Percy panted roughly, his hands feeling the warm metal. Soot imprinted onto his fingers. It stained his palms which were covered in grazes from the stones.
"Clarisse," Ciarda whispered, holding her hands up to her bloodied face softly. She wouldn't know what she'd do if her Achilles sword broke - it was the only thing they'd ever got that proved their father acknowledged their existence.
"NO!" Clarisse screamed, a blood-curdling yell that made Ciarda's veins turn cold. The eldest twin marched up, grabbing Percy by the straps of his armour. Ciarda rushed forward, not to help Percy but to collect the pieces of her sister's broken spear.
Sure they fought sometimes, but Ciarda would never wish that upon her.
Percy faced away from Clarisse, closing his eyes, but was saved by the sound of intense cheering. Led by Luke, the blue team made their way onto the beach with the red flag in hand. A conch shell blue somewhere. They'd won.
Luke threw his fist in the air, making the Campers scream louder in excitement, not noticing the messy scene further along the beach.
Clarisse shoved Percy away with malicious eyes, turning to her sister. "Clarisse," Ciarda looked up with teary eyes, her shaking hands clenching onto the pieces of snapped metal. "He'll send another one," She began to explain but Clarisse pulled the pieces from her grasp.
"Don't fool yourself Ciarda. Remember whose side you were fighting on."
Percy watched, breathing heavily from beside her. He walked over, standing and waiting in silence. He let her take her time. When she looked up, he put his scratched hand out. He tried not to look at the bloody massacre on her face.
Taking it hesitantly, Percy helped her to her feet. "You've got a little something there," Percy mirrored where on his face, making Ciarda laugh when she realised he was talking about the blood which rained on her skin. "Yeah, might want to get that fixed."
"Not bad, hero," Annabeth's calm voice brought them from their delusional bonding time. The two disliked each other - and Percy still didn't understand why she protected him. Twice.
Ciarda pin-pointed exactly where Annabeth was before the girl took her hat off, a trick she had mastered over time.
Annabeth tugged the cap from her head, smiling at the work she'd created. "Were you here the whole time?" Percy stared at her with anger.
His body ached and face stung but he thought it best not to complain when Ciarda looked like she'd got stuck in the middle of a bloodstorm and still wasn't complaining. The bone sticking out from her nose was a special touch.
"Yes," Annabeth walked towards him. "You were here the whole time and you didn't help me? You didn't help her?"
Ciarda put her red-soaked hand up. "I told her not to unless I was in real danger."
"You were drowning!"
"Listen, Percy.." Annabeth's voice radiated serenity, making Percy take a breath. "What?" He looked to Athena's daughter. "I'm sorry," She nodded briefly to Ciarda who rapidly stepped forward and shoved Percy hard.
He staggered backwards before ending up drenched in the lake water. His curls stuck to his forehead and his wet armour glimmered in the sunlight. "That was fun, I volunteer to do it again?" Ciarda smiled, baring her blood-stained teeth.
"What is wrong with you?" Percy's aggravated tone caught the attention of the ecstatic campers. Luke jogged over, eyes bulging when he saw Ciarda's bloody face. "What-" Luke stopped talking when Ciarda placed a finger to his lips, her bronze eyes stuck on Percy.
Annabeth watched in wonder as Percy stood, feeling his face. The cut vanished, along with the deep one on his arm and another on his leg. He looked at Ciarda in confusion, and then to Annabeth. "I- I don't understand."
But they didn't answer, instead looked above his head. And when Percy glimpsed up, he saw a glowing blue trident above him.
Annabeth grinned with glee. "Your Dad's calling," She answered. Everyone watched from the beach, Luke staring in shock.
"Another Forbidden child," Ciarda whispered. Flashbacks echoed in her mind, racing through her thoughts like a broken jukebox.
"You have been claimed by Poseidon," Chiron walked through the crowd of onlookers. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Percy Jackson: Son of Poseidon."
...
"A forbidden child of the Sea God. You are singular amongst demigods and your father's only hope at preventing the outbreak of war. For months now, Zeus and Poseidon have been locked in a dispute over the master bolt. The symbol of Zeus' authority and it has been stolen," Chiron explained to Percy after the boy had dumped his minimal things in the untouched cabin of his father.
