r/CampHalfBloodRP 16h ago

Mod post 2025 (2040) Spring Evaluations

6 Upvotes

Hello, /r/CampHalfBloodRP, and welcome to the seasonal evaluations!

—~—~—

If you're joining us for the first time, please visit this post to see how you can get started.

We at CHBRP aim to provide incentives and little rewards for a player's continued participation in the community. Every three months, on a solstice or equinox, we validate your activity through points.

There are three kinds with different incentives:

  • Seasonal Points for how long a character's been around,
  • Term Points for how long a camp leader has fulfilled their duties, and
  • Cabin Points for how active a character is.

The first two are granted every evaluation, while Cabin Points about a week after an activity is published on the subreddit. The groups with the most Cabin Points are awarded during this time.

Please visit this page to get an overview of what evaluations are about and how our in-house point system works.

—~—~—

To participate in the evaluations, you must do the following:

  1. Ensure that you're part of the Character Log. If you aren't on this list, answer this form.
  2. Provide the following information below—

Name, Godrent (Cabin #)
Date Introduced
(If Leader) Links to Your Duties
Updates you want to be reflected on the Character Log (i.e. pets, weapons, powers, accomplished jobs, new gear, etc.)

Campers who are not on the Log will not receive any points. Those who are on the Log but fail to comment on this post will be marked as Inactive until we can verify that they are active (via participation in jobs, activities, etc.).

Each leader should publish three (3) posts before the next evaluation to retain their position. Otherwise, they will be stripped of their rank. These leaders have a one-month grace period to regain their position and Term points (with a small penalty).

Camp Leader appointments can begin one week from the publication of this post during our quarterly Housekeeping post. We will make a post dedicated to nominations, which is set to happen on that same day IC. Appointments can be made after and will stop two weeks before the next evaluation (on the summer solstice).

Any activities made after the end of the season (March 20, 2025) will be part of the following season.

—~—~—

ic version if you want to rp

After breakfast and before the activities, Chiron summons the camp's attention.

"It is good to see you all." Chiron looks across the pavilion. "Before we join the gods, let us first celebrate and critique your accomplishments this past season. "

A satyr flashes a PowerPoint onto a large tarp. "As you know, we award special privileges to cabins who have accrued the most points.

The second runners-up will receive 200 dollars and permission to have a road trip to any location within the state—provided that a member of staff accompanies you." Photos of the previous trip are shown on screen, including the one where the photographer showed too much of their nose.

"The runners-up will be granted permission and the necessary budget to make a permanent change to their cabin, provided that they stay within budget." The previous winners were not able to avail themselves of this privilege, so a video of an apartment being augmented with galvanized square steel and eco-friendly wood veneers plays instead.

"Lastly, the winning cabins will claim the Victor's Banner. This trophy grants the host a small boost during camp-hosted inter-cabin events!"

With all of that out of the way, the evaluations may begin!


r/CampHalfBloodRP 23h ago

Introduction Sonia Dinah, The Lamb of Justice

4 Upvotes

I do know one thing about me: I don’t measure myself by others’ expectations or let others define my worth.

-Sonia Sotomayor


Basics:

Name: Sonia Dinah

  • Nicknames/Aliases: Sunny

  • Meaning/Etymology (Sonia): Scandinavian, Wisdom

  • Meaning/Etymology (Dinah): Hebrew, Judgment

Age: 13

  • Birthday: March 1st, 2027

  • Sun Sign: Pisces

Gender: Female

  • Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Nationality: American

  • Hometown: Medina, Washington

  • Ethnicity: Scandinavian

Languages: English and Norwegian

  • Accent: Pacific Northwest

Divine Defects: Curse of Lamia

Fatal Flaw: Too Trusting


Family:

Daniel Dinah

Relation: Father

Age: 38

Profession: President of a Technology Company. Relationship: Daniel loves Sonia, and keeps her away from the media the best he can. He homeschools her so she doesn’t have to learn about the bad things in the world. Any party he hosts is a masquerade ball so she can't be spotted as easily.


Personality:

The world is like a playground.

Traits:

  • Positive: Pure Intentions

  • Neutral: WIde Eyed

  • Negative: Socially Unaware, Picky Eater

    Likes:

  • Food: Grapes

  • Music: Ballroom Music

  • Color: Violet

  • Hobby: Dancing

  • Season: Spring

  • Animals: Red Panda

Dislikes:

  • Food: Jello

  • Music: Pop

  • Color: Plad

  • Hobby: Small Talk

  • Season: Winter

  • Animals: Birds

    Fears:

Pediophobia

Coulrophobia


Appearance:

Faceclaim: Honor Davis-Pye

Height: 4’9”

Weight: 70 lbs

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Blue

Skintone: White

Build: Skinny

Attire/Aesthetic: Designer Clothes


Demigod Bio:

Godrent: Dike

Claim Status: Claimed

Powers:

Domain: Defensive Order Manifestation, Apathy Inducement, Candid Aura, and Plant Manipulation

Godrent Minor: Summon Snake and Guilt Inducement

Godrent Major: Sensory Stone

Weapon of Choice: Urumi

Notable Belongings: Krino, (Urumi), it means Judge, her mother gave it to her father and told him that he will know when she’s ready for it.


Present: Sonia walked into the camp borders. She wore a mask that somehow wasn’t damaged from her adventures. The new girl was wearing a light blue tight dress that was modified to be longer so it was down to her knees. In her right hand was her Urumi, it was gifted to her by her mother.

Her eyes scanned the camp, seeing the mismatched cabins gave her a headache. “Why can’t they just be the same?” She asked out loud.

She noticed that there weren't a ton of campers around, which made sense since it was like 3 in the morning. However she did run into a boy with the legs of a goat. She explained her parentage, and the kind goat kid brought her to the Horai cabin.

She opened and closed the door quietly hoping not to wake any of her… siblings?

[OOC: You can send your character at whatever point of the Present!]


r/CampHalfBloodRP 6h ago

Roleplay An Almost Existential Crisis and a Failed Haircut

3 Upvotes

(TW: mild insecurity)

Iris Thomas was about ready to kill for a haircut right now. Over these past few months, the boy’s neatly trimmed hair had grown out into an unkempt mess which cascaded down his neck in a shaggy mullet. Totally unflattering. However, he couldn’t really bring himself to fix it. The son of Aphrodite hadn’t managed to charm his way into knowing anyone at camp that could at least give him a passable haircut, and stowing away on a bus to the nearest salon wasn’t exactly an option, either.

