(Morning)
The camp was abuzz with excitement. Capture the flag was the activity most people looked forward to for months. It had everything a demigod could ask for. There was strategy, fighting, magic, and glory. Captains spent months recruiting and negotiating with other cabins, trying to build the best team possible. There was nothing better than winning. Rumors were whispered around camp, mostly amongst the younger kids, that the person who ultimately brought the flag back to their own side sometimes got presents or even a visit from their godly parent in congratulations. The campers had been talking about the game for weeks, and today was the day, meaning everyone was discussing which team they believed would be victorious.
The normal din of the Mess Hall amplified to a dull roar.
This made for a very unhappy group of teenagers sitting together in a corner. The four campers sat at a table, as far away from everyone else as they could be, wincing at every small noise. Will brought his hands up to rub his temples, trying to alleviate some of the severe throbbing and discomfort. Lea had her head on the table, taking strained breathes as if every inhale hurt her. Owen pushed his food even farther away from him, his face slightly green. Aaron wore sunglasses despite the overcast skies and his hands were clenched into fists as if in a great deal of pain.
"Hey, guys!" Matt said in his usual chipper tone as he sat down. He was met with angry grunts and glares. "Oh!" He said realizing his mistake. "Sorry, I didn't realize you guys were still hung over." He said the last word in a hushed voice.
"Yeah, we are." Said Will through gritted teeth. "And how exactly are you not?" He asked accusingly. Though usually an easygoing guy, he was not in the best of moods.
"Well, I did leave before you last night, so I wasn't as bad anyway, but it's mostly because Felix is my brother." Said Matt as if that explained everything.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Snapped Lea, whose patience was at an all time low.
"You don't know?" Matt asked surprised. "I just figured everyone did. I mean Chuck stopped by our cabin first thing this morning."
"If you don't explain what you are talking about in five seconds or less, I will rip off your arms and knock you unconscious with them." Aaron threatened, no humor in his tone.
"Right, ummm- well everyone knows Felix can heal external injuries, but he can also heal internal injuries as well." He was met with four blank, slightly irritated stares. "He can cure hangovers." Matt finished, over enunciating each syllable.
"Where. Is. He?" Asked Owen, grabbing Matt by the collar of his t shirt.
"In the arena." He said, eyes wide as saucers.
(As that was happening)
Felix was awful with a sword. If he had him a bow and arrow and he could hit a moving target nine times out of ten, but put him in a sword match with a seven year old and he would probably lose.
Not only was Katie not using her dominant hand, but she was going easy on him, too. Chuck stood nearby yelling out 'helpful' comments.
"Now side step to the left! No, not your left, my left. Now duck. Good! Parry! Ooh, that looked like it hurt. Shake it off."
"Ok! You know what? I think I need a break." Said Felix, breathing heavily. He set the sword on the ground and laid down on his back, fingers checking the pulse in his neck. Katie walked over to Chuck who was pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head slightly.
"So, I don't think this is going well." Sighed Katie.
"Well, at least he's trying... I mean, he's failing, but he's trying." Offered Chuck.
"I think it's time to switch to archery." Panted Felix, still lying on the ground.
Katie felt her sword shrink in her hand as it turned back into her sun stone ring. The ring sat on her right ring finger. It had been given to her by her mother. She had never thought about where her mother had found it, but her mom was relatively clear sighted in respect to the mist, so she must have figured out some way.
The three half bloods had only shot a few arrows before they were interrupted.
"Felix, what is this about you being the magical hangover cure?" Will's voice called from behind them. The three teens turned to discover four of their friends stalking toward them squinting and looking annoyed.
"Well, I wouldn't say 'magical'." Answered Felix humbly.
"You don't have to say anything, just wave your hands and do your thing." Commanded Owen. Tiny, five foot four Felix reached up to place his hand on the much taller boy's head. He closed his eyes, concentrating.
"Aaron is staring at you." Chuck whispered to Katie. She was right, Aaron had moved his sunglasses up to rest on his head and was eyeing Katie. His left eye was slightly squinted, tugging his mouth up into a cocky grin that, she supposed, some girls might consider to be attractive.
"That's weird. It's probably nothing with him." Said Katie thoughtfully. Chuck just shrugged and turned her attention back to Felix and Owen. The taller boy's eyes had rolled back in his head and gave him an eerie look about him, but the tension lines were slowly diminishing. It was apparent by the look on Owen's face that whatever Felix was doing was working.
