Chap. 1: A New Teacher and Camp
"Hello, class. I am Artemis Callisto. You will call me Ms. Callisto."
A four year-old Percy Jackson couldn't help but wonder -their new gym teacher didn't look like the other ones. And she had a funny name, too
Artemis look over the class she was supposed to be teaching. She knew Orion was here -along with several other monsters. The vice principal, at least, was a manticore, and a math teacher looked like a Fury -why would Hades send his servants here?
The monsters she could deal with, though. Orion was a different story.
But now there was a complication to an already risky operation: A demigod. More than that, a son of Poseidon, and years after the Pact of the Three was made. Four years old, or thereabouts.
He wasn't supposed to exist.
So Artemis pushed a cart of balls into the middle of the gym and told the students to do whatever they wanted, but it had to be gym-related. Then she watched.
The boy was certainly somewhat athletic, and willing to help anyone back up to their feet after they tripped or tumbled.
A heavy hand fell on her shoulder.
"How are you doing today, Ms. Callisto?" Orion asked politely.
"Well, Mr. Bowman. I am doing well." Artemis replied in kind, "I take it you are not planning any . . . surprises today?"
Orion smiled, the kind face she once knew spoiled by the scars and mechanical eyes, "Oh, I thought I'd give you a few days to settle in."
"I would thank you for your generosity, but I am not in the habit of talking to boorish males."
The giant man tutted, "So impolite, Ms. Callisto. Are you trying to teach your students to be rude as well?"
"To you, perhaps. I wonder why you have not laid waste to the entire school yet." Artemis asked, not expecting an answer.
"Unlike you gods, I try not to kill innocent children. The only reason your head is not my trophy is I need time to escape, and that does not allow for fighting you." Orion replied, "However, rest assured that should you enter hostilities, I will not hesitate. After all, Zeus has much more blood on his hands than I could ever spill."
Artemis frowned but stayed silent as Orion moved away.
The boy she was keeping an eye on was looking after the giant in fear and wonder.
Her frown deepened.
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Artemis breathed out slowly, raising her bow and aiming at Orion's undefended back as he walked through the empty school hallways.
Her aim was centered on his heart, and her arrow flew true.
Orion howled in pain, falling to one knee and putting a hand to his chest, "ARGH! I warned you, Artemis! Did you think you could defeat me with no demigod to aid you?"
"No." answered the goddess, "But I have no need to risk my Hunters on this operation."
"You . . ." the giant chucked as blood flowed from around the arrow in his chest. His hand fell to his pocket, pressing a button.
Fire bloomed from every classroom and hallway as explosions erupted around the school, turning it to a cinder with both of them inside.
And one other, uninvited guest.
Percy peeked around the corner, seeing the scary man slump down with an arrow sticking through him. Saw him reach into his pocket.
Then he was thrown forward from the force of an explosion not ten feet away from him, sending twisted and shattered metal shards into his back as he flew through the air like Superman, slamming into the scary man.
His outstretched hands with untidy nails opened only the tiniest of scratches on Orion's face. Enough for a single drop of blood to form.
The giant's eyes widened, "Nooooo!"
Then he was gone. That was all it took to kill a giant.
Artemis ran forward, kicking Orion's dissolving body out of the way and picking up the boy. He was alive -barely. Metal shards were sticking out of his flesh, and his back was badly burned.
She swore, reactively pressing her hands to the boy's body. Pure sliver light flowed from her hands, healing the worst of the wounds. There was only so much she could do -her agreement with the Fates that let her interact with mortals bound much of her power.
But she could heal some . . . and hope for the rest.
Gods damn it, he wasn't suppose to be here.
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"Can we risk more nectar, Lady Artemis?" a voice said, barely reaching Percy's groggy state of near-unconsciousness.
"Very little." came the voice of his gym teacher.
"I can try nature magic, milady." came another voice, slightly different.
"Do so."
Featherlight hands touched his temples, and his mouth was open. Some delicious liquid seeped into his mouth. It tasted like vanilla pudding.
After it came what felt like leaves. They weren't sweet, salty, or sour. A little tangy, maybe.
A soft song also reached him -not in any language he recognized. The song seemed to speak to the parts of him that hurt the most, easing them and healing his wounds.
"He'll be up soon, milady." It was the third voice again.
"Good."
