For Aurora, speaking Ancient Greek, shooting arrows from her bow, wrestling, and sword fighting to the death was as normal as her life could get.
Camp Half Blood was the only place she felt somewhat safe, where Hades wouldn't pulverize her on the daily.
But Aurora had anger management issues, as many demigods did, and attacking people with dangerous weapons felt like therapy.
Luckily for her, that was a requirement for campers.
Capture the flag was one of Aurora's favorite activities. Demeter cabin (plus the Persephone girl) allied themselves with Ares, along with Dionysus, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus.
Demeter children had an edge with nature skills and outdoors activities, but most of them weren't very aggressive. Obviously, Aurora wasn't one of them.
Allying themselves with Ares should've guaranteed a win, but Athena was leading the opposing team. That meant Annabeth, along with the Hermes and Apollo kids.
That meant Percy.
"Hey, Clarisse." Aurora bumped elbows with her friend, who was glaring sharply at the blue team.
"Hey, princess," the Ares girl didn't even bat an eye, her grip tightening on her electric spear, Maimer. "Your usual position?"
"You know it." She smiled, sticking out her hand and wiggling her middle finger, her ring glinting in the heavy sun. "Sword or bow?"
"Sword for now, arrow for far away opponents." Clarisse instructed, slapping the top of Aurora's helmet. It was meant to be a caring gesture, but Aurora's head filled with ringing sounds.
The girl nodded, tapping the flower on her ring once, Oleander revealing itself. She grabbed Clarisse's wrist, pulling her close. Aurora's warm hazel eyes met the darkness of the daughter of Ares', and her grin turned into a smirk.
"If you see Percy, beat the shit out of him for me."
Clarisse whooped with excitement, banging her spear into the ground, the barbed tip of her five foot long spear buzzing with electricity. "You didn't even have to ask," she responded with a wink before calling to the rest of their team.
ೀ⋆｡🌷
"Hey bitch!" Aurora waved eagerly, her sword glimmering in the sunlight as she greeted Luke and Chris. If you thought that she would be scared being one girl versus two guys much older than her, you would be gravely mistaken.
Luke let out an exhausted sigh through his helmet. She took a couple steps forward from the flag, a beam of confidence splaying onto her lips.
"Rory, come on." Luke grumbled, readying his celestial bronze sword, Backbiter. "We do this every time."
"And every time, you lose." She let out a joyous laugh, swinging the Stygian iron blend between her and her best friend. Chris had already started to back away. "Might as well go home, Castellan."
Knowing Luke, that was the last thing he would do.
With a swift motion, Luke lunged forward, their blades clashing in a blur of metal. Aurora responded with vigor, thrill pumping into her veins as she executed each parry and thrust with precision and skill, graceful as she deflected hits easily.
The sound of metal rung through the air as their swords clashed again and again, Aurora launching a flurry of attacks onto the Hermes boy with a sudden burst of speed.
Just as she was about to disarm Luke, she heard a blood curdling scream. Chills ran up Aurora's spine as the echo of Clarisse's rage filled her eardrums.
"Holy fuck," Luke muttered, freezing simultaneously with Aurora. "Percy."
"What about Percy?" Her head snapped to her opponent, her copper irises widening at the name of her new... acquaintance. "Is he alright?"
Before she could process what was happening, her sword flung out of her arm, the butt of Backbiter hitting her wrist. Luke grabbed her banner in a quick flurry of movements, running faster than light.
Fuck the Hermes' fast genes, Aurora groaned, not even bothering to chase after the boy. It was no use. After years of foot races, she knew better than to waste her energy.
"I fucking hate you, Castellan!" She screamed, picking up her sword and reverting it back to her ring. She glanced down at the crescent that replaced the flower that was there previously, her lips quirking to the side.
"Go help your little boyfriend, Miller!" Luke yelled back, letting out elated screams of joy.
