Anchises

Chapter Four: The Dreamwalker

Song: Featherstone, The Paper Kites

“So, you are telling me that the King God decided to punish your dad by making him mortal? Because of the Prophecy of the Seven?”

Will, once again, sighed. It had been a few days since Apollo’s -- Lester’s -- sudden arrival to camp with Meg, daughter of Demeter. Nobody knew how to proceed, and all Draco really knew was that Percy had helped Apollo Lester and Meg get to camp.

Also, ApoLester was Meg’s servant because she saved him when they first met.

“Yeah, Dad is staying with us in our Cabin until he is a god again.”

“He… he will be a god again, right?” Lou whispered.

The tension in the room grew. Nobody, except people long dead, knew what would happen should a god be away from their domain for too long. The god Pan came to Draco’s mind, but his disappearance, discovery, and fading, all happened long before he himself even knew he was a demigod. Still, the consequences the natural world dealt with are still in effect, but the way it happened was different. From his understanding, Lord Pan left because his domain was too damaged for him to remain.

Nico frowned, “He has to be. The original Lord of the Sun…” he never finished the sentence, but he didn’t need to.

Draco did not want to think about what would happen if ApoLester remained a mortal long enough for his domains to be affected. Or worse, died before he could even regain his godhood. As far as he knew, Helios either faded long ago or was somewhere, hiding where no one could find him. Either way, there was no possible replacement for Lester. Draco wondered who was currently moving the Sun Chariot or if there was some kind of self-driving mechanism in the all-powerful, shapeshift vehicle.

After everything, Draco thought he would have been ready for the unexpected, but sometimes he needed a reminder that no matter what he prepared himself for, The Gray Sisters would always have a surprise up their sleeves. The silver lining at least was that if he didn’t want to be involved, he actually had the ability to back away.

Not that he would, but at least he had the choice. That was something.

He knew he was not the only one worried. Too many things were going wrong or not working properly, and every camper who had been involved in the wars (whether it was both or just one), and even the ones who had not been, were worried that something big was going to go down. Something bigger than what happened a few days ago.

There were whispers of maybe another war. Of trying to quicken the repairs of whatever was left, or to up the training of everyone. Whatever needed to be done to prevent more deaths.

Draco knew that some campers were even considering disappearing to the mortal world until an all clear was sent out. But none of this was said louder than a murmur, everyone was too afraid that if it was said louder, it would make it more real.

That it would make it come true.

Is the world coming to an end again?

He stood up, absentmindedly brushing his jeans. He already saw the grass stains, but these weren’t his good jeans. They were the designated ones for activities that did not require too grueling physical work. Draco turned to look at his friends who all remained on their spot on the ground, Lou was laying down arms stretched out while Will had laid his head on Nico’s lab and hadn’t moved since.

“Come one guys, it is a beautiful sunny day! Let’s have fun!” He grinned, already grabbing Lou and pulling her up.

Nico raised an eyebrow, “Apollo is a mortal named Lester, and you want to enjoy the sunny day?”

“Maybe, but we are also demigods. This might be pretty close to normal now.”

Will laughed, and Nico visibly relaxed and Draco also felt the relief. Ever since Lester came along, the Apollo kids (the Lester kids?) were more tense and harder to make laugh and smile, an action that came second nature to all of them. Lou grinned and began pulling Will up, both acting up as if it were the most difficult task and Will’s laughter became contagious.

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco swore he saw a familiar figure. One that he has been seeing at random with no pattern or motive. He once thought he was hallucinating, that maybe the fumes from the multiple hair sprays and perfumes finally affected him.

Until he met Clovis and his sibling.

Draco had been going to the archery range with Mitchell when the three children of Sleep approached them. Clovis at the front, looking as tired as ever, but Draco was fully aware of just how fast and precise the other could be in a fight when needed. A formidable ally and a dangerous opponent who did not look like it. But Draco had come to learn that no matter how weak or defenseless a demigod looks to be, it is always a lie.

He wondered what he seemed like at first glance.

“Draco, hi…” Clovis had yawned, rubbing an eye. “Elena… Elena said she saw something near… you.”

Draco remembered sharing a look with his brother just as Elena approached, a girl much shorter than most, but just like her older brother, she could put up a fight. At least, she did not look like she would fall asleep at any moment, that trait seemed to only be Clovis. Even their third sibling, Hoang, looked awake most of the time, but Elena always seemed to have energy.

“Um.” She had begun, wringing her hands together until Hoang handed her a small fidget cube. “Thanks. Uh, you know how my siblings and I can travel to other people’s dreams?” Draco nodded, giving her a small smile. “Well, typically, we can also sense when other people are dreamwalking to other people’s dreams, especially other demigods from Camp Half-Blood.”

“Has… has someone been traveling to my dreams?”

Panic had seized him in a second, the very idea of someone entering his dreams and him not knowing… the thought of who it could be… Draco could only remember Mother’s stories about Voldemort’s unmatched ability with mind based magics. The panic and fear must have been clear on his face because Mitchell pulled him close, and Elena rapidly continued on.

“Yes but no! See, unlike my brothers, I can see dreamwalkers even when I am awake. Yours, the person who is visiting you, he only does when you are awake from what I can tell. And it is not malicious. Not with the way he looks at you.”

He? Lord Voldemort was a man, maybe, but he definitely wanted to hurt Draco. His friends wouldn’t be able to dreamwalk, much less to a demigod whose mind was already protected from birth. But there was one person…

“Elena, what does he look like?”

She blinked, snapping her mouth shut from her continued rambling. “Uh. Black hair, super messy, you guys would hate it. Uh… glasses and very intense--”

“Green eyes?”

“Yeah. You know him?”

Draco sighed before laughing. Of course, Harry would figure out a way to find him despite Draco’s warning. Of course he would.

“I know him. That’s Harry… a friend. But he is mortal, a magical one, but mortal. How…?”

In the end, none of the siblings could answer. But at least Draco now knew that he was not going crazy, it was just Harry somehow traveling through his sleep to see him. Mitchell and the rest of his siblings had teased him endlessly once his brother told them.

Somehow, Harry was watching over him. Draco was sure the other could not interact, but crazier things have happened.

So, when Draco saw him out of the corner of his eye while his friends were laughing and play-fighting on the grass, he sent him a smile and a wave. He was not sure if Harry reacted or not, Draco could never tell because the one time he tried to turn to Harry, he vanished entirely and did not return until the next time he dreamwalked.

“Well, Draco. What are you thinking?”

He grinned, doing his best to ignore the watchful gaze of Harry. “I say…” He rushed forward, laughing at the disgruntled yells of his friends, “race you to the Will’s Cabin!” Behind him, there was the sound of feet hitting the ground, all trying to catch up to him. He knew it was not a race he was going to win, the others had longer practice running with the nymphs and threats, but he would try not to be last.

Draco knew that not everything was ok just yet. Apollo was a mortal, which brought its own issues, Rachel still could not connect with the Oracle, an issue that was probably connected to Apollo’s new mortal status, and Harry was somehow dreamwalking despite being mortal. Mother and him were still not talking, he was not ready, and it seemed she finally understood that from the lack of calls and owls. There was a possibility of another war or at least a big battle.

But until then, he was going to enjoy every moment he could. If there was one thing he learned as a demigod, apart from fighting, it was to enjoy every moment as if it were your last. Because it very well could be.

And with Harry watching, Draco wanted to make sure that every moment he saw was a good one.