Percy is a Tank, Annabeth is a glass canon, Aaron is a support character...
Thoughts?
If this was an RPG I mean. That is how I am writing this.
There were two bulls, massive and powerful. Bronze ones the size of elephants, radiating heat and magic that Aaron could taste from there. And even that wasn't bad enough. Naturally they had to breathe fire, too.
"Colchis Bulls!" Aaron bit out, seeing the monsters and cursing his lack of power.
As soon as they exited the taxi, the Gray Sisters peeled out, heading back to New York, where life was safer. They didn't even wait for their extra three-drachma payment. They just left them on the side of the road, Annabeth with nothing but her backpack and knife, Tyson and Percy and Aaron still in their burned-up tie-dyed gym clothes.
"Oh, man," said Annabeth, looking at the battle raging on the hill.
"How are they getting past the barrier..." Aaron focused, trying with all he had to sense the barrier itself, the magic of Thalia's spirit... " I can't feel it, Annabeth I can't feel the barrier. There's some lingering magic but that's it. Something's really wrong." He focused on the ten heroes in full battle armor who were getting their bronze-plated booties whooped, and felt their magic, the innate power of Demigod that he was so familiar with. None were anywhere near as potent as Percy's aura of power, even combined, but he could still feel them. "They aren't hurt I think, we need to hurry. Annabeth, invite Tyson in. He's strong and immune to fire, he can help."
Percy looked horrified. "He's just a kid we can't do that to him."
"He killed two giants and faced off against a third, he'll be fine. Just let him in."
"NO!/I, Annabeth Chase allow Tyson to Cross the Barrier into Camp halfblood." Percy's voice crashed against Annabeth's but the damage was done and Tyson was allowed entrance past whatever was left of the barrier.
One of the heroes shouted, "Border patrol, to me!" A girl's voice-gruff and familiar.
"It's Clarisse," Annabeth said. "Come on, we have to help her."
Her fellow warriors were scattering, running in panic as the bulls charged. The grass was burning in huge swathes around the pine tree. One hero screamed and waved his arms as he ran in circles, the horsehair plume on his helmet blazing like a fiery Mohawk. Clarisse's own armor was charred. She was fighting with a broken spear shaft, the other end embedded uselessly in the metal joint of one bull's shoulder. He couldn't see her, but Aaron swore he all but tasted her fear, worries and panic.
Aaron felt useless, feeling his stamina running low from his earlier fight and cursing his mortality. Unlike the others, he lacked Ichor which gave practically unlimited stamina.
"I'll start patching up the wounded, see if I can get them in the fight." He sprinted up the hill, wishing he had his magical hoodie, if nothing else it would have helped him survive a charging bull even if their heat would still have hurt them.
Percy uncapped his ballpoint pen. It shimmered, growing longer and heavier until I held the bronze sword Anaklusmos in my hands. "Tyson, stay he-"
"No!" Annabeth said. "We need him."
Percy stared at her. "He's just a kid. He got lucky with the dodge balls but he can't-"
"Percy, do you know what those are up there? The Colchis bulls, made by Hephaestus himself. We can't fight them without Medea's Sunscreen SPF 50,000. We'll get burned to a crisp."
"Medea's what?"
Annabeth rummaged through her backpack and cursed. "I had a jar of tropical coconut scent sitting on my night-stand at home. Why didn't I bring it?"
"Percy, I taught you about that, it's a legendary potion remember."
Aaron's words seemed to have some effect. " Oh, the fire resistant potion Medea made for Jason."
"Yeah, that now enough talk let's go they need help." Percy was already running up the hill toward Clarisse, who was yelling at her patrol, trying to get them into phalanx formation. It was a good idea. The few who were listening lined up shoulder-to-shoulder, locking their shields to form an ox-hide-and-bronze wall, their spears bristling over the top like porcupine quills. Unfortunately, Clarisse could only muster six campers. The other four were still running around with their helmets on fire.
Annabeth ran toward them, being by far the fastest of them and making it up the hill in seconds, trying to help. She taunted one of the bulls into chasing her, then turned invisible, completely confusing the monster. The other bull charged Clarisse's line.
