Chapter 11

"Capture the Flag and Surprise Claiming"

Toby

After my rather thrilling fight with my new friends from Ares Cabin, the rest of my day moved along without much problem. I moved from activity to activity with the Hermes cabin, first archery, (which I'm really worse at) then the stables, then arts and crafts, free period, and finally the arena. Thanks to my training and with Trent also fighting a lot of monster of course, I can beat the Ares kid.

Trent leaned against the wall while I practiced with a knife, sword, and shield, occasionally offering encouraging cheers or helpful adjustments. I saw him lost focus for a while; like he was thinking about something super serious but after a while he got back from his day dreaming. I didn't need much of the latter. Every time he noticed something off about the weapon, he'd scrutinize it intently and shift the way it sat in my hand until it felt right, and then begin practicing footwork and attacks. In less than an hour, I went from a novice to an excelling student.

When I stumbled over to him, I was exhausted and sweaty from running around camp all day. He notice my fingers were blistered by my stubbornness to not let the bow beat me of course, and I was bruised fairly badly from a minor skirmish with Travis, who tried to get me accustomed to sparring. He knelt down and used a washcloth to wipe the sweat off my face and splashed some water on top of my head.

"How-" I yawned. "How did I do?"

"Fantastic," he praised, this was the first. "But next time, you might want to go easier on yourself. You're not fighting monsters here, Toby. You have to remember that."

"Alright, I-" I said as I catch my breath. "I will"

"By the way, how's the meeting?!"

Trent was quite than usual, especially when I asked about the meeting with the centurions and...Cabin leaders. I think everything wasn't went well for all of them, because they all looked pretty gloom like they had a bad news or something.

"It was… great" said Trent with that sad look in the eyes, like he was guilty for something.

We had a very interesting dinner that night. I started to fit in with the other campers, even met a new friends that almost my age. Trent sat on Poseidon kids alone, looked really gloomy than usual, maybe something's gone wrong with the meeting. I sat down quietly and served myself food. As usual, I got up with everyone else as we burnt some of our food. I put in a huge slice of bread, not really knowing what to say. Then I went back to my table and ate quickly. When everybody was done, Chiron banged a hoof on the floor, calling everyone's attention.

"Today, we would like to officially welcome Camp Jupiter. Tonight we will have a friendly game of Capture the Flag. It's just a friendly match between both camps. That's all"

When we were all done eating, our plates were cleared away as usual. Chiron stomped and the armor with weapons appeared. At the same time, Annabeth ran into the mess hall from the left, carrying an orange flag with a CHB and there's a pegasi symbol. And some kid from Roman Camp left carrying a purple flag with an SPQR symbol.

When everybody was done getting their armor prepared, Annabeth yelled.

"Blue team, forward!"

All the campers cheered and yelled as we walked into the forest.

Annabeth had decided for the team that we would put the Flag on Zeus's Fist, thinking that after the Labyrinth, no one on the Roman Campers would think that we would put it there. She then assigned guard duty to one of her brothers and Trent. Then we went to the middle of the woods and everyone discussed battle plans with their teams.

"Okay, the plan is that Pollux will go to random parts of the woods and set plant snares for any red teamers. You can do that, right?" Annabeth asked.

"You can count on me" said Pollux

"Okay and the Aphrodite kids will do a mixture of distraction and using any powers you may have to either influence them," Annabeth looked at Piper. "Or to make them feel like they just had a huge heartache."

The Aphrodite kids giggled and most of them left for their positions.

"Then the Hermes kids will stalk and steal from any red teamers, while a few of you go for the flag." Annabeth continued. "Apollo kids, you're on stalk duty, shoot anyone that near our flag area, and stay hidden"

"Got it" said Will as he prepared his bow and going to his position

"Gotcha." Travis and Connor got a mischievous smile and took his part of the team into the woods.

"And we Athenians will do a mixture of guard duty along the river and other defensive strategies in our designated sections of the woods. Except for Trent here, because he's new to this game" Annabeth finished.

"Alright Princess, I'll wait here and guard this stupid flag" he said.

Everyone else finally left for their positions except for Annabeth and Trent and of course of the other Athenians kids.

"The object of the game is to steal the opposing team's flag and bring it to your side of the creek without being deposed. If you succeed, you win supremacy for your cabin. The rules are as followed: No killing, no mortal injuries, and no unwarranted or underhanded attacks. Espionage, trickery, temporary disabling, the use of godly-endowed powers, and use of spears, swords, arrows, explosives, automatons, artillery, knives, shields, naiads and dryads are all permitted. If you want to encourage satyrs, I wish you the best of luck"

"That being said, it is time to begin. The game will commence when I blow the couch horn." Chiron lifted the shell to his lips. "Ready! Set!"

The rich sound was instantly drowned out by the roar of clashing demigods, and the line was flooded with struggling bodies.

I ran silently in the woods, since I was in charge of stealing the other team's banner. I loved stealing things. It gave me a sense of alertness and it just felt plain good. I jumped over logs and ducked by the tree branches. I reached the edge of clearing, and shrank back into the shadows. The flag was standing alone with no one guarding it.

"This is pretty easy," I thought. I ran and snatched the banner.

Immediately, campers burst out of the trees, circling me, blocking any escape. A girl with a curly brown hair and also gold eyes with a boy with Asian looked but looked pretty big also a guy with blonde hair also electric blue eyes walked forward.

"It wouldn't be that easy, believe me," he said. "Frank Zhang Son of Mars, Legacy of Neptune."

"Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter, nice try kid but you did almost have it" said a boy with the blond hair.

