First Person: Emily
Frank Zhang had a secret. That was obvious enough to tell. When he'd showed us the vials that he'd gotten were gorgon's blood, I thought that was it, but no. I sensed something else, something deeper. My powers didn't allow me to read thoughts, but I could still sense his turmoil. There was screwing up during his time at Camp Jupiter, there was the recent loss of his mother to war, but there was a kind of dread that was permanently haunting him. It was kinda like that feeling before a quest, knowing that you were gonna have to go through a lot to win, but it was your destiny and there was no avoiding it. On a brighter note, turns out he's Chinese Canadian.
Once we got out of the camp, the Fifth Cohort formed two lines behind their centurions, Dakota and Gwen. We marched north, skirting the edge of the city, and headed to the Field of Mars - the largest, flattest part of the valley. The grass was cropped short by all the unicorns, bulls, and homeless fauns that grazed here. The earth was pitted with explosions craters and scarred with trenches from past games. At the north end of the field stood our target. The engineers had built a stone fortress with an iron portcullis, guard towers, scorpion ballistae, water cannons, and no doubt many other surprises for the defenders to use.
"They did a good job today," Hazel said. "That's bad for us."
"Wait," Percy said. "You're telling me that fortress was built today?" Hazel grinned.
"Legionnaires are trained to build. If we had to, we could break down the entire camp and rebuild it somewhere else. Take maybe three or four days, but we could do it."
"Yeah, let's not," Audrey said. "So, you attack a different fort every night?"
"Not every night," Frank said. "We have different training exercises. Sometimes deathball - um, which is like paintball except with…you know, poison and acid fire balls. Sometimes we do chariots and gladiator competitions, sometimes war games."
"Man, and I thought training in the Underworld was harsh," Veon muttered.
"Somewhere inside the fort, the First and Second Cohorts are keeping their banners. Our job is to get inside and capture them without getting slaughtered. We do that, we win."
"It is capture the flag!" Audrey said.
"I think I like capture the flag," Percy said. Frank laughed.
"Yeah, well…it's harder than it sounds. We have to get past those scorpions and water cannons on the walls, fight through the inside of the fortress, find the banners, and defeat the guards, all while protecting our own banners and troops from capture. And our cohort is in competition with the other two attacking cohorts. We sort of work together, but not really. The cohort that captures the banners gets all the glory." Percy stumbled, trying to keep time with the left-right marching rhythm. As a choir and drama person, I knew how to adjust to a certain beat quickly, so it wasn't hard as long as I stopped focusing on it and let my feet carry me.
"So why are we practicing this anyway?" Percy asked. "Do you guys spend a lot of time laying siege to fortified cities?"
"Teamwork," Hazel said. "Quick thinking, tactics, battle skills. You'd be surprised what you can learn in the war games."
"Like who will stab you in the back," Frank suggested.
"Especially that."
"You learn the most about yourself in the heat of battle," Veon said. "Back in the Underworld, training consisted mostly of just fighting opponents without instruction, other than don't die. I had to learn my own strengths and weaknesses, and the only way to do that was to throw me into battle with diverse opponents and nothing but my own wits. Then, I had to work on commanding an army against another person controlling theirs. You have to know all about the people you're working with, their strengths and weaknesses and how to work with them. There's a lot to focus on, and a lot to learn about those around you. These war games shouldn't be too much, if my training in the Underworld is anything to go by."
We marched to the center of the Field of Mars and formed ranks, the Third and Forth Cohorts assembling as far as possible from the Fifth. The centurions for the attacking side gathered for a conference, and Veon complained about how he couldn't be the one to tell the cohort what to do, since he was the most experienced with things like this. In the sky above, Reyna circled on her pegasus, Scipio, ready to play referee, while Zy floated beside her with an amused face. She was looking forward to us dominating on the battle field and shocking the Romans, I could tell. Half a dozen eagles flew in formation behind her - prepared for ambulance airlift duty if necessary. The only person not participating in the game was Nico di Angelo, who had climbed an observation tower about a hundred yards from the fort and would be watching with binoculars.
We were given armor, but thanks to capture the flag back at Camp Half-Blood, it wasn't hard to get equipped to my preferences. Audrey, as a dagger expert, had been teaching me how to use mine, though I wasn't an offensive person anyways. I could explore that fort hopefully without anyone willing to raise a weapon against me in the first place, but I could sense that Romans were trained to keep on task and resist influence, so who knows? If worst did come to worst, I could shut people down and leave them zombies for the rest of the game. I'd gotten better at using that technique, and I knew for certain how to reverse it too, so I was more comfortable with it. Granted, I was glad my friends worried about me.
