It took me a whole week to accept the fact that I was not human completely, but to accept that I was a demigod? It was another story. However, for every camper's sanity, I decided to keep my doubt at base, so that whenever someone mentioned the word to me, I just smiled that creepy smile of mine instead of laughing my head off. You might think that growing up reading fantasy novels and myths, I would have been able to cope with this situation better, but, mind you, I grew up with the knowledge that none of which was real. They were really cool stories for me to hide in whenever I felt the world was so cruel.
During that time, I stayed in Hermes cabin - which was already full of children - because my mother hadn't claimed me yet. It was considered weird because Percy Jackson - the greatest hero of the time - had made the gods promise to claim their children once they reached thirteen - which I had last month. Once again I was awed by myself by the fact that I had live on my own in a forest full of monsters for a whole month (Chiron did not share the feel). Although Chiron had said that sooner or later I would be claim, the campers were still very curious. Some of the Athena kids suggested that I could be identified by my talent and that was the exact reason why I didn't feel very peaceful at Camp.
I had to take lessons to everything, and by "everything" I meant everything. I had to study about Greek and history with the Athena kids - which was much cooler than school but still I couldn't get the slightest thing what they were talking about. And then gardening with the Demeter kids turned our so bad that they banned me from the garden - I only accidentally stepped on a tree! The Stolls brother - from Hermes cabin - congratulated me heartily on that. Then came to Hecate, somehow I turned my teeth blue and the Camp got a chance to laugh their heads off, even Mr.D! I did not do badly at the Aphrodite challenge - as people put it in - but those kids annouced that I wasn't good enough to be one of them. Phew! I actually happy with that, some of the Aphrodite kids scared the creep out of me.
So after about two weeks, I was considered as Camp's comedian, and I couldn't really blame them - I had laughed at myself too! The only thing I didn't make a fool of myself was archery. I learn't pretty quickly, though it would took me months to hit bullseye everytime as the Apollo kids. But I had to lessened my time to practise after accidentally hitting one of Apollo's son. It wasn't my fault but the other from Apollo cabin didn't think so. I was not bad at sword fighting either, but the Ares campers usually took me as their practising target. Couldn't understand why.
All in all, life at Camp was not as bad as I thought. It was a little too bit eventful, but I was told it was the same to every new camper. Sometimes I missed my parents so much that I woke up in the middle of the night crying. Time like those, I usually stared at the moon to calm down, from here it was less cold and distant than in the wood. And then I would fall asleep, ready for a new day.
Today, however, was more special. It was the annual Camp visit of the Seven - seven greatest demigods. To celebrate this, Chiron decided to hold a Capture the Flag game. I had no idea what it would be like, I had never participated in one. But Kyle - a son of Hermes who had volunteered to take care of me as a brother - assured me.
"Don't worry." - He said while ajusting my armor - "You'll be on my team to capture the flag of the other team. Just stick with me, okay?"
"Okay." - I nodded nervously. The helmet blocked my sight a bit and it worried me. Archery was my best skill, what would happen if I missed my targets?
"I told you not to worry." - Kyle punched my side slightly. - "I see you've been told too much horror stories."
"I'm not worry." - I protested, but Kyle gave me a doubtful look - "Fine, a little bit." - He chuckled.
"I'll take care of you." - He promised - "And anyway, we have Athena kids on our side, not to mention Annabeth herself, she is the best of the best. And of course we have Percy, Frank and Nico as well. I'm pretty sure that we would win tonight." - He smiled smugly. I sighed quitely, I hadn't had the honor meeting anyone of the Seven yet, they seemed to be too cool for me to meet. It reminded me of the time I desperately wanted to meet my idol but I just simply couldn't.
"Ready?" - I nodded again. - "May the odds be ever in our favor!"
Did he just quote The Hunger Games?
The sound of a pretty intense fight could be heard from afar, along with the campers' cheering.
"I bet it is Jackson and Grace." - Nico spoke up quietly as our little group made our way to the Zeus's fist. The sky was cracked with a bolt confirming Nico's guest. He was this creepy son of Hades who could easily scare the death out of you, but the older campers told me he used to be even scarier before he dated Will Solace of Apollo cabin.
"Yeah, what a shame we can't attend to take a bet, huh?" - Kyle joked. - "C'mon, hurry up and maybe we will catch the last round."
I silently followed Kyle and Nico. Behind me was a son of Demeter - Dante - who was the same age at me. He hadn't spoken a word to me - probably because the chaos I'd caused at the garden. Another Hecate's daughter, and that was our team.
