur, it was gone.
Her eyes widened, and she was genuinely startled at its sudden disappearance.
"I apologize for not greeting you upon arrival, Great Goddess!" Ocean Song bowed to her.
Hera furrowed her brow and decided to forget about the dinosaur despite how strange it seemed. "I came uninvited and without notice; I don't blame you." Her response carried a hint of haughtiness to it despite her arguably rude arrival.
"May I ask, great Goddess, for what reason have you graced this lowly sect with your Divine Presence?"
She inspected the Cyclops in front of her properly. She hadn't had the chance before, as she went to have words with her son almost immediately after his arrival.
But she more or less knew how the talks went afterwards.
"So you're my brother's son." She somewhat ignored his question. "I can say that you're better than most of his bastards." She was the Goddess of Marriage; children born out of wedlock were something that naturally went against her core. However, that didn't mean she wasn't willing to accept the occasional bastard either.
Especially in Ocean Song's case, as he was a monster. When it came to monsters, the gods were just a tad more open-minded with certain things.
"This Ocean Song is grateful for your praise, Great Goddess." He was quick to reply.
Hera smiled happily at his words. "This is where you live? It's no Olympus, but for mortals, it's quite exquisite. Give me a tour."
"Of course, Great Goddess, please follow me." Ocean Song gestured for her to enter.
Ocean Song led Hera through the wide central path of the sect grounds. It was quiet, clean, and surprisingly well-structured for something that had only existed a short while.
"This is the central courtyard," Ocean Song said, gesturing to the paved stone area surrounded by well-kept and carefully groomed foliage. "We use it for general meetings, sparring sessions, and announcements."
Hera just hummed, not commenting on it.
It was the first 'sight' that a guest would see upon visiting and receiving them; she rated it rather highly at first glance.
The overall architecture wasn't one she was familiar with either, but she could recognize elegance and proper construction when she saw it.
They stepped across a bridge that led to a different mountain peak.
Hera noted the clouds, as unnatural as they were, and once more nodded to herself as she mentally praised their placement to give an ethereal feeling.
They did something similar in Olympus.
"This is the Sect member's living quarters. They each have their own private courtyards, facilities, and living spaces." Ocean Song didn't have her go inside, as they would either be empty or occupied by the person living there.
Hera didn't ask; her current amount of care towards things here was rather miniscule. To her, this was the equivalent of going on a walk and enjoying the scenery.
Ocean Song continued their little tour.
He took her through the training yards, the gardens, the forges, and even some of the other niche facilities that Ocean Song requested when the sect was created.
In particular, Hera seemed to specifically enjoy the small pavilion at the very edge of the mountain that overlooked the valley.
She even gave it a rare word of praise.
As they moved to the inner courtyard, Ocean Song completed the tour.
Hera stepped to the koi pond nearby, looking at the fish swimming around, a peaceful expression on her face.
"Your home is impressive." She finally spoke again. "Many of the other children of my siblings could learn a thing or two."
Her words weren't just empty platitudes either. She genuinely felt that if more bastards of her extended family were of a similar nature, she could bear with them much easier. Though, that didn't exactly mean she was going to be mingling with mortals often. This was essentially a one time whim and necessity.
"Your praise honors me, Great Goddess."
"I heard that my husband and the others have given you generous rewards. Of course, my blessing was also included in your requests." Hera spoke up about the real reason she was finally here. "However, I have not given you my own reward for the return of my apple tree."
The offer of a reward had taken Ocean Song by surprise.
He didn't think she would personally come to give him something.
"I'm honored by your offer, Great Goddess. However, I didn't retrieve your tree for the promise of reward." Ocean Song made sure to be humble.
He was well aware of the fury she was capable of, and he didn't want to come off as greedy even if he nearly blurted out a request on instinct.
Hera, though, smiled a bit at his humbleness. "If a god tells you to ask for a reward, then you should ask for a reward, child."
Ocean Song cleared his throat. "If it's the Goddess' command."
Hera chuckled lightly. "What, do you want me to set up a marriage for you? I can think of another certain goddess that you have your eye on." She was also more than aware of the issue with Hecate's cabin now being built in the camp.
Hera was neutral about it.
Perhaps approving of it slightly as well.
Compared to the other lesser gods, Hera would recognize that Hecate does do quite a bit for Olympus with managing the mists and all.
She could turn a blind eye to the presumed arrogance of her having a cabin and being 'equal' to them in this instance.
But, more so, she could also glean the romantic intentions from the boy in front of her.
And his bashfulness just proved it.
"As the Goddess of Marriage and Queen of Gods, she couldn't refuse if I demanded it." Hera said plainly.
Ocean Song, to her amusement, blushed a little.
"Great Goddess, there's no need for that. I wouldn't dream of forcing Hecate into a marriage against her will. If I ever…well, a marriage should be between two loving partners." Ocean Song stumbled through a response.
Hera's smile grew just a bit wider at his response.
If he actually agreed, she would have done it as a reward. She would have thought less of him, but she wasn't a liar. However, his reluctance was also a good point in her book.
She approved of his view on marriage.
"Then what do you think is deserving as a reward, hmm? Do you want a few of my apples?" She offered casually.
Ocean Song blinked. "Great Goddess, I thought you disliked others having your apples?"
Hera tilted her head; her smile slowly shifted to a scowl. "I hate when people steal my apples." She huffed indignantly. "Do you know how many have just asked? None. No one asks! They go and steal one! They grow back for Mother's sake! Do you think I would be so stingy that I couldn't bear to part with a few knowing they would grow back!?"
Ocean Song wisely kept quiet as she ranted.
"So what's it going to be, little one? Do you want some apples or something else?" Hera quickly regained her composure. "Make your decision quickly." As much as she was pleasantly surprised by her visit, she didn't want to stay any longer.
"Then…Great Goddess, this one has a request, but I hope you can be merciful in rejection if you disagree with it."
"Speak." Hera gestured for him to continue.
"Might this lowly Cyclops request a sapling offspring of your great and sacred Apple Tree so as to plant one in my own sect?" Ocean Song hesitantly asked.
"You…want to plant your own apple tree." Hera repeated. "A sapling." She said, A small correction.
Hera opened her mouth again but closed it without speaking another word.
The request took her by surprise.
She didn't know if she should be offended or accepting, in all honesty.
There was a long tense moment where Hera considered it before finally she turned her hand over and was holding a freshly broken branch, courtesy of her apple tree.
"Very well, but it won't be a copy of my Apple Tree." She tossed it to him, and he caught it. "Plant it; it will grow quickly, but the apples won't be golden; they'll be silver, an intentional distinction."
"I thank the Great Goddess for her divine gift!" Ocean Song bowed to her again.
Hera just waved her hand dismissively. "I've fulfilled my obligations; I will now leave."
Just as abruptly as she arrived, she also left, leaving Ocean Song standing there with a branch of the tree he definitely didn't originally steal.
Ocean Song stared at the branch, then shoved it into the ground at his feet before he clasped his hands behind his back.
"All according to plan." He said as his robes billowed.
"Bawhooo." Nessie appeared, posing next to him.
[Line Break]
A/N
Ocean Song: I planned all of this, even the parts I didn't know about.
If you want to read 1 chapter ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
I also have a boosty if you can't use the above under the same name.
For those who don't know, I have a snippet thread over on QQ, go check it out, it's in the NSFW section, so you need an account. This was originally a snippet, so there's more stuff inside.