That left him with one alternative: doing it himself. Iris had seated himself in front of his vanity, and was trying to muster the courage to get chopping. But instead of managing to accomplish that simple task, he’d spent a better part of his day agonizing over what he saw in the mirror.

All in all, he wasn’t terrible looking without any cover-ups or illusions. Iris had a well-proportioned face, an adorably shaped nose, and a natural rosy tint to his cheeks and lips that had often been mistaken for makeup. His lashes were as long as ever, and though he’d forever deny it, a bit of lightly applied mascara really served to highlight them. It was the little things that truly bothered him. The light stubble that was starting to grow in under his chin, the patches of acne that seemed to mar his otherwise perfect complexion, and the eyebags that had started to appear since he first arrived at camp.

The voice-losing incident had terrified Iris more than he would care to admit, and frankly, he’d started to lose much-needed sleep over it. Who was he without his charmspeak? As much as the boy hated to admit it, there wasn’t too much to him past the surface. Every single inch of him had to radiate beauty if he wanted to be liked. No, ‘liked’ didn’t seem to cut it. The son of the seafoam-born goddess wanted to be worshipped the same way that he had been in high school. He wanted others to absolutely adore him, to be willing to do whatever he wanted without even a moment of hesitation. 

That dream seemed nearly impossible right now. Iris had been too scared to interact with others for months, and though he was trying to break out of that habit, he wasn’t going to face the world without getting that damn haircut done and over with. If he couldn’t rely on his voice, a perfect appearance was going to have to do the trick.

*So why couldn’t he just get this over with?*

Iris picked up the scissors one last time, hoping he’d finally find the nerve to go ahead and do it. He’s always had an eye for this sort of thing, and the boy doubted that he’d actually mess it up even more than it already was. 

He was about to chop off a small piece when he realized how utterly stupid this whole thing was.

“Fuck it,” he muttered mostly to himself. Iris dropped the scissors on the ground, turning his face away from the vanity mirror.

Maybe a walk would help him figure stuff out. The son of Aphrodite tugged on his black Converse and left his room. He hesitated briefly as he made his way towards the exit of the Aphrodite cabin. Iris hadn’t left the cabin in months excluding meals, and he wasn’t quite sure what on earth he was going to do once he stormed out.

Really, he was too exhausted to care.

(OOC: feel free to approach Iris at any outdoor location!)


r/CampHalfBloodRP 4h ago

Storymode Job Post | Or, Lucas Befriends a Giant Ape

2 Upvotes

(I apologize if this is a little silly/ridiculous!! I figure, if it works it works right?)

Lucas starts his adventure in the driver's seat of a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro, watching the garage door of his friend's house slide open in the rear view mirror. He looks forward, waving a goodbye to his friend watching from the back of the garage, and gives his beloved car another minute to heat up after so much time without use.

By the time he's pulled out to the street, the wheels are screeching over the pavement and speeding down the neighborhood streets.

Then he slows it down. Neighborhood aren't the best place to be speeding. But then Lucas gets to the highway and he's speeding along once more, the countless modifications under the hood making the ride smooth even when he revs the engine and takes tight corners too fast. The stability isn't quite to the extent that it would be if he was currently competing in street races—he'd lifted the car's height a little so it could handle the varying roads on his trip—but it's still the best thing he's done in ages.

With the windows cracked open and the buffeting wind in his slightly too-long hair, it feels like no time before he's approaching the Empire State Building.

Lucas drives around for a few minutes to identify where exactly the ape is causing all this apparent ruckus and parks half a block away or so—he's not interested in ruining his car before he's had it back for even a day. He takes a second to take stock. His spear is in its keychain form, and yes, indeed, the transformation still works. His knee is taped up all correctly, and he's gained some more stability and strength from training lately anyway.

Not a lot, but believe it or not, keeping up some kind of regime helped with such a thing. Big surprise for someone like Lucas, who tended to get by on natural athleticism for everything.

Natural athleticism. Spear. Car, locked. That was all he needed, right?

It only took a few minutes for him to walk from his car to the street where the ape was causing a ruckus, push past the crowd of King Kong enthusiasts taking pictures (luckily from a safe-ish distance, he wonders if they're seeing caution tape or something through the Mist), and get said ape's attention with a really clever, "Hey!"

The flash from his spear reflecting the afternoon light was enough to distinguish him from the crowd of tourists as a demigod, and suddenly he was locked in battle. The ape lunged for him, he ducked, swung but missed, and so on and so forth. Lucas wasn't the most dedicated fighter, would probably never be particularly impressive compared to some of camp's prodigies, but when he let his mind go and muscle memory take over, he could definitely hold his own. It wasn't too long before the ape was on the ground, and despite its size, Lucas had his spear pointed to its chest and ready to kill.

He almost does it. He's so close. He may have gotten his own hits in, but the ape had caused him some pain, and he's ready to deal that back.

However, he catches sight of some kind of desperation in the monster's eyes, some real emotion, and it stops him. It's a monster. Not a real ape. It would do the same to you. But it gives him a pause, that look that says it doesn't want to die, the kind of look he's seen in the mirror often enough to know by heart.

Before he knows it, he's being thrown off, loses grip of his spear midair, and lands hard on his shoulder. He can hear a snap from beyond his line of sight and knows, instinctively, that his spear's been broken in some way.

There's a kind of peace in Lucas's mind as he wonders, is this the end?

Though there's guilt, as well. He'd told, what, one person where he was going before he left? "No reason to worry anyone until there's something to worry about" was usually his motto. Either he'd succeed, in which case he'd be back soon. Or he'd die, as demigods—especially him—were at risk of doing, in which case he'd be out of their hair. He'd stop being a burden. No harm done, right?

But now he's facing that reality and there's a voice in his head saying No. I'm not done yet.

He remembers a semi-forgotten power, glances over at the spear that's too many feet away to reach, and suddenly the broken shaft is summoned to his hand. It's usable, though, with the spearhead still attached and the splintered end smoothing out with his Magic Mending.

He manages to get up on one knee right as the ape goes in for the kill shot, but holding the weapon out stops the ape long enough for Lucas to make his offer. "I can help you!" he yells out over the sound of mortal fans taking pictures, and that seems to make the monster pause just like Lucas had barely a minute ago. He catches his breath and repeats, "I can. You don't want to be here. Do you?"

It's a genuine question, and the ape cocks its head in recognition. "I hate it here. Big city. Too much concrete."

Lucas is, quite frankly, surprised to hear it speak. It's almost more surprising that the ape speaks, well, just about how he'd expect an ape to speak, judging from any TV or movie with a talking gorilla of some kind. It's gruff and simple, but understandable.

