Last of the Half-Bloods
"Retreat," yelled King Zeus. "Fall back to the ships."
"We can't just leave those men out there," yelled Lord Poseidon. "They're holding."
"For now," Zeus muttered. "When they falter we won't have enough time to evacuate the rest of the troops. Look at the big picture Poseidon. I must save the rest of the kingdom. They can't cross the channel."
"You're a coward! If we stay, we can turn the tide. Victory can still be ours."
"Stay if you wish. I will not foolishly sacrifice myself for nothing."
"Aaargh! I'll not abandon the men. If I must die today, then I hope it is a glorious death." Lord Poseidon stormed out of King Zeus's headquarters and mounted his majestic looking horse. He turned back one last time to look at the HQ and then galloped to the battlefield.
The Titan army crushed the last vestiges of Lord Poseidon's Atlanteans. Lord Poseidon had rallied the Atlantean warriors but without reinforcements or supplies they eventually succumbed. However, they lasted long enough to provide ample time for King Zeus to safely evacuate the remaining troops across the vast channel to Greece. The Titans had no navy or means to cross the channel. The Titan expansion was halted by mother nature.
The Titan army was built up of various tribes each with its own fighting style. They often warred with each other over land and women. With the growing population the Titans needed more land so a powerful Warlord united the tribes into a unstoppable army. They swept across the continent defeating every army in its path. They were ruthless and bloodthirsty. They finally descended upon the Greek colonies. The colony Governors petitioned the King of Greece for support. King Zeus responded with a vast Army of hoplites. Although they fought bravely, they were soundly beaten by the Titan cavalry. King Zeus retreated to the safety of Greece where his navy could easily protect the waters of the channel. The colonies were lost.
It has been twenty years since the fall of the Greek colonies and many city states are pressuring King Zeus for expansion. They want to take back the colonies and its fertile soil. Lord Ares of Sparta is the biggest supporter of this expansion push. Sparta is not one for agriculture but if a war has to be undertaken to get it then he's all for it. However, Lord Zeus remembers the beating he took at the colonies and doesn't want to repeat it. They must change tactics in order to succeed. He summoned a council meeting of the heads of states.
"Ares, you speak of war but you have now idea what these Titans are capable of," Lord Zeus spat. "I was there. You were but a babe in diapers."
"Just because a few Atlantean warriors lost doesn't not mean I'll lose."
"Silence boy, you know nothing of the courageous stand of the Atlanteans and Lord Poseidon. They fought magnificently."
"They still lost," Ares grumbled.
"I've studied their tactics from veteran's accounts and believe I can devise a strategy that will hamper them," Lady Athena of Athens said.
"Shut up, Athena," Ares spat. "This isn't a naval war. This is my forte."
Lord Zeus rolled his eyes in frustration and said, "What did you have in mind Athena."
"They have several tribes that are banded together but if we frustrate them enough their alliance could fall apart. If we divide them, we can defeat them."
"How do we do that," asked Zeus.
"With hit and run raids. Never getting tied down into a large battle. Disrupting their supply lines and ruining their moral," Athena said.
"Are you kidding me?" Are asked. "That is not a way to fight a war." "Running and hiding." "Where's the honor in that."
Lord Zeus mulled it over and decided to compromise. "I tell you what we are going to due. Athena, put together your harassment team and Ares prepare your Army. The Olympian army will also play a part in it as well but Ares your Spartans will be the vanguard of our force." Both Ares and Athena smiled.
"Ares, I have assembled some of the finest warriors in all of Greece and put them into one unit," Athena said. "Their goal will be to move ahead of the army disabling catapults and eliminating scouts and sentries. If they are successful, you should have no problem attacking them before their ready."
"Kind of takes the fun out of it. My Spartan warriors don't need any trickery to beat them. They're the finest warriors in the world. We've never lost a battle."
"You've never had to battle the Titans, Ares. They've swept across vast lands without a defeat. Their armies are enormous. If we do win back the colonies, we need every warrior we have to defend them. The Titans won't let them go easily."
