Knight Of Olympus: Titans Lullaby

Chapter 8: Pushing Past Limits

Two days had passed since Jaune and the others had returned from their quest. The camp had resumed its usual rhythm, but the atmosphere was tinged with an undercurrent of anticipation.

Now, in the arena, a select group of campers stood together: Percy, Thalia, Annabeth, Katie, the Stoll twins, Clarisse, Lee, Will, Charlie, Silena, Drew, Castor, and Pollux. These were not just any campers—they were leaders, head counselors, the ones who would guide their cabins in the trials to come.

In front of them, Jaune stood, fully armored and exuding a calm but commanding presence. His eyes swept over the group, a small, reassuring smile on his face. Seated on the pavilion, Penny watched him intently, a small Nymph beside her, keeping her company.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called just you here," Jaune began, his voice steady and clear. "The simple answer is that most of you are head counselors, as leaders, you bear a greater responsibility—not just to be smart, but to be strong... That's why today, I'll be teaching you how to better handle your powers, as well as the finer points of strategy,"

Clarisse, never one to hold back, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "That's cool and all, but some of us don't have powers like Prissy and Thalia," she said, her tone slightly challenging.

Jaune chuckled softly, a knowing look in his eyes. "If that's what you want to believe, go ahead," he replied. "But I doubt it, I highly doubt that Percy, Thalia, Katie, Castor, and Pollux are the only ones here with powers,"

Castor, who had been listening quietly, spoke up, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "But our powers aren't made for combat like Percy's and Thalia's, what could we do?"

Jaune's smile widened, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "That's where you're wrong, Castor," he said, his tone encouraging. "You might think your abilities are limited, but there's more to combat—and leadership—than raw power, we'll get to that soon enough,"

He then turned his attention to Percy and Thalia, the demigods who had always been at the forefront of every battle. "Percy, Thalia," he addressed them directly, "How much strength does it take to control your powers?"

Percy gave Jaune a small smile, his eyes thoughtful. "It's a bit hard," he admitted. "I can make waves and splash around easily, but when it comes to really causing damage, I have to focus, it's like trying to thread a needle in a storm,"

Thalia nodded in agreement, her gaze shifting from Percy to Jaune. "Same here," she said. "I can send a small jolt through someone that might make them feel tingly or off balance, but if I want to actually inflict pain, it takes a lot more concentration,"

Jaune listened intently, nodding as they spoke. "I thought so," he replied, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "That's why you two are going to focus on refining that control, I want your powers to become second nature—something you can call upon without even thinking,"

Thalia raised an eyebrow, intrigued but unsure. "Okay, but how exactly are we supposed to do that?" she asked.

Jaune's smile widened, a spark of enthusiasm lighting up his face. "Simple," he said, his tone growing more animated. "You're both going to train by pushing the boundaries of your control! Percy, see that kiddie pool of water at the other end of the arena?" He pointed to a small, unassuming pool in the distance. "I want you to manipulate that water with as much precision and focus as you can manage, Don't just move it—control it, shape it, make it dance if you have to."

Percy glanced at the pool, then back at Jaune, nodding in understanding.

"And Thalia," Jaune continued, turning to her, "I want you to start by slowly upping the voltage in your hands, focus on shaping the electricity, molding it like Percy's going to do with the water, the goal here is to have full command over it, not just raw power, and once you both feel like you've got a handle on it, let me know, and we'll move on to the next part of your training,"