The first voice came again, "Lady Artemis, are you sure about this? We've never tried it before."
"Get them early enough, and even males can be trained."
Percy whimpered in pain, opening his eyes and trying to get up. He was strapped to a bed, and all the muscles in his four-year old body couldn't break them.
"Mom?" he asked, looking around, "Where's Mom?"
"Hush, now." Artemis said, going with her instincts -she had some connection to the mothering domain through her own mother, and let it guide her, "I'm your new mother."
"New . . . mother?" asked Percy uncertainly.
"Yes, and these are your new sisters, Zoë, Pheobe, Naomi, and Celyn." Artemis pointed out, "Rest now. You will need your strength in the days to come."
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Zoë ruffled a seven-year old Percy's hair as the son of Poseidon tried to bend a short, weak bow.
"Thou must center the recurve on thy calf." she explained, demonstrating.
Percy nodded, copying her. Years of eating the Hunter's fare and elementary training under Artemis' tutelage stripped away all his baby fat early, replacing it with fledgling muscle.
"Now, take thy bowstring and slip the loop over one end, nestling it into the notches on either end." instructed the master Hunter, again demonstrating, "Once thou is finished, slip the opposite loop on the opposite end."
Percy followed her orders, stringing his first bow in short order.
"Dost thou see the target?" Zoë asked, pointing. It was fairly close, only some ten meters away.
The son of Poseidon nodded.
"Take aim."
Percy held the bow up, pointing it at the target as he saw many, many other Hunters do.
Zoë paced around him, correcting a few minor flaws -but it was mostly correct.
"Thou must hold form for two minutes." ordered the daughter of Atlas.
Percy nodded, doing his best to hold the bow steady and keep his form tight.
Zoë didn't expect him to make it -rather, have it be a goal he could attain by the end of today or midway tomorrow.
By one minute, his bow arm started shaking lightly of keeping even this small bow up and level.
By a minute and a half, it ached. But he didn't stop.
At two minutes, Zoë called time. Percy, relieved, let his arms drop to his side.
The Hunter let him rest and massage his arm for fifteen seconds before speaking again, "Now resume thy form."
Percy sprung to it, doing his absolute best to emulate his previous stance.
Again Zoë circled him, correcting mistakes where she found them.
This happened again and again over the course of an hour, and by the end of it Percy could assume the right form over half the time, and hold it well.
"Zoë, why are we practicing this?" asked the son of Poseidon, legitimately confused, "If I can get the stance right now, why keep trying?"
"A Hunter can never think about their form, in combat, nor can they take time to remember where exactly their quiver is or estimate the range to the target. It must all be instinctual." Zoë then proceeded to prove her point, turning and dropping into a perfect firing position, her hand going to her quiver as fast as lighting as she put arrows through lightly fluttering leaves.
Percy looked on in awe, "Can you teach me how to do that?"
"I shall teach thou that and much, much more in time, little brother."
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Nine years old now, Percy was given a pair of dull Celestial Bronze knives and was facing Pheobe in a clear, sandy area Artemis summoned to train it.
"Give it a swing." instructed the Hunter, "Get a feel for it."
Percy did so, swinging the knives around, "Why do we use knives when we could shoot them from dozens of meters away?"
Pheobe didn't smile -she rarely did- but her tone wasn't unkind, "Sometime you won't have room to fire a bow -or you won't have time. That's when blades come out."
As he started feeling the weight of the knives, the Hunter stepped in, "Hold them higher up the hilts. You want your second joint to point the same way the blade does -towards the enemy."
Percy nodded, adjusting his grip accordingly, until Pheobe signaled that it was good enough, "Now, hit those dummies a few times."
The little Hunter-to-be nodded happily, moving over and taking a swing. His dulled knife twisted in his hands as the heavy armor the dummy wore turned it.
Percy frowned as Pheobe came over.
"You have to hold the knife tightly, and aim for chinks in the enemy's armor. Otherwise, your blades will never cause damage." instructed the expert Hunter, "Speed and agility is more important that raw strength when wielding knives -but never think strength isn't crucial. Without it, you couldn't drive your strikes home."
The demigod nodded obediently.
"Good. We'll start on unarmed combat in an hour."
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"You're late." Celyn observed as Percy stumbled into her neck of the woods at eleven years old.