Aaron took a full ten seconds longer to get up the hill, hearing Tyson behind him breathing heavy with determination and fear. He split off, charging the panicky on fire demigods, tackling the first and stomping on the fire covered plume on his head. "Good, your okay, get back into battle."
The kid, who turned to look at him, blinked in shock but was quickly overtaken by Aaron's firm glare. He nodded quickly, just in time for Tyson to fully on tackle the bull and send it flying away from Clarisse's formation, getting an offended squawk from the girl.
Aaron didn't wait up for that, repeating his actions of tackling and stomping on the plumes of the various panic filled demigods. One of them actually sprinted away, a child of Apollo he was sure, looking terrified and angry as he ran off. The other two, girls he was sure was from Aphrodite's cabin, needed no reminders and shot back into battle without hesitation.
Thankfully, the runner had dropped his helmet and Aaron saw an opportunity. Reaching out he let his hands graze the Celestial Bronze, Ignoring the pain covering his body from tackling fully armored idiots, Aaron felt power shot through his body. Lingering blessings on the metal, the very thing that made them magical, and with that power that he could extract for strength... at least slightly as he was only barely magical enough to make even that slight contact with the metal.
"Damn... still, maybe a numbing spell?"
Turning, he saw that the battle had been won, Tyson standing over the remains of a bull and Clarisse doing the same with a furious look in her pig like eyes. Her bull was squeaking around, it's legs barely working as it ran in circles.
Clarisse pulled off her helmet and marched toward the others. A strand of her stringy brown hair was smoldering, but she didn't seem to notice. "You-ruin-everything!" she yelled at Percy. "I had it under control!"
Percy was too stunned to answer.
Annabeth grumbled, "Good to see you too, Clarisse."
"Argh!" Clarisse screamed. "Don't ever, EVER try saving me again!"
"Clarisse," Annabeth said, "you've got wounded campers."
That sobered her up. Even Clarisse cared about the soldiers under her command. "I'll be back," she growled, then trudged off to assess the damage. In doing so she walked over to him, her face shifting into something akin to respect... which was a shock to him. " I saw what you did... "Her thank you wasn't verbal but he almost heard it.
As stunned as Percy was when she screamed at him, he offered a smile. "No problem, you were very brave to fight on this border patrol... bring the injured to me. You remember I was trained by Chiron. I have not enough power to heal right now but I can at least asses them and patch up basic injuries." She nodded, looking grateful despite everything, so much so that she didn't so much as flinch when he reached up after sucking on his thumb and fore fingers to pinch off the smoldering piece of hair.
"I will see what I can do." Her voice was gruff, short and commanding but there was still something nice about it. He imagined, though he could only really guess if it was accurate due to barely knowing her, that she wasn't holding his connection to Percy and Poseidon against him. He hadn't personally pissed her or her father off, so he was okay to talk to...
They spent a few minutes together, checking on the various kids. Of the eight that had remained, other then Clarisse, four were injured as so was Clarisse herself as it turned out. Aaron pulled her to the side after they checked on the first kid, a child of Apollo named Lee, noticing that she wasn't using on of her arms almost at all. He quickly diagnosed her with second degree burns, electrical damage from her spear breaking and dislocation of her elbow and shoulder both.
She hissed at him when he expended the tiny remnant of magic he extracted from the helmet to ease her pain, but her eyes were filled with gratitude. He saw her entire being relax. Enough that she was able to walk with him back to the tree where Percy and Annabeth were standing, talking about Tyson.
Clarisse's hands were shaking as she wiped the soot off her forehead. "Jackson, if you can stand, get up. We need to carry the wounded back to the Big House, let Tantalus know what's happened."
"Tantalus?" Aaron asked, his face paling. "The man who fed on of his kids to the gods, that Tantalus?
Clarisse nodded looking at the sorcerer with some irritation, but he could tell it wasn't towards him. "The activities director," Clarisse said, oddly patient.
"Chiron is the activities director. "This was Percy, who was standing with some difficutly. Aaron knew, from his limp, that he may have sprained his ankle. "And where's Argus? He's head of security. He should be here."
Clarisse made a sour face. "Argus got fired. You two have been gone too long. Things are changing."
