It was pure, unadulterated chaos.
Monsters and demigods clashed together. Shrieks of pain sounded everywhere, highlighting the clang of metals and the whisk of arrows through the air. The once-immaculate plains were spattered with blood. Bursts of fire and smoke littered the battlefield.
Above all this, Percy stood, watching as his forces advanced into the forest, heading right into the heart of the camp grounds.
Clarisse was joined by two of her half-brothers as they fended off Therese, Kelli, and Tammi. Silena was going one-on-one with Drew who kept shouting 'Traitor' at the former head counselor. Hellhounds mauled through a line of archers as catapults went off from one side targeting the giants. A group of satyrs had abandoned fighting and were running about carrying pails of water to the burning trees. The few spirits who were able had whipping sticks in their hands, aiding the campers in defense of their home. At the center of the ruckus was Kampe, cackling madly as she swiped her poisoned scimitars at the half dozen opponents that surrounded her.
Percy sighed, Riptide's weight felt heavy in his hand. Why did these stupid half-bloods have to complicate things?
"This shouldn't be happening," came a whine from beside him. Nico was holding his face in his hands, brows creased in worry as the fighting wore on. Beneath the standard issue armor, he wore a long-sleeved black t-shirt, his aviator's jacket was nowhere to be seen and he looked deceptively fragile without it.
"This isn't what I wanted either," said Percy. "But I gave them a choice; this is all their doing. I thought you were supposed to convince them to stay neutral?"
Nico's eyebrows shot up. "I barely had a day! You couldn't have expected me to–"
Percy lifted a hand for the younger half-blood to shut up. "No more. This is what we face now. We must deliver Camp Half-Blood to Lord Kronos."
"Why?" Nico asked, eyes straying over the massive field occupied by warring forces. He watched with a growing hollowness in his chest as people drew blood and took lives. "Your army is great as it is. What's the use of getting these people to your side?"
"Even the Titans are dependent on us, Nico," Percy answered, firelight burning in his eyes as he examined the raging battles. "All those immortals… they're only as strong as those who believe in them."
Nico was bound to ask another question but then a cry from the fighters below distracted him.
"Connor!"
Travis shouted as he ran to his brother's side, dodging the swipe of a barbed tail. Connor lay on the ground, unmoving and defenseless. Above him, Kampe's scimitars glowed deadly green. Travis slashed his sword against the monster's face, prompting the snakes on her head to bare their fangs. The face of a lion roared from Kampe's hips and Travis staggered back in alarm but then he realized his move would've left Connor wide open for attack. Immediately, Travis moved back in, the point of his blade preceding him.
Kampe reared back with a cackle at the feeble attempt. She raised her scimitars, demonic eyes focused on the cowering siblings. Faint green light followed an arc as she stabbed downwards. A few inches before her blades hit the mark, a smooth wall of obsidian rose up between her and the brothers. The black rock caught Kampe under her jaw, sending her brain rattling as she was knocked backwards by the swift impact. A myriad of monsters howled in protest around her waist and she swung her curved blades with abandon.
The sudden shadow that covered them had Travis looking up with wide eyes. His extended sword was useless now, it's tempered celestial bronze blade broken by the thick mass of black rock that walled him and his brother off from their monstrous enemy. Immediately, Travis' gaze snapped towards the sloping hill, to the pale-skinned demigod who had unwittingly thrust his hand out.
Nico stumbled, hand flopping to his side, as that blue-eyed stare pierced him. He looked to his left and found Percy's own narrowed eyes directed at him. "I… I just…"
"Do you want me as an enemy, son of Hades?" Percy asked in a plaintive tone. The younger demigod's show of power caught him off guard and he was less than pleased at the purpose it served.
"N-No." Dark brown eyes gleamed with a sudden sense of fear. Nico found it impossible to look away.
Percy's lips were thinned with impatience. "Are you an ally of Olympus?"
"I'm not – I mean…"
"Then what–" Percy faced him in a quick measured turn "–was that?"
The older demigod wasn't pointing at a particular space but it wasn't as if there was anything else he could be referring to. Nico glanced at the monolith he'd summoned, in its shadow Travis was cradling his unconscious brother in his arms. Connor's bronze breastplate was damaged around the middle but there wasn't any sign of blood. Nico gathered his courage. "I told you I don't want anyone dying."
"Neither do I!" Percy hissed. "But this is beyond me now. This is a total clash of ideals. You have to take your stand, Nico."
The son of Hades squared his shoulders, fear gripped his heart and, as before, only one thought came to mind. "I'm not going to fight you, Percy," Nico stated, taking a step back. "And I'm not going to let my friends get killed."
