AN: So I realize that as I get more readers (hopefully), you'll want to know when I'll be posting. Well, I can't tell you that. Being that both my writing partner and I have part-time jobs with erratic hours, are recent high-school graduates and will be starting our lives soon, we simply write when we have the chance. Obviously we don't write separate parts on the site and I'm the one who transfers our writings to Word and then to here. I'm also the one who works the most. So, in conclusion, I'll post as often as I can. Some days, I may post twice or even three times, but other days I may not post at all. Sorry in advance for erratic posting.
As Eris walked away with burning cheeks, she could still feel Clif's hand lightly on hers. It was only a fantasy, she and him, but the way it felt like they connected was evidence of something more.
As she made her way to her cabin, she saw the spectacle of the day: some Hermes kid had gotten caught sneaking around the Athena cabin. She didn't pay much attention; it was a normal occurrence by then. She made it to her cabin and climbed the short stairs to the porch. She had no traps like the other cabins did and simply walked inside.
She closed the door gently and, seeing no more than five beds, she was reminded of her loneliness. Unlike the other cabins who feared secrets being discovered by the other cabins, she'd made the decision not to keep anything precious in her cabin. It wasn't like it mattered, though; Eris' namesake and her godly parentage was enough to deter most thieves.
She plopped onto her bed and laid there staring at the ceiling. One of the cool things about the cabin, she had the night sky recreated in her room. It made her smile, seeing the constellations and the moon.
But she didn't stay long; capture-the-flag was to commence after dinner and this time, she actually had a purpose. She rolled off the bed to the wall and picked up her weapon. It was a rather bulky one-handed sword – heavier than most – with an ancient Greek engraving on the blade that said "strike fear in the heart". She liked to imagine it was a gift from her father, but she'd forged the sword herself.
She tossed the sword from her left hand to her right, re-familiarizing her muscles with her weapon. She gripped the hilt close to her face, whispering "may the gods watch over me and may you, father, grace me with the gifts to truly represent your name."
The noise coming from the Ares cabin died immediately when they noticed Onesimus entering. They looked at him expectantly and for a second, he let them live in suspense. He relished the moment but it grew old pretty quickly. He pulled the blueprint from his sleeve and a round of cheers went up. He grinned and basked in the glory, knowing it would be short-lived.
He walked up to the cabin leader and greeted him with a handshake and pat on the shoulder. "Come on, Alex", he said to the 6 foot 3 inches tall (1.905 meters) Aryan with muscles the size of his head. It was hard to believe he was only 15.
As Onesimus expected, the cheering petered out as the campers returned to doing what they'd been doing before. Alex grimaced and said through gritted teeth "Right. Your payment." He reached into his left pocket and his hand came out empty; he furrowed his brow and reached into his right pocket, again coming up empty. Onesimus grinned wickedly and Alex's expression darkened slightly when he noticed Onesimus' grin. Alex realized immediately that Onesimus already had it.
"You're dismissed." He said venomously.
Onesimus laughed a little. "Aw, that's no way to treat the hero of the day is it?" Alex's hands balled into fists. Onesimus loved messing with Ares' kids. They were so easy to anger.
"Leave, Onesimus, while you still have your head." Alex growled at him.
Onesimus laughed audibly this time which he knew would only make Alex angrier. "Alright, alright. I'll see you on the battlefield." He said with a mischievous tone.
Eris didn't know why, but she got that stinging sensation in her eyes, as though she was going to cry. Before she allowed anything to happen, she choked back a breath. You're not a little girl anymore Eris. Grow up already. She mentally berated herself at the lack of grip over her emotions.
Her stomach wasn't really in the mood for dinner, and the announcements would be nothing new. Besides, Clif had already told her what her place was. She thought it would be good to take some time to acquaint herself with her defensive post.
The teams were set as such: Athena, Hades, and Apollo versus the Ares, Hermes, and Artemis cabins. Ever since Percy's promise and the camp had added dozens of cabins, capture the flag was now teams of three cabins; and the teams faced each other in a tournament-style series of matches. This match was just a qualifying match, much like the qualifying matches in the World Cup.
Eris thought hard about the advantages and disadvantages of the competition. Godly parent wise, the teams seemed about even. The Ares team outnumbered them greatly but sheer size never won – or at least, that's what all the Athena kids kept telling her. Still, regardless of what Clif said, she silently feared the idea of her alone with this wacko tower.
She made her way to the forest from behind her cabin as she tightened straps to her bust and waist. She bolted her sword to her hip. Unlike most Greeks, Eris didn't carry a shield. She needed her free hand to direct her power when and wherever it was needed. Now that she thought about it, most children of the Big Three preferred fighting without shields.
Eris' hair was still loose and as the sun started painting the sky with colors, she saw the white streaks draped on the side of her face. She hated the streaks. She was always told it made her look like an old woman. It was as if they were symbols of her elderhood that she somehow knew would never come.
She crossed the stream-like river and started making her way to her team's defensive point. Clif had said the tower would be constructed in a small field. "To lure them in." he'd said. Eris had an idea of which field and as she came into the clearing, she discovered she was right. An unbelievable rook-like tower was there. It was perhaps five stories high and it looked smooth on the outside. She looked at it incredulously. How in the bloody name of Tartarus is this going to help us?! She yelled inside her head. She kicked it's outer frame in frustration; and with three times the force as she'd put into her kick, she was propelled backwards onto her rear end. She found herself rubbing her head and staring up at the contraption. She squinted at it and tried to figure it out. It finally clicked in her head and a smirk began to form as she slowly realized what it was Clif had created.
AN: My writing partner and I would love some reviews. We've been writing for fun for years but this is our first time letting the world see it. We really want to know how we can improve.