orenda [leo valdez]

iii. Daughter of War Hates Wars

She barely managed to not drop her food, which didn't seem appetizing anymore.

"All hail, Kira Willows, daughter of Ares, God of War," Connor called out, amusement. for the irony covered up weakly with a serious face. Kira wanted to cry. Her hand with her tray shook, until her lip trembled and she finally let it drop, and ran. 

Running from her problems never worked for Kira, but she always seemed to try. She ran to the beach, where the chariot had fallen. She needed to be alone. 

All her life after her mothers death, she had pledged her life to being kind, peaceful, and calm. To be the rational head, to be the olive branch. She wanted to be be kind, to be pure, to try to be everything her mother was not. 

And now she knew that was what her father was like, too. 

She had her father's powers. She knew how fight, how to kill, how to hurt. And she hated herself for it.

It was night now, and the moon casted a glow across the water. She longed to have Poseidon as a father. The god of the ocean, horses, things better then war. Poseidon was calm, from the stories she had heard about him.

She buried her head her knees, trying to not seem weak. She couldn't be weak anymore. She was the daughter of two heartless souls. She was supposed to be a fighter, a warrior. She choked back a sob, covering her mouth in case someone was near. 

Kira turned when she felt a presence near her. She couldn't make any features in the dark, but she didn't need to. She knew who it was. They were hesitant to come near, but Kira didn't stop them. 

Leo sat down next to her. Kira leaned her head on his shoulder silently. Kira allowed herself to be vulnerable with him, and only him. Leo understood her. 

"You made a little bit of a scene, huh, daughter of Ares?" He said in a joking tone, but he seemed scared that she would yell at him.

She didn't answer him, though. She wouldn't look away from the moon, which seemed to be staring back at her. 

"Kira.." He said softer, gentler. He looked at her sympathetically. Kira didn't want to answer him, but there was nothing she could do to stop him until he got her to open up.

"My dad is just like my mom," She whispered. "I'm going to end up just like them,"

Leo wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her so bad. But he didn't want to ruin the moment, and he knew she probably didn't like him. She liked Connor. 

"You control who you are, not your parents, hermosa," He told her, knowing she didn't know a drop of Spanish. Kira only sighed.

"Leo, I can't. I can't be a daughter of a war god and be peaceful," She told him, watching the soft waves hit the shore. 

"You've done it this far," Leo pointed out, proud of himself for making a good point. Leo looked back to watch people began making their way to the amphitheater. 

"C'mon, Ki. You're not alone, alright?" Leo said, helping the girl up, and wiping her tears gently. "Let's go hear what these crazy people have to say,"

Kira let out a slight laugh, wiping the remaining tears, and made her way alongside her bestfriend and crush. 

When she finally got there, she received many stares for running away at dinner. Gulping, and pushing down her fears, she clambered over to the Ares' cabin section, which the banner was a red boar's head, and sat at the very edge, so she would be next to Hermes' cabin.

She caught Connor's eye, which she got an apologetic gaze, and she gave him a double thumbs up. She waved to Leo, across from her, who sat under the Hephaestus cabin's banner.