Book 1 - The Lightning Thief
"You must make them fear you, brute." A man called to her. Ayden was in a dark room. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel another presence was there. "Show them who you are?"
"Who am I?" She asked. Ayden couldn't see herself, but she was younger. She felt like she was five years old all over again. "Who are you?"
"You are a child of Ares. You are the violence amongst the calm. You are the rage amongst the love! You are the chaos to others' peace!"
"I don't want that," She muttered. "But I don't want to be violent anymore."
"You've barely begun little brute. You've barely tapped into your true power, don't fear it. It doesn't fear you, but you know it's there. Let it in. Let it all in." The deep voice echoed around her. It rapidly grew louder and louder as she covered her ears.
"No. Please, stop!" She screamed out into the darkness. She wanted help, but Ayden knew none would come for her. A force shoved her body and her body fell.
Ayden jolted awake in the bed. She looked around seeing the small amount of light flood through the front of Ares's doors. She put a hand to her chest feeling her racing heart. It was early, but she decided to get ready and leave. She didn't want to run into Clarisse or her friends, well siblings now. She was having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that she now had family again.
"Child of Ares!" Ayden didn't realize someone was talking to her as she continued walking down the path. She was going to go scout the woods and training grounds. "Hey, newbie!" Ayden finally turned seeing a guy walk toward her. It was the one she saw yesterday when she was claimed.
"Are you yelling at me?" She asked. He rolled his eyes.
"So you're the problem child?"
"Problem child?" She asked. He threw his hand in the air.
"Clarisse said you were slow," He scoffed. Ayden turned on her heel walking away from him.
"Piss off." The guy grabbed Ayden's arm. She turned punching him in the face as he stumbled back. His hand went to his nose, but no blood came out.
"Bitch," He breathed.
"I warned you."
"You are definitely a child of Ares. Always throwing yourself into a fight," He chuckled. Ayden moved away from him again and he followed. "Well, I was going to introduce myself."
"I don't care. If you're friends with Clarisse then I don't want to know you," Ayden admitted as she glared over her shoulder. The guy laughed again.
"My name is Malaki, but everyone just calls me Ki." He blinked several times clearing his watery eyes. Ayden paused for a moment.
"Are you a child of Ares?"
"Me?" Ki asked. Ayden nodded. Ki didn't give her any time to process as he howled with laughter. "No, what? Ares is not my father." She turned leaving him behind once more, but again he followed her.
"Are you here to annoy me? Because you're doing a great job of that," She teleported behind him. He turned around with a smirk on his face.
"Usually when someone introduces themselves you say your name too," Ki crossed his arms waiting for her to respond. Ayden didn't know why he had decided to target her, but she was getting aggravated with each second.
"I'm Ayden and you already knew that. So leave me alone," Ayden teleported farther down the path leaving him alone.
"You can't run from, what you are Ayden! You'll figure that out sooner or later!" Ayden held up her middle finger as she walked through the camp. She found her way to a few of the other cabins. She didn't know what any of their symbols meant, but she knew they were other gods and goddesses. Ayden wanted to know more about the other demigods at camp. She wanted to know more about everyone else so that she didn't really have to try and find her way through her own family.
Ayden knew that when people thought of a child of Ares, they always thought of them as quick to anger and violent. Constantly trying to be better than everyone else or prove that they deserve love from Ares. She didn't want to be like that. Despite everything that's happened and everything she's done since being here, Ayden didn't want to be like that.
If she looked back into her childhood she would be able to see when those traits surfaced, but she's pushed them away for years. She did that after her mother died and Ayden continued to do it for herself while she was on the run. Ayden didn't want to be known as short-tempered. She was going to do better, she had to be better than that.
Even if it meant she had to fight her very mind every day, she would try, and that is all she could ask of herself. She had to try.
Ayden walked back just in time for the bell to ring for mealtime. It was breakfast finally. Other campers had woken up. She saw Luke and Annabeth talking at the table. They were her only friends at camp so she decided to go sit with them like she did the day before.
"Hey," Luke smiled at her as she sat down.
"You punched Ki?" Annabeth asked. The two girls stared at each other. Ayden was confused as to how Annabeth knew that had happened. "I was following you." She placed the NY hat down on the table.
"He deserved it," Ayden muttered as she picked up her fork and poked through the porridge.
"Do you know who he is?" Luke asked. She shook her head watching as he smiled. "He's a prick."
"I could have told you that," She sighed. The movement next to her caught her attention. Ki sat down with his food.
"Before you start swinging again, I just wanted to clear the air," Ki held up his hands as he looked to Annabeth for help.
