An eagle could be seen flying high over the barren plains of Alaska, its majestic screech echoing loudly throughout the air. It was such a beautiful sight seeing that animal fly freely, a stark difference from what was happening below it. There was a reason why it was flying so high above the ground. A reason to avoid landing on any tree branch. Because below, in the wasteland that was once such a beautiful place, was a battle the likes Alaska had never seen before taking place.
"FIRE!" A Centurion of Camp Freedom yelled out, twenty blazing fireballs being lifted into the air by catapults soon followed. The eagle could only screech in fright as it flew out of the way, watching the flying objects soar past it in a blazing heat before landing on the soldiers below like a comet.
Watching from a cliff, like the eagle of the sky, was the leader of this madness and destruction. His black armor, sucking in any light at its disposal, a stark difference from the fiery scene before him. His golden mask which seemed to stare into your very soul, reflected the light from the gunfire and fireballs along with what lay below him. Already hundreds lay dead in the field, blood drenching into the ground along with stray limbs strewn about.
He could hear the cries from the wounded, their echoes of anguish signaling that they too would soon join the dead. He could see the soldiers, begging and screaming for help, claw at the legs of their allies who marched over them. Their shields raised high to protect them from the bullets coming at them from the cliff above. But their wall, impenetrable for so many years in the ancient world, could not withstand the hellfire that was modern weapons.
Bullets would find their way in small openings, hitting their mark on an unsuspecting soldier. The soldier would fall in anguish, leaving a gap in the wall that would be taken advantage of until eventually it would be filled once more. But that mere moment of opportunity was enough to take out at least a couple of demigods.
The sight was horrific to even the demigods on the cliff. It reminded them of D-Day, seeing the soldiers of Olympus pile up against one another, the living and the dead. But nevertheless, they did not relent even for a moment. For if they did, their blood would soon be drenched in the ground as well.
For the allies of Olympus, they were living in hell. Friends watched friends get their heads blown off, their arms and legs flying into the air with the occasional fireball incinerating an entire cohort. The living were utterly terrified as they tried their best to hide behind their shields. The ones that were wounded and left behind the shield wall hid behind the piles of bodies that laid in wake. The stench of blood was pungent, and their shoes soaked in the blood of their slain comrades.
Reyna, the leader in charge of this attack, tried her best to organize a counterattack but with no such luck. Her yells were overshadowed by the gunfire above them, bullets clanking against their armor and shields. The screams of the countless dying filled the air, barely allowing herself a moment to think. The only thing she could think of was to march closer to the cliff in hopes of the enemy's long-range weapons to avoid hitting them. But that was better said than done when you had to walk over piles of your own dead along with the wounded that desperately grabbed your leg in hopes of you helping them.
"Incoming!" She heard from behind. Without any hesitation, the daughter of Bellona hid her entire body behind her shield. Not a second later came the earth-shaking boom of a fireball hitting the troops behind her. Looking back for a split second, she saw her soldiers, people she had grown up and trained with, disappear in a red mist. The ones that were unlucky enough to meet a swift end were burned alive by the Greek fire. Their screams reverberated inside her head, a sight and sound she would forever be scared of until her death.
Nevertheless, she ordered those under her command to keep on pushing. For if they were to stop, they'd most certainly die in this hellish landscape. It felt like forever as she marched on. Her legs screamed at her to stop. To take a break. Her arm was tired of lifting her shield but she knew that if she were to drop it even just an inch, she would die. The only thing she could do was march. Somehow, against all odds, she along with those under her command had managed to get beneath the hill that the traitors were on.
Breathing heavily, she watched as those who weren't under the hill yet slowly walked toward her. Most died as they got closer, only for the line to be refilled by the next. Then they too would meet their demise. The cycle repeated itself, time and time again. She realized that eventually there would be no one to fill the gaps which was why they needed to think of a plan fast. Looking above her, she gasped in fright before quickly raising her shield. Soon after followed the barrage of bullets raining down on her head.
The sound of the metal rain terrified her to no end. This was something she had not expected when coming here. Romans and even the Greeks for that matter, weren't trained for modern warfare or how to combat it. And Percy, the brilliant and ruthless tactician that he is, capitalized on it.
"Commander Reyna!" She heard a girl, no older than sixteen, scream at her. Looking at her, she watched as she was about to speak before a grenade dropped down in front of her feet. She watched in slow motion the girl's terrified face realizing what was about to happen before it exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere. The daughter of Bellona was lucky to not be hit but the younger girl was not so much. Her body, now lifeless on the ground, was sprawled out in every direction. Her face not recognizable in the slightest.
