June 2006
Kiara was not sure who was avoiding who, but she had not seen Luke other than across the mess hall. Sadly the world did not stop for anyone. They had to keep moving. Kiara ignored Luke and focused on the people right in front of her. They would talk when they were ready.
Kiara held back a snort as Lee tried helping Percy with archery. The poor boy was so confused and Lee's lectures did little to help. He held his bow in a tense fist, elbow too low to have any pull on the string. His feet were so close together a light wind could knock him over.
No one was paying attention to their actual job at the moment. They were all watching the inevitable car crash that was Percy Jackson and a bow. Kiara made a mental note to try and find a way to keep him out of the activity. She was sure that he would do well with some more mythology practice.
Kiara threw herself over Charlotte before she even knew what was happening. Everyone around them had fallen to the ground, eyes wide and panicked. An arrow protruded out of the table. Kiara warrily followed the fletching to the sheepish boy standing on the shooting line.
"Um, hi?" Percy rubbed his neck. "Should I try again?"
Scratch that, Percy was never going to touch a bow again.
Lee seemed to hear her mental panic and pulled the bow out of his hands with a resounding, "No."
"But-"
Kiara leapt off the bench. "How about you try racing?" She took his arm and dragged him away from the archery range. "I'm sure Lu—your cabin has a few pointers. "
"If you say so..." Percy looked back at his disastrous attempt, which now had Ethel, Lee and Micheal scratching their heads at how he managed to shoot backwards.
"Of course," Kiara agreed.
She pulled him over to the canoe lake. A group of younger kids listened intently to a dryad who was calmly explaining the rules of their game. Her graceful poise was reminiscent of her chestnut tree. A few leaves were still in her hair. Moss grew up her arm to her face. Kiara noticed Camille and Mason fighting over who was closest to Carya. Kiara winced as she saw their messy fingers digging into her leg smearing glitter against everything they touched.
"Carya," Kiara called her attention. "Do you think you have enough space for one more?"
The dryad beckoned Percy forward and Kiara left him to the race.
-o-
The next few days passed the same. The senior campers watched Percy. None of them could figure out the camp's newest member. He did not have a specialized skill with any specific weaponry as so many of them did nor did he have a tendency to any particular activity. Other than his fight with the minotaur, tussle with Clarrise and weird luck to keep his canoe from flipping he seemed like a normal kid. Their one consultation was that Percy seemed to fit in with camp. He had no disastrous midnight escapes like some of the younger campers and he seemed to be improving with his greek at a steady pace. Hidden in some secret part of Kiara she hoped that maybe he would be claimed quietly and the foreboding feeling would pass over camp without much fuss. Kiara could feel the other campers start to lose interest but something forbid her from looking away.
The excitement of camp was tangible. As they cleared tables of the Mess Hall, the flags were presented. Annabeth stood under her flag and threw a taunting smirk at Mark. She said something to him that was lost in the crowd but his responding cackle was visible. The gray flag of Athena raised high to the cheers of their allies. Kiara whistled and stomped her feet. Annabeth took a step back and mockingly waved Mark forward. The head counselor of Ares took her attitude in stride, sweeping his hand out and bowing low to the applause and yells of his team. They looked like mini gods basking in the cheers and viciousness of the campers. The two children of war gods seemed to glow in the tension of the upcoming fight. Annabeth's hair shifted in an nonexistent breeze and Mark's eyes faintly glowed. Chiron walked between the opposing leaders and called out the cabins in each team.
The rustling of weapons and whispers of excitement followed the cabins as they split up to prepare for the game. Kiara picked up her bracers and slipped on her plastron. She needed the protection as field medic for the game. The monsters did not care if she was part of the game or not. She checked over her quiver and bow before turning to Will and Lottie.
"Helmets?"
"Yep!"
"Chest plate?"
"I can't get the strap," Lottie said, reaching for the strap but missing by a few inches.
Kiara handed her bow to Will and pulled Lottie's shoulder strap tight. "Remember-"
"Stay with Bryan or one of the head counselors if we lose him," Will and Lottie recited dutifully. "Don't separate if you can help it. If a monster comes and it's just us, whistle."
"Do it." Kiara checked over their armor once more.
Lottie put her fingers to her lips and let out an ear piercing whistle. The campers around them gave them a dirty look rubbing their ears. Will let out a mischievous smile before letting out a louder two note whistle.
"Shut up!" Chris yelled, slamming his helmet down on his head.
Kiara smirked. "Hey, Danny! Emergency whistle."