"Leave the table, Ki," Luke laughed. He took a bite of his food staring at him.
"I'm a child of Eris. I'm not friends with Clarisse, I just overheard her talk about a new brat who thinks she's all that because Ares is your father. So, naturally, I wanted to figure out who it was and if you were actually like that."
"You could have just started with that instead of trying to antagonize me," Ayden glared at him. He laughed a little turning back to his food.
"Eris is the goddess of strife and Discord," Annabeth explained as she shot Ki a look. "He was just messing with you to get a big reaction. Like punching him." She pointed her fork at the boy as he smiled happily.
"Her punches hurt too," Ki muttered as he touched his face. "But anyway, I wanted you to teleport." Ayden stared at him. Her eyes moved to Luke and Annabeth, but they didn't seem keen on jumping in to save her.
"You could have just asked me?"
"Well I hadn't officially met you and you seemed kind of prickly so I didn't want to start anything," Ki threw his hands in the air. Annabeth smirked into her cup as she took a drink.
"You are a character," Luke shook his head.
"Thank you," Ki pointed his fork at him. "You've said that many times dear pal."
"But you started something anyway," Ayden pinched her brows together. "Did you just want to see me teleport for like fun or?"
"Oh," He turned further toward her. "Well, usually children of Ares have increased strength, speed, and control of emotions, but not teleportation. That is usually Apollo's domain."
"Apollo? The god of sun and light?"
"Yes, exactly," Ki smirked and shoveled the last bit of his eggs into his mouth. Ayden could see Annabeth fight a smile as she watched the boy. "They manipulate the light, but I did some reading about Ares and I realized that it is possible. He's done it before."
"Clearly," Ayden looked down at her food again. She'd lost her appetite.
"Ki, I think you're overwhelming her," Luke gave her an apologetic smile.
"Oh," Ki stared at Ayden. His smile faded. "Yeah, I'll leave, but we are training together from now on, so might as well try and get used to me." Ayden looked at Annabeth, but her eyes were on Ki.
"Is that a good idea?" Ayden asked. She didn't think she would hurt Ki, but the way he got under her skin could become a serious problem. Ayden didn't want to hurt anyone, she didn't want to get a reputation here. This was a new start. This was her second chance and she was already ruining it.
"Yeah, it will be fine." Ki nodded as he finished the food off his plate. Ayden looked at Luke hoping he would explain.
"I thought you were only supposed to train with those in your cabin, like how Clarisse is head of Ares cabin," Ayden clenched both of her fists as they rested on the table. She didn't want to train with Clarisse, but she also didn't want to train with Ki.
"Most of the Ares kids don't actually train together unless Chiron knows they won't murder each other. Since most of you have bloodlust you will train with another cabin," Luke gestured to Ki. "For example Ki, he may seem like an ass, but he is one of our best hand-to-hand fighters."
"Hey I'm better than you with a sword," Ki stared at Luke. They both glared until Ki broke the eye contact and looked at Ayden. "I'm better than him, but anyway don't worry about me hurting you. I'm very restrained." Ki glanced over to Annabeth.
"I'm not worried about me," Ayden admitted. Ki laughed a little, but when he realized Ayden wasn't kidding he cleared his throat.
"Well that's why we are going to learn control," He patted her shoulder. "Trust me. Also, I just wanted to say that when your face scars you will look terrifying." He pointed to Ayden's cheek. Her hand instinctively went to her cheekbone where she knew a deep cut was from falling through the trees. Luke reached across the table and smacked the side of Ki's head.
"Don't talk to her like that." Ki held the side of his head as he glared at Luke.
"I didn't mean it as a bad thing," He grabbed his tray and stood before the three of them. "Well, this is my cue to leave. I will see you later." Ki winked at Annabeth as he turned. Ayden looked at the other two sitting across from her.
"You're a real problem." Ayden sighed as she watched him back up.
"Yeah, but I'm going to be your problem soon," Ki called. Ayden groaned and rested her head in her hands. It was the start of the day.
"He means well," Annabeth spoke. "I know he seems stupid and annoying, but he truly does mean well. You will see."
"I think I might be blind." Luke laughed at Ayden's words. "I think I'm going to go for a walk."
"You haven't touched your food though?" Annabeth gestured to her full plate. Ayden shrugged.
"I'll give it to the gods, I'm just not hungry this morning." Luke and Annabeth watched her leave them.
***
Along the path in the woods, Ayden had come across a cottage of some kind. It had vines growing up the sides, but the windows were still intact and the wood was relatively new. As she moved closer to it, she could feel a vibration in the ground. There was a muffled sound from behind the cabin. Ayden looked around the back watching as a girl with red hair moved her hands around. The ground obeyed her wishes and moved as she pleased. The girl had her hair pulled back into a messy bun, a few stray pieces falling in her face.
