By the time Argus gets his passengers back to Camp Half-Blood, it is late afternoon. Artemis grants permission for the Kanes and Zia to enter camp, and they head toward the dining pavilion where everyone will soon be gathering for dinner. Chiron meets them there and gets an update on their quest and on his newest camper.
"One year?" the centaur moans. "Is it not bad enough that I must put up with Apollo and his whining?"
"I assure you that Caesar will not be whining," Caesar says then asks, "Are you really the Chiron, son of Kronos?"
Chiron nods his head, "And I am beginning to wish for the old days when my students left to fight battles and never returned."
"You don't mean that," Percy tells him with a grin.
"You are correct, Mr. Jackson, I do not mean that, but things are more difficult these days," his teacher says.
"Hey you're back," Leo shouts as he and Calypso make their way from the woods. "Holy Hephaestus, is that Julius Caesar? I thought he was dead."
"I was dead," the god says as Leo and his girl get to the pavilion.
"Me too," Leo replies with a grin then Frank steps up and pulls the son of Hephaestus into a big hug.
"I'm so glad you're back," Frank says. "Hazel too. We felt so bad."
Leo comforts Frank saying, "Everything worked as plan, and I never could have done it without you big guy."
"Are you famous?" Calypso now asks looking at Caesar. She figures that if Leo knew this old guy, he must be somebody.
"I am Caesar," the god says like that should be explanation enough.
"Yeah, that's not going to mean anything to her," Leo chuckles. He then begins to tell his girlfriend about how Caesar became dictator of Rome then dictator for life then some Senators killed him.
"But you are here, and you do not look like a ghost," Calypso says.
"The people of Rome insisted that I be made a god after my assassination," Caesar tells her. "My adopted son went on to create the Roman Empire, but how do you not know this? Have you been living on a deserted island your entire life?"
"As a matter-of-fact," she says. "I am surprised you do not know who I am?"
Caesar looks the girl over then says, "Since you cannot be the Calypso who kidnapped Odysseus..."
"I most certainly did not kidnap him. He just arrived on my island," she says offended at the accusation.
"Nooo," Caesar says in shock. "You are that Calypso?"
"And she's my girl Caesar, so watch yourself," Leo tells him.
"I have no desire to take your girl. The love of my life and my son are waiting for me in the Land of the Dead," the god says.
Leo looks at Jason with a raised eyebrow. "Cleopatra and Caesarion," his best friend says.
"Then why are you here dude?" Leo asks curiously. Jason then starts explaining the situation to Leo and Calypso. He is still explaining when Piper comes running toward the group having gotten word that her boyfriend is back.
"Jason!" she shouts excitedly.
"I assume that is Piper?" Caesar asks looking at Jason.
"Yes, your cabin counselor, and don't you dare try to take the position away from her," Jason says walking out to greet his girl.
Piper jumps into his arms and kisses him. "Did you find out who was helping Setne?" she asks.
"We did, and Setne has been returned to Osiris," he tells her.
"So who was it?" she asks curiously.
"Uh, Pipes, meet Julius Caesar," Jason says introducing his girl to the god. Piper looks at the god in shock. She seems to be unable to say anything.
"I can tell that you are a daughter of Venus," Caesar says taking Piper's hand. "Grandmother's beauty shines through you."
"Grandmother," Piper stutters.
"Julius is a descendent of your brother Aeneas," Annabeth points out to her close friend.
Jason now takes Piper by the arms. "Babe, I need to tell you something." She just looks at him showing that she doesn't really understand what's happening. "Caesar was working with Setne. After we caught him, Dad sentenced him to Camp Jupiter."
"Jupiter," she mumbles.
"But Reyna and Frank are afraid he will start another dictatorship there," her boyfriend continues.
"Dictatorship," she repeats looking at Caesar.
Jason bites his lip and straightens his glasses. "So he sentenced him to a year here at camp - in your cabin."
Now Piper finds her voice. "MY CABIN!"
"I asked him to reconsider. I swear I did," her boyfriend insists.
