Tales Untold

Capture The Flag

"Okay, so battle strategy," Cinder started, "We'll have Dionysus, and Demeter distracting the other team." She looked around the group as the two cabins nodded. "Hermes is in charge of getting the flag, and no silly business." She glared at Thorne, councilor of cabin 11.

Kai smiled, realizing what would happen right before she said it. "And that leaves Hephaestus and Zeus to guarding the flag." Cinder sighed, and looked at Kai who nodded in agreement.

Being a child of Zeus was great and all, except when all of your siblings had left on epic quests, leaving you to chill and play capture the flag. Kai felt like he was letting his father down, but there were perks to staying at camp. Like a really cute daughter of Hephaestus.

Everyone adjusted all of their weapons, getting ready for the game, when Thorne spoke up. "Cinder, make sure you don't get distracted over here. I see you left big thunder with you." Thorne winked and then came over to whisper into Kai's ear as Cinder glared. "You gonna make the move with your niece yet?" Thorne laughed, and jogged away before Kai could think of anything to say, but not fast enough. Just before Thorne had caught up with his cabin, a wrench came and hit him. Courtesy of Cinder.

Kai laughed. Cinder wasn't your ordinary demigod. Sure, she was great at fighting, and the best mechanic in probably the whole world, besides Hephaestus, but there was more to her than that. She was smart, sassy, funny, sarcastic, and everything that made her just so fun to be around. Cinder had come to camp when she was eleven, coming a little later than most, and years after Kai had first arrived.

Now, Kai had been friends with Thorne for a while. All of the councilors got along well, but he and Thorne had known each other even before becoming councilors. They had come to camp about the same time, and had somehow ended up becoming good friends.

Sadly, Kai had gotten drunk one night and accidentally spilled to Thorne about his feelings for Cinder, and Thorne had decided to tease him about her being his niece. But around camp Half Blood, it's hard to find a love interest who you're not related to.

Kai tightened the straps on his armor, taking deep, calming breaths. He felt confident with their teams odds, even if they were facing a rough crowd.

First off, they had Thorne and the rest of Hermes trying to steal the flag, and they were the best thieves in all of the world.

Second, they had Scarlet, councilor of Demeter. Now, normally Demeter is pretty docile and chill, but not Scarlet. She was one of the most competitive people Kai had met, and would stop at almost nothing to win.

Lastly, Cinder was the most brilliant and talented person Kai had ever met. She would lead them to victory, giving everything she had to get there.

Even though Kai was positive that they would win, their opponents were nothing to laugh at. For starters, Jacin, councilor of Apollo cabin, was one heck of a straight shooter. He was a great fighter too, but he had a weakness. Winter, child of Aphrodite, who he would do anything to protect her.

Ares was also a frightening prospect, but they had lost a lot of their muscle after Wolf, their previous councilor had left on a quest a few weeks back.

But the most frightening was probably cabin 6. Athena.

Though their councilor was about five feet tall, she was way smart. Cress had come out with some of the most outrageously crazy and brilliant plans, and was practically a mad scientist. Except for the fact that she was really sweet, and not crazy, and really not like a mad scientist.

"You ready to win?" Kai jumped, nearly dropping his sword. Cinder was looking at him with humor in her eyes. She knew she had surprised him.

Kai smirked, trying to hide his blush. "They better be ready to see stars, because we're gonna whip the other cabin's butts!" Kai exclaimed while Cinder shook her head. She turned away to speak with her siblings, telling each of them a specific location to go to.

Cinder finished talking to her fellow cabin mates, and turned back to Kai. He noticed that she had kept him with her, and his stomach began to do little jumping motions. He hopped on his toes to try and calm himself, but it only seemed to make it worse.

"Nervous?" Cinder asked with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. Kai smiled and brought his feet flat to the ground.

"Naw," Kai shook his head and set his face forward.

Cinder laughed, and Kai reddend. "So," Cinder started, "I've heard some interesting things from Carswell Thorne. Some things that include you."

Crap. Crap. Crap.

Kai was going to electrify Thorne until his hair fell out. It was one thing to tease, but Thorne had broke the system of trust by telling Cinder about his feelings.

His brain was reeling, and it took Kai a second to realize that Cinder was waiting for a response. She had a playful smile on her face that made Kai's brain freeze up and all he could muster was a, "Oh, really?"

Cinder rolled her eyes. "I'm just messing with you lightning bolt. I know that Thorne is full of crap and that you don't have feelings for the crazy daughter of Hephaestus. Relax."

But Kai couldn't relax. Did she think that Kai couldn't actually like her? That he didn't? Did she not realize how obsessed he had been with her for the past few years?

Kai didn't think as his mouth came up with a retort. "You think I don't like you?"

Cinder blinked, looking puzzled. "Um," Cinder tilted her head to the side, as if trying to decide whether or not Kai was pulling a trick on her.

Rolling his eyes, Kai put his hands on his hips. "Yeah, Cinder, I like you. I like you rather a lot." Kai blushed as he said this, but felt no regret. He had been trying to work up the nerve to tell her this for years, and the right time had finally presented itself.

Cinder scoffed, making Kai do a double take. "What?" he asked, feeling self conscious.

"Kai," Cinder took a step back, "you are a child of Zeus. I am a child of Hephaestus. I am deformed, ugly, and scarred. I am not supposed to be with a child of the big three. Especially not a child of Zeus."

This shocked Kai to his core. Did she think she wasn't good enough to be with him? If anything, it was the other way around.

"Hold up," Kai put his palm out towards Cinder, "you don't honestly believe that." Kai shook his head. "No, no. Cinder, you are the most amazing person I've ever met. You're smart, you're talented, and you're funny, and I've had a crush on you since we were kids."

Cinder laughed nervously. "Kai, I-" But she was cut off by his lips on hers.

She gasped, but didn't pull away. Little fireworks exploded in Kai's head as he did what he had been daydreaming about doing for years.

Her lips were the sweetest thing Kai had ever tasted. They were like a drug, and Kai didn't ever want to stop. Cinder seemed to feel the same way.

Like they were magnets, Kai pulled Cinder closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. Cinder reached up and encircled her arms around his neck. She put one hand in his hair, playing with the bottom strands Kai pulled her in tighter, beginning to feel light headed from no oxygen, but not daring to pull away from Cinder.

Suddenly, there came a loud crashing noise, as the sound of footsteps approached Kai and Cinder. The two broke apart, Kai blushing violently, and Cinder looking sheepishly at the ground.

"Your welcome for capturing the flag," Thorne swaggered towards them. "Also, Kai, Your Majesty, what did I tell you about kissing your niece?"