The biters - LifeOfRoos - Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2024)

Chapter 1: The mother

Chapter Text

‘You went shooting with her?’ Louise la Rue clenched her fists.

‘She should be able to defend herself.’

‘She’s five!’

‘In Sparta, they began when they were three!’

‘That’s not even true!’

Clarisse looked up from the couch. Her fingers were covered in applesauce and cracker crumbs. She wondered what Sparta was.

‘Just get out!’

‘Come on…’

‘Out!’ Her mom pushed the man towards the door.

‘You said yourself the monsters are closing in, Louise.’

‘Shhh! Don’t make her afraid!’ It was quiet for a moment. ‘I can defend us.’

‘For now.’

‘Out!’

‘See you soon, Louise.’ Her mother closed the door with a bang that made the painting above the television shudder. Clarisse took a bite of her second cracker.

Clarisse’s mother walked back into the room, still seething with angry. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, before walking to her daughter. ‘Hey cherié. Are you enjoying your crackers?’

Clarisse nodded. ‘Are you angry, mommy?’

‘With the man, cherié, not with you. He is a grown-up and sometimes being stern and a little harsh is the only way grown-ups will listen.’

Clarisse bit into a cracker. ‘I don’t like it.’

‘Sorry, cherié.’ Her mother stroked her hair. ‘It won’t happen again.’ Her mother smiled. ‘Can you tell me, are you hurt anywhere?’

Clarisse shook her head. She wasn’t hurting. She just didn’t like the screaming.

Her mother sighed. ‘Okay, cherié, that’s very good. Now, can you tell mom where that man picked you up?’

‘At school. He knew the code word.’

‘That awf… I mean, good that you asked for the word, cherié. You watched out very well.’

Clarisse liked the compliment. Louise pulled her daughter close. The crackers almost dropped off Clarisse’s plate. ‘Clarisse, the next time that same man shows up, that…’ Louise sighed. She couldn’t use the word she had in mind. ‘...You are only allowed to go with him if I am there too, okay?’

‘Why, mommy?’

‘...because mommy wants to make sure you are safe.’

‘From the biters?’

‘Yes.’ Louise felt her heart thumping in her chest. Not just from the biters.

‘Okay.’ Clarisse put another cracker with apple sauce into her mouth.

‘Good girl, cherié,’ her mother said. ‘Now mommy has to go get something from upstairs, okay?

‘Okay.’

Louise went upstairs, torn by emotions. It was unbelievable that she still let that man near Clarisse. Unbelievable that he was her father. Unbelievable that she let him be her father. Unbelievable that he had a point.

She knew she couldn’t keep Ares away from Clarisse forever. It felt unfair, but most of all it felt impossible. Gods.

She walked into her bedroom. She opened the drawer of her nightstand and got out a handgun. She would put it downstairs near the door now, and pray to the gods that Clarisse wouldn’t find it. If Ares tried to arm her daughter against the monsters, or the ‘biters’ as she called them, it had to be bad. She’d have to prepare herself.

She went downstairs again and quietly hid the handgun, careful not to make a sound that could alarm her daughter that she hid something somewhere. The girls’ curiosity would probably become too much if she realised there was something hidden.

‘Mommy, what did you get?’ Clarisse asked, when Louise walked into the living room.

‘Just something for after dinner, cherié.’

‘You got a surprise?’

She put a smile on her face and looked over her shoulder. ‘Maybe.’ She sighed and walked into the kitchen. She might as well start preparing dinner.

Clarisse picked up the last cracker. Something tugged in her stomach. She knew that feeling. She knew it very well. ‘I think the biters are coming tonight.’

Louise narrowed her eyes. ‘If they do, I’ll take care of them.’

Clarisse knew that mom was right. She would protect her. Yet, maybe she couldn’t always do that. The big man had told her she needed to protect herself too. That is why he gave her the gun, until mom took it away.

Clarisse ate her last cracker. She should show mama that she could protect herself too. She felt a warm feeling rise up in her chest. She wanted to show the biters that she was not afraid of them. She could do that now. The man taught her how.

Louise looked out the kitchen window, scanning the land around her house for beasts. She wondered how long they could keep going like this. There had to be a point where Ares would take Clarisse to that camp for protection. She took a deep breath. Perhaps that was years in the future. Yes, it probably was. Years and years.

Chapter 2: The god

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Ares couldn’t help but laugh when Louise shut the door in his face. She sure was a feisty one.

He understood she wanted to keep their daughter safe. So did he. She just had to understand it meant they had to arm Clarisse. The girl needed to know how to protect herself.

He walked back to his Harley while slowly shaking his head. With a swift motion he whipped a phone out of his pocket. Without even pushing a button, he began to talk. ‘Phobos. Deimos. Go to your hide-out. Right now.’ He put the phone away again, before mounting the motor and riding off.

He’d have to come up with a strategy as to how to get it through to Louise that Clarisse needed training immediately. It was too dangerous to keep going like this.

He snickered to himself. If a demigod attracted this many monsters, it meant they were strong. It meant they had a future ahead of them. His own daughter. He couldn’t help but be proud of it.

The god stopped his motorbike when he got near the hide-out. He looked at the squat and snorted. His sons really did pick out the worst of the worst. It looked as if the whole house would come apart if he so much as touched the walls. He forced open the door, which didn’t take much effort.

‘Dad?’ Ares looked up the stairs. Two red eyes were glowing at the top.

‘Phobos. Don’t break your neck while you walk down the measly stairs of this house you picked.’

‘Deimos did.’

‘Lies.’

The other twin peeped his head into the hallway. ‘Shut up, Phobos. Dad? Everything in order? Can we leave?’

‘I just arrived, pipsqueek. Now get into the living room, if this dump still has a living room.’

‘This room has a couch. It is pretty grimy, but I think that makes it a living room.’

‘Has she been trained?’

‘Once, but she’ll have to train again. It doesn’t go so fast with mortals.’

‘Useless. Absolutely useless.’

‘Calm down, Deimos.’

He threw his arms into the air. ‘I have spend the last few months fighting monsters in this oven of a state! I think I may…’

‘Shut your cakehole and let me talk. Her mother found out about the training and she didn’t like it.’

Phobos rolled his eyes. ‘What do you even see in that woman?’

Ares held up his hand, which set the fear god ablaze. It lasted just a second, but it was enough to make him scream and almost fall off the couch. ‘Louise is stubborn. As of now, I don’t think she’ll let me close to Clarisse ever again, unless she is there too. That would make training her more difficult.’

‘Sure would.’

‘Tomorrow, I will try to convince Louise that there is no other way.’

‘Why does she have to know it?’ Phobos suggested, with a small voice. When he didn’t catch fire again, he felt more confident to continue: ‘I mean, do you really have to tell that woman that you are training the girl? We could just train her while her mother is at work and she’s supposed to be at school. A little mist-manipulation and she’ll never know.’

Ares looked his son in the eyes. ‘Of course, we could. But I don’t want to. I want Louise to know about it.’

‘Why?’

‘If you don’t understand, I won’t explain it either.’

‘What if she says no?’

Ares stayed quiet for a moment. ‘Then I want the two of you to bring Clarisse to Camp Half-blood. Oh, Louise will hate me, but it will be for the best. Our daughter will be safe, which is in both of our interests.’

Phobos laid back on the couch. ‘Whatever you say.’

‘Tomorrow we’ll meet again, at this house, at the same time. Until then, you two keep as many monsters away as you can. And hold that mouth’ - he pointed at Deimos, who had opened his, ‘I know you two have been slacking. Louise has been plagued with more monsters. Don’t make me see that again.’ He got off the couch. ‘Chapeau.’

Once outside, he felt a rage boiling inside off him. He knew, knew with his whole being that Clarisse would be important later. For the prophecy even, perhaps. Why did those two not listen, not care, for once?

He’d have to tell Louise everything. About the prophecy, about the monsters, about Clarisse. He knew he might have to give her an ultimatum: Either her daughter learned how to protect herself and stayed, or she’d have to go to camp. Louise would hate him afterwards, if she didn’t already, and she would have a good reason too. But it would have to be like that. Rather she knew what was happening to her daughter, than that the girl suddenly left, or worse.

Ares got onto his Harley. Nothing better than a motorride to get the frustration out. With that thought in mind, he sped off, until his thoughts were no more.

Chapter 3: The Boyfriend

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‘Your daughter has a boyfriend!’

Ares looked around. Aphrodite was standing in the doorway, with an innocent look on her face.

‘Hm?’

‘Your daughter Clarisse! She has a boyfriend!’

‘Clarisse?’ He hadn’t expected it to be Clarisse. She was never interested in boys before as far as he knew.

‘Yes.’

‘Are you sure?’

Aphrodite sighed and came closer. She ran her hands over his back. ‘Brown hair? Large? Muscles? brown eyes? Bandana?’

‘That’s Clarisse, I think,’ He said, before pushing her away. ‘Who’s the lucky man?’

Aphrodite rubbed her arms against his. ‘Don’t know.’

‘You do.’

She shrugged innocently. ‘No. I don’t,’ she said with her little smile.

Ares sighed and pushed her farther away. ‘You’re pestering me and you know it.’

Aphrodite dramatically let herself fall onto a couch, which she made appear out of nowhere. ‘I love to see you get worked up!’

Ares looked down at her. ‘Worked up about what?’

‘About your daughters’ boyfriend!’

‘I a not.’

‘But to think he might have had a slew of other girlfriends…’ She sat up and laid her head against Ares’ stomach. ‘You might want to check it out before it gets serious and he breaks her heart!’

‘You wouldn’t dare.’

‘I won’t, no, but I am not alone…’ She pouted. ‘And he might make her weak, and then break her heart and leave her alone…’

Ares growled and stormed out, leaving a hysterically laughing Aphrodite in the apartment.

Ares hovered over camp half-blood, looking for his daughter and this new guy Aphrodite was so into. He could see Clarisse, alright. She was dueling against an Apollo camper. Ares grinned when she worked him against the ground with a single blow. Of course she did, any of his children would easily defeat Apollo’s twats.

Yet, that was not what he was here for. None of the campers standing around the arena (who were, aside from Apollo and Ares kids also brats from Athena and Hermes) looked like they could ever interest Clarisse, so he had no idea who the guy was. What now? Did he just have to hang here until he saw him?

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait very long. A slender boy with messy brown hair ran into the ring to hand Clarisse a jacket. She smiled at him and put it on, before they helped the Apollo brat back to his feet.

Arm in arm, they ran back to the side of the arena, where the Hermes and Ares kids loudly cheerd. On the other side, Apollo and Athena’s sprouts began to boo them.

Ares had had enough of the childish tomfoolery. He warped back to his palace on Olympus and immediately heard someone giggling behind him. He looked at Aphrodite, who was still hanging on her couch. She winked. ‘And?’

By the evening, Aphrodite had made him so crazy with her constant pestering that he went back to camp to talk to the scrub. As if he cared. If anyone hurt one of his children, he would launch them into the Atlantic and that would be it. He knew Aphrodite thought it was hilarious to rile him up like this and that was all that was behind it.

The campers were all around the campfire, but the young man was just getting up to get some water. He kissed Clarisse on the cheek and walked away. When he was out of sight, Ares appeared right in front of him.

The young man took a step back, but didn’t seem as startled as Ares had expected. The youngling curtsied. ‘Lord Ares. My honour.’

‘What are you? Well-raised? You are a child of Hermes.’

‘My mother raised me well, Lord.’

‘Hm.’ He narrowed his eyes.

‘Sorry for my underwhelming reaction, but I was expecting you one of these days.’ He spread his arms. ‘Clarisse, and all. I like her, but I didn’t think the lord of war would approve.’

‘Firstly, I couldn’t care less about who my children date. Secondly, you say that you like her?’

‘It sounds so overkill to say I love her. How many teens actually mean that? You probably already heard it hundreds of times and it was rarely ever true.’

‘I don’t care about you,’ Ares boldly said. ‘Aphrodite pestered me until I went out to see you. All I want to say is that if you ever break her heart, I’ll drop kick you into orbit and if Hermes complains, he can join you.’

‘I accept that.’ The guy just stood there. He didn’t even blink.

Ares stared a hole into the young mans’ soul until he looked down. Then Ares pushed him into the dirt and left in a blaze, back to Olympus

As soon as he was back, he burst out laughing.

‘So?’ Aphrodite came walking into the room. Her voice was running over with malicious pleasure.

‘He is good.’

‘What?’ for once, she looked thrown off.

Ares turned around. ‘He is good.’

Aphrodite left the room in a huff.

Ares began to laugh harder. Of course she had wanted drama. But what a shame, the guy was actually good enough. Perhaps she’d get her fun when he flung that youngling into orbit, but he doubted that would actually happen.

Chapter 4: The Brothers

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‘She is working together with that grunt from Poseidon!’ Phobos threw his hands in the air. ‘That’s cheating!’

Deimos grunted. Together, they watched while Clarisse drove the war chariot to the military museum their father liked to use as a temple. Perfectly on time, just as he had requested.

The twins sighed. Phobos looked at his brother. ‘We tried,’ he mumbeld.

Deimos angrily shook his head. ‘Where did we go wrong? Usually, we are able to stop them when we want to!’ he pursed his lips.

‘Clarisse can’t be strong enough to resist us. Remember how we had to protect her and her mother?

‘If she had been strong enough, there would have been no need for that!’ Phobos agreed.

Deimos nodded. ‘Ridiculous… Ah!’

Both twins screamed when a burning pain spread through their body. It took a moment for them to realise they were being transported somewhere else.

They sat still until the world stopped spinning. When they looked around, they noticed they were in a very familiar squat in Arizona. Phobos sighed and laid back on the filthy green couch. ‘What did we do wrong?’

Ares stepped out of the shadows and looked down at them. ‘You were sabotaging the rite-de-passage again, eh? That tomfoolery should stop by now.’

‘Tsk.’

‘Watch what comes out of your mouth. But I understand you might be annoyed.’ Ares grinned, as if that was the funniest thing to him at the moment.

‘If we did it for the unworthy boys, we should be able to do it for the unworthy girls as well,’ Deimos stated. ‘Equal rights, equal fights.’ he crossed his arms.

‘What made you think Clarisse was unworthy? She retrieved the golden fleece last summer.’

‘She didn’t do that on her own,’ Phobos snapped back.

‘Just like she didn’t bring the chariot back on her own!’ His brother chimed in.

Ares gritted his teeth. ‘I hate that it must be the son of Poseidon. Yet, it is not as if you two ever do anything on your own, now is it?’

Phobos and Deimos looked at each other, a little dumbfounded. ‘That’s different...’ one of them began.

‘I should break you two up for a week and see how you get anything done!’

Phobos and Deimos got so pale even Ares pitied them. ‘I won’t, don’t worry. Your work would be neglected. Yet, then I never want to hear a bad word about battle brothers ever again.’

‘Why are you so mean!’ Deimos tried to get up, but a dizzy feeling came over him and the next moment they were back at the museum. ‘Bring the chariot back to Olympus,’ was the last thing they heard their father say.

‘What if we don’t bring the chariot back?’ Phobos muttered.

Deimos started. ‘Then he might separate us!’

Phobos quickly turned back to making the chariot drive-ready. After a few minutes, he sighed. ‘Should we really give up our act?’

‘What?’

‘Should we really give up trying to steal the chariot when those kids go through their rite-de-passage?’

Deimos looked at him. ‘Why? We have done it for so long without consequences. Dad is just angry because she is his favorite now. Well, she’ll die, and it’ll be over.’

Phobos nodded. ‘Yeah, probably.’

‘I did think the thing with the golden fleece required some skill, though.’

‘Oh, same with me. She’s just annoying, that’s all. And that Poseidon twat is the most annoying of all. That’s why we did it.’

Chapter 5: The Coaches

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‘Clarisse, wake up.’

‘Huh?’ Clarisse rubbed her eyes. She looked up at coach Hedge, who was scouting the area.

‘Come. We have to go.’

‘How late is it?’

‘The first birds are already singing.’

Clarisse stood up and waited until she felt less dizzy. It was dark, still. ‘What is it?’

‘What?’

‘The biter that’s after us. What is it?’

‘Something I can probably handle. But I’d rather not fight, as it would only take longer for us to get to camp.’

Clarisse didn’t say anything. It still hadn’t fully dawned on her that she would be going to a stange camp. Her mother had told her she would be safe. At the same time, she had been crying. It was the first time Clarisse had seen her mother cry. Her mother never cried, not even when things got bad. So this must be really, really bad.

Coach guided her past the trees (He had said it was better to go through the forest, because it would be more difficult for biters to find them). Clarisse was glad he knew where they were going, because she had no idea.

She tried to listen carefully, to see if she could hear any birds. She thought she heard chirping really high in the trees, but it could also be the wind. Maybe only Coach can hear them, she thought. He had better hearing than her. It once again made her realise how dependent was. She didn’t like it.

‘I want to defend myself,’ she said.

Coach looked at her, while he kept walking. ‘You’ll learn that in camp. They’ve got lessons in knife-throwing, sword-fighting and archery, among others.’

He said it in his coach-way. Sincerely, as if there really was a place where she could be free from the biters.

If that camp was really real, Clarisse wanted to be there already. It made her feel helpless to be marching through the forest for days on end.

The growl of a monster, far away, pulled her back into the present. She quickened her pace. Coach looked at her. ‘I’ll do my best to fight it if needed,’ he promised.

‘You’ll do your best?’

‘You are old enough to understand I can’t promise you that you are safe with me.’

Clarisse didn’t respond. She focussed on walking, walking, walking...

When she opened her eyes, she saw a wooden ceiling. Strange. The last thing she remembered was the forest. Coach had told her to run, but she didn’t know where to, as the growling had come from everywhere.

Now, she was laying in a bed.

When she tries to sit up, there came a cry: ‘Wait, be careful!’

She turned her head, even though it felt like her brain was pounding out of her skull. A boy with blond hair and blue eyes walked up to her bed.

He stuck out his hand, but Clarisse slapped it away. ‘Who are-’

‘Oh, sorry. I am Tyler. I am a doctor here.’

‘Where am I?’

‘Eh…’ Tyler turned a little pink. ‘Of course, you know nothing, probably. I thought, because you were with Coach Hedge, you would…’

‘You know about Coach?’ Clarisse turned back. ‘Where is he?’

‘He is fine,’ Tyler answered, way too calm for her liking. ‘We patched him up. Yet, you are in camp half-blood. That’s a place for…’

‘This is camp half-blood?’ Clarisse looked around. It didn’t look as grand as everyone had described. But well, it wouldn’t, if this was just where they kept the wounded.

‘Eh… you know what that is?’

‘Coach told me.’

Tyler rubbed his hands. ‘I will get Chiron to come over.’

‘Who’s Chiron?’ She vaguely rememberd the name. Maybe it would make more sense when her head stopped hurting.

Tyler grinned and sped off.

What a loser, Clarisse thought to herself, as she laid back down. The world was spinning around her, and she was so tired…

When she woke up again, it was dark. It made her think she was in the forest. She felt a spark of panic when something was on her, but she quickly realised it was a blanket. This was the infarmary.

She looked around. Was there no security? What if the biters came? She tried to look around, but saw nothing.

She heard a gasp next to her. Someone hit his head against something. She heard an ‘aw,’ followed by a ‘Clarisse?’

The voice sounded familiar. When the light at her bedside turned on, she saw it was Tyler. ‘You again?’ She mumbled.

‘I’ve got the night shift.’

‘Can someone else come?’ She didn’t care that it was rude.

Tyler stood by her bed for a while. It creeped her out a bit. ‘You were going to talk to some guy,’ she suddenly remembered. ‘Can’t you get him?’

‘Eh… I think Chiron is asleep.’ He looked dismayed. Clarisse was done with him. ‘Just get someone else!’ She yelled. Tyler took a step back. He looked around a few times, before turning around and running out of the infirmary.

He came back with someone in a wheelchair and a girl with the same blue eyes and blond hair as he had. The girl walked to the back and the man in the wheelchair came towards Clarisse. ‘Hello, Clarisse. My name is Chiron.’

‘How do you know my name?’

‘Coach Hedge told us.’

‘Can I see him?’

‘You can see him tomorrow.’

Clarisse looked at her blanket. That usually didn’t mean anything good.

‘He is okay! Really.’

‘Can you promise that you aren’t lying?’

‘I promise.’

Clarisse shrugged. She still didn’t believe him.

‘Shall I explain where you are?’

She shrugged again. It didn’t matter to her.