"But Chiron … He's trained kids to fight monsters for over three thousand years. He can't just be gone. What happened?"
"That happened," Clarisse snapped.
She pointed to Thalia's tree. Every camper knew the story behind the tree. Six years ago, Grover, Annabeth, and two other demigods named Thalia and Luke had come to Camp Half-Blood chased by an army of monsters. When they got cornered on top of this hill, Thalia, a daughter of Zeus, had made her last stand here to give her friends time to reach safety. As she was dying, her father, Zeus, took pity on her and changed her into a pine tree. Her spirit had reinforced the magic borders of the camp, protecting it from monsters. The pine had been here ever since, strong and healthy.
But now, its needles were yellow. A huge pile of dead ones littered the base of the tree. In the center of the trunk, three feet from the ground, was a puncture mark the size of a bullet hole, oozing green sap. The magical borders were failing because Thalia's tree was dying. Someone had poisoned it.
Aaron reached out, taking a risk and touching the tree with some hesitance, falling to his knees with a pant seconds later. Clarisse's firm hands reached over, grabbing him under his shoulders to force him to stand. " It's worse then we thought, whatever this is... it's attacking her spirit, the source of her magic. Her ichor itself, which is a part of the tree now, it's being corrupted... I can feel it." He gestured, making a sweeping motion towards the rest of the Camp. "It's using her roots to infect all of the earth around here. It's attacking all of the magic here, soon the essence of the Camp will be corrupted. Even the campfire, the representation of our connection here."
They took a step forward, moving to help the injured campers, when Clarisse stopped with a sigh. "You can't be here, Chiron told me about your banishment now that Hecate is helping the Titan."
Immediately, with some hesitance, Aaron knew what he had to do. He just hoped he was right...
"I swear by Styx to spend my time, if allowed here, to do all that I can to restore this tree and the barriers here. I know I am the only sorcerer here at the moment and that means I have a duty to help camp with my magic. I will do just that."
At first nothing happened, but then he saw it. Glorious light shimmering above him, bluish green and when he looked up he saw it, the sign of Poseidon's approval. A Bluish green sphere with a trident inside.
"Well, I do believe I am allowed in Camp again... shall we visit this Tantalus now?"
The others smiled at him, even Clarisse though only for the slightest of seconds on her part, and they all moved to collect the injured Demigods.
""""
Instead of playing volleyball in the sandpit, counselors and satyrs were stockpiling weapons in the tool shed. Dryads armed with bows and arrows talked nervously at the edge of the woods. The forest looked sickly, the grass in the meadow was pale yellow, and the fire marks on Half-Blood Hill stood out like ugly scars. It was an ugly sight, one that broke Aaron's heart. The Year before it was entirely different, the kids were playing and there was a sense of pride and playfulness here. A sight and presence that had evaporated entirely, leaving only a trace of war in the eyes of even the youngest of children.
Yet he felt a sense of smugness, he hated how complacent the Campers had been. He'd never say it out loud but he hoped they'd learn a lesson from this.
As they made our way to the Big House, Aaron recognized a lot of kids from last summer. Nobody stopped to talk. Nobody said, "Welcome back." Some did double takes when they saw Tyson, but most just walked grimly past and carried on with their duties-running messages, toting swords to sharpen on the grinding wheels. The camp felt like a military school.
None of that mattered to Tyson. He was absolutely fascinated by everything he saw. "Whasthat!" he gasped.
"The stables for pegasi," Percy said. "The winged horses."
"Whasthat!"
"Um … those are the toilets."
"Whasthat!"
"The cabins for the campers. If they don't know who your Olympian parent is, they put you in the Hermes cabin-that brown one over there-until you're determined. Then, once they know, they put you in your dad or mom's group."
He looked at Percy in awe. "You … have a cabin?"
"Number three." I pointed to a low gray building made of sea stone.
"You live with friends in the cabin?"
"Yes, well only Aaron since he's my... our stepbrother I guess." Percy looked embarrassed, rubbing the back of his head with something sheepish in his eyes.
Aaron understood that. "I'm not a demigod though, Tyson, so I am not technically supposed to be here. Since I am a sorcerer I am allowed in some places but since my old patron betrayed the Gods I was banned. Lord Posieden has given me permission to be here now, again I mean, so I guess I am in Percy's cabin again." He bumped into Percy, getting a smile from his brother. " Roomies again."
