𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, l. castellan

𝟎𝟎𝟑. swordsmanship

DOOMSDAY

____________

THE WOODEN SWORD in Valeria's hand clatters a few inches from her feet, causing the fallen leaves to dust up into the air. She lets out a heavy breath, pressing her lips together tightly when Luke grins smugly at her.

Valeria's dressed in a pair of black leggings, a white sports bra (her orange camp shirt being draped over one of the rocks nearby), and white converse. Her hair is tied back into a high ponytail, a few strands dangling around her eyes and framing her face.

"You're rusty," Luke says matter-of-factly.

The teenagers stand in a desolate area of the forest, their voices being the only noises heard through the trees. Luke had asked Valeria early in the morning to spar with him, and despite her better judgement (as it's been over a month since they've sparred), Valeria agreed.

Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena and head counselor of her cabin, has been ordering everyone on their team to train and prepare for the upcoming game of Capture the Flag. She's determined to win, and Valeria would hate to disappoint the young girl.

Within her first week of being at camp, Luke introduced Valeria to Annabeth during an archery lesson. She and Annabeth easily bonded over the similarities between them— specifically their relationships with their fathers and reasons for leaving home. Annabeth seems to view Valeria as an older sister figure, and the brunette knows exactly why she does.

Luke told Valeria that before he was brought to camp by a satyr, he'd met Annabeth and another demigod named Thalia, the daughter of Zeus. Thalia was a forbidden child, meaning that monsters were always being drawn to her. Always finding a way to put her and others in danger.

The three traveled together for a long time before they were found by Grover, the satyr meant to lead them to camp. However, when they reached Half-Blood Hill, they were attacked by monsters sent by Hades from the Underworld. Thalia sacrificed herself to ensure that Annabeth and Luke would get to camp safely with Grover, leaving an empty space in Annabeth's life.

Over time, it's become clear to Valeria that Luke and Annabeth are closer than friends. They're like brother and sister. They'd gone through so much together, and now they see each other as family. Even though Valeria knows that she will never replace Thalia, she wants to help Annabeth with whatever she can.

At the moment, that means helping her win Capture the Flag.

Valeria kneels down to collect her sword, adjusting her grip on the hilt. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

She rises from the ground. "You're a better swordsman than I am, Luke. I feel like you have an obvious advantage here."

He shakes his head with a chuckle, spinning his sword around his wrist naturally. "Doesn't matter, Val. Clarisse isn't gonna give you a break just because you're out of practice."

Unfortunately, Valeria knows that he's right. Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, is the captain of the opposing team. She's presumably the most ruthless person in all of camp, as she relishes in the glory and power that comes with each win. These past defeats have left her full of rage and vexation, which they've taken much enjoyment in and would like to continue.