Chapter 3

Capture-the-flag

I found my place in Hermes' cabin, while Travis joked and told funny stories.

"You probably won't stay here for long, but if you do…" he winked. I groaned.

"You do that every time?" He doubled over, laughing.

"Of course! Oh, and by the way, I'm actually in love with Katie", he whispered.

"Drew is just for show." I smiled.

"Well, you should go for the one you truly love. Although I'm hardly the one to talk: I never had boyfriend." He grinned lazily.

"Fine. I'll just pretend Drew never existed."

I gave him thumbs-up. Then, we heard sound of conch shell.

"Eleven…" Travis yelled, and his brother Connor finished:

"Fall in!"

I hastily stood up. Being new, I assumed I would be last, so I got at the end of line. One blond boy smiled encouragingly at me. We got out, and went to our table. Other kids milled out: there were at least fifty of them. I spotted Chiron and Percy talking, with blond, stormy –gray – eyed girl.

I nudged Connor, who sat next to me.

"Who's that girl with Chiron?" I asked.

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena", he murmured.

"Good friend, dangerous enemy, excellent strategist, seasoned monster-fighter and Percy's girlfriend. But you surely know who Percy Jackson is, right?"

I nodded.

"I noticed everyone acts like he's some kind of hero." Connor sighed.

"Actually, he is. Two years ago, there was gigantic fight with Kronos, who wanted to destroy Olympus. Percy defeated him, and gods offered him immortality. He refused."

"He refused?" I was shocked.

"Yeah, but in exchange, he asked all Olympian gods to claim their children. You know, before that our cabin was over-filled with undetermined ones. Now, undetermined rarely stay that longer than two days." He grinned.

"Heroes!" Chiron called out. He raised his glass. "To the gods!"

Everyone repeated blessing raising their glasses, me included.

After super-tasty dinner, Chiron had an announcement.

"Tonight is scheduled for capture-the-flag!" Cheers went up.

"What's capture-the-flag?" I wondered, hoping I didn't sound stupid.

"You'll see", Travis said, grinning from ear to ear.

He led me toward big table with all kinds of armor and weaponry.

"Grab one! We're with Athena!" Connor yelled.

I grabbed my armor and bow with sheath full of arrows. He looked approvingly.

"You know how to handle it? Good. Let's go!"

There was a massive cheering as Athena and Ares cabin entered carrying banners.

"Athena is with Hermes, Hephaestus, Iris, Hades and Poseidon! Ares is with Apollo, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hecate, Nemesis and Dionysius!" Chiron said over battle cries.

"You know the rules. Creek is boundary line; entire forest is fair game; all magical items allowed, and no maiming or killing! I will serve as referee and healer. Good hunting!"

We cheered again as Annabeth led us toward woods. In the meadow stood our banner, promptly displayed as if it wanted to say: Go ahead and take me!

"All right!" Annabeth sounded cool, like a true leader. "Travis and Nico, you guard the banner." Travis and pale, skinny boy who I guessed was Nico darted forward, grinning.

"Connor, place your cabin around perimeter!" Connor nodded.

"Mary, Jack, Malcom, place your cabins inside our territory!" I couldn't see them, but I knew they were nodding, as well.

"Percy, Connor and I are going to capture the flag." Everyone raised their weapons in silent battle cry.

"Come here, Ella" Connor said.

He placed me near the creek, with was boundary line.

"Just keep reds out, and don't go anywhere near any pile of rocks", he warned me.

"Why?" I probably sounded stupid, but he didn't think so.

"It's, um, cursed place of us. Demigods died there in the Battle of Labyrinth." I shivered, remembering Percy's description.

"It's OK with me. Just promise me we'll win." He started chuckling.

"Jeez, Ella, calm down! When Annabeth and Percy work together, it's totally impossible to lose. I mean, they fight like demons."

"Okay." I was reassured. "Then go with them, and capture the flag!"

On Olympus

"We can't let her live!" Hades yelled. "She's too powerful!"

"Yeah? Like we could kill her!" Poseidon was losing his temper. "Brother, get this in your thick, immortal head: she's our half-sister, who has ability to control time! It's practically impossible to do that!"

"At least we should restrain part of her powers", Zeus mused.

"Agreed, but someone must claim her", Athena spoke up.

Silence fell over assembly of gods.

"But who, Athena? Who is brave enough to do that?" Hermes said nervously.

"Obviously, it should be a god, not goddess, and he has to be direct offspring of Lord of the Time." Athena sounded cool, but it was visible that she didn't want to speak Kronos's name aloud.

"So", Poseidon said slowly, "that would leave me and my brothers. Am I right?"

Athena nodded curtly.

"Hang on", Ares growled. "Why them?"

"Because she's so powerful, you thickheaded idiot, and she knows her mother is dead!" Artemis cried out in frustration.

"For once, I agree with my sis", Apollo sighed.

"Fine, but who? I can't, I already have two children", Zeus commented.

"Neither can I, my other daughter is alive now", Hades noted.

"That leaves me, huh?" Poseidon said sarcastically. "I think Perseus would kill me. Not to mention others in my court."

"Hey, don't be grumpy, Poseidon", Aphrodite piped in. "I heard she can talk with horses. Your claiming would be only logical. Besides, you can always appear and explain the truth when she's alone. You won't be breaking rules, and she will know everything."

"Aphrodite, for the first time you said something that actually sounds like good plan", Hera said, irony heavy in her tone.

"So, do we agree?" Zeus looked around the hall. Everyone nodded.

"Then meeting is adjourned."

Back in Camp Half-Blood

I stood nervously, arrow notched and ready for firing. What struck me as odd was total lack of action. That was never a good sign.

Suddenly, I heard cheering, and Percy appeared, running, carrying red banner. Connor followed close behind, fending off some Ares kids.

"Come on, boys!" Girl's voice echoed through the meadow. Percy smiled, and doubled his speed. But, as I watched, one girl exited forest: she looked like a child of Ares, and she was running, carrying our banner.

Before I fully realized my intent, I let arrow fly. It buried itself in the chink of girl's armor, right in her leg. She stopped, confused. When she processed what happened, she turned toward me.

"You'll pay, punk!" she snarled. "No one does this to Clarisse LaRue!"

"Oh, really? Now I'm so afraid", I mocked her. She hissed.

"You should be", and launched herself at me.

I braced myself. She landed on top of me, crushing me with her weight.

In desperation, I begged water behind me to rise, and move Clarisse away. Strangely enough, it responded. Clarisse was all wet now, coughing water. Percy leaped into friendly territory, and gave me high-five. Banner shimmered, and changed its colors into black, with shimmering sea-green trident.

"Nice", he noted. "I never knew you could do that."

"Neither did I", I replied breathlessly.

He stared at me and then drew a shocked breath. Everyone was now staring at me. I looked up; over me hung sea-green trident. My eyes widened as I grasped the implications of this symbol. As every camper knelt, Chiron said gravely:

"Hail, Eleanor Rodriguez, daughter of the Sea God."