‘You are in camp half-blood. Did coach already explain what that is?’

She nodded.

‘Good. Here, we train demigods so that they can be safe in the outside world. We teach them how to fight and defend themselves, but also how to treat wounds, how to be quick and how to survive on a mission. And we do fun things too!’

‘Coach told me that. And I don’t find it fun.’ She wanted to go back to her mother, but it felt too whiney to say that.

‘You probably miss your mother…’

‘Her name is Louise.’

‘Your mother Louise, but that is okay. Tomorrow, you can call her so that she knows you are safe.’

Clarisse didn’t reply.

‘Once we find out which god is your father or mother, we can…’

‘He was a man. I saw him a few times. He looked strong and scary.’

‘...ah.’ Chiron looked like that already gave him an idea. ‘We’ll see. Now, you should probably go to sleep. You went through a lot.’

‘I don’t want to,’ Clarisse whispered. She didn’t feel unsafe, but she didn’t feel safe either.

Her eyelids felt heavy. ‘ don’t want Tyler looking here,’ she told Chiron.

‘Rosalie is watching over you now,’ Chiron soothed her. ‘She’ll make sure everything is okay. She is very good at making sure people get healthy. That is because she is a daughter of Apollo, the god of healing. And tomorrow, Apollo, because he is also the god of the sun, will bring the day, and then everything will feel a little better.’

Clarisse felt too confused to fight against the sleep. Tomorrow, she thought. What would happen tomorrow, she wasn’t sure.

Chapter 6: The Father

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‘Do you feel drawn to any of these?’ Rosalie asked, while they passed the seventh cabin from the right. Clarisse shrugged.

‘How am I supposed to know I am being drawn to a cabin?’

Rosalie looked at the Apollo cabin. ‘Sometimes, campers can feel it when they belong in a cabin. And because you said you saw your godly parent a couple of times…’

‘Ah.’ Clarisse looked at the buildings. Some of them looked like calm havens, others were a mess, others were empty. None of them did anything to her.

‘None of them?’ Rosalie inquired, after they had passed the Hermes cabin. Clarisse dreaded having to sleep there for now. It was filled to the brim.

She shook her head. ‘Not really. Or I am not paying attention.’

‘Could be.’ Rosalie sighed. ‘Is there a cabin you’d like to be in, aside from how they feel?’

Clarisse looked around. ‘Athena, or Ares maybe,’ she said. ‘Those are the warriors, right?’

Rosalie nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘I want to protect myself. If I belong to those cabins, I can learn to do that.’

Rosalie was silent for a few seconds. ‘There were lots of monsters around your house, Chiron said.’

Clarisse nodded. ‘Way too many of them. That’s why I had to leave. They have been there since I was three or so, but apparently now it got too dire.’

‘That usually only happens to the Big Three kids.’ Rosalie was quiet again. ‘But, you know, that’s impossible. Those can’t exist.’

Clarisse slowly nodded, while they continued their tour around camp.

She had to sit at the Hermes table during lunch, which annoyed her. The camp director had hap-hazerdly pointed in its direction, and Chiron had confirmed she had to sit there. It felt like such nonsense that all of these kids had to be stuffed into one cabin, when some of the other cabins were nearly empty.

There were some announcements. Clarisse soon realised she would have to follow the activities along with the other campers, now. That was fine, really, she’d get to know the camp.

The Hermes cabin did spear fighting after lunch. Clarisse got a light, wooden spear. They said that was what new campers usually got. She understood, but on the other hand it annoyed her that she couldn’t learn something useful right away.

A tall boy, who introduced himself as Luke, stood next to her. ‘Have you ever used a spear before?’

Clarisse shook her head. ‘No. I did use a gun a few times.’ When the circ*mstances were really bad and her mom saw no other solution.

‘Well, a spear is quite different from a gun,’ Luke told her. He pointed at the target. ‘You have to hold it firmly, with your good hand… like that, excellent, no, slightly higher…’ Clarisse waited, while Luke helped her hold the spear correctly. ‘Good!’ he said, after it was apparently fine. ‘Now, concentrate on the target. Throw when it feels good.’

While Luke yelled at the others to clear the field, a newby was going to throw, Clarisse felt a wave of warmth course through her arm. It was as if it was under electricity. She focussed on the target.

The voices and other sounds ebbed away. The sides of her vision became red, but she hardly noticed - in utmost concentration, she threw her spear. It ended up right in the bullseye of the target.

After a few seconds, she noticed how quiet it was around her. Some campers were looking at her with their mouths agape.

Come on, she wanted to say, this can’t be the first bullseye that was ever hit in the camp! Then, she noticed some people were pointing at something floating above her head.

She looked up. There was a glowing red mark in the form of a boar head.

Luke raised his arms. ‘Hail Clarisse, daughter of Ares!’ He announced. Some people cheered, others clapped.

Clarisse felt that she began to smile. The Ares cabin had been a mess, she knew that. But Ares was a strong god. He could fight. He could teach her how to protect herself.

She looked at Luke. ‘I want a real spear,’ she told him. ‘Something I can really fight with.’

Luke nodded, with a broad smile. ‘We’ll get you one.’

Chapter 7: The weapon

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‘This spear isn’t good enough,’ Clarisse sulked. ‘It doesn’t have the right weight.’

David, the Ares cabin head counsellor, looked at his sister. ‘It makes sense that it has the wrong weight. After all, you’ve grown since you got it.’

‘That’s not he only issue. It also isn’t powerful enough.’

David raised his eyebrows. ‘Isn’t powerful enough? It’s a spear like any other.’

‘Exactly! What child of the Ares, the war god, has a weapon like any other?’

David shrugged. ‘Well, there is nothing stopping you from going to the Hephaestus cabin or to the camp store to get a better weapon. But! You do that after training. Now throw that spear.’

Clarisse rolled her eyes, before throwing the spear into the bullseye. It hardly cost her any effort these days, but it did make her wonder what she would be able to do with a spear that fit her.

‘And?’ David asked, when it was time for dinner.

Clarisse shrugged. ‘I didn’t find anything in the camp store or the Hephaestus cabin. I am not sure what I really want.’

David rolled his eyes. ‘Well, think of what you want, then. Make it clear in your head. Then you ask the Hephaestus kids. Quick now, eat before your brothers steal everything from your plate. You know what I say…’

‘Don’t come crying when someone takes your food,’ she finished his sentence.

David nodded, before taking his place at the table. He didn’t have to worry about someone taking his food. The other Ares campers thought twice before crossing their head counsellor.

During the camp fire hour, Clarisse was thinking of what would be a good weapon. She stared into the flames.

Her spear should be able to scorch people, she thought. It should shock them, so that they would think twice before approaching her, just like they did with David.

The next morning, she pushed some of her bacon and eggs into the firepit. ‘I wish for a good spear, one that can burn people,’ she mumbled. She heard someone snicker next to her. ‘Shut up, Mike,’ she snapped, before walking away.

‘Good luck with that, Clarisse,’ was the only answer she got back.

A few days went by without hearing anything. Clarisse crept into her bunk. She started to think that Mike had been right. Good luck with getting a god to give you something you were whining about.

Just before she drifted up to sleep, she heard a booming voice: ‘Come outside. Go to the arena.’ She shot upright and almost hid her head against the ceiling.

After a few seconds of sitting in silence, she flung her legs over the side of her bed and lowered herself to the ground. Mike, who slept under her, sighed in his sleep. She quickly got out.

There was light in the arena. It seemed to come from a tall, brawny man, who stood in the middle of the pit. Clarisse hadn’t seen him in some time, but instantly recognised him: her father, Ares.

With her head high, she approached her father. She wasn’t going to cower before him - he probably wouldn’t appreciate that anyway.

‘Father.’

‘Clarisse. My daughter.’ He tilted his head, with a smirk. ‘You look like you train hard.’

‘I do.’

‘And that with a weapon that doesn’t fit you.’

Clarisse felt her cheeks turning red. Of course, it had been whiny to ask for it. She probably shouldn’t have, but well, no turning back now.

Her father stomped his foot on the ground. He moved his hand higher and higher. A spear apeared in it, in exactly the right size for his daughter.

He handed it to her. While Clarisse was gawking at the weapon, Ares snapped his fingers. On the other side of the arena, a straw training dummy appeared. ‘Chuck it through its chest. If you manage to do it, the spear is yours,’ he told Clarisse.

The arena turned darker, so that seeing the strawman became more difficult. Clarisse held up the spear, feeling the warmth course through her body.

She took a deep breath and concentrated on the puppet. She could do it, she knew she could.

She threw. With a soft ‘tock,’ the spear glided into the strawmans’ chest. The next moment, the strawman was hit with an electric shock. Immediately after, the straw caught fire.

Clarisse’s mouth fell open. She heard her father snicker next to her.

‘Just what you wanted, isn’t it?’

‘....Yes!’

‘It does less damage to humans. I wouldn’t want that old horse or, gods forbid Dionysus, to kick you out. It will only paralyze mortals and demigods.’

‘Ah.’ Ares snapped his fingers. The spear appeared back in Clarisse’s hands. ‘... Thanks, dad,’ she mumbeld.

‘I know you are thankful. I’d love to stick around now, but I suppose the ‘director’ won’t be happy.’

Clarisse shrugged. It didn’t really matter to her what they would think. Ares smirked and disappeared, leaving her behind with the spear and a new found sense of power. She looked at her spear, her new, shiny, deadly... maiming spear. People would think twice before crossing her now.

Chapter 8: The Friend

Chapter Text

Ah. That made sense, actually.

Clarisse staggered out of the bathroom block. She didn’t worry about getting her first period. She was fourteen now, it was bound to have happened one of these days. She worried about what she was going to do about it.

There were no other daughters of Ares at the moment and the next hour, they would have training on the climbing wall with no campers from other cabins. Meaning: there was basically no-one to ask for pads or tampons. Clarisse plucked at her hair. It felt uncomfortable that she was bleeding without being able to do something about it.

Silena would probably be able to help her. Clarisse thought for a moment. Didn’t the Aphrodite kids have archery training right now? At least she could go and see if that was correct.

She was in luck. The children of Aphrodite were hanging out on the archery field. Clarisse took a deep breath, feeling more nervous than she thought she would be.

‘Silena?’

The girl turned around. Before she could say anything, Lianne, the head counselor, stepped up: ‘Clarisse! You are a head counselor now, act like it!’

Clarisse didn’t feel like keeping her cool. ‘Shut your trap, Lianne. Again: Silena? Can you come with me for a second?’

‘Yes.’ Silena laid her bow and arrows on the ground. ‘Sorry, Lianne, I think it might be important.’

Lianne folded her arms, but an angry look from Clarisse was enough to keep her from talking.

‘What is it?’ Silena asked while they walked away.

Clarisse took a deep breath and looked around. ‘I got my first period,’ she whispered, when she was sure no-one else was listening, ‘And I don’t know what to do.’

‘Oh, I get it,’ Silena whispered back. ‘Come, I’ve got pads, those are easy.’

‘Thanks.’

Silena looked at her friend. ‘It’s okay, Clarisse. Most people are nervous the first time. I was, and I was all moody too, and my hair was greasy…’

‘I doubt you’ve ever had greasy hair.’

Silena pouted. ‘I did then!’ Clarisse chuckled nervously. Silena winked. ‘Come.’

She opened her closet in the Aphrodite-cabin. There were so many types of pads in there that Clarisse staggered back a step. Silena picked a pink one and shut the closet again. ‘This should be fine.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘For the first time, yes.’

‘Hm-hm.’

Silena got up. ‘Come, I am sure of what I do.’

A little uncomfortable, Clarisse walked out of the bathroom stall. Silena was waiting for her. ‘Alright?’

‘I hope so.’

Silena nodded. ‘You don’t have to be afraid, in a few months it will be normal. And it doesn’t cramp as much the first time.’

‘I am not afraid of pain.’

‘I am not saying you should be afraid. I am just saying it is extremely annoying.’

‘Oh. That way.’

‘On the other hand, you don’t have to do training when you are on your period. Dionysus said so.’

Clarisse thought for a second. ‘I’ll probably fight for as long as I can… curses, I need to get to my cabin. They are probably wasting their time right now.’

Silena put her hand on Clarisse’s for a moment. ‘Take a break when you need to. I can stay with you if you want.’

‘Thanks, Silena.’

Silena smiled so broadly Clarisse almost felt like faking cramps, just so they could have fun together for a day. It wouldn’t really matter all that much, wpuld it?

Chapter 9: The Siblings

Chapter Text

‘Looks tasty, Clarisse,’ Mark said, while picking her apple of her plate.

Clarisse quickly stuffed her sandwich into her mouth before someone could steal that too. ‘Give that back, Mark,’ She said. Crumbs sprayed all around.

‘No,’ Mark answered, looking disgusted. He ate half her apple in a single bite. ‘It’s mine now,’ he said through a full mouth, subjecting Clarisse to a crumbstorm as well.

‘Why, you disgusting, gross, dirty…’

‘Clarisse! Mark! Zip it!’ The head counsellor, David, yelled at them. ‘Don’t give Dionysus another reason to put us all in dish duty.’

‘That’s not our fault,’ Clarisse whispered. She quickly took a bite out of her mars bar before Sherman, who was sitting on her other side could take it.

The head counsellor sighed. ‘We have sword training after lunch,’ he told his group, after carefully taking a bite of his egg sandwich.

‘You hear that, Clarisse?’ Sherman whispered into her ear. ‘Sword Training. That means you keep the spear at home.’

‘Shut up before I shove my spear where it doesn’t belong.’

‘That isn’t a very lady-like thing to…’

‘Sherman! Clarisse! Mark! Silence!’ David rolled his eyes.

Mark looked offended. ‘I didn’t say anything!’

‘Sure did!’

Mark turned red in the face. Clarisse and Sherman laughed, without caring about their head counsellors angry looks.

‘Sword training,’ David repeated. ‘And didn’t you numbskulls hear what I said? If I have to clean one more dish, I am feeding one of you to the harpy’s.’ He took another bite out of his sandwich. ‘Now eat.’

Slowly, the noise at the table got louder. ‘Got caught there, Mark,’ Sherman said over Clarisse’s head, hoping David wouldn’t be able to hear them.

‘And whose fault is that?’

‘You didn’t have to speak,’ Clarisse mumbeld. She punched the straw through her juice box. ‘You walked into that one yourself.’

Mark held up his hands, but didn’t push her when he noticed David peering at them.

Sherman smirked. ‘That's true, Mark…’

Mark lunged forward. Clarisse wasn’t sure what he was trying to do. What she did know is that she fell backwards, hit her head, and that the world looked weird upside down and with black spots all over.

‘Owh…’

‘Rissy! You’re awake, she’s awake!’

‘Calm down then, Mark.’

Clarisse blinked. Her head hurt.

She saw David sitting at the side of her bed. ‘Hello, Clarisse. Do you remember what happened?’

‘I… Mark stole my apple.’

David smiled. ‘That too. It’ll become clear, soon. Maybe these two can explain it, as they seem to really regret their impulsive actions.’

The on-duty Apollo kid put down a glass on Clarisse’s nightstand. ‘Here, a little nectar. Be careful.’

Clarisse looked at the nightstand. When she stuck out her hand to reach for the glass, the world around her began to spin. ‘Ah.’

The Apollo kid sighed. ‘Concussion. You have to drink the nectar. Perhaps…’

Sherman picked up the glass and brought it closer to his sister. Slowly, he helped her drink it.

‘Thanks,’ She mumbled, while taking the glass from him. The rest she could drink herself. She heard Mark and Sherman sigh in relief, while David was speaking with the Apollo camper.

Her arm wasn’t shaking anymore. ‘Miracle,’ she commented. Mark and Sherman nodded.

After a few seconds, Mark let go of a breath. He moved over to hug his sister. ‘Sorry, Rissy. I shouldn’t have tried to get Sherman when he wasn’t sitting next to me.’

‘Hmpf. At least you said it.’

They stayed by her bedside. Clarisse looked up at the ceiling. Hopefully, she would be out of here soon. Then she could show her horrible, annoying, lovely brothers what for.

Chapter 10: The visitor

Chapter Text

Someone tugged on Clarisses’ sleeve. She turned around and saw Davy, her youngest brother, standing beside her. ‘What is it, twerp?’

‘Is dad here?’

Clarisse looked up to scan the camp. The Apollo campers shot their arrows with more fire than usual. The Athena campers were having a tense discussion, yelling more than they were talking. The Hephaestus kids were working too quick, way too quick, which made them agitated. And that was only the stuff Clarisse saw in a few seconds. She smiled. ‘Yes. Dad is here.’

Davy jumped from one foot to the other. ‘Can I see him, too?’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘Maybe. You never know.’

Davy pulled an angry face. ‘I want to see him!’

‘We’ll go sword training. Perhaps he is hanging out in the arena.’

Davy began complaining out loud, but Clarisse paid him no mind. She strided off to the arena, feeling as if she owned the camp today. And in a sense, she did.

|

‘Training against the Demeter cabin today?’

Sherman nodded. ‘Yep. And the twins are joining in, too. The purple eyes.’

Clarisse rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, however will we defeat them?’ She said with a grin. Sherman shrugged, with a little smirk.

‘I am sure we can pull through.’

|

Katie Gardner readied her sword, put on a brave face for a second, and then sighed. ‘Oh, whatever, it doesn’t matter anyway.’

Sherman snickered. ‘Afraid?’

She shook her head. ‘No, actually. I feel Ares' presence in camp too, you know. I already know I am not going to win this.’

Sherman shrugged. ‘Oh well. Just another regular day, then!’

Katie sighed, before readying her sword again. ‘Just come at me, man.’

Sherman didn’t have to hear that twice. He attacked at once, sure he would be able to get Katie down in one hit.

Not today. Katie managed to parry the strike, leaving both her and Sherman surprised.

She moved forwards, almost managing to hit Sherman in a weak spot. He parried just in time and worked Katie against the floor.

‘That was a surprise,’ she panted.

Sherman raised his chin. ‘I was surprised too. But I didn’t get distracted!’

Katie rolled her eyes, got up and walked to her siblings. Sherman did the same thing.

The next match was Castor against Mark. The Dionysus twins were slightly stronger and quicker on their feet than the Demeter kids, but it still didn’t take much for Mark to work Castor against the ground.

Team Plant called for a break after that, which made the Ares kid both laugh and sigh. The other team sat down to talk strategy for a moment

‘Weaklings.’

‘We got them. At once.’

‘It took more power than usual, though.’

The others looked at Sherman, who shrugged. ‘Hey, I am only saying what I noticed.’

Clarisse nodded. ‘Ares’ presence is affecting everyone, including those who aren’t prone to fighting.’

‘I am.’

The campers all gasped, which got them a strange look from the other side. Apparently, they hadn’t heard the voice.

The all-round confusion was apparently hilarious. The Ares campers heard someone laugh. ‘I like to think my presence favours you more than it does the rest. At least, that was what my little brother said. He might be more annoyed with you than usual, now.’

Sherman was the first one who said something. ‘...I don’t know, I mean, the other group was pretty good for their sake. Katie managed to block my sword.’

‘You know you are better.’

The Ares kids looked at each other. Yeah, they were.

‘I reckon they are thinking of tripping you with their vines,’ Ares told his children. ‘Try to look out for that.’

‘We can fight for ourselves,’ A few of them said, without really thinking about it. It got them another wave of almost maniacal laughter.

‘That’s my lot. Show it, then. You can’t see me, but I can see you.’

‘We’re ready!’ Team plant got up, with fire in their eyes. The Ares kids felt it running through their bodies - the excitement of battle. Wonderful.

Clarisse held on to her spear. She could almost feel her father smiling down on her. Maybe it wasn’t the way most parents would visit their children, but it did feel good, she thought, as she faced her opponent.

Chapter 11: The lovers

Chapter Text

It was hot in Arizona. Athena would call such a sentiment ‘an open door’, but Ares didn’t mind it. It was, after all, extremely hot in Arizona, even in the evening.

Why was he even here? Ares had no idea. Perhaps someone from a Phoenix-based gang had accidentally summoned him. Whatever it was, he might as well look around, now that he was here anyway.

He found a few stray gangs and loner thugs roaming around the allies, but not much else. It got boring pretty quick. Just when he was ready to leave, he heard a motorbike roar in the distance, followed by people screaming. He tilted his head. It sounded like something of his interest.

He took a turn. As he got closer, the screaming became more apparent. One of the voices was clearer than the others. A woman's voice.