Percy watched with a steely expression as Nico turned his back on him and ran down the hill, headed towards the only friends he had.
Dark tresses were blown back by the wind as Nico whipped out his sword in time to stab a dracaena that charged at him. The monster shriveled up, shrieking as its essence was absorbed by the Stygian iron. Nico's grim face was revealed as the monster dissolved into nothingness.
Travis was muttering desperate prayers, cupping his brother's cheek softly, begging Connor to open his eyes. Behind him, past the obsidian monolith, he could hear Kampe's wild roars mixed in with the cries of his fellow demigods. How many of them were going to die? He curled over his brother's form, hot tears running down his cheeks as he pressed his forehead against Connor's. "Wake up, Connor," Travis pleaded. "Open your eyes. Don't leave me out here. Please."
A pair of boots stepped into the shadows that shielded them and Travis raised teary eyes to find Nico staring down at him, sword in hand. Murky eyes gazed beneath uneven bangs, lips pressed together so thinly it spoke depths. Travis bowed his head in defeat. "I'm sorry, Nico."
"Don't be sorry," Nico stated, kneeling down beside the Stolls.
Confusion rose on Travis' features. He straightened his form without giving up the protective hold he had on his brother. "What do you mean?"
Nico looked at Connor's beaten body, finding Travis' tears on the pallid face. Squeezing his eyes shut, Nico made his offer, "Run away with me." He couldn't bear the sight of merciless deaths, he couldn't bear the thought of losing another, especially someone who had gone lengths for his sake, he had to –
"Okay."
Brown eyes wide and ashamed to hope met his gaze. Travis moved his hand from Connor's cheek to Nico's shoulder. "If we can save Connor… I'll do anything, I'll follow you anywhere."
Nodding, Nico sheathed his sword and placed a hand on each of the Hermes Cabin counselors, gripping their arms tight by the elbow.
Percy caught the defiant gaze a full second before the monolith's shadows enveloped Nico di Angelo and the Stoll brothers. In a blink, the trio was gone, just in time as Kampe tossed an armored demigod against the black wall of rock with such force that it exploded into chunks, breaking the half-blood's back with its destruction.
A sudden brightness from the side brought Percy's attention to Kelli who had assumed her true form – a fiery fiend using her demonic claws to slice off the head of an Ares camper. Not far from her, Percy saw the reason for her rage – Tammi the empousa lay lifeless.
"They're mine!" Kelli screamed, taking Nolan's place and going at Clarisse and her half-brother with unbridled fury.
Therese huffed at being cut off but she didn't stay idle for long.
"Nolan!" Percy shouted, getting the demigod's attention. He pointed to where a group of their half-bloods were attempting to take control of the catapults from the campers.
Enyo's daughter nodded, sprinting across the battlefield, crying out "For Kronos!"
"Dracaenae!" Percy pointed at the group of snake women who had taken to consuming their kill. "Set light to the cabins!"
Blood painted the sinister lips as Queen Sess' minions threw down their food. Grabbing sticks and other wooden clumps to set aflame, they slithered into the forest, heading towards the heart of the grounds leaving mangled bodies in their wake.
A great force rocked the ground, almost making Percy loose his footing. One of their giants had fallen, arrows in its head and gashes on its legs appearing to be the cause for its end. Campers cheered and went in search for more opponents. Sharp senses recognized the whip of arrows through air heading straight for him and Percy expanded his shield, deflecting the attack. From over the tempered bronze shield, raging green eyes found the perpetrator.
Chiron notched another arrow, bearded face dark and resolute. As things stood now, he cannot afford to let the son of Poseidon be the child of the prophecy.
Percy faced the centaur, the one who'd opened the doors of Camp for him and Luke, the one who'd been running this Camp for centuries letting the culture of suppression foster between the unworthy Olympians and other deities, the traitor son of Kronos. Another arrow was shot at him but Percy easily ducked out of its way.
"You are beyond help, child," Chiron stated, a not entirely sorrowful expression shown on his ancient face. "You have denounced the love of your family."
"You people are not my family," Percy snapped back, moving down the slope towards the immortal centaur. "And don't talk to me about family, son of Kronos. You've been a traitor long before me."
Dark eyes hardened, the intent to kill suddenly imminent in his clutch of the bow and arrow.
Percy held Riptide in a white-knuckled grip. With a twist of his wrist, a jet of water sleek and deadly whipped at Chiron.