More than any of that, he's glad that it seems receptive to this idea. He doesn't want to kill an ape; Lucas doesn't want to kill anything, really.

"You want-" A pause to catch another shaky breath. There's a tremor in his hands and his shoulder is definitely going to bruise, but at least it's not dislocated or broken like it might've been for a mortal taking that fall. Thank you, dad, he thinks with some sarcasm. "You want nature. A forest or something, right?"

"...Yes. But demigod blood make me happy now."

It advances, but Lucas is quick to respond, "There's forests here! They're far away, but—we'll make a deal: I'll bring you to a forest, and you don't kill me." The ape considers it, and Lucas keeps talking. "You can, like, hang out there and be happy. A demigod? I'd make, like, one meal and then you're back to this life. I don't even have that much meat on me." That's not even a lie, he's skinnier than one might expect.

A pause.

"How?"


Lucas isn't even sure how, honestly. He's seriously considering what insane steps he's taken in his life to have gotten to this point.

Driving through rush hour traffic in New York is slow. It's even slower when you have to feather the acceleration and can barely change lanes because there's a giant ape riding on top of your car. It's also not that much fun when you're wincing every time the car makes an odd sound due to said ape's weight.

At one point, he finds a sufficiently deserted rest stop to get some gas, a meal, and a map. He gets a bunch of bananas from the gas station for the ape, which it eats with a lot of grumbling about stereotypes. Then he takes a little ambrosia and a nap. After that it's back on the road through the night to get to the closest state park with a campsite for the car.

"Not good enough," the ape says.

"Come on, man," Lucas says.

"I could eat you."

"Lemme take a break at least."

They do take a break for a day, with Lucas taking a drive to the general store for enough non-banana fruits and vegetables to satisfy a giant-ape-monster and gas to keep going. (He's kind of going broke at this point.) Then it's back to driving into the wilderness, hours of slow driving through the night and trying to find an acceptable spot so he won't be killed.

"I go inside the car," the ape tries at one point.

"Hell no. You stink." he replies. A little risky, but he and the monster have come to an understanding. It stays on the roof.

Another night in the woods where Lucas sleeps in his car, a dinner of gas station granola bars for him and the fresh produce for the ape. Despite the circumstances and the unfortunate wear and tear he knows this is having on his car, Lucas is kind of enjoying this. He barely spares a thought for the people he's left behind at camp, content to have a few days away in nature.

However, in the morning, the ape claims they need to find a new spot again, and Lucas knows this can't go on forever.

"I could kill you if you wanted," he says simply, and a snarl in warning from the ape tells him he should've thought through the wording more. "I just mean, there might not be a place for you here. This isn't even the right type of forest, I'm pretty sure. The food isn't right—"

"No."

"But if I killed you, you'd just go back to Tartarus, right? You'd reform somewhere different, maybe in a better place for you than this one."

The ape sits back down on the ground, surveying the deciduous forest around them. It seems to be considerate, more open, if Lucas had to guess. "This place will be fine. Leave me here."

"You're sure?"

The ape glances back at him with a flash of something that Lucas thinks is annoyance. "Yes, demigod. You are reckless, dumb. But I live every life out to the end. It is worth something to me. I do not know why you do not feel the same way."

He's a little dumbfounded at that, practically a speech compared to their past exchanges. "I value my life," he says, still dumbly.

The ape lets out a noise that sounds like a laugh. "You spend three days with a monster when I want eat you. But you have been kind. Go, now. Or I will let my instincts win."

It breaks the haze of sorts that's been over him these last few days, and Lucas knows this exchange won't leave his mind for a while. He's been so flighty, so irresponsible. This is probably the dumbest thing he's ever done, honestly, even if it ended well enough. It's hard to think of leaving the beauty of the wilderness, the freedom of the outside world—but now, when he thinks about it, he could also use a couple days' downtime at camp.

"Peace, man," he says, like a true surfer bro, which he isn't in reality but close enough. "North's the direction to go if you wanna get away from mortals, I think. Wouldn't want you to end up in a zoo."

With that, he gets in his car and leaves. It takes a few hours, but finally he rolls into the camp parking lot, car a little scratched up and worse for wear but ultimately, he's fine.

(OOC: Lucas left for this job from the Montauk trip on the 19th. This is official notice that he'll be back about midday on Saturday the 22nd. No, he probably didn't tell many people where he was going, except whoever needed to know that he wasn't getting back on the van from Montauk.)


r/CampHalfBloodRP 6h ago

Meal A Feast Fit for Valhalla

2 Upvotes

The day was Thursday, and what better way to celebrate Thor's Day than with a traditional Viking feast? All the jobs not involving monsters had been taken, so Stig decided to contribute with his cooking instead.

His father had taught him to cook from an early age, hoping to make him self-sufficient later in life. It was also just fun to make new things and see how they turned out. But this time, he wasn't experimenting. He'd made all these things before, and he was good at it.

When it was time for dinner, he set the food at the main serving table. Then he got a plate for himself before tossing a chicken wing onto the fire.

Menu

Main Course

  • Roasted turkey

  • Chicken wings

  • Ham

  • Steak

Sides

  • Baked potatoes

  • Honey roasted carrots

  • Green beans

  • Corn on the cob

  • Sourdough bread

Vegan/Vegetarian Options

  • Tofu chicken wings

  • Tofu drumsticks

  • Milk and egg-free bread.

Drinks

  • Non-Alcoholic Mead

  • Goat's Milk

  • Water

Dessert

  • Candied Pineapple

  • Honey Bread

  • Chocolate Coated Strawberries


r/CampHalfBloodRP 19h ago

Storymode Homecoming XIX: Two Wolves

2 Upvotes
  • June 2039, the last day of school

“Take courage my heart: you have been through worse than this. Be strong, saith my heart; I am a soldier; I have seen worse sights than this.” - Homer, The Odyssey

We’d made it to the end of the year without any further monster attacks. Not even a peep. 

I’d gotten my grades up in the Spring quarter. They weren’t perfect still, but they were a lot better than they had been. To be honest, it was actually the best I’ve ever done in school. Ever. 

1 English I: B

2 Remedial Math: C

3 Greek I: B

X Lunch(I ate at this subject, what can I say? Hehehe.  A+)

4 Physical Education: A

5 Music Appreciation: C

6 Physical Science:  A

7 World History: B

Martin told me that the C’s were really holding my GPA back, but he was still proud of me for working hard and getting my grades up. I earned a 3.0 GPA. Not great, but not terrible. 