He narrowed his eyes. Aphrodite better not be playing tricks on him again, he thought, while he kept walking.

He leaned against the wall of something that was probably a squat and possibly someone’s actual house. He could see a group of people in their late twenties standing around a woman on a yellow motorcycle. The woman wasn’t wearing a helmet.

They were yelling about… something. You never knew with groups like these. Ares didn’t care, either. It might be weapons, or drugs, or wrath, or just screaming for the sake of screaming.

When yelled back at her assailants, Ares realised the woman on the motorcycle was the one with the clear voice. It was a little hoarse, but still fluid. It was pretty.

The god put his sunglasses straight and stepped out of the alley. As he approached, it got quiet. The screaming youngsters opened the way for him in a daze.

The woman on the motorcycle raised her eyebrows. Ares looked up at her. ‘Why aren’t you wearing a helmet?’

‘I don’t have one. I just needed to get somewhere real quick. And I don’t have to explain myself to you.’

‘No, you don’t.’

The woman looked at the group around her. ‘What sorcery did you use on them?’

‘Nothing much. They won’t remember a thing.’

‘I wouldn’t mind if it was much, too. Bastards.’

Ares chuckled. ‘Will you mind when I tell you you need a helmet to protect your pretty head? You can’t drive like this.’

‘I just need to get home. It’s a few blocks away.’

‘I can come with you.’

Louise shook her head. ‘I can do it myself.’

They looked at each other for a few seconds. ‘You’ll at least need to wear this.’ Ares snapped his fingers to make a black helmet appear. He handed it to the woman.

She took it. ‘You’re not human. Perhaps I’ll wake up in a few minutes to realise I was drugged.’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Hm.’ She put on the helmet and looked at Ares for a second too long, before riding off.

|

‘You.’

Ares turned around. He would have said he wasn’t sure why he had gone back to Phoenix, except that Aphrodite had spelled it out to him. Perhaps she had even orchestrated the whole situation.

‘No motorcycle this time?’

The woman shook her head. ‘I borrowed that from a friend next door.’

‘Is that why you didn’t have a helmet?’

She shrugged. ‘I have one now. Even if I initially thought it would disappear after midnight.’

‘That Cinderella junk is nothing for me.’

‘Ah.’ The woman smirked. ‘I live nearby. Care to chaperone me?’

‘You barely know me.’

‘Oh, I am aware of the danger. But I noticed before that you aren’t human. I am curious, too.’

‘That changes the situation, eh?’

‘Yes.’

Ares held out his arm. The woman hooked hers through it. Nice and old fashioned. ‘Before this I always sneered at people who believed in fairies, unicorns and zodiac signs, so it’s strange to see it for myself.’

‘Zodiac signs aren’t real. Unicorns are.’

‘Ah-ha. I still wonder if I smoked something a second time.’

‘You didn’t.’

The woman adjusted her jacket. ‘At least tell me your name, if you have one.’

‘My name is Ares.’

She was quiet for a moment. ‘It sounds familiar, but I can’t quite place it. It’s like something from a tv-show.’

‘There were a few tv-shows.’

‘But that’s not it?’

‘I don’t think so.’ It wasn’t even offensive that she didn’t know who he was. It was charming, in a way.

‘My name is Louise. Louise la Rue.’

‘French. You don’t hear that often in these parts.’

‘How would you know? You clearly aren’t from here, Ares.’ She chuckled. ‘I like that name.’

‘It’s a meaningful name.’ Ares looked up at the sky. Louise seemed too natural to be send by Aphrodite. The goddess would have put someone more beautiful on his path. Except he would think that, wouldn’t he?

‘Is there a rival around? Or a girlfriend, perhaps? You’re so on guard, all of a sudden.’

‘...no, not right now.’

‘Hm-hm.’ She nodded knowingly. ‘I am almost home. Care to come in?’

‘...Yes.’

She dug her keys out of her pocket. ‘Do so, then.’

‘I will.’

Chapter 12: The Baby

Chapter Text

Louise was asleep, but Ares knew she wouldn’t mind if he got in. With a tap on the lock he opened her door. The apartment still looked the same: there was the abstract art on the walls, the beaten up couch and matching loveseat, and the messy kitchen with red splatters on the walls. The only difference was the little crib.

It was standing next to the couch, on which Louise was asleep. The little baby was in it.

As far as Ares knew, Louise’s friend next door had stood by her during the birth. She hadn’t wanted him to be there. Months before that, Louise had been the one to break it off, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to stay together. Ares had listened to her. But right now, as he looked at the kid - his daughter - he knew he had made the right choice in coming here.

The teeny tiny little girl was asleep. Ares slowly put his thumb to her forehead. ‘Strength,’ he whispered.

When she heard someone speaking, Louise woke up with a start. ‘Clarisse!’ She jumped up, ready to beat up whoever got into her house. When she saw it was Ares, she relaxed a bit.

‘Ares.’

‘I had to come see her. To bless her.’

She took a deep breath. ‘That’s why I didn’t send a call. I thought you’d come of your own accord.’

‘I did.’

She nodded and looked at her daughter, who slept further. ‘Do you want to hold her?’

Ares nodded. ‘Yes.’

Louise carefully gave her daughter to the god. Ares held her close.

‘She’ll be a strong demigod.’

‘How do you know? Do you say that because she is your daughter?’

‘That’s part of it.’ He sat down on the couch, with the girl still in his arms. ‘You’ll need to watch out. I’ll leave bronze bullets in the house…’

‘What?’

‘In case there are monsters. Then you can fight them.’

‘I already saw a few, but they left me alone.’

‘They often do. But you should be able to protect her and yourself.’ Ares looked at the baby girl. He could hear her soft breathing and her little heartbeat. ‘You named her Clarisse?’

‘Yes. Clarisse la Rue. After my au pair, one of the only ones who did think I could get somewhere in my life.’

‘It’s a pretty name, Clarisse.’

‘I know.’ Louise sat down next to him. She stroked her baby’s head with a little smile.

Ares slowly nodded, before giving Clarisse back to her mother. ‘I saw her, I know her name, I blessed her. But you don’t want me here.’

‘I am not angry. You should know your own daughter.’

‘Can you take care of her?’

‘I’ve got Anya, the friend next door, helping me. I’ve got a job, there is money for food and baby stuff, and I got hand-me-downs from the community. I’ll be fine.’

Ares nodded. ‘I want to see her, sometimes.’

Louise thought for a moment. ‘You can. She’s your daughter.’ She didn’t voice her worries, the thoughts about the subhuman things she had seen around. Not right now. Not when Ares saw right through her anyway.

‘Come, cherié,’ she whispered to her daughter. She laid her into the crib. The baby had slept through everything.

Before he left, Ares gave Louise a kiss on her forehead. ‘All my blessings to you, Louise,’ he said, before he was gone.

Chapter 13: The Roman

Chapter Text

‘I think Phobos and Deimos are jealous of you,’ Clarisse said as soon as Frank was standing by her booth.

Frank blinked. ‘Nice way to open a conversation...’

‘I am just saying you should watch out, Roman.’

‘Can I first get that burger you promised me?’

Clarisse sighed. ‘And the Romans accuse us of never talking strategy,’ she mumbled, as she strided to the McDonalds’ counter.

‘Here.’ Clarisse threw down a tray with five different burgers and a mountain of fries. ‘I didn’t bother with the vegetables. We’ve got ketchup for that.’

‘Eh...’

‘Now, as I said, Phobos and Deimos are jealous of you.’

Frank took a fry. ‘Why would they be?’

‘Because of how much attention Ares… Mars has been granting you.’ Clarisse picked a hamburger from the pile.

Frank raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s… what?’

His sister rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t try to reason with these two. They are weird, okay? What I want to say is that they might try to prank you.’

‘Prank me?’

‘Common Phobos-Deimos pranks include destroying or stealing chariots and haunting you with the thing you fear the most. Possibly both at the same time. To combat this…’

‘Clarisse, you didn’t even ask me how I was doing.’

Clarisse pulled a face. ‘This is an important matter, Frank.’

‘Usually, people ask if the other is okay, so that they can ease themselves into the conversation…’

‘Gods, you’re polite.’ Frank abruptly closed his mouth. ‘Anyway, you should check every chariot for imperfections, every single time. If one disappears, you by all means try very hard to find it. If you do, the daemons might think you’ve been punished enough and leave you alone. If they come at you with horrors, remember that it’s fake. Then you’ll be able to break through. But don’t break through too soon, because then they’ll be keen on revenge.’

Frank nodded along to what Clarisse was saying. In the meantime he took a hamburger.

When she was finally done, he scraped his throat. ‘Yet, eh…’

‘If you want to ask me how I am doing, don’t.’

‘...then I’ll ask if you are, by any chance, a little jealous too?’

Clarisse jumped up. A few fries dropped to the floor. ‘You’re playing with your life.’

‘Isn’t that the thing Ares kids love most?’

Clarisse gripped the table, took a deep breath, and sat down again with a sigh. ‘Not always.’ She wiped a few fries that had fallen off the tray onto the floor. ‘And I am not jealous in the way you think. I don’t mind dad having a new favourite. Hell, your father isn't even exactly my father.’ Frank didn’t know what to say in return. ‘I am jealous in the sense that you get so much respect from everyone, from the very get go.’

Frank fidgeted with a fry. ‘You get lots of respect from people. Clarisse, the mighty drakon slayer, who…’

‘Not in that way. People respect you as a person because you are a kind, well-behaved son of the protector of Rome. Meanwhile, Ares kids are seen as the runt of the litter. Bold, uncouth, stupid. Children of carnage and chaos.’ She sighed. ‘And yes, in that sense I am jealous of you. You started miled ahead of us.’

Frank took a moment before he could reply ‘I mean… I was always a little jealous because of how brave you all are. You don’t care about what other people think, you just go and defeat the enemy.’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘The grass is greener and all that.’

Frank snickered. ‘I guess. Yet I think that when it comes to fighting an angry Phobos and Deimos, being a misbehaving Ares kid gets you further than being a law-abiding Mars kid.’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘Perhaps. Mostly because Phobos and Deimos are extra angry because their father likes such a goody-two-shoes little brat.’

‘Ah-ha.’

‘Sorry, man. I am just trying to help.’

Frank chuckled. ‘I know clarisse. Now, if you would give me one of those burgers and a rehearsal of the directions to fighting the Phobos-Deimos combo?’

Chapter 14: The thief

Chapter Text

The door made a loud bang as Clarisse strided in. Only a few of her siblings cared to look up.

‘We’re raiding the Hermes cabin.’

Now people got interested. ‘What did they do?’

‘Something important has been stolen. I don’t want any more questions, just your total cooperation.’

The Ares campers didn’t need to hear anything else. Within seconds, they had picked up their weapons and strapped on their every-day protective gear.

The take-over was a breeze. There was only one camper inside, the rest was too busy training. Two Ares kids janked him out. The rest stationed themselves around the cabin so no one else could try and get in, except for Clarisse and two of her siblings.

Clarisse peered around. At first glance, she couldn’t see her spear anywhere, but that was probably the way the cabin was designed. They had to have stuff stashed away in corners, the little sneaks.

‘You search the beds, and you search the closets,’ she ordered the two people that had come in with her. ‘You’re looking for a spear.’

The two other campers exchanged nervous looks. Maimer had been a present from Ares himself. If someone had stolen that, the camp would burn if she didn’t get it back soon.

While the others checked out the beds and the closets, Clarisse ran her hands past the walls. There had to be a nook or creek somewhere, to reach the secret compartments Chris had told her about.

After a few minutes of searching, she found a bulge under her fingertip, so small that most people wouldn’t notice. She snickered as she ran her hand over that part of the wall. Her boyfriend really should be less trusting with information like that.

She managed to jam her finger under the wooden plank. Yet, when she took it away, she only found some loose banknotes. With a disgruntled noise, she put the plank back.

‘Clarisse!’ With her eyebrows raised, she turned around. Her cabin mate was looking under a bed.

‘Something’s here!’

Clarisse sat down next to her sibling. There seemed to be a compartment under the bed. She reached her hand into the hole, knowing there might as well be poisonous bugs in there.

She didn’t find poisonous bugs, but neither did she find her spear. Instead, she took out a hand-mirror.

She tutted. ‘Silena won’t be happy with whoever stole this. She got it from Aphrodite.’

The other campers' eyes got wide. ‘So the Hermes campers have been stealing gifts from our godly parents?’

‘It seems like it.’

‘Then we should tell Chiron and Dionysus!’

Clarisse shook her head. ‘We can figure it out ourselves. However, we’re leaving here. They would never stash two valuable objects in the same place.’

When she walked outside, there was an array of campers looking to see what was going on. Connor Stoll lurched forward when he saw Clarisse coming out. ‘You’re not allowed to come in without permission!’

She held up the mirror. ‘And your campers are not allowed to steal stuff like this, now are they?’

Connor violently turned around. ‘Which one of you imbeciles took that?’

Clarisse walked past him. ‘I am glad we are on the same page about it. But don’t think I’ll let you rest until my spear is back, Stoll.’

He gritted his teeth. ‘All of you,’ he ordered, ‘Will be searching along. And to whoever did this: I am not responsible for whatever happens to you.’

|

The news of the theft spread like wildfire. Soon, everyone in the camp was either searching, hiding or praying.

‘Silena?’

The daughter of Aphrodite took her mirror. ‘I heard what happened. Those bastards. May their clothes shrink whenever they put them on.’

‘Does that work specifically?’

She chuckled. ‘Not when I don’t know who it should be directed to.’
Clarisse nodded, but couldn’t help but scan the camp for demigods with shirts that were a little too crampy.

|

‘What about Phobos and Deimos?’ Sherman inquired

Clarisse shook her head. ‘Too boastful. They wouldn’t be able to keep their mouths shut about it for this long.’

‘Most of the Hermes campers check out right now as well. Perhaps the Athena campers? Or Percy Jackson?’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘The Athena campers are too wise to pull a stunt like this one and I like to think Jackson has something better to do with his time. Still, search the arts-and-crafts building and the boathouse.’

Sherman gave a firm nod, before running away.

It was getting ridiculous. Almost every nook of the camp, safe for the forests, had been searched. Would a camper really be so stupid as to go into the forest for a prank? A prank that, in no possible way, would end well?

As soon as this realisation got through to the rest of the camp, they began to form a crowd around the capture the flag starting point, thinking about what to do next. Anything to keep Clarisse from burning down the whole camp.

When Clarisse arrived, one of the Ares campers was standing in the middle of the group, next to the shabby flag pole that currently had the Apollo flag on it (To show that they won the last capture-the-flag game). ‘We should make search groups. Everyone gets an area of the forest!’ He held up his hand and accidently knocked over the pole. It fell down, only to reveal the head of a spear.

It got dead quiet. Campers turned their heads towards the Apollo campers, who all looked equally as shocked.

Clarisse made her way to the front. Calmly, she picked up the spear, which gave a little shock as soon as she picked it up.

Still ever so calm, she turned to the Apollo campers. ‘Well? Anyone want to claim responsibility?’

It stayed quiet. The Apollo campers were looking at each other, trying to remember who had planted the flag pole the day they won.

Clarisse snickered. ‘Doesn’t matter. Capture the flag is tomorrow. Ares campers, we’ll just have to get them all.’

A loud roaring made it known that the other Ares kids agreed to this sentiment. The Apollo kids shushed among each other, knowing that they had to get the right allies this time. Yet, one look around camp already told them it might be difficult to get allies at all.

Silena raised her fist. ‘But don’t think that the Hermes kids will get away with stealing the magic mirror! You don’t even know the impact of what you did, pests!’ Her cry was echoed by the other Aphrodite campers, the Ares campers, and eventually almost everyone.

Chiron looked on from a distance. ‘Is it time to do something about it?’

Dionysus shook his head. ‘Let them fight it out among them.’

‘I was hoping you’d say that.’

‘I hope they’ll contain themselves during dinner. If not, then we should by all means do something about it. I don’t want a repeat of the food fight from last week.’

They sighed, knowing full well that a return of the food fight was inevitable. Just as inevitable as macguffins being stolen, campers grinding each other into the dirt and using the weirdest things as flagpoles.

Chapter 15: The Goddess

Chapter Text

‘Are you allowed to be here?’

Aphrodite giggled. ‘Clarisse, darling, love can’t be held back by arbitrary limits.’

‘No, but…’

‘Sh.’ She put a finger on Clarisse’s lips. ‘You won’t get in trouble, I’ll be gone before they find out I was even here.’ Aphrodite stroked the demigods’ hair out of her face. ‘Did you know that I wasn’t even involved when Ares fell in love with your mother? He thought I was. But no.’

Clarisse looked away. ‘Ah-ha...’

‘I must say I was the one who told him to go pay a visit to your little boyfriend. I just wanted him to make sure you were treated right, you know?’

‘Chris did talk about that...’

The goddess nodded. ‘Hm-hm. Ares said he was good, good enough. But don’t tell him you got that from me.’

Clarisse stared at the goddess, trying to see what she wanted to achieve by giving her that little nugget of information.

‘Isn’t it nice to know that, that the gods approve? I wouldn’t be so suspicious if I were you.’

Clarisse began to feel a little uncomfortable. ‘You really look right through people.’

‘It’s my job. Say, wouldn’t you want a different hairstyle, sometime?’

‘Eh, no…’

‘Too bad. I know my daughter would have loved to put her scissors in it once.’

‘Your… Silena?’

‘Perhaps your boyfriend would like it, too.’

‘Chris never even cuts his own hair.’

‘Does that bother you?’

‘Well…’ Clarisse abruptly stopped. ‘Don’t try to sow discourse in my mind.’

‘I’d never. I just want to know… how Clarisse la Rue feels, after all that happened to her, and after having two such important people in her life going through such awful ordeals.’ The goddess grabbed Clarisse’s chin, forcing her to look her right in the eyes.

It felt like the world stopped for a moment. Aphrodite’s eyes reminded Clarisse of Silena’s. Just as gorgeously blue. At the same time, they reminded her of Chris’ eyes, too. But then again, they also had something of the eyes of her different siblings, and her childhood best friend and the friends she had met at camp half-blood.

Aphrodite sighed. ‘So many people to love… It seems like you should be happy.’

‘Don’t you feel any grief?’

Aphrodite’s expression turned from sweet to mad within a second. For a moment, Clarisse thought she would kill her. ‘Unlike you seem to think, I actually do miss my child, Clarisse. She carried my spirit with her. You know that if it hadn’t been for you...’ She stopped mid-sentence, but Clarisse knew the goddess hadn’t slipped up and accidently spoken her mind. A teeny tiny smile appeared again. ‘Now don’t worry that I am angry because of that little mistake. It shows you loved her, too. Yet, I hope you’ll excuse me if I cut our tête-à-tête short.’

‘That’s… okay.’ For the first time in the conversation, Clarisse didn’t feel like mouthing the goddess off. And that wasn’t because her feelings were being manipulated.

When she blinked, Aphrodite was gone. Figures.

Clarisse knew the goddess just tried to raise the worst reaction she could out of her. She clenched her fist. Well, it worked.

Chris always said it couldn’t be her fault Silena had died. Just as she had begun to believe it, Aphrodite had come and torn open the wound again.

She could even understand why she and her father got along so well. They were entities of chaos, both of them. Made to make people go insane in their emotions, for better or for worse.

It wasn’t all bad, though. ‘You’ve got a lot of people to love,’ she mouthed to herself. What an uncharacteristically beautiful thing to say. ‘You should be happy.’

‘Clarisse!’ She looked over. Chris was waving at her. ‘Where were you? Dinner has already begun. Chiron told the Ares-cabin to just start eating.’

‘Gods,’ she mumbled.

Chris put an arm around her shoulders. ‘I am afraid I understand what you mean. Always prying.’

‘Hermes kids. All of them.’

Chris opened his mouth, then elected not to say anything. Not when Clarisse looked like she’d been through it. ‘There’s pizza.’

‘Great,’ she mumbled. ‘Just great.’

Chapter 16: The Emotions

Chapter Text

‘We should go to the movies this weekend.’ Chris hung Clarisse’s arm around his shoulders. ‘I asked Chiron, he said we could.’

Clarisse raised her eyebrows. ‘You asked.’

He winked. ‘Of course.’

‘Don’t be so cheeky.’

‘Do you mind?’

‘You being cheeky or you not asking Chiron? Because yes and no.’

Chris grinned. ‘It’s a date, then.’

