Percy Jackson and the Armies of Chaos ~ Complete

Speeches and Games

Alkaios's POV

The camp was silent as Era and I stepped out of our obsidian cabin. You could cut the tension with a knife, and unease pulsed like electricity through the air.

Even the new campers knew about me, The Hero Of Olympus, The Lost Boy. I was a story told around the campfire. I was a legend.

And I hated it.

There was a crowd outside of our cabin, Aiyla and Ralan were holding it back. Some people were pretending that they weren't looking at me, but others stared straight out. I found that I liked those people more, no lies, no deceit.

"What?" Era snapped, her hand gripping my arm tightly. I was grateful for that, because if I didn't have her I would've run away screaming by now. And that wouldn't be good for my image.

"Percy-" Jason Grace started, and I cut him off.

"My name is Alkaios, not Percy. Don't you ever call me that again."

Jason stepped back with a wounded look on his face, but he persisted. The honorable brat. "Per- Alkaios," he said hurriedly after he glanced at Hale's face, "Please, we didn't mean to do what we did- I didn't mean to ignore you, we just-"

"No apologies." I snapped. "You don't know what you did to me. I came to you after Sally and Paul died Jason. For months and months I came crying to the Zeus cabin, but the door was always shut in my face. You, and you alone killed the love in my heart towards demigods."

"And you Thalia. You humiliated me whenever you could, laughing at my miserable shots with a bow and arrow every time you saw me practice." She flinched back, and I watched with a vicious joy. "You destroyed any pride that I had."

On and on, I judged the people who knew me the best, who had slain monsters with me, who I had let into the inner reaches of my heart.

I judged them, and found them guilty.

"Luke." I said thoughtfully, staring down the demigod. He puffed up his chest, and stared right back.

Arrogant fool.

"What?" He said. His hands rubbed together as if he was itching for a fight.

"Well," I drawled, strolling through the crowd leisurely. It was as much to intimidate as it was to calm my nerves. Walking always helped. "You were the main reason why my supposed friends' true emotions came to the surface. I suppose I should thank you for that. But-" My voice fell to a deadly whisper, "You should be glad that I'm not killing you right now, even though I'm considering it. You should watch yourself. Be very, very careful. I wouldn't want you to have an accident."

Then I stepped back a few paces, and spun around. I knew exactly where I would end up, where I always ended up.

Next to Annabeth.

"You," I said softly, a few tears pricking my eyes. The knot in my heart tightened, crushing me. Strangling me.
"You destroyed me. You razed my heart to the ground. If Jason killed the love in me, you killed any hope that I had to find it again. Annabeth, I fell into Tartarus for you, and you threw that all away. That's why," I said, picking up her hand. Her gray eyes stared at me, wide and pleading. It was just like old times, me and her. In the middle of the crowd, me holding her hand. "I can never forgive you. I can never forgive this camp. I can never look at you the same way again." I kissed the spot on her palm where her tear fell, her hand shaking. "For old times," I whispered, my hair in my eyes. "For old times."

And then I teleported back to the middle of the Seraphim, where I belonged.

"Our calculations suggest that Order's forces are going to attack in three days time. And you are all woefully unprepared. So, we are going to play a game." Era said, not missing a beat.

"Capture the Flag," I said with a small, wicked grin.

Era sent a small wave of joy down the bond, and I almost laughed out loud.

They would be punished.

Finally, things are picking up now. We got the romance bit sorted out, the confronting his friends thing. We can finally start on the war.

Sorry this chapter was so short, by the way.

And still- how do you feel about Percy/Era? And do you want the rest of the 7 to be included more?