10 Capture the Flag (2)

{Camp Half-Blood, August 7th 1996}

Kevin POV

CLAANG!

With a metallic sound I sent one of the Hunters backwards, but soon two more started attacking me. I raised my shield and blocked a strike from a dagger that came from the left and blocked a blade coming from the right with my sword, the clashing celestial bronze producing small sparks from the friction.

As the battle raged on I continued parrying, blocking and trying to counterattack whenever I could, but the continued pressure made by the Hunters was pushing all of us to our limits. The Hunter with the sword came rushing at me again, I then parried her blade and redirected it to the ground, before she could pull it out of the ground I bashed my shield against her face, loosening her grip from the blade and sending her flying backwards unconscious.

One down a few more to go I thought but just as I caught my breath, a Hunter with a bronze dagger launched herself at me and before I could react she cut my arm, the searing pain causing me to drop my shield. I prepared myself to fight once again, but I then heard a slump to the ground, where Hugh lay unconscious bleeding from his legs.

The battle's pace quickened little by little we whittled down some Hunters but they did the same, until finally only Cecilia and I were left facing five Hunters. "Come on lover boy don't bail on me now." Cecilia said with a devilish grin on her face, "Shut up, Cecilia just fight." I replied while keeping my eyes on the remaining Hunters.

The odds were against us, we didn't need to beat all the Hunters we just needed to stall them long enough. The Hunters circled us, their weapons glinting dangerously in the dim light. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, heightening my senses.

Cecilia lunged at one of the Hunters with incredible speed, her movements fluid and precise. I followed suit, engaging another Hunter who seemed to be sizing me up.

The Hunters continued ganging up on us when suddenly I felt a sudden hit on my head and I fell to the ground. The last thing I could see before I fell unconscious was the pommel of the dagger that hit me and Cecilia still fighting against the remaining five.

MC POV

"This is boring, b-b-boring." I sang while stringing my bow's string on top of a tree. "Concentrate, Oddysseus." Chloe whispered from her own hiding spot in the foliage under the tree where I was hiding.

THUMP

A tremor travelled through my entire body.

THUMP

A tremor rippled through my body once more, a dull ache settling in my chest. The pain migrated, from my chest to my eyes, compelling me to squeeze them shut. In that darkness, my peculiar "sight" stirred awake.

At first, my "sight" had been confined to the narrow aperture where my eyes pointed. But now, it unfurled, stretching beyond mere sightlines. I could perceive the world in a full 360 degrees. The distance, too, expanded, as if my vision were a lens zooming out, capturing the vastness of the forest.

Yet, my "sight" didn't stop there. It evolved further, reshaping my perception. I started discerning details from the shadowy masses that I could see before—the rugged texture of tree bark, the outlines of Chloe's eyes, mouth and nose.

But the colors I could 'see' remained the same, the world clinging to distinct shades of black and the colorful auras that clung to certain beings.

With my newly developed 'sight' I was able to see a group of women running at us, it was a group of five and I recognized two of them one was the woman with slightly red aura, the commander of the Hunters, while the other was the bulky woman I had seen at camp.

I quickly whispered in Chloe's direction "Hey, Chloe they are coming, it is a group of five." Chloe looked at me with a questioning look something I was finally able to see after my sight had evolved. "Okay, Odysseus remember the plan." She said with a determined face.

As they drew nearer, I swiftly retrieved an arrow from my quiver, nocked it onto my bow, and began drawing it to full anchor position. I steadied my breath to ensure precision. Gradually exhaling, I released the arrow.

WHOOSH

The arrow surprised the hunters, finding its mark and penetrating the gut of one, causing her to kneel in pain. The woman with the red aura started barking orders, prompting the hunters to disperse.

I readied another arrow, aiming for the bulky woman, drew it to full anchor, and released it. However, she anticipated the attack, dodging the arrow skillfully, it pierced a tree behind her.

Drawing another arrow, I focused on the hulking hunter. Meanwhile, Chloe executed her part of the plan, whispering Ancient Greek incantations that summoned vines and branches from the surrounding trees to attack some of the hunters.

Amazed by the capabilities of a child of Demeter, I noted the drawback Chloe needed to remain stationary to maintain concentration. My role was clear to protect her from any approaching threats while she controlled the forest's branches and vines.

My attention returned towards the more imposing threat as I let my arrow fly towards the hulking hunter. Chloe continued her onslaught on the other hunters. The sequence of events repeated, with Chloe handling most of the attackers, and I focused on individual threats to keep them away from her.

Finally, I managed to immobilize the hunter I had targeted, hitting her legs with arrows. However, my focus on this hunter allowed the red-aura hunter to get dangerously close to Chloe.

Unable to get a clear shot with my bow, I decided to abandon it, unstrapped my quiver, and let both the quiver and bow fall from my hiding spot.

Drawing my spear from my back, I leaped to the ground with a thump and sprinted towards the red-aura hunter. Intercepting her, she warned, "Get out of my way, demigod."

"At least introduce yourself first," I replied in a joking manner while preparing for the impending battle. "A man doesn't need to know my name." The Hunter replied unsheathing two daggers that were strapped to her sides.

The hunter dashed at me with impressive speed, faster than most demigods. Planting my feet firmly, I extended my spear and lunged, but she skillfully blocked it with her daggers, redirecting the attack.

Utilizing the momentum, I spun, aiming for her, but she swiftly ducked under the spear, piercing my gut with one of her daggers. As she withdrew the blades, leaving me bleeding on the ground, a low-frequency sound echoed—the war horn.

BwwOOORRR

It seemed that one of our strike teams had been able to capture the flag. Instantly, upon hearing the horn, I succumbed to unconsciousness, collapsing to the ground.