"Who stole it?" Percy queried, playing with the singular bead on his necklace - a bead for his glorified team in Capture the Flag. "You did," Dionysus smiled, sipping on his dark soda. Percy's eyes squinted. "What?"
"Zeus is looking for a thief, sees a Forbidden Child claimed by his jealous brother... It doesn't look good for you, Kid," Dionysus became serious.
"What? I haven't stolen anything," Percy urged. "We know you didn't," Chiron comforted the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "But your father needs your help. An ultimatum has been given to him by Zeus. Return the master bolt by the Summer Solstice in one week, or there will be war."
Percy stared in shock, everything was moving too quickly. A headache developed. "That is your quest. You must leave immediately." "Leave?" Percy shook his head, "Leave for where?"
"Zeus has always been King of Olympus and Poseidon has always resented it, but there is a third brother who has always deeply resented them both."
"It's Hades," Percy answered. "Yes," Chiron nodded gravely. "The bolt is with Hades, in the Underworld," Percy pieced it together.
"I know it sounds daunting, but you will not be alone. A quest is always undertaken by four. One has already been chosen for you by a prophecy made when she was just a child."
"Great, well good luck finding the rest of those guys 'cause it ain't going to be me," Percy shook his head, curls falling into his eyes. "Poseidon has claimed you," Chiron sighed, "This is his will."
"Poseidon has ignored me my entire life," Percy argued, not noticing Ciarda who walked up and watched from the porch entrance. She left on the arched column, savouring its cold against her skin.
Her nose had been fixed with a painful crack and a spoonful of nectar - it tasted like the s'mores that Luke made for her when she was young and had terrible nightmares.
"You are his son!" Dionysus scoffed in amusement. Demigods were nearly as much pain as the Gods themselves. Stubbornness and pride.
"I am Sally Jackson's son."
Ciarda smiled, perhaps finally she had found a boy - no matter how irritating and stupid she might find him - who agreed with her: The Gods got more credit than they were due.
"Who's Sally Jackson?" Dionysus' eyes crinkled in disgust. The way he said it didn't sit right with Ciarda and definitely didn't sit right with Percy.
"She is the woman who cared about him enough to call herself his mother," Ciarda bared her teeth, watching with a flicker of delight when Dionysus shuffled back an inch. Her face was still stained with her blood and her cuts were still healing. More scars.
"She's the one who got herself killed so that I could be safe here!" Percy finished her dialogue in anger.
"The fate of the world hangs in the balance!" Dionysus roared in anger. His nostrils flared. Sometimes Ciarda forgot he was a God, but sometimes the Gods didn't scare her either.
"You will accept this quest!" Dionysus shouted in demand. "He doesn't have to do jack-shit for you," Ciarda's penknife found its way into her hand with its sharpened blade at the ready. Dionysus moved swiftly, towering over Ciarda. She looked up at him with just as much ferocity.
"Ciarda, calm your temper," Chiron's calm, quick whip of words made her straighten. She let the knife drop back into her pocket. She looked Dionysius straight in the eye with a tense jaw, not moving.
Chiron pulled the God back with a tug of his arm.
"Hey guys," Grover trotted in, his goat legs clacking against the Greek tiles. They splayed in all different colours. "Grover now is not the time," Chiron frowned at him. "Sorry, Sir, but I have news."
"Grover," Ciarda warningly stared at him. "Sally Jackson's alive," Grover blurted. Ciarda turned with her red-tinged hands covering her head, massaging her temples with the stress. "It seemed like she died but she only looked that way," Grover explained. Percy stared at him in shock.
"Grover.." Dionysus' wrath was building. "Your mother was stolen. By Hades. Which means she is with him now in the Underworld." Grover finished as fast as he could.
Ciarda sat on a metal stool, her scabbed elbows resting on her knees with her head in her hands. Maybe Fate was wrong, it seemed that Grover had just eliminated the chance of Percy ever wanting to help the Gods. Or do anyone at Camp Half-Blood's bidding - they had lied to him about the one person whom he cared for.
"That is where they want you to go, isn't it?" Grover questioned. Percy looked from his best friend to the two mentors. His eyes slid to Ciarda but ignored her confusing body language. "If you can find her there, I think you can bring her back."
Percy stared at him, taking a long deep breath. He turned to Chiron and Dionysius who was anxiously sipping his iced drink.
"When do we leave?"