After a few days, the black and blue marks Clarisse gave me were beginning to fade and the excitement about Percy was beginning to calm down.
Mostly...
The senior kids were watching him like hawks and the rumors had exploded after it had gotten out that his mother was human, which some took to mean that he must be a Big Three kid. Everyone was now arguing about who his father was. Even some of the counselors were making bets. But there wasn't much to go on with pure speculation.
He wasn't gifted with the raw physical power of the Ares kids and he was kind of awful at archery, so Apollo was also out of the question. He didn't have any special touch with metalwork or technology and the grape vines in the fields wanted nothing to do with him, so Hephaestus and Dionysus were off the table too.
It was three days after Percy arrived that Cabin 11 was scheduled for sword fighting practice.
The arena we practiced in was an amphitheater that we used for duels and training. There was a line of straw dummies dressed in Greek armor with other miscellaneous training devices pushed to the edges.
We began our warm-up with simple slashes and stabs at the training dummies. Percy was having a hard time though, none of the swords we had seemed balanced for him and we couldn't find anything that fit him. It certainly wasn't doing him any favors for his strikes.
After our warm up we moved on to dueling. Wings took Percy as his sparring partner, prompting some kids to tease him a bit.
"Good luck," an undetermined guy named Ethan said with a smirk, "Luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years."
"Maybe he'll go easy on me," Percy responded .
The other kids laughed and I walked over with a sympathetic smile masking my smirk.
"Don't count on it," I warned, but it wasn't just teasing.
I knew from experience that Wings didn't believe in going easy on newbies. He claimed that the best way to learn was through pain and mistakes. And by that logic, Wings is a very good teacher.
Ethan calling Luke the best swordsman in three hundred years wasn't an exaggeration, either. Even Chiron, who'd been training heroes for thousands of years, was consistently impressed by his skill.
I partnered with a tall, older Hermes guy named Connor. He was usually paired with his brother, but every now and then they'd look for someone else to have diversity in their training.
I didn't mind the massive height difference too much since it was casual-sparing. And I considered it good practice to spar with taller opponents. Especially since I was still pretty short for my age.
After a while of sparing, Wings called break time and I noticed that when he threw his water over his head, Percy had copied him. What a couple of dorks.
Once the break was over Wings told us to gather around for a demonstration, but it was really just another hazing ritual. Wings always partnered with newbies.
The point was similar to Clarisse's toilet routine, but the difference was that Wings was more subtle about tormenting the newbies.
We gathered around Wings and Percy, most of us not even trying to hide our smiles knowing Wings was just going to show off while embarrassing the new kid.
I gotta admit, there was some purpose to this initiation. It was to keep new campers humble so they didn't get big heads after one day of training and go around challenging people to duels and getting themselves hurt...
"This is difficult," Wings stressed to the group after showing us a move that flung Percy's sword out of his hand. "I've had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsmen have to work years to master this technique."
Wings demonstrated the move a few more times, making us note to get the tip of your blade at the base of your opponent's sword, near the hilt. Then twisting your opponent's arm and forcing them to drop their sword.
After Wings figured that we understood the motions, he declared that he and Percy were going to spar until one of them used the move to disarm the other.
I expected Wings to do the move within the first thirty seconds but Percy was keeping up quite well, going on the defensive and not giving Wings a chance to disarm him. Watching them reminded me how naturally battle reflexes came to demigods. With the rigorous training, I'd almost forgotten that we were basically hardwired for this.
As the fight continued, Percy seemed to get the hang of things. He even countered one of Luke's strikes and got the courage to thrust at him.
Unfortunately, that was just what Wings was waiting for. An offensive move was like the green light for him to apply more force and intensity.
Percy started getting visibly tired as Wings constantly bombarded him, packing more and more power behind every strike. Just when I thought Luke was going to push him too hard and accidentally stab him, Percy's blade hit the base of his sword. Wings's weapon was sent to the ground with a loud clang.
The tip of Percy's sword was now hanging in the air an inch away from Luke's chest. Both looked stared at the sword's tip, equally surprised. But neither of them was anywhere near as stunned as the crowd.
Nobody moved; nobody breathed. Everyone just stared at the two in shock for a long moment.
