Victoria Dia: The Missing God

Chapter 3: My Greatest Enemy is Actually a Tree

Aside from Axel, I'm not very good friends with anyone else in the Athena cabin. I get the underlying feeling that most of them don't like me that much anyway, but I couldn't tell you why.

Charlie and I aren't friends, but more like acquaintances. Charlie himself doesn't have much of a personality that I know of, he'd be a wallflower if he wasn't one of the only campers that could square up to half the Ares Cabin and probably win. I guess it makes sense then as to why he'd be the one that Axel paired me with.

"What's the deal with you and Emily?" Charlie asked as we stood guard in the forest, waiting for an attack.

"I kicked her ass at a sword duel when we were both in the Hermes cabin and then she got me back by beating me at an Archery duel after I got claimed by Apollo," I told him, toying with a stick on the forest floor.  "It's been five years at this point, but she's held onto the grudge like a dog with a bone."

The duel was the same day I got claimed by Apollo, I think that's why Emily chose her revenge to be through the Archery duel. I will give it to her. She is very skilled with a bow, but not as much as any one of my siblings.

"That's the Ares kids for you," Charlie said, gray eyes trained on the forest around us, vigilant as ever I suppose.

"Yeah, I avoid her most of the time these days," I continued, "She avoids me too, mostly out of annoyance though."

I could hear fighting somewhere in the distance, the distinctive clashing of swords and shields. Charlie's head snapped in the direction where the noises were coming from. I looked over as well.

"Someone must be close," He said. My grip tightened on my sword, and my shield. I did not doubt that Emily would be looking to take out her grudge and frustrations on me the moment she found me.

I was wondering if anyone had found the flag yet, and when this all would be over. I love Capture the Flag as much as anyone else, don't get me wrong, but I don't enjoy the suspense of waiting to get beat up.

"I think if we move a bit this way, we might be able to intercept whoever is walking down there," Charlie told me, pointing down to a sloped hill where there was the slightest hint of a trail.

"I don't know man, I trust Axel's plan," I replied, turning my head to look over to where he was pointing. As soon as I turned my head, an arrow whizzed past my ear. had it been closer it probably would have embedded itself in my skull. Instead, it hit the tree behind me.

I turned quickly to look at my attacker. To my left, Charlie was startled but quickly regained his footing as he turned with me. I lifted my sword and shield from where I had simply been holding them before as Emily followed by two other Ares Cabin kids emerged from the woods. She charged right at me and Charlie took on the other two.

"You know there's a no-killing rule right?" I asked as I raised my shield to block her sword hit, and redirected her sword before swinging mine. She blocked my hit.

"A week's worth of no dessert would be worth ridding the world of you,"  She said, glaring at me through her helmet.

"Spicy today aren't we?" I quipped at her as  I held my shield up close to my head blocking her attacks. She stepped back and gave me space after I swung for her legs.

"Shut up Victoria," She told me before charging for me again.

She swung her sword forward, but it missed me and my shield. I took a step forward raising both my sword and shield to counter her. She managed to recover quickly from her stumble, raising her shield to block my sword, and then swinging at me again in one swift movement. I blocked her again.