"I'll catch up with you guys later." Katie called over her shoulder, making her way toward the exit.
"Don't forget about our thing later back at the cabin." Felix yelled after her. Katie waved her hand in acknowledgement and exited the arena. She walked somewhat aimlessly for a couple of minutes, eventually finding herself in front of the Athena Cabin. She knocked on the front door.
Arthur opened it.
"Hi." She said, smiling at him. He didn't respond. He just pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her briefly before guiding her inside and closing the door. She heard the groan of a one of his siblings from somewhere nearby, but that was the last thing on her mind. With Arthur's arms securely around her, Katie relaxed into his chest. In this moment of bliss and simplicity, it was hard to believe that things between them were only slightly less than complicated.
Arthur had come to camp the year before, and Katie had instantly taken a liking to him. He was smart, as were all children of Athena, but he wasn't boring like the majority of them. He once told her that the only reason that there were rules was so they could be broken. Entropy, she remembered, is what Arthur had called it. He loved teaching her, and others, things. And although he was a nerd by intellectual standards, he didn't look it. He was always dressed ever so dapperly. His hair coiffed, cuffs folded and pressed, the tan of his skin was always perfectly even.
Not everything was good, though. He also had a way with words, not a virtuous kind either. He could twist a lie, making it seem like the truth. Katie had watched him talk their way out of trouble countless times, often leaving the councilors confused. It wasn't like charm speak, it was something darker, almost a little scary. It didn't matter, Katie told herself, Arthur was fun and just a little bit dangerous.
She liked that about him. A lot.
The two had grown rather close over the previous summer. They were each other's first kiss. She recalled, fondly, the memory. It had been after curfew. Arthur had come to the window beside Katie's bunk, inviting her on an after-hours walk. He had stopped their stroll on the beach, telling her how beautiful she was. It had been innocent and sweet.
But the summer had ended. And Katie had gone home, leaving Arthur at camp. She had been worried that he would have moved on, or perhaps was worried that she had. Yet, standing there, in his embrace, she was no longer worried.
"Last night was fun." She murmured, cheek resting on his chest. Her nose touched the fabric of his fitted camp shirt; it smelled like him.
"Yeah, it was." He said releasing her, somewhat reluctantly, from his arms. "It's a shame that I had to leave early. I'm just not really a night owl. Ironic, I know." He said, that little twinkle she loved so much glittering in his eyes.
Katie took a step backwards, away from him.
"You- you left early?" She said, brow furrowed in attempt to recollect the hazy details of the previous night.
"Yup. I guess I just couldn't hang." He said, laughter in his voice, but Katie wasn't paying attention.
He left early? He left? Early? No, she was almost positive that it had been later in the night that it had happened. That the kiss had happened. The most wonderful kiss she had ever experienced. The one she shared with Arthur. It was with Arthur. She was sure.
Mostly.
She willed the details of the past night to come to her. She remembers the hardness of his chest through his shirt, the moon turning the end of his black hair silver, his striking baby blue eyes seeing not only her, but her soul, and-
Wait, Katie realized, Athena kids had gray eyes. She looked up at Arthur just to double check. Her golden eyes looked into his steely ones.
Oh, no, no, no.
"Katie, are you okay? You look a little ill. Here, sit down." Arthur instructed, watching her with concern. But Katie didn't hear him; her brain was going a mile a minute as she pieced everything together.
There was only one person she knew of with eyes like that, and he had been weirdly staring her down not fifteen minutes before.
"Shit." She said under her breath. She peered at Arthur, guilt consuming every fiber of her being.
"Katie? Are you alright? You're so pale." Skyler, who, upon having just walked into her cabin, noticed her friend's wide eyes and sickly coloring, jumped into action. She placed a hand on the forehead of the Apollo child. "You don't have a fever." She pursed her lips. "Come on, let's get some fresh air." Sky insisted, helping her best friend to her feet. Arthur moved as if he planned on going with them.
"No!" Katie said, perhaps too forcefully. "Stay here. Get ready for Capture the Flag tonight. I'll be fine. Promise!" She said in a tone she hoped sounded happy and normal. She quickly gave Arthur a peck on the cheek and practically pulled Sky out the door.
