Chapter 3
Apparently the Hermes cabin had paired up with Athena, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, Demeter and Hecate cabins. Annabeth runs into the pavilion with two of her siblings with a banner that was gray and had an owl on it.
Then, a big, burly girl from the Ares cabin runs in from the other side carrying a red banner that had a boar's head and bloody spears on it. They had everyone else on their team.
"Athena team, you are blue. Ares, you are red," Chiron says.
Everyone gets their armor on. I just stand there, confused and not knowing what to do. Eventually, Percy walks over.
"You're new, right?" he asks.
"Yeah, I'm Izzy."
"Need some help?"
"Could you?"
Percy fits me into some armor and walks over to the swords. "You don't want it to be too heavy or too light. I'll be right back."
The first sword I pick up is a little heavy, but I set it back down in case I find a better one. The next one is really heavy. I put it back. I see a sword that looks pretty cool. I pick it up but it is light as a feather. I pick up the first one again and take it. Might as well have one that's a little heavy rather than not have one at all.
"You know the rules. No killing or maiming," Chiron says.
Mr. D steps forward. "After much begging from the Ares cabin, I've decided to allow bounding and gaging." A whoop goes up from the Ares campers.
"Blue team, "Annabeth yells, "file in!" I take off after Annabeth and Percy who are in the front of our team.
"Hey, um, what should I do?" I ask when I get there.
Percy frowns at me. "No one told you?"
I look at him. "Anyone ever told you not to answer a question with a question?"
Annabeth laughs and we high five. "I've been trying to tell him that. You can be with us on offense. Nico will be here in a minute and he'll come with us too. We're going to go up the middle while our flanks make a distraction," she says, obviously proud of herself. When we get to our spot in the woods, we are met by a guy about my age with shaggy black hair, a black leather skull jacket and he wore a skull ring.
"Hey Nico," Percy says. "This is Izzy. She'll be coming with us."
He nods at me. "Cool."
"Any pointers for me?" I ask.
"Yeah, stay away from Clarisse and her spear and you'll live," Percy says.
Nico laughs, not something I expected the emo kid to do. "What's the score? Percy a gazillion, Clarisse zero?" They all laugh.
"Something like that," Annabeth says.
The horn sounds. Annabeth smiles at me. "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
We start down the middle of the woods. I can hear fighting in the distance. I feel like an idiot with all of the armor on. It was a little weird getting used to it. So, naturally, I tripped right before we got to the river.
I told the others to keep going so they didn't have to watch me try and fail to get up several different times. When they got about 200 yards into enemy territory, a trap springs and they are all caught in a giant bronze net. Several of the enemy campers emerge from the woods. I quickly dive behind a bush like I wasn't wearing any armor.
"We've known about your plans for a while now, Chase," says a voice. I realize it is Clarisse.
"How?" Annabeth demands.
"Let's just say we can be pretty sneaky when we want to."
"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" she swears.
Clarisse just sneers and says, "How 'bout we take advantage of Mr. D's new rule." Her siblings cheer.
"Get the ropes!" A camper yells.
Soon, my friends are bound by their wrists and have gags in their mouths. Then the campers lead them to their prison, prodding them in the back with their swords.
I watched them be led away.
Oh great. Now what? I have to rescue them and I don't know where they are. I say to myself.
Don't be so negative, I argue back with myself.
But- my thoughts are cut off by a voice in my head that is definitely not mine.
Izzy…
"What?" I ask out loud.
It's Percy. If you can hear me, respond back in thoughts.
Hello? Is this thing on? I don't exactly know how to work this.
Holy Poseidon! This is not good.
What? That I don't know how to use this weird but rather interesting power?
What? No. Izzy, you're a daughter of Poseidon, okay? Just…follow the river west until you see a really big tree. We're in the tree. There's only one guard hurry!
I mumble a few choice words about never being able to understand guys.
I heard that.
Shut up.
I am thinking about the tree when suddenly I hear a swooshing sound in my ears and I am standing on top of the Ares guard.
"What the?" We both say in unison.
He rolls away and draws his sword. I draw mine. He swings his sword over his head, aiming for my head. I step back into the river and raise my sword to block his strike, but at the last minute I sidestep and hit the flat of my blade on the side of his head. He crumples to the ground.
I cut my friends free. They just stare at me. "Sorry," I say.
"Sorry? By the gods, Izzy. How did you do that?" Annabeth asks.
"I'll tell you later, but for now, we need to get that flag."
Percy, just imagine the other team's flag. "Everyone hold hands."
"What?" Annabeth asks. "I am not holding Death Breath's hand."
"Hey," Nico yells.
"Just do it." Annabeth obviously isn't happy, but she grabs Nico's hand.
I flash us to the other team's flag. I grab the flag and flash it back to where we had begun in the game. The flag was in my hand.
"How did you do that?" Annabeth demands.
"Well-," I am cut off by yelling coming our way.
The Ares campers burst out of the bushes. When Clarisse sees the flag in my hands her smile melts. "How did you-"
"I rescued them," I brag.
"You corpse-breath worm!" She charges at me.
Anger roars in my ears and the next thing I know, Clarisse is sprawled on the ground totally drenched.
"Jackson, stay out of this!" She practically screams.
"I didn't do it!" He whines and points at me. "She did."
Just then Chiron arrives. "Blue team wins!" He looks at Clarisse. "Percy, was this really called for?"
"I didn't do it!" He says again.
"I did," I say, nearly inaudibly.
"How is that possible?" Clarisse asks. By now, everyone was watching the exchange.
Suddenly, everyone gasps and looks at me.
"What?" I ask.
Annabeth just points above my head. I look up and see a glowing form of a trident.
"Behold, Isabel Watson, daughter of Poseidon," Chiron says and kneels.
I look at Percy and we hold each other's gaze until I'm blasted back and black out.