RECLUSE - (n) a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people.
MAISIE ELLIOT WAS ANGRY.
Angry at the world.
Angry at the Gods.
Angry at the demigods who seemed to move on too fast.
And when forced onto a quest with three stranger...
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MAISIE WAS FROZEN
Her whole world seemed to stop and she gazed towards the new campers. Her hands began to shake. Her breathing quickened. Her brain just seemed to be chanting the word No. The tall blonde held both their hair color and his eyes were a similar shade of blue. Not as dark though. The girls eyes seemed to change. Shifting from hazel to blue to green within small flashes. In a split second, both of her eyes seemed to be different colors. This send a pang down to Maisie's heart. The same heterochromic eyes she had gotten used to staring into. She felt as though her world was ending. She shakily took a step back. Then two. Then three. Then she was gone.
Once she was out of the clearing, she bolted towards her cabin. Throwing open the door and flying to her bed. She sat and began to violently shake. She wanted to scream. She felt so sick. Her legs shook with to much intensity she felt like they would break off any minute now. The only thing she could think of was that they looked like them. They looked like her best friends.
Camp half blood A week before the battle of manhattan
Maisie Elliot and Harmony Brooks sat in the strawberry fields as took time and care to admire her closest friend. Harmony was her age, a daughter of Apollo. Her green and brown eyes, and her long blonde hair captivated everybody's attention. Her face was splashed with freckles and Maisie believed she had been sculpted by the Greek gods themselves. She was the kindest and sweetest soul. Not a bad bone in her body. They basked in the sunlight as Maisie laid her head onto Harmony's lap.
"Is Marcus going to meet us down here?" Asked harmony. Her smile rivaling the beauty of the sun.
"Not today. He said he had some stuff to get done to prepare for-" Maisie cut herself off. She wasn't ready to fight in a war. Neither of them were.
"Have faith Maisie," Harmony softly spoke, "The gods are on our side. We'll get through this war."
Maisie only nodded. They had been training for this their whole lives. How could she still feel so underprepared.
Harmony shifted above her, and Maisie took it as her sign to sit up. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange hue onto their faces and they stood to their feet. Gathering their bags, they agreed to meet again tomorrow and heading back to camp for campfire.
Last minute, Maisie decided to take a detour towards the Hypnos cabin. Marcus Quinn claimed to be practicing his control over his powers to help the camp, and didn't want to be bothered. Sadly, listening had never been a skill Maisie had possessed.
When she approached the door, she faintly heard voices on the inside. Assuming he was speaking to his half brother Clovis, Maisie opened the door. Only to freeze in place at the sight.
Luke Castellan was sat in the cabin through an iris message. Chatting with Marcus as if they were good friends. In her shock, Maisie's hand flew to a nearby table to stabilize herself, knocking over a nearby glass in the process. The sound of glass shattering drew all attention to herself. Marcus quickly waved Luke away as he turned to face her.
Maisie felt like she was choking. Her hands shook. Her legs felt like jello. She didn't know how to feel. She stuttered random noises attempting to forms words, but words couldn't describe the betrayal she felt in that moment.
"Maisie," Marcus's annoyingly southing voice rang out, "let me explain."
Finding her voice, Maisie called out, "Explain what? That you're fraternizing with the enemy?"
"Luke is not the enemy." Marcus demanded.
The anger Maisie felt was unlike any she had felt before. How dare he defend that monster. After he had just murdered Charles Beckendorf, who Maisie considered a close friend. She wanted to scream. Shout. Cry. Break something. But she couldn't. This was one of her best friends. And he had betrayed her.
"How could you do this to us? To me! To Harmony! To your father!" She angrily shouted.
"I owe my father nothing!" He shrieked, "When were the gods ever there when we needed them? If they cared, they would've saved Beckendorf."
Maisie drew her axe. Holding it with a murderous glare. Arms shaking in anger.
"Oh please Maisie, you're not going to fight me." He said, drawing his twin blades from his sides. "I've always been stronger."
They stood. Staring for quite some time. Before Maisie couldn't take it anymore and charged. Axe held high. She swiped at his side while he use one sword to block, and another to make a small gash in her left side. Crying out in pain, she charged again. Only more infuriated. He sidestepped as she slashed again. Tripping her with his leg.
Landing flat on her back, she raised her axe. Blocking both swords from coming down onto her. Her heart pounded as she realized he would've killed her had she not blocked his strike. Kicking his legs, he fell into the dresser behind him. Knocking over an assortment of trinkets onto the floor. Regaining her footing, Maisie stood to block another strike. They locked eyes. Sapphire on emerald. Deep ocean onto grass.
Maisie's eyes swirled with rage, angry he was going easy on her, yet she was still losing. Shoving her back with force, knocking her to her knees. His eyes began to lightly spark, and she knew he was going to use his powers on her. She attempted to summon all her strength, but it seemed like her own mind was against her. This was still the boy she grew to love.
Her mind became foggy, her vision blurred, and she fought to remain conscious.
"Just give up Maisie, you can't win this war." Marcus softly spoke. Her arms shook with exhaustion, it felt like a ton of bricks were pushing her eyes closed. Her axe clattered on the floor as he sheathed his swords. She fell to her hands and knees, barely able to look up to his eyes. They held some sadness, regret, but overall he had accepted what side he was on.
As her vision faded in and out, she watched as he pulled off his dangling earring situated on his left ear, and threw it onto the ground. She felt the wind hit her face as a swirling portal opened to who knows where. Turning to lay on her back, she looked up at Marcus, who before stepping into the portal, glanced back to Maisie. Softly muttering his next few words.
