chapter 19

The time for the "friendly" game of capture the flag has arrived. I taught Nico how to fight for most of the day. 

I thought that Nico would become tried after awhile and quit. But surprisingly, he trained with me all day.

I think he really wants to beat the hunters because of his sister. So I would prepare him a weapon.

I headed towards the Hephaestus cabin to speak with Beckendorf. 

"Yo Beckendorf I have a weapon request." I said towards the towering teen. He was bult from working in the forges all day. He could make anything out of anything, some say. 

He looked at me with an raised eyebrow. "Yeah Atem, been awhile since you came here. What you need made?" He questioned.

I activated my claws and Beckendorf looked at them. "Those are sharp. Might take me awhile to-" He stopped as he stared at me.

I ripped off one of my claws and handed it to Beckendorf. It wasn't bloody or anything but Beckendorf looked at it like it was my finger.

"It will regrow shortly." I said and Beckendorf seemed to lighten up at that. "I want a dagger made with that."

"Who for?" Beckendorf questioned, it was like the tax but instead of money it was a question. "Nico" I responded. 

"Hahahaha, you giving the 10 year old something to skewer the hunters aren't you?" Beckendorf laughed. I laughed too and nodded as he went to work.

"How long you think it will take?" 

"Maybe an hour or 2."

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"Yo Nico." I call out to Nico who was eating an popsicle from the camp store. They sold 3 favorers, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. I assumed that Nico was eating an chocolate popsicle due to the brown color.

he looked at me and smiled. "Atem!" He ran up to me, completely forgetting his popsicle. "Can you teach me more?" He asked with a gleamer in his eyes.

"Sure, I can do it after the games tonight, but right now I got you a gift." I could have betted that Nico was going to explode because he vibrating rapidly.

"Here you go, this should go along with your sword in the games." I handed him the dagger. The blade was an orange color and curved like my claws but it was double sided. The handle was celestial bronze and had a leather grip.

"Wow!" He said while looking at the dagger.

"Wanna try it out?" I ask while pointing to the dummy that was next to us.

Nico nodded and stabbed it in the liver. The blade cleanly went through the dummy and out the other side.

"Try to swipe it." I advised Nico, who nodded along. 

He swung the dagger at the neck of the dummy, once the blade made contact, it cleanly went through and decapitated the dummy.

"Thud" The dummies head fell tot he ground as Nico stared in awe at the sharpness of the dagger. I figured that it was time to make sure that Nico wouldn't just kill a hunter.

"Don't aim for vital points with that dagger. And be careful too. It is made from my claws, they have the power to cleanly cut through scales and armor."

"Yes, I won't kill anyone." Nico said while stabbing the dummy.

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It was time for capture the flag. We had Thaila and Percy as co captains. We had some kids from the Ares cabin, Hephaestus cabin, and surprisingly the Aphrodite cabin. The Aphrodite cabin were talking about how they were going to show the hunters and destroy them.

I was placed on defense with Percy, the rest of them, including Nico, were on offense. I am hoping that Nico won't kill a kid.

The more I thought about it, it was a really dumb idea to give a 10 year old something this sharp. Plus with the negative that he wants revenge on the hunters. Not a good combination I would say.

Chiron hoofs sounded out. "Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team, Camp Half-Blood, shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis, red team, shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!" 

Me and Percy took defense when Thaila yelled out, "Blue team with me!" And we rushed out.

We decided to set the flag on Zeus' fist. It was a pile of rocks and boulders and from far away, the flag just looked like a clump of poop. The top boulder was 20 feet high so it would be hard to get the flag if you couldn't fly or climb fast.

We set Nico on guard duty, figuring that he wouldn't skewer someone out there. He was with Beckendorf and the "stole" brothers.

"We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia told the team. "Silena, you lead that."

"Got it!"

"Take Laurel and Jason. They're good runners. Make a wide arc around the Hunters, attract

as many as you can. I'll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by

surprise."

Everybody nodded. It sounded good, and Thalia said it with such confidence you couldn't

help but believe it would work. 

Thaila looked at Percy and said to him. "Anything to add Percy?"

"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got five guards, two scouts. That's not much for

a big forest. I'll be roving. Yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post!" Thalia said.

"Unless you see a golden opportunity," Percy added.

They went back and forth like children fighting over a popsicle. Eventually Thaila snaped. 

"Percy!" She touched his arm and a shock went through his body.

"Sorry." She said in a not sorry tone as she command the attacking force to follow her.

"Being defense is boring." Percy sighed. I nodded my head at that. 

"Yeah but my bones still feel like jelly so I kind of have to stay on defensive side of things." Percy scratched his neck and looked the other way nervously. 

"Percy you are not the one who drove the sun car, besides I am alive and that is what matters." I reassured Percy.

"Wanna climb that rock to get a better angle?" Percy nodded as he climbed up while I just flew up.

"So, how are you." Percy made small talk while we watched Nico struggle to climb up to the rock with us.

"What's happening?" Nico asked as I gave him my hand to help him up.

"Atem you see what I see?" Percy asked his eyes glued to the forest.

