This chapter goes out to starjiz for all her lovely reviews and her love for Will.
I hope you all enjoy this game of capture the flag! I had so much fun writing it.
Like always I do not own Percy Jackson but Chloe is mine.
Capture the flag started slow with several Apollo campers ran past me, over the creek, and disappeared into the Blue team's territory. All was quiet for the most part. In the distance I could hear some shouting and clashing of metal but it wasn't close by so I wasn't worry about then coming closer to me. From all the excitement and effort every seems to put into this game it was quite boring. Hearing shouts closer than before I straighten up wondering if I was actually going to get a fight.
Luke came running out of the blue team territory shouting at me, "Here they come!"
Seconds later eight members of the blue team came running out the forest behind Luke. Luke came to a halt next to me raising his sword in defense. I copy is his stance the best of my abilities. Which at the time was terrible but it was the best I could do.
"You're going to pay for what you did to Malcom," One guy snarled charging at me. I manage to block his attacks but I couldn't give any back. Two others joined him. I was stuck on defense. I knew that if I was going to last I to get into the creek. Unfortunately I wasn't fighting the blood thirty Ares kids who focus more are beating you up then planning their attacks; I was fighting Athena's, the goddess of battle strategies, children. They plan their attacks out then go for blood. I was weak when out of the creek's water so they blocked my way. They even manage to push me further away from the running water.
I had to think of something and fast.
Smashing the hilt of my sword against the helmet of Blondie Number two I made her stumble back for a few moments. I slashed at Blondie Number One forcing him to jump back. Blondie Number Three took that opportunity to slash at my arm, leaving a deep gash.
"No maiming," I told him glaring.
"Oh please like anyone follows that rule," Blondie Number Two said rolling her eyes. She slashed at me forcing me to jump back. Blondie Number One hit my ribs with the flat side of his blade making me gasp for air. I was now trapped against a tree struggling to breathe while all three blondies circles around me. I saw the other five blondies had circle around Luke by the creek. Luke was the best swordsman here at camp but even he couldn't take that many of Athena's children at once.
I then got an idea.
I didn't have to be standing in the creek to use it.
I never used my powers before, I didn't even know if I had any like Percy apparently does. Nevertheless, I had to try. While blocking the attacks from the three red team members I try control the water. I felt this pull in my gut and suddenly the once calmed current of the creek speeded up. Sadly it gained too much strength and washed the five blue team members and Luke down the creek (river now?). One blue guy hit his head against a rock knocking his helmet clean off his head. Thankfully that was the worst of what happen. No one else hit their heads on anything; they were just washed away while shouting cures at me.
The three blondies that where fighting me where too distracted with what had happen to their siblings to pay attention to me. I used that opportunity to take them out too. I smacked the flat side of my blade against Blondie Number One's head, knocking his helmet off and forcing him to the ground.
That got the other two attentions.
They charged after me again but I was now on the offense. I slashed at Blondie Number Two. She ducked and step back, tripping over an exposed tree roots and fell in the still raging creek. That left Blondie Number Three who looked nervous to step closer.
He didn't have to though. Loud shouting could be heard further up the creek, which head clamed to normal by then. It wasn't shouting of orders or fighting it was more like cheering. Seconds later you could hear Chiron blowing the conch horn.
The game was over.
Ignoring that injured blue team members I ran towards the cheering. Turning around the corner, I saw it was the red team had won. Clarisse stood in the middle of the crowed holding the once blue team's banner. It once had a barn owl above an olive tree but instead it had a boar and spear. I leaned against a tree and held my aching side but smiled anyways. I had survived my first game of Capture the Flag.
"Next time you decide to turn the creeks into a raging river give me a warning," Luke said standing next to me. Even though my ribs where aching I still had to laugh at this appearance. He looked like a drowned rat.
"Sorry I wasn't expecting it to that strong," I told him. "Or for that happen at all actually."
"It was effective though."
I smiled. Luke walked away, getting many questions about his wet appearance from his siblings. Katie jogged over smiling.
"So? How was your first game?" She asked taking her helmet off.
"Interesting…" I told her about my fight with the blue team and what happen with the creek. Mid-way though my explanation the six soaking wet red team members and the other two who had not fallen in the creek walked up to Katie and me. Each one was angrier than the last.
"YOU!" Blondie Number Two shouted pointing a figure at me. She marched right up and punch me hard right in the jaw. The force was hard enough to send me falling to the side. I gasped holding my hand to my throbbing jaw. Blondie would have done more but Katie and several other red team members stepped in preventing them from coming any closer.
"Astias!" Chiron shouted pushing his way through the crowed. "The game is over! Why did you punch Chloe like that?"
"The freak tried to drown us!" Astias shouted glaring daggers at me.
"I did not try to drown you," I muttered standing up.
Chiron sighed. "Chloe what happen?"
"Oh of course you're going to ask her and not us!" Blondie Number Five shouted.
"I was there. I can tell you what happen," Luke said working his way through the crowed of campers. "While Chloe and I fought off these eight Chloe used her powers to make the creek even stronger. The force of the water swept five of them and myself a bit ways down the creek. Later Astias fell into the creek causing her to get swept a away also. The water was strong enough to sweep our feet out from under us but not enough to drown us."