I felt like I only tagged along because Kyle had begged Annabeth for that. She had analyzed me with such a cold stare that gave my goose bump before agreeing. I was like the most useless person here. In spite of being the same age as me, Dante had went to Camp since eight, and therefore he had much more experience than me. He even talked to all of the Seven! Ugh!
Finally we made to the Fist. The Flag was clear in our sight, but none of the guards was seen. We decided not to show up yet.
"Arwen, you have the best eyesight, go and find where the guards are." - Kyled ordered.
"Alone?" - I asked. He thought for a second and added - "And Maria."
The Hecate girl nodded. Together we made it closer to the Flag, but still remained in the safe shadow of the trees.
"I think we should climb to get a better view." - I told Maria, stopping by a tree. She looked at the tree and then at me.
"Why don't you hide up there and we came to the Flag. If any guards came out you knock them down up here, so that all of us will be safe." - I quirked up an eyebrow. Not a bad idea.
"Alright" - I agreed, starting to climb. - "It makes me feel like Hawkeye."
Maria smirked at my joke, I knew she was a huge fan of Marvel, and disappeared in the shadow. I climbed to the highest branch I could find, where I could hide and watch the whole scene easily. I could even see a large group of campers gathering by the river side, obviously where the fight between two sons of the Big Three was held. Returning to the hill, I saw Kyle lead the group silently as shadows to the Flag. I got my arrows out, there was a huge chance that this was a trap by Will - the leader of Apollo cabin. He was a pretty good at planning, just not as good as Annabeth.
And there they were. I noticed a movement behind the opposite trees - where Kyle couldn't see. A large group of campers - Ares and Apollo - was ready to attack my group. My bow and arrows were ready as well. I aimed one of them - Edward of Ares cabin - as he led two others to behind Dante.
He raised his swords up. Dante turned back but not quickly enough. I released my arrows. It hit Edward perfectly, though not as seriously as I could have done more. Then chaos broke loose. My group was outnumbered, and I tried to shot as many opponents as I could.
"There she is, the archer!" - An Apollo's daughter screamed, pointed at me. Her brother shot me right at once, but luckily I had jumped down off the tree on time. I ran of arrows anyway.
Grabbing my swords, I charged another girl, hopefully it was one of the Apollos. But no, it had to be an Ares daughter. She roared and lunged at me.
"Duck!" - Dante yelled. I immediately did. A small branch hit her head and she fell unconscious. I grabbed an arrow lying on the ground and shot another Ares camper behind Dante.
"Thanks!" - He nodded, and ran to the Flag. Nico, Kyle and Maria were keeping other guards busy for Dante to make it. But there were some not busy enough, they chased Dante.
As quickly as possible, I gathered arrows on the ground and followed them. I couldn't let them win. Not in my first game.
Had I mentioned how competitive I was?
Before I could stop those chasers, I was knocked down by a huge figure. An Ares boy if I had to guest, only one of them could be that heavy.
"Well well, isn't this the new spawn? Still an orphan, I see." - He lifted me up with ease. I let out a yell and tried to kick him, but my legs weren't long enough. - "Such a fighter she is, huh?" - He joked, and the others laughed. I felt my face hit up with anger. I hate them mentioning my parents in such a way with a passion.
"Shut up!" - I growled. - "Put me down!"
"Let me think... Nah! Let see how long you can struggle against me!" - He kept laughing. - " Maybe it was because you are so naughty that your parents decided to abandon you, you know, like in the first place with your mother."
His laugh was cut off violently. My foot had made a perfect land on his face, particularly, his nose. It was broken pretty bad. He let out an inhuman roar, but my blood was already boiled by anger that I no longer felt scared. No one, not any single creature on Earth, could insult my parents and lived with that. I did not allow them to.
I landed on my feet, taking each step toward him slowly and calculating. I could torture him. I could torture his family. I could even torture Ares himself! Who did he think he was? Who gave him the right to insult my family? MY FAMILY! They died heroically to protect me. I would not allow anyone, even the King of the God, to insult my family!
He took a step back. All of them did. The anger took over me, all I saw was cover in bloody red.
I could practically see me killing him - the nameless Ares kid. Killing him in everyway I knew. Slowly, painfully.
Like how my parents died.
"Arwen." - Kyle called me, but his voice sounded far away. - "Let it go. He doesn't deserve it."
My hands shook violently, urging to freed that head from the pathetic shoulders. I could see it in my head.
"Let go, Arwen!" - This time it was Nico. He pulled me back. - "Go."
Reluctantly, I let him drag me away.
"Yeah, run. Still a stupid pathetic spawn, no more. You don't deserve to be here!"
I lunged myself at him. Ares could have his son's pieces if he wanted.