"Um, sorry," Percy interrupted our gawking, lowering his blade.
After a moment to recover from his shock, Wings grinned.
"Sorry? By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me again!" He enthused, retrieving his blade and hurrying to stand in front of Percy again.
Wings hadn't gotten a real challenge from sparing another camper since before we met, and his excitement that Percy was an apparent prodigy was plain to see.
They were going to try the maneuver again but this time the moment their swords touched, Wings sent Percy's sword flying and there was a long pause as it skidded across the arena.
"... Beginner's luck?" Suggested a Hermes kid next to me.
"Maybe," Wings replied while wiping the sweat off his brow. "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword..."
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The next day was Friday, and all anyone could think about was Capture the Flag. For a children's game, the evening before looked a whole lot more like preparation for war. The only difference was that the atmosphere was a little lighter and more exciting.
Campers could be seen sorting out what gear they were planning to use or sharpening their weapons during free time. Alliance deals, coordination, and strategy could all be heard mixed in with the usual gossip. Clarisse and I had spent every moment together making threats and talking about how our teams were going to crush one another.
Cabin 11 was on the Blue Team while Cabin 5 was on the Red Team. Any other day, I'd die for Clarisse and I had a suspicion that she'd do the same for me. But today, we were enemies, and everything we said that wasn't boasting could be revealed information. We were not about to have any of that forbidden friendship skatá.
Despite Clarisse's best efforts, it was quite easy to pick up on the fact she was planning to enact revenge on Percy during the game. I, of course, went straight to Annabeth with that and repeated pretty much everything Clarisse had said about the game word for word.
Hey, if Clarisse didn't want me using her for intel, she could have just avoided me for the day. She of all people knew how serious Capture the Flag was.
Knowing Annabeth, I figured she had already figured out every move Clarisse would make during the game. But I wasn't going to risk withholding possibly vital information.
After the activities and free time were over, it was time for dinner. I sacrificed my tastiest rack of ribs and a generous portion of mashed potatoes to Ares, praying that he wouldn't favor his children for the wargame. For once, I sat at the Hermes table with Cabin 11.
Finally, it was time for a friendly, age-appropriate game of Capture the Flag.
The cheering of campers practically shook the dining pavilion as the Ares and Athena Cabin counselors brought out the giant silk banners. Both flags were about ten feet high and six feet wide. The Athena Cabin's flag was a glistening sliver with a clean painting of a barn owl sitting above an olive tree. Contrasted by the Ares flag, which was a striking shade of crimson with a bloody spear and a boar's head painted with violent, sporadic strokes.
Percy was asking Wings a ton of questions over the roaring cheers of the rest of the cabin. I considered trying to answer a few, but I'd already babysat Percy for a considerable chunk of the day when Wings had other counselor duties to handle. Besides, this wasn't the time for handholding, it was time to get serious.
They announced the teams that had been negotiated. The Apollo and Hermes cabins were on the Blue Team led by the Athena Cabin. The Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus cabins were on the Red Team led by the Ares cabin.
That might sound a bit unbalanced, but the Hermes and Apollo cabins both had maybe triple the number of kids in cabins like Dionysus or Demeter, so the teams were fairly even in number.
Chiron Hammered his hoof on the marble floor to quiet the roaring demigods before beginning his usual pre-game announcements.
"Heroes! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gaged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!" Chiron finished his speech and raised his hands, summoning various pieces of armor, shields, and weapons to appear over the white cloth of our tables.
I already knew what gear I was going to grab, but I walked over to Wings to confirm my usual role in the game.
"Sorry to hear that, Percy, my dearest condolences," I teased, patting him on the shoulder after hearing he'd be on border patrol. "I'm guessing I'm on the usual?" I raised a brow at Wings.
He nodded. "Yeah, but you're gonna be moving ahead of me and a few others. Find Annabeth, she'll fill you in on the rest of the plan." Wings's reply was vague, but that was to be expected while we were still within earshot of other cabins.
I gave him a quick nod and went to grab a pair of leather gloves, arm guards, and shin guards from the Demeter table. Then a small shield from the Athena table. The shield barely had a radius bigger than a dinner plate, but I couldn't pack too heavy. Especially since I wasn't really planning on using the thing, it was just in case I ended up needing it.
