Hey, this is my first fanfiction and I hope you enjoy it. Before we get started I want to say that I own only the characters I create and my own imagination. Everything else belongs to Rick Riordan. I hope you guys enjoy it. Also, this chapter was supposed to be called Welcome to Camp, but I sorta messed up. ;)

Slash, hack, stab, roll, dodge the blade.

I missed combat training, fighting with your friends, fighting over chores, all those small arguments or just wanting to get the anger out of your system. The rhythm of the fight, the sound the blade made as it hit another blade, the adrenaline pumping through your system, that rush you got when you disarmed your 'enemy'.

None of that prepared you for the real thing.

Our blades met in the air and I tried the disarming technique. They sensed it and kicked my breastplate, sending me flying backwards.

"Oof." I gasped as I landed on my back, and immediately rolled to keep from getting impaled. I desperately swung my sword, catching their ankle and knocking them off their feet. I was on them in an instant, about to impale them with my sword when I got hit with an arrow.

"Oh shit!" I gasped, yanking the arrow from my armour and throwing it. When it exploded I turned my attention to the person on the ground under me.

A child of Ares no doubt. Wait no, they were Roman, they called him Mars. Well, whatever they called him, he was the god of war, and his children knew how to fight.

He reached up and ripped my helmet off, throwing it into the fighting and leaving me exposed. My heart thudded painfully in my chest and I realised I had dropped my sword, the only weapon I had left was my dagger. I knew I was terrible with swords but trying to fight off a Roman army with nothing but a celestial bronze dagger, well . . . I wasn't eager to try it.

I yanked out my dagger and stabbed down, but he grabbed my wrist and easily pushed my hand back. I could feel the power in his grip and my heat raced. I made a fist with my other hand and punched him in the face. He punched me right back, so hard I saw stars.

I collapsed on the ground next to him, putting one hand on my cheekbone. I figured it was fractured. I could feel my eye puff up and I rolled, hearing my dagger sink into the spongy ground.

I kicked at him and he grabbed my leg. I screamed in fear and rage, twisting in his grip like a snake. I managed to squirm out and in desperation I threw my helmet at him. I scooted backwards, looking around for reinforcements.

Unfortunately everyone was in a fight for their life. The war had been going on for what felt like forever, but what was really only a week or so.

I turned and caught his fist before he could punch me again, my heart racing. There was no adrenaline in my veins, just ice cold fear. I wasn't ready to go to the Underworld, I was only fourteen, my life was just starting, I didn't even know who my mother was.

An arrow hit his helmet and he staggered to the side. I reached up and ripped his helmet off with one hand, bashing him in the head with a tree branch in my other hand. I leaped on him and pulled out his own imperial gold dagger and stabbed him in the head.

I rolled off of him, collapsing in exhaustion. That makes three today. I thought sadly.

"Dianna? Are you okay?" A boy asked, running over, a bow in his hand and an almost empty quiver on his back.

"Yeah." I gasped. "Thanks Harry."

Harry Fitzgerald was my best friend, a child of Apollo, and the camps best archer. He was decked up in his bronze armour like me, I could see his green eyes through his helmet and only a bit of his curly blonde hair. He stretched down his hand and helped me to my feet.

"You took quite a hit." He said, studying my eye. "Possible concussion."

"I can still fight." I said.

"After some ambrosia." Harry said. "You can't fight half blind."

I didn't want to disagree with him but we needed fighters, we were being pushed back towards camp and we couldn't let them take it. "I have to keep fighting." I insisted.

"You will, after we get that eye looked at. It could get worse." Harry insisted.

"Fine." I replied, picking up my helmet and dagger.

"Where's your sword?" Harry asked.

"It's gone." I said. "Somewhere in the fighting."

Harry nodded, he loaded an arrow and fired at something over my shoulder. We started heading towards camp, offering assistants whenever we could. My body count slowly grew. Four, five. . .

Slash, duck, dodge, block.

I caught the blade on the hilt of my dagger and I lashed out, kicking their armour, the sheer weight of it sent them tumbling backwards. I turned and ran, not wanting to kill anyone else.

We made it back to camp at around dusk. Harry went to stock up on arrows while I headed to the infirmary to get my eye checked on. They sentenced me to a good night's rest in my cabin.

Like anyone could sleep good on the floor of the Hermes cabin. But at the moment I was so tired it sounded like Elysium. I took off my armour and put it back on the racks. Before I could lose my nerve or forget I went to complete my after battle ritual.

Tommy Fitz was an unclaimed demigod, just like I was. But he had a passion for art, he created what he called 'tattoos' on our bodies, using ink he had found on his last quest. I always went to him after a fight with other demigods.

"How many do you want this time?" He asked me, setting up his equipment. He had wiry muscles and a scarred face that might have been handsome at one point.

"Five." I said.

"Sit down." He said, nodding to the chairs.

I sat, I didn't even need to bother rolling my sleeves up. On each of my arms I had thin black rings circling my biceps, one more on my right arm then my left. One for each demigod I killed.

I wanted to remember them, not because I was sadistic, but because I was remorseful. I didn't want to kill, I wish I didn't have to, but I did. And I needed to carry around that burden, I couldn't forget their faces, killing wasn't right, but sometimes it was necessary. I did it to protect my friends, and my family. But they had friends to and it wasn't fair to forget them.

It still stung but I had long since gotten used to it. It was over in minutes, he wrapped my arms up and said. "That's an even two dozen now."

Two dozen dead by my hand, my blade. How could I achieve Elysium as this killer? I did not deserve it.

"Dianna." Tommy said softly. "You have to stop, you're doing what you have to do."

I shook my head. "That doesn't make it easier Tommy."

He sighed and ruffled my black hair. "Get some sleep D, I'll see you later."

"See you later T." I said, getting up and heading to my cabin, my arms sore. I walked in and curled up on my floor space.

It was odd, usually the Hermes cabin is so packed that my head is on someone's legs or chest and someone else is using my legs as a pillow. But now there were only three other people asleep, two others nursing injuries of their own. I curled up on the floor, closing my eyes.

I instantly fell asleep, thankfully a dream free sleep. But the good can never last, it was only hours later when I was woken up by someone running in and yelling. "The oracle has a new prophecy! Chiron has ordered an emergency meeting at the amphitheater to discuss a quest!"

Before I could see who it was they were gone.

I exchanged a look with another member of the Hermes cabin, Stacy, a fifteen year old daughter of Hermes. She yawned and stretched, her brown hair in a messy braid.

"Hopefully this is good news." She muttered, getting up.

I got up and followed her to the amphitheater, my heart heavy with the feeling of impending doom.