Chiron galloped away but the swift stream managed to slice the back of his equine half. He winced but easily let fly his arrows with the same practiced precision.
Anger fired up his senses and Percy moved in preceded by the point of his sword.
Arrow after arrow was shot and deflected. Chiron was quickly running out of shafts to fire but Percy had plenty of his element to control. Roars of monsters and demigods locked in battle echoed all around, every now and then joined by the squelch of blood. Chiron had galloped off in search of ammunition. Percy's pursuit was blocked by a petite fighter wielding twin knives. Behind the bronze facemask of the helmet, scared green eyes stared out at him.
"Do you really want to die, little girl?" Percy asked, slashing Riptide and knocking away one of her knives. He thought he heard a sniffle as the camper stumbled back.
"My mother loves me!" She shouted in an attempt to sound brave. "She brought me to camp to keep me safe. I'm not gonna let you ruin that!"
"Well aren't you a lucky one? Ignorance really is bliss," Percy spat. He was wasting his time on this shrimp. "In that case, I can't say I'm sorry for what I'm about to do." With swift footwork, Percy slammed the side of his shield against her tiny frame. His opponent yelped but the sound was cut off when Riptide stabbed her throat. Percy quickly looked around. The corpse at his feet was just one of many; piles of bodies were starting to form around Kampe. His troops were still pressing forward. Heat and smoke were coming from the forest punctuated by the wails of innumerable nature spirits.
"Percy, to your right!"
His bronze shield saved him, raised just in time to block an exploding arrow. The force of the explosion threw him back, skidding against earth and grass until he collided with the lifeless arm of a fallen Cyclops. Percy groaned, the muscles of his shield arm and left shoulder protesting the rough treatment.
"You okay?" Ethan Nakamura crouched beside him, his one eye wide with anxiety, the plume of his helmet sheared off.
"I'm fine," Percy replied. Rising to his feet, Percy found Chiron not far away a second arrow already notched and waiting to be fired. "Thanks for the warning."
Ethan didn't get the chance to say anything more as Percy sped off towards the centaur.
The fighting warriors were as much of an obstacle as their fallen counterparts but Percy passed them easily, too focused on the immortal camp director to aid his troops in their battles. Chiron let the second arrow fly but Percy only had to spare a thought for a jet of water to sprout from the ground, making the arrow combust upon impact.
Percy burst forth from the column of water, strength restored from having contact with the element.
Chiron hadn't gathered enough arrows. He tried to run but with a wordless command Percy brought a torrent diving into the ground at his feet, creating mud and trapping the immortal in their viscous depths. Brown splatters flew everywhere as Chiron found himself slip-sliding onto his legs, another arrow flew from his bow but without proper aim it posed no threat.
With the clench of his hand, Percy commandeered more water and jumped. The trajectory was made to give maximum force upon impact. Shield braced upfront, Riptide's point delved between the waves wrapped around Percy's arm. A bow was not something to block a celestial bronze shield. The snap was audible even as Chiron shouted when Riptide's blade cut through leather and skin, drawing a long line of blood along his arm. A twist of the blade had the centaur haphazardly turning to avoid it, a useless effort that ended up causing more damage. As Percy jumped back to resume his battle stance, Chiron crumpled into the mud with his hind legs bent at an awkward angle.
The camp director's face was grave and smudged with dirt. His defeat was imminent but the fire in his eyes refused to burn out. "You are not a monster, Perseus," Chiron said between labored grunts, his shaking arms failed to keep him upright. The broken bow was slowly sinking into the muddy ground. "It's not too late to change."
The smirk that rose to his lips was cruel. Percy wasn't deterred even by the spasmodic kicks of the centaur's front legs. "That's not what you said earlier," Percy pointed out with a grim smile. "Funny how you're suddenly back to the father figure act when I'm about to cut off your head."
"Perseus…"
The bronze arc of Riptide slicing through the air had no reason to miss its target. Percy's grip was steadfast and sure and he could just about taste the immortal's blood when an ear-shattering cry overcame everything else.
It was a shout of pure terror.
His knees met the ground, joining many others who had fallen. Riptide clattered to the muddy earth, Percy's teeth gnashed together, a hundred migraines quickly growing all over his brain. Pressing his palms over his ears didn't relieve him of anything, especially when every other creature simultaneously cried out in pain. Narrowed eyes hastily scanned the battleground but panic had spread everywhere. Warriors from both sides were immobilized, weapons discarded, wallowing in the surge of horror that erupted out of nowhere.
