DISCLAIMER: I own Percy Jackson... books. To be specific, the paperback version of The Lightning Thief and a hardback copy of The Last Olympian. I take pride in this -awkward grin-.
Chapter 11
LINDSEY
Lindsey was perched in a tree, overlooking the forest. She held onto the branches loosely, making sure to sway along with the branches as to not attract any attention. Far off into the distance, she could see the silver glint of the opposing team's flag.
She slid down the tree and landed gracefully next to Ryan, "It's that way," she nodded in the general area, "Just by the river."
Clarisse grinned and gathered the cabins into a circle, "Alright, listen up, punks. The plan is simple. Hermes' cabin, you'll be keeping the other team away from the flag. Distract them. My cabin will be defending the flag. Fox, Alpha, Trident, Death-breath, and I will be retrieving the flag. Don't screw anything up."
The demigods nodded, drawing their various weapons. Lindsey grinned in excitement and began to walk away, "What are we waiting for?"
They traveled through their own territory without meeting any of their opponents. Lindsey could tell Clarisse was itching for a fight. Ryan and Percy were as cool and composed as ever, while Nico just seemed to glare at everything.
"The river is the border." Clarisse growled quietly, "We have to be extra careful once we cross it."
Lindsey wanted to laugh at her serious tone. She just seemed to grim for a war game like this.
Lindsey nodded her agreement, "Trident-Boy, can you give us a lift? I don't feel like getting wet." She nudged Percy playfully. Their armor clanked a little and Ryan gave her a stern glance.
Percy rolled his eyes, "I think you're just being lazy." He joked, but concentrated on the water anyway. He motioned for them to go.
Lindsey went first, cautiously sticking a foot out onto the surface of the water. When she was certain that it would support her weight, she quickly scampered across, Ryan following close behind. Clarisse looked suspiciously at the water, but followed, eyeing Percy mistrustfully once they got across. Both Nico and Percy made it across. They seemed to be muttering quietly to each other, Percy with a wide-eyed look and Nico with a chilling smirk.
Lindsey looked at them questioningly. Percy brushed past her, murmuring under his breath, "He knows."
She glanced at Nico, who suddenly looked so much happier than he had before.
"Did you two have some sort or relationship?" Lindsey asked, wrinkling her nose immaturely. Percy sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes.
"Come on!" Clarisse whispered harshly, gripping her electric spear, "Or we'll get spotted."
"Too late!" Someone crowed behind them. Lindsey heard a swishing noise and instinctively knew it was a sword. Quicker than light, she raised her blade and whipped around, her sword meeting the enemy's weapon.
There was a clang and the demigod stumbled back. Lindsey noticed that it was Tybalt right away. His helmet had been discarded sometime back, and the area around his eye was turning a delightful shade of purple. His lips were awkwardly swollen, and Lindsey wondered how that could have happened.
Annabeth stood next to him, holding out her knife. She looked particularly fierce in her armor, her helmet missing too. With a jolt, Lindsey realized that her lips were swollen too. She nearly gagged.
There were four others with them, each of them downed in grey armor. Blue feathers sprouted from their helmets. They all had their swords drawn.
"Is this where we fight?" Lindsey asked Clarisse, amusement evident in her voice.
Tybalt didn't waste any time. He lunged at Lindsey, his sword flapping around. It was obvious that she had probably twisted his wrist or something before. Lindsey rolled her eyes and nimbly parried it away. It was his fault for holding his weapon so tightly. She knocked the weapon out of his hands with ease and whirled around for her next opponent.
With a sense of disappointment, she realized that they were now evenly matched. She took the opportunity to deflect a strike that was headed for Clarisse.
She was about to yell at Lindsey, but Lindsey beat her to it, "Go!"
Clarisse's eyes widened and she bolted for the general area of the flag.
Lindsey's sword met the other person's. She grinned as she realized that she was fighting Annabeth. She was skilled with knives, sure, but Lindsey had about a hundred years more experience than her. She easily swept the knife into the river.
Tybalt had managed to regain his footing and his sword. He had switched the sword to his left hand. His right probably hurt too much. He charged for Lindsey, obviously clumsier than he had been before. Lindsey barely blinked before tossing his weapon into the river with Annabeth's. She knew that he could probably get it easily, being a son of Poseidon and all.
