Christiana stepped out of her cabin, surveying the beauty of Mount Olympus surrounding her. Despite having lived on the 600th floor for several months now, she still wasn’t used to it. She didn’t think she ever would be. She had been brought to Camp Half-Blood when she was eleven, and that in itself had been one amazing adventure. She had learned at camp that the gods were supposed to claim all their children by the time they were thirteen, but even when she arrived, there were a few kids over thirteen who still hadn’t been claimed yet. That didn’t bother Christiana too much. Of course, she wanted to know who one of her biological parents was so she might be able to get some of her questions answered, but at the same time, she didn’t want to know who her mother or father was. As far as she was concerned, the woman who had raised her was her mother in all aspects, blood relation or no.
So when Christiana’s thirteenth birthday came and went with no sign of a godly parent, she was both disappointed and relieved. She had always been fiercely loyal to her family and friends, and she knew that she would immediately forgive her birth parent for not raising her. She just wasn’t sure if she was ready to introduce a father or second mother into her life. Christiana definitely loved adventure, she was just slightly wary of an adventure that involved a parent she had never known but had likely been watching her through her entire life. Time progressed passed her birthday, though, her fourteenth slowly arrived, and life at camp went on as was normal. Christiana threw herself into the frenzy of Capture the Flag games, introducing new demigods to camp, and exploring the woods. She forgot about a godly parent completely, having become so involved in the excitement of daily life.
Surprisingly, the thought never came back when Chiron and Mr. D announced that the gods had agreed to train some of their children directly on Mount Olympus. Christiana was the first to jump at the opportunity, realizing a move to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building would be the ultimate adventure. Sure, Camp Half-Blood had been amazing, but to live and train among the most powerful and influential beings in history? Nothing could beat that. Christiana had never been to Olympus before, and she was excited to explore the famed home of the gods. Of course, she knew she’d have to be careful poking around up there. Some gods probably wouldn’t like it much if she stuck her nose somewhere it wasn’t supposed to be. Still, she couldn’t wait to be among the stars.
The day finally came, and a small group of demigods made their way to Manhattan, courtesy of Argus. Some whispered along the way about the potential to become immortal if they constantly lived among them, but Christiana knew she would turn it down if it was offered. It was strange to think about as someone who was only fifteen, but to the young demigod, death was but another great adventure. Life in the Underworld came after this one, and who knew what could happen there? The girl had heard of demigods travelling to the Underworld before and coming back, but she didn’t think it would be the same going there if you weren’t dead. Besides, how many people could say they had truly experienced the mortal world, the world of the gods, and the Underworld?
Christiana sighed, shaking her head to bring herself back to the present. She glanced at the Hermes cabin behind her, taking in all its grandeur. It still wasn’t quite as beautiful as, say, Artemis’s cabin, but compared to the Hermes cabin back at camp, the one on Olympus was a palace. The aura provided by the home of the gods simply made everything ten times more beautiful than it was, but even without that, Hermes’s cabin was still beautiful. It was much more spacious, too, and Christiana appreciated that fact. She had been in the cabin for nearly four years at camp, so she knew how crowded it could be. As a people person, the girl didn’t mind too much, but she still appreciated a little personal space every now and again.
Smiling, she set off across the mountain, shoving her hands in the pocket on her purple NYU sweatshirt. Peering down, she watched business men and women bustle around the streets for a few moments as she walked. The scene was familiar to her from long before camp. How many times had she and her mother pushed through those crowds, hands clasped tight to avoid losing one another? It was amazing more people didn’t get trampled to death. Returning her gaze to Olympus, Christiana continued to wander with no set destination in mind. She hoped to run into another demigod to accompany her on her wanderings, but if she didn’t find anybody, she was sure she could still find something new and amazing.
So when Christiana’s thirteenth birthday came and went with no sign of a godly parent, she was both disappointed and relieved. She had always been fiercely loyal to her family and friends, and she knew that she would immediately forgive her birth parent for not raising her. She just wasn’t sure if she was ready to introduce a father or second mother into her life. Christiana definitely loved adventure, she was just slightly wary of an adventure that involved a parent she had never known but had likely been watching her through her entire life. Time progressed passed her birthday, though, her fourteenth slowly arrived, and life at camp went on as was normal. Christiana threw herself into the frenzy of Capture the Flag games, introducing new demigods to camp, and exploring the woods. She forgot about a godly parent completely, having become so involved in the excitement of daily life.
Surprisingly, the thought never came back when Chiron and Mr. D announced that the gods had agreed to train some of their children directly on Mount Olympus. Christiana was the first to jump at the opportunity, realizing a move to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building would be the ultimate adventure. Sure, Camp Half-Blood had been amazing, but to live and train among the most powerful and influential beings in history? Nothing could beat that. Christiana had never been to Olympus before, and she was excited to explore the famed home of the gods. Of course, she knew she’d have to be careful poking around up there. Some gods probably wouldn’t like it much if she stuck her nose somewhere it wasn’t supposed to be. Still, she couldn’t wait to be among the stars.
The day finally came, and a small group of demigods made their way to Manhattan, courtesy of Argus. Some whispered along the way about the potential to become immortal if they constantly lived among them, but Christiana knew she would turn it down if it was offered. It was strange to think about as someone who was only fifteen, but to the young demigod, death was but another great adventure. Life in the Underworld came after this one, and who knew what could happen there? The girl had heard of demigods travelling to the Underworld before and coming back, but she didn’t think it would be the same going there if you weren’t dead. Besides, how many people could say they had truly experienced the mortal world, the world of the gods, and the Underworld?
Christiana sighed, shaking her head to bring herself back to the present. She glanced at the Hermes cabin behind her, taking in all its grandeur. It still wasn’t quite as beautiful as, say, Artemis’s cabin, but compared to the Hermes cabin back at camp, the one on Olympus was a palace. The aura provided by the home of the gods simply made everything ten times more beautiful than it was, but even without that, Hermes’s cabin was still beautiful. It was much more spacious, too, and Christiana appreciated that fact. She had been in the cabin for nearly four years at camp, so she knew how crowded it could be. As a people person, the girl didn’t mind too much, but she still appreciated a little personal space every now and again.
Smiling, she set off across the mountain, shoving her hands in the pocket on her purple NYU sweatshirt. Peering down, she watched business men and women bustle around the streets for a few moments as she walked. The scene was familiar to her from long before camp. How many times had she and her mother pushed through those crowds, hands clasped tight to avoid losing one another? It was amazing more people didn’t get trampled to death. Returning her gaze to Olympus, Christiana continued to wander with no set destination in mind. She hoped to run into another demigod to accompany her on her wanderings, but if she didn’t find anybody, she was sure she could still find something new and amazing.