"He's like ancient. How can he live in our cabin with my little sisters," she asks. "Look at him. He's got to be at least 60."
Caesar, looking offended, says, "I will have you know I was only 56 when I was murdered."
"Oh, well, that makes all the difference in the world," Piper tells him sarcastically.
"It's only a year," Jason points out again.
"And my mother didn't protest?" she now asks.
"What could she do, Pipes? When Dad makes up his mind," he says not finishing.
Piper looks at Caesar again, fuming, but not so much at him as at Zeus. The god finally speaks. "My family," he starts, "they are waiting for me. If I could go to them this second, I would do it. Lord Jupiter made my release in one year conditional on good behavior. Trust me when I tell you that nothing will keep me from Caesarion and his mother. Whatever you tell me to do will be done. Whatever conditions you put on my staying here will be met. I just want to do my time and get to them. Jason tells me you are my cabin counselor. As a daughter of Venus, you are also my aunt. I am bound to follow your every command."
"My command," she says a little stunned. The god bows his head to her. "Alright," she says hesitantly, "that is our table right there, number ten. Go take a seat until time to eat." Caesar nods then takes a seat at table ten. "What have you gotten me into?" she now asks looking at Jason.
"I love you," he says with a grin then hugs her.
By the time the campers have arrived for dinner, word has gotten around the Caesar is now a camper. When Apollo arrives with his children, he goes straight to Caesar.
"I need to speak to you," the son of Zeus says with a jerk of his head indicating that it needs to be away from the others. Caesar doesn't immediately stand. He waits until he gets Piper's attention and she approves his leaving the table. When they are a few feet away from everyone else, Apollo says, "Dad got you too huh?"
"Afraid so," Caesar confirms.
"How long you in for?" Apollo now asks.
"One year," Caesar says then smiles, "Damn me for extending the calendar year by two months."
"You only got one year!" Apollo says raising his voice.
"How long did you get?" Caesar asks his fellow god.
"Eternity or when Zeus changes his mind, whichever comes first," the archer says angrily. Apollo then shouts over to his twin sister. "How did he only get a year?"
Artemis walks over to the two gods to calm her brother down. "Father knew you would be upset," she tells him.
"Of course I am upset. One year!" her brother says.
"Father told me to tell you that this was Caesar's first offense, but it is your third. He said he is only following the mortal three strike rule," his sister explains trying very hard not to smile.
"You're loving this aren't you, watching me suffer miserably while you can still come and go as you please," he pouts at her. "I would do anything to get you out of this."
"I am still working on it," she assures him, "but you know Father."
"Well, work harder," he grumbles walking away.
Once dinner has started, Chiron stands to welcome their guests and make introductions. The campers are all excited to meet the Egyptian magicians, but the announcement that Julius Caesar is now a camper is a real stunner. A murmur starts spreading around the tables until Chiron clears his throat. "In other announcements," the centaur says, "Lady Artemis has informed me that tonight's Capture the Flag will feature the females against the males." A roar now goes up at the table of cabin eight while Piper eyes her boyfriend then points at him and pounds her fist into her hand. Jason just grins.
Percy helps Carter find some armor since the magician insists that using his Horus avatar might not work well in the woods. The son of Poseidon is adjusting Carter's shoulder straps when they spot a familiar face walking toward them from Half-Blood Hill.
"Are we going to war?" Walt asks with a grin as he reaches the guys.
"You're back already?" Jason asks happy to see another boy for their team.
"Once I got Zeus to the Hall of Judgment, he said he could get himself home. He and Osiris wanted to catch up," Walt explains. "What are we playing?"
"Capture the Flag," Jason says handing Walt a celestial bronze breastplate. "Guys against the girls," he continues.
"Sadie and Zia are playing?" Walt asks getting suited up in armor.
"And Artemis, so we're glad you're here," Percy says as Caesar walks over to them. "Aren't you suiting up?" the demigod asks since Caesar is still in jeans and a polo shirt.