Reyna cursed as she heard more grenades along with Greek firebombs rain down on top of them. They were sitting ducks below this hill and if they didn't move now, the battle was lost. But as she stood there, pure adrenaline racing in her veins, she realized that the shooting had stopped along with the catapults. It had been strangely quiet for a few minutes. Looking up, she could no longer see the demigods shooting down on them. Smiling in relief, that's when she realized that Percy had made his first mistake in this fight.
They didn't bring enough ammo to finish the job.
"CHARGE!" She screamed, making her ascent up the hill. The others behind her soon followed, their bloodlusted screams echoing loudly across the plains.
Back up on the hill, things were starting to get frantic.
"We don't have enough ammo left, Percy." Frank was the first to come to him. Soon followed Fletcher saying they were out of fireballs. Quickly, Percy gathered his bearings as he took a swift look down the hill, seeing the enemy slowly crawling their way upward like ants upon a rock. Although they were out of ammunition, they were still in an advantageous position. And they weren't out of ammo. Just the ammo that he would've preferred to use.
"Artemis!" The son of Poseidon yelled out, walking back from the cliff. The Goddess ran up to him with her bow in hand. Behind her, were all those that were proficient enough to handle one. "You're up." He said, causing her to nod.
"On me, demigods!" Artemis ordered fiercely before walking to the edge. Without any hesitation, she along with the rest of her cohort began to rain down arrows upon the climbing soldiers. One by one, they began to fall down the hill, bringing down the ones that were unfortunate enough to be underneath.
Reyna heaved for air as she hid behind a rock that was perfectly positioned for her to avoid the arrows. Cursing, she watched as her soldiers were peppered with the projectiles but nevertheless continued trekking up the hill. The falling corpses piled up at an alarming rate at the bottom of the hill providing a stable footing for those just beginning their climb.
She cursed herself for not remembering that Percy always had a backup plan. He wouldn't allow them to climb the hill that easily.
"Commander!" A son of Athena, Malcolm, if she remembered correctly, yelled beneath her. Looking down, she could see that the man held a look of extreme worry, his hand that was gripping the ground beneath them shaking profusely.
"We have to fall back! This is a terrible position for us to fight! We're falling right into their hands!" He cried out, frantically looking to his right at one of his comrades who took an arrow to the stomach before falling all the way to the bottom, snapping the neck of an unsuspecting climber below. Reyna, however, shook her head profusely. Romans did not fall back. If they did, this battle, all the deaths, were meant for nothing. She could not have that on her conscious. She couldn't admit defeat and face the army she had led. She couldn't face Jupiter who would have her hanged for failure. The only thing she could do was push on. No matter what.
"We push on!" She yelled in reply, causing Malcolm to give a look of horror. In his mind, he thought the daughter of Bellona would be of sound mind to understand when a battle was lost. But this…this was just plain stupidity on her part. Or perhaps hubris was the better term. Grabbing her leg, Malcolm was about to tell her they needed to retreat but suddenly an arrow had found its way directly into his eye socket, sending him flying off the hill.
Reyna watched in horror as the poor man fell to his death but there was nothing she could do. Yelling out in exhaustion, she continued to climb until eventually she along with some others had managed to make it to the cliff's edge.
"Once we crest, form a line immediately!" She ordered those next to her. Without hesitation, she climbed on top of the hill, her raised shield blocking the onslaught of arrows. Waiting for the others to form a line, she peeked out from her shield and noticed that the traitors of Camp Freedom were forming a similar line, spears leveled out in her direction.
"Move!" Reyna ordered her line, the shield wall slowly inching towards the enemy. Looking behind her, she saw that more and more of her troops were beginning to crest the hill thanks to the easement of arrows raining down on them.
She felt more confident now that they were on fair ground. Their numbers would soon overwhelm them and they should be able to take the hill pretty easily. Peeking out once more, she saw the traitors begin to pound their shields in anticipation, their bronze armor shimmering in the morning light. As they were about to meet, their shields mere feet from one another, riders on Pegasi flew over them. There were at least a dozen of them, all carrying sacks contained with Greek fire bombs. There was nothing she could do as she watched them drop the payload, burning her friends alive behind her. The line that she worked so hard to organize was soon scrambled to nothing, giving the enemy a perfect opportunity.
"CHARGE!" She could hear Percy yell amidst the chaos. Cries of panic soon rang throughout her own. Some decided to stay and fight, others took their chances jumping off the cliff. All she could was stand firm and wait for the wave of enemies to meet her head-on.