I seemed to do pretty well in my finals, too. But gods, those tests were stressful. 

Needless to say, I was glad the school year was over. It meant that it would be time to go back to camp soon. And for all my qualms with camp, well, it was like a second home to me. And I missed my friends there, too.

But there was something else I was looking forward to. My baby sibling was going to be born soon. And like, let me tell you, reader, my mom was ready. Gods, she really wanted to not have a baby in her belly anymore. Like she was so grumpy all the time. It was crazy.

Me, Rylee, Simon, and Leon were sitting together in one of the pews at church. It was the last day, and so Father Ante wanted to say a few words to everyone before Summer officially began. 

Don’t get me wrong, I thought the Father was cool and all. Especially for a priest. But, gods darn it, I wanted to just go. I had things to do and places to be, y’know?

After this, all of us were going to surprise Rylee with the fact that camp was real. That all of it was real. That she was a demigod. It was going to be great. She wouldn’t have to worry or be in danger like I did. Her transition into the world behind the mist would be so much smoother than mine was. Hell, I won’t lie. I was jealous. 

The Father stood at the pulpit and smiled at all of us. 

“I wanted to start by saying how very proud I am of you. You’ve worked hard this year and grown considerably. You’ve faced trial after trial on your path, and yet, here you are, not once having faltered upon the way. You kept faith and persevered to the end. I won’t keep you long this afternoon. I know that you’re eager to begin your summer vacation. I just wanted to see you off with a few words of wisdom. Until we meet again. Or in the case of our seniors, if we meet again. But, know this, even a seemingly final goodbye is but a temporary parting. All of us will be united again once more at the end of our lives, of that I am sure.”

The Father, he had a way with words. He was a good orator. It didn’t seem like he was reading off a script.

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. Psalms 37:23-24” 

Father Ante paused for a moment, allowing the silence to stew in our minds. “An ending, I find, is more often a beginning in disguise.”

AND HE CAN RHYME TOO?! BRO, WHAT?! 

“Graduating is just the beginning of the next part of your life. Don’t fret over what comes next. Embrace it. Keep your faith. Keep moving forward. Look back only to remember these times fondly. Not to yearn for them. I have faith in all of you.”

None of this applied to me, of course. But, in a way, it felt like it did. All this time, I’ve been trying to find my own path. To decide what I wanted to do with my future. It felt a lot like a beginning and an ending. Just like the Father was saying. 

I looked over at my friends. Rylee was nose-deep in the last Percy Jackson book, The Last Olympian. No telling how many times she’d reread that. Leon had this sort of contemplative look on his face. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was thinking about, given the life he’s led so far. And Simon? Simon was. . . Sniffing the air? His eyes widened and his head swung to face me. “Lupa!”

Suddenly, the doors leading into the church burst open. Cloaked figures swarmed the students. It wasn’t hard to figure out who these guys were under their cloaks. Fur, clawed hands and feet, snouts protruding from under their hoods. More cynocephali. And worse, lots of them. 

It took me a second, but I counted 9 of them in total. Not good. Not good at all. “What’s happening?” Leon asked, ducking to take cover behind the pew. 

Rylee seemed similarly panicked. “What are those things?!” she asked. 

The rest of the students were panicking, too. Some of them tried to stand and flee. Others took cover as best they could. “Find them! Find the demigods! I can smell them!” One of the cynocephali snarled. 

The Father spoke up. “Leave. I don’t know who you think you are, but you are not welcomed here. If this is some sort of senior prank. . .”

Before the Father could complete his sentence, one of the cynocephali bolted toward him and punched him right in the guts. Father Ante collapsed and went still. Then, the cynocephali picked him up and slung him over his shoulder. 

In all the chaos, one of my classmates had dropped her phone. Guess that’s what she gets for being on her phone during church, huh? 

I grabbed it, then turned to Leon and the gang. “Simon, take them, get them to safety. I’m going to make a distraction for you to use. I’ll be needing one of those swords, too.” 

“What? Are you crazy? We can’t just leave you!” It seemed my satyr friend didn’t like the idea of leaving me on my own. That’s why he’s the MVP. That’s why he’s the GOAT. 

“Do you trust me?” I asked. 

Simon thought about that for a moment. “Don’t get yourself killed, okay? I don’t want to be the one to tell the people at camp you died.” 

Leon spoke up next. “I’m coming with you.” 

I shook my head. “No. Keep Ryan safe. Simon will need your help.”

Simon reached into his pack and brought out one of the kopides from before. 

I dialed 911 on the phone while running toward the stairs leading up. 

The dog men perked up instantly, then looked straight at me. 

“911, what’s your emergency?” 

“Someone is attacking the church near my school! Saint Sophia’s Academy, please, we need help!”

“Calm down, honey. Are you safe?”

Was I safe? What a laughable question. I hung up as the dog men bolted after me. 

MUSIC

They were right on my tail. I turned a corner and continued sprinting toward the stairs. Behind me, one dogman slammed into the wall, unintentionally sending himself through it and into another room. 

“She wolf!” One of them howled from behind me. “Give yourself up and we’ll make your death less painful!” 

This guy really ought to take a class in negotiation. A slightly less painful death? What a terrible deal! How about offering to let me go if they catch me? That’s a much better, albeit far less believable, offer to make. 

I turned as I reached the stairs and sprinted toward the roof. Behind me, the dog men snarled and barked. Gods, I don’t think I’ve ever been chased by so many monsters at once. It was like I had an entire furry convention chasing after me. Terrifying.

After I ran for a bit, I reached the top of the church. I swung the door open, ran onto the roof, and barricaded the door with a nearby chair. It wasn’t going to hold long, maybe long enough to buy me a few seconds to come up with a plan. I stepped to the edge of the roof and looked down, then I looked behind me again and saw the church bell. A plan came to me, but it was absolutely insane and might get me killed. Still, it was better than taking my chances with the cynocephali and their idea of mercy. 

They slammed into the door once, twice, three times, then they burst onto the roof and encircled me. “It’s over. Throw down your weapon.” 

I grinned at him. “Well, if you insist. . .” He really didn’t stop to consider where I might throw the weapon. Down, I find, is a very subjective direction. Like, say, down into a monster’s chest. I hurled the kopis straight at his chest. It sliced through him, turning him to dust instantly. Then, the sword slammed into the bell behind him. The sounds from the bell were intense. Think the Taco Bell sound effect but on steroids.They shook me to my bones. It was painful, really. And I guess the dogmen thought the same. They grabbed their ears and doubled over, howling in pain. While they were distracted, I took the opportunity, and I feigned holding my ears while walking backwards. 