When they were a safe distance from the cabin and Katie was sure there was no one near enough to be overheard, she turned to her friend.
"Sky, I did something bad, like really bad."
(Capture the Flag)
The two teams stood at the entrance to the forest, one on either side of the river that split the woodland in half. On the left stood the red team Owen stood at the head of the group, giving a pep talk. He was waving his hands dramatically, clenching and unclenching his fists as he spoke of victory. His armor fit his broad shoulders and chest perfectly, and, although sporting what looked like a red broom out the top, his helmet didn't make him look ridiculous like most people, he looked terrifying. Next to him stood his younger, but taller, brother. They both had the same chiseled jaw line and stood with the same air of arrogance, but that was about where the similarities stopped. Gar, being younger, was always a little in the shadow of his older half-brother, not to say that Garreth wasn't a great half-blood in his own respects. It was just, unfortunately for him, his brother was the Owen Cross.
On Owen's other side was Chuck, helmet in her left hand and sword sheathed on her hip. Her face looked determined and ready for a fight. Chuck was wearing old, beaten up armor and her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in a couple days, and she still looked flawless.
Standing near Chuck, was Katie and Matt, both were in gear and both were paying very little attention to Owen. The Apollo and Zeus cabins were almost always on the same team, which meant that they had heard Owen's speech thousands of times. Katie was wearing her helmet, her hair snaking out from underneath in the form of a braid down her back. She had her bow and quiver slung over her back and her sword in her hand. Matt was tapping on his blue armband, his ADD flaring up as the anticipation grew.
The son of Ares, Rudolf, looking intense and frightening in his bronze armor, stood not far off. Chelsea, the tiny daughter of Nike, whose helmet was about a size too big and kept falling in front of her eyes, hanging on to every word that Owen spoke. Laurel, daughter of Demeter, looked ready for a fight, bow in hand and large knife strapped to the outside of her thigh. Juliette, a Poseidon kid, was standing near the river. She had a sword sheathed on her back and she was twisting her ring on her finger.
The blue team was captained by Will, his usual good natured voice taking on a serious edge as he spoke to his team. Lea, another child of Hermes, stood near him. Her dark brown skin almost the same color as the leather grip on the hilt of her sword. The bill of a sun visor jutted out from under her helmet.
Next to Lea, towering over her, were Marian and Carmelita, daughters of Hephaestus. Carmelita held a broad sword inset with a large ruby, and Marian was tossing her menacing looking hammer back and forth between her hands.
Tiny little Elena was next. She looked as though she couldn't hurt a fly, but, being a daughter of Metis, she was able to control others, like charm speak. Next, Liam, Arthur, and Sky, children of Athena, listening intently to the strategy Will had started to lay out.
The last member on the team was Aaron. He looked bored, like he just came for the fighting and didn't need all the planning and strategizing. He was flipping his dagger around in his hands. The sun should have reflected off of the shiny black surface, but instead it was as if there were no sun at all, like the dagger was made of darkness.
Finally the two captains had finished and Chiron raised his arms.
"Good luck to both teams. Felix and I will be only a short ways away should anyone get injured and need assistance. Remember, though you are playing foes, you are all friends. You have fifteen minutes to hide your flags and get into position."
Both teams turned and ran into their half of the woods.
(Team Red)
"Ok, so the flag is going to go on Zeus' Fist and-" Owen instructed as he ran.
"We always put it there. They know exactly where to go every single time." Katie argued.
"It'll work. It always works." Insisted Owen.
"No. It won't. Right now they have the upper hand. They know our plan. And you're too stubborn to realize that you are going to lose."
"It is the first place they would look." Agreed Chuck. Owen abruptly stopped running.
"Fine where do you think we should put it?" Owen questioned, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"If we put it near the river, I could protect it." Offered Juliette. Owen reluctantly nodded, coming up with another plan.
"Okay, Jules, take the flag, put it near the river so you can protect it, but not too close to the border. Gar go with her. You can help defend. Go." Juliette picked up the flag and headed farther up the river, Garreth right behind her. "Katie, Chuck, and I will be the Offense Team. That means, Chels and Laurel, you two go in the opposite direction. Make as much noise as you can without being overly obvious. Rudolf and Matt, you guys are going to go up and 'protect' Zeus' Fist. We're changing the plan, it'll throw them off." He said as if trying to convince himself. He looked around, making sure everyone knew their jobs. "Alright, let's do this."
