“Can anyone explain to me now?” I asked the three of them after a full five minutes of silence.
“Ron cursed you.” Menea repeated.
“Cursed me how?”
“He played with your feelings, made everything exaggerated.” Sam explained. “Isn’t the first time really, he played that prank on several others and even on Majella too.”
“Ugh.” Majella grunted beside me, probably remembering how the curse affected her.
“So, he usually does that?”
“Don’t you worry, that’s just how Ron welcomes new campers. Though we warned him several times already because things usually doesn’t go well with exaggerated and over-reacted emotions.” Sam explained to me.
I just nodded but wondered why Ron decided to choose that as a welcome. I mean, playing with somebody else’s feelings are already bad itself, but exaggerating it? I understand that things wouldn’t go well with whoever he cursed. It’s hard to keep in control when you’re buzzing with several confusing emotions all at the same time.
“I wonder how that works.” Menea said, “Imagine all the pranks I could do with that trick!”
“Menea?!” Majella shouted, smacking Menea on the head. Sam and I laughed.
Jhon detached himself from the group of Apollo campers sitting in a circle under the shade of a large narra tree and approached us.
“Sam, Menea is Jeritz back already? The others are asking for him.” Jhon asked with a worried tone.
“Haven’t seen him yet.” Menea answered. “Don’t worry, he’ll report to us when he gets back.”
“But he should have been back by now.” Sam said to Menea with a worried look.
“Wait, is that--?” Majella said, looking up into the sky.
I looked up too, and saw smoke rising to the clouds.
“Campfire nearby.” Sam said, standing up.
“Campfire?” Jhon asked. “Jeritz wouldn’t start a fire in the middle of the day!”
“Exactly my point.” Sam said.
Menea and Majella stood up and I followed them.
“Let’s go investigate?” Majella asked to Menea and Sam.
“We can’t just leave them here.” Sam pointed out to the whole camp and war demigods.
“We can look out for the campers.” Jhon suggested.
“Sounds good.” Majella said, nodding.
“Wait!” I stopped them from leaving.
Majella, Menea and Sam looked at me.
“You’re going just like that?” I asked them, “What if they’re a large group?! What if they’re a group of monsters that are tracing us and you three get outnumbered? We’re with the whole camp Majella! Don’t make hasty decisions! We need you!”
Majella gave me an impressed look. “Fine, if you’re worried that the three of us won’t come back” Menea snickered, “we’ll take you and a few more others. Better?”
“Sounds cool.” Sam said in agreement.
I nodded and Majella called Angelica, Janine and Anthony from the campers while Sam called for three more others from the war demigods. We were ten in all.
Majella talked to Jimuel, Carlene and En for a while and told them that we’ll be investigating where the smoke came from. The three of them will take care of the campers and the war demigods while we’re gone.
“Ready?” Sam asked me.
“Yeah,” I answered though I feel my knees shaking with nervousness.
“Let’s go!” Menea said, walking up front of the group.
“Wait, I thought of something!” Majella said, she turned to the side of the path and wolf whistled loudly.
“Good thinking.” Sam said, “I haven’t seen Azula for a while now!”
Menea walked beside me. “You know Azula’s story?”
“Nope,” I answered, “Just the story about her name.”
Menea laughed.
“The three of us,” Menea started, pointing herself, Majella and Sam, “we went to a quest about 3 years ago to Mt. Apo. Majella found the eagle wounded and then nursed her back to health. The eagle started following her after that so we suggested she name it and make it her official pet.”
“And she named the eagle after a fire princess that went bonkers.” Sam added, joining our conversation. Majella heard him and smacked him on the head. We laughed again at how they treat each other.
“Aaark!” Azula the eagle cried out, circling us from above.
“Azula!” Majella called out to the bird and Azula landed on her right shoulder.
“Hey Azula,” Menea greeted the eagle like an old friend. Azula let Menea pat its great beak.
“She looks bigger.” Sam commented as he pats Azula’s head.
“What, you’re expecting her to remain a chick?” Menea sarcastically said.
We just laughed at them.