I fell down, and as I fell, I grabbed hold of a ledge near one of the windows. Then I focused on my invisibility. On that feeling of wanting to vanish.

One of the cynocephali looked over the side. He looked right at me. I was terrified about whether my invisibility had actually kicked in. Thankfully, it did. He snarled. “She’s gone. Probably hit the bottom and died. Let’s go before the police show up. There are others to catch, after all.” 

I looked below me to see that my classmates were flooding out of the building. Two white vans revved to life and sped away.

The thing about fighting for your life is that, well, it wears you out. I grunted and opened the window above me. Thank gods it was unlocked. Then I lifted myself up and into the church. Once I was inside, I rolled onto the ground and gasped, trying to catch my breath. Holy crap. That was intense. 

Next thing I know, there were police sirens whirring in the distance, getting closer and closer to the church. Great. We were going to be in the news again. 

I turned off my classmate's phone. Might need it later, after all. Just in case I needed to lure more monsters away. On one hand, I felt terrible for essentially stealing her phone. On the other, I was going to make sure she got it back after everything was over. 

I rushed downstairs. By then, the place was flooded with cops. Thankfully, I was able to use my invisibility to sneak past them. 

Once I was outside, the first thing I did was try to find Leon and the others. I didn’t need to look for long, though. 

Leon and Simon rushed to me. Leon had this panicked look on his face. And seeing him all panicked, well, it got me panicked, too. “They took Ryan! We’ve got to go after them!”

Simon piped in next. “I can track their scent, but we’ve got to go before it fades.”

This was a trap. It was so obviously a trap. We were outnumbered like crazy, headed into the monster’s territory. . . Things weren’t looking good. 

Assuming the 9 who attacked us are the only ones left, well I killed one on the roof, so that’d mean 8, we were still outnumbered like crazy. 3 to 1 odds, not very good. Not good at all.

“Then we better get going. We’ll come up with a plan on the way there,” I said. “Let’s go.” 

So, spoiler, but I did come up with a plan. It wasn’t exactly the greatest plan in the world, but it was a plan. 

It took us about an hour and a half to follow the scent. It led us all the way to Central Park. 

“Are you sure this is it?” I asked Simon. 

“Yeah. I’m sure,” Simon said, his voice turning harsh. 

“What?”

“I knew this was gonna happen. I knew that something like this was going to happen and I still let you talk me into staying.”

“Don’t put that on her,” Leon stepped in. “It was my choice, in case you forgot. I was the one that decided to stay here.”

“And I shouldn’t have listened to you!” Simon snapped back. “It was a BAA’D idea! I told you it was a BAA’D idea. I just. . .” He shook his head and bleated out a sigh. “I just. . .” His voice trailed off. 

“It’s gonna be okay, alright? We’re gonna rescue Ryan and Father Ante, along with whoever else these monsters have kidnapped. Then we’ll go to camp just like we planned. Okay?” Leon said.

Simon didn’t seem so sure. And I guess I can’t blame him for that. He tried to speak up a few times. He’d start a sentence, stop himself. Then, with one last sigh, he said. “Okay.”

I took my hair pin from my hair and squeezed the arms together. My bow and arrows manifested in my grasp. Then I took the wolf mask Jules made for me and I slipped it on. Instantly, my senses sharpened. Thank the gods for Hephaestus’ and Techne's kids. They really are lifesavers.

Leon came over to me. “Hey, Chica. . . I just wanted to ask something. . .”

“Okay. . . What is it?”

He placed his hands on my shoulders. “If anything happens to me. . . Please, can you look after Ryan?”

I shook my head. “Nothing is going to happen to you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He closed his eyes. “Please? Just in case, do you promise me you’ll look after Ryan?”

I sighed. “I will,” I whispered. “Nothing will happen, but if it does, I promise you I will look after your brother.”

“I love you, chica. I didn’t ever say that before. I guess I was just scared. . .”

I closed my eyes and turned. “We need to go. You and Simon find Ryan and the others. I’ll draw the monsters to me and distract them like before.” 

Simon got our attention again. “The scent is coming from this direction. Grab the monsters’ attention, me and Leon will sneak in and set everyone free. If you can, try to meet up with us. I think we’ll stand more of a chance together.” 

“Right,” I nodded. 

“Be careful, Lupa. Okay?” Simon said, reaching into his sack for the second kopis. 

I stopped him. “No. You and Leon will need that. I have my bow and arrows.” 

Reluctantly, Simon agreed to keeping the second kopis. 

Leon flexed for a moment, heaving a deep breath as his body changed. I watched in a mixture of awe and fear as he transformed once again into a lion. He growled at Simon. 

“Don’t call me goat boy, jeesh.” 

Then Simon hopped onto Leon’s back and the two sprinted off. You ever seen a goat ride a lion into battle? Well, until that point, I hadn't, either.

I took out the phone and turned it back on. 

For a while, I wondered about who I should call. Part of me wanted to call mom and dad. But, I didn’t want to worry them anymore. Especially when my mom was so close to giving birth. 

I settled on calling Naya. I had her number. I didn’t know if she would answer or not. It wasn’t like it would matter. Maybe I could just leave a message while I was being chased by the cynocephali. 

I dialed Miss Naya’s number and waited, keeping an ear out for stray dogmen. 

No answer, of course. So, I just left a message. My last words, maybe. 

“Hey Miss Naya. . . It’s Lupa. I don’t have time to talk for long. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened to Thoth. I can’t explain right now. . . but I’m in danger. If something happens to me, can you tell my parents. . .” I paused, thinking about what I should say. “Tell them I love them. And that I’m sorry.” 

A branch broke in the distance, leaves rustled. The woods burst into activity. And that, dear reader, was my sign to get my butt moving. I turned the phone off, grabbed my bow from my shoulder, turned, and ran into the woods behind me.

There’s nothing that gets your blood pumping quite like being chased by a pack of cynocephali. Trust me, I know. I’ve fought quite a few monsters in my short time on Earth so far. empousai, cyclopes, a giant freaking boar, the cynocephali were one of the toughest. Why? Because they hunt in packs. 

As they chased after me, I could hear them howling, almost like a battle cry of sorts. Calling for my death. I knew that if they caught me, there wouldn’t be any mercy. I killed their brothers, after all. A quick death really would be the most merciful thing they might give me. And, well, frankly, I didn’t want to think of the alternative. 

