Book 2 - The Sea Of Monsters
They had given Ayden a week to heal. In that time Ki and Cameron were able to help inside the camp as they remodeled a few of the cabins into weapons stashes. It was nearing the end of May now and the decision was made to fire Chiron. Ayden wasn't thrilled when she saw his replacement for activities director. Tantalus was a man from the underworld, he was one of the people standing in the middle of a field under a tree of food that he could never eat from. There was no reason for him to have a grudge against Ayden, but he was having a bad life and Pery Jackson wasn't there for him to even it out. It was just after lunch, but the patrols were just switching off. Ayden was moving through the forest.
One positive thing she'd got from this experience was that while she was healing she'd trained herself to be able to teleport objects to different places. She couldn't move them far, but she could move them around which was a plus. Ki and Cameron were near the other sides of the barrier, but Ayden was moving to relieve Clarisse. She wasn't far, but the shouts had started. It didn't startle Ayden anymore because she's been hearing them constantly for months.
Sometimes she was glad she didn't get to sleep a lot because she didn't have the nightmares, but she got so tired on watch. Her magic was wearing thin from her constantly using it, some days Ayden wondered if you could die from excessive magic use. You don't. She'd researched it. Ayden appeared through the woods seeing the others running. She leaned against a tree smiling at the scene for a moment. Clarisse was screaming at her team to get into position, but none of them were going to listen to her.
"We just going to wait here?" Ki asked as he appeared next to her.
"Maybe," Ayden smiled. Clarisse had a piece of her hair caught on fire. "No, let's go."
"I'm hungry," Cameron muttered as they moved from the trees.
"Cameron," Ayden called as she pointed to the left one.
"Go away! I don't need you!" Clarisse yelled.
"Get your team together them?" Ayden shot back as she teleported around the bull drawing its attention. She tilted her head at the creature. Most of the time it's these that find their way here. A few times it's been a minotaur or two, but those were easier most of the time.
"Ayden!" She heard Percy's voice. Ayden wanted to smile, but she couldn't. She was stunned. It was May. She saw Annabeth and someone else following them.
"Ayden!" Ki yelled. She teleported around grabbing a shield. She threw it watching it teleport to Ki as he blocked a stream of fire as he pulled one of the wounded to the side. Ayden whistled as she got the bull's attention.
"Clarisse!" Ayden yelled. The girl stood there but then tossed the spear to the side as Ayden teleported it to her hand. She had to admit she loved her new adaptation.
"I need some help!" Cameron yelled. She was struggling to hold down one of the bulls.
"We'll help Cameron!" Annabeth called.
"No, this is my guard!" Clarisse yelled. Ayden rolled her eyes as she teleported above the bull. Ki drew its attention as she struggled to shove the spear through its head, but she did as its gears stopped grinding and its body collapsed.
"Let's go!" Ki cheered. Ayden teleported next to him as she held up her hand.
"What's happening?" Annabeth asked. "How are they behind the barrier?"
"That happened," Clarisse pointed to the poisoned tree.
"No," Annabeth muttered. "No."
"A lot has changed since you've been gone," Cameron helped someone up off the ground.
"You have to move the injured back to camp," Ayden explained.
"What about you?" Percy asked.
"You're pretty." Ayden stared at the other kid. He had one eye. A Cyclops.
"Who's this?" Ki asked.
"This is Tyson," Percy introduced. "He's a friend of mine."
"He's a Cyclops," Ki pointed at his face.
"I'm on watch now, so you all go back to camp. Prepare yourselves," Ayden told him as she walked closer to the border.
"Ayden." Annabeth moved closer to her hugging her. Ayden was surprised but hugged her back. "I'm glad you're okay."
"I'm happy you guys are back," Ayden admitted.
"I want one," Tyson came over. He hugged Ayden picking her up off the ground.
"Be gentle!" Ki yelled. It startled Tyson so he let her go. Ayden teleported so she didn't fall to the ground. Tyson's lip wobbled.
"Don't yell at him," Percy glared at Ki.
"I'm sorry, but he has to be gentle with her. She's still heal—."
"That's enough!" Ayden interrupted. "Get them close to camp."
"You heard the girl," Ki motioned. Percy paused and then moved back toward Ayden.