"Azula, go check where the smoke's coming from. Bring back a leaf if it's safe, a twig if it's not and a rock if you don't understand the situation okay?" Majella said to the eagle who flew away.
After an hour of walking, we reached the edge of the woods where the smoke came from.
“It’s close.” Sam said, “We’ll have to be careful.”
We nodded and silently as we can, walked into the woods. Azula hasn't come back yet and the three have decided to continue on without the eagle's report.
After a ten more minutes, we began to hear noises ahead so Majella made a gesture for us to stop.
Majella, Menea and Sam huddled together and talked about what to do next.
After talking, Sam signed ‘four’ with his hand and made a gesture of ‘follow me’. Anthony and the three other war demigods followed him to the right side while the rest of us followed Majella to the left.
We inched closer, hiding behind the bushes.
I peeked through the leaves and saw a camp site. It was a plain clearing where tents of green, blue and black are set up. The place was filled with twenty or more people wearing camouflage uniforms like Menea’s but they have a black and red armband tied round their right arm.
On the center of the clearing is a campfire with what looks like a wild boar, roasting in the fire. It was tended by a girl who looks to be around thirteen. A wicked looking axe rested beside her.
So that’s where the smoke’s coming from.
Close to the fire is a guy, wearing full black armor and clothes, hanging on his belt is a black double bladed sword. He was questioning a guy that looks to be sixteen and is held by the arms by two other men.
“Jeritz,” I heard Menea whisper beside me.
The black cladded guy asked something to Jeritz but he just shook his head, smiling gaily at the guy. Losing his temper, the black guy punches Jeritz on the stomach. I heard a high pitched scream escape from Jeritz.
“ELIJAH!!” someone shouted from the other side of the woods.
Sam and his three friends bounded from the trees, their weapons raised and anger on their faces. Menea too stood up and ran to the clearing.
“SAM! MENEA! NO!” Majella shouted, following Menea to the clearing.
Menea attacked a girl who welcomed her with her sword. Menea lashed her bow at the girl. Sam was fighting the black guy with such ferocity that their blades were making sparks in every contact. The other three war demigods attacked the two holding Jeritz.
Me, Janine and Angelica ran into the clearing, only to be welcomed by a group of girls holding swords.
“STOP!” Majella shouted.
I tried to fight one of the girls who blocked my every moved and in one swift movement, she knocked my knife off my hand and pinned me down to the ground. A few more seconds and Angelica and Janine are pinned down too.
The girl who disarmed me pulled my hair up and I was forced into a kneeling position.
I saw Majella fighting several people all at once. She disarmed a few of them and kicked them to the ground and then continued running.
She got to Menea and her fighting partner and disarmed the two of them. But since they were too much angry with each other, they continued to a fist fight, ignoring Majella’s constant shouting of “Stop!”
“STOP!” Majella continued to shout as she disarmed yet another guy and continued to run to Sam and his partner’s direction.
The other three war demigods are already pinned down to the ground. Anthony came into view but he too was easily pinned down to the ground by several other people.
“SAM! ELIJAH!” Majella shouted. “STOP!!”
But no one was listening to her. Sam and the so called Elijah continued to fight.
Majella was blocked by three other guys but she swiftly disarmed the two of them and kicked the other one to the ground and continued to run towards Sam.
“STOP!” Majella continued to scream.
But then it was like the world suddenly turned slow mo.
I saw Sam avoid the shadow that Elijah summoned, leaving his chest open. Elijah quickly took the opportunity and stabbed Sam with his black sword.
“NO!” Majella’s shout was so loud everything else seemed quiet. Thunder boomed and several lightning hit the trees and the ground around the clearing. Everyone stopped.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Menea fall to the ground with Majella’s painful cry.
Sam looked shocked, dropping his sword to the ground behind him. Elijah pushed his sword deeper and Sam’s knees gave way. Sam kind of hugged the black cladded guy for support. He coughed blood to Elijah’s shoulders, but the two of them remained standing.
“SAM!” Majella screamed again, running closer to Sam and Elijah.
I saw Sam look at Majella and gave her a weak smile. Then Elijah pushed the son of Hermes and Sam fell down to the ground, lifeless.