cupiditas |PERCY JACKSON| [book 3]

X

THE NEXT NIGHT AFTER DINNER, it was time. Campers vs. the Hunters in capture the flag. It was going to be a small game: only thirteen Hunters, including Bianca di Angelo, and about the same number of campers.

Zoe Nightshade looked pretty upset. She kept glancing resentfully at Chiron, like she couldn't believe he was making her do this. The other Hunters didn't look too happy, either. Unlike last night, they weren't laughing or joking around. They just huddled together in the dining pavilion, whispering nervously to each other as they strapped on their armor. Some of them even looked like they'd been crying. Selena wondered what happened that made them change their mood.

On the camp's team, they had Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, a few from the Ares cabin, the Stoll brothers, Selena, and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a few Aphrodite kids. It was weird that the Aphrodite cabin wanted to play. Usually, they sat on the sidelines, chatted, and checked their reflections in the river and stuff, but when they heard they were fighting the Hunters, they were raring to go.

"I'll show them 'love is worthless,'" Silena Beauregard grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll pulverize them!"

That left Thalia and Percy.

"I'll take the offense," Thalia volunteered. "You take defense."

"Oh." Percy hesitated and Selena knew he had a different plan, "Don't you think with your shield and all, you'd be better defense?"

Thalia already had Aegis on her arm, and even their own teammates were giving her a wide berth, trying not to cower before the bronze head of Medusa.

"Well, I was thinking it would make better offense," Thalia said. "Besides, you've had more practice at defense."

"Yeah, no problem," Percy was tense and Selena knew he didn't like the fact that he was on defense.

"Cool." Thalia turned to Selena, "You wanna be on offense with me?"

"I'm actually a better defense." Selena stated and Thalia shrugged, "Suit yourself." She said before going to help some of the Aphrodite kids, who were having trouble suiting up their armor without breaking their nails. Nico di Angelo ran up to Percy and Selena with a big grin on his face.

"Percy, this is awesome!" His blue-feathered bronze helmet was falling in his eyes, and his breastplate was about six sizes too big. Nico lifted his sword with effort. "Do we get to kill the other team?"

"Well... no."

"But the Hunters are immortal, right?"

"That's only if they don't fall in battle. Besides—"

"It would be awesome if we just, like, resurrected as soon as we were killed, so we could keep fighting, and—"

"Nico, this is serious. Real swords. These can hurt." He stared at Percy, a little disappointed. Percy paused before he patted Nico on the shoulder. "Hey, it's cool. Just follow the team. Stay out of Zoe's way. We'll have a blast."

Chiron's hoof thundered on the pavilion floor.

"Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team—Camp Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"