She looked at the others. Ryan had effectively knocked his opponent unconscious and Percy's opponent was now nursing a sore body, his sword stuck in a tree. A very angry dryad was screaming at him. Nico's opponent was trying to wrestle out of a skeleton's grip, the prince of death smirking at the writhing boy.
"There was a time when demigods actually could fight." Ryan commented offhandedly.
"Hey!" Percy protested. Nico just snorted with laughter.
Lindsey detected a slight movement in the corner of her eye. Ryan stilled, obviously seeing it too. The three assassins immediately moved into their fighting positions, Nico staring at them, confused.
Just then, there was a war cry and twenty or so campers charged at them. Lindsey laughed, parrying the first blow, "This is great!" She yelled over the clanging of metal.
"Don't you think this is a bit unfair?" Percy yelled back at her.
Lindsey laughed again, bashing her hilt into someone's helmet, "You're right!" She snapped her fingers and suddenly, there were ten extra Lindsey, each grinning maliciously or laughing. They swung their fake blades around and charged at nearby demigods. They shrieked and dodged.
Lindsey grinned and knocked out another demigod. The illusions obviously wouldn't do any harm. It was still amusing to watch the demigods scramble away from Lindsey's fake swords.
There was an uproar of noise as Clarisse charged into the clearing, holding the flag, a dozen demigods at her heels.
Lindsey cheered as she sent another camper flying into the river. She knocked out another with ease, beaming with excitement. Beside her, Ryan's sword was literally flaming. Fire licked its sides. Percy was dousing everyone in water. Lindsey found it hysterical as one of the demigods suddenly crashed to the side from the force of the wave.
Lindsey barely had to concentrate to send a gust of wind out. The warriors around the three assassins were all pushed back a couple steps. She laughed again as she knocked another demigod out.
"We should do this more often!" Lindsey yelled to Ryan, knocking the blade out of someone's hands.
Clarisse had reached the other side of the river and was lifting the flag high in victory. Chiron suddenly appeared out of the shadows, blowing a conch horn, "Victory to Ares!"
A moment later, there was a thundering of feet and the rest of the team appeared, cheering. Lindsey took the opportunity to flick another blade out of her face.
She concentrated again and the illusions flickered out of existence. She lowered her blade slightly, grinning from ear to ear. She could feel both Percy and Ryan's presence right behind her, their shoulders nearly brushing. It was how they sometimes fought if they were cornered.
"Cool powers." Nico sheathed his sword. Lindsey finally relaxed her stance, turning around to look at him.
"Thanks." Percy grinned back, returning his sword back into his pen. The armor melted off of him and back into his ring. He quickly shoved his pen back into his pocket, as if he didn't want anyone to see it.
"I didn't want to burn the trees." Ryan said nonchalantly, even though Lindsey knew he was silently feeding his ego. A couple of dryads that had appeared to watch the battle made funny giggling sounds, their faces turning a dark green.
Lindsey rolled her eyes at them. She concentrated on the image of her ring, and the armor melted away into the ring. She watched as her sword shimmered and turned back into her fob watch, as if knowing that the battle was over.
Beside her, Ryan tensed. He still had his weapon out and his armor on. Lindsey tensed too, turning the fob watch back into her sword. If she had learned anything in her life, she knew that Ryan had amazing instincts. He could sense enemies' presences and the feeling of a gaze on his back.
"Blah-ah-ah!" Came the bleating of a satyr.
Lindsey exchanged looks with Ryan, suspicion etched clearly on both their faces.
Grover came stumbling out into the clearing, a goofy grin on his face and a dreamy daze in his eyes. Lindsey rolled her eyes and relaxed, but kept her sword out anyway. Ryan eyed him distrustfully, probably still angry about what he had said in Olympus.
"Just the Lord of the Wild." Lindsey murmured to herself, under her breath. Percy hid his grin, turning away from Grover in order to do so.