Chiron glanced between me and those of the blue team who were still glaring at me. "Astias you're on dinner cleanup for the next week for punching Chloe unnecessarily. As everyone knows magical weapons and powers are allowed to be used during the game. Chloe did nothing wrong this time."
"This time?" I asked before I could stop myself.
Chiron gave me the Are-You-Kidding-Me look and said, "Child, need I remind you that just yesterday you put Malcom in the infirmary?"
"No sir."
"Good. Now everyone off to bed." Everyone groaned but started filing out of the forest. Clarisse congratulated me on keeping half of the Cabin 6 away and distracted allowing her get the flag. She also told me that I stood no chance in surviving if I hadn't had the creek and Luke to distract the others. Therefor I was still a priss. I rolled my eyes and told her that she was the one who put me there by the creek. She grumbled and slapped me on the back making my aching ribs flare up in pain. She walked off back to her siblings who were busy reenacting their fights and staring new ones.
"So Ariel learned to used her fishy powers," one of Apollo's camper said falling into step next to me. Just like many of his siblings he had short sandy blond hair and blue eyes. He also looked to be my age.
"Ariel? Fishy powers?" I asked laughing softly.
He shrugged, "You got admit that is a good nickname for you. Being Poseidon's daughter in all."
"If I had red hair then I would agree."
He laughed. "I'm Will by the way."
"Chloe, but I'm sure you know that by now."
"Of course. Everyone does."
"So how long have you been here at camp?" I asked switching subjects.
"This is my first year." He said picking up a stray arrow out of a tree. "When I got here there was only a handful of campers, just year-rounders. I arrived two week before all the summer time campers came."
"How long did it take you to get use to all this?"
"The first weeks were easy with only about a dozen campers here. Once all my other siblings and everyone else came it took a few days to adjust."
"When did you get claimed? I mean there seems to be a lot of unclaimed campers here who have been here longer then you have."
"It was a week into my time here. We were having our after dinner sing-alongs and I picked up one of the guitars—my mother had taught me how to use one early on so I figured I would play a song—and Apollo claimed me then." Will continued to pick up a few other arrows. "It was nothing spectacular like when Percy got claimed last week but with as many undetermined campers I'm just thankful I got claimed at all."
"Why are there so many unclaimed?" I asked handing him a few arrows that I collected off the ground.
"Chloe you're still new to all this but let me tell you, the gods don't care about us." Will said very seriously, losing his smiling joking attitude that he had when we first started talking. "Some might argue that the gods forget who their children even are. Apollo and Hermes are some of the few who actually claims their children. There are also children here who might not be children of the Olympians. They could very possibly be a child of a minor gods or goddess who has no cabin here so even if they claimed their children they have no place to go."
I frowned. If they gods where going to have children then they could at least claim them. Will and I continue to walked out the forest and towards the cabins in silent. Normally it would be awkward, the only person who I could sit in comfortable silence with is Percy, but surprisingly it was easy to do it with Will also.
"Well good night Chloe." Will said as we approached Cabin Seven. "And don't think too much into what I said. It's just the way things are around here, you'll get used to it eventually. Everyone does."
"I'll try not to. Good night Will." I said continuing walking to my cabin.
That night I had an interesting dream.
I stood on a cliff edge watching the scene below. All was silent. No waves crashed against the shore. No wind blowing around. Everything a silent and still. Normally some would find this peaceful yet the atmosphere was tense like the calm before a storm. Like one spark was all it would take to set off the explosives.
Two men stood on opposite sides of the beach. One dressed in blue the other in green. They stood there unmoving watching, waiting. Standing between them was Percy—well a hologram like picture of Percy. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover stood outside in bright day light in front of a large casino. It looked like ones that someone would imagine being in Vegas. Why they were at a casino of all places as beyond me. Above the hologram was a number: 6.
When Percy, Annabeth, and Grover walked into the building is when I woke up. The clock on the nightstand read 7:19. Knowing I was not going to get more sleep since breakfast is at 8 I got out of bed and dressed. My muscles where stiff from all that fighting done the night before but other than that I was not hurting anymore, which I was thankful of.
Most of the campers where wondering around just wasting time before breakfast. Seeing no one was over there I went to go sit on the lake pier. It had rain so much the past few days the lake was close to over flowing. Just another inch and it would. Before I could hang my feet of the edge of it and they would barely touch the water but now the water level was up to the edge of the pier. It was peaceful. The naiads waved before going back to their basket weaving.
I sat there for a few minutes trying to wake up. I was thankful that I did not dream about that horrible pit but this dream left me with more questions than I had answers. As confused as I was it was peaceful sitting there on the pier watching the lake water ripple with the light breeze. Focusing on the ripples I felt the familiar tug in my gut and the ripples started to get faster and bigger. Putting my hand out over the water I tried to pull the water straight up. It started to pull but it quickly lost form.
"Don't be discouraged. Mastering your powers will take time." Someone said behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Chiron standing at the base of the pier. "I can help teach you and your brother how to do that."
I smiled. "I'll like that. I don't want another uncontrolled accident like last night happen."
"With a bit of training there won't be," he promised. "Now come, breakfast will be served in a minute."
I nodded and walked off with Chiron to breakfast.
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