New life

I woke up. I was lying on the sofa and the sun was shining right in my face. I sat on the bed. I was wrapped up in a blanket. "Who did this?" I thought at first. But who else could do it? Stupid question. Of course, it was Percy. Who, maybe, was a little bit at a loss when he saw me lying on the sofa, not in his bed. He might have questioned himself why l had moved to the sofa, but l hoped he had found the answer. Or not... Who knows! He's a Seaweed brain!

I got up from the bed and understood l was in an outfit. "What's the...?" I thought, but then l remembered that, when l arrived from Charlie, l hadn't changed my jeans and T-shirt on shorts and a top.

Today's night... I felt like it was so long time ago, but it was today! And... That was unusual. But the most unusual thing was that l felt great. It was like my mind threw away something that l was worried about, something important and made my head so light that l've never felt before. I was calm and thought that the day would be quite nice considering the capture of the flag.
I stood up and started changing my outfit. As l took off all my clothes, the door opened.

"Ste... Opps!" I heard the familiar voice.
"Hello, Percy!" I said standing in the middle of the room in my underwear. I blushed a little bit, but l was too curious to see Percy's next behavior. So, l just stood there like a model (if l can say that... but, of course, like a model. I'm a daughter of... someone related to Aphrodite!).
"I'm not looking!" Percy turned with his back to me. It was such a fun to see him getting red a little.
"Percy, did you know you have to knock before entering a room or whatever? You're leaving with a girl. What if l was....l don't know... without anything? Like in a buff?" I smiled. I wanted to make him red. I didn't know why, but that thing would make my mood just above high.
"I'm sorry, Stef..." Percy mumbled.
"Really?" I flirted shamelessly with him. He understood that.
"Nope." He turned to me. "I lied." He looked at me. That look started making me red... Not good, not good. But l still stood with my hand on a hip. "By the way..." He started going toward me and stopped when he was just too (too, too, too, too!) close. He whispered in my ear. "You're an amazing daughter of Aphrodite. You don't know how... lovely you are. But there is something you need to know, too... I'm a sassy and sexy son of Poseidon. So, what will you do if you see ME naked?" He looked in my eyes.
"Stop it!" I pushed him in the ribs.
"I understood that you have a good mood today, so l decided to answer you with seemly questions." Percy was laughing. "And l really made you blush!"
"Percy. Never. Ever. Do. This. Again!" I put on a T-shirt. "That was... l have no words!" I put on shirts and keds. "I... l thought if you are talking seriously or not!" I made my favorite ponytail.
"But agree that l'm sassy!' Percy couldn't stop laughing.
"You really believe that?" I looked at him smiling.
"Of course!" He smiled back. He was definitely happy with his joke and how he made me blush.

For me it was... I didn't know what to do! To answer him in his 'sassy' way or make him blush, too. I was embarrassed with his words! No, l definitely needed to answer him back! Because now he thinks that he's sassy and sexy son of Poseidon! But l guess l need to agree with him. He's such a person.

As we went out of the cabin we walked to the pavilion. It was around 1 pm, as Percy said. We had a dinner.

"Hi!" Annabeth walked toward Percy ignoring me.
"Hello, Wise Gi..." he was interrupted with a passionate kiss. No, they definitely needed a room. Like right now. "Wow!"
"So, Seaweed brains, would you join my team?" Annabeth and her cabin, as l understood later, were today against the cabin of Hephaestus. So, she wanted her boyfriend, one of the most powerful demigods, be with her on her side. I really didn't know whether she had decided that because Percy was one of the most powerful demigods or because he was her boyfriend.
"I'll say 'yes' only if you take Zeus cabin, too." Percy glanced at me (who was sitting on the opposite site of the table) and winked.
"Um..." l guessed, Annabeth was counting Jason and my's powers. "Stef, do you and your cabin want to join my team?"
"I..." And what did l have to say to her? I wasn't the head of my cabin. "I guess you need to ask Jason... But it would be a pleasure for me to be in your team." I looked at Annabeth. Her face brightened and became softer. She understood that l wasn't against her, that l admired her and her doings.
"Okay, then. I'll ask Jason." She smiled. "Hope, he didn't join Leo's team."

As she said, she kissed Percy in the cheek and walked away.

