~JASON~
As I stepped out of my cabin to get breakfast, the crisp morning air greeted me with the distant sound of a commotion. The scent of dew-laden grass mixed with the aroma of breakfast from the nearby pavilion. Curiosity getting the better of me, I quickened my pace and headed towards the lively source of noise.
The arena came into view, and a chorus of excited voices filled the air. The buzz of conversation was accompanied by yells and the clashing of swords.
When I got there, I was welcomed by surprise. Somehow, I hadn't noticed the huge dragon flying in the sky, Sera. On the ground, Aliana stood with her hands outstretched towards the dragon, huge shadow creatures rushing to attack Sera. Nico whirled around Aliana, swinging his sword against... were those holographic soldiers? Nico's sword seemed to be going through the glowing blue men, but as soon as the sword would have met the man, he disappeared.
The campers had decided to sit in the stands and watch the show. "Percy! Percy! Percy!" They chanted. Where's Percy?
Squinting at the dragon, I noticed a small figure atop the dragon. What was Percy doing up there? He stood from his seat on Sera's back, and began creeping towards her shoulder. My heart caught in my throat when he jumped, and relaxed when he slid safely down her bicep, landing on her claw. If he'd fallen from that height, he surely would have died.
He unsheathed his sword as Sera dove, soaring past and breathing fire at the ground, killing half of the holographic men. As Sera started to incline, Percy took the upward force and let it boost him as he jumped off her claw and into the fray.
Joining the crowd, I noticed Az off to the side, a table covered in computers in front of him. He seemed to be running the training program.
"What's going on?" I asked the Aphrodite camper next to me. I remembered her. She was remarkably strong and eager to fight for one of Aphrodite's children.
"Apparently they're doing a three-way battle. Percy and Sera versus Aliana and Nico versus Azrael's battle planning. Percy and Sera are testing their ability to work together without being able to communicate since Sera's stuck as a dragon, Lia's working on managing multiple shadows independently, Nico's working on protecting a person who can't fight for themself, which in this case is Aliana because she's focused on the shadows, and Azrael is working on commanding a war on two fronts," she explained.
Meanwhile, Percy was slashing through the fake soldiers like butter, making his way towards Nico. When he got there, he and Nico locked into combat, sparring faster than I could see and somehow also killing any soldiers coming their way.
Nico probably realized he'd forgotten to keep Aliana safe when he looked back, face full of panic, and raised his free hand before turning back to Percy. Skeletons appeared, clawing their way out of the ground, and formed a shield around Lia, preventing the soldiers from reaching her.
Eventually, it ended in a draw, with Nico pinned to the ground by Sera's claws, and Sera's shadows at Percy's neck. Azrael had lost, through apparently he'd done better.
The group stood like that for a moment, before unanimously breaking apart and dusting themselves off. They turned to us and bowed mockingly.
"You're welcome for the show," Percy grinned, panting slightly. I couldn't shake off how different he seemed, especially after Aliana got here.
Lia waved her hand and the shadow creatures scattered everywhere came back to her, pooling around her legs.
Percy began picking up discarded weapons around him and strapping them to his body. "Well, anyways," he said, not really talking to anyone in particular, "I just wanted to get some training in before my mission, so I'll be going now." He strode out of the arena, his armour wrapping around him from the duat midstride.
Once the arena had cleared, we all ended up getting a late breakfast, and the seven and Percy's pack at Hades' table.
"So, what prompted this morning's sparring session?" I asked, taking a bite of my omelette.
"Nothing really, it kind of started when Nico mentioned that he wanted to play around with our holographic training system, and then the others kinda joined in," Aliana explained.
"Man, that dragon thing was wild," Leo said, shaking his head. "I gotta hand it to Percy and Sera, though. That teamwork was something else."
Groans and chuckles followed, accompanied by reminiscences of Percy's past feats. The atmosphere at the table was light, the morning's training now a topic for jokes and friendly banter.
As the meal progressed, the campers dispersed to various activities. Some headed to the archery range, while others lingered by the lake, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. The sense of unity and familiarity within the group was a comforting contrast to the unpredictable challenges they faced as demigods.
Later in the day, as the sun reached its zenith, I found myself strolling towards the amphitheater. A group of campers had gathered for an impromptu musical performance, and the joyful tunes resonated through the air. Clarisse, surprisingly skilled on the drums, led the ensemble, infusing energy into the gathering.
The rest of the day unfolded in a similar fashion, filled with laughter, shared moments, and the occasional friendly competition. The intensity of the morning's training session had given way to the simple pleasures of camp life.
As evening approached, a bonfire was lit near the amphitheater, drawing campers together for stories and s'mores. The night sky sparkled with stars, and the campfire flickered in rhythm with the tales being shared. It was a perfect conclusion to a day that, despite its unexpected twists, had become a testament to the enduring bonds of friendship within the camp.
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971 Words
Ok I wrote this like two days ago at like 2 in the morning and I was just reading it over and WHAT IS THIS ENGLISH. 2 AM me must have been high or something because since when did I have the brain cells to write "The sense of unity and familiarity within the group was a comforting contrast to the unpredictable challenges they faced as demigods?" and what is "The sun reaches it's zenith?" like I barely even know what Zenith means 😭😭😭
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Vita Mortis
FanfictionPercy Jackson was just the son of Poseidon, saviour of Olympus. Right? Wrong. Very Wrong. Read as demigods find out Percy isn't who he really is. Will they trust him enough to let him lead them in war?