‘Hey, hey.’ Clarisse squished his arm. ‘I didn’t say that.’

Chris’ expression soured. ‘So you have something with Silena again.’

Clarisse gave him a strange look. ‘Am I not allowed to hang out with my best friend?’

‘You’re putting words in my mouth.’

‘Why the anger all of a sudden? I go out with you all the time.’

‘I am not angry.’

‘Now you are just lying.’

‘Hey!’ Chris threw her arm away. ‘Half of the time when I ask you to do something, which isn’t even that often, your response is that you’ve already got something with Silena.’

‘And? It’s not like you’ve never got an appointment with someone else.’

‘It’s… agh!’ Chris waved his hands in the air, which Clarisse thought was funny more than anything else.

What was less funny was when he angrily stomped off. ‘I need some space.’

‘What the hell is wrong with you?’

There came no answer. Clarisse thought the urge to run over and punch Chris. Instead, she scoffed and took off the other way.

|

That evening, while the others were sitting by the campfire, Chris was sulking by the lake. He was already sorry about his outburst from that afternoon, but he didn’t feel like telling Clarisse that. Not yet.

A dark shadow fell over him. ‘Can I sit down here?’ A deep voice asked.

Chris looked up, at Beckendorf. ‘Uh… sure.’ Like anyone would say no to Charles Beckendorf.

The dock creaked when he sat down. ‘Silena told me Clarisse was pretty miffed today.’

‘Hm.’

‘And if I have to believe her, you were the reason.’

‘Could be. Why do you care?’

‘I wanted to hear from you what was going on.’

‘Again: Why do you care?’

‘Clarisse has a tendency to paint a situation in her own light. I want to know how your version, too.’

Chris bit his lip. He couldn’t really refuse. But however would he explain to Beckendorf that…

‘Are you jealous of Clarisse and Silena?’

If it had been anyone else, Chris would have punched them. Now, he just fell back onto the dock with a deep sigh.

Beckendorf snickered. ‘I felt jealous of them too, a few times. I mean, they really care a lot about each other, not?’

‘You? Jealous?’

‘Of course. It’s only human. And Clarisse and Silena are really close, in a friends-who-are-girls-way. They talk about girl things with each other. They can’t really do that with us.’

Chris grumbled. ‘Yeah.’

‘Do you feel stupid?’

‘Yes. As I should.’

Beckendorf leaned back next to him. ‘I wouldn’t say you have to feel stupid. It’s just how it is. You can’t help it.’

‘How sappy.’ Chris sighed. ‘There is a war going on, people died, and all I can think about it that... Clarisse might like someone else more than me.’

Beckendorf gave him a meaningful smile. Chris understood he wouldn’t tell anyone else. ‘I like her and want her to like me. Yet, at the same time, I resent that I have to apologise.’

‘Silena calls that the duality of love. I like to believe she knows what she is talking about.’ Beckendorf tugged on the necklace around his neck. ‘And If I have to believe Silena, Clarisse feels the same way you do.’

‘Figures.’

Beckendorf snickered.

‘What?’

‘Nothing. Now that you got that of your chest, do you want to go back to the campfire, so that nobody worries you got killed by a drakon in the forest?’

‘Would be nice.’

‘Come then.’

‘Thanks man,’ Chris muttered, as they got up.

‘Always there for a fellow camper.’ Beckendorf winked.

Chris quickly turned away. Beckendorf didn’t have to see him blush.

Chapter 17: The Olympians

Chapter Text

‘Athena. Poseidon. Ares. What an… absolute pleasure to find all of you huddled together like this.’

Athena peered at her brother. ‘Spare us the sarcasm, Dionysus. What do you want?’

The god took an exceedingly long amount of time to study his fingernails before turning back to his family. ‘Remember, during the Olympian meeting a little while back…’

‘Which one? Hurry up.’

‘I was giving you all examples of misbehaviour your kids conducted and quite a few of the gods, including the three of you, said I should just send in their parents next time, see what they can change.’ He took a deep breath, losing all of the smugness for a moment. ‘Your kids. All of them, led by Perseus Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Clarisse la Rue. They’ve got a quarrel, and I have to admit the three of you might be better equipped to stop it. I drive them apart and next week they are at it again - I hope, perhaps, when you three say something about it, they’ll learn their lesson for good.’

Ares and Poseidon began to grin. Athena repressed the urge. ‘Is that all you want, Dionysus?’

‘You never know, do you, sister?’ he answered, all the previous bravado back on show.

Athena rolled her eyes. ‘We’ll deal with them.’

‘You should have asked us before,’ Poseidon said. ‘Too stubborn?’

Dionysus shrugged, unwilling to answer. Ares ruffled through his brothers’ hair. ‘I knew there’d be a point where you couldn’t handle them.’

Dionysus pushed the locks out of his face, so he could look while his family members strided off. Ah, the duality of men: Both wanting them to fail so they knew it wasn’t as easy as they made it out to be, and wanting them to succeed so that those kids would finally stop attacking each other over flags.

-

Percy crouched next to Annabeth, the red flag clutched against his chest. ‘Where are they?’

‘Sh!’

‘Okay, okay…’

‘Sh, then!’

She peeked past her cabin, at the baricade she presumed the Ares kids were hiding behind. She felt the adrenaline course through her veins. ‘We’re getting that flag back.’

Clarisse, on the other side, did the same thing. ‘Punk thinks she won? Well, she can prove it.’

One of her brothers was running his hands over the smooth fabric of the blue flag. ‘I was there first,’ he mumbled to himself. ‘I caught the flag and brought it back first. We won.’

‘Shut it,’ Clarisse said through gritted teeth. ‘I know we won. We just need to prove it…’

Her voice ebbed away when a bright light appeared. Everyone shut their eyes, shielding themselves against the light.

When the light dimmed, Annabeth gasped. ‘Mother?’

‘What?’ Percy forgot to temper his voice. He pushed Annabeth away, so he could look at the three gods that appeared on the field.

Athena put her hands on her hips. ‘Well? I don’t see anything.’

Ares sighed. ‘Perhaps Dionysus, our little drama queen, was being just that: A drama queen. Like always.’

Poseidon looked around for longer before pulling conclusions: ‘Percy?’

He slowly got up from behind the makeshift barricade. ‘Dad?’

Athena scoffed. ‘A little more respect.’

‘...Dad, my lady, my lord?’ Percy mumbeld, with his eyebrows raised in slight mockery. ‘With all due respect, may I ask why all of you are here?’

Athena raised her chin. ‘First, I’d like to see that my children are really involved in this conflict, or if you are stirring up trouble on your own.’

‘And mine,’ Ares demanded.

In a daze, the Athena and Ares children stepped out into the open. One of the Athena kids pulled the red flag out of Percy’s hands.

Annabeth took a deep breath. ‘Mother, lord Poseidon, lord Ares,’ she addressed them, with a little nod every time, ‘May I ask, why do you require our attention?’

For a few seconds, none of them really knew what to say, until Athena pulled herself together: ‘My daughter, it has come to our attention that there is a dispute going on.’

‘I assure you it is nothing the gods could ever want to be involved with,’ Percy muttered.

‘It’s not really what one would call of great importance,’ Clarisse agreed from the other side. ‘If those little oohoo’s just agreed that we won, this would be easily resolved.’

‘Keep dreaming. We won.’

‘Won what? A battle? Is this about loot?’ Ares inquired.

The campers gave each other uncomfortable looks. ‘Well, it’s about… eh… capture the flag.’

There were no words for a couple of seconds. ‘You have been fighting each other over who won a stupid game? And that has been happening every single week?’ Poseidon asked.

‘...perhaps… oh crud, the Apollo’s are coming over!’ One of the Ares kids yelled.

Athena stamped her foot on the ground. ‘No longer. This… nonsense has to stop right now and I never want to hear another peep about it.’

‘Dionysus has been saying the same thing. It’ll probably happen again next week,’ Percy said to no-one in particular.

Athena had to remind herself that Poseidon was right there to stop herself from learning the kid a lesson. ‘Not anymore.’ She raised her arm. ‘One more dispute about this… this nonsense, and you are all getting classes on proper behaviour, you hear me?’

The kids nodded, suddenly all looking a little afraid.

‘One more question: has Dionysus really been unable to stop all this?’

‘He has tried,’ Clarisse muttered. ‘Quite harshly.’ She shrugged. ‘Yet the little oohoo’s didn’t stop, so neither did we.’

‘Now…’

Athena took a sharp breath. ‘Annabeth, stop it. All of you are coming in, tomorrow, for a class. I’ll take care of it. Don’t ask what Dionysus thinks of that. I’ll... convince him.’ With a bang, Athena disappeared. Ares and Poseidon followed quickly after, leaving a group of astonished campers behind.

-

As they entered Olympus, Ares spotted Dionysus. With a single swipe he smacked him against a wall. ‘Fix it yourself next time.’

‘I thought you were going to make sure there was no next time.’

‘And learn what consequences are.’

Athena coughed. ‘Ahem. Dionysus, they’ve got a class from me tomorrow. About decorum.’

The god gave her a little smile, before teleporting back to the camp. ‘And thanks,’ was the last thing they heard him say.

‘Children,’ Athena muttered, as she stalked off. ‘Am I glad I never was like that.’

Chapter 18: The Childhood Friend

Chapter Text

‘Why do I still have to go to school?’ Clarisse whined.

Louise gritted her teeth. ‘Your dad being a god doesn’t excuse you from having to learn.’ She put Clarisse’s lunchbox into her backpack. ‘You chose to come back and have a normal life yourself. School is a part of that.’

Clarisse rolled her eyes, but took her backpack anyway. ‘I don’t think gods take the bus.’

Her mother opened the door and pushed her outside. ‘Then you walk. Bye, chérie.’

‘Bye,’ Clarisse sighed, before taking off towards the busstop.

-

She could already see her friend Emily sitting by the window when the bus arrived. She hopped inside, eager to tell her everything that had happened over the summer.

‘Emily!’ Her smile faded when she saw the strange girl that was sitting next to her friend.‘...Eh...’

Her friend looked surprised. ‘Clarisse?’ She glanced at the girl sitting next to her. ‘This, eh... this is Juliette.’

The girl scoffed.‘I played with Emily this summer because you weren’t there.’

Emily winced.‘Juliette...’

‘Real best friends don’t just leave, you know.’

Clarisse blinked. She was too surprised too lash out at the girl.‘...There was no time.’

‘Real friends make time.’ Clarisse’s blood started to boil. ‘Not doing that makes you mean.’

Clarisse wanted to show Juliette mean. She clenched her fist, but was held back from launching the punch when a sudden movement of the bus brought her out of balance. She could barely save herself from falling over. Quickly, she scrambeld into an empty seat, wondering if Chiron would be angry if Juliette got into a not-so-accidental accident.

-

Clarisse had already been in the classroom for five minutes before Emily came in, without Juliette. She hesitated, before sitting down at the table next to Clarisse. The daughter of Ares turned away.

While their teacher began to explain all about fifth grade, Emily leaned closer to Clarisse.‘Eh... I might have told Juliette a few mean things about you.’ Clarisse didn’t reply.Emily twirled a lock of hair around her fingers. ‘But I didn’t really mean it.’

‘Then why did you do it?’

Emily shrugged. ‘I was angry. One day, you were just gone without telling me. The summer holiday hadn’t even started yet!’

Clarisse swallowed. She couldn’t really blame her friend. She would have been angry in her place too. ‘There were no phones where I went,’ she mumbled. ‘I’ll explain during recess. I swear I had no choice but to go.’

Emily stared at the desk in front of her.‘I hang out with Juliette during recess now.’

Clarisse bit her lip, trying not to make a snippy comment. ‘Come to my house then. After school. Without Juliette.’

Emily nodded, before turning her attention to the teacher.

-

Clarisse could hardly focus on her teacher the rest of the day. The thoughts kept spinning in her mind.

Emily was from a proper family. Who knew, perhaps her parents were happy she didn’t hang out with Clarisse anymore, who was mostly known for being brash. Perhaps no one here had really missed her.

During recess, she sat on a bench by herself. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone.

A teacher she hadn’t met before sat down next to her. ‘Hello. Why are you sitting here so alone?’

Clarisse wanted to glare at the teacher. When she saw the womans’ tusks, she screamed instead.

The teacher smiled. ‘There is no need to be afraid.’

‘... you’re a monster.’

She reached out her hand. ‘I want to help…’

Clarisse shoved her away and jumped up. ‘You’re an empousa.’

‘Clarisse…’

‘My brother was eaten by a empousa this year.’ Clarisse turned around and sprinted away. She ran until she found a busstop that already had a bus waiting by it. She didn’t wonder why nobody held her, a ten year old on her own on a school day, back from riding all the way home through Phoenix. It didn’t matter, as long as she got back home.

-

‘Mom?’

‘Clarisse?’ Her mother stepped into the hallway. ‘You’re back early. What’s wrong?’

‘Everything.’ Clarisse threw her backpack to the floor.

Louise gave her a concerned look. ‘What do you want, chérie?’

Clarisse knew what her mother meant. She fought against the tears. ‘Perhaps... perhaps I should go back to camp Half-blood,’ she admitted meakly. ‘Chiron said I could call.’

Louise felt tired. She knew this could happen, that the chance was more than slim. That didn’t mean she liked it. ‘It’s your choice, chérie.’ She pulled her daughter into a hug. The girl was the last one to let go.

-

Clarisse was just looking at her camp necklace when the doorbell rang. She let Emily in. They both got a glass of sweet tea from the fridge, before they sat down on the curb outside, like they always did.

Clarisse took a sip. ‘How was school after recess?’

Emily fumbeld with her glass.‘Fine.’

An awkward silence fell, until Clarisse sighed.‘I’ve got something to explain.’

‘Eh... yes.’

‘I get it if you don’t believe me,’ Clarisse mumbeld. She tugged on her necklace. ‘Basically, I… went to this place called camp half-blood. It’s a cap where they train kids who are half-human, half-god to fight against monsters.’

‘...Half-god?’

‘Yes.’ Clarisse showed Emily the single bead. ‘They gave me this. Next year, when I return to train more, I’ll get another one.’ She hung the necklace straight.

Emily was stunned.‘Gods... like...’

‘Like, the greek gods. You know, Apollo and Zeus.’

Emily turned to the house.‘So, your mom...’

‘No, it’s my dad,’ Clarisse whispered. ‘That’s why he’s never here.’

For a few long, long minutes, Emily stared down at the curb.‘This... this is crazy.’

Clarisse took another sip.‘I had to leave so quickly because of the monsters.’

‘Monsters don’t exist.’ Emily didn’t sound so sure of her case. Maybe because she also rememberd the strange attacks that neither of the girls had been able to explain. If the attackers had been monsters...

‘For you they don’t. But for people like me, they do.’

Emily blinked, trying to comprehend it. She took a deep, deep breath.‘I believe you.’ She watched as a fly fell into her ice tea.‘I also understand why you didn’t call,’ she muttered.‘But... what are you going to do now? I mean, it wasn’t much fun for you today, at school.’

‘I…’ Clarisse took a sharp breath. ‘I think I might be going back. It’s not the same anymore.’

‘...no.’

‘There.... is this new teacher.’

‘You mean miss Johnson?’

‘Could be. She’s... she’s a monster.’

‘Is that why you ran away today?’

Clarisse nodded.‘Sorry, Emily.’

‘It’s okay.’ Emily tried to take the fly out of her iced tea.

‘I should say sorry too. Because I let Juliette be so mean to you.’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘At least you didn’t have to miss me.’

‘Of course I missed you!’ Emily cried out. She pulled Clarisse into a hug. ‘I missed you more than I’ve missed anything, ever.’

‘But I missed you more,’ Clarisse told her.

‘No, I missed you more.’

‘I missed you more!’ Clarisse snickered.

‘No way!’ Emily laughed out loud, and quickly enough they were both laughing like they used to.

Emily looked at her friend as they pulled apart.‘Send me a card when you get to camp. And then next summer, you send another one.’

Clarisse nodded.‘But then you always have to spare me a seat on the bus for when I come back.’

‘I promise,’ they said at the same time. And they meant it.

Chapter 19: The Temple

Chapter Text

Clarisse stood right in the middle of her fathers’ temple. The place was small, seemingly not bigger than a single room, and the ceiling had holes in it. She wasn’t sure whether it was some place from the ancient times or a shack in Chicago. All she knew was that she was meant to be guarding it.

She guessed the small box that was sitting next to her needed special care, too. It was a pretty thing, silver with red, made from sturdy wood and with a intrequite little patern on it.

Clarisse didn’t dare touch it. Knowing mythology, that would probably get her cursed. She did stay close by.

She clenched her hand around her spear. Somehow, there was something in the temple. Phobos and Deimos? No, they would have made themselves known with a whole bunch of bravado. This was just a feeling, the looming threat that something was there. Something Clarisse could do very, very little about.

She stayed where she was. ‘Hello?’

‘Good night.’ The voice was at the same time pleasant and awful to hear. ‘You’re not trying to fight me.’

‘There is little use in wasting energy fighting something I can’t even see.’

‘Clever.’ She could make out a face in the darkness. Gorgeous, with pink eyes and long flowing black hair.

Her shoulders tensed.

‘Say it.’

‘Eros. Why are you here?’

‘Yes. Why am I here, when you’ve got the order to keep out everything and everyone that tries to enter tonight?’ He snickered. ‘Don’t worry. Even our father knows nothing can stop me. He won’t blame you for that.’

‘If you had been Phobos and Deimos, I would have beaten you to a pulp.’

‘I don’t doubt it.’

Clarisse took a deep breath. ‘Why are you here?’ She asked again.

‘That’s something I should ask you. What about this place makes the presence of love necessary?’

‘Can we agree not to speak in riddles?’

‘I genuinely don’t know the answer.’

Clarisse thought for a moment, in the meantime listening if she really didn’t hear anything else get into the temple. At least not Deimos and Phobos, she would have noticed them.

‘Maybe the box is for you? How would I know. I am alone here. There is no-one I could feel love for.’

‘The box? Oh… yes, that might certainly be it!’

‘Is it Aphrodite’s, or something?’

‘Hm-hm.’ He nodded. ‘Yet… why would you be asked to hold on to such a thing? Why you? Why not Phobos or Deimos, or even Enyo?’

‘Don’t know. Cheap labour? Rite de passage? A test?’

He laughed, a sound like a memory that you couldn’t quite grasp. ‘Those all might have something to do with it.’

Clarisse began to feel fed up. ‘Say, if you don’t know the answer, why are you asking me?’

‘Why would I be asking you something I already know? Wouldn’t it be more logical to ask you because I feel like you would know?’

‘Well, I don’t. That means you can leave.’

The bastard stayed right where he was. ‘But Clarisse. You do. They always do. There is always sóme answer.’

Clarisse looked at him. He really wouldn’t leave without an answer.

‘What do you want to hear? That this is a test for me to realise that love and war are inseparable and sometimes need each other?’

Eros began to smile. ‘I like that answer.’

‘Is it the right one?’

‘I don’t know, because I have no idea why you were placed in charge of this temple, the one that held that box. All I know is that other people who were left here, were so because they didn’t wholely realise why people say love can be a war.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll leave you now. You’ve given me my explanation.’

He carefully took the box from the floor. In the wink of an eye, he was gone, leaving a very confused Clarisse behind.

She didn’t immediately have time to think about his words, as Phobos and Deimos were her very next guests. She managed to throw them out quite easily. They didn’t seem all that interested in taking over anyway.

Just as Deimos got out via the ceiling, he looked down at his sister. ‘You talked to our brother.’

‘Fear, terror and love. Nice litter. And not so different from each other, please don’t say it, you really don’t have to.’

‘I see you don’t yet realise why people say that.’ He disappeared with a smirk.

Clarisse wanted to yell something back, but nothing came out of her mouth.

No, she didn’t realise why people said that. It seemed like a platitude, that love and war were the same. Of course both of them had a certain desperation, passion and madness to them, but still.

She shook her head. Alright, perhaps this wasn’t a test, or a rite of passage, or even cheap labour. Perhaps this was just a way to make her feel confused about everything. They succeeded, in that case.

She straightend her spear and stood in the middle of the room again. The night would be over in a couple of hours, and then she could forget about it all.

I wished I could call Chris right now, she thought to herself. That would make me feel beter.

Chapter 20: The Other Kid

Chapter Text

‘Mark says Hermes' kids are liars and thieves.’ Clarisse crossed her arms.

