Blaze of Glory - a PJO fanfiction

7. Truce

Kids in the Dark - All Time Low

 It had been a couple of hours since I'd burned off my restraints and escaped the big house. As far as anyone who looked in that room knew I was still in that chair. What they were really seeing was the light I had manipulated to look like I was still bound in the chair, but by the time it faded, which it probably was doing right now, I would've already made my presence known.

Not far away, I could hear my siblings from the Apollo cabin singing halfheartedly. A wave of nostalgia hit me with every classic camp song they sang. The campfire looked sad and small, and it probably had something to do with the stymphalian birds I had seen earlier, if I had to guess.

All I had to do now was wait. Wait for Percy and Annabeth to bring up the fleece, which I'm sure they've figured out by now. Waiting in this tree was starting to get really annoying though. Just then, the music stopped, and Tantalus stood.

"Well, that was lovely!" he announced to the campers. He attempted to grab a marshmallow, but it flew into the flames before he could. "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."

"Sir," Percy spoke up. Tantalus looked at him, eye twitching.

"Our kitchen boy has something to say?" the new activities director asked threateningly. I nearly laughed at the new nickname, but refrained from giving away my position until the right moment. Both Percy and Annabeth stood up. Percy spoke.

"We have an idea to save the camp." The campfire turned a bright yellow, betraying the campers interest in the subject.

"Indeed," Tantalus deadpanned. "Well if it has anything to do with chariots-" Percy cut him off.

"The Golden Fleece," he said. "We know where it is." He then started talking about a dream he had about Polyphemus' island, Grover, and Annabeth kept putting out reminders about what the Fleece could do.

"The Fleece, it can save the camp," Annabeth stated. "I'm certain of it."

Tantalus scoffed in disbelief, "Nonsense, we don't need saving. Besides, the Sea of Monsters? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look." That was my cue, and I dropped down from my tree, making noise that made everyone's heads snap towards the woods.

"No, but I do," I said, walking out of the shadows. The campers gasped collectively as the light of the campfire washed over my face. "They're right, you know," I continued. "It's elder python venom from the pits of Tartarus, nothing will cure it except the Fleece, and only I can lead you to it." I looked right at Percy. "I can help you find the Fleece, Perce."

"30, 31, 75, 12," Percy said.

"Ooo-kay," Tantalus said. "Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers to the enemy soldier who escaped her bonds."

I spoke, "They're coordinates, prisoner who escaped his sentence. Latitude and longitude." I nodded at Percy. "Let me come with you."

Annabeth reluctantly nodded at the information. "She's right," she said, sounding annoyed at the prospect. "The Grey Sisters gave us those coordinates. That'd be somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. The Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!"

The camper started cheering for a quest, while the Apollo and Hephaestus kids kept glancing sadly at me every so often through the cheering. Eventually, Tantalus was forced to agree.

"Fine!" Tantalus shouted, eyes burning like the now raging campfire. "You brats want me to assign a quest?" All the campers shouted in a chorus of agreement. "Very well, I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying." He paused for dramatic effect. "I will allow our champion to consult the Oracle! And choose one companion for the journey. And I think the choice of champion is obvious."

He looked directly at the Ares campers. "The champion should be the one who has earned the camp's respect, who has proven resourceful in the chariot races and courageous in the defense of the camp." Tantalus announced, "You shall lead this quest... Clarisse!"

I could barely hear what was going on over the Ares cabin's stomping and cheering, but I was ninety nine percent sure that Clarisse accepted the quest, and that Percy was arguing against it, I sat down on the edge of the steps as Tantalus began a long story about his mortal life.

"And so..." the activities director concluded. "Are there any more complaints before we send Clarisse off on her quest?" One kid from the Ares Cabin stood up.

"Why are you only allowing Clarisse to pick one companion? Traditionally it's three to a quest," he stated. Tantalus chuckled.

"I thought it was obvious," he said. "She'll be taking the traitor." Silence. Everyone was too shocked to respond, even me. He turned to Clarisse. "Now, the Oracle, my dear. Go on. The traitor can wait in the Big House." There it was. That word again. Traitor.

"Sir-" Clarisse began to protest, shifting uncomfortably.

"Go!" Tantalus snarled, cutting her off. She bowed awkwardly before running away, I quickly got up and followed her, sprinting to the big house. By the time I got there she was already inside, the door shut behind her. I opened the door only to find myself being shoved against a wall, knife against my throat.

"Why are you really here? Huh!" Clarisse demanded. "Why are you helping us?" I didn't push her off, even though I could, I had to get her to trust me, and that meant playing the part.

"Have you thought for a second that maybe I regret my choices, Clarisse?" I asked, anger in my voice. "Have you considered that I might actually be here because I care about my friends and this camp and I don't want to see them end up dead or worse!" I was shouting at this point. I felt a singular tear run down my face. "I might be a- a... you know..." Traitor. "But, I'm not heartless." My expression shifted to sadness and desperation. "I couldn't just let you all die."

Her eyes flicked back and forth over my face, as if searching my expression for any lies or deception. She slowly removed her knife. "I don't know what game you're playing," she said, eyes hardened. "But you're my best bet at saving camp. So until I discover any ulterior motives, I guess we're gonna have to trust each other." She held out a hand to me "Truce?" I nodded, taking her hand and shaking it.

"Truce."