Morbid fear unlike any other wracked his mind. Eyes shot open, pupils nothing more but pinpricks of black as he was seized by a crippling wave of torment. His hands went into spasms, torn between a vain attempt to keep out the pervasive wail and the frantic need to search for the sobering solidity of his weapon. He badly needed something, anything to hold on to so that he wouldn't lose himself in the impending disaster, but there was none to be had – he stared at the clumps of wet earth and grass beneath his shadow, desperate for a comfort that could not be found. The seed of irrational panic had planted itself in him, wheedling his most desolate thoughts to the forefront and overrunning the stretch of sanity left in there.
With a curse, Percy let go of his ears and made a grab for Riptide. He could not stand being in this place any longer; squeezing his eyes shut, he fought back the heart-wrenching fears that thinned his breath. He has to do something before things get out of control. Whipping his head around to survey the situation, he found that his troops had lost coordination – heck, everyone looked far worse than they were a few moments ago. It would be a poor decision to drive his troops into further battle, not when they seemed close to losing their own mind. Giving one last spiteful glance at the centaur writhing in pain and Percy rushed off to take command. "Titan army, regroup!" Percy shouted, the sole straight voice over the cacophony. "Retreat to Zeus' Fist!"
Distraught eyes were raised to the son of Poseidon. Over the ruckus, the monsters and half-bloods under his command strained to move forward. As suddenly as the spike of panic rose it disappeared, leaving stunned and disconcerted warriors on both sides. Ringing silence followed but it only lasted a second. Frantic limbs scampered around, the Titan army got into a rush, wanting to escape the invisible source of that wicked frenzy of pain. Seeing the chaos, Percy struggled to maintain his stance in spite of a lingering migraine. "Titan army!" His brain throbbed but his tone masked his discomfort completely. He stood in the middle of the plain, the landmark that was going to be their escape route stood a fair distance away. Beside it, splattered with blood and singed at the edges due to the smoldering arm of a dying empousa, was the flag of truce they'd brought – it was now ruined, just like this planned invasion.
"Retreat! Retreat!" The words were bitter on his tongue but it was the one thing that brought order to his scattered troops. The throng of rushing bodies had a direction now. Percy tried not to get trampled on as he surveyed the situation.
At the edges, campers who were alert enough had taken to battling his forces, preventing their escape. Percy collapsed his shield, raising two fingers to his lips and whistling but the expected response from the retreating hellhounds did not come. Nobody was turning back, scared out of their wits and running off. All of them, save for one.
Kampe wasn't running. She swiped her blades in frenzied arcs, taking on the mass of demigods around her.
"Stand down, Kampe!" Percy shouted, making a beeline to the monster, knocking out a satyr along the way. With a measured swipe of his arm, he brought a spray of water bursting from the ground like a wave, pushing back their reinvigorated enemies.
Reptilian eyes spared him a quick glance only for the devilish lips to morph into a snarl, her rumbling language spewed forth. I am no coward. I fight until victory rests in my hands.
"Kam–" A hand gripped his shoulder. Percy turned to find Therese holding him back.
"Sir, the army is awaiting further orders," she told him in a shaken breath. "The enemy is gaining on us."
Percy cursed mentally. Green eyes surveyed Kampe's form, hoping to find the glittering ball of yarn around her armor-plated physique. "Ariadne's string–"
"Here, sir." Therese held the item to him, bits of grass and earth soiling its silver sheen.
From the corner of his eyes, Percy saw more straggling members of their army slip into the gap in Zeus' Fist. He turned to Kampe just in time to see her take an arrow to the shoulder. She was too powerful an ally to lose. "Kampe, this is an order: retreat!"
But the dragon-lady paid him no heed, instead surging forward and crushing a couple of half-bloods in her wake.
"There's no helping her," Therese stated solemnly, blood painting a river from her forehead to her jaw.
Percy had no choice but to contain his growing anger. "Come on." He headed up the slope of the hill with Therese at his side, a sparse rain of arrows planting themselves around them. "Hold on to the string, you'll be our navigator."
Cries rose from the Camp Half-Blood crowd, renewed fervor pulsing through them at seeing their enemy hastening away. They continued to advance, a greater part of the ensemble heading for Zeus' Fist instead of the chimeric monster rampaging in their midst.
Therese climbed into the gap first. Percy could hear the rumbled mutterings of the army below, the glint of silver and gold reflecting against the stone walls. He stepped into the semi-darkness, feet supported by the metal rungs against the wall. Stone slabs started moving, closing them in. The last thing Percy saw were the disgustingly victorious faces of the camp population as burning arrows exploded on Kampe.