To the Sun, To the Stars, To the Sky

17: The Other Side of Battle

Percy POV

King Apollo came to address this faction of the army himself, and it caused a quick panic among the soldiers. Each had their own reason to worry about not being perfect enough, and I had intentions of taking those insecurities and worries and twisting them, to make these perfect soldiers see the faults with form, the army, and therefore the king. I would take one woman's worry that her back was not straight enough and convince her that it bent in order to teach her these rules were crooked as well. One man angles his elbow incorrectly, and I show him his whole angle on the world needs an update. These perfect, obedient soldiers had a raging fury and a paralyzing fear inside of each of them—and the rebellion could use it to our advantage.

("An army of ragtag heathens and insane warriors is on its way to attack the city," the king begins, and a wave runs over the camp as the soldiers realize these things I'd started rumors about were true—and that I'd known before the king.)

And so I whispered some things. I let leak trivial information that would look like the world to them. I made myself the leader, and their instincts told them to listen to me.

("We will crush their forces. I have two spies within their main force, giving me updates about where they are. We are stronger, and they will fall," he tells us. I'm hardly listening as my blood roars and ears buzz with adrenaline; this was about to begin.)

And so slowly, a mass of soldiers converged on itself, fighting its own quiet, internal rebellion. Each soldier was one rebellion, and while some lost, others won, and whenever Reyna got here with her army, she would have a nice surprise waiting for her.

("They will fall," he yells, "and the just and the strong will once again prevail!")

The soldiers—a second army. A second rebellion. A second chance.

("To the stars!" He yells, as if his life will be put on the line like all of ours.)

To the stars, your majesty.