"You finally liked each other!" Percy smiled.
"You think so?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Of course! You saw how she smiled. Thanks gods! I thought that would never happened!"

I didn't answer that one. I wasn't really sure that we started to like each other. But she now definitely didn't want to burn me with her look.

As we finished eating we went to Percy's cabin. But as we were about to enter it, someone called Percy and he went somewhere. As l entered the cabin someone rushed to me and hugged so tight, that l thought my bones would break.

"Percy!" That someone screamed happily.
"I'm not Percy..." l whispered, because l was about to be smashed.
"What?" Someone let me go.
"Who are you?!" We said simultaneously. In any other situation that would trigger an endless laughter, but I just wasn't ready to laugh. I was standing near a... Cyclops! He was two meters tall, and very broad shouldered, and had very messy brown hair. One large brown eye was staring at me!
"Hi!" He smiled. And his big eye smiled, too.
"Tyson? Oh! I'm so glad that you're here!" Percy entered the cabin and hugged this Cyclops while l was standing and watching Tyson.
"Percy, why didn't you tell me about your new girlfriend?" Tyson looked at me.
"She isn't my girlfriend. She's my best friend who is a girl." Percy ran his hand through his hair. He was a little bit uncomfortable. I saw that, Percy! I saw that! *happy laughter inside me*
"I'm Tyson. The son of Poseidon and the brother of Percy!" He said. I understood that Percy's big bro really admired Percy and was really happy that the amazing Perseus was his, not anyone, but his, brother.
"Hi, Tyson. I'm a daughter of Zeus and... from cabin of Aphrodite."
"What? Zeus and Aphrodite?" Tyson's eye showed how shocked he was.
"Not really. My father said that Aphrodite isn't my mother. But he didn't tell me who is".
"Oh... Don't worry, you'll see her." Tyson's eye smiled. I looked at Percy. His look can be explained like "l'm with you 24 hours a day and you didn't tell me anything about your mom! But now you told that to the first stranger!" I looked down. I was ashamed.
"Of course, she will see her!" I looked up. Percy was smiling. Thanks gods and fates for giving me Percy! "So..." he glanced at Tyson "How is it going under water?"
"It's calm an..."
"What?" I interrupted Tyson.
"It is calm an..."
"No. You've just said something about under water?"
"Yes. I live there. With our dad. You know, it's really beautiful there... The castle is amazing!"
"Wow!" That's all l could say.

The whole day we spent talking about Tyson, with Tyson, about me and about Percy. I discovered that Tyson wasn't like a normal guy his age. He was a little bit childish and naive, but still it was interesting to listen to the stories he was telling. Everything was fine, except his big brown eye. I don't know... It just one... So embarrassing and uncomfortable... Brrr!

I met Jason only at dinner.

"Hi, sis!" Jason was watching me sitting down.
"Hi, bro!" I answered him in the same way. He smiled.
"As you know today we have the capture of the flag..." Jason started.
"Are you kidding? Of course, l know!" I said with smart appearance.
"That's great!" Jason smiled a little bit, but his face was serious. "We will be in Athena's team..."
"Percy!" I turned around and looked at him. "I'm with you in one team!" He showed his thumb up and l turned to Jason. "What? He told Annabeth that he'll be in her team only if l'm in her team, too."
"I see... So, we need to win, Stef."
"Jason," l became angry, "l'm only a beginner and you want me to win?"
"Um... Okay, okay... Relax. Just, that would be great..."
"Wish..."

After everybody finished eating, Annabeth appeared in the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree. Then Leo entered the pavilion carrying an orange flag with a donkey on it.

Chiron started his speech:

"Heroes! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves and good luck!"

As he said that, l entered the forest with my team. Annabeth's team joined children of Zeus, Poseidon (only Percy), Hades, Apollo, Aphrodite and Iris. I would say that was a really strong team considering Jason and Percy. But the other team wasn't bad, too. Leo invited Hermes, Ares, Dionysus, Demeter, Hestia and Nemesis's cabins. This team could leave only one Clarisse and she would win without any help!

As we were deepening into the forest, Annabeth was telling her plan. She decided that Percy and l will protect the flag hiding behind the nearest tree while others would somewhere nearby protecting the flag, too, or try to take the banner of the other team. That was a little pity, because l didn't took any part in capturing the flag and needed just to stay quiet in the forest and wait till somebody would come.