Chiron gritted his teeth. Please, not this, not again. ‘They really aren’t so bad, Clarisse…’

Dionysus pushed him aside. ‘And of course, you are completely innocent, that’s what landed you in dish duty in the first place.’

‘But I am not a liar and a thief! I didn’t steal anything!’

‘You did, however, throw a plate around the dining hall, which injured another camper.’

‘They were annoying everyone around them,’ the demigod shot back.

‘Doesn’t matter. You are not allowed to hurt other people during dinner time.’ The god twirled her around and pushed her towards the door of The Big House. ‘You have to do the dishes once. You’ll survive.’

‘It’s unfair!’

‘But, if you keep going like this, we could always make it two, or three, or forever.’

‘And if he does steal something from you, we’ll get it back,’ Chiron tried to reassure her. Dionysus rolled his eyes at the statement.

Clarisse left the building. ‘Unfair,’ she muttered to herself.

It took her a moment to realise that Chiron was still on the porch, arguing with Dionysus, and as such nobody saw where she was going. She dashed away. No way that she was going to be doing the dishes for hours with a grubby Hermes kid.

Quick, quick, where could she hide? The forest, yes, no-one would find her there, it was huge.

She ran into the giant natural tree maze, not realising her cabin counsellor David saw it happen. He shrugged and walked off. She’d face the consequences soon enough.

As she got deeper into the forest, Clarisse slowed down. The forest was scary, but at the same time it held a certain peace. It was nice and quiet, very different from the camp, where there was always a buzz in the background. It made Clarisse feel like she was truly alone for a moment.

The feeling dissappeared when she felt something hit her shoulder. ‘Ah!’

Some other kid ran past her, fast as day. He would have gotten away if he had looked where he was going. He oh-so graciously tripped over a branch on the ground.

Clarisse strided over to him. She nudged his shoulder with her foot. ‘You hurt me.’

The kid scrambled to his feet. ‘Why should I care? I’ve got business here!’

Clarisse put her hands on her hips. ‘And what might that business be?’

‘Doesn’t concern you.’

She clenched her fists. ‘Are you so sure about that?’

The kid huffed ‘I am not telling you anything. Why are you here, anyway?’

‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’

‘You were prying into my reasons as well!’

They glared at each other, waiting for the other to budge. Clarisse studied the other kid. Both his messy hair and his eyes were brown. His slender body didn’t look all that strong, she could probably push him over if she wanted to.

She tilted her head just as the other kid raised his eyebrows. ‘Are you hiding from dish-duty?’

‘I was about to ask you the same thing!’

Clarisse raised her chin. ‘So, you’re that Hermes kid, then. The thief and the liar.’

‘Then you must be the daughter of Ares. The brainless brute.’

Clarisse felt taken aback by the insult. ‘Who says we are brainless brutes?’

‘You better tell me who calls us all thieves and liars!’

‘My brother does!’

‘Well, my brother says all Ares kids are brainless brutes!’

They stared at each other for a few moments, Chris trying to make himself seem as tall as he possibly could.

He was the first one to look away. ‘I didn’t want to do dishes today.’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘Me neither. It was unfair. I only threw the plate because that other guy kept insulting people, day after day.’

Chris nodded. ‘I got dish-duty because I sabotaged his armour during training. It felt like he deserved it.’

‘I think he did, that little twat.’

‘Yes!’

‘He should be the one doing dishes!’

‘Yes!’ Chris put his hands in the air, although he wasn’t entirely sure why. He just didn’t know what else to do. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Clarisse. Clarisse la Rue.’

‘I’m Chris Rodriguez. I’m from California.’

‘I’m from Arizona. My mom lives there.’

‘Mine too. In California, I mean.’

‘Yeah, I thought so.’

They began to giggle, giggles that quickly turned to screams as Dionysus appeared in the clearing and grabbed their shoulders. ‘I am sorry to ruin the moment you two are having, but I think you can talk more while doing your job.’

‘It’s unfair!’ Both of them yelled at the same time.

‘Isn’t it always?’ The god shook his head. ‘Just come. It’s one, only one, dish-duty. You want to know something? That kid you two were targetting gets to do it at least thrice if he doesn’t change his behaviour.’ He sighed. ‘You don’t want to be late for your campfire, right?’

Clarisse looked at Chris. They decided at the same time that yes, perhaps they’d better come. Neither of them minded getting to talk to each other.

Chris leaned closer to Clarisse while they were walking after Dionysus, to the kitchen. ‘Perhaps....’ He hesitated. ‘I don’t think you’re a brainless brute.’

‘Of course not!’ She huffed. There was a moment of silence. ‘... perhaps you're not a liar, either. Or a thief.’

‘Perhaps I actually like you.’

‘...thanks. I actually like you too.’

They shut up when they heard their camp director snicker. He shouldn’t get the wrong idea. They didn’t like like each other, or anything.

Chapter 21: The Pests

Chapter Text

‘What do we do?’ Phobos stared at the crying infant.

Deimos nudged the body on the floor with his foot. For someone who was a close friend to Louise la Rue, it hadn’t taken much to make the babysitter so afraid she passed out. ‘I don’t know,’ he admitted. ‘I mean… we can’t really take the baby back to the squat, now can we? It’s not like we’ve got the material to take proper care of her.’

‘Our squat might be better protected than this flat, though.’

Deimos rolled his eyes. ‘All that’s straying around the block right now are a few measly desert zombies, and they probably all ran away as soon as we arrived here.’

Phobos shrugged. ‘Wouldn’t count on it. Desert zombies are especially stupid.’

Deimos put his hands on the crib. ‘Then we fight them. Dad didn’t raise any cowards, now did he?’

‘Of course not.’ Phobos tilted his head. ‘But what do we do about her?’

‘I mean, when a baby cries, it needs milk. Milk… or a clean diaper?’

Phobos winced. ‘I hope not!’

‘I doesn’t smell bad enough for a clean diaper,’ Deimos decided, more hoping so then knowing so. ‘So, perhaps food.’

‘Or she got afraid when she saw your ugly mug.’

‘You’re the god of fear. She’d sooner be afraid of you.’

It took them a few seconds to realise what they had just said. Okay, new problem at hand. How do you stop a baby from being afraid when you are the literal embodiment of fear?

‘We could… eh…’ Phobos shrugged. ‘I genuinely don’t know. We can’t exactly stop being what we are.’

‘Use some creativity for once!’ Deimos rolled his eyes. He took a moment to concentrate, before putting the most charming smile he could muster up on his face.

The good thing was that Clarisse didn’t start crying louder, but other than that, it didn’t seem to help much.

Phobos snickered. ‘Dumbass.’

‘No swearing with kids around.’

‘She is just a few months old, she doesn’t understand it yet.’ He winked at the baby, who kept screaming. ‘...Is she supposed to be so red?’

‘How should I know?’ Deimos gritted his teeth. ‘Could you go see if they’ve got milk in this house? That should shut her up for a moment or so.’

Phobos stormed off into the kitchen. His head was throbbing from the noise at that point.

‘There is no milk in this damn house!’ He yelled to his brother. He got a groan as a response. ‘What in Hades does that mean?’

When the only answer was another groan, Phobos realised it wasn’t coming from the living room. He pulled his sword from thin air and stabbed it through the kitchen window, right into the face of the desert zombie. It fell down the building, screaming, just past the fire escape. Ah, that explained a lot.

Through the window, he could see his brother kicking out a second desert zombie. The third one came dangerously close to the windows.

Phobos charged into the living room and yanked the screaming baby out of her crib, careful not to tread on the woman on the floor. He held the baby against his chest. ‘Sh, sh, it’s okay, it’s okay…’

He looked over his shoulder as he backed away. There were seemingly no zombies behind him, at least none he could feel or see.

Deimos punched the lights out of the third zombie and sent the fourth to his doom with a kick in the midriff. He hoped it was enough, and otherwise they were at least far down on the street, where they were no danger to the baby.

He panted. ‘Damn. Those creatures are getting rude.’

‘I told you they were too stupid to be afraid!’

It took them a few seconds to get used to the new sound around them. The sweet, sweet sound of silence.

Phobos looked at the baby in his arms. She was staring up at him, her mouth a little open, but not red, and not producing an ear-piercing noise.

He almost dropped her. ‘Deimos!’

His brother came closer, his eyes wide.

‘She is… cute this way.’

‘I guess she just wanted to be picked up,’ Phobos said in a soft voice. He rocked the girl around. ‘She doesn’t seem afraid anymore.’

A click from the door made them both jump. Quickly, Phobos put the baby back in her crib. ‘I don’t think she’ll be afraid of us at all for the rest of her life,’ Deimos said, while they dove out the window and teleported right back to their squat.

Phobos pulled a face. ‘Than she might not respect us, though.’

His brother sighed. ‘Oh well. We did what dad asked. Another task well done. Now, allow me to get a beer and fall onto the couch,’ he said, while making his way to the kitchen. He was sad to find that the only thing they still had left was milk.

Chapter 22: The Elder

Chapter Text

‘Clarisse?’

She glanced over at Mark. ‘I am practicing.’ It was the first time she got to practice by herself. She didn’t want to be disturbed.

Her brother fished the sword out of her hands. ‘Mark!’

‘Come on, Clara,’ he sing-songed. ‘Get me a co*ke and you’ll get it back.’

‘Where in hell do you want me to get a co*ke?’

Mark looked his little sister in the eye. ‘The Hermes cabin. They’ve got it for free, there. For the whole camp.’

Clarisse pulled a face. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course! It’s a well-known fact!’

‘...huh.’

‘You can go there and get it, it’s… in the mini fridge to the left. For everyone. There is also… waffles, to the right of the fridge. They’ve got little harpies on them.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘Of course it is!’

Clarisse stared at the ground. I mean, he wouldn’t know, wouldn’t he?

‘If you ask them, they’ll make grilled cheese, but that does cost a drachma. They’ve got different flavours every week…’

‘How… how do you make different flavours of grilled cheese?’

‘Like, toasted bread with different ingredients. You know, get me a… marshmallow and chocolate grilled sandwich while you’re at it.’

Clarisse tugged on her sleeve.

‘You can ask Chiron. Even he knows.’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘Why don’t you go yourself?’

Mark grinned down on her. ‘Why, I’ve got too many swords in my hands.’

‘Bastard.’ It was a word she had heard the older campers use. Mark blinked, seemingly untouched by it (Or just not sure what it meant, seeing his young age).

He handed his younger sister two drachma. ‘Here. Get some for yourself too, while you’re at it.’

He wouldn’t just give her two drachma. It had to be real.

With the coins in her fist, Clarisse walked through camp, to the Hermes cabin. Two people were drinking cans of co*ke on the small veranda outside. They didn’t hold her back as she walked inside.

Someone was asleep on their top bunk, but other than that there wasn’t anyone inside. Perhaps Mark had been right after all. On the left, she saw a fridge, with a toaster right on top of it.

She had no idea where the bread would be, or the place to drop off the drachma. There wasn’t a bowl, or anything. But then again, this was the Hermes cabin. Mark had told her himself that the Hermes kids were all untidy and forgetful, and liars and thieves on top of that. Of course it would be a mess. Perhaps some campers stole the drachma and the bowl they were meant to be put in, and took the bread for good measure.

She opened the minifridge. At the sucking sound, she heard a loud gasp, followed by heavy breathing. When she looked around, she saw that the sleeping camper had woken up. Somehow, she didn't want them to see her. Luckily, they were facing the wall away from her.

There were co*ke cans in the minifridge, at least that was true. Clarisse took out two. Now, where was the bread?

She took a deep breath and turned around. ‘Say, where is…’

‘Aren’t you one of Ares’ spawn?’

‘...What?’

‘What are you doing here?’ The Hermes kid (It was clearly a Hermes kid, and not a random camper who wasn’t claimed yet) asked.

‘I just… wanted a co*ke.’

‘So you just decided to steal it out of our cabin?’

‘I am not stealing it!’ Clarisse began to feel angry. Of course Mark lied to her, she knew from the start that he wasn’t being truthful. She knew, she knew.

‘Is this your cabin?’

Clarisse didn’t know what else to say. The Hermes kid stood in front of her. When he realised how young she was, he relaxed a little. ‘Take it. For you and for whoever told you to come here.’

‘No-one did…’

‘Are you sure you aren’t a Hermes kid? You fit the stereotypes. Now leave.’

Clarisse left. She felt her cheeks burning.

-

She shook both cans of co*ke, hard, before flinging both of them at Marks’ head. ‘Bastard!’

Mark screamed. ‘You little…’

‘Yeah? What? Liar, liar!’

A little soda seeped down his chin, yet Mark grinned. ‘You believed it. You really believed me for a moment, there.’

‘I didn’t!’ Clarisse held her hands over her red cheeks. ‘Of course not.’

‘You did get the co*ke, though.’ Wait. ‘How did you get it?’

She put her hands down. ‘One of the campers gave them to me. He said I could have them.’

‘What… really?’

Clarisse suppressed a grin. ‘Yeah. He did. For free, just like you said.’

‘You little-’ Mark walked off. The co*ke was dripping down his shirt.

Clarisse watched him go. Perhaps he too would get a free co*ke, or perhaps he’d get beaten up and thrown out of the cabin. Oh, please let it be the last one.

Chapter 23: The Patricinha

Chapter Text

‘What did you say?’ Clarisse turned around in her chair. The campers near her got very quiet.

Chris froze up when he heard the word being uttered. He glared at the camper who did - Some kid he thought was named Alfonso.

‘Patricinha,’ he said, again. A couple of campers exchanged looks. The rest seemed confused.

‘I heard it…’

‘It’s nothing but a term of respect,’ Alfonso fantasized. ‘It means, like… respected one. Since I was addressing you and Silena, I had to talk with some respect.’

Clarisse glanced at her friend. Silena just looked confused. It was clear she didn’t think the term was actually respectful, but that she didn’t know enough about Portuguese to dismiss it.

Clarisse thought she knew what it meant, yet she wasn’t sure.

‘Why… thanks.’ She tried to make it clear that she didn’t believe a word the camper was saying. From the look on his face she couldn’t tell if he caught on to that or not.

‘You’re welcome.’ Alfonso turned back to his plate. Slowly, the campers around them began to talk about this and that and training and who kissed who again.

-

‘I have no idea what that meant,’ Silena said to Clarisse after dinner was over. Her friend shrugged.

‘Some neighbours from Arizona used to call the salon ladies Patricinha. I think it means something like ‘vapid woman.’ Ditz. Shopaholic. But I am not sure.’

‘Oh.’

Clarisse put an arm around Silena’s shoulders. ‘He doesn’t know what he’s saying. Or he’s out for blood.’

Silena snickered, but it quickly turned into a sigh. ‘I think he does know what he is saying, but that he doesn’t know what he is talking about.’

‘Love is the strongest power in the universe, dammit. You’re more than hair and make-up.’

‘Of course.’ She didn’t sound very sure of herself.

Clarisse pulled a face. ‘I am going to ask Chris for confirmation. Because if what I think is true...’

Silena could very well imagine what then. ‘Be careful.’

‘Oh, I’ll be fine. But make sure the Apollo campers are alert.’

-

‘Chrissie…’

‘Clara.’ Chris stepped out of the arena, where he had been training. ‘Let me guess, you need my steller language knowledge to confirm that what Alfonso just said was indeed an insult.’

She nodded. ‘Pretty much.’

‘Let me see what my Hermes kid language telekinesis says about the word Patricinha. Oh, right. Usually used for a vapid woman who loves make-up, shopping, and has nothing in but cobwebs in her head.’

‘Thought so.’ Clarisse rolled her eyes. ‘Which is an especially mean thing to say about Silena, who is constantly faced with those stereotypes.’

Chris tilted his head. ‘But you don’t think it is mean when it concerns you?’

‘Come on, it’s funny to call me a vapid shopaholic. We aren’t shopaholics, or obsessed with looks, or…’ Her voice trailed off.

Chris had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing.‘But...’

‘We’re not stupid. Being a child of the god of war doesn’t mean we’re stupid.’

Chris hopped onto the tip of his toes to kiss her forehead. ‘No. It doesn’t.’ He ran his hand through her hair. ‘Now if you’d excuse me, I need to go alert the Apollo campers.’

Clarisse smiled. ‘Alfonso will be fine. Weeds always grow back.’

-

It was almost too easy. Alfonso was hanging halfway the climbing wall, just between two streams of lava. All Clarisse had to do was pick a rock, aim, and hit.

Alfonso screamed and dropped to the ground. On the way down, his shirt tore.

‘Gods, ouch, my gods…’

Clarisse nudged him with her foot. ‘This is an Ares-child way of showing respect.’

‘Ouw…’

‘You will need to go shopping, poor thing. Your shirt and all. Kinda vapid, that’s all I am going to say.’

‘You…’ Alfonso gestured at his cabin mates.

‘You could have seen it coming,’ one of them said with a shrug.

‘Come on…’

An Apollo kid came running up from behind them. Clarisse looked over her shoulder, at Silena and Chris. The later put up his thumb.

‘I agree to Alfonso’s brother,’ he said as Clarisse neared. ‘He knew he had it coming.’

‘Why, thank you.’ She glanced at Silena, who had a smile on her lips.

‘He really did.’

Clarisse nodded. ‘New lipstick, by the way?’

Silena blushed. ‘Couldn’t resist. And it works quite well when distracting someone. They might think there’s blood somewhere, stop, and then…’

Chris and Clarisse laughed at the statement. This time, the daughter of Aphrodite could laugh along.

Chapter 24: The Divine Sister

Chapter Text

‘Usually, when gods come to talk to me, they are either my dad, they attack me, or they want something from me.’

Harmonia gave Clarisse a faint smile. ‘I am certainly not our father, I don’t want to attack you, and neither do I want something from you. I am only here to talk.’

‘Then you still want something from me.’

The goddess chuckled. ‘There is some truth in that.’

‘Not some, all. ’

‘Clarisse.’ She stuck out her hand. ‘I am your sister, I would never...’

‘Phobos and Deimos are my brothers, but they absolutely would.’ The smile of the goddess faltered for a moment, which made Clarisse snicker. ‘Oh, so we agree that they are rowdy imbeciles?’

The goddess closed her eyes for a moment. ‘They are rowdy, sure. Yet I’d say there is an important place in the universe for them.’

‘Yeck. Are you always this pointlessly wise?’

Harmonia went on: ‘They are needed for a sense of Harmony and peace. For balance, if you’d like to put it that way.’

‘Yet, you, as the other side of the balance, wouldn’t like to see them gone? You make harmony, their sole goal is to beget chaos.’ She sighed. ‘Sorry, but really, what do you want?’

Harmonia rolled her eyes. ‘I already told you. I want to have a chat.’

Clarisse fell down into the grass. From this point, she could see the kanoes racing over the lake. She followed one with her eyes while her divine sister sat down next to her.

‘He still treats his children with the same tough love,’ Harmonia said, while plucking a hand of grass.

‘Of course. He’s the god of war.’

‘You don’t like it, though.’

Clarisse’s expression froze. ‘Well…’

‘You don’t have to lie, I already know the answer.’

‘Well, no. I don’t... I don’t always like how harsh he can be. Yet, that’s how it is. It’s how the world works. All of us are violent as well, it’s in our genes. The end.’

The kanoe came drifting back. Harmonia lifted her chin. ‘I guess so.’

‘I mean, he still tries, in his own way.’ Then it popped into her mind A little tidbit of information Chiron had given her during mythology class, when she wasn’t really listening. A course on some guy named Cadmus, who ended up getting punished by Ares. ‘Yet... I guess you’d be angrier than me.’ He and his wife got turned into snakes. ‘Because of... the metamorphosis, and all.’ So this is why mythological knowledge was important.

Harmonia nodded. ‘My necklace had something to do with that, too. The bad luck trinket.’

‘Eh… yeah.’ Still.

‘Once that passed on, out of my family, I got changed back. He said sorry, sort off. Told me he couldn’t really explain why he did it.’

‘It doesn’t sound like you’ve really forgiven him.’ A new kanoe came by.

Harmonia shrugged. ‘I did, though. You know, I don’t regret staying close to Cadmus or my daughters, or anybody else from Thebes, even if that was what got me turned into a snake. When I turned back, I told father as much. He answered that he had to admire the way I stood by my loved ones. He said it showed I had spirit. And at least... at least he could see that.’

‘...ah-ha.’

‘You think the same way, Clarisse. You never fight harder than when you are fighting for your friends.’

‘...what?’

‘I recognise that part of myself in you. You’ll stand by your people, no matter what.’