"You did it right," Frank said in amazement. "Percy, you must've done the war games before."
"I don't know. Maybe."
"Or he just knows how to put on armor," Audrey said. Frank looked to Percy's sword, the blade leaf shaped with Greek writing on the hilt. That might give away Percy's origins. Audrey unsheathed her sword, realizing that it looked pretty similar to Percy's.
"We can use real weapons, right?" Percy asked.
"Yeah," Frank agreed. "For sure. I've just never seen a sword like that before."
"What if I hurt somebody?"
"We heal them. Or try to. The legion medics are pretty good with ambrosia and nectar, and unicorn draught."
"No one dies," Hazel confirmed. "Well, not usually. And if they do-"
"They're wimps!" Frank said, imitating Vitellius. "Back in my day, we died all the time, and we liked it!" Hazel laughed.
"Just stay with us, guys," She said. "Chances are we'll get the worst duty and get eliminated early. They'll throw us at the walls first to soften up the defenses. Then the Third and Fourth Cohorts will march in and get the honors, if they can even breach the fort."
"Well, Em, think you can handle being the center of attention?" Veon asked.
"Well, I am a daughter of Venus," I said. "I guess it's my fate." Horns blew. Dakota and Gwen walked back from the officer's conference, looking grim.
"All right, here's the plan!" Dakota said, taking a quick swig of Kool-Aid from his travel flask. "They're throwing us at the walls first to soften up the defenses." The whole cohort except us groaned.
"I know, I know," Gwen said. "But maybe this time we'll have some luck!" She sounded like the optimist of the bunch. I liked her. "First line with Dakota. Lock shields and advance in turtle formation to the main gates. Try and stay in one piece. Draw their fire. Second line-" She turned to Frank's row without much enthusiasm and I began to rethink my opinion on her. "You seventeen, from Bobby over there, take charge of the elephant and the scaling ladders. Try flanking attack on the western wall. Maybe we can spread the defenders too thin. Frank, Hazel, Percy, Audrey, Emily, Veon…well, just do whatever. Show the new guys the ropes. Try to keep them alive." She turned back to the whole cohort. "If anybody gets over the wall first, I'll make sure you get the Mural Crown. Victory for the Fifth!" The group cheered halfheartedly and broke ranks.
"Do whatever?" Percy asked.
"Yeah, big vote of confidence," Hazel said.
"What's the Mural Crown?" Audrey asked.
"Military medal," Frank said. "Big honor for the first soldier to breach an enemy fort. You'll notice nobody in the Fifth is wearing one. Usually we don't even get to the fort because we're burning or drowning or…"
"Water cannons," Audrey realized.
"What?" Percy asked.
"The cannons on the walls," Frank said, catching on. "They draw water from the aqueduct. There's a pump system - heck, I don't know how they work, but they're under a lot of pressure. If you two could control them, like you controlled the river-"
"Frank, that's brilliant!" Hazel beamed.
"We're gonna have to get closer," Audrey said. "I don't know about Percy, but if I want proper control over a large amount of water, I can't do it from this far away. I can just sneak in with my powers, but Percy…"
"We can get you guys closer," Frank declared. "They'll never take us seriously, and we should be able to sneak up pretty close before they see us."
"Emily," Veon said. "You walk in like a crazy maniac and take their forces by surprise with your invincibility. I'll shadow travel up to the troops and take them by surprise, also winning that medal, mind you, but that should surprise them enough to cause confusion for a moment. Those few moments we can buy you, Frank, Hazel, Percy and Audrey get in there. Audrey, you go ahead with your water and keep the water cannons from harming any of the cohort members and by time for Percy to join you. Hazel, you're good underground. If I'm reading this place right, there are trenches riddled throughout this place that can get you close enough. Then, the two of you have a party while I get the flag. Understood? And the other guys of the cohort…well, watch out for them too."
"Hey, you don't get all the glory," Audrey said.
"Frank, Hazel, while the two of them are going willy-nilly with the water, anyone who wants to can join me and the other members of the cohort in fighting to get to the flag. Deal?" She rolled her eyes, but went along with it anyway. Hazel took Frank and Percy over to some trenches underground, and then the fight began.
