Heart Pierced - Kayla Knowles (1)

IV. The Great Stymphalian Bird Turkey Shoot

(A/N: Now you're all probably wondering how in the world a Whitworth wielding demigod is going to fit into this picture. I'll give you a hint.. the birds aren't the only things you'll find in the tree line. Plus, there's a reason Colton's been at Camp Half Blood for three years and hasn't run out of ammo for his main weapon yet.. it's Beckendorf. You'll see why here.)

Three years had taught Clarisse much about Colton since he came to camp. Among the many things about her younger brother she came to know full well was that he wasn't the kind who would do well in a chariot race, neither as driver or fighter. The reason why was simple. In the first case, given that the thirteen year old had never driven anything in his life, she really didn't feel like he was qualified to even drive a golf cart, much less a chariot with horses. In the second case, his style of combat made him ill-suited for the close combat conditions of chariot races.

He only preferred using a sword at all since his sister was teaching him how to use a sword as a backup weapon in case he had to fight in close quarters.

Colton was a bit different from other Ares kids because of this, and she knew it full well. Hence, she had chosen Sherman as her teammate in the chariot races while, with the acceptance of Mr. D, Colton was allowed to remain on duty as the only patroller for the camp boundary, which needless to say, despite being responsible for way more than what one thirteen year old could handle, it was a task that suited him just fine.

He functioned more like one of Artemis' best hunters than as a normal son of Ares, so Clarisse just ran with it.. since for the most part, unless there were too many monsters for him to handle, he could easily pick single monsters or even a duo of them without much difficulty. It was a system that she would see work to the camp's advantage on this particular day.

Tantalus, being the ignorant piece of shit - per Colton's opinion - that he was, was more focused on the chariot races, so he didn't notice at all that Colton wasn't there. To be honest, Clarisse preferred it that way. She had a feeling that things would get rough today when she woke up, so the less questions Tantalus asked about her younger brother's whereabouts the better.

As everyone was getting ready, Colton walked along the crest of Half Blood Hill, past Thalia's sickly tree. Honestly, in his opinion, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Thalia, having heard her story from Luke once. Losing your brother, then having to make the choice of sacrificing yourself for your companions.. no one should have to do that.

He looked up at the sky. Zeus had been the one to turn her into the tree she was right now, but no matter what, what Luke felt about him.. Colton couldn't shake off the fact that he currently felt the same way. Zeus was an ego-driven incompetent leader, and deserved to be replaced.

Casting those thoughts aside, his mind drifted towards.. well, probably the only other person than the Gods, Percy, Tantalus or his own siblings that he had been able to think of.

Kayla.

The daughter of Apollo had shook up his life, to put it bluntly. It hadn't been long before the relationship between him and her to become the talk of the camp, alongside the relationship between Percy and Annabeth. In all fairness, on the issue of the other potential couple, everyone other than these two could see that by now, Annabeth was head over heels for him from a mile away. But on the subject of him and Kayla, as far as he knew, they were fast friends. That was it.

So why did it feel like every time he thought that, he felt like the Goddess Of Love was laughing at him?

With his Whitworth rifle in the shoulder arms position, he did his patrol duties with what could be described as patience and stealth not commonly possessed by a child of Ares.