As we divided into groups, Percy and l went to our point where, Annabeth said, we needed to put the flag and guard it. This place was a normal clearing that are hundreds in the woods. We put the flag in the center of the clearing and hid in the nearest brushes.

It was quiet. Awfully quiet. I heard even breathing Percy who was sitting next me. He looked into the thick woods and tried to look around with his experienced eye, to calculate where enemies could appear from. He didn't look at me, but I was watching him. That's what he was, Percy Jackson, on the quest when any mistake can lead to collapse, death and total failure. He was much focused and incredibly serious. It seemed he didn’t even notice that I was sitting next to him. But in the next moment, he drew his attention to me.

"What?" His oceans looked at me.
"Nothing... You're just so serious..." l looked down.
"Of course, l am. And you need to be attentive, too. Imagine like it's your future quest. Stef, your life will depend on how careful, thoughtful and attentive you are. One wrong move, one missed thing could lead to a total collapse. To your death, Stef... I saw many deaths... l saw my friends dying. I saw their cerement burning. Do you want to die, Stef? If you die, what will be with Charlie, your parents, with me?"
"Percy. Stop! Please, stop! You're talking like l'm going to fight with that golden hair man right now! But l'm not!" I whispered with an ager. I knew l shouldn't shout in the forest during the capturing. "Or you think l didn't reckon about death? You think l didn't imagine how that would be? How l won't exist anymore?! No, Percy, l thought about this." As l stopped talking, l looked at the flag.
"You're smart. You didn't scream" Percy said and l glanced at him. He had conciliatory smile. "Sorry, Stef. I... l just... l will do everything, so that you'll be well trained. I don't want you to..." He didn't end and looked down.
"Hey, Pers" I touched his shoulder. "Thank you. I know that l'll be, because l have such a great teacher."
"Yeah..." Percy smiled. "Why didn't tell me about your mother?"
"And why didn't you tell me about your brother?"
"You didn't ask"
"You didn't ask either."
"Okay, than..."Percy smiled "I'm asking now. What about your mom?"
"When l saw Zeus last time, l asked him if Aphrodite is my mom. He said 'no'. But if l had a purple light in that thingummy above my head, l have to be someone related to the goddess."
"Logical."
"Yeah... But who is my mom?... I have no ideas..."
"Mayb..."
"Shh!" I covered his mouth with my hand. I heard something. The sound was heard on the left of us. It was as if someone was panting, and then that someone accidentally hit something. But this sound flew so fast that it was impossible to understand, was the sound or not. In any case, in the next second l heard nothing again. Only silence.

I put my hand from Percy's mouth.

"Have you heard something?" He whispered.
"Yeah, l think so... But l'm not sure... It was too fast. I need to concentrate..." l said looking at the woods on the left.
"Concentrate?"
"Yeah..." l nodded and glanced at Percy who was looking at me with a perplexity "What? I don't know what l'm doing, but l need to concentrate"
"Okay..."

I closed my eyes and imagined the forest and the place where we and the flag were. A few seconds l heard nothing except Percy breathing. But then my mind started to open. Some sounds started to surround me. I heard Percy's heartbeat and the leaves rustling on the trees that surrounded us on all sides. I felt the wind that was flying around, that was beckoning his freedom, that was the part of me. But l made myself concentrate a little bit more and opened my mind more. I heard someone's breath and heartbeat. I knew it was who we were looking for, but l couldn't help me overflowing energy. I wanted to cover more area, to see if my strength had a border, to know how much I was strong. My mind started to be filled by some talk, by hundreds of breaths, by sounds of battle. I heard everything. I was everything.

"So?" Percy whispered.
"Pers!" I glanced at him. He's just broke the whole my joy.
"What?"
"I just started to hear everything, and you just cut my connection to the air."
"First of all, this is not a good time for that. Secondly, you won't have so many time to concentrate during the quest. And, finally, we'll speak about it later. Did you hear our enemy?"
"Yep! He... Or she is standing there." I pointed at the woods that were on the left.
"Okay" Percy wanted to stand up, but l stopped him.
"No... I hear something..." I closed my eyes and opened them quickly in the next second. "There are three of them. Another five are somewhere near, too, but... But they're fighting with Jason and Hazel..."
"How you...?"
"Don't ask me. We're just losing our time. Our enemy is relaxing now and thinking where we are. We need to do something..."
"Oh..." Percy, firstly, glanced at me with admire (l'm a good student, yep!) and turned to the woods where our enemy was. "Stay here. I'll go to that trees and fight with them."
"Don't you think that three are too much for you?"
"Nope. Just sit here. If l need your help, l'll whisper to you. Okay?"
"Okay" l smiled and Percy went toward the enemy hiding in the shadows of the trees.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I heard how Percy was breathing and how his breath, that was so loud a few moments ago, became quieter. In the next second l heard Percy unlocked his sword. That was a little bit loud and, l thought, the enemy heard the sound. With that sound the heartbeat of the enemy increased. 'Boom-boom' beat my ears.

