Legend Of Perseus: The Missing Bolt

~Chapter 11~

That night at Camp Half-Blood, there was an unusual level of excitement in the air. It was Friday and that meant only one thing. Capture the Flag.

After dinner, the conch horn sounded, and we all gathered in the pavilion. Campers cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings entered, carrying Athena's banner. It was an impressive sight, a ten-foot-long gray banner adorned with a painting of a barn owl perched above an olive tree.

On the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her companions arrived with an equally sized but far less subtle banner. Theirs was a gaudy red, featuring a bloody spear and a boar's head, proudly representing Ares's cabin.

Luke gave me a sly look, as if he knew something I didn't. The scar on his face caught the torchlight, making him look almost sinister. "We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And you are going to help."

The teams were announced, and it became evident that Athena had formed alliances with Apollo and Hermes, the two most prominent cabins. Privileges had been traded, including shower times, chore schedules, and prime activity slots, to secure their support.

On the other side, Ares had gathered allies from all the remaining cabins: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. Each cabin had its own strengths, but they had united under the banner of Ares.

Chiron, our beloved centaur trainer, hammered his hoof on the marble floor for attention. "Heroes!" he called out. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line, and the entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, with no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed but not bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

With a wave of his hand, the tables were suddenly covered in equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, and oxhide shields coated in metal.

I worked on getting strapped up with equipment I needed as Luke gave me a rundown of the game. "You will be at the border patrol."

"You want me at Border patrol?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "Why exactly?" Luke ignored me and went to help out the rest of the Hermes cabin, I sighed and looked over my stuff.

My shield resembled a spartan shield, with Hermes emblem in the center. It felt quite balanced. My helmet, like those of Athena's side, had a blue horsehair plume on top, while Ares and their allies sported red plumes. I my Adamantine Sword, that I learned was named, Gram, was strapped to my side. Riptide in my pocket.

Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!"

Our cheers resonated through the camp as we shook our weapons and followed Annabeth down the path leading to the south woods. The red team, our opponents, jeered and taunted us as they headed off toward the north.

I managed to catch up with Annabeth after a while. "Hey."

She kept marching, her determination unwavering.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

Her hand drifted toward her pocket, momentarily wary, but then relaxed. "Just watch Clarisse's spear," she said. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?"

"Border patrol, sadly."

"Look, just stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."

With that, she pushed ahead, leaving me in the dust.

"Great, what a lovely talk." I mumbled to myself