AURORA LET OUT A LOUD YAWN.

It silenced halfway as Chiron sent her a stern look. It wasn't her fault. He woke her up at six in the morning — which was way too early for her — and summoned her to his office. He'd been explaining something (Aurora thought he was just rambling) for about twenty minutes now.

"Aurora, have you been listening to what I've been telling you?" he asked her, an exasperated edge to his tone.

Aurora nodded, still in a sleepy state. She mumbled incoherently, "New demigod... School... Talk... Funny... I'm hungry."

Chiron let out a deep sigh. He turned around — Aurora was conscious enough to step away and save herself from his swishing tail — and pulled something out of the mini-fridge. He passed the can of Red Bull to Aurora, who shrugged to herself, and cracked it open.

"Now, you shouldn't be drinking that—"

"—Riley does—"

"—but I need you awake for this," Chiron finished. He waited a few moments as the Red Bull kicked in, and Aurora stood up straighter, awake. 

"So, Ron-Ron," Aurora asked, now back to her chirpy self, "What's up? Why does the great hero trainer need me to show up at six in the morning in his office?"

Chiron pressed his lips into a thin line. He wasn't sure which Aurora he preferred more. The sleepy one or the chirpy one.

"Aurora, I need you to go on a scouting mission—"

"—I thought satyrs do that," she cut in. "And, uh, last I checked, I don't have goat legs."

Chiron pinched the bridge of his nose as he prayed to the Gods for help. "If you let me finish, perhaps your questions will be answered."

"Right, right. Carry on Ronny."

"The satyrs are spread all around the country, some even in Canada and Mexico. But we're on a shortage. So," Chiron sent Aurora a meaningful look towards Aurora, "we're sending some older and more trained campers to schools in New York City."

"That still doesn't explain why — Oh!" Aurora suddenly gasped. "Older campers, experienced... you mean me?"

Chiron nodded. "You are the obvious choice from Aphrodite."

"Why?"

"Because you are one of the most skilled Aphrodite campers," Chiron told her. He knew the Aphrodite Cabin had self-esteem issues from time to time, but he needed Aurora at the top of her game for this mission. "Your combat skills, your manipulation powers, they're much stronger than the other campers. I know you will do well, child."

Aurora looked up at him. This was the first time she was leaving Camp. Sure, she left for Riley's birthday, or going to the movies occasionally, but she was back within a day, two or three maximum. This would probably take a month, most likely longer. 

Aurora didn't have the best memories outside of Camp, and she wasn't excited to leave. But maybe, the demigod at the school didn't either. She didn't want to be the reason they were stuck there any longer than they should. With her insides feeling like mush, she looked up at Chiron and gave him her most confident smile.

"When do I leave?"

REY WRITES !

welcome to aurora's story!!

i have so many ideas for this!! i was about to put this in my plot shop, but i had an certain image for how i wanted this story to go, so i kept it.