(Team Blue)
"Okay, so we'll have five people defending the flag and four people to go get the Red Team's flag from Zeus' Fist." Said Will.
"I don't know. Katie said she's been getting annoyed with Owen for always having the same plan. Knowing her, I bet she would try to convince him to change it." Sky reasoned.
Will bit his bottom lip, deciding his next move. "Owen is stubborn. He may not agree to a strategy change."
"You could make two offensive teams. One to check Zeus' Fist and one to do a sweep of their side." Liam offered, his British accent making everything he said sound even smarter. Will nodded his head at this.
"So, instead, we'll leave Aaron, Elena, and Sky here to guard the flag. Marian, Arthur, and I will check Zeus' Fist and, if it's not there, circle back to check the left side of their territory. Lea, take Carmelita and Liam and cover the right side." Everyone murmured their understanding and then split up.
(The Game)
Will stepped gingerly as he continued forward. As a son of Hermes, he was blessed with light footedness meaning he made almost no noise at all. Marian was not so lucky. The daughter of Hephaestus stomped behind him. He turned around to look at her, not angrily, but sternly. She gave him a sheepish look and a shrug. William signaled for Marian and Arthur to continue moving forward. Before long they were able to see Zeus' Fist. Standing on top of the pile of rocks were Rudolf and Matt. They were scanning the woods below, but almost lazily, as though it weren't a big deal. Will signaled for the group to back up.
"I don't think it's up there." He whispered to the others. "There are people up there, but they don't look like their guarding anything. I think it's a distraction."
"Let's head back, we can do a sweep after we get back to the river." Added Arthur.
The three turned to leave. CRACK! Marian had set her foot down on a larger, rather dry, stick that had broken in half, possibly giving away their position in the process. Will turned around to see as if the two demigods had heard. Sure enough they were climbing down the heap of stones. Will drew his sword. Behind him Arthur tapped his watch which turned into a two samurai looking swords called katannas.
With a small thud the two Red Team members landed on the ground. Will, Marian, and Arthur were waiting with their weapons ready.
"There are three of us and only two of you. We'll let you leave if you go right now. It's not like you're even guarding anything." Will negotiated. Hardly a beat had gone by and the son of Ares raised his sword and jumped at the captain of the Blue Team. Will deflected the blow. Matt turned on Arthur, swinging his sword at the other boy's chest, which Arthur parried. Marian moved to assist Will against Rudolf. She swung her hammer, hitting the son of Ares squarely in the breastplate. He staggered backwards, wind knocked out of him. Only phased for a second, he moved forward again.
On the other side of the forest, Chelsea and Laurel were scampering and weaving through the trees. They would step on a twig here, or crunch a fallen leaf there. Trying to attract attention from the Blue Team. After a little while of not being followed, they decided to double back and return to the river to help guard the flag.
Owen, Katie, and Chuck could see the blue flag. It was in a little clearing on top of a small hill. Not high enough up to be obvious, just enough to have the uphill advantage. Owen motioned for Katie and Chuck to go up the hill while he went around the back. Katie waited until Owen was a decent distance away from them before she shot two arrows. One wedged itself into a tree, an inch away from Aaron's head and the other planted itself firmly into the ground between Sky's feet. She had hit exactly where she meant to. She returned the bow so it was hanging from her back and drew her sword. She and Chuck walked out from the trees.
"Owen sent two girls as his main offensive attack?" Aaron scoffed.
"Well, Will left three girls to guard his flag." Chuck sneered. Aaron glared at her and gripped his dagger tighter. Katie and Chuck were about halfway up the hill.
"Stop." Said Elena who, until this moment, Katie had hardly even registered. "It's just a stupid flag. You don't even really want it, do you?" Katie felt her head move side to side in response. "That's what I thought. So why don-"
"It's charmspeak. Don't listen to her. Focus on something else." Said Chuck. Like Katie, she had stopped in her tracks, but her face was scrunched up in concentration. She took a difficult step forward.
Elena scoffed. "Charmspeak? Please! My mother is Metis, much more powerful than Aphrodite." She said, her voice full of pride. With an almost indiscernible smile Chuck realized that Elena was no longer 'persuading' them. She couldn't use her power when she was angry.