The Athenian navy was anchored off the coast. In the bowels of the fleet were thousands of Greek warriors ready to reclaim the colonies. They were waiting for the advance party to make land fall. The advance party was lead by Annabeth Chase, a warrior maiden and brilliant tactician. Among her party were some of the finest warriors of Greece. Some of the more renowned warriors were the Stoll brothers, Nico DiAngelo, Thalia Grace, Grover Underwood, Charles Beckendorf, and Luke Castellan. They made landfall while it was still dark out and preceded to take out sentries. They found and disabled any catapults or trebuchets. They stealthily went into barracks and killed everyone presents. When they were done there was hardly anyone present to repel the invasion fleet.
Annabeth gave the signal to the fleet to launch the invasion and then moved her troops inland to attack the reinforcements. Her plan had went off without a hitch. Once the invasion fleet landed ashore, many Titan warriors started retreating. Annabeth's force descended on them without mercy. They had no room for prisoners. Step one was complete. Secure a beach head.
Once Ares' Spartans were ashore, they swarmed down the coast to secure other ports. Annabeth's troops lead the whole way taking out sentries and early warning scouts. They continued to disable catapults and trebuchets. Once the Olympian army regained a foot hold along the entire coast they moved inland. By now, the regional Warlord had heard of the invasion and assembled a large cavalry to repel the Greeks. The Titan War Lord Atlas also sent a message to Chief Kronos asking for reinforcements.
"Ethan, I need you to take a cavalry unit and search out and eliminate that harassing force," Atlas said. "Oh, and Ethan. Do try and keep one alive so we can question the prisoner." Ethan merely smirked and walked out.
Ethan was a brutal cavalry scout captain who relished torturing Greeks and half-bloods. Oh, how he hated the impure half-bloods. Half-bloods were the off spring of Titans and Greeks. When the Titans swept through the lands they raped and pillaged so a mix blood race evolved. Some surviving Greek colonist also took Titan wives. Anyway, Ethan would have been a general in the Titan army if it wasn't for his sadistic ways. He was very cunning and quick to adapt to battlefield situations. His only defeat came at the hands of a young half-blood who had escaped and started a resistance. Hence, his extreme hatred for half-bloods. He has since gone on to try and exterminate the half-blood population.
"We'll camp here for tonight. Tomorrow we head north to scout out the terrain and see if any Titan scouts are out there," Annabeth said.
"These Titans don't seem so tough," Thalia said. "I can't believe we lost to them in the first place."
"Never underestimate your enemy, Thalia." "They weren't expecting us and we always catch them by surprise. Before they can react, we are history. Sooner or later or luck will run out and we will be in a dog fight."
"If you say so. I still think they are weak. Anyway, I see you and Luke have been getting friendly."
"What?" Annabeth said blushing. "We're just comrades in arms. That's all."
"Sure. Sure," Thalia said with one eye brow raised.
"He is the best swordsman I have ever seen," Annabeth said dreamily. "He has excellent instincts and he is probably the best one here at stealth."
"Yeah, but how is he in the sack," Thalia laughed.
"Aargh, Thalia I'm a warrior maiden just like you."
"For now." Thalia rolled her eyes and went to bed.
First thing in the morning Annabeth set out looking for a fight. Luke and Beckendorf were scouting ahead when they came upon an encampment. They snuck a little closer to get a better look when they were ambushed.
"Luke behind us," yelled Beckendorf. "It's a trap."
"Shit, run back to the horses and get out of here. I'll try and hold them off," Luke yelled.
"I'm not leaving you-,"
Beckendorf was cut off by Luke who said, "We need to warn Annabeth. Go!"
Beckendorf backtracked to the horses while Luke grabbed his bow and started firing arrows to the approaching horde. He felled a few but they were to many. He pulled his sword and prepared himself. Once they were upon him, his blades became a blur of movement. He was cutting through their ranks with ease when suddenly he was shot with an arrow in his right thigh. He slumped to the ground momentarily but got back up to fight when Ethan Nakumura attacked him. Ethan was easily Luke's equal with the sword but Luke was now hobbled and couldn't keep up. Ethan eventually landed a strike to his other leg thus reducing Lukes mobility completely. He placed his sword to Luke's neck.