"Sorry, big sis. Pheobe kept me on knifework for a long time." Percy replied.
"She obsesses over it too much." she sighed, "What do you know of nature magic?"
"Satyrs and nymphs use it a lot." Percy answered, "Usually, they channel it through something, like reed pipes."
"Correct. Usually, Hunters gain some magic through their oath with Artemis -the ability to communicate with our wolves, birds, and other creatures, or move silently through the forest." Celyn said, "Most Hunters have a rudimentary connection with nature -though I, and perhaps you as well, have much more."
"You're a daughter of Pan, right?" asked the demigod, "And that's where you get your power. But why would I be different than anyone else?"
"Artemis poured a large portion of her power into you to keep you alive." Celyn gestured, "Powerful magic like that affects someone's body -especially if they're young."
"Okay . . . what do you want me to do?"
"For starters, press your hand against this tree." Celyn motioned to the particular tree.
Percy nodded, stepping forward and laying his right hand against it. It felt warm, warmer than it should, and he could feel something flowing beneath his fingertips.
"Unlike most powers granted by the gods, nature magic is very open-ended." Celyn informed him, "With practice, you can see through the eyes of any denizen of the forest, if you concentrate. Let me show you something I can do."
The Hunter carefully plucked a leaf from a tree, holding it between her fingers and closing her eyes, "I can sense life all around me. Ants climbing the tree next to you, and the worms burrowing through the ground underneath. A woodpecker is making her nest in a tree ten meters away from me."
Her eyes opened again, meeting Percy's gaze as she replaced the leaf on the tree, healing it.
"How?"
"In time, brother, you could do that." Celyn smiled kindly, "In the meantime, I'll teach you how to talk with birds and squirrels. They make excellent couriers if you need them to deliver something small."
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Eventually, the day came of the skill none of the Hunter could truly teach him: swordplay. The thirteen year-old Percy would have to go somewhere else to learn that, and after a sumptuous dinner, it was time to leave.
"I will visit you at Camp Half-Blood. Or perhaps you can come visit me." Artemis smiled slightly, "Go to Chiron. He can teach you."
Percy nodded, tears wetting his eyes no matter how many times he blinked them away, "Why can't I stay here, Lady Artemis?"
"I would rather you stay, but Poseidon will grow suspicious." Artemis replied, "Besides, you must make a name for yourself. Make me proud."
"I will. I swear on the Styx, I will." the young man swore, with all the devotion he could muster.
"I know." the goddess replied, "Now, Zoë has something to give you."
Percy nodded again, turning to the Lieutenant of the Hunt, who wrapped him in a tight hug before releasing him and stepping back, then taking something from her hair. It was a hairpin -her favorite one.
"The Fates told me there would be one who would erase the past of this blade. I believe that is thy role." Zoë said, "Take it, and make from it the weapon of a hero."
As the pin touched his hand, a perfectly balanced bronze sword grew from it. Funnily enough, a blue pencap appeared as well.
"The name of the blade is Anaklusmos. Riptide." Zoë explained, "A sad blade with a tragic past. Thou will put it to good use."
"I hope so." replied the demigod. Struck be a sudden impulse, he touched the blue pencap to the tip of the blade. It immediately shrunk to a normal ballpoint pen.
One by one, the rest of the Hunt gave him a quick hug, whispering words of advice in his ear before, at last, it was time to leave.
The tree Artemis told him to go to was just visible, so the demigod threw on his backpack -containing his tent, a spare, and most everything else he owned. He was wearing blue jeans and a gray shirt -all the better to blend in with.
Tightening the straps, Percy set off, looking back every once and a while to wave before his family was out of sight.
The hill with the tree loomed in front of him, and he started up it as a figure in a bronze breastplate waved at him, "Hey!"
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"Hello. Can I see Chiron?" Percy asked politely as the breast-plated and helmeted figure tramped into speaking distance.
The figure reached up, taking off his helmet, "You know about Chiron?"
"Chiron, trainer of heroes, directs Camp Half-Blood." Percy shrugged, "I don't know much else."
"He'll want to meet you, too." he reached out an armored hand, "I'm Charles Beckendorf. Call me Beckendorf."
"Perseus Jackson." the demigod shook his hand, "Call me Percy."