Lindsey realized that Ryan still hadn't put his weapon away. She scanned the area around her, clenching her sword. Clarisse and her allies were still celebrating their victory. Chiron was talking to a worried looking Rachel, flicking his tail anxiously. Nico was scraping some dirt off of his shoe with his Stygian Iron sword. Tybalt, Annabeth, and the group of campers that she had just fought were picking up what was left of their dignity.
Lindsey smirked at that, glancing at Percy, who was also looking smug at their defeat. Mostly at Tybalt. She knew Percy couldn't look Annabeth in the eyes without thinking about how cruel nature was.
She glanced around again, scrutinizing the edges of the clearing. The dryads had poofed away into green mist, back into their trees. She focused on what Ryan probably was thinking of. And then she heard it.
There was a low rumbling noise, as if there was a giant machine. Maybe it was the earth moving or rocks falling from a mountain top.
Lindsey stroked the ring on her finger and the armor melted back onto her. There was no mountain top in camp and she was pretty sure she would have noticed a giant machine in the middle of the forest.
"What's wrong?" Percy's armor melted back onto him as he spoke, his sword sprouting from its pen form.
"I can hear something…" Lindsey replied, looking at Ryan, who nodded.
She listened intently. As another second passed by, she could almost feel the ground shaking. Her eyes widened dramatically a fraction of a second later. Ryan nodded, coming to the same conclusion.
"AT ARMS!" He yelled, raising his sword.
Immediately, all chatter ceased. The campers looked around, visibly wary. They took in the three assassin's battle-ready form and scrambled to get in place.
Chiron cantered over, Rachel on his back. She slid off and looked somberly at them, "It's started."
"What?" Lindsey demanded, "What's started?"
"The invasion."
Lindsey glared at her, "What's happening?"
For a moment, Lindsey thought Rachel was ignoring her. Her adrenaline pumped as the pounding grew louder. She glared at the Oracle harder. Rachel had slumped over, leaning against Chiron, who looked worriedly at the red-head.
Lindsey nearly sprang back as Rachel straightened, her body unnaturally stiff. Her eyes were a glowing green. When she spoke, green mist flowed from her mouth,
"Fueled by rage, the child of death walks,
One's last breath closer against the clocks,
Words of wisdom blatantly ignored,
Night's wrath restored, but abhorred,
Raging, raging against the dying cries,
Another's anger no longer conceals his disguise,
When the child of fate's destiny is asked,
He shall turn his face, chosen to be masked,
The strongest will fall at a decision made,
Cold, night steel takes life into its blade,
Empires will crumble to ash and dust,
Buildings will rot and red blood will rust,
Until the flower's vengeance is called to an end,
Then death will walk the Earth again as a friend."
Lindsey backed away, her hands shaking badly. She had heard those exact words fifty years ago on the summit of Mount Olympus in Greece. Ryan sucked in a breath, reaching out for Lindsey's shoulder.
Rachel collapsed onto Chiron again. She caught her breath and stood shakily, "What prophecy did I just sprout?" She asked, oblivious to the drumming of feet and the silence that had fallen over the campers.
Lindsey slowly let out a stream of air, "My downfall." She said flatly. She could hear the drumming come closer and closer. She turned to the campers gaping at the scene, "Get ready to fight."
Then, the first monster crashed into the clearing.
A/N: Good? Bad? I guess it's not my best... -sob-
I'm typing this up as I study for chemistry... I don't understand anything as I watch these Khan Academy videos. So YAY!
ANYWAY, ENOUGH ABOUT ME. REVIEWS!
Wade98: Thank you for your review! Haha yeah. Originally, I wasn't planning to make Annabeth so mean (because I actually really, really love her), but somehow as I wrote, Annabeth shaped into a meanie butt (haha this insult). Would you believe it if I said I was planning to make Clarisse and Fox hate each other? Looks like my characters had different ideas xD
annabethgrace6: MWAH! I love you and your constant reviews! I also love how every time after I read your reviews, I get so darn happy! TEEHEE
the Oracle of Akemi: Thanks for the review! I'm so glad you liked last chapter!
NEXT: Percy's point of view! The battle against the monsters... What's the point of this random monster attack?
Don't forget to review/favorite/follow! I love you all and I couldn't have written this without all of your support!
-ALICE