"Tell me where they are or die," Ethan asked.
"I'll never tell you anything," Luke spat. "Kill me if you must."
"Oh, I'm going to kill you but not before I have a little fun first." Ethan sliced his sword down the left side of Luke's face causing a large cut from his left eye to his chin.
"Aargh!" Luke yelled. Then Ethan hit Luke with the pommel of his sword across his mouth knocking out several teeth.
"Tell me and I'll make your death swift," Ethan said while wrenching on the arrow in Luke's leg.
"Aargh," Luke screamed. "They're just south of the river about half a days ride."
"Well, thank you so very much." Ethan walked away. "Don't kill him yet. Atlas wants a prisoner. Take a few men and transfer him. As for the rest of us, we have some Greeks to kill."
Beckendorf rode for all he was worth. Once he arrived in camp he collapsed exhausted. "Somebody get a healer," cried Annabeth. "Charles what happened? Where's Luke?" She asked worried.
"We found an encampment but it was a trap. We need to get out of here. Luke sacrificed himself so I could warn you."
"We can't leave Luke. We have to get him back."
Thalia walked up and heard the conversation. She new how Annabeth felt about Luke but Beckendorf was right. "We can't let Luke's sacrifice go in vain. We have to leave quickly or we'll all be captured. Remember our orders Annabeth. Hit and move. Don't get tied down. The mission is more important than -
"Don't. Okay. Just don't. I know the parameters of the mission but I can't just abandon Luke like that."
"Excuse us Beckendorf. Could you please get everyone ready to depart quickly." Once he left, Thalia said, "Gods Dammit, Annabeth. Your going to risk everyone's lives for your crush. I'm sorry about Luke but we need to leave before it's to late."
The Stoll brothers came running up and said, "Titans!" "Two separate cavalry groups. One means to cut us off the other means to attack."
"Shit, saddle up!" Annabeth yelled. "We need to escape and I mean now." It was to late. They were cut off but Annabeth was not going down without a fight. She circled back to attack their flank in hopes of breaking through. However, the Titans weren't you run of the mill Titan army. They were Ethan's elite and fought the Greeks to a stand still. The Titans that cut off their escape were now coming to reinforce Ethan's men.
"Annabeth, think of something quick or we're done for," yelled Thalia as she parried a blow with her shield.
"Form up on me," she yelled. "I'll make a last stand here and Thalia you and the others make a run for it."
"That's not a plan. It's suicide."
"The Atlanteans did it for your father. Now, let me do it for you. You mustn't be captured Thals."
"Nico, take Thalia to safety while the rest of us buy you time. Take the Stolls with you."
"It'll be done," he said and grabbed Thalia's reins and the bolted off.
The Titans fought furiously. Very few Greeks were left standing when Ethan approached with a smirk. "Valiant effort but not good enough," he said.
"What are you waiting for?" Annabeth asked. "Let's end this."
"Tsk, tsk. I like to savor the kill. You remaining few will suffer. Oh, how will you suffer." Then a conch horn blew in the distance and Ethan spun his head around quickly in that direction. A lone figure emerged on a magnificent black horse and began to gallop towards them. Fear spread across Ethan's face and Annabeth noticed it. "Shit. It's the half-blood. Retreat. Leave them for now." The Titans mounted up and sped off.
"What in the world just happened," asked Annabeth. She gazed at the rider who continued to gallop in their direction. He didn't appear to be armored or heavily armed for that matter. How did he just run off a well trained cavalry.
"I don't know but if he can scare off the Titans I'm not sure I want to meat this guy," Grover said. "We should leave as well."
"I want to meet this guy Grover. We could use him. We still have our orders and our numbers have just been decimated." The stranger galloped up the surviving Greeks. Annabeth noticed he was tall and nicely built. She also noticed he was very handsome. "Who are you?"
"I'm Percy Jackson. Son of Poseidon. Last of the Half-Bloods."