Leaves, trees, and make-believes

A light breeze blew through the woodlands of the camp grounds. The sun was shining, birds singing, and even a few other things were happily prancing about. It had a calming effect on anyone who would wander into this bliss. But not for one young teen marching along the beaten dirt path. His sneakers made crunching sounds with each step he took leading him farther into the woods and farther from camp. Light never seemed to touch him making it seem as if he had a light shadow covering him even when he was in the sun. As always his hood was over his head covering his eyes and blocking out everything except what was in front of him. In this lively place of light he was the shadow corrupting it. Around him fluttered a few black butterflies some even landed on him and would stay there until he brushed them off or moved too suddenly.

I love this. It's quiet and I can be alone but it sucks because I am alone. he thought to himself. He wished he had someone to share this walk with but so far he had seen no one willing to. The people he had seen were in groups already and off in their own worlds. Worlds he didn't belong in and didn't want to be in. "I guess like the darkness no one wants to be around me." he said aloud mostly to himself and the butterflies around him. "But its fine. If I am in the darkness I get to see the full effect of the light." He looked up at the sky as he continued on trying to make shapes out of the clouds above. But all he saw were butterflies and food. He let out a sigh then breathed in deeply to taste the woodland air before breathing out heavily. It was crisp and clean just as a woodland should be.

He was startled by a girl walking up to him with a greeting. It amazed him how people could just do it like it was no big deal. He could almost never bring himself to talk to new people. "H-hi i'm Nathaniel. Nathaniel W-weathers." His voice stuttered out. Mentally he kicked himself for it. Since he didn't talk much his mouth liked to trip his tongue when he tried to speak to other people. "I'm new here and I was just exploring." His voice came out softly like a whisper but loud enough to hear. One of the fluttering butterflies landed on his shoulder and settled there. The others just hovered around almost protectively. Not that they could really do anything.

"Yeah I am...new I mean. But I don't know about claimed or even what that is. I have heard other say it but I still don't know what it means exactly." He answered. His eyes scanning her immediately noticing her unaverage hair color. He wondered if she died it but it looked like her natural color. Well this place was strange and this wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen so he wouldn't comment on it. He wondered what made it that way but enough mind wondering he he needed to know what 'claiming' was. "So what is claiming?" he asked her politely.

"Yeah probably but whoever it is is taking their sweet time in doing so." Although he didn't know it he had already been claimed. "Must be great to have a dad in the ....what was it...Oh yeah the Big Trio. So how will I know when I will be claimed?" He wondered what it would feel like to know who his other parent was and what he could do when he found out.

Something had happened but it was the thing that he gotten him here in the first place. "Well aside from the fact that I can tell when things die and see people's 'inner light' a weird shadow monster attacked me and I was saved by a man with black wings. That's how I got this ring." he said as he held up his right hand to show her his silver Theta ring. He really hoped she would be able to shine a bit more light on the mysteries surround him.

"No not really but these butterflies let me talk to the dead although I need something of theirs to do it." He told her not bothering to hide it. If he wanted to find out more about himself he had to tell her about himself. I felt pretty good to talk to someone for a change but part of him still nagged at him that he should be careful or he might get back-stabbed. But for now he ignored it.

"Well not supposing to exist sucks." he said quietly. "I've heard of Hades but not Thanatos. He's like the God of Death....weird. That would mean I would be the son of Death." He said to no one really. Wow those folks back in his home town would not be surprised to find this out they weren't far off with their accusations. He knew they had always called him death behind his back and some would make the sign of the cross when they saw him. "That would explain why I seem to be attracted to dead things." He told her with a dry laugh.

"Well the only symbol I saw at the time was this Theta one on the ring. Does that represent something?" he asked. Perhaps it was connected to Thanatos. If it was then that would explain why he was given it. But if he had just told him who he was Nate would not have had to wonder who his father was.

"Nothing really but no one can see me if I don't want them to." He said. To demonstrate he stood in the shadow of a larger tree and disappeared. He voice seemed to come from the tree itself. "But only in darker places." Nate then stepped out of the shadow and into view.

"Sorry but it only works in shadow. If the shadow's too small i'll be revealed." he told her. The darker part of his conscious was telling him that he was giving too much information away and he still knew too little about this girl. "So do you have any types of special abilities? I assume that is you do they have to deal with water." Nate asked her. Knowing the limitations of people was something Nate liked to know in case he ever had to fight against them.

Well that was goos to know and catalog but to really know about others powers he knew he would have to see them in action. But he also hoped he wouldn't have since it meant that there might be a large-scale fight going on. The list of abilities she spouted off were to be expected since she was a child of the trio. It almost made his jealous of those children how over-powered they seemed to be. Yet he also didn't care about it. If they were the ones with all the responsibility let them have it. He would be happy just living his life comfortably. "Well that's impressive. But then again your the daughter of one of the major gods so its to be expected." He paused a but before he went on. "So basically to sum it up your have nearly total control over water with a bit of Animal tongue on the side. I hope you use your powers wisely." He added the last part jokingly. He doubted any of the kids here would use their power for evil. Well aside from children of dark gods.....like him if Thanatos was his dad.

Luke Castellan? Who was he? Nate wondered in his head. Sounds like one of the campers went all evil villain on this place. So he wouldn't be the first if he decided to go that route. He didn't care about wise use of his powers or even if he had decided to use them to help others yet. Not that he saw them as useful to helping people. Knowing where they died wouldn't really help if they were dead already. "Doesn't sound like his path lead him to success if you are talking about him in the past tense." Nate said.

Percy Jackson now that was a name he had heard before. He was like the camp's King or something. Although he had not seen him Nate practically felt like he knew the guy. From what he had over heard and gathered Percy was the center of the god's attention. Which he was glad he wasn't him. But this Luke guy sounded bad-ass except for the whole getting possessed thing. From how it sounded the guy bit off more than his mouth could chew. If Nate ever went down that path he would make sure to cover all his bases. "Sounds like Percy has the responsibility of a lifetime. But how do we know what to do and who does what? I mean so far its not like I have seen the kids around here in military squads or anything. Yeah there are those games but there doesn't seem to be an official structure of rank war wise. Like if we were attacked now who would I go to and what are our plans? From what I guess it would just be an everyman for himself or fight with whoever you happen to be close to."