Glory of Hera [On hold]

Chapter XVIII

Chapter XVIII: 3rd PoV
A month later
"I just don't get it!" Thalia said once more, "Why would she say something like that? I thought they'd be happy I was back, not that my best friend would accuse me of trying to steal her boyfriend."

Percy and Thalia we hanging out in her cabin. Technically, you weren't supposed to have a boy and girl of different parentage in the same cabin alone, but the rule had been null for a while. Charles Beckendorf and his girlfriend Silena had started breaking it a lot, and other couples followed suit.

Not that Percy and Thalia were a couple...

"Annabeth and Luke have changed a lot, they're both kind of jerks," Percy explained. "And if either of them are acting like that, then don't be their friends."

Thalia nodded slightly, "I guess, I've just known both of them for so long. They didn't even seem glad I was back."

"I know the feeling," Percy agreed, "I only have two friends at camp, three I guess now with you, but all the other ones I had keep leaving....or dying."

He made the whole thing sound like a joke, but Thalia knew him well enough to know that he was simply hiding his hurt with humor. Not wanting to press him on the topic, she just changed the subject.

"So how's life?"

"It's alright, Katie's forgiven me. Which is good, what I said to her was really stupid and inconsiderate. Nico's off on missions for his dad. I honestly don't blame him for leaving, since the campers found out he was a child of Hades they've been keeping their distance."

"Which is stupid," Thalia remarked. "He just a little kid. Like honestly, he's what? Eleven?"

Percy nodded, "Yeah, it's pretty idiotic. Hey, can I tell you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Cool, lets go for a walk while I tell you. That Zeus statue is really creepy me out."

The two stood up and exited the cabin. Shoulders brushing together, they strolled through camp. Percy had decided it was time to tell her about his mother. He didn't like keeping secrets from his friends.

He explained how his mom had gotten pregnant (with his fists clenched at the thought of the horrible mortal), how his aunt Tia had given him to Sally, about Gabe (the jerk), and coming to camp. Lastly, he told her about his bitterness towards the gods.

"I feel the same way. The gods need to get down from their pedestals and take part in our lives. But anyway, your mother's Hera? That's pretty unique, I wonder what she did for my dad to ban her to the mortal world. Probably not much, he's kinda a d-"

A clap of thunder cut off whatever she was going to say.

"Doesn't he have better things to do then monitor whenever somebody says his name?"

"Probably not. He's kind of useless."

The two cracked up, not at Percy's statement, but at the clap of thunder that followed.

LineBreak
Percy and Thalia were dueling in the arena. Percy with Riptide, and Thalia with her canister of Mace turned spear.

"It was part of a matching set." Shed explained to Percy when he'd first seen it. "I got the spear and Jason had the sheild, Aegis."

She had eventually told her friend about her brother. Jason had been 'taken' (or so claimed Beryl Grace, Thalia's mother) by a pack of wild animals when Thalia was eight, her brother had only been six.

The disappearance of her brother was what had caused Thalia to run away with Luke and Annabeth in the first place.

"Gotcha!" Thalia proclaimed smugly as she pressed the tip of her spear against Percy's neck.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," her friend warned, before grappling the spear shaft and hurling the weapon backwards towards the daughter of Zeus's face.

She was barely able to stop it, and stumbled several feel backwards. "Styx!" She cursed as Percy raised Riptide and started attacking offensively.

She could let her guard down for even a moment, lest she let her friend emerge victorious. Alas, he was winning anyway.

"I believe I've just won." He stated, smirking. In one hand he held his sword to her neck, in the other he grasped her own weapon.

"Whatever," Thalia grumbled in response, "If this was archery, I would've won."

"Hmm, we'll see."

"Is that a challenge?" She smirked, picking up a bow.

Percy mirror her action, "Ten shots, whoever has the best aim wins. Best of luck."

Thalia ignored him and begin firing at a target. Her arrows smacked in place within the inner rings. Percy hit a bullseye with his first shot, and got at little lax. The rest of his shots hit the target, mostly. But Thalia emerged the clear winner.

"All talk and no shot, huh Perce?" She quipped lightly, though she was almost visibly glowing with pride at beating him.

He scoffed, "I never said I'd win. I'm just glad I managed to have them all hit the target. You should've seen me when I first came here. I fired the bow and and it flew behind me and through the solid rock climbing wall."

Thalia grinned ever wider, "That wouldn't be the yellow fletched one, would it? It's still stuck there."

Percy blushed and didn't answer her. She shoved him in the shoulder playfully, "Oh loosen up, you can't be good at everything. I mean, there are already too many good things you can do. Honestly, you're really a stacked deck. I mean you're smart, funny, nice, handsome..."

She flushed as she realized what she'd said. Fortunately, Percy refrained from commenting. Though he had a small smile that caused his eyes to twinkle. Instead he chose to focus on her good mood.

"Well, you're certainly singing a different tune then a few minutes ago. Sore loser much?"

"Oh shut up, you think you're soo hilarious!"

Percy smiled, she'd walked right into his trap. "So do you apparently. And you think I'm smart and..."

As they continued to tease each other, another listened from outside the arena. A smirk worked its way onto her face as she heard their topic of discussion.

All was going according to plan.