In which, Adira Lancaster falls in love with her rival, Percy Jackson
OR
he falls in love with her first, unknowingly.
She only seemed to think about a rivalry. Nothing else. Zilch. Nada. Zip.
-disclaimer- I do not own the Percy Jackson Books, or an...
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We set our flag at the top of Zeus's Fist. It's this cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods that, if you look at it just the right way, looks like a huge fist sticking out of the ground. If you look at it from any other side, it looks like a pile of enormous deer shit, but Chiron wouldn't let us call the place the Poop Pile, especially after it had been named for Zeus, who doesn't have much of a sense of humor. I should know.
Anyway, it was a good place to set the flag. The top boulder was twenty feet tall and really hard to climb, so the flag was clearly visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn't matter that the guards weren't allowed to stand within ten yards of it.
I set Nico on guard duty with Beckendorf and the Stoll brothers, figuring he'd be safely out of the way.
"We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia told the team. "Silena, you lead that."
"Got it!"
"Take Laurel and Jason." She paused for a small second, as if remembering something or someone. "They're good runners. Make a wide arc around the Hunters, attract as many as you can. I'll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by surprise," I explained.
Everybody nodded.
Thalia looked at Percy and I. "Anything to add?"
"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got four guards, two scouts. That's not much for a big forest. I'll be roving. Yell if you need help."
"And don't leave your post!" Thalia said.
"Unless you see a golden opportunity," I added.
Thalia scowled. "Just don't leave your post."
"Right, unless—" Percy said.
"Percy!" She touched his arm and shocked him. I mean, everybody can give static shocks in the winter, but when Thalia does, it hurts. I guess it's because her dad is the god of lightning. She's been known to fry off people's eyebrows.
"Sorry," Thalia said, though she didn't sound particularly sorry. "Adira? Anything?"
"Just... listen for my call. You'll know it when you hear it. When it happens, know that Brett and I are in place. Counters, cause a diversion. Then me and Brett can sneak through, and if all goes to plan, we'll win. Now, is that clear?"
Everybody nodded. We broke into our smaller groups. The horn sounded, and the game began.
Silena's group disappeared into the woods on the left. Thalia's group gave it a few seconds, then darted off toward the right.
I climbed into a nearby tree, swinging up through it. I nodded towards my Counters, and they made their way forward. My brother was a few trees away. I did a bird call my mom had taught me, and transformed into a bird, flying down towards the ground.
