𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 || PJO Fanfic

THREE

Atalanta POV

I jogged down the lane until I was out of Camp. I went directly for the Field of Mars when I saw that the Fourth Cohort had left without me. Of course they did.

I joined the Fourth Cohort and we formed two lines behind our centurion, Leila and XXX. Janice smirked at me from behind Leila and came over. She jabbed a finger at my chest, "late." I murmured an apology.

At the north end of the field was our target. A stone fortress likely filled with trapdoors and nasty tricks. The First and Fifth Cohort was on defence today. The rest of us' job— attack and capture their banners.

When I looked around, I saw everybody had worn their armour. I looked back down. Bah. I'd forgotten my armour. Not that that was nessecary, I never actually fought, but a layer of armour would have been better if Leila was planning on beating me up today.

We formed ranks in the middle of the field. "ROMANS, ATTACK!!!" Leila yelled, and everybody charged the fortress, along with the Second and Third Cohort.

I stayed behind automatically without being told. Immediately, Leila and Janice stalked towards me. No sign of the son of Orcus. Maybe he had went to attack with the others.

Leila circled me like a hunter eyeing its prey, making comments once a while. Janice knelt on a knee beside me, making tiny cuts that ran along my left arm. It hurt like hell.

After a while, a dmeigod from the Third Cohort ran over, and whispered something to Leila. She looked slightly panicked, and grabbed Janice. They left in a hurry, leaving me alone. I let out a sigh of relief.

I sat on a stone nearby, and poured the water I had prepared onto my arm to heals my cuts. It faded soon, and out of curiosity, I went towards the fortress at the other side of the field, to see what was wrong and why Leila had left.

It was obvious. When I got there, the three Cohorts hadn't even gotten near the fort. The First and Fifth Cohort was defending the fort well. The builders had done a good job today: there were shooters, canons, and more. I watched as a bomb was thrown towards the attacking ranks. The demigods dispersed immediately, but the bomb set off and the eagles had to pick up three of them, who took most of the explosion. The First and Fifth kids stood on top of watch towers in the fortress, laughing as the attacking ranks staggered around. I saw Leila, side by side with Janice. They were attacking a group of defenders near the fort. I watched as Leila raised her arms, and the grass on the floor rose up and entangled them onto the legs of the defenders. They tried in vain to move, but of course they couldn't. Leila could be a dick, but she was centurion for a reason. For a daughter of Ceres, she fought very well.

Even with the progress of Leila, the defensive team had the most advantage and were obviously winning. Should I help? I tilted my head and pondered the thought, imagining myself among the ranks, fighting with the others. Eh. Nah.

I shook my head, what a silly thought, obviously I couldn't do that without people seeing my face... but what if I could? I was blonde now, not everyone knew....

I wasn't even wearing my armour, and I only had the two knifes in my boots. What am I thinking? I was most probably insane, thinking I could get in there and out like this. I took a deep breath. Whatever. Here I go. Then I drew my knifes and sprinted towards the fortress.

I made sure to move quickly, a blur of a moving figure in the midst of the legion ranks. When I got close, I stretched out an arm, and made an earthquake. I felt the ground rumble, the earthquake getting bigger and bigger until the ground was visibly shaking, and demigods were falling on top of each other. In the midst of the confusion, I slipped inside the fortress.

I looked around. The place where there were the most guards were most likely to be were the banner was. Careful to stick to the walls' shadows, I went left. It was pretty easy to find the banner, and when I did, it was also easy to... well get it. I hit all the guards either with the but of my sword, or made some cut on his sword arm. I still didn't understand why they use swords, they were so big and clumsy and hard to bring around.

I took the banner, and sprinted outside again. There was nobody left to announce my victory. I made sure nobody saw, and that anybody that did saw was either still running around in panic, or have been defeated by me. I slipped the banner into Leila's hands. Honestly I was doing her a favour by giving her that. I had given her all my glory. But then it wasn't like I could take that glory. I was still a "weak daughter of Neptune".

She didn't see who I was, because I was moving so fast, but she was startled when I put the banner in her hands. When I looked back, I saw the legionnaires cheering and chanting Leila's name, all believing that it was her who broke in and took the banner. Leila looked bewildered, and Janice and Zack stood beside her with a grin, not knowing the truth.

I went back to my original spot, healed my cuts and wounds, and waited for the others to come back, feeling proud of myself.