The eight year old looked tiny in his armor but gave her a blinding grin. He put fingers against his lips and blew out a squeaky uneven whistle.
"Good job, Danny." Kiara laughed at Chris' glare. "Remember if you lose Chris do that whistle really loud ok?"
"Got it." Chris rolled his eyes and pushed a helmet onto Daniel's head.
"I'm not going to lose him," Chris muttered, ushering Daniel over to the other Hermes kids.
They clumped around Annabeth, Luke and Lee getting last minute alterations to their plan. Percy was outfitted with a chest plate that was too big and Kiara mentally set aside a tub of bruise cream for the boy. Kiara watched as the group let out a cheer and ran into the forest. She kept an eye out for the younger children and ignored the foreboding feeling growing at an alarming rate.
Kiara went over the plans of both sides of the games. As the head healer, she was told all plans and details to prepare for any injuries and possible issues that would happen during the game. She waved a salute at Chiron as he walked into the forest after the campers.
Kiara shouldered her small bag and bow. She looked up to the moon and sent a small prayer to Lady Artemis. The moonlight seemed to glow brighter for a second and Kiara felt a cool breeze swing around her like a hug. She was thankful for the attention to their games but the feeling of the unease grew.
-o-
The forest was quiet except for the occasional rustle of a bush. Kiara had waited in the dark moving through the forest for any lost campers. She noted the tread of larger monsters and steered clear off any known territories. If all went well she would not be needed. But that did not make the wait any less boring.
A pained yell.
Kiara tucked her bag against her back and ran to the still echoing scream. She jumped over fallen branches and puddles of mud. Kiara could hear nothing over the pounding of her heart. It thumped hard in a warning. The blood in her veins seemed to pull her faster. Faster. Faster.
She stopped by the edge of the tree cover by the creek to survey the scene when her arm brushed against something she could not see. Kiara pressed her hand against the invisible being. The faintest glimmer caught her periphery. She glared at where she hoped Annabeth was as she placed a concealed arm in front of Kiara.
"What are you doing?" Kiara hissed.
"Wait."
Kiara got the distinct feeling that Annabeth was not even looking at her. The scream came from the clearing. She was close enough to help and was able to disable Annabeth if she needed to. Hopefully whoever yelled would be able to hold out for her. With a sigh, she let up and looked at what could possibly be holding Annabeth's attention.
She would have stepped forward if Annabeth had not grabbed her shoulder in a death grip. Percy had fallen into the creek, half drenched with a sluggishly bleeding wound on his arm, fighting Clarisse and her younger siblings. He seemed to be holding his own against three trained fighters but Kiara knew that would not last long.
"Annabeth-"
"Just, wait. He can do it."
Kiara felt bad for bringing it up but nothing was getting to her. "Annabeth, I know you've been looking forever but you can't let a kid get killed for-"
"He isn't. Watch."
Kiara clenched her jaw. She mentally went over her supplies in her bag and brought her hand down to one of her blunt tipped arrows.
Percy pulled himself up. Instead of looking exhausted and drained he looked invigorated. Like the Demeter kids after working in the strawberry fields or the kids from Cabin Nine after creating a new invention. He was in his element. Kiara's breath stuttered in her chest. She tried to turn away from that track of thinking but the feeling that had plagued her for weeks refused.
All Kiara could do was watch, frozen by the opposing forces pulling at her. Every slam of a sword against armor screamed at her to heal, to fix, but she could only stare, hands limp against her sides.
Ellis and Sherman ran at Percy, swords out. Percy dodged their first attack, before slamming his shield into Sherman's face and hacking off Ellis' feather. Clarisse glared at Percy and hefted her spear. She tried to thrust it at his ribs, pulling a strangled gasp out of Kiara. Percy grabbed the shaft and twisted it.
The spear snapped into pieces.
Clarisse screamed and launched herself towards Percy. She looked murderous. The spear she had prayed for years for was broken into shards on the ground.
"You imbecile! I'll get you for that." Clarisse reached out her arms to wrestle Percy to the ground but he hit her helmet with the side of his blade and she fell into the mud.
Kiara had seen enough. Whatever Annabeth was trying to analyze was not worth this. She ran out of the bushes to the kids. Before she could get to them cheers came from Ares' territory.
A crowd of campers ran towards them, Luke in the lead with their opponent's banner raised high. Louisa scrambled to help Clarisse up as they tried to stop them. Some of Kiara's siblings were covering his back as he leapt across the river.