"Right"

"You're not getting that." She lunged at me and I pulled out my sword. She whipped out her dagger and Frank brandished his weapon. "Hazel Levesque, Daughter of Pluto"

They attacked me. The circle of campers would poke me if I got too close, so I had to stay near the middle. Suddenly, I understood their plan. They would surround me in the middle and then take me to their 'prison.' I had to find a way out.

"I told you not to even think about it didn't I?" she smirked.

"Right. I remember that. And then you gave me a death threat."

"True enough," Frank said. "But I better don't do anything crazy kid"

I backed up slowly against the pole that had held the flag. She pressed forward with her sword.

"I've got him," she said.

"Too late." I yanked the pole out of the ground, spinning it expertly. I aimed it at an opening, and the campers scattered.

"Run!" Connor called from the edge of the clearing. "C'mon, Luke, you can do it! Luke! Run, Luke!"

"Name's Toby," I called.

"Uh…right. Sorry. My bad."

As I crossed the border line, Chiron sounded the conch horn. "The Blue Team wins!" he announced. "Good job."

Annabeth neared Chiron and me. "That's exactly what Luke did when I used that tactic on him," she told Chiron. "Every last move."

"It's the move he always do when he was surrounded by monster princess" said Trent as he scoffed crossing his arm.

But then everyone looked pretty stunt and looked at me.

"What?" I demanded.

Suddenly, I looked up to see a staff with a wing also two snakes surround it glow on top of me but the it change into glittering peacock on a white background glowing above my head, a few minutes it changed again into the staff but then until a while the peacock turn into the staff of Lotus turn again and stayed permanent. I kind a felt weird, is everyone claiming always like this.

Chiron paled and muttered, "Impossible!"

I got the feeling this didn't happen every day there.

Then the centaur turned to the campers and shouted, "All Hail Toby Carter, Son of Hera, Goddess of Marriage, Patron of Women, Queen of Olympus"

Everyone bowed, even the Roman Campers, before me. Trent was the last one to bow; he looked at me, wide eyed, and bowed. I didn't know what to say. Trent stood up first and walked over, and then everyone else slowly stood straight.

He then turned back to me and said, "Toby, please follow me to the Big House. We have much to discuss. Your luggage will be sent to your cabin. Annabeth, come with us. There is a chance it may concern you and Percy"

The two of them looked at and did as he asked. They walked silently to the big white structure each other. Chiron led them through the halls, where I caught a glimpse of Dionysus.

"Who is that?" he whispered to Annabeth.

"That's Lord Dionysus. He's the camp director and you can call him Mr. D."

Chiron finally brought them to a room where no demigod had been before. He gestured to them both to sit down and seated himself in his wheelchair.

"Toby, first of all, to confirm my suspicions, I must ask: Who's your real parent?" asked Annabeth.

"I…I don't know, I never had one, I only lived in some foster home and the only home I've got so far is by travelling with Trent" I said nervously. "What's this all about?!"

"Toby. Hera, the Goddess that claimed you, she's the Goddess of Marriage and I don't think she had a child with some mortal" said Chiron.

"Is the two of the staff belong to Hera?!" I asked.

"No, the other one must be Hermes when he claimed some of his child" said Annabeth.

"But then why it's change into a peacock and then it change again into a Lotus Staff?!" I asked with a confuse look.

"I still don't know yet, sometimes the Gods are unpredictable" said Chiron. "Now, go get some rest, I'm sure Annabeth would like to take you to your new Cabin"

She took me to my cabin, Cabin 2 besides Cabin 3 which is Trent's cabin. Weird thing was after the game Capture the Flag, I haven't saw him. I thought he's going to be proud or maybe happy that I'm finally claimed but then he's just ran off and nowhere to be found. Maybe he's hiding something that has a connection with his past or something, either that way I had to investigate it later.

When we arrived, I was stunt with the cabin; I thought it would be like the other. It was white from outside, carved mostly from marble and with a view of the lake. The cabin is more graceful than Zeus' cabin, with slimmer white columns, garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. Great now the Ares Kids will make fun of me.

"This is the cabin" I said.

"Yeah you could say that, and now you'll live here for now" said Annabeth. "It's actually pretty cool that someone actually living here, usually this place would be the Cabin that look like from an abandoned house in some horror movie, and it's pretty cold"

"Why?!" I asked.

"It isn't decorated because… well… we never expected a child of Hera to show up. This cabin is supposed to be honorary" she said as she opens the door.

But as we get inside, the cabin wasn't empty, sure it's freezing cold inside with a huge statue of Hera with a fire pit at its feet but there's also two walls with wall-to-wall bookshelves, a nice large comfy bed in the corner, it had a comfortable looking living room with a large flat screen and all the newest game systems, a cabinet full of DVD's and games.

"How did this happen?!" Annabeth said as she looks as surprise as I am.

"I thought you said there's no one living here" I said.

"Yeah, there's no one here, she does not have any children with mortals since she is the goddess of marriage" said Annabeth. "Guess this is her present for you"

"Which is strange because she usually hates Demi-God, and rarely gives presents?"

"Then why there-" I said before got cut off.

"Still have no idea" said Annabeth. "Now get some rest Toby, after the game Capture the Flag, you look pretty tired"

"I'm not that tired, I still had a few energy left" I said.

"Alright Toby, you better rest, we solved everything tomorrow alright" said Annabeth as she going outside.

"Good night Toby"

"Good night Annie" I said.

When I said that, her eyes widened, like she remember someone that always called her that name. I don't even know why I said Annie, I just heard someone once called her that so it's kind a slip through my tongue. After all of that, and of course after brushing my teeth I lay down in my bed, fell asleep wishing I had a good dream.

I'm BACKKKKKK! WITH NEW CHAPTER!

So put down the spear, sword, gun, Machine Gun, knife, stick, Javelin, and other dangerous stuff... it's included the light saber!

PLEASE REVIEWWWWWWW!