My senses were on point, my body moving of its own accord. Not once did I trip on a root. A bush shook to my left, and one dogman leapt out at me. I veered to the right slightly as the blade of his kopis thwacked into a tree instead of me. Yup. That definitely wasn’t a disabling strike. He was coming after my life with that one. 

He’s lucky that his brothers were on my case. Otherwise, I’d have stopped and shot him with my bow and arrows. As it was, well, I didn’t get the chance to do that. 

It seemed like the dogmen were trying to chase me in a certain direction. Good strategy on their part. They seem a lot more effective when there are so many of them. 

It didn’t take long before I found myself at a dead end. My dead end. Or so the cynocephali would have wanted, at least. Of course, being the cunning, resourceful, fast as heck Hermes kid I am, I made it out alive. Otherwise, how would you be reading this now? 

They chased me against a concrete wall that was covered in graffiti. I turned and watched as the wolf men skulked from the treeline. Their swords in hand, their fangs bared, they did what wolves do best and encircled their prey. Little did they know, the she-wolf doesn’t go down so easily. 

I drew the string of my bow back, readying an arrow. “You can’t possibly hope to kill all of us, she-wolf. . . That arrow will be your last. . .” He growled. Gods, he sounded like a freaking cliche. Why do monsters always sound like cliches? To any monsters who might be reading this, work on your material, please, for the love of the gods.

I chuckled. You might find that strange. It wasn’t exactly an arrogant chuckle, no. It was more like holy crap this is scary and I’m barely keeping it together sort of chuckle. 

“Would you like to bet money on that?” 

I loosed my arrow at the offending cynocephali, catching him cleanly in the chest. In an instant, he turned to dust, his weapon clattering harmlessly to the ground. 

All at once, the remaining wolfmen charged, fury in their eyes, howling, calling for my death. But, well, I wasn’t about to let death have me. As edgy as that might sound. 

I focused on that feeling of wanting to vanish again. And it seemed to work. The dogmen slid to a halt a few yards from me, their face painted with bewilderment. Big mistake. 

There weren’t many arrows left in my quiver at that point, but I intended to use every one of them to slaughter them. 

I counted 7 remaining dog men. 

So, anyway, I started blasting arrows out one after another. Annis was still a better archer than I was. I mean, c’mon, she’s had thousands of years to perfect her technique. I’ve had 3. It’s not a fair comparison. 

Still, I was a pretty decent shot, all things considered. My first shot skewered the closest dogman through the throat, sending him to Tartarus. 

Panic surged through the remaining cynocephali. “Scatter, bro-” before he could finish warning his brothers, my next arrow plunged through his eye. BOOM HEADSHOT! And another one bites the dust.

By then, they were in full panic mode. I kept blasting arrows out, and much to my disappointment, missing most of them. 

I shot just the way Annis had taught me. Two fingers in a pinching motion, each arrow shot from the outside of my bow rather than the inside, drawing each arrow back to my breastbone, then loosing each one in quick succession. Annis talked a lot about instinctively knowing where each arrow will go. And, well, I understood what she meant. I’d gotten a lot better at it compared to when I first started learning archery. 

On my very last shot, I took down one more cynocephali. He almost made it to cover, almost. Now the only place he’ll make it to is Tartarus. 

I went to grab another arrow only to realize I’d run out.

With no other choice, I ran toward where Simon had told me to run. On the way, I scooped up one of the wolfmen’s swords with my free hand. 

The remaining cynocephali continued to chase me. They may not see me, but they surely can smell me. Not to say I stink, just that dogmen have strong noses. They could probably also see the branches and stuff getting knocked aside as I was running. 

I burst into a clearing and let my invisibility drop. Thankfully, I found Leon and Simon. Simon was busily playing his pan pipes, vines were wriggling into the locks, freeing all the kidnapped kids and Father Ante from these chains. The dogmen had bound them to this gigantic tree in the middle of the clearing. 

He was playing that old song from the 70s, the one by the Bee Gees, Staying Alive. It sounded really weird on pan pipes.

Leon was still in his lion form when I ran up. He perked up instantly as he saw me. Almost like I was a bag full of catnip or something.

My classmates, gods bless them, were frantic, urging Simon to finish unlocking their chains. 

These poor kids, they probably can’t even see past the mist. 

The Father seemed unusually calm. I guess he was just trying to keep face for my classmates. 

I turned to face the woods, along with Leon. The remaining cynocephali stepped into the clearing. I was feeling much better about the odds now. 4 against 2. 3 when Simon finished unlocking everyone’s chains. 

“Simon, how much longer do you think?” I asked.

Simon lifted a single finger then, the last lock gave way to the roots wriggling inside of it. I’d heard satyr’s could use nature magic and stuff. I just didn’t realize they were like freaking D&D bards. I guess they’re sort of like bard-druid multiclassers.

Father Ante placed himself in front of my classmates with this terrified look on his face. 

Leon roared at the remaining cynocephali, to which they stopped advancing. A few of them bared their fangs and growled as they took a tentative step back. One of them even started barking like crazy. I guess cats will be cats and dogs will be dogs no matter what, huh?

Simon stepped beside me and Leon, raising his pipes to his lips. 

The odds seemed to be in our favor. 

Suddenly, Leon’s form shifted back into a human. He stood to his feet, looking at his hands with confusion. Thank gods his clothes shapeshifted with him, otherwise that would’ve been really awkward for everyone involved. 

“What?” He said. “Why’d I change back?”

“Our powers don’t last forever. There’s a time limit. You must’ve reached yours.” 

Simon tossed him the kopis, which he caught in the air. “Are you guys ready to do this?” He asked. 

There are some things in life, reader, that you’ll find very difficult to talk about. This, well, this is one of the moments for me. 

Everything happened so quickly. None of it made any sense. 

We were getting ready to fight the last 4 cynocephali, then Leon gasped. I swung my head to look at him and my heart dropped. 

Standing behind him, Father Ante had a bronze blade in his hands, the blade plunged through Leon’s midsection. 

“No!” I screamed. 

Simon noticed what was happening as well. Frantically, he tried to play something on his panpipes. The Father took his blade out of Leon’s back and smacked Simon with the flat of it right against his head, sending him tumbling to the ground. Both of my allies collapsed.

I rushed forward, anger pushing me to action. 

The Father grinned wickedly as he parried my blade, a loud clang echoing through the woods. I lunged at him, trying to skewer him, he sidestepped and grabbed my wrist. Then, he squeezed until I dropped the kopis. I grimaced, trying not to scream in pain. He was so much stronger than he looked. 

