Chp. 4 is way shorter than the last two chapters, but don't worry. I've got way more for the next update. Please enjoy.
"Focus Charlie."
"I am." I muttered in frustration.
"You need to get mad at something."
I was mad. Could he not tell. But maybe I was scared and tired too. A few things I kind of forgot to mention on top of my own personal feelings⦠Percy had gone missing, Mr. D had been called back to Olympus, and Chiron seemed nervous. The way everyone was acting I figured another Titan lord was going to walk through camp any day now. So yeah, maybe I wasn't being completely irrational.
"Come on, you aren't weak Charlie." Eric was trying to egg me on. Something he did when he wasn't teaching me techniques but trying to fight me.
"Shut up Eric." It got me a little. I was not weak like everyone assumed.
"Sure, isn't that what they say?" He kept going. Samantha was good at keeping Eric reigned in when he started talking trash, but she wasn't here today. She knew I didn't take well to a lot of smack talk with my low self-esteem.
"What's the matter Charlie, can't handle playing with the big kids?" He was digging now. Looking for anything he knew bothered me. I could see a light in his eye as he started thinking of better ones. "Too busy hiding away in the forge to be any good."
"Eric, stop." I said blocking a blow.
He continued, "You may look like your dad, but you will never be good like him."
He thought he had finally brought out the rage I needed. He took a good swing at me. I could have easily blocked it, but I let my sword fall to my side. He realized a second to late what I was doing. He tried to pull his sword away but it nicked me in the cheek. I felt the blood running down my face. It wasn't deep, but it would leave a scar.
"Charlie." Eric stopped.
I turned away and dropped my helmet.
"Charlotte," Eric was calling after me even after I left the arena. That's when I heard him start to run after me. I hid in the tree line until Eric left. My tears stung as they ran down my cheek. Salt on a wound.
I don't know why it hurt so much. Maybe because I had been heard the girls in the Aphrodite cabin bad mouth my looks and ability more than once.
Eric came to my cabin and tried to apologize, but Corey told him to leave. He waited for me outside my cabin in the morning. He left that day. I watched him go and cried. I wasn't sure if I was crying because I missed him or because of what he said or maybe because I was just so frustrated and scared.
I got an Iris Message from Samantha not too many days later. She told me Eric was sorry and when that didn't seem to make me feel any better she called him and idiot and we moved on to other subjects.
After that a whirlwind of events took place helping to keep my mind of Eric.
Three new campers arrived. One, a kid named Leo. He was my brother. They left and came back after freeing the Goddess Hera. At this point it was all hand on deck as we began to furiously work on the ship. The Argo II to be exact.
Summer came around and Eric was back.
I avoided him and he avoided me.
When Percy was found the camp practically celebrated. Annabeth and a few other demigods left to go get him. We were all excited to hear our best hero was safe.
Only days after the Romans had declared war on us, (Long story. Let's just say you can't say sorry for accidentally blowing up their town), Chiron called me to the big house.
He gave me a quest.
"Wait what?" I asked.
"You're going on a quest."
"We already have the big prophecy going on. There's no need to send out a camper like me on such a quest. And the gods have been silent." I added.
"Your father gave this to me before they closed off Mount Olympus. He knew what may come about. He told me I would know when to send you. I know you need to leave tomorrow."
Rachel was sitting there. She looked a little nervous.
"We already have your two campers picked to accompany you," she said. I nodded, I wouldn't have been about to pick them out. "Simon, son of Apollo." Ok that was good. "Eric, son of Ares." I froze. Now I knew why she was so nervous. The entire camp knew something was wrong between Eric and I. Most just assumed it was a normal dispute about our Fathers. I mean they were sort of enemies.
"Why, Rachel?"
"I saw it in a vision when he gave me the prophecy."
Three demigods leave on a quest,
Headed by ground to the west.
Find the magical armor,
Hid in the land of the farmer.
An apology is to be made,
Or their end will be with a blade.
"I think it's time to pull out your greatest project of all." Chiron said. Finally Chiron handed me a hammer. It like any other ordinary hammer. I looked baffled after he told me it was a gift from my father. I just raised an eyebrow but stuck it in my belt.
