I woke up abruptly in the middle of the night with my heart pounding and fast. My chest was thumping and my breath was shaky.
I felt my mother's faint, and yet distinct aura for a second and the dream I had came back to me as a sudden recollection. I opened my baggy eyes and quickly grabbed my necklace, jumped off my bunk rolling, and ran out of my cabin into where I had felt her glow last.
I kept my eyes out for the cleaning harpies, choosing this moment to remember all the camp night stories Travis and Conner tell everyone round at their table. Getting caught by cleaning harpies was not high up on anyone's list after THAT particular chat.
I held my pendant close in my hand and pulsed my energy through it. I'm suddenly holding a round, golden shield with magical runes circling the border and an intricate design etched on the front alongside a dark, forest green sword which I withdrew out into my free right hand.
I hear a scream and I stop, also realizing I'm on the edge of the camps boarders. I recognize my half-sister Rina and another male camper moving back in terror as monsters were approaching them.
A pack of empousa (basically vampires) were striding forwards, a particular nasty looking one seemed to be leading the bloodthirsty group.
"Hey stop!" I shout at them hoping my use of cliché demigod hero language will damage them internally. I ran up to the two campers and stood between them and the empousa.
The empousa didn't seem to show any sign of fear, but then again they had every right to, and they didn't need my consent to feel confident about how they define themselves and their appearance, so it was cool.
"Run!" I say to them as they nod and quickly run back towards the camp.
The leader laughed beckoning to her squad, "More demigods are good!"
"You don't know what you're doing. Hecate is my mother." I say confused.
Empusa were the servants of Hecate, and since I'm her child that normally gets me premium treatment.
This time the whole group laughed, "You think Hecate rules us now? Think again!" The leader said, watching as her sisters descended.
One empusa flung herself at me and I sliced it clean on instinct. They all hesitated for a moment... And, the moment was over. Soon they were all on me. Another came at me and and I blocked her raking claws with my shield and spun around simultaneously kicking her legs under and slashing the one that came from my behind. I speared the next one and shot a blast of explosive purple magic at the trio approaching. I smashed my shield on the head of the next, thrust my sword into her ribcages and flipped it skywards, turning her into that magical Greek monster dust thingy.
And then there was one.
"Oh demigod, you don't even know what's coming next!" She squealed in delight as her body started to glow a red hue.
"Oh no" I think as I turn around and run for my life.
"Run halfblood, run!" She said, "Soon even your puny little camp will be gone too!" She exploded into a fiery, razing blast which scorched everything it came in contact with. I knew I was already too slow as the blaze swallowed me up.
I woke up in the infirmary, hearing voices around me.
"Is he going to be alright?" I hear a voice faintly.
"No." I reply sarcastically, opening my eyes and almost coughing up some blood.
"Oh, he's alive." Nico says uninterested, eating an apple in his left hand.
"Stay still." Will says as he hovers over my body again, checking for anything he missed out on.
Nico's intolerable attitude reminded me a bit like his stepmother's, Persephone. I had met her last year on an accidental trip. and she wasn't exactly the most caring goddess I've met so far.
I stuck my tongue out at him, indicating to my open chest, I mouthed at him,"Jealous?" Nico's face flushed red and he clenched his fist, squashing the apple in his hand unintentionally.
"Now you're fit to go" Will said, after the check-up was done.
I looked at him skeptically and wondered how all the bandages and casts had been removed so quickly from my body.
"Trust me on this one," He said, "I'm a doctor."
"Okay… Sounds fake but okay…"
On that note, I left the infirmary and made my way through camp.
I sat down and joined the campfire. The fire was as bright as usual and after a few merry songs to lift the moods, I made my way to my cabin and collapsed on my bed. Even though I had already slept through another day, I fell asleep almost instantly and no one had a chance to talk to me.
The next day it was capture the flag. Our cabin was put forwards to soften up the Ares defenses. Basically we were just cannon fodder.
I checked to see if my armour was strapped on properly and set my weapons.
I came to the camp just last month, but I'd never had a run-in with any of the more experienced demigods. I lived with my mother until she told me it was time to decide my own path… So she shoved me in the labyrinth and left. I eventually made my way to came last year while making a few accidental trips along the way.
An Ares demigod ran at me with a sledge hammer, I blocked the blow with my shield and cringed from the impact. It was enough time for him to plant a kick me in the stomach and send me flying. I prepared as he came again and empowered my shield with magic, so the next blow sent a small shockwave of fiery purple magic from my shield. He tried swinging his weapon around in an arc but I swiftly slid under his maneuver this time and hit his kneecap with the centre of my shield. I smacked the hilt of my sword on his helmet and round-kicked the side of his temples Chuck-Norris style. He went down like a sack of potatoes.
After about five minutes, the Ares cabin had pretty much just destroyed us.
That was normally the queue for us to start fixing up our cabin but it turns out that no one really wanted to fight the Ares cabin so they just faked it really well with their magic.
Then our cabin would normally start playing poker until the winner was announced. Although, I went down to the stream to wash some blood off my armour before the iron starts to rust.
I stared at my reflection in the water, my eyes were almost obsidian and my dark curly hair had seen better days. My face had a small scar on my jawline which was almost invisible if you didn't know it was there. I'd hoped it would disappear, but you can't have everything in life.
As I was scrubbing my sword, I almost jumped when I felt someone coming up behind me. Turns out it was just Rina, she sat down next to me.
"Thanks for helping me last night." She said, as if it was a required line to say to someone whenever they saved you.
I nodded in acknowledgement, then went back to cleaning the scabbard. Then I remembered something.
I winked, "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."
She blushed furiously, "Shut up Marc, we're just friends."
"Suuurre" I teased, "Friends that meet each other after curfew in the end of the boarders for absolutely no reason at all."
She obviously felt the need to change subjects, so she did, "Why were you there, anyways?"
I shrugged because I didn't really know the answer myself, "That night, I had a dream of our mother pointing at that same place you guys were in. The last time I had a dream like that was when that cyclops made it through the camp barriers last winter."
She brushed her red hair over her shoulders, "Marc, lately things have been getting weird at this camp."
"Yeah, I think the enchilada supply is getting raided," I mumble, thinking of the Stoll brothers.
"No!" She said, "I mean-"
The camp horn sounded, and in the distant you could see Annabeth holding up Jason's hand in victory while the campers start exchanging money on the sides.
"I'll tell you after, okay?" She said as we hastily scurried back, passing Percy sulking with a sympathizing Piper.
Author's Note
Ay was that good? Should I carry on? Leave something for me in the comments or something idk. Notice mee…
Grover: *hands drachmas over to Conner*
Travis: Pleasure doing business with you, Mr Underwood.
Conner: *nods at Travis indicating that all the money was there* Till next time, Grover.
Both Brothers: *puts shades on and saunters off*
Marc: *whispers* I freaking knew it, he's been dealing enchiladas.
Felicity: *almost knocks Marc off tree* Not too loud!
Wait hold on, you're not supposed to be in the story yet.
Felicity: Whoops.
Well there you go. Until next time I post.