"Look, I don't care how much you love Cerberus, we both know a Cetus would easily swallow him up." I kicked the bunk above my bed, taking my frustration with its occupant out on the cracking wood. This is the dumbest argument I think I have ever had the displeasure in being this week.
Lynna Kilduff, my bunkmate. Daughter of Tyche, Irish as anyone could be without having an accent, and the most oblivious, worst camper you could live with. AKA, my best friend. Among her joys in our "simple" camp life seems to be annoying me, making up arguments to match the mortal "Batman vs Superman" and annoying the skatá out of me.
Above me came a chuckle, followed by a curtain of curly, red hair that fell beside my head. Lynna gave me a quirky grin, which I quickly scowled at. What in Hades was she so happy about? Placing a finger to my lips before I could even being to open my mouth to question her, my bunkmate paused before punching my shoulder with all the force she could muster being upside down.
"Punch Buggy!" She shouted, then laughing hard enough to send her form off the top bunk.
Growling in a mix of irritation and playfulness, I tackled her curled body. We rolled around for a moment, taking advantage of the empty Hermes sleeping bags. Thanks to the coming of summer, most of the overcrowding campers in this small cabin have left for school or an easy home life. The rest of us, who have stayed for the safety (among other things), were finally able to sleep on the softer bunks rather than the wooden flooring.
I finally pinned the redhead down, her giggles and laughter allowing me to take up a quick advantage. "Fifth time this week, Lyn." Sending her one of my rarer grins, I stood, brushing the imaginary dirt from my knees. She stood, doing the same for effect.
"What was the 'Punch Buggy' for anyway?" I quickly questioned, as the thought came to mind. "You realize that has to do with the buggy cars, right?"
With a innocent blink, Lynna was silent for a moment. "I knew that." Standing on top her toes, she reached into the blanks of her bed. There was an awkward pause, making me shuffle my feet.
"I was just checking to make sure you knew that." Lynna spoke after a second, pulling her hands from her blankets, revealing a small beetle that either happily or fearfully crawled along her palms. Another smile drew itself across my lips at the sight. I could never hold a bug, but the smile on her face made me mirror the actions.
There was another pause, this time less awkward. I leaned over, making sure to avoid the creepy crawly that had fallen into the creases of her folded hand. "Hey Lynna."
"Yes, Ryry?"
Pausing for effect, I balled up my fist out of her sight. "Guess what."
"What?" Her shamrock eyes widened a bit in oblivious curiosity and excitement.
"Punch Buggy!'
"Ow!"
"Hey Trenton- who wins in a fight? Cerberus or Cetus?" Lynna bounded up to the poor Son of Hephaestus, who had just walked out of his smoke stacks cabin to obtain breakfast. His small frame froze up in surprise, before he calmed a bit at the sight of his redheaded friend.
"I would think that would depend on the Cetus, wouldn't it?" He proposed, reaching up to fidget with his leather goggles.
"That's what I said!" I waved my hands out, despite that fact I knew very well I had not said that in my past argument with Lynna.
The Daughter of Tyche quickly shot me a look, as she was about to call me out on it. She had that look, that look that just screamed "You liar, we're going to fight in the Arena over this now."
As I had predicted, that is exactly what she said. "You're liar, Ryann! How about we settle this in the Arena?"
Trenton fidgeted with his goggles a little bit more, clearing his throat to cut me off before I accepted the challenge. "I think it would be smarter to get to breakfast instead. You know, before your cabin counselors come looking for you. I don't want to have to make another device for you to fail at using to prank them back."
"You always use the false Greek Fire prank against me, Trent." Lynna pouted, pretending to be hurt by that fact.
"Trenton's right, besides, I want to talk to you guys about something." I wear my most leader-ly tone as I speak, trying to appear that to the other two. "Something happened before Summer and it brought up some concerns-"
Lynna raised her hand slightly, cutting me off with a smile. "Come on, Ryry, we're not stupid. We were here after all. Besides, I'm sure we're all thinking the same thing."
Trenton nodded, allowing me to continue her thought. "That if there's actually a son of Hades, we'll have to keep our eyes out for anymore over powered demigods. Especially if they're heading their linage. We have to be careful."1