"I'm sorry we weren't here," He muttered. Ayden relaxed a bit into his grip. She'd missed her friends. She loved Cameron and Ki more than anything, but Percy was different from her. So was Annabeth and Grover.
"Well you are just in time for the fun," Ayden leaned back. She noticed the silver 'A' necklace that he still wore. She smiled a bit. "Brace yourself for Tantalus and a moody Mr. D." She adjusted the A so it was sitting in the center of the chain.
"When is he ever not moody?" Percy joked.
"Just go." She shoved him a bit as he smiled.
"When will you be coming back to camp?" He asked. "After this guard shift?"
"Um," Ayden tilted her head. "I'll only be there for a few minutes probably."
"Wait what?"
"Let's go, Percy!" Annabeth called. Tyson shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he watched Percy and Ayden's interaction.
"Go, I'll be there later," She explained. Percy finally turned. Tyson coming next to him.
"She's pretty." He said once more. Ayden laughed as she watched them disappear into the woods.
Ayden made it back into camp after her guard shift on that side of camp ended. She walked back to the middle when she saw Percy and Tyson again.
"Ayden!" Tyson smiled and came over to hug her. He was much gentler this time.
"Hey."
"Sorry, he likes you," Percy explained. Tyson looked at Percy and then pointed from Percy to Ayden. "Stop that. Did you get anything to eat?"
"I uh," Ayden paused. "I don't get off shift until dinnertime." She explained. For some reason, she was embarrassed to admit that to Percy. She didn't know why because it wasn't her fault.
"What?" Percy asked. "Why? They can't do that."
"They can," Ayden nodded. Percy grabbed her hand.
"No, they can't," He started walking down the path toward the big house, but Ayden pulled him to a stop.
"Percy, don't," She shook her head. "You don't understand. You can't make them angry, just don't associate with me while you're here okay."
"Ayden, what happened while I was gone?" Tyson reached forward to give her some comfort, but he squeezed her scar tissue. The nerve endings were dead, but sometimes if someone touched it just right it would send a painful shock through her body. She grimaced. "What?" Percy went to move her shirt, but he didn't need to as he saw the small patch of burned flesh on the back of her neck.
"Don't," She stepped away from him.
"Ayden, I didn't–."
"Just leave me alone, Percy," She teleported away quickly.
"I didn't mean to hurt her," Tyson's eyes tear up as he stared down at his hands. Percy shook his head.
"She knows that big guy, let's just get you back toward the meal hall," Percy muttered. He turned to see Ki and Cameron talking. "Hey, can I talk with you?" He asked Ki.
"Uh, sure," Ki added.
"I get pretty lady," Tyson smiled as he grabbed Cameron's hand. She laughed lightly.
"Just show him around for a bit, please?" Percy asked. She nodded and walked him down the path. "I need to ask you some things about Ayden."
"Nope," Ki shook his head.
"Why?" Percy asked.
"I'm not involving myself with you both, ask her yourself," He walked past Percy.
"What happened to her back?" Ki stopped and let out a long sigh as he turned around looking at him.
"She was burned," He answered. "Badly."
"Ayden would never let herself—."
"Clarisse was the reason she got burned," Ki shook his head. "Ever since you left Ayden has become the main target of all hate from camp after the quest that wasn't even hers." Percy was going to ask more questions, but he decided against it. He turned toward the trail he knew she would be and started walking. "Where are you going?"
"To talk with Ayden," Percy answered. Ki thought it was interesting that he knew exactly where she would be to clear her head or relax. He said he wasn't going to get involved so he stayed away from them. He instead went to find Annabeth. Percy walked along the path until he heard the sound of faint splashing. He came into the clearing and saw Ayden throw her hand out as a rock skipped across the water.
"You found me?" Ayden muttered.
"Always do," Percy sat down next to her. Ayden gave a deep sigh as she glanced over at him. He was staring out at the water.
"I'm sorry for earlier, it's just," Ayden shook her head. "A lot has changed over the last few months."
"Yeah, I assumed when you never wrote me back." Ayden looked over to him confused.
"You wrote to me?"
"Yeah," Percy blushed a little. He didn't know why it embarrassed him to write to her. "You didn't get them?"
"No Mr. D probably took them," Ayden shook her head. "How was school?"
Percy smiled. "Changing subjects," He moved his hand as the water twisted against the rocks. "It was fine. It was school, but on the bright side I almost made it an entire year without getting expelled."