‘Of course I would!’

‘That’s admirable. And not just I, but our father thinks so too.’ Harmonia had found her smile back again. Just as the second kanoe docked, she disappeared.

Clarisse looked on as the third kanoe sailed off. ‘You fight the hardest when it’s for your friends.’ Thanks, ma’am.

...no, but really, thanks, ma’am. I’ll try not to get turned into a snake for it.

Chapter 25: The Queen

Chapter Text

Hera stood by her throne. It was devastating to see her home the way it was right now. There was rubble everywhere. Gods were fussing around, trying to fix what could still be fixed. Heroes were laying around everywhere, most of them wounded, all of them trying to keep a brave face. At the entrance of the throne room lay her statue, smashed to pieces.

Zeus took his place on the throne next to her. His gaze drifted around the room, as the other gods took place on their thrones. It was time to address the heroes who had defended Olympus.

It was always the same. The demigods thought for the gods, they got a pat on the back, and then they got send away until next time. And there would always be a next time.

Zeus held his head high, as always dreading the moment where he had to thank his heroes. Poseidon looked smug, Hades uncomfortably out of place. Demeter was worried, Aphrodite entertained, Apollo and Hermes glad that it was over. Artemis and Dionysus had a certain pride over them, as if they were glad that their campers and hunters showed the titans what for. Hephaestus stayed in the background. As always it was unclear what he was thinking.

Then there was Ares. He was enthusiastically talking to a girl, clearly one of his daughters: She was bulky, muscled and mean. Quite probably Clarisse. Hera had heard of that girl before.

Clarisse was forcing a smile, yet Hera could see right through it. The girl was sad, afraid and exhausted. She must be the one Ares had insisted on blessing, halfway through their fight with Typhon.

Ares was the last one to sit down. He sent his daughter to the side of the throne room, where she waited with the other demigods.

Zeus began his speech, his long, long speech, which bored everyone after the first five sentences. Yet, it gave Hera the time to study Ares’ daughter.

The queen had seen enough broken people to recognise when someone had lost a loved one in battle. Perhaps a boyfriend, but it could also be a best friend, or a brother. It made her feel pity, yet curiousity at the same time. She knew how passionately her son could love the people close to him, under the violent demeanor. Perhaps this girl had gotten some of that nature.

After Zeus was done, the nature spirits, heroes and others had been rewarded, and promises had been made, Hera made her way out of the throne room, to a group of Ares’ children. A grand deal of them were boys, with only two or three girls. Still, Clarisse was clearly the leader of the bunch.

The queen coughed. ‘Excuse me?’

Some of them glanced at her, yet they kept chattering on. Hera clenched her teeth. She couldn’t have expected the children of Ares to be well-behaved, yet it still bugged her.

‘I’d like to speak to you.’ She pointed at Clarisse, who pulled a face.

‘Speak to me, ma’am? May I ask why?’

‘You’ll find out.’

For a second, the young woman (It was more of a young woman then a girl) was clearly debating whether to actually go. Then she took a look around her group and followed.

‘What is it, your majesty?’ She asked, when they entered one of the many secret rooms Olympus had hidden away.

‘I wanted to see you for a moment.’ Hera decided to ignore the sarcastic manner in which the young woman had spoken to her.

‘Why?’

‘Be quiet.’ Clarise had large bags under her eyes, eyes which betrayed how tired she really was. ‘You lost someone.’

‘I appreciate that it isn’t a question, at least.’

‘Who was it?’

Clarisse wanted to give a sassy remark. She just didn’t have the energy for it any longer. ‘My best friend,’ she sighed. She tried to push down the tears that welled up in her eyes. ‘Her boyfriend died a few days ago. At least they are back together now.’

‘Only your best friend?’

‘How little do you value friendship?’ Clarisse clenched her fist. She knew that she shouldn’t tick the goddess off, but boundaries were difficult to see right now. She hoped Hera would have some compassion for the situation.

The goddess forced a smile. ‘It’s not that…’

‘I wasn’t trying to be a homewrecker, or anything. I’ve got a boyfriend.’

Hera pushed her hand to her temples. ‘I do not care if…’

‘But you do. It is bright and clear that you do.’

Hera clenched her fists. ‘Give me a moment.’ This girl was absolutely out of line. Yet, when the goddess looked her in the eyes again, she once again saw that sadness, that absolute fatigue.

The hero looked away. ‘Ma’am, I am not feeling so well right now.’

‘...no. No, I reckon you do not.’

She had seen demigods like this before. Ones that were worn and tired and done with fighting. And every single time, she had sworn to herself that she would remember it. Perhaps now was the time to show she did.

Carefully, she placed her hand on Clarisse’s forehead. The demigod violently smacked it away. ‘What in Hades are you doing?’

‘Don’t use his name against me. I only want to bless you. Perhaps then your life will be easier, from now on.’

Clarisse shook her head. Hera narrowed her eyes. ‘What are you-’

‘Because that would fix everything, of course.’

‘...What?’

‘Because if you’d bless me, that would fix anything. That would make me forget the horrible past and happily move on, la-dee-da, wonderful. Then you gods won’t have to feel guilty any longer.’

‘Young lady-.’

‘I’d rather you didn’t bless me. I’m an Ares kid, we fight for ourselves. If you want to give me anything, just… I mean, promise me you’ll get me off of what I said just now without consequence, okay?’

Hera could only stand there, mouth agape. She collected herself. ‘Very well. Go back to your life, then. Exactly the way it was. Make the best of it.’

Clarisse looked like she regretted her outburst, yet she held her head high. ‘Thanks, your majesty.’ She bowed her head, before running out of the room, back to her siblings, who were already being driven to the elevator. It was time to go back to camp.

Hera held her gaze fixed on a point just above the elevator. Next time, she’d begin before it was already too late, before they were already disillusioned. No matter what, she’d have to try again. A queen didn’t give up, not when she had a plan so clear she could almost, álmost, grasp it.

Chapter 26: The King

Chapter Text

‘Where were you?’

Hera had her back turned towards her husband. ‘Why does it concern you?’

‘I should know what goes on around here…’

‘A whole lot goes on on Olympus that you don’t know about.’

Zeus narrowed his eyes. ‘Yet I should know about it. You could make it slightly easier, at least.’

Hera straightened her back. ‘If you insist. Do you know about Ares' daughter, Clarisse?’

‘Of course I do. She’s his chosen favorite. What about her?’

‘I just… had a word with her.’

‘Why would you?’

Hera still didn’t look him in the eye. ‘You are entitled to know what happens in your realm. You are not entitled my reasons.’ She made up to leave, until she felt his hand on her arm. She turned around and finally looked him in the eye.

She sighed. ‘I know. It’s been difficult for all of us. We… we need to get the morale back on Olympus.’ She placed her hand on his for a moment.

Just a moment. Then she was gone, leaving her husband behind in the rubble of Olympus.

Why had she spoken to the girl? It still bugged him. Why couldn’t she just tell him her thoughts? Why did she keep to herself so much?

He put his hand against one of the still standing pillars, one that had belonged to a small shrine to Demeter. It hadn’t been repaired.

Knowing Hera, she hadn’t told the demigod much. Yet she should be able to tell him why his wife spoke to him. He had to know, now, otherwise the question wouldn’t let him go.

The campers were still on the road, which made it difficult to speak to her one on one. Zeus teleported himself to camp Half-blood instead. He had commissioned the place himself, long ago, for the training of heroes. Back then, it was mostly his heroes, although later more and more kids of other gods joined as well.

A whole lot more of those would be added, now. Jackson had made them swear it on the river Styx.

Zeus looked at the twelve abandoned cabins around him. Soon, there would be many more of them. New cabins, in the same place, putting the minor gods on the same level as the twelve chosen ones.

He couldn’t really think of a reason why that would be bad, other than it was the way it always had been.

Poseidon was still proud of his child, no matter the uproar he had caused. Perhaps he was even proud of him because of the uproar he had caused.

Zeus' eyes fell onto Dionysus cabin. It had been quite the uproar when his son, then still a demigod, had joined Olympus. A scandal, madness, the people had shouted. Had he been proud of his son, then? Even if all the others were not?

He couldn’t even remember.

Ares was proud today, that was clear. He hadn’t tried to hide it while all the other Olympians were in the throne room. Zeus knew Ares was more than capable of anger, even towards the people he loved the most. Yet, he did show it when he was proud, didn’t he?

In the distance, Zeus could hear the little busses arriving. Quickly, he turned himself invisible, while the surviving heroes came back into camp.

He had expected them to be happy, or grateful. They had just defeated the evil that had been threatening Olympus, after all. Instead, they looked exhausted. As if the day couldn’t come to an end quickly enough.

A tall, brawny girl was directing a few other tall, brawny heroes to their cabin, to freshen up. That was Clarisse, Zeus knew. Aside from the pain and exhaustion the campers wore on their faces, this girl, or young woman, had a look of determination on her face as well. It stood her well.

As the last campers walked into their cabins, Zeus took the chance to come up to her. ‘Clarisse la Rue…’

‘You, as well?’

Zeus raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected such a harsh reply. Clarisse seemed to realise it as well. She bowed her head. ‘I beg you, please excuse me, my lord,’ she said, although Zeus could hear she said it through gritted teeth. ‘The battle was hard, I am tired, I just spoke with your wife too and I feel so…’

Zeus held his chin high. ‘I’ll forgive you this once. I understand the difficult situation you are in. I have but one question.’ Just like your wife, Clarisse thought, but she said nothing. She could keep her mouth shut this time, if it meant she wouldn’t be smote down by the king of the heavens. ‘What did my wife ask you?’

‘Didn’t she tell you? Eh, I mean… didn’t the queen tell you, my lord?’

‘You are a lot like my son. Which is understandable, of course.’ Clarisse didn’t know what to make of the harsh look in his eyes. ‘She didn’t. Why is none of your concern. Yet, what did she ask of you?’

‘She wanted to bless me, although I am not certain why. Perhaps she didn’t want me to know.’

Perhaps she doesn’t want me to know either, Zeus thought to himself. Yet, why not?

‘I think she might feel bad for the demigods. Guilt. Although, I can’t say that of a goddess, I guess…’

Guilt about the demigods? Ha.

Yet, it made sense, somehow.

Lots of sense, actually.

Zeus put up his hand. ‘Enough. Thank you. Go back to your siblings, now.’

That sudden? ‘But…’

‘Didn’t you hear me? Enough.’ With a snap of his fingers, Zeus was gone.

Hera feeling bad for the demigods. It made no sense and at the same time it did.

Anyhow, a new era was opening. And Zeus had to make sure his realm, his world, was prepared for it. What had he even been thinking? He didn’t have time to think about demigods. There was work to do.

Chapter 27: The Believer

Chapter Text

‘Are you happy you’ve got a little vacation?’

Clarisse put down her suitcase. ‘I am. I just hope the monsters stay far, far away, so it can actually be a bit of a vacation instead of the next tedious ongoing fight.’

Louise took her backpack from her. ‘Who knows.’

‘Perhaps the fates are with us.’

‘Let’s not hope too hard.’ Louise kissed her daughter on her forehead. ‘Did you have plans? Or do you want to keep your mother company?’

‘I am coming for dinner, at least…’

‘Classic. Just like a university student.’

Clarisse couldn’t help but smile. ‘But first I wanted to go see Emily. It’s been a while.’

‘Good. Be home at seven, with or without her.’

‘Will do.’

-

Emily’s house was at walking distance. That was probably why they became friends in the first place, if Clarisse thought about it. They got to ride the bus home together.

It was both different and the same. The clothing line that used to run from one end of the building to the other was gone, yet a herb garden was added on a patch of dirt.

Emily’s bedroom had a view of the parking lot, which had to be crossed in order to reach the building. Before Clarisse even got to the door, her friend opened the window. She waved, before going back inside to open the door.

‘Good afternoon.’

‘I came here straight after dropping off my stuff at my moms’ house.’

‘As you should.’ She grabbed her friends’ hand. They took the stairs to Emily’s apartment. Back when, they also never got onto the elevator.

‘How’s life?’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘Taking its course. We had a tough one last summer. I lost some people close to me. Yet, I’ve still got friends, my boyfriend is still here. I am grateful for that, or something.’

Emily nodded. ‘I can’t understand what you are going through, but I can understand that it’s heavy.’

‘It is,’ Clarisse sighed. ‘But we’ll have to get through it. You know… I am happy you, and mom, and everyone from school is still well. Typhon was a menace.’

They entered Emily’s room. It was the same as the neighbourhood: Some things had changed, others had stayed the same. Emily still had the same ugly red rug in the middle of her room. The little altar in the corner was new, though.

‘Is that an altar? We all got one of those in our cabins.’

‘Oh, it is. To Hermes.’

‘Ah.’ Clarisse had heard of mortals who still worshipped the gods. She had just never seen it before.

It looked pretty. Some crystals, room for candles, lavender, and a statue in the middle.

‘For Hermes?’

‘Hm-hm. Jack of all trades. Traveller. Not being certain what to do with your life.’

‘You are just describing the Hermes kids. Little scrubs.’

Emily thought for a moment. ‘If that’s so, then I must be seeing it right.’

‘I don’t know if there’s a right way. Not for Hermes, at least. He’s got a lot of assets and faces. At least, if I have to believe our camp director, who has… his own particulair opinions, on his fellow gods.’

Emily raised her eyebrows. ‘Interesting. Do you want cake? My mom made cake yesterday.’

‘If you’re mom made it, I for sure want cake.’ Clarisse followed her friend out of the room, into the kitchen. ‘Do your parents know about the… altar?’

Emily shrugged, while she got out two plates. ‘They must have seen it. I am not entirely sure they know what it means, though.’

‘Good enough.’

‘Yeah, good enough.’ Emily got her cake out of the fridge. ‘Have you forgiven me for the cake I made when we were nine yet?’

‘No.’

‘Thought so.’ She cut off two thick slices of cake, before cutting off a third slice.

Clarisse pulled her plate towards her. ‘Is that for the altar?’

‘Hm-hm.’

‘I’ll start eating. Hermes will be fine with it, he’s a pretty okay guy.’

Emily snickered. ‘It is kinda strange. I mean, you’ve really… like, you’ve met the gods more than I did, or something.

‘I get what you mean,’ Clarisse said with her mouth full, as she followed her friend into her bedroom.

Emily put the slice on her altar. ‘He likes cake, I think.’

‘Hermes? Quite certain of it. Again, if I have to trust the camp director and the horror story he told our other camp director when he thought no-one was listening.’

Emily had to bite her lip not to burst into laughter.

‘Why did you start doing it?’ Clarisse asked, when her friend was done praying and picked up her own slice.

Emily took a bite and some time to think. ‘Hm. Well, I was never sure about God with a capital G. He might be there, but you know, I can’t be sure. Yet, you exist. I have seen you do extraordinary feats. So the Greek deities must be real. I don’t know if they care about mortals, I can never be sure, but the idea that there is something managing this universe comforts me.’

Clarisse nodded. ‘Sure.’ It didn’t really comfort her, seeing as how they were a mess. Yet, she understood how Emily thought. ‘I really do.’ And the gods kept the universe running, that much was true.

‘I know, Clarisse.’ She took another bite. ‘I also understand you might not feel the same way.’

Clarisse sat down on the floor, with her back against Emily’s bed. Her friend did the same thing, but with her back against the nightstand. ‘I hadn’t expected otherwise.’

‘Eh… do you have any tips, though?’

‘Tips?’

‘Like… anything to build an altar with? Anything the gods like.’

‘Some food. Prayers. At least, that’s what we do. Oh, and undying worship, of course.’

‘Ah, then I am doing fine,’ Emily commented. With big smiles, the two young women looked at each other.

So most things stayed the same here, Clarisse thought, as she picked a crumb of her plate. At least the most important things did.

Chapter 28: The Birthday Girl

Chapter Text

Clarisse looked up at the ceiling. So she was seventeen now. Cool. The entire year would be committed to preparing for a war.

She slid out of bed and put on a hoodie. She didn’t know how late it was, but probably not yet time for breakfast. Her cabin members could sleep a little longer. Actually, she wanted them to sleep longer, then she could be alone for a bit.

The only ones awake were a few Apollo kids and early bird Hephaestus kids who worked best in the morning. And Silena. She was sitting on the porch of the Aphrodite cabin, combing her hair.

‘Can I join?’

She looked up. ‘Always.’

Clarisse sat down next to her friend, with a deep sigh. Silena patted her hand. ‘Happy birthday.’

‘I don’t remember telling you today is my birthday.’

‘I still know it is, though.’ Silena put down her hairbrush. ‘You also told me you usually go home for your birthday.’

‘I do usually go home for my birthday. Yet this year I decided… not to.’

Silena nodded. ‘I understand it. I think.’

‘We can’t tell what it will be like next year.’

‘I can tell I’ll still be your friend.’ Silena winked.

‘You better keep that promise.’

‘I don’t see why I wouldn’t.’

Clarisse was smiling, now. She realised she even meant it.

Silena got up. ‘Stay here. I got you a gift.’

‘Oh, but…’

‘Don’t say I shouldn’t have. It’s just something small.’

‘Oh.’

‘Stay.’ Silena gave Clarisse a tap on the head, before sneaking into her cabin.

She came back with a little box wrapped in pink paper. ‘Look.’

‘Where did you even get this? The camp store? Did you sneak out?’

‘Just look at what it is first. And it’s rude to ask questions like that,’ she said with a smile.

Clarisse rolled her eyes as she tore off the paper and opened the box. The first thing it held was a new head for her spear. The second thing was a kitschy ‘spartan’ helmet keychain. Clarisse let the latter slide through her hands. She smiled. ‘Both practical and useless.’

‘As birthday gifts should be.’

‘Thanks, Silena.’

‘Of course.’ Silena put her arm around her friends’ shoulder, while looking at something just behind her.

‘What...’ The next moment, someone covered her eyes with their hand.

‘Guess who...’

‘Sit down or leave, Chris.’

Sighing. ‘I choose sitting down.’ He handed Clarisse a little blue box, before dropping down next to her.

‘Be careful with it.’

‘And I just trust you on this one?’

Chris nodded. ‘Yes, actually.’

‘I don’t think I do.’

‘There is no prank. Really. Here, otherwise I’ll open it for you…’

‘Back off, this is my gift.’ Chris rolled his eyes as Clarisse very slowly took the lid of the box. When it didn’t explode, she took out what was inside.

She was earnestly smiling, again. Inside was a small chocolate cupcake. Clarisse took a bite. No pepper. Seemingly no poison. ‘So my gift this year is no prank?’

‘I never said there wouldn’t be a prank. Yet, it’s not this.’

Clarisse gave Chris a sticky kiss on the side of his head. He didn’t rub it away.

Beckendorf, who had been working on something or other on the veranda of the Hephaestus cabin, put away his mask to join his friends. Without talking, he took place next to Silena. The sun was rising, but they could all wait a little longer.

Clarisse looked at her friends. Not just the ones around her, but also the ones that sneaked out of their cabins, trying to steal an early shower or a moment of peace before the day started.

All of these people. These kids. These peers. Where would they be, in a years’ time?

Clarisse knew she couldn’t be sure whether he mother or friends back home would be fine, but the chance was way higher that something would happen to her demigod friends. That’s why she chose to spend her birthday in camp, this year.

Clarisse was the first one to get up. ‘Thanks,’ she said, without looking any of her friends in the eye.

She felt Silena place her hand on her back for a moment. Beckendorf patted her shoulders, and Chris kissed her on the lips, before they all trailed off to their cabins.

Clarisse fidgeted with the keychain in her pocket as she woke up her siblings. Some of them congratulated her (Mark even patted her shoulder, although that could also be to pull himself out of bed).

They were all still alive, now. She should have cake and enjoy it while it lasted.

Chapter 29: The Crush

Chapter Text

He was Jonathan Featherstone, hear to the Featherstone cruiseship empire. His father was rich and good-looking - his mother was a goddess. The goddess Aphrodite, even, the most beautiful of them all.Not that Jonathan felt like he was all that, really. But he only needed to look in the mirror to know he had good looks.

‘Johny! Wake up!’

And right now, he was just a new camper during sword training. He gasped when he heard his sisters’ voice and hurried to the middle of the arena, his sword dangling by his side. It was a mighty fine thing, wonderfully crafted especially for him by a real blacksmith. It had the Featherstone name engraved in the hilt, and it was...

‘Johny!’

‘Yes!’