I would have grabbed a chest plate and helmet too, but I'd learned the hard way they always got snagged the way I moved. And I preferred to be light on my feet when I fought anyway. Being weighed down would just tire me out.
After going around the tables one more time to make sure I was sure with my selection, I grabbed a blue bandana and tied it around my neck.
My choice of gear was only slightly influenced by my battle preferences. My major influence was actually because of my role in pretty much every wargame; recon.
Scouting ahead was my job in virtually every game because my one and only skill gave me an edge that only the Apollo Cabin and a few others could combat: I was incredible at climbing trees.
Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. I know it doesn't sound all that cool or important but since most campers used melee weapons, being up out of reach was a huge advantage. It was also hard for kids to see a figure in the branches since the trees cast shadows later in the evening. Meaning that there had been times I had been right above kids on the other team and they didn't have a clue.
If I was lucky, I'd even catch strategy or important instructions from the opposite team. And when I say I'm "incredible" at climbing trees, I don't just mean I could scurry up them quickly, I mean that I could get that crucial information to Annabeth faster than any other messenger on the ground could. Being in the trees meant I could cut right through the woods without worrying about running into enemy campers.
Not to mention, for whatever reason, I got this crazy adrenaline rush when I was up high. Maybe it was some kind of fear of heights or something, but whatever it was, it allowed me to cross the entire forest before most kids could reach the creek on foot.
Sufficed to say, I was the best reconnaissance option- with maybe the only exception being Annabeth herself since she had a literal invisibility cap. Either way, it was no surprise I had the same job almost every game.
"Blue Team, forward!" Annabeth interrupted my internal bragging, prompting the Blue Team to raise our swords in the air and cheer as she led us toward the south side of the forest. Threats and trash talk were thrown between the opposing teams as we marched. At first, I wasn't going to join in, but then I saw Clarisse and couldn't help myself.
"Hey Classy, don't forget to look up!" She hated that nickname.
It didn't sound like much, but I was referencing the time she'd chased an Apollo kid named Lake through the forest. Lake and I were on the Red Team during that game and Clarisse had been on the Blue Team.
Lake had made it to the border with the flag but Clarisse had been catching up to them and was about to lunge for a tackle. Without having time to think of anything else, I'd dropped down from where I was in the trees and fell right on top of her so Lake could make it over the boundary and win the game.
Clarisse got a few scrapes and bruises and I sprained my wrist, but it was worth it in the end. Clarisse was still salty about that particular loss, and I loooovvved rubbing it in whenever I got the chance.
After we reached our side of the woods, I went over to Annabeth to discuss the details of the plan Wings had mentioned and to establish where I'd be meeting her this game.
Whenever we were on the same team we'd establish a sort of intelligence headquarters. It was where I and any other scouts or informants would meet her if we had game-changing information to give her. There was usually an established signal to communicate to meet there, and it was always a place near the boundary line that felt secure enough for us to share information that she and her cabinmates could form strategies on. We'd even made this map of the woods with its own specified coordinates that I used to tell her the exact locations if they were needed.
We established the Intel HQ a little ways away from where Percy was positioned and I left my shield there in a bush so I could come back if I needed it later in the game.
Finally, Annabeth told me the plan for this game. Basically, she was just going to use Percy as bait to distract Clarisse and her cabin mates while they enacted their revenge. Meanwhile, I'd be scouting ahead to find the safest path for Wings's group to sneak around the Red Team and capture their flag.
I decided to find Percy before the game and give him a few tips for "Border Patrol." I was actually trying to tell him how to survive an attack from Clarisse and her cabinmates. But I couldn't use any names, so I settled on just giving basic armed and unarmed combat tips, listing the parts of the body that weren't fatal if stabbed, and reminding him that fighting was a last resort and that you should always run if you get the chance.
A horn blew in the distance, and it was time for me to get off the ground. With a final "good luck" to Percy, I took a running start and leaped to a tree branch a few meters away from where Percy and I had been standing. In the next moment, I was making my way through enemy territory.
Before meeting up with Wings's group, Annabeth had told me my first priority was to ensure Clarisse was going after Percy as planned. If we didn't know where she and her strongest cabinmates were, our whole plan could fall apart.