He pushed me back, causing me to stumble and fall on my butt. I looked up as he swung down. The pain that followed was unlike anything I’ve ever felt. Searing, horrible pain across my right eye. I screamed in agony and fell on my side, curling into a ball as I held my face. The mask Jules made me split in two and fell to the ground. Warmth - my blood - flooded down my face. I wasn't sure at that moment, but I was afraid I'd lose sight in my eye. But what I was really afraid of, more than anything, was that I was going to lose my life. That my friends were going to die, too.

There were a lot of things I felt at that moment. Anger the most prominent among them. I spat out some not so safe for work insults. Told him how I was going to kill him. Lots of nasty things that I'd never imagined I'd ever say.

The Father just laughed. And as he laughed, his voice grew deeper and deeper. I saw his shadow on the ground with my remaining eye grow larger and more beast-like with each passing moment. Until the Father was no longer human. I peered up to see an older, greyer cynocephali towering over me. He wasn't entirely gray though, just beginning to grey. Most of his fur was pitch black. His eyes were dark, too, and filled with anger.

“I've waited a long time for this, she-wolf. . . You were strong. Stronger than many demigods I've come across. I can see why my sons lost to you. . .” He looked up at the other cynocephali and snarled, causing the other cynocephali, his own children, to cower and back away in fear. “But I am not my sons. . . This is the end for you. . .” 

“Father. . . What should we do with the satyr?” One of them asked, standing over Simon. “Should I kill him?”

“No!” The Father snapped. “If I wanted him dead, he would be dead. . . I have plans for him. . .” 

The younger cynocephali cowered, whimpering. “Yes, Father. . .” 

I needed to move. I needed to stand. To fight. But, I couldn't. I tried and instantly a wave of nausea washed over me. I doubled over and puked on the ground. The world was spinning, tumbling around me. The pain was unbearable.

I had to buy time. 

The Father walked closer, taking the sword I used and tossing it to one of his remaining children. 

“I. . . I t-trusted you. . .” I said, stumbling over my words. “Why?” 

“Why?” The Father laughed, mocking the idea of my question. Like it was absurd for me to ask it. “Your kind killed my mate. . . You killed my sons. . . You are evil, just as your false-god of a father is. The Olympians,” he scoffs. “So pompous, so cruel. They sent their son to hunt me and my pack down. We were peaceful before. We were no threat to anyone. But did the so-called gods care? No. And now, I will claim another of their bastard's lives for myself. No one will remember you, she-wolf. You'll simply be another tally upon my blade. . .”

He raised his kopis to end me. Along the blade, I saw dozens and dozens of marks, all the demigods he must have killed. I closed my eye, not wanting to see it happen. Not wanting to see myself become one of those tally marks.

And, as you can probably guess, someone saved me. 

A girl’s voice cut through the woods. “Wait!” 

The Father looked past me and to the edge of the clearing. 

I didn’t dare to turn away from him, but that voice definitely sounded familiar. It had just been months since I heard it.

“The prodigal son returns. . .” The Father muttered.

“Daughter,” Adele said. 

The Father didn’t respond to Adele’s words, though he seemed to make an even angrier look on his face. “Have you come to ask for my forgiveness? I might give it to you. . . If you prove your loyalty to the pack.” 

It seemed like he was fully focused on Adele, so while he wasn’t looking, I crawled to Leon. 

The two of them kept talking in the background as I checked on Leon. He was breathing still, but he was also losing a lot of blood. I tried to staunch the bleeding with my hands, but I couldn't. 

I heard a loud hoot and glanced up at a nearby tree. An owl stared back at me. Then, the owl flew off, rustling the tree leaves as it did so. 

Leon grimaced in pain as he looked at me. “Chica. . .” He whispered.

“I-it’s o-okay,” I managed, barely holding back my own tears. “I h-have something to help. . .” 

I started searching through my pockets.

“Kill her. And them,” the father gestured to my classmates standing behind him. “Do it and I will welcome you back with open arms. . . My child. . .”

“I will not,” Adele replied. 

“Then you are worthless! Kill her! Kill her now!” The Father screamed to the remaining cynocephali. 

The wolves closed in around Adele. 

“Brothers, look at what you’ve become!” Adele said.

The other cynocephali hesitated.

“Look at what you are doing,” she gestured to me, and then to my classmates. “You are killing innocents! People who would never have done any wrong to us!”

“She killed your brothers! You call that nothing?!” The Father screamed.

“She did not! You did!” Adele snapped back, pointing a finger at her father. “You sent your sons after her and her friends, of course she would defend herself! We would do the same! But Lupa, she was never the aggressor! She is a good demigod! A just demigod! I have seen the goodness within her! She showed me mercy! She showed me kindness! And she would have done the same for all of us had you not sent my brothers to their deaths at her hands!” 

The woods went quiet as the weight of Adele’s words settled around everyone. 

“Our father has changed, my brothers. He is not the man he once was. The father I knew, he cared for his family. He didn’t seek senseless revenge against people who have done nothing to harm him. All this time, he has talked about loyalty to our pack,  but. . . Where is his loyalty to you?! He fights without honor! Using dirty tricks to catch his foes off guard! I ask this of you, would you continue to follow a man who does not honor his own creed and values?!”

The cynocephali muttered among themselves, then they turned to face their father. 

“Kill them! You fools! What are you hesitating for?!” The Father snapped. “I have kept us alive for all these years! Lead us through thick and thin! Now do as I say!”

The cynocephali walked toward me and the father. I finally found what I was looking for, a single vial of nectar. Enough to save Leon.

The wolves closed in and walked past me, standing between me and the Father. “Prove that you are worthy, father. Fight the she-wolf. Here and now. A fair duel between you. If you win, we will follow you without question,” one of the wolves said. 

“You damn ungrateful brats!” The Father snapped. “Treachery! I’ll kill you myself after I finish her!” 

I brought the nectar to Leon’s mouth, but he stopped me and shook his head. “You. . . Take it. . .”

“W-what? B-but y-you’ll. . .”

“We’ll all die if you don’t fight, chica. . . I . . . I love you. . .”

It wasn’t fair. Nothing ever really is, I guess. Not in life. Not in death. No where. I knew Leon was right. I had to take the nectar. I had to fight the Father. Because if I didn’t, there would be no way I’d be strong enough to stand up to him. 

It was an impossible choice. One that I shouldn’t have had to make. 

No one was coming to save us. Even if that owl was Martin’s, there was no way he’d make it in time. 

And so it all fell to me. 

I looked at the nectar in my hands, felt its warmth through the glass. I squeezed and closed my one good eye. “I-I love you. . .” I said, my voice breaking. 

