Discontinued - PJO One Shots

Chin Up Tiger (Part One, OC)

Read Author's note after this chap please

The leaves, all in different colours, crunched under my boots as I treaded on. Enormous trees, covered with moss, were squished together. Their roots twisted around each other, intercepting the pathway, causing me to step over or around them. Little sunlight danced on the forest floor due to the large canopy the trees created above me.

As I continued down the path, the corner of my eyes caught movement. My hand immediately grasped the blade at my side.

A creature loomed ahead of me, its red eyes blazing and its mouth growling, revealing teeth that was pointed and stained. Its shaggy fur was a silvery grey, the colour of my blade that I was currently clutching. The wind picked up, blowing my blonde locks of hair around. The creature moved closer to me and as I went backwards on the mossy paved pathway, my foot became wedged between a gnarly root and a loose pavement. I fell backwards, my back hitting the ground. The creature came into my blurry vision, causing even more fright than before. I scrambled to my feet, drawing my blade before stabbing it into the back of the terrifying creature. It whimpered in agony as it sunk to the ground. Its beady eyes closed shut.

My heart thumped in my chest for a few more seconds, as my mind counted to ten. My stomach sucked in then out as my lungs grabbed and released air. Using my free hand, I pulled myself to my feet, sheathing my sword back to my side.

Usually, the woods were quiet. Abnormally quiet. Today, however, was a whole different story. Marking the Capture the Flag game route was typically a breeze. Something I was proud of overseeing. Except for when monsters lurked about.

The creature disappeared in an array of golden dust that drifted through the air until it was completely out of sight. I continued my trek, finishing up with the placement of red and blue markers before heading back into camp, just in time to hear the lunch time horn.

The dining pavilion was its usual sort of crowdedness. Tables filled up the room, alongside a small fireplace that was filled with blueish red flames. Demigods were either there, torching a proportion of their food as a sacrifice to their parents, or sitting at their appointed tables, determined by their godly ancestry. My eyes searched the room, coming to a stop on the Hermes table and the head of the cabin, Luke Castellan.

With his sandy blonde hair, crystal-blue eyes and well-toned body, Luke was deffientley a good-looking guy. Minus him falling into the eighteen to twenty-year-old category of course and the fact that he could potentially be my brother. I wasn't too sure since my godly father hadn't claimed me yet. But in a way, I was perfectly okay with that. The Hermes cabin was like another family, and to find out that my godly parent would potentially mean going to another cabin, well I couldn't see myself abandoning the Hermes tribe.

I headed my way to the table, ruffling Luke's hair before sitting down beside him. He grinned at me, flicking my ear before telling the plate in front of me what food I wanted. No matter how long I've been at camp, it was still strange to be talking to a plate. The smell of bacon drifted in the air, a smile forming on my face. Crispy bacon, fried tomato and scrambled eggs was something that I could always eat, no matter the time of day. I thanked Luke before scooping a forkful into my mouth, slightly moaning at the taste.

"Easy there Tiger," Luke said. "Can't have you dying before the big game."

"Nah, Chiron told me I can be excused from the game," I told Luke, before swallowing another mouthful. "Considering I always map it out, it's about time he realizes we get the advantages."

"Don't say that," he tsked. "We need you."

I shrugged.

"Obviously, you can't tell us about the traps, and I know you hate being a part of the flag capturing, but that's okay, Savvy. We won't force you to do what you don't want to do."