𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 , pjo

♛ Ordinary World

"Run! We can make it!" A shrill voice screamed out, fear laced in their choppy words. A Japanese girl, fifteen years of age, whipped around, her black hair stinging her cold and rosy cheeks. "Lin, catch!"

Lin Kogane's eyes widened in disbelief as a shredded piece of fabric soared through the air, the most important piece of fabric in the world. Lin dropped her sword as if it had suddenly started scalding her pale skin, and reached out to the flailing cloth. But someone else got to it first.

"Romá!" Lin whined with a deep irritation as her close friend pushed her out of the way, wrapping her own fingers around the deep blue flag. Lin hit the ground with an audible 'oof,' her knee cracking from the pressure as Romá Rodriguez shot her a sly smirk.

"Maybe next time," the Latina chuckled as a horde of other children swarmed around her.

This happened every time they played Capture the Flag, and the judge, Chiron, could do nothing about it. Romá had mastered the game before Lin could ever remember, due to her quick hands and the training she had received. Not only that, but being best friends with the person you hoped to defeat the most didn't work well, for they knew all of your weaknesses. Lin's happened to be her knee, injured only a few weeks prior in an intense and scarring battle for the world and everything beyond.

Lin could only imagine being a child of Hermes had its perks. Romá's father was the god of luck and thieves among a multitude of other useful things, making a simple game of Capture the Flag child's play (Cartwright).

Camp Half-Blood was either the permanent or temporary residence of many kids just like Romá, although most had a different parent. People referred to as demigods lived there, who had god running through their veins and human etched in their DNA. They were just as you would expect them to be; half-bloods. Camp Half-Blood was perfect for them, with plenty of room to run and ease their ADHD (something all demigods are born with), and a welcoming environment that make the deep lake and waving wheat fields less suffocating. At Camp Half-Blood, these demigods learned how to fend for themselves and live an overall peaceful life where otherwise they would be hunted and killed.

It was dire that the camp run, even after the war with Kronos, who was a big baddie. More and more children were being claimed by their godly parents, as requested by Percy Jackson. More cabins were being built for each god or goddess. Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, and Hermes were just a few gods that had cabins before Percy Jackson. After he had defeated Kronos, he requested that cabins be built for every minor god, like Nemesis, and that every child be claimed by their parent.

His wishes were slowly coming to light, and every month another cabin got finished. Many demigods were starting to move where they should be, but still, a few remained in the Hermes cabin. Hermes' cabin acted as the host, taking in any demigod whom hadn't been claimed.

Lin was one of those unlucky few. When she first arrived at camp two years prior, it hurt for a while, but she soon learned to accept the fact she wasn't going to be claimed. Thorns can't grow if you don't let them, after all.

It's how she met Romá, and in the end, Hermes was a cool guy.