"An golden opportunity." I said as we jumped down, leaving Nico on the top to defend the flag.

"Beckendorf, hold the fort!" We shouted as we ran to the forest. I had to concentrate to remove the air friction from me and Percy. We moved at top speeds as we jumped through the trees.

We made it to the flag. The guard turned around, it was Bianca, I dropped kicked her as Percy grabbed the flag. Percy shot her a sorry. 

We managed to get about ten yards away before Bianca recovered from the drop kick and called for help.

"ZILP" The sound of an arrow sounded out. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that it was aiming for the tree which meant that it was a trip wire. I jumped over it while Percy tumbled.

"Percy! Atem!" Thalia yelled, off to my left. "What are you doing?"

Before she reached us, an arrow exploded at her feet and a cloud of yellow smoke

billowed around her team. They started coughing and gagging. I could smell the gas from

across the woods—the horrible smell of sulfur.

Percy got up and we continued out mad dash. 

I heard Thaila from behind us. "No fair!" Thalia gasped. "Fart arrows are unsportsmanlike!" 

An arrow shot out, aiming for Percy shoulder. I pushed Percy ahead and let the arrow harmlessly stick to my arm. It only was enough to stay in my arm but after I swung my arm, the arrow flew off.

A hunter came out and tried to stab Percy but he parried it, I also had a attacker but didn't care to block since they couldn't do much damage anyways.

I heard yelling from our side of the creek. Beckendorf and Nico were running toward me. I

thought they were coming to welcome me back, but then I saw they were chasing

someone—Zoe Nightshade, racing toward me like a cheetah, dodging campers with no

trouble. And she had our flag in her hands.

I knew I had to stop her. I stopped removing the air friction from Percy and full focus on moving as fast as possible. 

I starting moving faster than Percy. I was about 5 yards away from Percy when a volley of arrows launched at me. I jumped and landed on my hands in a handstand and jumped up. Avoiding the arrows I commanded the wind to push me.

I grew my wings and flapped down, crashing onto Zoe with my claws at her neck.

"Sorry Zoe, no hard feelings."

Zoe stared at me wide eyed as Percy raced across the river. Cheers erupted as I got off Zoe and raced over to Percy.

Chiron announced, "Camp half blood wins!" With so much pride in his voice.

"Perseus Jackson!" Thalia yelled, storming toward us. She smelled like rotten eggs, and

she was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up

because of Aegis. It took all my willpower not to cower

"What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed.

"Thaila, we won. Calm down." I said trying to defuse the situation. 

"I got the flag, Thalia!" Percy shook it in her face. "I saw a chance and I took it!"

"I WAS AT THEIR BASE!" Thalia yelled. "But the flag was gone. If you hadn't butted in, we would have won before she came even close to the creek!"

"You had too many on you!"

"Oh, so it's my fault?"

"We didn't say that." I said getting Infront of Percy, once again trying to defuse the situation. 

"Argh!" She screamed and pushed us. An electrical shock pushed my body ten feet away and it hurt like hell.

I stared at Thaila with hatred as I swiped my hand at Thaila and a gale storm appeared. It shoved Thaila against 3 trees, the first 2 broke in half. Once she halfway broke though the 3rd one she stopped. She was covered in small cuts. 

I would have sent her flying through more if it wasn't for Percy holding my hand before I could fully push her.

"Enough!" Chiron ordered

"YOU WANT SOME HOMELESS!" Thaila shouted at that I snapped.

I tossed Percy away like a bag of potatoes and summoned multiple balls of flames. I brought out my tail, claws and wings.

Thaila sent out a thunder bolt but I negated it with wings. I blasted all the balls of flames at Thalia.

Thaila tried to dodge to the right but her leg was hit with flames. This meant she couldn't dodge this. 

"ENOUGH!" Chiron shouted but I was already going for the kill.

I spot something at the corner of my eye and I stopped my attack. This shocked everyone as they turned to see what I saw.

It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped.

"This is impossible," Chiron said. I'd never heard him sound so nervous. "It… she has never left the attic. Never."

And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the group. Mist curled around our feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.

None of us dared move. Then her voice hissed inside my head. Apparently everyone could hear it, because several clutched their hands over the ears.

I am the sprit of Delphi, the voice said. Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python.

The Oracle regarded me with its cold, dead eyes. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoe Nightshade. Approach, Seeker, and ask.

Zoe swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out. I saw the vague image of a mountain, and a girl standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The Oracle spoke: 

Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain,

The bane of Olympus shows the trail,

Campers and Hunters combined prevail,

The Titan's curse must one withstand

And one shall perish by a parent's hand.

Then, as we were watching, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth. The Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic, as if she might sit by this creek for a hundred years.

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"It must of been connected with my dream of Luke." Percy told Grover.

Those words... We were charged of moving the oracle to the attic again. Percy said this and I knew my goal again. I became too relaxed. 

I packed all my stuff and sneaked out of the camp. Time for a solo adventure, and Luke,

"This will be your death bed."

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2/3 Chapters and Atem going on a solo adventure!

Comment your thoughts because next chapter is where Atem father gets named.