"Oh," Caesar says snapping his fingers, "I have my own." Instantly, the former dictator is standing before them in full Roman armor complete with laurel wreath headdress.
Apollo then points at his fellow god's head and say, "I created that you know," referring to the laurel wreath.
"Yes, but no one has ever worn it better than Caesar," Julius says tilting his head back and raising his arm as if he's getting ready to give an oration.
"Can you believe that ego," Apollo says looking at some of the boys.
"Sort of rivals yours doesn't it Dad," Will says prompting a laugh from Nico.
Percy quickly introduces Walt to the rest of the guys then suggests they come up with a strategy to defeat the girls. Everyone, including Apollo, now looks at Caesar.
"Surely someone who knows the territory and the skills of each member of our group would be better suited..."
"Better suited than Julius Caesar?" Carter says with a grin.
Caesar smiles then says, "Fine, huddle up."
"What is the plan Lady Artemis?" Piper asks looking at the goddess.
"Annabeth, Reyna and I have been discussing this," the goddess says. "Hunters, all of you except for Thalia will guard our flag."
"All of us, my lady," one of her hunters, a big girl named Cynthia, asks.
"Two of you will stand with the flag, but the rest of you will hide in the trees around it. Do not underestimate my brother and Caesar. They will come at us with a winning strategy. Sadie and Zia have informed me of some of Carter's strengths as well. Your skill will not be wasted," her goddess assures her.
"Yes, my lady," Cynthia says then listens to the plan.
"Thalia, Zia and I will scout to the north. Sadie and Annabeth will take the northwest with Piper and Reyna taking the southwest. Clarisse, Lou Ellen, and Nyssa, you will take the south," Artemis continues.
"You got it Lady Artemis," Clarisse says slamming her fists together.
"Kayla, you and your sisters take to the trees in the east. I doubt they will approach from the sea, but I need your sharpshooter skills if they do," Artemis now says.
"You've got it Aunt Artemis," the daughter of Apollo says leading her sisters in that direction.
"Katie and Miranda, we need for you to go with Calypso," Annabeth now says, "the nymphs don't normally play Capture the Flag, but they have been asking to join us. There is no better time than now. Juniper and Brooke are already in the woods rounding up all the naiads and dryads who want to play. Calypso will fill you all in on the plan."
"Let's go," Miranda says pulling her sister's arm and taking off with Calypso.
"The rest of you," Artemis now says to the remaining girls from various cabins. "There aren't many of you this time of year, but I want you to fan out in two rings around our base. One group about fifty-yards out and the other another twenty yards from that. If you see a boy, signal first. Remember what I have been teaching you. Alert others to your situation while you still can then attack."
"Yes, Lady Artemis," Alyssa from Athena's cabin says.
Artemis then takes a girl from the Iris cabin, who has only been at camp a week, aside and talks to her. The girl seems disappointed in whatever the goddess tells her, but she nods her head and stays put.
"Does everyone know their role?" Annabeth now asks getting a nod from all of the girls just as Chiron signals the start of the game.
Nico and Walt agreed to guard the flag for the boy's team with Will and some of his brothers stationed in the trees above them watching for girls. As they sit watching, Walt says, "You must be the son of Hades."
"How did you know?" Nico asks surprised.
"I smell death on you," Walt tells him. "Percy didn't explain when he introduced me to you guys, but I'm also Anubis."
"I thought there was something familiar about you," Nico says with a grin. "So can you call skeletons or ghosts or anything from the ground?"
"Jackals usually but sometimes the dead," Walt confirms. "You do that too?"
"Used to," Nico says. "I sort of over did it trying to get Reyna and the Athena Parthenos back here to camp a couple of months ago. Will and Asclepius tell me that if I do it again, I'll probably die."
"Then by all means, don't do it again," Walt tells him with a chuckle. "I was dying when I combined with Anubis. He's the only thing keeping me alive."
Nico looks at Walt for a couple of seconds trying to decide if he wants to bring up the subject then says, "So Sadie is your girlfriend. How does that work with there being two of you?"