Silena put her hands on her hips. ‘Sword high! What did Beckendorf show you?’

He tried to hold his sword at the correct height. On the other side of the arena, his opponent was squaring up. A girl, he saw. A pretty bulky girl. Aprettypretty bulky girl.

She nodded to Silena, before adressing Jonathan: ‘Sword a little higher!’ He did it without thinking.‘Now straighten your back!’ Again, he obliged, after which the girl sighed. ‘Guess you’ll just have to learn the rest.’ The next moment, she charged right at him.

Within moments, Jonathan laid on the sandy arena floor, unsure of how he got there. He wasn’t holding his sword anymore and the girl was towering over him.

‘Clarisse…’ he heard Silena sigh. Clarisse? that must be her name. He liked her. He found himself blushing, even (Even though that might also be the heat of battle).

Jonathan couldn’t really fight and he wasn’t so sure of himself. Yet there was one thing he knew he was good at: flirting.

He lifted himself into a sitting position. When Clarisse turned to look at him, he smiled a charming little smile.

‘That was to be expected,’ he said, ‘you're much stronger.’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Of course I am.’

‘Yes!’ He gracefully got up and grabbed her hands. ‘I know. A lowly little Aphrodite kid could never win from an Ares kid. Yet, I could learn from you, couldn’t I?’

Clarisse chuckled. ‘Could you, now?’

He nodded. ‘Yes. I am sure I could get better that way. With some training, you know...’

There was always a part of him that had no idea how he did it, flirting. As soon as he was talking to someone he fancied, or who fancied him, it just came out.

Right up until he saw a scrawny guy walk up to Clarisse, take her arm and drape it around his shoulders.

His throat locked right up. ‘Eh…’

The scrawny guy raised his chin, which made Clarisse roll her eyes.‘There he goes again,’ a few Ares campers muttered, something that didn’t make Jonathan feel better.

‘What are you doing?’ the kid asked.

‘Eh…’ Jonathan shrugged. ‘Eh… training?’

‘Yeah, training.’ The kid crossed his arms.

Clarisse burst into laughter. ‘You can’t be serious, Chrissy.’

‘Well…’

‘See, newby,’ Clarisse went on, talking over him: ‘You need to get stronger in order to safely practice with me. Perhaps you can start training with Davy.’ She pointed at a kid from her own cabin. A kid of about nine.

Jonathan felt his cheeks grow red. He turned around and hurried to the back of his arena.

-

‘Hm.’

‘Were you really jealous of that little git just now?’

Chris shrugged. ‘He’s handsome.’

Clarisse snickered, which Chris didn’t think was a good sign.‘Perhaps I’m the one who should be jealous.’

‘Hey!’ Before he could say anything else, Clarisse pulled him into a crushing hug.

‘I would be, I guess.’

‘...good, then.’

Chapter 30: The Dancer

Chapter Text

It happend every five years: the ball of honours, a lavish feast, which had as a special feature that the gods could all invite the demigods they deemed worthy. As it goes with events where gods can show off their favourites, they started little competitions to see which one of them was the best. Only one of those really stuck: the dancing competition. It had given the event a new layer, one in which the gods either invited the best dancers they could find or tried to train their chosen favorites to dance to the best of their abilities. Some famous (ex-)demigods had been there: Achilles, Hercules, Hyppolita, Richard Lionheart, Marie Antoinette, the Beatles, even Dionysus himself. For some it went better, for others worse.
Something as silly as an upcoming second Titan war couldn’t stop the fun. And all the gods knew that this time Poseidon would invite his favourite son Percy Jackson. He had to be defeated at all cost. Seeing as how they weren’t yet aware that Percy was a terrible dancer, there was lots of searching and training. Apollo’s invitees, which meant all of his children plus some others, trained out in the open, in a big group. Some practiced with their partner, others practiced at night or in their cabins, in secret.

And then there was Ares, who insisted on training his daughter himself. Clarisse had never known her father as a person who cared for dancing much. Yet as soon as he noticed that his daughter wasn’t training of her own accord, he spirited her away to Olympus to make her do it.

So now Clarisse was in a murky corner of Olympus. She didn’t even recognise the place. Perhaps because no-one would would ever want to be in a spot filled with so much trash, dirt and weird fluids around. For that she was a little glad; Nothing worse than having to dance in a frilly dress because Aphrodite saw her and thought it was cute.

Ares raised his chin. ‘Dancing isn’t just a game,’ he began in an almost serious tone. ‘It’s a skill that is useful outside of the floor as well.’

‘Doesn’t seem very useful outside of clubs and strange competitions your ancient parents hold.’

‘It makes you agile, which can help in battle. It teaches you balance, and grace, and all of those other things which give you a head-start over your enemy. And either way, I say it’s useful, so it is.’ He gestured that she should stop slouching. ‘Have you ever had a single dancing class?’

‘No.’ The one ballet class she ran away from when she was four didn’t count. ‘I danced with Silena a couple of times, but I wasn’t that good.’

‘That’s because you never learned how to do it properly.’ He put one hand on her shoulder and another one on her waist. ‘You put both your hands on my waist.’

Clarisse pulled a face. ‘Ew, why?’

‘It’s a basic position for a number of dances.’

‘Gross.’

‘Come on, I won’t make you do a tango.’

‘You can do the tango?’ She didn’t want to invision that too hard.

‘Of course. Hurry up, now.’

Clarisse obliged with a roll of her eyes (teenagers, you know). She put her hands on his waist. ‘I am smaller than you, though.’

‘Not so much smaller. I already made myself less tall than I like to be.’

‘Didn’t notice it.’

‘Hmpf. Hold your arm higher.’ He pushed her arm up.

‘This is like when you showed me how to use a gun when I was little.’

‘You’re still little. Your stance is… alright. We can work with it.’ Just alright? Clarisse sniffed. ‘I am going to teach you the basic steps today. What matters is that in a week and a half, you pretend like it is way more advanced than it really is.’

‘Isn’t dancing supposed to be the other way around? Like, it is advanced, but it looks easy?’

‘That’s only if you can actually do it.’ Ouch. ‘Listen. I am going to put my right foot forward, and at the same time, you’re going to put your right foot backwards.’

‘Eh… yeah?’

A moment later he did as threatened. Clarisse pulled back her foot in a reflex. ‘Hey…’

‘I did as I said I would. Now, we’ll do the same thing, but the other way around. You step forwards, I step backwards.’

‘Okay?’ It took some time for her to realise that she had to actually take the step. She did, but it was too big, so that her right foot was now standing too far away from her left foot.

‘Now a tap with your right foot.’

‘A... tap?’

Ares sighed. ‘Alright, I’ll walk you through it, then. First, you have to put your foot right-back, than right-forward. Then a little step or tap with your right, left forward, left-backward…’

‘Hold on…’

‘That’s it. That’s all.’

‘So… right, forward, for you. Then…’

‘Then it would be right-back for you.’

‘And then… right-forward. For me.’

‘Yes?’

‘Then… step, left-backward, left forward… and repeat?’

‘And repeat. That’s the basic steps. We haven’t gotten to going forwards and backwards or twirling yet.’

‘Let’s just try this first, m’kay?’

The first fifteen minutes were terrible, the second fifteen minutes were do-able and the third fifteen minutes actually became fun in a sense. By that point, Clarisse could do the basic steps and even a little bit of twirling.

‘Is that checked off then?’ she asked, as her dad spun her around.

He laughed at her. ‘Of course not. Did you learn sword-fighting or gun-slinging in one afternoon?’

‘No. But I sure asked if I did.’

‘All of my kids do. But no. You gotta train. Whenever you can.’

Clarisse felt a tingle of danger. ‘How long do we have until the event, again? A week and a half?’

‘Exactly.’

‘That…’ she took a deep breath, trying to comprehend if what her dad was saying was real. ‘That means I would have to train every single day, all the time.’

‘Yes.’

‘What if people see me?’

‘That doesn’t matter, and even if it did, you’ve got a whole forest at your disposal.’

‘I mean…’

‘Come on! Otherwise I’ll pick you up to train like this for tat least wo hours every single day. I mean it, you know.’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘I do. But actually... that sounds like a plan.’

‘I…’ He hadn’t expected that reply, exactly. But if she wanted it to be like that. ‘Alright. I’ll train you. In this shady corner on Olympus.’

‘Sure.’

Ares shugged. Without a proper goodbye he snapped his fingers and send her back to camp half-blood.

-

‘You’re getting the hang of it.’

He sounded impressed. Clarisse held up her chin. ‘Of course, but it needs to be perfect tomorrow, doesn’t it? Then we hold the big dance and I need to make you look like the greatest guy on Olympus.’

‘True. Even if you’re probably going to be dancing in a dress, which is ever so slightly more difficult than dancing in a run down tracksuit.’

Clarisse shrugged, trying to seem innocent. ‘I mean, I fought in full armour too, which is about thrice the weight of an average dress. It can’t be that bad.’ It wouldn’t be that bad at all, but that was because Silena got her a jumpsuit fancy enough to pass during a ball like this.

‘I don’t know what you’re planning, but as long as you don’t show up in dirty working clothes, it’s fine.’

‘How many times did Aphrodite have to tell you that?’

‘I’m serious, Clarisse!’ He took a deep breath. ‘Just… try your hardest, tomorrow.’ Another pause. ‘That’s all you have to do.’

Camp was dark and silent already when Clarisse came back, except for a couple of light coming out of the woods. She didn’t mind. That was either the nature spirits having a party, monsters that weren’t her problem or someone trying to learn how to dance. Nothing she wanted to see.

‘I can’t do this. Oh, gods, I can’t do this…’

‘Come, Chrissy, do you want to be able to dance with Clarisse or not?’

Chris tried not to look too afraid while Beckendorf pulled him up again. ‘Dancing is not difficult, and no one can see you around here.’

‘Hmpf…’ He put his hands correctly again. ‘As long as I’ll be able to do it tomorrow.’

‘Some of the campers think Hermes only invited you because he wants to see you dance with Clarisse.’

‘They’re right,’ Chris said through clenched teeth. ‘And you know what, I will give him what he wants.’

Chapter 31: The Date

Chapter Text

There was music, venue and food. The main square was decorated with silver and gold and everything that glowed. The wine flowed freely, and for those who couldn’t drink that yet, there was soda and chocolate and sugary things unknown to mortals.

There were plates filled with ambrosia and nectar and sweets so everyone could eat to their hearts desire. The guests, the demigods, the Olympians, the minor gods, even the few mortals that were there were dressed to a teen. It was all júst perfect.

Still, no-one really cared for all that. What was a wonderfully delicious bite of chocolate cake or the most expensive jewelry you would ever wear, when you were supposed to start dancing for your and your patron gods’ honour every second now?

Clarisse was glad Silena got her the neat jumpsuit. Waddling around in a giant ball gown seemed like a nightmare at the moment. Her friend pulled it off brilliantly, of course, that was not the point.

To her right, Percy Jackson was becoming more and more nervous. He could basically feel the eyes of all the gods burning in his back. They really expected him to perform perfectly, and that when he hadn’t had a single dancing class in his life. And who should he even dance with? He didn’t dare ask Annabeth, no matter how much he wanted to. Athena was watching over her like a hawk.

Even further down the square, Chris was hanging around his dad. He kept glancing over at him, until Hermes straight up asked: ‘Is something the matter?’

‘Only that I was brought here so that everyone can see me dance with Clarisse, because that’s so hilarious, or something.’

Hermes shrugged. ‘I must admit that was part of the reason. But then again, you did make a huge turn-around this year. For that, I am proud, too.’

‘Even if that was true, that doesn’t change that the main reason I am here is because you thought it would be funny if I would dance with Clarisse.’

‘Now that you say it again, I am not sure if funny is the right word. Aren’t you better than that? Perhaps what I am looking for is ‘impressive.’’

‘Do you believe it yourself?’

The music faded out. It sounded as if someone picked up a microphone, too.

Hermes patted his son on the shoulder. ‘Good luck.’

Chris took a deep breath. Alright then. This was it.

He joined the crowd of dancers. He could see Clarisse somewhere on the other side, yet the crowd was too thick to get there.

Clarisse watched as Apollo, glitter suit and all, took his place on the stage, between the muses and his father. He gazed around the room, at the load of new dancers. He winked at his own, already sure they would come out on top today.

‘Dear guests!’ he took a deep breath, at which the gods began yelling in unison:

‘No!’ ‘Wait!’ ‘Stop!’

‘Bring me the dancers,

May the best take the prizes,

Take your crown back home.’

A collective sigh went through the ballroom, so heavy the floor bounced along. Apollo giggled. ‘Actually, I don’t feel like any more haiku’s, or words. Ladies!’ He gestured at his sisters, ‘Bring on the music!’

Oh and did they ever. The first note played and everyone took the dancefloor, random people dancing with other random people, people they had never met before and might never meet again, anyway, they were dancing!

Clarisse got flung into the arms of a man who had difficulty aligning his movements to hers. ‘Eh…’

Clarisse sighed. ‘Your right foot should go first.’

‘Oh…’

‘Also, your arm lower…’ She shook her head. ‘You mind if I lead?’

‘Oh, no.’ He even sounded a little relieved as Clarisse took the lead, and soon enough they were both twirling and swirling around the dance floor.

Chris danced with a blond girl he didn’t recognise, but kept eyeing Clarisse on the other side. She was dancing with some dark-haired guy, now, before she twirled into the arms of another one. They struggled for a moment, then she seemingly took the lead, and things were going swimmingly. Alright, he had to do better now. Then they’d end up together.

‘Sorry,’ he whispered to the girl as they changed partners.

‘That’s your girlfriend, right? Don’t worry,’ she whispered back, with a little smile.

Chris gave her a thankful smile back, before trying his hardest with the new partner.

There was one thing that made the competition a whole lot better: The quick realisation that Percy Jackson couldn’t dance worth sh*t. He stepped on people’s feet so many times his partners didn’t know how quickly to get rid of him.

Eventually, Annabeth did a few steps with him. That seemed to make him happy enough. With his goal reached, he got off the dancefloor, more than happy to never do that again (That his father was slightly disappointed didn’t seem to bother him too much).

It made a whole group of other dancers give up as well: if the great Percy Jackson stepped out, so could they. They already lasted longer than he did - their parents, or guardians, or however else they were attached to their patron god, could be proud.

Annabeth kept going, and so did Chris and Clarisse, even if they still weren’t dancing with each other. Yet, they took a step left here, a step right there, and suddenly Clarisse found herself dancing with Annabeth.

‘Come on…’

‘Almost there,’ Annabeth whispered back, while she pulled Clarisse along in circles that were slightly too big. ‘Follow me, then it’ll be my fault and you can still win,’ she whispered.

‘Why would you want me to win, owlhead?’

‘Because I am kind, brute.’

‘Or will it be funny?’

Annabeth shrugged. ‘That too. But see, here we are!’

Clarisse looked up. She fell right into Chris’ arms, a Chris who seemed to go into a panic as soon as he finally reached his goal.

‘Succes,’ Annabeth whispered, as she swayed off with a random guy. Clarisse never saw her leave the dancefloor, but then again, she didn’t see anyone else leave the dancefloor either. Because now she was finally dancing with Chris. He collected his nerves, and there they went.

Up until a few weeks ago, neither of them had been able to dance. Now they were moving together in perfect harmony, right-back, right-forward, step with right, left-back, left-forward, step with left and on, on, again.

Chris was smaller than his girlfriend. Still, he twirled her around until she laughed.

They danced until the music stopped, softly, suddenly. Chris nestled into her arms and took a deep breath. ‘Good?’

‘Good.’

They woke up when they heard the applause. Clarisse got as red as a lobster when she realised the dance floor was empty except for them. Chris quickly guided her to the side, while everyone turned their attention to the stage. Apollo got on again, in full glitter costume.

‘That was good,’ Silena whispered to her friend.

‘Hm.’

‘At least it wasn’t too bad,’ Beckendorf whispered with a smile, which made Clarisse smile too. The large demigod ruffled through Chris’ hair. ‘You listened well.’

‘Thanks.’

Clarisse looked at her boyfriend. ‘Wait, you…’

‘Dancers!’ Apollo boomed over their heads, stopping the conversation. ‘The jury discussed-’ he winked at his muses ‘-and they came to a conclusion.’

He let the tension build while he pulled out a card. ‘Our winner of the evening is, without a doubt… Perseus Jackson!’

Annabeth thought he would die, that’s how pale he got. ‘Eh…’

‘I’ll…’

‘You have to go to the stage,’ Poseidon whispered to him.

‘Oh.’ Forcing his legs to work, Percy crossed the square, to the stage.

‘Don’t make me do any dance moves,’ he whispered to Apollo, while the god held up his arm.

He winked. ‘Very well done!’ he went on.

‘Apollo, Apollo,’ he could already hear Athena complaining.

‘Of course, we’ve also got the best dancer! This price goes to… Alissa Yukovich!’

Clarisse watched on as the random girl got onto the stage. She squeezed Chris' hand. She’d had more fun, even if she didn’t win.

Then, Apollo once again leaned into the microphone. ‘Then for our last award… the best couple.’

‘Oh god no.’ It was out before she realised. Clarisse looked over her shoulder, at her dad, who was giving her his widest smile.

‘... Clarisse la Rue and Chris Rodriguez!’

Yeah, no. Was that only because they kept going the longest? Or because they were so disgustingly cute together?

Either way, Silena pushed her forward, until they took the stage together. All of Olympus errupted in loud cheering.

Apollo looked at the assortment of winners. Usually, the winner, the best dancer and the best couple would all do a round around the room. Yet, perhaps he wouldn’t afflict that onto Alissa right now.

‘Wonderful, everyone!’ He bellowed. ‘Now, the dance floor is open, the night is young, and the wine flows. Go for it, everyone!’

The next moment the dance floor was crowded with couples, happy to dance without it being a competition. Even Percy could be swayed to try again, with Annabeth leading this time. He could almost forget Athena’s eyes burning into his back.

Chris stood next to his father while Clarisse danced with Silena. ‘I mean… was it impressive?’

Hermes laughed. ‘Quite, Chris.’ He rummaged through his hair. Chris pushed him away. ‘Don’t be mad. It was fun, right?’

Chris sighed. ‘Yes, dad. Yes. It was fun. So I guess: Thanks for bringing me here.’

Hermes smiled. ‘No problem, son.’

Clarisse found herself dancing with Silena, who was maybe even happier than Clarisse.

‘That was so good.’

Clarisse smiled. ‘Thanks. Credit where credit is due, I am glad that I didn’t have to dance in a dress.’

‘You’re welcome. Oh…’

‘What? Do you see Chris?’

Silena shook her head. ‘I think your father wants a word, too.’ She kissed her friend on her forehead, before dashing off to Beckendorf, who was dancing suspiciously close to the girls.

Clarisse looked up at her father. Guess he really did make himself smaller for their lessons, he seemed so tall right now. ‘Was that good?’

‘That was wonderful, tiny. You won!’

Clarisse took a deep breath. ‘Was it also good because I liked it?’

‘Did you really like it that much?’

Clarisse looked him in the eyes. ‘That was one of the best things I ever did, dad.’

‘Ah.’ Ares sighed.

‘Actually, Chris is right there. I think I might do it again.’

Ares placed a kiss on the top of her head. ‘I am proud, tiny.’ Then he vanished, leaving the way for Chris to take his place.

Chapter 32: The Shoppers

Chapter Text

‘Thanks for offering to come along,’ Silena chirped. Clarisse buckled in her seatbelt.

‘That’s what friends do, or so they told me.’

Silena nodded. ‘They were right.’

Clarisse sighed as she closed the car door. ‘Let’s get it and then go back to camp, alright?’

Silena turned on the car. ‘You got it.’

As they drove out of the woods and hit the road, Clarisse hung back in her seat. ‘Be honest with me. Did you really get Chirons’ permission to drive all the way to the nearest drugstore for a new lipstick?’

‘Tut-tut.’ Silena waved her finger. ‘It’s not just any old lipstick. It’s from a new line launched by one of my far-off sisters, said to have special healing abilities for demigods. We have to get a few to try it out.’

Clarisse chuckled. ‘And your far-off sister couldn’t just send a tester package to camp?’

Silena shook her head. ‘You wouldn’t understand.’

‘I wouldn’t.’ Clarisse sighed and stared out the window. While it was still green around them at first, the trees slowly began to dissappear as they approached the highway. And off they were, to the big city.