In the next moment l heard how Percy rushed to the enemy and attacked them. The clang filled the whole my head. It roared with deafening noise. I closed my ears and opened the eyes. The sound wasn't so loud. I relaxed a bit. I heard Percy fighting. I knew that he was in thousands of battles, but l didn't see any of them, I could only imagine them. So, l crossed my fingers for Percy.

In the next moment l heard someone running toward me and the flag. The sound was going from the right side. This someone was a little bit heavy, but this someone was experienced fighter, because I almost didn't hear the stamping of feet. The enemy even breathed inaudible. I wouldn't have noticed an approaching human, if he or she didn't have such a bouncing heart.

I looked right. This someone stopped and sat in the shadows to relax a little. I needed to do something. I needed to guard the flag. I couldn't let someone take it. So, as this someone started to move toward the banner thinking that guardians were fighting somewhere (yeah, of course! Only Percy is there! And l'm here! You won't touch the flag!), l rushed towards him holding my sword.

Our swords clashed with deafening sound. I looked at my opponent. It was... Any guesses? It was Clarisse. The daughter of Ares. Great! She began to attack quickly hoping to beat me. I defended, but didn't make a single step in the direction of the flag. Clarisse was doing lunges and hitting with all the force - I put the blocks and try to retain my positions. She has to be tired soon, right? But she continued to attack me, putting the same force in her kick. I gritted my teeth. Yes, the adrenaline was in my blood, but it wasn’t enough to win such a machine.

My strength began to betray me. At first I took one step toward the flag, the next second we moved a few steps further. Clarisse continued attacking and not giving me time to gather the strength, to repel and even to make a breathe.

In the next second Clarisse attacked particularly hard. I knew that she put all her last strength in these attacks, that she would be exhausted after, that I could attack her afterwards. But I could no longer defend. Clarisse hit me and I fell on the ground hitting my head a little.

I rolled over on the side and watched Clarisse coming to the flag and triumphantly raising it above her head. Her face brightened and relaxed. The eyes were filled with joy and victory triumph. She won, I lost. She was standing, I was lying.

As Clarisse raised the flag, the horn sounded what meant that the game was over. Chiron appeared from the woods. He didn't see me, but l was still lying on the ground thanking all the gods that everything ended.

"Congratulations, Clarisse la Rue! You and your cabin became the winners of this capturing of the flag!"

Clarisse's face became proud. She looked around. No one saw her victory. Except me. Then she remembered me.

"Hey!" She went toward me. "You were..."
"Please, stop! I'm not at all ready."
"Yeah, but you defended well." She said helping me to get up. "And this is very useful in the war. If you can defend yourself, no one would hurt you."
"Thanks" l said rubbing my bruised head.

We went out of the woods. I was exhausted even to stand, but l was waiting for Percy. As soon he came out, he walked towards. He was scratched, somewhere a trickle of blood flowed. But overall Percy looked good.

"How are you?" He asked firstly.
"Quiet fine." I said touching my nape. "But Clarisse won..."
"Don't worry, Stef..." Jason walked towards. All his clothes were dirty with the ground and he had some scratches on his hands. "Next time you'll fight better"
"No, she definitely won't worry." Percy said and he looked at me. He was sure that next time l'd show everybody how powerful l was. I became so glad that Percy believed in me.

After the capturing it had to be singing near the magical fire, but l was too tired to sit there for a few hours. All l was thinking about were the shower and an amazing sleep. And l didn't care about that golden hair man. I just needed to sleep at least a couple of hours.

Notes

Here is the next chapter! And l can definitely say it`s the longest one!
Thanks for reviews!
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