"We both loved Sadie before we joined and she really cared about both of us. I guess you could say it worked out well. She didn't have to choose between us, and we both got her. What about you? You have a girlfriend?" Walt asks.
"Boyfriend," Nico says hesitantly.
"Let me guess," Walt says, "Will."
"Yeah, how did you know?" Nico asks surprised.
Walt smiles then says, "The way the two of you look at each other is kind of like how Sadie and I looked at each other when we first started liking each other."
When Walt doesn't say anything else, Nico asks, "So it doesn't bother you that I'm...we're..."
"Gay?" Walt says tilting his head but keeping his eyes focused on their surroundings. "Why on earth would it bother me? People love who they love. If you care about each other..." From up in the trees, Will now signals someone is approaching. Walt and Nico jump to their feet. Nico readies his sword and Walt his staff and wand.
When no one immediately approaches, Nico glances toward the tree where Will is watching. The son of Apollo holds up three fingers indicating that three girls are out there. Nico relays the information to Walt. "Do we wait for them to approach?" Nico then asks.
Walt grins and says, "I have a better idea." In an instant, Walt has morphed into a solid black jackal and bounds through the woods toward something Nico hasn't seen yet. In seconds, a girl's scream can be heard running through the woods. Anubis start snarling, and Nico can hear Clarisse barking orders to another girl then nothing. After several more seconds, Walt comes walking back toward Nico with something in each hand. The left is carrying a mummy while the right is dragging a canopic jar, which makes Nico turn momentarily green.
"Got a couple souvenirs," the Egyptian says with a smile.
"Who are they?" Nico asks keeping his eyes on the jar.
Walt sets both girls down then says, "This one," pointing at the mummy, "she's not bad with magic. Not as good as me, but not bad."
"Must be Lou Ellen," Nico says. "She's a daughter of Hecate."
"Ah, makes sense," Walt says then gives the jar a spin. "This one was a big girl with an electric spear."
"That would be Clarisse, daughter of Ares," Nico tells him with a grin. From inside the jar, Clarisse is pounding on the sides and shouting warnings about what will happen to them if they don't let her out.
"How appropriate," Walt says with a grin. "Didn't Ares get put in a jar a long time ago?"
"Yeah, but so did I. Can she breathe in there?" the son of Hades asks with concern. He knows all too well what it's like to suffocate inside a sealed jar.
"Of course," Walt says tilting the jar so Nico can see the holes in the lid where the eyes and nose of the jackal are.
"Then, good job," Nico says clapping Walt on the back.
Percy, Jason and Carter are making their way toward the eastern edge of the woods when Jason stops them. "I smell ozone," he whispers.
"Thalia," Percy whispers back earning a nod from his cousin.
Instantly, an arrow flies through the air deflecting off Carter's breastplate. "Ow," the Egyptian says ducking. "Where did that come from?"
Percy decides to try the direct approach. He stands and shouts, "Thalia! Show yourself."
Instead of showing herself, flaming arrows start raining down on the boys causing them to hightail it to the closest trees.
"Since when does your sister use fire?" Percy asks looking at Jason.
"Since she's hunting with my girlfriend," Carter suggests.
"Crap," Percy offers. "Now what?"
Jason grins, "Offense," he says then steps from behind his tree and sends a bolt of lightning in the direction where the ozone smells the strongest. When his sister yells his name, he knows he hit his mark.
"I know you said it wasn't a good idea," Percy says looking at Carter.
Carter nods in agreement and says, "Avatar time." In seconds, the glowing form of Horus is standing among the trees in the woods. Jason is stunned until Percy gets him to snap out of it.
"I want one," the son of Jupiter says with a grin.
"We need to locate Zia, I have a plan," Percy now tells them as Carter starts deflecting arrows left and right.
Leo grabs his brother Jake's arm and pulls him backwards. "Did you hear that?" he asks cautiously.
"It came from that direction," Caesar suggest pointing north.
"No," Jake says, "It came from up there," he continues pointing in the trees.