"BRACE!" She yelled before feeling the brunt of the attack. Groaning, she felt the tip of a spear nick her arm but that didn't deter her. Quickly, she stabbed with her sword, aiming for whatever she could lay her hands on. It soon found a demigod's throat, the blood spurting out and splashing against her helmet. Pushing with her shield, she could feel her shield wall become stagnant. It seemed both sides were equally matched in terms of close combat. Thankfully, the Pegasus riders had to avoid the line in order not to hit their own troops. So instead they dropped it on those who were still continuing to climb, trying to cut off their reinforcements.
Both sides could be heard letting out blood-curling screams, their shields and weapons making an awful metallic sound as they clashed. Reyna, despite the close combat, craned her head upwards when she saw a Pegasus begin to rapidly fall from the sky. It had been hit with multiple arrows but the worst part was the sack of Greek firebombs it was carrying on its side.
She had no time to react before the animal fell in the middle of the fighting, not a second later the bombs went off in a bright, powerful explosion. Both sides were forcefully thrown back from the explosion, forming a rift between them. The daughter of Bellona groaned out as she lay on the ground, her ears ringing and her vision blurry. But despite her vision currently lacking, she could make out the crater that the bombs had caused. Stray limbs like legs, arms, and heads were everywhere, causing some to gag at the sight. Blood drenched the entirety of the hill, giving it a strong metallic odor.
Both sides took a moment to gather themselves from the interruption. They looked at one another with a mixture of emotions. Some even managed to recognize one another from the other side. But that meant nothing now. There was no going back from this. Blood had been split and they wouldn't stop until the battle was won.
Camp Freedom was the first to capitalize on the moment, charging head-on at the soldiers of Olympus. They threw all tactics out the window, electing to fight however they wanted. Reyna wasn't prepared for this as she was greeted by three men who tried to gang up on her. They were quickly dispatched thanks to her superior skill but the same couldn't be said for her soldiers. They weren't used to one-on-one situations. They were used to order like shield walls and so forth. This was something completely different. Every man for themselves type of action.
She couldn't manage to get them back in a line due to the chaotic nature of the fight now. Everyone was just simply trying to survive at this point, going into pure instinct mode. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck tingle. She quickly whipped around and parried an overhead blow from a sword at her skull. Swating the sword away, she kicked the boy, a blonde-haired guy no older than sixteen, in the chest, sending him flying backward. Taking no chances, she got on top of him, her sword ready and raised to deliver the final blow. She didn't dare look into his petrified eyes as she sent the sword down into his chest. But before the tip of her sword was able to pierce the body, it was blocked by another.
Looking up, she could only describe what she saw in one word. Death. His black armor was a sight to behold but what scared her the most was her reflection in his golden mask. She had never seen herself look so small, so terrified before. She tried to press her sword harder but Percy's didn't move an inch, his strength on full display. Shakily standing, she raised her sword defensively as she began to walk around him.
"I wish it didn't have to come to this." She said but Percy didn't reply, instead mirroring her actions. With all the fighting going around them, some demigods didn't seem to understand who was standing on the battlefield. They didn't understand what Percy was capable of. They only saw another person to kill to which they tried but without even so much as turning his head to the random two demigods that came after him, he simply waved his hand. In an instant, the two demigods dropped like a sack of potatoes, blood pouring out their mouths like a waterfall.
Reyna tripped over herself as she watched the display of power. She heard the stories of just how strong the son of Poseidon had become but that…that was not the power of a demigod. It shouldn't belong to a demigod. Her vision was blurry as she continued to circle Percy, her hands shaking violently around the grip of her sword. Her breathing was labored and her heart raced at ungodly speeds. They hadn't even fought yet and Percy was able to have this type of reaction out of her.
Having no time to even blink, Percy was the first to attack. His image became a blur as he quickly got inside her guard, sending an elbow at her chin before swiftly kicking her in the chest, sending her flying back. Reyna groaned out as she spat blood on the ground. It was a miracle her head hadn't been disconnected from her shoulders with his strength. Taking a look at her chin guards, she quickly found the reason she hadn't died already. They were dented to the point that they were inside out, taking the brunt of the force Percy had exerted.