Or well, big city. Even if it was officially still called New York (Which Clarisse doubted), they were on their way to a suburb of a suburb of a suburb, which just so happened to have it’s own mall with a drugstore.

Silena put on a pair of sunglasses. ‘I like driving,’ She told her friend. ‘It´s freeing. All you need is a car and gas and you can go anywhere.’

‘Which you could also do on a bike,’ Clarisse rebuffed.

‘No, no.’ Silena shook her head. ‘Then you’d get tired. And sweaty.’

‘It would be less expensive, though.’

‘Not if you count the cost of food, which you’ll need more of to cross the same distance.’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘Maybe.’

‘You don’t have your drivers’ license yet, right?’

‘No. I never had the time.’ The question made Clarisse feel tense.

‘Also not during your holidays in Arizona?’

Clarisse shook her head. ‘No. Usually I was there for two weeks at the most, so too little for classes.’

‘Yeah.’ Silena blushed. ‘Sorry.’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘As long as I´ve still got you to drive us to outer-outer-outer New York, it’s fine.’

Silena snickered. ‘Still, don’t you sometimes feel like you are missing out? You’ve been in camp for so long.’ Silena paused. ‘You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.’

Clarisse shook her head. ‘I do feel like I am missing out. The last time I went home, my friends were all talking about how there was only one more year left and then they’d be graduating.’ She shrugged. ‘They were all talking about how they would go on trips, and they were planning college and studying for their exams…’ she sighed. ‘I understood they were excited and I get from the books and the movies why. Yet I wasn’t them and I’ll never be them.’ She shrugged. ‘Not that it matters much. I think a lot of them would love to have… my life.’ Silena didn’t miss the slight wobble in her voice. ‘You know, no school, living in bunks, excitement.’ She growled the last word. ‘I have all that other teens dream of. Even a boyfriend. Still, I’d rather be struggling through school right and drink at parties and worry about my boring future right now than do this.’

Silena changed lanes as they reached the exit that would lead them to outer-outer-outer New York. She nodded. ‘I get why you feel that way. We get a lot of life, a life others dream of, yet what we really want is their ‘boring’ old life.’

‘Hm.’

Silena sighed. ‘I guess I kind of got both worlds, but sometimes I feel like I got neither one.’ She blinked. ‘Sorry, I am talking over you…’

‘No, go on. I want to hear it.’

Silena sighed. ‘I go to camp during summers and I do high-school during the rest of the year. So I’m both graduating next year and I am preparing for a divine war.’ She slowed down as they reached the city limits. ‘This means I can’t fully focus on finishing high school, yet neither can I quit and stay in camp to prepare for the war. I can’t go to parties and be carelessly happy, but neither can I leave that all behind. I got too far for that.’ She took a turn. The signs of the mall appeared in the distance. ‘Not that I am not grateful that I can spend time with my dad,’ She went on, ‘Yet it does make me feel like I have to live this half-life.’ She sighed. ‘Sorry. I mean, you can hardly see your mother. I mean…’

‘It’s worse when you try to defend yourself.’ Clarisse looked at her friend. ‘I understand that you feel robbed too, In a different way. You don’t have to apologize for it.’

Silena opened her mouth, then just nodded. ‘I almost said sorry.’

‘But you didn’t. See? You listen to me.’

Silena chuckled. She drove into the parking lot, which spiraled all the way down for three levels.

Clarisse coughed as Silena parked the car. ‘Be honest. Didn’t you also want to go buy that lipstick just so you could have a little shopping trip like a normal teen?’

Silena smiled. ‘Didn’t you volunteer to come along for the same reason?’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘Perhaps.’

Silena opened her car door. ‘We don’t know how normal it will be. The cashiers could be empousa. Or eidolon. Who knows.’

Clarisse got out too. She walked around the car to meet Silena and hooked her arm through her friends’.

‘Still though. We’ll just have an outing.’

‘We can try testers!’ Silena cheered.

‘Now I didn’t agree to that…’

‘Ah, come on.’ Silena stepped forward, dragging Clarisse with her. ‘And afterwards we can get ice-cream.’

‘Throw in that empousa battle and you got me.’

Silena laughed. She leaned over to kiss her friend on the cheek. ‘Let’s start with the lipstick, though.’

‘Let’s.’

Chapter 33: The gunmen

Chapter Text

Ares saw through the rear-view mirror that his daughter was tugging on her sleeve. A nervous habit. He hoped she’d lose it soon.

‘Do you know me?’ He asked, while taking a turn. A part of him hoped she’d say‘Yes, dad. Of course I know who you are. I often think of you.’

Yet all that came was ‘I saw you before.’ She looked up. Even if she was still tugging on her sleeve, Ares didn’t hear any anxiety in her voice.

‘That’s true,’ he answered. ‘When you were very, very little. Your mom was there too.’

Clarisse tilted her head. ‘I don’t know if mommy would like you.’ Kids. Always so ruthless. ‘But she did tell you the codeword.’

‘It was very good of you to ask for that.’ Ares nodded as he said it. Typical of Louise, to teach her child that strangers must know a codeword to pick her up from school. Too bad he was a god.

‘Mommy says it's to keep me safe.’

‘I think she’s right.’

‘When are we getting home?’ She put part of her sleeve in her mouth. ‘I’m hungry.’

‘Soon. First, we have something else to do.’ Ares turned on the blinker and drove into a parking lot. For all its failings, Phoenix had decent indoor shooting ranges.

He opened the door for the kid. She got out and looked up at her father.

‘Have you ever held a gun before?’

Clarisse shook her head. ‘Mommy says it's dangerous. But she has one in the drawer.’

Louise, Louise, Louise, Ares thought. You can’t keep a weapon around a child of mine hidden. They’ll find it, whether you want them to or not.‘The biters are more dangerous. To protect yourself from them, you need to know how to use guns.’ He held out his hand, which she took.

‘Don’t we need a ticket?’ Clarisse asked as Ares brought her inside.

He shook his head. ‘I don’t need to pay. I’ve got my own gun.’

‘I don’t...’

‘I’ve got one for you.’

Clarisse didn’t reply. Her eyes darted through the hall, past the various guns, the window behind which several men and women were training with earmuffs and goggles on, the targets they were aiming at. She seemed transfixed.

‘In here,’ he said, ‘We need to wear goggles and gloves. In the real world, we won’t always have those, but I don’t feel like arguing with the staff today.’
Clarisse nodded. Ares smiled and took out his own gun.

Clarisse held out her hands, but Ares shook his head. ‘No, no, this one’s too big,’ he explained. ‘I’ve got a smaller one for you to use. This is just to show you how it works.’

He opened the gun the way he would if he were to load it. ‘This is what we call a Revolver. Typical for revolvers is the cylinder with six chambers, where we store the bullets.’

Clarisse didn’t understand everything he was saying, but she listened breathlessly.Ares dug a bullet out of his pocket and put it into one of the chambers. ‘You see?’

His daughter nodded.

He closed the gun. ‘When you pull the trigger,’ he said while pointing at it, ‘The bullet will fly out. You need to make sure you don’t have it pointing the wrong way, because then you won’t hit your target.’

Ares held out his hand. Clarisse took it.

Before entering the range, he put a pair of (too large) earmuffs and goggles on her head. He didn’t bother with protection for himself. The mortals would tell him off sooner or later if it was really important to them.

He brought Clarisse into a booth. With a single, well-aimed shot, he hit the bullseye.

‘Ohh…’ Clarisse put her hands on top of the wooden fence that seperated the booth from the shooting lane.

‘Did you see that?’ Ares asked.She was so excited she didn’t hear him, but when Ares put his hand on her head, she looked up with a gleeful smile.‘Now, do you want to try it for yourself?’

Her eyes got big. ‘Can I?’

He nodded. ‘Let’s do it, piglet.’

He slid his hand into his pockets and took out a smaller replica of the gun he had used himself. By extension, it was a replica of the gun Louise la Rue owned. Clarisse took it with her mouth agape.

He crouched down to her level. She was tall for her age, so that she could just see the target over the wooden fence.

‘Alright. Now look at the target,’ Ares said in a soft tone he didn’t often use. ‘Hitting the target is good. Hitting the bullseye is perfect. That is where we’ll be aiming.’

‘Bullseye?’

‘The red part in the middle,’ Ares explained. ‘If the target were a biter, the bullseye would be its head or its heart.’ Clarisse nodded. Ares thought he had never seen a five-year-old in such a deep state of concentration.‘When you think you’ve aimed correctly, you pull the trigger.’ He placed his hand over Clarisse’s.

The girl didn’t wait. She slowly began pulling back the trigger, until it went off with a bang so loud it made her gasp.

The bullet hit the target in the third white ring. With large, dissappointed eyes, she looked up at Ares.

He raised his eyebrows. ‘Didn’t you hear me, piglet? The bullseye is perfect, yet the target is still good. If you did that, a biter would still get hurt.’

Clarisse didn’t seem convinced. ‘Can I try again?’

Ares nodded. ‘You have five more bullets.’

Clarisse went back to concentrating, as she carefully aimed and shot. She didn’t manage to hit the bullseye, which made her tear up a little. Ares took of her goggles to run his hand past her eyes. ‘Don’t thred,’ he said, ‘You got better. Now we will practice until you can hit the bullseye without failing. Then you can protect yourself and your mommy. What do you say?’

Any other adult would have been afraid to see a child so happy at the thought of violence. Ares could only share Clarisse’s glee.

‘Let’s keep going, then, before I have to bring you back to mommy for dinner.’

Chapter 34: The worrier

Chapter Text

Louise la Rue was on her way to the bar she worked at. Usually her mind was occupied with thoughts like ‘I got to sprint, otherwise the light will turn red,’ ‘that’s a cute dog,’ ‘did I turn on the dishwasher?’ and ‘I hope they didn’t put all the bottles in the wrong order.’ But right now she could think only one thing: ‘My daughter sent me an email yesterday.’

Clarisse almost never sent news of the goings-on in Camp half-blood and frankly, Louise wasn’t too sad about that. More emails usually meant more trouble and more trouble meant lots to worry about.

Yet, yesterday, her daughter sent her an email. There hadn’t been anything special. Camp was rebounding from the war, she wrote. There had been a breach in the protective shield when a hellhound came through, but that was nothing the demigods couldn’t handle.

That wasn’t what Louise was worried about. There had to be a reason for her daughter to send her a message, all of a sudden. What was it, under all of those normal things, that she wanted to say?

‘Watch out!’ A motor roared past so close that the wind caught into Louise’s hair.

‘Watch out yourself!’ She pushed her hair straight and kept on walking. Idiots on the road, as always.

My daughter sent me an email yesterday, she thought again. It wasn’t a bad email, but I don’t know why, and it worries me.

She crossed the street and turned around the corner, to the bar. Through the window she could see the same tables and lights as usual.

She walked past a group of patrons who were smoking outside. A man she served regularly winked as she walked in.

‘You’re early,’ Theresa, the woman who did the early shift, remarked. Louise nodded.

‘My daughter sent me an email,’ she said then. It felt strange to say it outloud instead of only thinking about it.

Theresa raised her eyebrows. ‘From her boarding school?’

Louise nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘That’s… nice?’

Louise nodded. ‘Yes.’ She put down her bag. ‘I’ll get to work.’

‘Take it easy.’ Theresa patted Louise’s hand. ‘Sometimes the little ones get to you. No matter how old they are.’ She put up a cigarette as she disappeared into the back to get her stuff.

The second barkeeper, who was washing glasses, snickered. He winked at Louise, who put off her coat. ‘Actually, my daughter called me yesterday. It was very pleasant.’

Louise smiled a lukewarm smile. ‘I understand.’

‘Yet, it worries me also. She’s all alone in Seattle.’

‘Hm-hm.’

‘The same goes for you, doesn’t it, Louise?’

She blinked as washed her hands. ‘Yes…’

In her back pocket, she felt her phone shaking. She reached to take it.

‘Unknown number.’

The barkeeper smiled. ‘Take it. It’s alright.’

‘It’s really not…’

‘Go before I change my mind.’

Louise nodded and hopped into the back, with her coat still in hand.

‘Hello, Louise la Rue speaking?’ There was silence for a few seconds. ‘Hello..?’

‘Mom?’

Another silence, but this time it came from Louise instead of her daughter. ‘Clarisse?’

‘Mom.’

Definitely Clarisse. Louise swallowed. ‘Why are you calling, cherié?’

‘I…’ she sighed. By her tone, it didn’t seem like a lot was wrong. ‘Did you… get my email?’

‘I did. Should I have noticed something?’

‘No… no.’ She sniffed. ‘Eh… I used to ask this to Silena, or like… not at all. Yet Silena always said I should ask for help with things, but she’s not here anymore, so…’

‘Clarisse, what’s your point?’

Clarisse sighed. ‘I’ve had a boyfriend for a year and a half, mom, but due to the war we haven’t been on anything you would usually call a date. Yet Chiron gave us permission to go to the cinema this friday. I don’t know what to wear,’ she mumbeld, before sighing again. ‘Actually, forget it. This is ridiculous…’

‘I called my mom when I went on my first date in college,’ Louise confessed, ‘And that was from Phoenix to Chicago. It’s alright. What have you got?’

‘Uhm… I’ve got training clothes, a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt. Actually, those and my jacket are the only nice-ish clothes I own, so I was going to wear that.’

‘Hm-hm?’

‘Yet, then I still need to do something about my hair and make-up. Just a bandana seems uninspired. I already wear that every day.’

‘Could you make a braid? Or ask someone to give you one?’

It was quiet on the other side of the line, until Clarisse mumbeld: ‘Silena gave me a French braid once. That looked nice. I could ask one of her sisters, I think.’

‘...it would look nice.’ Louise used to make a French braid in Clarisse’s hair herself, sometimes. With a pang she wondered if her daughter even remembered that. No, that was not important right now. ‘And make-up?’

‘I’ve got a red lipstick,’ Clarisse went on. She sounded like the words gave her trouble. ‘Mascara. Powder.’

‘Well, isn’t that enough?’ Louise, for one, thought her daughter would look gorgeous with lipstick on. ‘Sounds like you figured it out yourself, as always, cherié.’

‘Yeah.’

Louise leaned against the wall. ‘But there is something else, right?’

‘Aren’t you supposed to be at work right now?’

‘Aren’t you supposed to be at some activity?’

Clarisse sighed. ‘Not the same. Yet I…’ a sigh on the line. ‘I wish I could have asked Silena,’ she said in a small voice.

Louise hesitated. ‘I understand, cherié.’ Of course she understood.

‘Thanks.’ Clarisse breathed in- and out again. ‘Don’t worry. It’s going better.’

‘I’ll still worry, because I also know it stings more than you allow yourself to experience.’

‘Harsh, mom.’

‘I am not sorry, cheriè.’

A sigh, and a shout from the barkeeper: ‘Louise? Cut it short! It’s getting busy!’

Snickering. ‘Get to work, mom.’

‘You go back to your activities, cherié. And good luck on your date. Bye.’

‘Bye.’

Louise waited for Clarisse to hang up, before sliding her phone into her backpocket and walking out into the front.

The regular she had seen walked up to the ba and asked for a beer. While she stood by the tap, he put his elbows onto the bar. ‘Where were you?’

Louise looked at the man. ‘My daughter sent me an email yesterday,’ she answered, and she felt a smile growing on her face. ‘And just now, she called. She’s going through a difficult time, but she’s coping well. I am proud of her.’

Chapter 35: The Lost Case

Chapter Text

‘I heard he entered the labyrinth.’ ‘If that is true, then he must be dead. No-one who goes in there for this long comes out alive.’ ‘He has to be insane by now.’‘Are you all crazy? Obviously Chris joined Luke. Everyone who left these days joined Luke. Doesn’t mean he isn’t also insane, of course…’

Clarisse turned around and seized whoever said that by their collar. She opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to say didn’t come.

Angrily she shoved the other camper away. She stormed off without even knowing who that kid was.

She’d rather they’d say Chris was dead. It was better than if he had joined Luke. He’d be gone either way, but at least there would be no shame in crying. Not that she cried, but as a manner of speaking.

A hand trailed over her shoulder. She jumped and raised her fist, hitting whoever was behind her.

She froze when she saw it was Silena. ‘Gods, f*ck, sorry…’

Silena raised her eyebrows. ‘I was going to ask if you wanted to sneak a can of co*ke, yet maybe I can better ask if you want to sneak a can of co*ke and use my shoulder to cry on.’

‘I don’t cry.’

‘As a manner of speaking.’

Clarisse nodded. The two girls walked to a sheltered edge of the forest.

Silena pulled two cans of co*ke out of the pockets of her oversized sweater. She gave one to Clarisse. ‘Now you tell me what’s wrong.’

‘We’re nearing a crisis. Everything is wrong.’

‘There is a good chance the wood nymphs won’t tattle on the drinks if they get a sweet secret out of it.’ Silena took a sip of her co*ke.

‘I haven’t opened mine.’ Clarisse pointed to her can.

Silena pulled off the lid. ‘You were saying?’

Clarisse growled. ‘Twat.’

‘I love you too.’

Clarisse took a sip and sighed. She felt tired. ‘The other campers. Give them a day and they will have forgotten about Chris’ disappearance. People disappear all the time, it’s hardly worth five minutes of gossip.’ She sniffed. ‘But I won’t have forgotten. I did when all those other losers left. Perhaps some of them are dead, some are bound to have joined Luke, I didn’t care. But now it is someone I care about. I can’t stop worrying, and all the people around me do is smear his name, and after that they won’t even remember he even existed.’ Clarisse put down her co*ke and burst into tears. ‘I want to know what happened to him!’

Silena put down her can and laid a hand on her friends’ leg.

Clarisse leaned away from her. Tears made a trail down her cheeks, into the collar of her shirt.

‘What do you want me to do, Clarisse?’

‘Leave me,’ she bit back.

Silena pulled back her hand and leaned against the tree. ‘I won’t talk, but I will stay here, though.’Clarisse didn’t reply.

Tears can’t last forever, and Clarisse really did not want to cry. Within a couple of minutes, she sucked it up.

Silena looked up. ‘Sorry for pushing.’

‘Bitch.’

‘I deserve that.’

‘Yes.’ Clarisse sighed. ‘No.’ She picked up her can. ‘I mean, you did bring me co*ke.’

‘Hm-hm.’ Silena sipped her own drink.

‘This is an issue I can’t just punch. That’s the problem.’

‘You’re more than that…’

‘Of course, but punching the issue really hard is what Ares kids are good at. Now all I can do is punch the gossipers, but that won’t bring Chris back.’ A leaf fell into her lap. ‘It would feel good, I guess.’

‘Ah.’ Silena shrugged. ‘Well, in that case, you just gave that kid what he deserved.’

‘Sorry,’ Clarisse apologised again, thinking of accidently smacking her friend.

‘Thanks, but no bad blood.’ Silena sighed. ‘I hope for you he’s still alive.’

Clarisse turned her can around. ‘I hope he didn’t fall into Luke’s hands.’

She didn’t notice Silena stiffening for a moment and her eyes filling with remorse, before she pulled herself together again. ‘No.’

‘I’d almost rather he’d be dead than that he betrayed us.’ She took a sip. ‘But maybe that’s the Ares kid in me speaking. You fight or fall, but you don’t desert.’

‘No.’

‘Still, even if he left us, I’d want him back just to punch him.’

Silena took a deep breath. ‘I… eh, I didn’t even know you cared so much about Chris. Rodriguez, right?’ a smile curled around her lips.

Clarisse stiffend. ‘It’s not that important.’

‘But you like him?’

Clarisse shrugged. ‘He’s there. He’s kind to me.’

‘Just kind?’

‘Perhaps more than just kind.’ She frowned. ‘But then he left.’

Silena nodded. ‘Sorry.’ It made her heart beat faster to say it.

‘I thought you would know how I felt,’ Clarisse answered. ‘Being a child of Aphrodite and all.’

Silena snickered. ‘We aren’t thát powerful. We have our suspicions about who likes who, though.’

‘Just a little suspicion of course.’ Clarisse took a large sip from her co*ke. ‘It’s been a moment since I had this. It’s good. Makes me think of home.’

‘Same.’ Silena put her hand on that of her friend. ‘Eh, no matter what happens, I’ll care about you, alright? Really.’ She tightened her grip. ‘I mean it. Sincerely.’

‘Yeah?’ Clarisse looked around.

Silena nodded. ‘Good.’ She took a sip.

They kept sipping until their drinks were gone, and then they sat some more. Moments like these should be cherished, most of all in times like this.