"I thought it came from the brook," Leo says then looks at Jake with dread. "She didn't!" he exclaims.
"What?" Caesar asks sounding concerned.
"Calypso got the nymphs involved," Leo tells them. "That's why we're hearing sounds from all around us. The trees and streams are playing the game, and they're on the girl's side."
"You got that right Valdez," Juniper says coming from behind a tree.
Caesar looks at the small green dryad and says, "Certainly we can take her."
"Now!" Juniper yells to some unseen helper. Leo doesn't even have time to think before a golden net, apparently hidden under the fallen leaves, pulls up around the three guys pulling them from the ground.
Calypso then steps out next to Juniper and says, "Hello Handsome."
"Hello," Caesar replies casually.
"Uh, I think she was talking to me," Leo tells the god.
"Oh, your girlfriend, yes she probably was," Caesar says a little embarrassed for the mistake.
"You know I can get us out of here," Leo now tells his girl. "All I have to do..." Leo's hand is now a blaze of fire.
"That might work, except..." Calypso says as she walks around the outer edge of the hanging net. "Except for this, Brooke..."
Brooke, the naiad, and four of her sisters rise up from the stream and send a blast of water at Leo completely extinguishing his hand. Even when the fire is out, the nymphs continue the drenching.
"You know better than to use fire in our woods Leo Valdez," Brooke tells him with giggle. "We've got this Calypso. You and Juniper go find some more."
"Can't you use something from your tool belt," Jake asks his brother.
Leo spits water from his mouth and says, "Not if this is Dad's netting, and knowing my girlfriend..."
"Well this pretty well sucks," Jake groans looking from his brother to Caesar.
Leo looks at Caesar and says, "I thought you were a strategic genius."
"How was I supposed to know there would be nymphs," the Roman complains. "This is the worst defeat of my entire career."
"Hear that ladies," Brooke tells her sisters. "We defeated the great Julius Caesar."
"Now you'll never live it down," Jake says putting his hand on Caesar's shoulder. "Naiads have some of the biggest mouths in the entire camp." Caesar hangs his head in shame.
After quite some time of searching for the boy's flag, Annabeth and Sadie run into Piper and Reyna who have also come up empty handed.
"What have you seen?" Annabeth asks wanting to get intel from her friends.
Piper grins, "Calypso got Leo as planned. He had Jake and Caesar with him."
"So they're all tied up at the moment," Reyna chuckles.
"Artemis sent word that she and Thalia are keeping Percy, Jason and Carter occupied," Sadie informs Piper and Reyna. "I doubt they will get away from her."
"What about Apollo?" Reyna asks. "He will be hard to defeat."
"I wish we knew where he was," Annabeth agrees, "but their flag has to be around here. Juniper's dryad friends said they saw Nico and another boy coming this way with it."
"Another boy? Didn't they recognize him?" Piper asks. "If Carter is with Percy..."
"And no one would mistake Julius Caesar for a boy," Reyna adds.
"Maybe it's Frank. He wasn't here at camp for very long," Annabeth says.
"Annabeth's right, it must be Frank," Piper says then stops. "Did you..." Before she can even finish the sentence, Reyna's eyes tell her there is something wrong.
"It wasn't Frank," Apollo grins as does the large German shepherd standing next to him.
Sadie doesn't take her eyes off the dog. "Is that..."
"Frank," Apollo says as the shepherd turns into a rather large sixteen-year-old Roman praetor.
"Hey," Frank says with an arrow trained at Piper's head.
"You wouldn't," the daughter of Aphrodite says looking at her good friend.
"Shoot you, no, take you the CtF jail, you bet," Frank says not noticing Annabeth signaling something to Sadie.
"All right Frank, you and Apollo got us," Annabeth now says walking slowly toward the son of Mars with her hands up in front of her. "That doesn't mean you're going to win," she continues with a grin of her own. Next thing Frank and Apollo know, a beautiful gray kite is flying over the treetops and Sadie Kane is gone.
"Did you know she could do that?" Apollo asks looking at Frank.