"You can tell yourself that, but everybody knows it's really the same thing." Chuck goaded, taking another cautious step forward. Behind her, Katie was doing the same.
"My mother is so much more powerful than yours, meaning I'm much more powerful than you, you self-obsess-" There was a clang and Elena crumpled to the ground. Standing behind her was Owen, shield out in front of him.
"Did you just hit her in the head with your shield?" Asked Sky incredulously. Owen shrugged and reached for the flag. Aaron knocked his hand away from the pole. A heated battle broke out between the son of Zeus and the son of Hades. They had never liked each other all that much and every time they got a chance to fight, it ended bloody and violently.
Elena had started to wake up. Chuck put the tip of her sword at Elena's throat. "If you even make a sound you'll regret it." Elena looked up at her, doubt in her eyes. It was clear she believed the daughter of Aphrodite was bluffing. "Maybe I am bluffing, but you've heard stories about me. Besides, it's common for accidents to happen in this game. Do you really want to chance it?" Before Elena could answer, Chuck jammed the end of her sword handle into Elena's temple, knocking her unconscious.
Sky and Katie each had their sword drawn and were circling each other.
"You know how this usually ends up, Sky." Taunted Katie. Sky rolled her eyes at her annoying friend. She swung her sword at Katie's arm. Katie side stepped the strike and hit Sky's ribs with the flat side of her sword. Katie winked at her friend. "You're gonna get what's coming to ya, Skyler." Said Katie seriously, though there was a humorous edge in her voice. Katie lowered her sword when she saw Sky's face. All the blood had drained from it and her eyes were glassed over as if she wasn't really there. She dropped her sword and put her hands over her face. "Sky- are you oka-" Katie started.
"Katie, Chuck, I got the flag! Let's go!" Called Owen, flag grasped in his hand. He had a bloody nose and a pretty bad gash in his forehead. His jaw was already starting to bruise. Aaron was on the ground bleeding and taking shallow breaths near Owen's feet. Katie didn't even look at him. She was crouched next to Sky, who had fallen to her knees.
"It's okay. You'll be okay. Please, Sky, look at me." Katie begged her, but Sky's hands were pressed firmly to her face.
"She's fine. She'll be here when you get back. After we win." Owen insisted. Katie looked at him like he had two heads.
"She is clearly not fine." Katie said. Owen looked at her like she was being absurd. "I can't just leave someone, Owen. That's not who I am." She said turning her back to him. Owen let out a breath and broke into a sprint toward the lake. Chuck shot Katie an apologetic look before following him.
Owen was surprised how many people were at the river. He and Chuck broke through the trees, flag in hand, and took in the scene before them. Chelsea and Laurel were teamed up against Liam. Garreth was standing between the flag and Lea, battling ferociously. Juliette was spraying water at Carmelita and Marian, both using their pyrokinesis to evaporate the water before it hit them. Will was fighting Matt, swords clashing against each other. Rudolf and Arthur were in combat, though Arthur had lost one of his two swords and was admittedly being overtaken by the son of Ares.
Owen paused for barely a moment to take it all in. He raced toward the river, dodging swords along the way, finally crossing. He looked up to see the blue flag turn red. He had won. Again.
A horn pierced through the sound of clashing metal. Chiron galloped down from a nearby hill, horn pressed to his lips.
"Congratulations to the Red Team for their victory." He called. "It was a great game. Everyone get cleaned up before dinner. Also, one last announcement: The campfire sing-a-long tonight is mandatory for all campers." He glanced around at the confused faces of the campers. Campfires were never mandatory. "All will be explained tonight." He said, galloping away.
That was weird, thought Owen, it must be something really big. He didn't dwell on it for long. He was too busy reveling in yet another victory. He looked at the storm clouds above him and silently dedicated his win to his father. He turned his attention back to his team who had started to crowd around him.
All of the sudden the ground began to shake. Campers were knocked to the ground by the force of the tremors. Small cracks appeared in the Earth. It stopped as suddenly as it started, leaving everyone dazed and with lots of questions. Owen wondered if this had anything to do with the mandatory meeting that night.
Well, that was…. I tried my best haha! Anyway I know it seems like forever since I updated, but I just got back from Aruba last night. So I finished the chapter today and here ya go :) Let me know what you think is happening (If you come close to the answer I will dedicate the next chapter to you) Review and let me know what you think of this chapter.