𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀, luke castellan

ᴛᴇɴ

The Quest Begins.

⚡

   THAT SAME DAY, RORY NOTICED PERCY EXIT THE WOODS. That was particularly odd, they didn't have any activities in the forest. But she shrugged it off, maybe he just wanted a moment of quiet, without worrying about being judged by any of the others, after all, Rory and her friends too had their little spot in the woods to get away from camp.

    However, shortly after, she saw Luke coming from the same patch of trees not long after Percy. It didn't take long for Rory to put two and two together. But maybe it had been a one off thing, Rory reasoned, although she doubted it. She wondered how long this had been going on behind her back.

    The next day at about the same time, she watched the woods again. Sure enough, Percy appeared, looking happier than he had in days, probably at the fact that someone was actually talking to him, training with him.

    Rory went in as soon as he was out of sight. The dense foliage parted before her, allowing slivers of sunlight to filter through the canopy above, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across the forest floor. It didn't take her long to find Luke, stumbling upon him standing in a little clearing.

Luke stood amidst the towering trees, his tall, lean frame silhouetted against the backdrop of the foliage. The branches stretched towards the heavens like ancient sentinels, their gnarled forms casting long shadows that danced across the forest floor. His stance was one of quiet strength, his shoulders squared and his chin held high, and yet there was an underlying tension in his posture. With a furrowed brow and a distant look in his eyes, he seemed lost in thought. In one hand, he held a training sword, its hilt worn and weathered from years of use. His fingers tightened around the familiar weapon, the muscles in his arms coiled with a restless energy.

    "So..." Rory began, her voice breaking the stillness of the forest and causing Luke to abruptly spin to look at her, surprise evident in his expression. She had caught him off guard.

    "I can explain..." Luke tried, looking guilty, reading the disapproval on her face. "I was going to tell you—" Her expression remained unconvinced. "I knew you wouldn't like it."

    "Do you really think it's a great idea to be training him?"

    Luke hesitated, avoiding an immediate response. He wasn't looking at her. "Luke," she pressed.

    "What's the harm?" he responded almost casually, brushing aside Rory's concerns. His nonchalant reply elicited a scoff from her.

    "He's a Big Three kid. He's powerful enough as is; he doesn't need the extra training."

    "Relax," Luke insisted. "It's training for me too. I need this."

    "What you need is to stick to the plan."

    "I am sticking to the plan," Luke reminded her. "Soon Chiron will send him on a quest, and he'll be dead by the summer solstice, one way or another. It's fine. And I... I feel like I'm getting somewhere with him, Rora... Maybe we could..."

    "What? Recruit him?" Rory interrupted, sensing his hesitation. They had spent the past two years subtly trying to influence their friends, carefully discerning who would align with their cause. But Percy was different. They wouldn't have enough time to sway him to their side before the summer solstice, which loomed ominously on the horizon, just under two weeks away.

    She remained unconvinced, prompting Luke to soften his stance. He took her hands, tracing circles on them, expressing genuine remorse. "I'm sorry for worrying you," he admitted.