warrior ( RACHEL ELIZABETH DARE. )

xiv. CRUSH

WARRIOR!
( chapter fourteen )

AS MARCH ROLLED around, tensions grew. The Argo II was steadily growing, getting bigger and stronger every day. The thought of another war began to appear in the camper's thoughts more frequently. It was a thought so jarring that it didn't even seem plausible, despite the array of preparation around them.

   Ingrid Reid was an avid member of the paranoia, for the thought of war was something she never wanted to experience again. Despite being a child of war, the actual aspects of it all terrified her. The preparation and determination to succeed that reverberated from the camp calmed her. She knew that her family would keep her safe; then again, that's what she said last time. She couldn't fathom the thought of losing anyone else in this war, so she neglected any wave of worry from her mind. She could ponder it when it became relevant.

   With the Argo II in production, the Ares cabin was itching to get aboard. The ship itself was growing to be massive, almost as big as the canoe lake. Everyday, the Ares cabin yearned to explore its ranks, to be able to take in the weaponry and defensive systems. The Hephaestus cabin had it on wraps, with Leo Valdez at the helm directing his vision of building.

   One day, the Ares cabin got what they wanted.

   At breakfast, Leo approached the table, a wide grin on his face, and determination in his eyes. "Hey guys!"

   Ingrid turned her head, but she seemed to be the only one to notice the boy. Leo looked at her, and tilted his head toward the rest of the table. She sighed, knowing she had to gain their attention.

   "Hey, we've got a guest." She said, and at once everyone turned their attention to Leo.

   "Thanks." He said, giving her a small wink. He faced the table and swallowed, clearly nervous, but his face didn't show it. "I need your help with the Argo II's warfare aspects."

   "I thought you had that covered already? Considering you didn't ask us beforehand." Clarisse said with a glare, and Leo shook his head.

   "We've been focusing on the living aspect rather than the actual weaponry. But, I knew you'd all have the best input, considering you're the masters of this stuff. So, if you'd like to, come to the Argo II and help us figure some stuff out." Leo said, and the Ares kids began to mumble amongst themselves, clearly excited.

   "We'll be there," Casey said. "When?"

"After breakfast? Then we'll have the rest of the day together." Leo said, a smirk on his face. Casey raised his eyebrows, making Leo's face go red. "The rest of the day to discuss war stuff. Obviously."

Casey snickered, as did the rest of the table. "Okay, I'm gonna go now but I'll see you all at the ship!" Leo said, scurrying away, looking back at Casey as he did so.

Ingrid whipped her head toward Casey. "What just happened?"

Casey set his fork down. "Not sure. Anyways, can we add like a massive amount of archery mounts onto the ship? Because that would be the coolest thing ever."

"Oh no, there's gonna be machine guns at every post. And a stock amount of celestial bronze bullets. Duh." Sherman said, and soon, the rest of the table began to butt in with their own input.