"How would I. I just met her," Frank says looking at Apollo, which was a fatal mistake.
As Sadie swoops down to get at the god, Annabeth and Piper both pounce on Frank. He tries to fight them off, but when it becomes clear that he can't, he changes into an eagle then goes after Sadie chasing her back toward the dinning pavilion leaving Apollo alone with Annabeth, Piper and Reyna. Annabeth swings her dragon-bone blade at the god's chest slicing through the strap of his quiver as Reyna jumps on his back and pulls his ammo away flinging it into the woods out of reach. Apollo struggles as best he can, but he knows his sister will get mad and him and Zeus will never let him leave if he hurts one of the girls. When Piper knocks him to his knees with Reyna still on his back, he has no choice but fall go to the ground.
"Here," Annabeth says handing Piper the golden chain she got from Calypso. "It's Hephaestus chain. It'll hold him."
"Wonderful," Reyna says. "Nothing better than a god hog tied with Vulcanized rope."
"Oh, that sounds rather like fun," a different male voice now says from behind her. A startled Reyna turns to find her new boyfriend hovering in the air.
"Kratos, what are you doing here? Since when do you have wings?" she asks him.
"I heard you were staying at Camp Half-Blood overnight, and I just couldn't stand to be away from you," he tells her, "and I was born with these beauties." He ruffles the feathers on his wings as he says the last part.
"He's cute," Piper says looking at Kratos but talking to Reyna.
"Kratos," Annabeth now says knowing they have to get him out of here before he learns the rules of the game. "Perhaps you would like to freshen up after your long trip here from California," she says giving him a sniff. "I'm sure Chiron would not mind if you use the big house bathroom. Maybe take a shower."
Kratos looks surprised then goes so far as to sniff at his own armpits. "I do not..." he starts looking back up when Apollo interrupts.
"I know what you are doing daughter of Athena. Kratos, you are on our team. They are trying to get rid of you before you..."
When Apollo opens his mouth to speak, Reyna looks at her friends then shouts, "RUN!"
Jason continues to zap his big sister with electricity keeping her occupied, while Carter keeps Artemis busy deflecting flaming arrows. In the meantime, Percy has skirted his way around behind the girls without them seeing. When he spots Zia, he gets ready to dowse her to extinguish her flames, but as soon as he starts to feel the old familiar tug in his gut, he doubles over in pain.
"Not so fast Percy Jackson," Kendra, a naiad he knows well, shouts from the nearby stream. "I control this water not you."
"Kendra," Percy says motioning for her to keep her voice down. "Shush."
"Shush, how dare you shush me. Lady Artemis, he's over here," Kendra shouts alerting the goddess.
In a second, Artemis lands on Percy taking him to the ground. "Thank you Kendra," Artemis tells the naiad. "Now come help me tie him up," she continues.
"With pleasure," Kendra says with a giggle running over to Artemis.
Since Carter is towering at treetop height, he witnesses Percy's capture. Knowing that he and Jason must now get away if they stand any hope of winning, he grabs Jason's shirt with one hand and lifts him from his feet as he runs.
"What about Percy?" Jason shouts looking back for his friend.
"Artemis got him, we have to keep going with the mission," Carter says. When he gets several yards away from where Thalia and Zia were known to be, he comes out of avatar mode, but the boys keep running.
"Did you see Artemis capture him?" Jason asks out of breath.
"Yeah, her and a girl that came out of the stream," Carter says panting.
"A naiad, are you sure? They don't play Capture the Flag," Jason tells him.
Carter finally stands up straight to catch his breath, "Well, this one was playing," he insists.
"This is Calypso's doing. The nymphs have wanted to play for some time, but we didn't want them to get hurt," Jason tells him.
"She looked pretty able to take care of herself," the magician says. "Come on, we have to keep moving."
Annabeth, Reyna and Piper are surprised when Sadie drops down in front of them. "Hey," she says with a smile.
"Sadie," Annabeth says hugging her. "How did you get away from Frank?"