"A trick!" Clarisse shouted. "It was a trick."
It was too late. The banner in Luke's hand shimmered turning silver with their symbol in the center. The winning side burst into cheers. The blue team surrounded Luke and lifted him high. The Hermes cabins yelled louder than any of the others.
Kiara knelt down and picked up the broken pieces of Clarisse's spear. A few of the shards sparked her but it was nothing like the power it had before. She moved the pieces together. Most of them were there. Beckendorf could fix it. The small shocks in her fingers traveled up her arms. They were too strong. It was not like electricity anymore but something else.
Chiron blew the conch shell.
Kiara stood up on shaky legs. Percy's arms were crossed over his chest as he argued with Annabeth in the river. He released his arm when Annabeth motioned to it and touched a healing scar on his arm. Kiara moved closer, she needed to check on him. A newbie fighting off four experienced campers was sure to have strained something. He stepped out of the water and crumpled.
Kiara leaped forward and with the help of Annabeth steadied him. The glow around him dissipated and he was left looking pale and worn. The aftershocks of the electrical spear caused a tremble in his hands. The mark on his arm that seemed to be a fading scar suddenly looked irritated and sore.
"Oh, Styx," Annabeth cursed. "This is not good. I didn't want... I assumed it would be Zeus..."
"What-"
A growl came from behind them. A familiar howl followed. Every muscle in Kiara's body tensed.
The cheers were silenced. Chiron yelled for his bow. Annabeth drew her dagger. Kiara's hand inched towards her weapons.
A large shape climbed on top of the rocks opposite of the river. It was larger than a bear, with shaggier dark fur. Its eyes strained on Percy, and only on him but the blood red stopped Kiara's breath.
Kiara was smaller. Tiny in the face of this beast. She could smell its breath. The sharp teeth were close to her face waiting for a bite. Its large paw on her chest kept her from doing much more than gasp. Her arm grew cold, her heart beating fast, too fast. Even if the beast did not rip out her throat she would have bled out before anyone would think to look for them. She would die there.
Annabeth yelled, "Percy, run!" and Kiara was thrust into the present.
Kiara was not a little child. And she would not be cowed by nightmares. She strung an arrow and raised her bow but the beast was faster.
It sailed over her head and landed right on Percy.
Kiara released her bowstring.
Her arrow and forty others stuck the hound's back. It fell to the side in a pile of glittering gold.
Kiara threw her bow over her shoulder and kneeled at Percy's side. His armor was ripped to shreds, celestial bronze and hellhound claws sliced through his shirt and chest. Kiara started pulling at the leather straps.
"Di immortales!" Annabeth said. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't... they're not supposed to..."
"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."
Clarisse yelled, "It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"
"Be quiet, child," Chiron told her.
"You're wounded." Annabeth held out a hand to pull Percy up. "Quick, Percy, get in the water."
"Annabeth, I need to treat his wounds. Save your experiment for later." Kiara pushed her out of the way and finished removing his armor.
"Please." Annabeth grabbed Kiara's hands and forced her to look into her eyes. "I promise it will help."
"No." Kiara pulled away. "The bacteria alone from the monster could cause an infection much less river water."
Annabeth ignored her, grabbing Percy's arm and pulling him up.
"Annabeth, please I need to heal him."
"Just wait," Annabeth begged. "It'll just take a second."
Kiara grit her teeth. She pushed her shoulder under Percy's arm and helped him wade into the water.
The moment the river soaked his jeans something changed. His weight fell away from Kiara's shoulder. His face regained its color and his wounds seemed to close on their own.
A glowing trident appeared above his head, bathing him in its green light.
"Look, I—I don't know why," Percy apologized. "I'm sorry. . . ."
"Percy," Annabeth said, pointing. "Um . . . Your father." The sign started to fade but the image was burned into Kiara's brain. "This is really not good."
"It is determined," Chiron announced.
Kiara fell to a knee along with Annabeth and the other campers.
"My father?" Kiara had never heard Percy not sounding confused but this time it was like someone told him the sky was red.
"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."
Kiara could not stay kneeling for long. She stood up before it was proper and grabbed Percy's arm. The scar from before was gone, faded, like the injury never happened. Kiara pulled at his shirt and gasped at the sight. The lacerations across his chest were sealed, a few raised lines remained. She pressed lightly on his ribs for the possible cracks or breaks but they held solid. The bruises left were disappearing before her eyes.
