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“Alright,” Luke gathered everyone’s attention. “Since Annabeth’s gone with Percy on his quest that leaves me to lead us to victory.” He started gesturing to different groups where to go and what to do. Soon everyone marched to their positions leaving him facing me. “You’re with me, Moore, to protect the flag. Don’t get distracted.”
I’ve never liked Luke. Something about the guy just always felt a little off to me. Even from the moment when he introduced me into the Hermes cabin it felt like he was hiding something. I’ve always felt like he gave off a weird vibe and it's been even worse since Annabeth left three days ago. Like I get that this is her first time away from you but she’s the daughter of Athena for Gods sake. What's the worst that could happen?
We made it to a grassy area with small creeks running through it. Moss had grown over the stones, making them hidden and slippery. Perfect.
I grabbed Kopis, my dagger, and used it to carve fake sigils into the nearby trees, hoping some idiot would look at it and walk away thinking it was some type of creature’s trail. Flipping Kopis, I scraped some moss off the tree using the tip of the blade, making the sigil easier to see.
I trudged further along the area to see Luke sat on top of a rock, keeping watch of our surroundings while I worked. “This better work, Moore. I’m sick of seeing Clarisse’s smug face whenever she gets her hands on our flag,” he says with a small frown.
I rolled my eyes. “Have some trust in me, Luke. Besides, if you don’t want to see her smug face then don’t let her get her hands on our flag,” I smirked.
All of a sudden, a twig snapped to our left and we shot up from our spots. Luke gave me a look and I clambered up the tree closest to me while he hid behind a bush. We stood there, waiting to ambush whoever the fuck decided it was a good idea to walk into whatever creature’s trail I had carved.
“Daisy get your ass out of that tree before I shoot it down myself. Your hiding spot is almost as bad as that sigil back there,” a gruff feminine voice yelled out in my direction making me roll my eyes.
Fuck you, Clarisse.
“Clarisse, what are you talking about?” a less recognisable voice spoke out from the same area; most likely one of her siblings. “There is no way Moore is anywhere here. The tracks are more masculine than feminine and there’s only one bipedal set. Safe to say we had a stray kid who ran away from playing. Let’s head the other way.”
From my spot I burnt holes into the back of Luke’s head from where he was hiding. This idiot had the nerve to shit talk my traps but doesn’t even cover his own tracks? Some son of Hermes he is.
I hear shuffling which travels further and eventually goes quiet, normally meaning Clarisse and the other guy left.
Sensing something weird, I’m not so convinced.
Luke on the other hand, the prideful idiot with the main character complex he is, leaped out of his hiding spot and I heard shuffling before the *shing* of a sword.
“Well look who we got here all alone. We got Luke!” the boy with Clarisse cheered. This kid has to be - at most - 13 with how over excited he is at catching someone.
Before anyone could move Luke lifted his hand, giving me the signal. Fuck yea!
Clashing swords and grunts of both parties are heard underneath me but I pay little attention to them. With the little time I have, I scrambled through the trees around Clarisse and her crew, tying knots and weaving ropes together into the ultimate net and pulley system. Luke may doubt me but I’ll show him.
After tying the last couple of knots glanced down to see the guy in question on the ground with his sword in Clarisse’s hand. What? He couldn’t hold his own in a fight against two people younger than him? Stupid.
Clarisse moved in and hovered over him menacingly. Coincidentally, (very much not so, I planned this exactly to a T) she is right about the target for the net.
“Hey, Clarisse!” her head shot up to stare questionably at me above her. I gave her a large wave with an over the top smile before cutting the rope next to me. The realization dawned on her face and before she could react, Clarisse and her buddy were swept up with a yelp and dangled in the air; their weapons clattered to the ground.
I slid down the nearest tree to help Luke up, much to his embarrassment. We glanced up and my eye caught the infuriated eyes of one Clarisse La Rue.
Oh how I wish I could have changed what happened next.
Whoops and hollers echoed through the forest - we had won. Luke grinned next to me and headed back to camp, ignoring the teenagers that were still struggling under a net in front of us.
“Ugh fine you win, Moore. Now get us out of here,” Clarisse grumbled as I sliced through the rope I had just carefully intertwined. Campers from both teams started piling into our little part of the forest - red and blue helmets melding together as everyone shook off the adrenaline from the game. Dusting herself off, the daughter of Ares got up and sent a gross side eye in my direction, “Pretty clever with that rope but I’ll get you next time Moore - just you wait.”
Without thinking I let out a huff somewhere in between a chuckle and a cough. Raising my arms in a surrender gesture, I slowly walked backwards, campers watching our every move - looking for something I couldn’t pinpoint. “Sure sure, Clarisse. You can think that but I will hunt you down every time, I swear it,” I spoke, turning my back on the girl.
Before I could march to camp, movement and the sound of gasps interrupted me. Turning around, I came face to face with everyone staring at me. “What? Do I have something crawling on my face?” I jest, pretending to wipe something off my head.
Clarisse’s gaze caught my attention. Her mouth agape and weapon lowered in what looked like shock. Following her eyes I realised no one was looking at me.
They were looking above me.
My head shot up and what I found shocked and confused me more than anything else in this world could. Oh how I wished I could take this moment back.
There above my head stood the symbol of a bow, notched and ready for a hunt - the mark of Artemis.
What the shi-