Wildfires, Heroes of Olympus ₂

008, i know what you are frank zhang

CHAPTER  EIGHT
FINLEY    BRIGGS

₊࿐࿔✸⋆｡° ⚘༉ . ⊹

After that, the battle was mayhem.

Finn, Percy, Frank, and Hazel waded through the enemy, plowing down anyone who stood in their way. The First and Second cohorts—pride of Camp Jupiter, a well-oiled, highly disciplined war machine—fell apart under the assault and the sheer novelty of being on the losing side.

Part of their problem was Percy. While they were used to Finn's insane style, they weren't used to the new boy who fought like a demon. He whirled through the defenders' ranks in a completely unorthodox way, rolling under their feet, slashing with his sword instead of stabbing like a Roman would, whacking campers with the flat of his bade, and generally causing mass panic. Finn was having the time of her life because of him—she thrived in madness.

Octavian couldn't say the same for himself: He screamed in a shrill voice—maybe ordering the First Cohort to stand their ground, maybe trying to sing soprano—but Percy put a stop to it. He somersaulted over a line of shields and slammed the butt of his sword into Octavian's helmet. The centurion collapsed like a sock puppet.

"You have to teach me how to do that!" Finn laughed maniacally, her eyes gleaming.

She wasn't doing that bad with her own skills, though. Finn—like previously stated—was a fan of being a menace. Fighting insanely was the closest she could get to actually going insane, and that was a facet of herself she always tried to repress. But now she was drunk and in her element and dominant even though she was reduced to fighting with a gladius. Finn jabbed the enemy defenders with her weapon, then whirled and did the same to even more. They either dodged fiercely at her strikes, or backed away at the purple flame festering in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Frank shot arrows until his quiver was empty. He used blunt-tipped missiles that wouldn't kill but left some nasty bruises. He broke his pilum over a defender's head, then drew his gladius like Finn. Hazel climbed onto Hannibal's back. She charged toward the center of the fort, grinning down at her friends. "Let's go, slowpokes!"

"See, now you guys are so fun!" Finn whooped.

They ran to the center of the base. The inner keep was virtually unguarded. Obviously the defenders never dreamed an assault would get this far. Hannibal busted down the huge doors. Inside, the First and Second Cohort standard-bearers were sitting around a table playing Mythomagic with cards and figurines. The cohort's emblems were propped carelessly against one wall.

Hazel and Hannibal rose straight into the room, and the standard-bearers fell backward out of their chairs. Hannibal stepped on the table, and game pieces scattered.

By the time the rest of the cohort caught up with them, Finn, Percy, and Frank had disarmed the enemies, grabbed the banners, and climbed onto Hannibal's back with Hazel. They marched out of the keep triumphantly with the enemy colors.