"Yeah... hey, do you think you can summon our stuff?"
"Yeah, but not tonight and I'd need your magic to channel for a spell like that."
Percy offered a smile. " Cool."
Eventually the group found their way to the Big House, they found Chiron in his apartment, listening to his favorite 1960s lounge music while he packed his saddlebags.
As soon as they saw him, Tyson froze. "Pony!" he cried in total rapture.
Chiron turned, looking offended. "I beg your pardon?"
Annabeth ran up and hugged him. "Chiron, what's happening? You're not … leaving?" Her voice was shaky. Chiron was like a second father to her. Chiron ruffled her hair and gave her a kindly smile.
"Hello, child. And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the year And Aaron, you look like an entirely different person, your magic feels much stronger as well. Be proud child!"
Percy's voice almost cracked as he spoke "Clarisse said you were … you were …
" "Fired." Chiron's eyes glinted with dark humor. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D had to punish someone."
"Besides himself, you mean," Percy growled, his magic flaring in anger that made Aaron shudder. He prayed, to no one in particular, that Percy's power was kept in checks one of these days.
"But this is crazy!" Annabeth cried. "Chiron, you couldn't have had anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!"
"Nevertheless," Chiron sighed, "some in Olympus do not trust me now, under the circumstances."
"It's because of your parentage." The others, mainly Annabeth and Percy, turned to him. " It's like with me, I was banished for my ties to Hecate. He is the son of the Titan of Time, but he's not technically immortal so they upstairs don't trust him... I am so sorry Chiron." He offered the man a hug, getting on in return. " I missed you, Master."
His old master, his teacher of all things healing and archery, smiled back at him. " And I you, my old student. How has your training been?"
"Fair enough, I think I can hold my own against most Demigods in terms of archery, but my healing skills have suffered without people to actually practice on. I did manage to heal myself with a spell today though, invoking Apollo...even if he didn't help."
The Centaur cringed. " He is a fickle god... but let me asses you, I want to ensure your human body could handle the spell alone." His hands stopped their packing, roaming over Aaron's ribs and arms. " I sense bruises only... but nothing more severe. Your ribs were cracked through, I assume that was what you healed?"
"It was, Laistrygonian Giant punched me full force in the chest. I killed one of them on my own, and managed to slow down their attacks with a weak deceleration spell... but the damage was severe. I am lucky to be alive."
Chiron had breathed in sharply, looking shocked at the notion of such powerful giants and such a wound. " Be proud of how lucky you were... and you did well. You may never be a great warrior, your no Atalanta, but you will definitely be a juggernaut in Support. That I can be sure of."
"Thank you, Master."
Tyson was still staring at Chiron in amazement. He whimpered like he wanted to pat Chiron's flank but was afraid to come closer. "Pony?"
Chiron sniffed. "My dear young Cyclops! I am a centaur."
"He's a baby, be nice Chiron." His scold worked for Chiron, who sighed and allowed Tyson to pet his flank in apology, making the boy's eye widen in excitement and happiness.
"Chiron," Percy said. "What about the tree? What happened?"
He shook his head sadly. "The poison used on Thalia's pine is something from the Underworld, Percy. Some venom even I have never seen. It must have come from a monster quite deep in the pits of Tartarus."
"Then we know who's responsible. Kro-"
"Do not invoke the titan lord's name, Percy. Especially not here, not now."
"But last summer he tried to cause a civil war in Olympus! This has to be his idea. He'd get Luke to do it, that traitor."
"Perhaps," Chiron said. "But I fear I am being held responsible because I did not prevent it and I cannot cure it. The tree has only a few weeks of life left unless …"
"Unless what?" Annabeth asked.
Aaron's mind swirled, considering sources of magic strong enough to heal the Tree and purge a posion that even Chiron could not heal. Having learned directly from the Horse man, he knew there wasn't much he wasn't able to cure. " The Golden Fleece..."
Chiron said. "A foolish thought, but yes it would be enough. The whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The camp itself is dying. Only one source of magic would be strong enough to reverse the poison, and it was lost centuries ago.
