a savior and a hero [private]

The little girl beside me was so small, which was the main thing I noticed. So delicate, so breakable. What had she already been through? I had seen what she could do, but she was still just a little kid.

We'd gone shopping on the way back, me using a credit card I'd swiped from Aph to pay for new clothes for her. She had needed them, that was for sure. Mary couldn't have arrived at Camp without any other clothes than the ones she was wearing. I couldn't bring her back like that.

I'd been through the Orphanage experience. It was not something any child should be subjected to, yet they were every single day. The people in my Orphanage had thought I was a devil child, which was okay, because then they left me alone. What Mary had been through, I had never had to go through personally.

"What is this place?" Mary's soft voice sounded in the wind, and I smiled down to her.
The cracks in the ground were clear, but they couldn't bother me. As long as she didn't open up a massive crack and send my falling through the earth, I could put up with the lines.
'This is Camp Half-Blood. Where I live, and where you'll be living, and where your family live.'
Taking a breath, I crouched down to her height, holding her closer with one arm as I gestured to different places.
'That U over there? Just down there, that's the Cabins where people sleep. Mine is the one with black stone, the Cabin to Nyx... The stones and stuff? What looks like seats? That's the Mess Hall, where we all eat... There's the big house, the closest thing to us which looks like a Farmhouse, and then the Lake and the Beach are all visible too... There's also the stables... the schoolish buildings... and the sports stuff. Over there?... That's where the Climbing Wall is, which is really hard to climb.'
I took a deep breath after that, finishing pointing out each building.

:/:/OOC: Bad post :/ I'll do a better one next time, k?

The question mark on the brunette girls face was obvious, and I suppressed a smile. Had we not all been there once before? Wondering what the hell this place was? Why there were swords and knives, why we played Capture the Flag and our only punishment for a death was no dessert and kitchen duties? She'd have it hardest, cause of the life she had been living.

It made me sick how Mary had been treated. If I didn't believe murder in front of a little girl was wrong, I would have killed them myself. But I had wanted to get her out of there. If for no other reason, so that I knew I could help her as much as possible. Cause that was my goal. I would help Mary.

'Eeek, Sorry sweetie! I never explained...' I rushed, still holding her close.
Was she shivering? I should get her inside. But she'd need to stay in a different Cabin. I could sneak into the Hermes Cabin later, right? It would suck if she had to spend her first night here all alone.
Slipping off the black jacket I was wearing, I put it gently over her shoulders. It was a little too big, but it should be warm. As soon as possible I would bring her down and show her around the Camp. But firs, she would probably want to be prepared. Mary could ask me questions here without anyone else hearing.

'Okay... so did you ever hear of Greek Gods?... Probably not. Right. So thousands of years ago, there were these beings that walked the earth. They looked lots like me and you, just normal humans, but they could take any looks they wanted. And they were either the size of a mortal person, which would be one of us, or they could be reeeeeally big... There were three main Gods, named Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. And once they killed they're Dad, and defeated the Titans, who were the old rulers of the world, they drew each different rulership out of a hat. So Zeus got the skies, Poseidon got the seas, and Hades got the Underworld, which is where people who have... died go.'
Taking a deep breath, I looked to Mary to make sure she was following. This was probably too much for her to take in. But it needed to be explained after all.
'After a while, the Gods rule shifted to Rome, and from there it shifted to other places. Every new place, they took new names... like if you decided your name wasn't gonna be Mary in New York, it was gonna be... Bob. Wherever there was power... like... where people believed in them I suppose, they took up a seat of rulership. Eventually, about 150 years ago maybe? I don't know... they came to America, cause the new "Seat of Power" was there.'

Wow Cole. You are really doing a great job explaining this to an eight year old.
'Now, lots of stuff happened, but basically, wherever these Gods went, they had children with Mortal Women, or Men. There were famous "Demigods" as they're called, all over history. Perseus, Hercules, like in that film, and some really smart people like... Einstein. They were "Half Bloods." Half Mortal, Half God. And lots of them were Heroes.'
Oh Gods, would she even get this?
'Now, when the Gods came here, they were still having children. And they decided "Okay, we have lots of Heroes, lets train them!" and they made a Camp. Camp Half-Blood.'
'This is Camp Half Blood hun. Camp Half-Blood is our home. I'm a Demigod Daughter of Nyx, Goddess of Shadows and Night. Some of them down there are children of Zeus, Children of Lyssa, Children of Apollo. All of them, Half Bloods. All of them, Heroes. And to answer your question? We're here cause you are too. You're a demigod child of one of those Ancient Gods from earlier....' I looked at her, giving her a small smile, and squeezing her shoulder reassuringly, 'Have any questions hun? I probably didn't explain that at all right for you.'

:/:/OOC: Cole totally forgot she was talking to an Eight Year Old there lol

A bubble of laughter escaped me at Mary's face, and I couldn't stop for a moment. The confused look she gave me was enough to realize I'd been speaking to her as I would speak to Chase, not for her age.
'No sweetie,' I managed, taking a moment to quiet down.

Taking a deep breath, I smiled at her and shook my head.
'Zeus is one of the major gods. Now, you could be a child of Zeus. There's nothing saying you can't be. But being Unclaimed means you don't know who your Daddy or Mommy is. My Mommy is Nyx, pronounced like "Nik-S". She's a Goddess. I don't know who my Daddy is, my Mortal Daddy, cause he left me in an Orphanage. Like you. We're not so different hon,' I told her, smiling at the question mark on her face.

Gesturing down to the Camp below, I continued where I'd left off about being claimed.
'There are other kids down there who are unclaimed. Lots of them. They live in this Cabin, cabin 11. And lots of them will get claimed, so one day soon, I'm sure you will.'

Cuddling Mary closer, I hoped she wouldn't get too angry. The cracks had started to spread faster.
'You don't need to worry hun. I'm good at sneaking around at night. If you need to go to the Hermes Cabin, I'll make sure that you won't be on your own too long,' I whispered, guessing that was what she was worried about.

My guess was right, and I smiled at her.
'I promise I'll go to your Cabin as soon as the people in my Cabin are asleep. Maybe before! But you don't need to worry, cause other than a few hours later, I won't leave you hun.'

But then I noticed the symbol.
I'd thought that the cracks were just that- cracks. But they seemed to have created a symbol? And a symbol that I recognized? From where though.
It came to me all at once.
My book had a page near the end, one dedicated to a God... a God named???
'Mormos. Mormos Mary! Your Daddy is Mormos!'