I ran forward first, Audrey transforming into water and seeping into the ground to disappear, while Veon turned to shadows and disappeared as well. I was the distraction. Time to have some fun. Capture the flag only got so fun when your opponents knew all about your strengths and weaknesses, and to avoid you, but I admit that I like the faces on people when they realize that I'm invincible. Now came the decision of whether I should reveal my charm speak or my invincibility first. I guess it depended on whether they didn't fire on me and questioned how idiotic I must've been to run right in the line of fire.
"HELLO!" I shouted as I ran up. "Put your weapons down! You don't wanna fight my cohort!" Anyone who heard my voice began to hesitate, and I willed a wave of peace to flow out, the emotion that was easiest for me to influence. Right now, people from both sides were staring at me like I was an idiot, running ahead of all the troops without my shield drawn and only equipped with a dagger that I also had sheathed. Suddenly, Veon appeared on the wall and whistled as loudly as he could, drawing everyone's attention away from me. So much for saying I'd be the center of attention.
"Hey! I hear I get a medal now!" He shouted before drawing his lance and whacking some of the kids next to him off the wall and away from the cannons. The eagles were there to rescue the kids before they plummeted to their doom, but that's when the havoc broke loose, the kids from both sides charging into a fight. I ran up, a kid deciding I was the closest opponent and swinging his sword. I held up my arm and blocked it, feeling the blade trying to cut me, but not even penetrating my skin.
"You shouldn't hit a lady!" I shouted and threw his sword to the side. I put my hand on his forehead and then willed my influence onto him, clearing my mind and then clearing his. He fell to his knees, staring at the ground blankly, alive, but in a way, not. I continued forward, tapping people on any part of their skin I could and shutting them down before they could try and attack me. Some succeeded with one or two strikes, only to be surprised and then shut down by me a moment later. I was getting better at my shut down power, and it was nice to work with new minds and get in some real training.
I found Audrey when a water cannon began shooting the people on the wrong side, and then another, and another, and another. The enemy troops were in panic with me, Veon, and Audrey. We all had unknown abilities, and they underestimated the importance of not knowing your enemy just because we were in the Fifth Cohort. I was now being pelted with rocks and shot with flaming bolts from the scorpions that were blasting craters, but I stood my ground and advanced forward, the Fifth Cohort catching up with their shields on the defensive. I realized that I had a shield for a reason and then drew it for convenience sake rather than getting smacked by a rock in the head. It didn't disable me, but it was certainly getting annoying.
The Third and Forth Cohorts weren't even advancing, watching their "allies" get beat up while standing back and laughing. I began to get angry, and that anger was sent out to the Fifth Cohort's troops as they began to push forward faster. There was suddenly a lightning bolt that struck right next to the Third Cohort, and another by the Fourth, and it couldn't have been so precise if it were natural. I looked up to Zy who had her arms crossed, glaring at the two groups. When she caught my gaze, she smiled and shrugged innocently. The defenders clustered on the wall above the gates, yelling insults at the tortoise formation as it staggered back and forth.
So the war games had simply become a game of "beat of the Fifth Cohort," huh? I wasn't gonna stand for that. I stood still and planted my feet, closing my eyes and blocking out the attacks, the sounds, everything, and just focused on the emotions. I sensed the enjoyment coming from the defending cohorts, and then my determination grew. I threw my arms forward and then willed my influence upon them. A wave of power surged forward towards the fort, and then suddenly some of the kids began collapsing, shutting down. Others stopped in confusion, some fought what was happening, and others weren't affected but were terrified by what was happening.
"You messed with the wrong demigod!" Veon shouted before taking advantage of the confusion and attacking the enemies in their confusion. "And now I'm here too." Suddenly one of the water cannons exploded on the east wall. Guess that's where Hazel decided to take Percy. Defenders screamed as watery shockwave flattened them against the battlements. Kids toppled over the walls but were snatched up by the giant eagles and taken to safety. Then, Audrey took that as her cue to stop being subtle, and suddenly all the water cannons on the eastern wall shuddered as one after another, the water cannons on the battlements exploded. The scorpions' fires were doused, the defenders scattered in even more confusion or were tossed into the air, giving the rescue eagles quite a workout. Everyone in the cohorts had frozen in confusion, lowering their shields, mystified as they stared at the chaos.
"Well, what are you waiting for?!" I shouted to the offensive cohorts. "Come on! Attack!" That was a command that didn't even take charm speaking, as the cohort snapped out of their daze and a cheer rang out, Hannibal the elephant trumpeting with happiness. And then we charged to battle.