Deciding that it would only prohibit her, she took it off before getting back on her feet. Glaring at Percy, she charged at him head-on, her sword aimed directly at his chest. Getting quickly into his guard she fainted a strike at his torso before quickly redirecting at his right leg. But the son of Poseidon knew what she was doing and countered it by spinning away from it. Once he was out of her reach and behind her, he gave another kick to the back of her leg, causing her to stumble to one knee. But he didn't relent when she was on the ground, instead giving her another knee straight into her chin.
Reyna felt like she had just been hit by a freight truck as she lay on the ground, blood pouring out her mouth like a river. She never had felt such strength before. Turning over exhaustedly, she watched as Percy became a whirlwind of destruction, killing anyone who dared come close to him. No one could even touch him, not even when twenty of her own soldiers tried to dogpile him. He just couldn't be stopped.
Something had changed within the son of Poseidon, she could see it. He didn't fight like he used to. Back then he had some sort of…elegance when he fought. Now, however, he was ruthless. His punches, kicks, and swipes with his sword held power behind them now. As she watched the sight, that's when she realized what was different about him. He wasn't holding back. He embraced what he truly was. The embodiment of death and destruction.
Watching him grab the neck of one demigod and lifting him high in the air, she decided to take one more chance. If she couldn't at least injure the son of Poseidon, the battle was lost. It didn't matter how many soldiers they killed on the other side. If Percy was still fighting, they didn't stand a chance. Grabbing her sword off the ground, she stood up once more. Blood was seeping out her mouth as she tried to breathe. This might be the end and her body knew it. She could feel it scream at her to run, to survive, but she didn't dare listen to her instincts. She was a Roman. She didn't run away from battle.
Gripping her sword so tightly her knuckles were ghostly white, she ran at Percy as fast as she could. Dodging the countless soldiers that continued to fight around her, she ran straight through the battlefield directly at him. His back was turned, too busy snapping the neck of one of her soldiers. She could feel time slow around her as she got closer. She was scared to tell the truth. She really didn't want to do this. Percy had been a great friend to her. A Praetor of Rome. And her crush. She had loved him and maybe still did. She didn't want those feelings returning when she had heard he ran away from Olympus which was why she buried them deep inside.
Now, the only feelings she wanted to feel towards him, had to feel, were that of hatred and anger. She wanted him gone so that way Rome and Olympus could prevail.
"Do you really want that though?" A small voice said inside her head, causing her to stumble slightly.
"Didn't you want to join him when you heard that he had left for Alaska?"
"Don't you want to be by his side? Leave all the troubles Rome and Olympus put on you behind?"
"Stop thinking!" She screamed to herself, gritting her teeth as she ran even harder. Percy was only a couple of feet away from her now, still unaware of her presence. She had to do this, no matter how she felt. It didn't matter if she still loved Percy! It didn't matter if she wanted to live at Camp Freedom! It was too late for that now. Her fate was sealed the moment she embarked to Alaska with six thousand soldiers behind her. Now only a foot away from him, Reyna prepared to end it. Raising her sword, she swung down as hard as she could, the weapon inches away from his neck. But before it could pierce his skin, the son of Poseidon moved at inconceivable speeds. He turned around, his body a mere blur, before he struck back.
Time came to a halt as both Reyna and Percy stood in the middle of the battlefield, looking at one another directly in the eyes. It seemed to her that the world had gone quiet, the only thing she could hear was her blood pumping in her ears. She could see Percy's eyes, his famous sea-green eyes, widen as he realized. She could see a mixture of emotions from anger, sadness, and regret inside of them. It was too much to bear. Looking away, she instead focused down at her body. What she saw scared her more than she cared to admit. His bronze sword, Riptide, lodged deep in her stomach. Her blood drenched the blade in a fine red sheen as he slowly pulled it out.
Gasping, she fell to her knees as she put her hands over the seeping wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Feeling her warm blood drench her hands like a river, she knew it was over. Both the battle and her life. She was scared of dying, she hated to admit that but it was the truth. From the day she was recognized as a Roman, it was almost expected of her to die gloriously in battle. And that was what she thought too. But as she laid in the dirt, blood pooling around her, and her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, she realized that there was no such thing as a glorious death. Gazing her eyes upwards, she saw Percy looking down at her. The sun was behind his head, turning his body into a black silhouette except his golden mask. That damned golden mask stared at her without any emotion, only reflecting her dying body in it. But his eyes behind it betrayed him. She could see just how sad he was. How regretful he was.
Closing her eyes for one last time, Reyna was at least grateful that Percy wasn't truly a monster. He still thought of them, his enemies, as friends, no matter how hard he tried to hide it behind the mask.
"I'm sorry." Were the last words she heard before she departed for the underworld.