Clang! The sharp sounds of metal colliding with metal filled the early morning air. The sound echoed through the empty expanse, resonating from two figures backlit by the rising sun. they were both dressed in light armor- just simple arm and leg guards-and were giving each other a hell of a fight. The shorter one held a spear in a tight grasp, while the taller grasped a long sword, both weapons shared a similar bronze hue. The two circled each other, the lonely arena as their secluded battleground, looking for another opening.

Suddenly, the swordsman took his chance and lunged, rushing at the other. Just as fast the spear was blocking with another clash. The two weapons and their wielders were then locked in a fierce battle, sweat dripping down both of their faces. With a sweeping motion the shorter brought her spear away to smack at the other's head. He turned again to thrust at her, only to be met with a block in a sprightly whirl from his opponent. Loud laughter then joined the clashes, a bright noise compared to the harsh clatter of battle.

"Yield Luke. You can never beat me!" she said with an impish grin. A overdramatic brandish of her sword to furthered the cockiness.

"Keep telling yourself that Sparky," Luke replied. "And Thalia," he swung at her then, "-you might want to keep your guard up."

Thalia didn't even bother blocking that move. Instead, she just dropped down and swiped at his legs, causing him to plunge to the ground. He lay on his back staring at the golden sky as Thalia confidently returned to her feet.

"Nice try, Castellan." She held out her hand prompting his gaze to shift to her sweaty form. Luke grabbed her hand and pulled her down on top of himself causing both of them to laugh. Thalia rolled her eyes. "You're a dork."

Luke's grinning face turned devilish. The few rays of light bouncing off his hair and face setting him in gold. Then with a twist of his arm, he was on top of her. This of course started an impromptu wrestling match. A constant flurry of flipping movements and wild, waving arms soon commenced. The world was soon full of bright, bubbly laughter, Thalia's laughter. A giggle which caused light even in the long shadows of the dawn. Even in the darkest reaches of his mind.

Eventually, their scuffle stilled and they settled against each other to watch the camp wake up. Thalia yawned and nuzzled deeper into his side," Remind me why we get up at the ass crack of dawn?"

"Do you remember the last time we sparred at a sane hour? The entire camp came to watch?"

"Don't remind me!" She groaned. "All the Aphrodite campers were looking at us like zoo animals. What even goes through their heads I have no idea."

The entirety of Cabin 10 had taken to "shipping" them together in a relationship, they had dubbed "Thaluke". It wouldn't have been so bad if that didn't entail to every exchange between them being met with loud squeals. Thalia would swear that during one of her and Luke's public fights, one girl had even brought in a sign. She had tried threatening them, but that had just meant the entire commotion was done in not-so-quiet-whispers. Luke had been amused as to the whole affair, but scared that anything Thalia did would mean she didn't feel that way about him. All together it was an uncomfortable mess that the two would awkwardly laugh about. And so they did. The two laughed and relaxed until the conch horn finally blew.

Thalia, then, began to wiggle in his arms. "Come on. It's time to face the world."

Pouting, Luke tightened his grip around her, "I don't wanna."

"Stop acting like a baby. And don't you have a cabin to lead?"

"Oh shit!" He squawked as realization struck him. Suddenly Thalia was on the ground and Luke had bolted away. He turned and called back to her, "We still on for the archery?"

"You bet, oh wise leader of Cabin Eleven!"

He rolled his eyes at that comment and kept running. Luke had just recently become the head of Cabin 11-his predecessor going off to NYU that fall. So, though he was the most qualified person in camp to lead a cabin, he was still new to the duties. One of those duties was leading the cabin in a parade of seniority, which would have been hunky-dory for any other cabin. But for Cabin 11 it was more of a walk of shame. His lodgings was the one that took in all unclaimed campers. And that meant watching those campers go from hopeful to dejected and cynical as they moved up in line with no glowing symbols appearing above their heads. It was like all the gods couldn't careless about their children. It made Luke sick. He did have sympathy for the children of minor gods. Even if they were claimed, the kids would have no cabin to call their own.

Luke hated the fucking stupid system, gods ignoring their kids until they needed them for errands and not even making a safe place for all the gods' children. Hell, Hera got a cabin just as an honor and she would never have any children. It just made him so angry. And he knew he wasn't the only one. Thalia felt the same and clearly a good number of his cabin felt that way. Maybe they could-

No. Luke shook his head that was a little too crazy. He had a duty accomplish, however hated it was, and right now he would give it all his attention. Anyway, once he was in the mess hall, he could ignore the fact that half his butt was hanging off the bench by -attempting-to pantomime jokes to Thalia. They never failed to make her laugh. (So maybe that was a laughing at him, not with him type of laughter, but whatever.) And so the day went as the days had since that night.

A.N: Here is the first chapter, finally! It's a little shorter than I would like but this is a good place to cut off. i don't know when the next chapter will come out, but it will be a while. Hopefully, it will be longer. If anyone wants to beta pm me. And if you find any mistakes, there will be some, feel free to point them out.