I hadn't made it far when I thought I heard a familiar, animalistic growl. My stomach dropped and I stopped dead, hanging uncomfortably from a branch. I forced myself to bear it and remain completely still. My breathing picked up and my blood ran cold as I fought off the painful memory of glass piercing my nose.
I hung there listening for a minute, straining my ears in terror, desperate to catch the sound of an approaching monster before it was too late. But the only sound in the forest but the rustling of leaves and the distant sound of metal on metal.
Hesitantly, I began moving again, praying that the only danger in the woods today was the Red Team. Chiron always made sure the woods were cleared of monsters before wargames.
I was back up to full speed in no time, and the fear was beginning to wear off. I weaved between the branches with well-practiced ease. Something about being so far above the ground was empowering. Seeing threats like enemy teammates look so small on the ground made the suspense of creeping through the woods less terrifying.
When I was up high, I was in perfect control. I could calculate every route between the branches, and I could predict every move the people below me were going to make. I had found myself wishing that I was better at archery a lot. Then I could sit up high in the trees and never come down to fight.
After a few minutes of searching, I heard heavy footsteps somewhere ahead of me. I stopped and climbed higher into the trees.
Sure enough, Clarisse appeared in view with four of her cabinmates. Their path was dead set on Percy's location. They must have gotten a tip on where he was positioned. Or they'd roughed up one of our captured teammates until they talked.
Either way, they were dead set on their warpath, causing them to walk right under my hiding spot.
I grinned to myself; Clarisse hadn't listened to me. She was so set on her revenge that she'd forgotten to look up. Things were going according to Annabeth's plan and I circled back to where I'd been told Wings was waiting. Taking note of the positions of any Red Team squads I passed.
Once found them, I threw a stick at Wings to get his attention. We selected one of the faster Hermes kids to run over to the Intel HQ. He was going to report the squad positions I'd seen on my way back to the Athena kids while I scouted ahead of Wings's group.
I flew from branch to branch a few yards ahead of the group. Every now and then I'd run into red-plumed helmets and go back to the group to warn them. Then Wings would make the final call of fighting or going around them based on their numbers and, if I recognized them, how strong they were. We followed this tactic all the way to the North side of the forest, where I saw the Ares Cabin's flag on top of a formation of boulders nicknamed Zeus's Fist.
I crept around the area to ensure there weren't any squads nearby that would be able to come to defend the flag. After reporting the two guards and positions of various campers on patrol, Wings formed the plan.
The majority of the group that had come with us departed in the direction of the patrol, leaving only a handful of half-bloods to go after the flag.
I found myself standing on a low branch, barely a foot above one of the guards. I stared at the red plume on his helmet as I focused on keeping my breath silent. I crept, painstakingly slow, careful not to put my weight on a branch that might groan under my weight.
I gently unclipped the chain from around my neck and focused on my breath as I exhaled. With the breath leaving my lungs, the little brass whistle and chain in my hand were replaced by a gently glowing bronze harpe sword. Its familiar azure leather grip helped to steel my resolve.
I took a deep breath...
One, two, three, four...
I breathed out.
I dropped from the tree, landing on the guard's shoulders, and forced his face into the dirt. Before the other could react, I dashed over and struck the side of her face with Copper's pommel, knocking her helmet off and sending her to the ground.
The first guard was already back on his feet and rushed at me with a right hook. I blocked his fist with my leather-clad forearm and kicked him in the gut, sending him away from the flag.
At the same moment, Wings and two others had erupted from the tree line. Wings scaled the boulders and grabbed the flag. Before the guards knew what had happened, the four of us were making a mad dash back to the creek.
The part of our group that had split off joined us as we ran, helping to cover our retreat. The forest that had been so quiet was alive now, filled with screams of panic and the clashing of bronze.
We ran together as one large group, forming a wall between Wings and the enemy team. Anyone who got in the way was thrown to the side by whoever was in front. Strikes were exchanged, arrows came dangerously close to vital body parts, and both teams were frantic to have possession of the flag.
"A trick! It was a trick!" Someone screamed in front of us just before the creek came into sight.