"Oh," Sadie giggles, "he still thinks he's following me all around camp, but he's chasing one of the amulets Walt made me."
"You Sadie Kane are a genius," Piper says with a grin.
Sadie smiles then says, "Tell me that when we've won this game. Shall we," she continues motioning the girls forward. It isn't long before something prompts the Egyptian to stop. "It can't be," she whispers, crouching close to the ground.
"What?" Annabeth whispers back.
"There's no way he is already back," Sadie tells them.
"You mean Walt?" Annabeth asks thinking there is no one else missing from camp.
Sadie nods her head. "He has a certain smell," she tells them.
"You mean the smell of death?" Piper asks. "Maybe it's Nico."
"Does Nico also smell like myrrh?" Sadie now asks knowing that the resign is associated with the art of mummification more so than death itself.
"No," Annabeth says.
Sadie frowns. "You three stay here and let me scout ahead. We must be getting close."
"You shouldn't go alone," Piper tells her.
"No, Sadie is right," Reyna tells them. "They will have snipers in the trees just as we do. The Greeks will not suspect a bird."
"I won't be long," Sadie says then changes into kite form again and takes off through the trees.
Sadie is no longer surprised when she sees her boyfriend sitting with Nico di Angelo at the boy's flag. She is also not surprised to see the trees full of boys with bows and arrows. When she returns to the girls, she fills them in just as Artemis, Thalia and Zia arrive. The girls now make another plan.
Artemis and Thalia, with the help of Zia, provide flaming cover for the others easily knocking Will and his brothers out of the trees. Sadie then sends an assortment of animals charging, including Sadie's camel, Katrina, at Walt and Nico, all courtesy of Walt and his amulets. She and Annabeth charge in behind the herd drawing Walt and Nico into hand-to-hand combat, while Piper and Reyna charge in and grab the flag. Will, who is lying on the ground holding his foot, manages one last shot snagging Reyna and sticking her to the ground. She shouts for Piper to run.
Apollo and Kratos don't worry about the hunters hiding out in the trees around the girl's flag. Since both of them are gods, the arrows will do nothing to them even if they strike. It's not much worse than walking through a swarm of angry yellow jackets. As they march up on the two hunters guarding the flag, Apollo stops prompting Kratos to do the same.
"You know you are no match for me," the god tells his sister's hunters.
"Lady Artemis has taught us well," a hunter named Velma replies as she trains her arrow at the god.
"Go ahead and shoot. You will not stop us from getting that flag," he continues as he trains the two arrows in his own bow.
Kratos, not taking his eyes off the girls says, "Just say when."
Apollo gets a big grin on his face and whispers, "When." Kratos takes off flying through the air as Apollo lets go of both arrows. Each girl is struck in the pant leg and dragged backwards by the force of the arrows. When the arrows land in nearby trees, the girls are quite stuck, but it doesn't matter. Kratos has the flag and is on his way back to the creek that runs through the middle of the woods.
Piper runs as fast as she ever has before trying to get back to the boundary line just in case the boys have managed to get to their flag, no matter how unlikely that is. She can see the clearing up ahead when she hears the flapping of large wings up above. It's too loud to be Sadie she thinks looking up into the sky. She is shocked when she sees Kratos carrying their flag. She tries for a burst of speed, but she knows even her best can't beat a flying god, and after playing this game for a couple of hours, she's not at her best then she spots Crystal, the daughter of Iris, Artemis made remain behind at the finish line.
"Crystal," Piper shouts and hurls the flag in her direction. Piper is shocked when the girl unfolds her own set of iridescent wings and flies toward the flag, snatching it out of the air. Iris' daughter comes back down on the other side of the finish line just as Kratos reaches it.
"Kratos," Chiron says sounding surprised to see the god. "I had no idea you were playing in this game. I am not certain that a late arrival would be allowed to win, but no matter, Crystal and the ladies have clearly won the game."
Crystal smiles and raises the flag as the image on it changes into bright blue sky with a rainbow. Piper then drops to the ground in exhaustion.