𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓷𝓮 // Clarisse La Rue

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷

Summer arrived without the usual excitement. The tree was getting worse by the hour and the monsters were more frequent. The infirmary was always full and Florence had gotten a brand new tiny scar just below her collarbone.

After a particularly rough night at the infirmary, Florence was called to Chiron's office, her hair was quite messy but she had to thank her mother because if she were a regular demigod her skin would be suffering from the lack of sleep. But it was only a bit duller and less radiant than usual instead of the deep violet under most campers' eyes.

"My child," Chiron said, his tone grim. "Sit, please."

She obliged. "What's going on?"

"The gods think they have finally found their culprit."

There was a long pause and Florence held her breath.

"Me." Chiron finally said.

Florence felt as if the ground was giving out from under her.

"What? That's insane! You'd never do anything to harm camp!" She exclaimed.

"I know, my child. But you must face this with grace, I will be removed from my position and a replacement will be found."

"No, no, no..." She got up from her seat.

"Now, Florence. I called you here to ask you a favor. I don't know whether or not my replacement will be the most..." He seemed unable to find the right word. "competent. As the most senior camper currently at camp, I wanted to ask you if you would do to your capacity what you think is best for camp, that would give me more peace of mind."

"Of course, I'll do everything I can." She nods

"Thank you, Florence." he says and she throws an arm around him.

"You know Chiron, you've been like a father to me these past, gods, almost seven years." There are tears in the corner of her eyes and Chiron just hugs her tighter in response.

"Oh, my child..." Is all he says.

꒰🕊꒱

On Chiron's last day Florence suppressed her anxiety, put on her armor, grabbed her dagger and headed out with the border patrol. This shift was usually pretty calm, monsters tended to attack later in the afternoon, around dusk, or in the middle of the night.

But today she didn't have that much luck because halfway through the patrol they encountered two bulls. But of course they weren't regular bulls, they were the size of an elephant and made entirely of bronze and built by Hephaestus himself. If that wasn't awful enough Florence was very brutally reminded of the fact the Colchis bulls breathed fire.

"Oh fuck!" She breathed before charging.

It wasn't a pretty scene. These bulls were stronger than any of the monsters that had attacked the borders lately, and that was saying something. Their bulls had scattered them around and everyone was doing their best but it wasn't good enough, she could see a few campers were already severely burnt and in complete panic. She was trying to hold off a bull, miraculously unscathed as the grass around her began to catch fire.

"Border Patrol to me!" Clarisse ordered and Florence followed, but she was perhaps the only one. The bulls had scattered the campers. Oliver, son of Demeter, waved his arms and ran in circles, the horse plume on his helmet blazing like a fiery Mohawk.

Florence and Clarisse's own armors were both charred and scorched. Florence's dagger wasn't very effective and Clarisse was fighting with a broken spear shaft, the other end embedded uselessly in the metal joint of one metal bull's shoulder.