Annabeth Chase and the Last Olympian

Chapter 4 - I farewell a friend

I wish I could say that the day after the dream was better, but then I would be lying. It only got worse. 

For starters, I was heading to the arena to check on Mrs O'Leary when I heard a fight start. Now this wasn't an uncommon occurrence, especially when the Stoll brothers are in the mood to stir up some trouble, but by the size of the crowd that was congregating, and the ringing of steel on steel, I knew that this was no ordinary fight. 

I shoved my way to the front to find some Apollo kids standing on a flashy gold chariot that I had never seen before, threatening some Ares kids that were waving swords at them. 

"Get out of our chariot before we make you!" shouted Adam McDonnall, one of the Ares kids. 

"It's our chariot because we got it first!" Michael Yew, the new head councillor of Apollo yelled back. "If you're too slow, then you miss out!"

"You wouldn't have even got it if we weren't carrying the whole mission!" Adam snapped back. 

"Oh yeah? Then try and take it from us!"

Obviously the Ares campers took that as an invitation as they immediately started advancing on the chariot in formation, swords at the ready. The Apollo kids prepared themselves to defend, drawing their bows back and taking aim. 

"CUT IT OUT!" I yelled, stepping in between the two groups. A stupid decision, I know, but someone had to do something before they started hacking each other to pieces. Tensions in the camp had reached boiling point and all it needed was one spark before we had an internal war between the cabins. "Put your weapons down and someone tell me what is going on! And someone get Chiron!"

"I am already here," the centaur said, appearing through the crowd and taking a stance beside me. "And I too would like to know what you could possibly be fighting about now."

Immediately, both Ares and Apollo kids began yelling, trying to tell their side of the story over the top of each other. Chiron sighed and held up his hand for silence, which took some time to occur, and mainly was due to the arrival of Clarisse. 

"What is happening?" she demanded, shoving her way to the front so she could stand by her siblings. 

"That, my dear, is what I am trying to find out," Chiron said wearily. "Michael, tell me what happened. Without interruptions," he added, shooting a glare at the Ares kids. 

"We were in Philadelphia on our mission when we were sprung by Luke's cronies," Michael started. "So all Hades breaks out and me and Gus spot this sweet ride that they were using and decide to get it off them. So we charge them and manage to get in it and kick them out. So yeah, now we got the chariot, but these brainless morons think it's theirs."

"Cause we led the mission," Adam McDonall yelled back. "All loot captured during the mission should automatically become the property of the commanders! That chariot should belong to Ares!"

A roar of approval went up among the Ares campers, which was matched with booing from the Apollo kids. I saw the Stoll brothers moving among the crowd, collecting money as people placed my bets. I did my best to stare them down but they were wise to avoid my gaze. 

"Silence!" Chiron bellowed. "Adam, did any of your siblings actually take a hand in the capture of the chariot?"

"Other than be used as the main force that was fighting Luke's monsters while the Apollo guys got distracted by the chariot? We had more things to worry about in the moment than the chariot. But we deserve to have it because that mission wouldn't have been a success without us!"

"Be that as it may, greatest reward goes to those who actually take the loot. I am sorry, but Apollo has the better claim to the prize." Chiron did look regretful, but he also looked very done with the conversation.