"Good to meet you. Let's go to the Big House." Beckendorf pointed to a big, two-story house with baby-blue trim, "Mr. D and Chiron are probably there."
"Let's go, then." Percy started off, following the armor-clad Beckendorf to the porch.
An older man in a wheelchair and a loud man were there, playing some kind of card game. The older man was wearing a sweater that said "Don't Hold Your Horses", and his legs were mostly covered by a blanket. Chiron.
The other one, well, there was no good way to describe him other than loud. He wore a leopard-print shirt that clashed garishly with Hawaiian shorts, and his massive potbelly and beer-liver weren't doing him any favors. Mr. D, presumably. Dionysus.
"Ah, Mr. Beckendorf." Chiron said, looking over to them, "A new camper?"
"Chiron?" Percy asked, stepping forward, "Naomi and Janice send their regards."
"Naomi and Janice . . . now, those are names I haven't heard in a long time." Chiron replied, "I'm sorry, Dionysus, but we will have to conclude our game. I'm afraid the orientation video will nowhere near suffice for this one."
The wheelchaired man spun, "Mr. Beckendorf, please return to Thalia's Pine."
"Sure, Chiron." Beckendorf moved away, going back to a previously-unseen chair right next to the massive pine.
"Now, how did you come to be with the Hunt?" asked the disguised Centaur.
"Artemis was hunting Orion at my preschool, and after an explosion nearly killed me, she took me in. I was four years old, I think. Anyways, she and my sisters -the rest of the Hunt- raised me." Percy answered, "Artemis sent me here to learn to fight with a sword and make a name for myself. Learn to fight with this sword in particular."
The demigod took Riptide from his pocket and uncapped it, causing the bronze blade to grow to full length in his hands.
Chiron bent down, studying the blade closely, "Riptide. As I recall, Zoë was debating whether to give me custody of the blade around nine years ago. She wished me to find a hero suitable of carrying it -though it appears she chose you. You should be honored."
"I am." Percy affirmed, "So, what is it we do at Camp Half-Blood."
"Train. Live. Bond." said the wise Centaur, "Sometimes, the gods ordain a quest."
That's when someone knocked on the door of the Big House, "Chiron?"
"Come in, Mr. Beckendorf."
The door opened to expose the burly camper, and next to him a girl with stormy gray eyes and blond hair.
"Annabeth's back." Beckendorf said unnecessarily as the girl stormed in.
"Oh, dear." Chiron said, "Come, sit down. I take our most recent attempt has failed?"
"She still hates me." Annabeth replied bitterly.
"I see. Would you mind showing Perseus here around camp? After you unpack, of course." Chiron asked -he had a peculiar way of ordering people.
"Fine." the girl said, "Follow me, new guy."
"Before I go, I should tell you my parentage." Percy said, "I'm a son of Poseidon."
Chiron looked shocked for half a second, but hid it quickly, "I see. We must talk again later."
Then Annabeth dragged him out the door, still angry.
"Back there is Thalia's Pine." Annabeth pointed, "I came to camp with her and-"
"Annabeth! You're back!" a handsome man with sandy hair came running up, hugging the blond girl. He was at least a few years older, and well-built, "It didn't go well?"
"N-no." she stammered slightly, "Percy, this is Luke Castellan, Counselor of the Hermes Cabin."
"Nice to meet you. You'll probably be joining me soon enough." Luke shook Percy's hand, his grip firm and his hand calloused, "We're a bit crowded, but we'll make it work."
"Anyone unclaimed goes to the Hermes Cabin." Annabeth explained, "Since the godly parent rarely claims their child . . . there are a lot of people there."
"How did you travel with a tree?" Percy asked, pointing to Thalia's Pine.
Annabeth shot him a look that said, Gods, you're pretty thick.
"She wasn't always a tree, obviously." the blond girl said, "She used to be a demigod, a daughter of Zeus, and she met up with Luke. They worked together for a while before they found me. Then Grover, a Satyr, found the three of us and started leading us here. We were being chased by a pack of hellhounds, but Thalia stayed behind to hold them off. Zeus turned her into a tree to save her life."
"Now she protects the borders of the camp." Luke said, "Annabeth wants to find a way to bring her back, but it's slow going. You've seen the orientation video, right?"
"No, actually, but I know what hellhounds and Satyrs are, and I know that the gods exist and all." Percy said.