We burst out of the tree line and threw ourselves over the creek. The Blue Team roared with cheer and applause as the red banner slowly turned to silver, the spear and boar replaced with Cabin 11's caduceus. It was over.
The group threw Wings on their shoulders, cheering and bragging. Chiron came out of the woods and blew the conch horn, signaling the end of the game.
I split off from the group and found Clarisse sulking on the ground across the creek from Annabeth and Percy. I shrunk Copper back into its whistle form and clipped it to my chain before sitting next to her.
"Hey, Classy. How's it hanging?" She gave me a quick glare before looking back at the ground. But the quick look hadn't stopped me from spotting the bruise in the middle of her forehead.
Her silence worried me a bit. I was expecting yelling, threats, roughhousing... not sulking.
"You feeling alright?" I leaned forward to see her face. "I expected you to be... I dunno, angrier? 'S not like you to get all mopey..."
Clarisse gave me another glare but dropped it to knit her eyebrows together. An expression that was rare to see on Clarisse. She opened her mouth and-
I didn't hear what Clarisse said. I heard the growl again. Much louder than it had been before, much closer.
My head snapped in the direction it had come from, a rock formation nearby. Whatever Clarisse had been saying was interrupted by a howl that echoed throughout the forest.
Suddenly I was a 10-year-old girl sitting against the wall of a church. Hands over my mouth and nose while tears slid down my face. Frozen in fear as I stared at the shadow cast through a stained glass window.
The memory faded as quickly as it had appeared. But the shadow had been replaced by the clear view of a hellhound standing on the rocks, and the fear was still icy in my veins.
My breathing picked up. I watched in slow motion as the hound jumped right over Annabeth. It was going for Percy. It would kill him. There was no way he'd survive if it bit him now.
It was like I was processing everything and nothing all at once. I noticed the leaves hanging in the air, and the water flowing around some campers' feet, saw Chiron drawing several arrows in his bow, and Clarisse staring up at the hellhound with wide eyes. Annabeth was beginning to turn around to face Percy, Wings was blankly staring at the scene, and the hellhound across the creek just was barely beginning to sink its claws into Percy's armor.
Then, suddenly, Copper was in my hands, its blade in the side of the hellhound's throat.
The hound fell to the ground and I stood over it. For a second, I didn't know where I was, still reeling from the adrenaline and shock. My brain was still trying to catch up to what my body had just done. My nerves were on fire. I couldn't feel my legs. I realized I was shaking.
Percy was staring at me. He looked like he wanted to say something, but when I met his gaze he closed his mouth and averted his eyes. I realized I had a glare stuck on my face.
I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to calm down.
"Sorry. I uh... Hate these things?" I attempted, before realizing that not even I knew what I was trying to explain.
I backed up to give Percy some space since I was basically standing over him with a sword in my hands and murder in my eyes.
"Di immortales!" Annabeth exclaimed, looking at the dog. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't... they're not supposed to..."
"Someone summoned it," Chiron finished. "Someone inside the camp."
"It's Percy's fault! I bet the anóitos summoned it!" Clarisse suddenly shouted from the other side of the creek.
"Be quiet, child," Chiron shushed her.
I offered my hand to Percy while the others were talking, trying to make up for sacring him while taking my mind off the hellhound for a second.
"Quick, Percy, get in the water." Annabeth suddenly commended.
"What?" Percy and I said in unison.
I expected Annabeth to be more concerned about the fact that Percy was bleeding. The hound's claws had pierced his breastplate. Surely Annabeth of all people would understand that he needed some bandages, right?
After some small protests, Percy agreed and I helped him to the creek. But the moment we reached the water, he stopped leaning on me and stood up straight.
His wounds began healing on their own. Closing up like they were never there. But no one cared, because there was a soft green light above his head. A hologram.
Percy was being claimed. And not by just any god.
Hanging in the air above him was a green trident. And it was a very, very bad sign.
"Your father..." Annabeth said quietly, "This is really not good."
"It is determined," Chiron announced to the campers, bending his two front legs to kneel.
I followed, dropping into a kneel as well. Slowly, everyone kneeled to Percy.
"My father?" Percy's voice gave away his confusion.
"Poseidon," Chiron answered. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."
Thanks for reading, have a meme!