The Half-Blood's Curse [Discontinued]

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The next day I barely got out of training. I made excuses like, "I'm just observing, " or, "I want to watch you first so I can pick up a few pointers." I was pretty successful, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

It was Friday. Which meant it was capture the flag day. Joy. Devin came up to me. "I want you on my team. We're playing against the Athena cabin and their team. We're the blues."

"Oh, I-I was hoping that I could--"

"What? 'Pick up some pointers?' I'm sorry, but that's not how it works in capture the flag. Everybody plays. Those are the rules."

Busted. "I'm not going to be very good," I warned her.

"That's okay." She smiled and walked away to put her on her armor for the games.

This kid walked up to me. "Here," he said. "Your armor and a sword." He was one of the kids I saw working on my cabin yesterday.

"Thanks. I'll need it." He laughed and walked away. "Hey! I don't need the sword!" I called after him. It was too late, he was already gone. I put the armor and the blue horse plumed helmet on reluctantly. Oh, what am I going to do? I thought. I'm dead meat!

Once everybody was ready, Chiron called them to the clearing. "Campers! Are you ready?" Everyone cheered and hollered. "On the blue team tonight we have the cabins of Hephaestus, Apollo, Oizys, Zeus, Hecate, and Hermes!" The whole blue team cheered. "And on the red team we have the cabins of Athena, Ares, Poseidon, Hypnos, Aphrodite, Hades--" he went on to list the rest of the cabins. The red team cheered. "You know the rules. No maiming! Get to your places."

Everyone split up. Devin, who was obviously the leader of the blue team, told me, "You stay and guard our flag. I'm going to go get theirs."

"I don't think I should--" She had already found her place.

"Robert!" I heard her shout. The boy I had seen her talk to last night looked at her from the other team. "You're going down!" Devin said playfully.

"Begin!" Chiron shouted. Immediately the game was in action.

I stayed in my spot guarding the flag while Devin and the others ran. Some stayed behind with me and fought off the others. I just stood there hoping no one would attack me. No such luck. I was soon discovered by a few Ares kids. They attacked the other guards.

One of the girls struck me in the chest. My armor stopped her blow. She swung her sword and went for my leg. A huge gash was cut into my kneecap. "Please! Stop!" I shouted at her. She laughed. And I couldn't do anything about it. If I hurt her I would only hurt myself.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" Another guard asked me angrily as he pushed someone away.

"I--I," I stuttered.

"Hit her in the head with the butt of your sword!"

"I can't!"

"Just do it!" I had no choice. I lifted my sword and swung the hilt of it at her helmet. The blow was enough to knock her down. Immediately I felt the impact. The head throbbed and I fell to the ground next to her moaning. She quickly got up and moved on to the next guard for the flag. As soon as I got up I was attacked again. I did absolutely nothing about it. I had so many cuts it wasn't funny. "Defend yourself!" the guard boy shouted. I took my sword and sliced her left arm. I watched as the same cut I gave her appeared in the same place I struck her on my left arm. She winced in pain.

"Why is this such a violent game?" I screamed at the boy.

"Strike her again!" He shouted. I gave her a good blow to the rib cage and immediately collapsed. I could feel my ribs cracking. She moved on like the other girl. Apparently, Devin had come back after sending some other army after the red flag and had seen everything that just happened. A girl name Hayley came running back across with the red flag. We had won.

"Oh my gods! Are you okay?" Was the last thing I heard before I blacked out on the ground. It was Devin.