"We'll show you around, then." Luke replied.
While they gave him a complete tour of the camp, Percy picked up on a few things. Luke was a pretty easy-going, cool guy. Annabeth was very, very smart and liked to show it, but seemed to be just a little awkward talking to the handsome Hermes Counselor.
"I think that's it. Pretty cool place, right?" asked the son of Hermes, and Percy nodded in agreement, "Come with me, we'll get a schedule for you."
"Right."
Luke was right: The Hermes Cabin was crowded. As soon as he opened the door, all heads turned to look at the newcomer.
"Meet your newest cousin, Perseus Jackson. Unclaimed." Luke announced. The entire cabin groaned.
The Counselor worked his was through the people that seemed to be situated everywhere, getting Percy a sleeping bag and pointing to a currently unoccupied space on the floor, "There's your spot."
Percy took short, sharp breaths as he looked around frantically. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. The space was so tight, and there were so many people here. More people than the entire Hunt.
There was a sneaky little hand that dipped into the back pocket of Percy's jeans, and -panicked- Percy spun, taking the arm in an iron grip and twisting, forcing the Hermes camper to his knees.
Percy jerked back, completely out of his element, before grabbing the sleeping bag and stumbling out the door, "Sorry!"
The son of Poseidon booked it away from the Hermes cabin amongest the weird looks, going to the only place he was used to -the forest. It was dangerous -that's what Luke said- but Percy had to get away.
It was so cramped in the Hermes cabin, Percy felt like he couldn't breathe.
He could breathe easily in the forest, though.
Still, he kept running until he ran smack into a . . . thing. It looked female, but had two snake bodies instead of legs. A dracaena.
It was unarmored, but clutched a nasty-looking sword.
Percy stumbled away, going for his knives. But they were in his backpack. All he had was Riptide.
The gleaming bronze blade grew in his hands, and he held onto it for dear life.
The dracaena swung him, and Percy brought his blade up -but it was too slow. Not at light as the knives he was used to working with.
The monster's sword clanged off Riptide, scoring a shallow cut up the demigod's arm.
Percy stepped back, adjusting his stance, but Pheobe said to always move forward. The person moving forward controls the battle.
With that thought in mind, Percy lunged. He miscalculated, unused to the much longer weapon he now carried, and stumbled past the monster -barely bringing Riptide up in time for another parry.
Gradually, Percy felt out what could and couldn't be used across the knife and sword boundry. The dracaena was still pressing him back, though, and eventually he stepped out of the forest entirely.
The monster couldn't. She pushed against some invisible boundry, and Percy caught his breath for a minute before reaching into his backpack. Artemis didn't want him to scare anyone by having a massive bow appear on his back at a random time, so instead he was given a drachma.
When he was ready, he was told to rub it, and his bow would again appear on his back.
This seemed like a good opprotunity, and seconds later the dracaena dissolved into dust.
But something needed to be done about his sleeping arangements. He had permission to use Cabin Eight, but Percy wanted to explore. Plucking a leaf from a nearby tree, much like Celyn did, Percy sat cross-legged on the forest floor.
Percy focused, and his awareness expanded as he connected to the very essence of the forest. There were tree nymphs -dryads and hamadryads- in the trees all around him.
Hello. Percy greeted the spirits all around him.
Who are you? The trees asked.
Percy smiled, One who seeks protects protection under your boughs. I wish to rest here; Am I safe in your presence?
The dryads seemed to be taken aback, but replied, Yes . . . no harm will come. It has been a long time since any have requested our aid.
It is appreciated. Percy promised, then the leaf fluttered away, and the connection was ended.
Content that he'd be safe, the demigod expanded his tent and climbed inside, sitting down at the desk with a sheet of paper out -a letter.
Ten minutes later, it was done. Fifteen minutes later, he was asleep.
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The next day, Percy packed up his tent before the sun started shining, thanking the dryads for their help.
Rock Climbing appeared to be the first thing on his docket today, and with his luck, that meant the lavafall. Still, he promised to make a name for himself.
And Percy didn't break his word.
He was at the rock climbing wall far before any of the others, surveying it closely. There weren't any safe routes to the top, and the lava looked ugly.
That left him with a few choices. Percy traced a route to the top that would never come into contact with lava, but it was fraught with danger. Boulders fell frequently, and it looked like parts of the path smashed togther at timed intervals.