"The Golden Fleece, we'll find it." Percy all but crowed.
Chiron closed his saddlebag. He pressed the stop button on his boom box. Then he turned and rested his hand on my shoulder, looking me straight in the eyes. "Percy, you must promise me that you will not act rashly. I told your mother I did not want you to come here at all this summer. It's much too dangerous. But now that you are here, stay here. Train hard. Learn to fight. But do not leave."
"Why?" I asked. "I want to do something! I can't just let the borders fail. The whole camp will be-"
"Overrun by monsters," Chiron said. "Yes, I fear so. But you must not let yourself be baited into hasty action! This could be a trap of the titan lord. Remember last summer! He almost took your life."
It hurt to hear that but it was true. " I swore, on Styx to do what I can to help the Tree and the barriers. I am a sorcerer, maybe not a great power but I have more resources then most here in camp. I can do it."
Chiron's smile didn't reach his eyes as he brushed aside one of Aaron's curls. " I have no doubt that you can, my apprentice, but you may have come to late to do that. Do not put too much on yourself, you are only a year of training into magic and healing." Annabeth was trying hard not to cry. Chiron brushed a tear from her cheek. "Stay with Percy, child," he told her. "Keep him safe. The prophecy-remember it!"
"I-I will."
"Um …" Percy said. "Would this be the super-dangerous prophecy that has me in it, but the gods have forbidden you to tell me about?" Nobody answered. "Right, Just checking."
"Chiron …" Annabeth said. "You told me the gods made you immortal only so long as you were needed to train heroes. If they dismiss you from camp-"
"Swear you will do your best to keep Percy from danger," he insisted. "Swear upon the River Styx. You too, Aaron." He looked at them both with seriousness and passion, as if nothing was more important.
Aaron resented him for asking that but if was his brother so it was an easy thing to agree too.
"I-I swear it upon the River Styx," Annabeth and Aaron said at once. Thunder rumbled outside.
"Very well," Chiron said. He seemed to relax just a little. "Perhaps my name will be cleared and I shall return. Until then, I go to visit my wild kinsmen in the Everglades. It's possible they know of some cure for the poisoned tree that I have forgotten. In any event, I will stay in exile until this matter is resolved … one way or another." Annabeth stifled a sob where as Aaron let out a very, pained sigh. Chiron patted her shoulder awkwardly. "There, now, child. I must entrust your safety to Mr. D and the new activities director. We must hope … well, perhaps they won't destroy the camp quite as quickly as I fear."
"Who is this Tantalus guy, anyway?" Percy demanded. "Where does he get off taking your job?" A conch horn blew across the valley. I hadn't realized how late it was. It was time for the campers to assemble for dinner.
"A monster Percy, a human monster." Aaron turned towards his brother, eyes very dark. " Be careful with him and respectful as hell. Fake it, he is worse then my father." Percy actually paled here.
"Go," Chiron said. "You will meet him at the pavilion. I will contact your mother, Percy, and let her know you're safe. No doubt she'll be worried by now. Just remember my warning! You are in grave danger. Do not think for a moment that the titan lord has forgotten you!" With that, he clopped out of the apartment and down the hall.
Tyson calling after him, "Pony! Don't go!"
Tyson started bawling almost as bad as Annabeth.
Percy tried to reassure them that it would be okay, but it rang false... even for Aaron, who's chest ached. Master or not, he wasn't super close to Chiron... no, his biggest worry was the Camp. Chiron wasn't the best teacher for the Demigods, but he was a powerful leader, father figure and healer. The camp lost a great deal of strength with his loss...
Could they recover... without him?
It seemed doubtful.
'Poseidon I offer another service. I will now, instead of just working on the Tree, offer myself as a healer, mage and protector. I will do what I can to make up for the loss of my master... and become what this camp needs. To compensate for the loss of Barrier, healer, father and protector... I will do what I can to be what this camp needs.'
There was no sign of power or godly influnece, but he was almost positive he felt someone listening to his prayer... he hoped they would approve.
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
Powerful, simple and fun I think the changes felt within character and in story. Aaron is not meant to be a warrior but a support type character. If this was an RPG he would be a summoner/whitemage character...
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.