In his victory high, Aurora managed to shoot an arrow at the running boys. One pinned Chris' shirt against a tree, leaving him stranded, the other hitting the rubber in Luke's shoe. He let out a soft grunt of pain, stumbling but unfortunately managing to cross the boundary line with the red flag lifted high.
Aurora jogged over to the creek, where Clarisse stood, fuming at Percy. Maimer lay on the rocks. Or, what was Maimer.
Clarisse's beloved spear, her one and only gift from her father, sat broken in two pieces on the ground. No wonder the Ares girl screamed like her life was about to end.
She rolled her eyes as the red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin eleven. Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders.
"Jesus, Jackson." Aurora whistled at the boy, who looked like he had been through it. She crossed her arms, her gaze flickering over Percy. He stood in the creek, his face caked with dirt and scratches littering his arms. He looked out of breath and pale, but he glowed like a soldier did. "I mean, you look rough, but to make Clarisse scream like that..."
"I-I don't... I didn't mean to—" Percy stuttered, his aquamarine eyes widening like he couldn't believe she was speaking to him.
"You're all cut and injured." Aurora frowned, stepping closer to Percy. She placed her hands on both of his shoulders, her fingers warming under the touch of the boy. She took his wrists and stepped into the creek, gently pulling him in.
Maybe... maybe this will prove everything. She thought to herself, holding her breath as she waded deep into the lake. Percy followed her like a blind puppy. Please, please let me be wrong.
Her breath hitched as she saw the blood on Percy's arm, what was previously a huge cut, disappeared. Where the injury had been, there was a long white scratch, but even that started to fade. It turned into a small scar, and then... nothing.
"Fuck." She cursed, subconsciously digging her fingers into Percy's arm. She didn't even realize that they were touching, she was too concerned about, well... everything. "Oh my gods. I didn't think I was right, but—"
Percy opened his mouth to presumably ask her what the fuck she was talking about, but then a loud howl ripped through the forest.
Scaredness radiated through Aurora's insides, but she quickly smothered it as she readied her bow, her jaw clenching. Without realizing it, she took a slight step in front of Percy, although they were both knee deep in water.
However, the hound was too fast. It leapt over her—an enormous shadow with teeth—and just as it hit Percy, there was a cascade of thwacking sounds.
Aurora let out an involuntary shriek, a feeling of fear rippling through her body.
She had never let herself feel that way before. Her chest tightened, her heartbeat quickening as if it was trying to break free from its cage. She drew her bow, quickly releasing the arrow at the calculated angle so it hit the hellhound's neck. Her breath became shallow and rapid, her muscles tense.
Percy can't die. She wouldn't let him die.
Relief flooded her senses as the monster fell dead at Percy's feet. He was badly cut, his armor shredded and blood pooling on his chest.
Without thinking, Aurora pushed Percy further back into the lake. He fell back first, splashing around. She let out a breath of ease as the cuts on his chest started to close.
Percy stared at her with disbelief. "What is wrong with—"
"I'm so sorry, Percy, but..." she pointed up, swallowing her pride as Aurora stared at the green light floating above his messy mop of black hair.
A hologram, spinning and gleaming. A three-tipped spear: a trident.
Aurora had never been claimed. All her life, her mother appeared to her. She just knew who she was, who her mom was.
"His father," she could hear Annabeth murmur from the land. Water swirled and swished around her feet, as if they were awoken by Percy's presence. "This is really not good. I hate it when she's right."
"It is determined," Chiron announced.
All around Aurora and Percy, campers started kneeling, even her allies, the Ares cabin. Though, they didn't look happy about it.
Aurora followed, a sudden coolness hitting her knee as it splashed the liquid pool surrounding the two demigods.
"My father?" Percy asked, completely bewildered. His sea green eyes were clouded, as if he was in a daze or on his deathbed.
"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker. Stormbringer. Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, son of the sea god."
ೀ⋆｡🌷 notes ...
word count: 1530
date published: february 16, 2024
thoughts: another chapter of my jason grace story you are in love is published now!! if you want, you can check it out on my page <3