Or he could risk the lava. There was a path that relied on dodging lava falls from above, but Percy was certain he could-
"Hey, Percy. You're up early." called Luke, at the head of the Hermes cabin.
Percy spun, shocked, before nodding, "Yes."
"Care to have the first crack at it?" asked the Hermes counselor, "It changes every day."
"No."
"I'll have a go, then." Luke replied good-naturedly, quickly picking out what he deemed to be the best route up.
The son of Hermes sprinted forward, moving blindingly fast until he jumped, spidering his way up the wall. He almost got crushed by a boulder twice, and lava looked like it had smothered him just as much.
But each time it happened, Percy narrowed his eyes further. He could see now that Luke wasn't in any real danger -he was timing his moves carefully, waiting for one obstacle to trigger so he'd have the most time for the next one.
He was good at this. Really good.
Other Hermes campers took to the wall as well, and Percy followed in the midst of them.
Could he really make it to the top?
Percy scowled, shaking his head, and took a handhold.
He could do this. He had to if he was going to make Artemis proud.
The lava bits were tricky. More often than not, Percy had to let go of the wall, dropping just in time to avoid it.
Luke had already made it to the top, and it looked like a few others joined him.
Percy gritted his teeth, stretching his body to the max as he climbed upwards, swinging away from boulders and lava. He was almost smashed a few times when the rocks to either side of him slammed together, and other handholds broke off I his grip.
But he had to keep going -the edge of the wall was getting closer all the time.
Slowly, Percy pulled himself onto a small ledge. Lava would flow down it in fifty-three seconds by his watch, but that was almost a minute to take a breather.
Half a minute later, with plenty of time to spare, Percy again set out to conquer this rock climbing wall.
His muscles groaned in protest -the rest hadn't done nearly as much as he hoped.
Still, Percy pulled himself, hand over hand, to the very top.
Luke pulled the new camper over the ledge, slapping him on the back, "Good job."
Percy didn't reply, practically passed out on top of the wall. Some water and ten minutes' rest would make him right as rain again, but for now he was exhausted.
Slowly, the demigod got up. There were a few less people on top now -it looked like some of them went down for another run.
Now more awake, Percy made sure to keep an eye on where he hid his backpack. He wasn't about to go climbing with it, and he didn't entirely trust the children of the God of Thieves.
It looked fine, but Percy couldn't be too sure until Luke called it quits for the day and Percy retrieved it -everything looked to be there.
After Rock Climbing, Canoeing was easy. After being dunked several times -on purpose- Percy felt much more revitalized, and gave a silent prayer of thanks to Poseidon.
If his father didn't claim him within a week, Percy knew Artemis would.
It was when Percy was taking a short break between activities that the trouble started.
He noticed the burly girl from a long way away, arguing with the blonde haired girl -Annabeth. Then she stormed off in his direction -just his luck.
"Fresh meat, huh?" she asked.
"Clarisse! Don't!" Annabeth called out from behind her.
Percy stepped back, not deigning to reply as he sized up his opponents. Most of them had brown or red stringy hair, and all of them looked strong. The one in the lead was particularly mean-looking, with brown hair that didn't reach her shoulders. Muscles were clearly defined on her arms, and she looked at least two years older than Percy.
Her underlings, a trio of male campers, surrounded him.
Crap.
Always move forward.
Percy lunged at Clarisse, his fists curling as he slammed a punch into her kidneys. It felt like punching a wall, but the female camper let out a short grunt of pain.
The son of Poseidon ducked away from the punch he knew was coming behind him, and ran for a gap between two of her cronies.
No such luck. One of them grabbed his arm, yanking him back.
Percy struggled, but he was pinned as Clarisse stepped forward, her face red with anger.
"You think you can walk in here and punch me, punk?" growled the camper.
Percy didn't speak.
The first punch caught him in the ribs, now quite cracking them. The second hit his nose, and the third his stomach.
Five minutes later, the campers let him fall, and after kicking him a few times, just pointed and laughed.
Percy lifted his head off the ground, glaring up at Clarisse with one eye -the other shut from blood.
"Still got some life in you, punk?"
Percy's lips parted, exposing his teeth, "You'll . . . regret this."