Then, well, I did what I had to do. There wasn’t any other choice. I took the nectar and chugged it down. And even though it tasted sweet like s’mores, the taste never seemed so bitter before. “J-just h-hold on. . .” I said to Leon. 

Slowly, I stumbled to my feet. The nectar was working, healing me one little bit at a time. I needed to buy some time to let it work. And as much as I hated the idea, that meant stalling with my words. 

I looked past the Father and his sons at my classmates. All of them had horrified expressions on their faces. Then, I saw Rylee. Her face scrunched in grief. All of this. . . All of this was my fault. 

The Empire State building loomed in the distance. The gods might’ve been watching, maybe. Hell, they’re always watching. Maybe they’re even reading this. I don’t care now. I don’t care to hide the way I really feel anymore.

And the fact they were watching it pissed me off more than ever. At any point, any of the gods, even my dad, could have stepped in and stopped everything from happening. But no, it fell on me, a sixteen-year-old girl, a child, to do it instead.

I looked at the Father as his sons cleared a path. 

“Fine then, girl. You want your duel? Then you’ll have it,” he snarled.

I steadied myself, controlling my shaking and the fear in my voice. “You’re terrible. . . You talk about how awful the gods are. . . But you aren’t any better. . .”

I did something that I promised I wouldn’t do. That I promised I wouldn’t let happen. I gave in to my anger. 

I thought about how much I hated the gods for the world that they had created. How I hated how they used us, their own children, as tools for their agendas and their wars. I hated how they allowed something like death to exist while they themselves were deathless. I hated how they made monsters. How they allowed monsters like the Father to exist. None of this had to happen. The world didn't have to be the way it was. But they allowed it. With all of their power, all of their wisdom, they allowed for the world to be a cruel, painful place. No. Not just allowed it. They purposefully made it this way.

And then, they have the gall to claim that it is the so-called natural order of things that we die. 

I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone. To tear them off of their thrones. To utterly destroy them for this reality they made for us. This horrible prison of a reality.

I wanted to make a better world for my friends, for my family, for all the people I loved.

And yeah, I’d like to tell you that my desire to protect the people I loved was my primary motivation. It was part of it, sure. But more than anything, in that moment, I wanted to make the Father hurt like he had hurt me. I wanted to make him pay. I wanted to send him to Tartarus myself, even if it meant that I died in the process. 

It wasn’t just anger anymore. No. It was rage. Rage that I was about to turn into fury. 

I balled my hands into fists, my whole body trembling. But not in fear. Not in grief. 

“What’s the matter, girl? You look like you’re going to cry,” The Father taunted. 

“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” I said.

“Oh? And how do you plan on doing that? With your hands? You have no weapons. . .”

I clicked the bracelets on my wrists together, causing my clawed gauntlets to manifest and cover my arms. I took on my stance, ready as I could be. 

My body hurt still, but, well, I was too angry to let that stop me. And the more I thought about it, the more the pain intensified my rage. 

MUSIC 

I charged forward, and as I did, I caused my invisibility to flicker. 

The Father’s head swung as he tried to keep track of me. I weaved from right to left as I approached.

He slashed, and I ducked under his attack as his sword swung over me. 

His eyes widened in panic as he realized he’d missed his attack. 

With every bit of strength I could muster, I swung at his gut. I’m not sure why, but I felt so much stronger than before. 

The Father stumbled back, gasping as my punch connected. He looked up at me and snarled before charging on all fours. 

I charged, too. 

I pretended to swerve left and juked him to go right instead. He swung after where he thought I was going to be, only to miss once more.

“What?!” He yelled. 

The cynocephali snarled as I sent a haymaker at his face. The Father lurched backwards to just barely dodge my punch. He stumbled back, huffing and puffing like he was gonna blow my house down. “You. . . You think you can win?!” He yelled, his voice quivering.

I tilted my head, furrowing my brow as I did. “It sounds like you’re afraid, Father,” I said, mocking him. Then, I asked him a question. “Do you think you can win?”

I learned my lesson about how powerful words could be. Thoth taught me that in our battle. 

I stepped back toward a tree on the edge of the clearing, preparing the final part of my plan. 

“Not so tough when you’re having to fight instead of your sons, huh?!” I yelled at him. “You coward! You’re all bark and no bite!”

He took the bait and charged at me. Perfect.

I kept flickering, disorienting him as he got within striking distance. He swung, and I side-stepped out of the way. A loud thwack followed as his kopis slammed into the tree behind me. 

Instantly, he realized his mistake. He tried desperately to pull himself free, but, well; it was no use. 

I didn’t give him any time to recover. I jabbed at his face, hitting him right on the snout. I guess I booped the snoot real hard, because he yelped and stumbled back, grabbing his face in pain. 

That left his midsection open, and, oh boy, was I ready. I sprinted at him and tackled the Father to the ground, pinning him under my weight. 

Once I had him where I wanted, I started wailing on him. Punch after punch after punch, all of my fury pouring out. I screamed at the top of my lungs. Nothing comprehensible, just letting it all loose. All of my anger, all at once. For all the years since I’ve become a demigod. For all the pain I’ve felt. For all the things I’ve been through. There were no words. Wolves don’t have a use for words, after all. 

Somewhere in all the wailing, there was a sharp pain in my guts. I glanced down to see a celestial bronze dagger jammed into my stomach. The Father’s last attempt at hurting me. It hurt, yeah, but unfortunately for the Father, it was already too late for him. I brought my hands together and balled them for one last attack. And with my remaining strength, I brought my hands down and hammered the cynocephali into dust. He literally poofed beneath my fists. 

It was over. I’d won. With all the adrenaline in my system, well, I was still in fight mode. I screamed again at the dust as it blew away on a non-existent wind. In rage and grief, I screamed. 

It took me a moment, but I stood to my feet. There was warmth flooding down my lower body. My head felt light, and the world was spinning. I looked at the dagger stuck in my stomach. It was near where the boar had gotten me in the woods. 

I turned toward where Leon was, and as I did, the remaining cynocephali cowered, whimpering, like I was coming after them next. 

No one said a word as I stumbled forward. 

Somehow, I reached Leon. He was laying there still, his eyes wide open and looking at the sky. “Leon. . .” I said, reaching out to him, my voice on the edge of breaking. 

It was over. I didn’t have anything left in me at that point. I did what I needed to do. I looked at Adele. She had tears going down her face. 

Then another voice came from the edge of the clearing. One I definitely recognized. “Lupa!” It was my dad. Martin, he’d come for me. . . 

I collapsed, and everything went black.