"Don't lurk," She breathed. The redhead stared at her creations with her hands on her hips. "Do you think these are even?" She asked gesturing forward. Ayden moved around the building coming to her side as she stared at the stone sections. She'd created elevated gardens with the ground around her.
"I think so," Ayden nodded. She pursed her lips and bent down getting eye level. She moved her hand through the air shifting one of the tubs lowered slightly.
"Great," She smiled. "I'm Cameron." She reached forward showing her hand. It was covered in dirt. She was the girl with Ki and Luke yesterday at the beach.
"Ayden," She shook Cameron's hand.
"Sorry, hope you not afraid of a little dirt, but if you ain't afraid of Clarisse I think it'll be okay," She laughed tucking her hair behind her ears. She walked forward moving her hands as a few mounds of dirt moved through the air filling the stone containers.
"I've never seen someone with earth bending," Ayden smirked a little as she watched Cameron gently grasp a few flowers and move them into the new garden.
"I'm a child of Demeter," Cameron specified. "Geokinesis."
"Ah, sorry," Ayden nodded slowly. "Do you live out here?" She gestured toward the mossy cabin. Cameron smiled and looked at it before pushing off her knees. She dusted her hands together.
"Sometimes, Chiron usually wants us in the cabin, but most of us make our way out here. To be in nature. It's a little sanctuary," Cameron smiled. Ayden could see all the little freckles on her cheeks.
"You seem to have a good handle on your magic," Ayden added.
"I've been here for a few years," Cameron laughed a little. "So who brought you in? I heard you looked pretty grim."
"What?"
"I mean who was your satyr?" She moved past Ayden moving her hand over a vine growing on the side of the house. It grew rapidly moving farther and farther over the house almost encasing it. "I doubt it was Grover this time, he is with another demigod." She then flexed her hands the small particles of dirt falling from her hands and returning to the ground.
"Satyr? I didn't have one, I came here on my own." Ayden explained as she moved after Cameron. The redhead went around the side of the house entering through the front door. "Who's Grover?"
"Oh," Cameron paused as she turned to face Ayden. "You didn't have a satyr lead you here?" Ayden shook her head. "How did you get here?"
"Myself."
"No, I mean how did you know to come here? Did your mother bring you?" Cameron grabbed a few of the potted plants on the center table and moved them toward the giant window. It was like a small breakfast nook. Ayden pushed her hair behind her shoulders. It didn't bother her to speak of her mom, but she would rather avoid the topic.
"She died years ago," She muttered. Her eyes were zoned out on the fireplace to her right. "She told me a little bit about this life. About my father, but um," Ayden blinked as she broke the trance. "I brought myself here. I just had a feeling and I followed it."
"That's one hell of an instinct you have then," Cameron laughed. Ayden finally smiled a little. "Well now that you know where my sanctuary is Ayden I hope you will come by sometime. I can only imagine what it's like being stuck with Clarisse as a half-sibling. The Ares kids have a tough life." Cameron stuck her hands in her back pockets. A knock sounded from the door causing both of them to turn.
"Hey Cam," Luke opened the door. He paused seeing Ayden. "Oh sorry, I didn't know you were busy."
"Get in here, Luke," Cameron smiled as she waved him in. Ayden watched the way he walked over to her with a smile.
"We were just getting to know one another a bit," Ayden added. Luke nodded and let out a deep breath.
"She's one of those people," Luke smiled at the redhead, but she watched Ayden.
"One of what?" Ayden asked. Luke looked over at her with his head tilted.
"You know, she's just comforting. It's like a feeling of home, that you didn't know you needed." He explained. Ayden could see Cameron's cheeks color as she turned away from him moving more of her plants around the cabin.
"I can see it," Ayden nodded her head. Cameron looked at her surprised. "Don't look at me like that. I'm saying that I can see you are a comforting person." Cameron laughed a little as she leaned against the counter top watching as Luke slowly moved closer to her. "I'll let you two go, bye. Nice to meet you, Cameron."
"Bye Ayden, I think you're really pretty," She called.
Ayden's face flushed as she shut the door behind her. She didn't know what kind of relationship Luke and Cameron had, but she could see just by the way that he looked at her that they weren't just friends. Ayden quickly moved away from the cabin as she found her way back onto the trail to camp. It was her second day and she was making a lot of new acquaintances. Ayden felt like she could make a lot of friends here. A few are more likely than others. She doubted she would be close to Ki if he continued to be a pain, but she could see herself getting close to Cameron.