Clarisse laughed harshly, kicking him again, "Let's go. We've wasted enough time on this little punk."
Laughing and giving each other high fives, the four campers walked away. No one seemed to care.
Percy forced himself to his feet, silently taking stock of his situation. A few ribs were definitely cracked, and his pinkies were broken. His nose was bleeding heavily, and he had bruises all over.
Most of this could be healed with nectar and a good night's rest, so the demigod retrieved his backpack and walked into the forest. No one helped or hindered him.
All for the better.
Once again under the trees, Percy started searching. Nectar was all fine and good, but he had a limited amount of it. He didn't want to waste it here if he had a choice.
Thankfully, the forest was full of strange plants, and it was easy to find the ones he needed. Celyn had taught him to make a few different mixtures that would speed healing, and that's exactly what he needed here.
Safe from both campers and monsters, Percy let himself drift away while the campers ate dinner.
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No one knew were he came from or where he left to each night, but the Hermes campers certainly started to notice that he wasn't coming back to the cabin. Coupled with Clarisse, Percy became persona non grata.
So when CTF night came around, they stuck him on the riverbank between the two sides. A clear weak link in the chain.
"Remember, no maiming or killing!" Chiron called out, "Let the game begin!"
Almost immediately, Percy left his post. He had no care for winning a piece of fabric for a cabin that he didn't especially care about.
Instead, he left his unwieldy armor there, and had his hunting knives in hand.
He would watch. If he had the opportunity, maybe get some revenge.
Percy spotted that opportunity soon enough. Clarisse and her stoogies were moving across the stream, apperantly seeing the lack of guard.
Their mistake.
The thrum of a longbow was the only warning they got before a stinking cloud erupted in their midst. While one of the campers keeled over, retching, Percy swapped arrows and targeted Clarisse.
A blunt arrow slammed into her breastplate, and the daughter of Ares spun.
Another one missed her -on purpose. Percy needed to lull her into a sense of security -only then would she take off her helmet to get a better view of the forest.
And that she did.
Percy smiled nastily, drawing a blunt arrow made of slightly harder rubber, nocked it, and fired.
It slammed perfectly into Clarisse' nose, crushing it into her face.
The son of Poseidon let loose a hail of arrows on her three stooges, slamming into the weakest points of their armor and covering them in bruises. One of them got a broken jaw, and another fell face-first into the stream before Percy slung his bow, willing it to disappear as he snuck away.
They couldn't prove it was him, anyways, and he could just as easily claim he was bored and wandered off to the opposite side of the forest.
He deliberatly went into enemy territory, and was soon set upon by a Dionysus camper. Castor, was it?
Immediately upon seeing him, Percy raised his hands, "I surrender!"
The demigod seemed uncertain, but led him back and put him with the other prisoners.
Half an hour later, the match was over, and everyone gathered back at the stream.
Luke had personally carried the standards of Ares over the stream, and the Hermes cabin lifted him on their shoulders.
"Luke! Luke! Luke! Luke!" They chanted, their words echoing into the forest.
Percy inconspicuously joined the back of the crowd, chanting along with the best of them.
It came to a jarring halt as a howl rang down the stream. A massive dog seemed to leap from the shadows behind everyone.
Chiron turned, drawing an arrow. Campers scattered, screaming. Luke spun, sword up and ready. The more senior campers stood by him.
And Percy stood stock-still, terrified.
The hellhound charged, not even faltering when an arrow was embedded in it's side.
"Percy! Get clear!" Luke shouted, running forward.
Percy stepped back, but the hellhound was upon him.
The son of Poseidon could only see red eyes, burning as they met his own, then a flash of black fur and claws, then burning pain.
Percy fell back, landing in the river while Luke slammed his shield into the hellhound's head, and Chiron's second arrow pierced it's heart.
The water flowed into the fallen demigod, healing his wounds as Chiron galloped over, "Perseus, my boy, are-"
He stopped as Percy climbed to his feet, completely unharmed.
"I'm fine." the demigod said.
The scattered campers slowly regrouped, then took a knee in front of him. It didn't take long for Percy to guess why:
A sea-green trident rotated slowly above his head.
A/N: So, how's that? This will have a bit more combat and badassery than The Son of Leto, 'cause The Son of Leto will have more overwhelming force than individual badasses.
Please review -I love your advice and suggestions.