"Lee, Sofia, be ready to catch him when he steps out of the water." Kiara's oldest siblings came up next to her. "Percy, I need you to step out of the water. Slowly. I need to get you to the infirmary."
Kiara was distantly aware of Chiron ordering the other campers to bed as Percy hesitantly stepped out of the water. The moment his feet were on dry land he collapsed into Kiara's older siblings' arms. Kiara had them lower him to the ground to make sure he really was healed. Her mind had a hard time wrapping around how mended his wounds were when she had seen the damage done to his armor. In a normal scenario he would be fighting for his life but all Kiara could sense was exhaustion.
Chiron walked over to them. "If I may be of assistance getting Percy back to the infirmary?"
"Please." Kiara helped them lift Percy onto his back.
Lee and Sofia asked if there was anything else she needed but Kiara just shooed them away. They protested but really there was nothing they could do, healers were outside the chain of command.
Kiara and Chiron walked at a sedate pace back through the forest. The stars shone above them as they exited the tree cover. Kiara kept a hand on Percy's arm to make sure he was not falling off.
"He just needs rest, but I want him to be in the infirmary so someone can watch him."
"And to think he was a guest there only a few days ago." Chiron let out a light chuckle. "The boy seems to be accident prone."
Kiara just sighed. "Chiron, please try not to tip him onto the ground."
"My apologies."
-o-
"I'm okay. I promise." Percy tried getting out of the infirmary once more.
Kiara braced her arms against the door frame. "You fainted last night."
"Last night. See I'm fine now." He held out his healed arm and waved it in front of her face.
Kiara refused to budge. She was not going to let a patient out of her care until she was sure they were fine. Percy had almost fallen over from a dizzy spell when he tried to get out of bed half an hour ago. He had been trying to assure her that he was fine but Kiara could still see the bags under his eyes. If she had her way he would not leave the infirmary until the next day but from experience campers could not be held down for long.
"Just rest for a few more hours." Kiara grabbed his arms and started pulling him towards the bed.
Percy tried to wiggle free but all he did was get his hair messy. "I've been resting."
"You've been unconscious. That's not the same-"
"Knock knock?" Luke tapped his knuckle on the door frame. "Chiron asked me to pick up Percy."
"Yes!" Percy cheered, slipping out of Kiara's hold and running past Luke.
Kiara frowned at his retreating back. Her eyes flicked over to Luke, questions dancing on her tongue. But she bit them back.
"Um."
"Chiron said you've been here since last night. You need breakfast," Luke ordered.
"Luke-"
"Come on, Bean." He grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him. "I helped Chiron get Cabin Three ready for Percy but we need to check on him often. I don't feel right letting a twelve year old live on his own. Can you make sure the cabin's emergency bag is stocked? I need to reorganize the schedules. Do you think-"
Kiara dug her heels into the grassy hill. "Luke, I'm sorry about before-"
"Doesn't matter. Water under the bridge. We have more important things to worry about."
Kiara ducked her head. Of course, Luke would avoid her apology. She had no idea what Luke was going through. At least she had her cabin and siblings. There were no unknowns in their little family. Everyone knew where they were supposed to be.
"Hey." Luke squeezed her shoulder and kneeled in front of her. "It's fine. You're my sister through everything. No stupid argument will change that."
Kiara looked at the scar over his eye. She remembered how much her hands were shaking when they got back to their little camp. She had been so worried she would poke his eye with the needle, but he just held still and told her that he believed in her.
"You promise?" Kiara's finger traced that very same scar.
His smile pulled at the pale line. "Are you five?"
"Please."
He looked into her eyes. "Alright. I promise. You'll always be my little sister and I'll always be your brother." His serious expression held for two heartbeats before he broke out a joke. "You are little. Are you sure you aren't shrinking? You're almost pocket sized."
"I'm not small." Kiara walked past him and his stupid face.
Luke laughed before jogging to catch up with her. "Fine, fine. But just so you know, I wouldn't be here without you."
"Then make sure you don't leave."
Luke tugged at her hair. "Sorry, Bean but the adult world is calling. I just get such a rush when thinking about taxes."
"Shut up." Kiara shoved him away.
More trauma?
I've been sick for the past week so writing this has both been easier and harder than I anticipated. I'm still dealing with writer's block so things are moving slowly. I am excited to get to the main action soon.
Sorry my brain is kind of dead right now...
If anyone has any questions about the fic I am always happy to explain. If you liked this chapter, please consider giving it a comment or favorite. Thanks for reading!
-Natalie
