The Demigod Games

Chapter Thirty-three

Reyna had been in tough situations before, but nothing hurt more than facing another rejection for the son of Jupiter.

By then, she swore to never return to the girl she was before. No more being a feeble rabbit. Reyna's name literally means queen. It's time for her to rule.

She reasoned that the games were a ploy, a distraction, a simulation. However, Reyna couldn't gather a logical solution from its existence. It was bizarre and unreasonably cruel. There was no silver lining to the event, no true and valid reason for the games to exist.

The Gods wanted to demonstrate their control over the demigods, and this was their method. A simple show for the rest of Olympus to laugh at and bet on. It's a competition for them, though.

After carefully wandering the forest, Reyna rested her back along a small maple tree. The area was something all demigods had experienced at some points in their lives. It may be easy to stay hidden, but it was also easy for enemies to be stealthy in the shadows.

Reyna already found herself frightened out of her mind. Being a praetor meant being stoic and level headed, but fear took hold of her. She was no longer a leader, Reyna was another pawn in a game of Gods.

--

Leo squatted next a dingy river, wiping the dirt and slime from his dark skin. The tan he had gotten from the desert stage never wore off. He glanced at his reflection in the water to see blank brown eyes staring back at him. There was no whimsy or playfulness there anymore.

Piper helped Aelia make her way up an oak tree to scope out the surroundings. Growing wary of time passing by, Leo began to build a makeshift water bottle of sorts from his surroundings. Without nuts or bolts, or even a hammer, Leo could still manage to continue being a son of Hephaestus. He found it hard to go for even a few minutes without doing anything at all.

Aelia couldn't help but looking towards Leo as she dug her nails into the bark. From the events in the arena, he developed a crush on Piper, who was still in love with Jason. The classic love triangle. Still, Aelia recalled the moments before they entered the games that they had spent together. Leo was funny, cute, and talented to Aelia. If only he had noticed her.

After nearly falling to her death, Aelia finally (and literally) clawed her way to the top of the tree. Light flooded her vision, causing her to wince. In her life, Aelia had never seen something so beautiful. The Gods had left a gift for their children within the madness and insanity that they had created of their lives. Leaves bristled slightly as wind passed, some gently tugging away from their branches and drifting down to the dirt. Thankfully, the Gods hadn't graced them with a lot of animals. Living without as much food was difficult, but she had grown to be thankful for the lack of desert heat. Extreme weather and being starved made for near-death experiences. Even so, the demigods had been through worse.

For the first time in the arena, Aelia felt peaceful and tranquil. All of a sudden, Aelia felt the rough shaking of the tree trunk beneath her. Three shakes. It was a warning. She had no choice but to remain at the top of the tree silently while Piper and Leo found sanctuary.

"They're at full strength. We have to wait and eliminate other tributes," a harsh, female voice hissed from the ground. Aelia held her breath, recognizing Lara's malicious plans. She wanted nothing more than to scream at the top of her lungs, leaping on top of her. The only question was, who was she speaking to?

A growl erupted from the Lara's partner in crime. "Neither of us is patient," a male voice replied. "I already told you that same exact thing when we decided to band together. Are you trying to steal my cred?"

"No, I'm simply restating it before we get distracted, Eddie," Lara couldn't resist but letting her annoyance seep into her voice.

There was thud and a sudden jerk in the trunk of the tree Lara clung onto. "My name is Edward!" he barked.