"That's amazing," Ayden laughed. "Almost?"
"Attacked by cannibals the last day. They destroyed my gym," Percy explained. He leaned over slightly touching her shoulder for a moment.
"I'm glad you had a good year," She muttered. Percy watched as she looked at the rocks until she found the perfect one. "Do you wanna see what I've been working on?" He nodded. "Hold your hand out." Percy did as she asked. She tossed the rock into the air and it disappeared. Percy felt the rock hit his palm.
"You found out how to teleport objects?" He rubbed his thumb across the smooth surface.
"Mhmm, and now I just have to do it with people and I'll be good," She stared at him. Percy's eyes moved to the back of her neck. She touched it with her hand. "Yeah, and there's that."
"I'm sorry, I didn't—."
"It's okay," Ayden sighed. "Do you want to see the full thing?" Percy nodded. She turned around and pulled her shirt over the left side of her body. "I uh, went to help Clarisse, but she didn't want any help. I was thrown back into the fire." Percy's eyes moved over the scar tissue. It was a deep red and there were marks across the skin like small strikes of electricity.
"How bad did it hurt?"
"Well seeing as I wasn't supposed to get any help, pretty bad," Ayden laughed a little. It wasn't a humorous one.
"Why are they treating you like this? It can't just be because you went on a quest that wasn't your own." Percy's hand touched the skin and he felt her flinch. "Sorry." She turned around and shrugged on her shirt once more.
"Yeah, well my father isn't happy with me, so he's trying to punish me," Ayden crossed her legs as she stared at the water once more. "I guess even though you tried to save me from scorching my back, I was still destined to bear the mark."
"I'm sorry, Ayden," Percy muttered.
"It wasn't your fault," She gave him a tight smile. "I'm glad you are safe though."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't here to help," Percy added. He knew it wouldn't have changed anything, but he felt awful that he left camp.
"It's alright. We are all mostly still alive," Ayden explained. She stared at her hands. "If I get tense or snap at you in the future I'm sorry, I've just had to," She paused. "I'm a little different now because of the last few months and I don't want that to change the way you see me."
"I don't think that would ever happen," Percy added. "I missed you this summer." His hand went to his neck and Ayden realized he still had her necklace. Her face burned as she looked at the water hiding the smile she wore.
"I missed you too Jackson," Ayden mumbled. "Oh, how is your mom?"
"She's good," Percy smiled. He was glad she remembered his mom. Percy told his mother about camp, he told her a lot about Ayden too. How close of friends they were. "She is going back to school and she's got a job at a candy store."
"That's awesome," Ayden nodded. Percy didn't want to talk about his mom with Ayden he felt that it was unfair, but she would ask and he didn't want to keep things from her. "Hey, uh, when we are around everyone else. If—I–when Tantalus yells at me, don't stick up for me, okay?"
"Why?" Percy sat up. "I'm not going to let him just yell at you for no reason, it's unfair and you are my friend."
"Yes, Percy, and you are mine. Tantalus and Mr. D already have it out for you, but it's gotten worse for me. Just try to avoid intervening. I've dealt with it long enough," Ayden explained as she gave him a stern look. "I mean it, Jackson. I don't want you digging yourself a deeper grave."
"I can't promise that," Percy shook his head.
"Percy—."
"No, Ayden. I've been gone all year and I'm sorry you've had to deal with this, but if no one else will try and stand up for you, then I will do it. I don't care if they get mad at me too, it's not fair." Percy stared at her. He realized it was like all the fire had burned out from behind her eyes. She hadn't given up, but the drive wasn't there anymore.
"What if I said you'll only make it worse," She pushed herself up. "Also, while my back was healing, the only thing that brought me comfort was water. I'm glad you're back Jackson, but things are different. I'm different, but I need you to listen to me when I say just let it happen."
"And this is all because of Ares?" Percy stood up as well. She nodded.
"He wanted to unclaim me, but since everyone at camp already saw him do it, there is no point. So this is the only other way he knows how to punish me." Ayden muttered. "I have to go back to border patrol. I will see you later at mealtime." She patted his shoulder and then smiled. "I am really glad, you're back Percy."
He gave her a tight smile as he watched her walk away. Percy had to remind himself that they were only thirteen. Sometimes it felt like they could be older with what they experienced, but they were only thirteen.
Seventh grade.