[Third Person Pov]
“If I may make a suggestion,” Chiron said once the mood in the room had lightened slightly following Bianca and Nico’s departure. “I believe Percy would make a fine replacement for Bianca. He is skilled and has come through and survived several grueling quests before, where he has proven himself time and again.”
Percy blinked in surprise and pointed at himself. “Me? Seriously?” he asked in disbelief. He glanced around the room, half expecting protests, but as far as he could see, the only ones who seemed unhappy with the idea were Artemis’s Hunters.
Artemis’s eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation as she reconsidered the option.
Thalia looked over at Percy. Thanks to their recent training sessions and advancements with the potions, their understanding of one another had grown considerably. “Do you want to come? I know you normally don’t like to fight or jump into battles unless you really have to or the situation calls for it.”
Percy didn’t have to think about it for long. “I do,” he answered with a serious nod. He glanced down at the back of his hand where the tattoo of a trident stood out clearly. “I know for a fact that if our positions were reversed, Lucian wouldn’t hesitate to come looking for me. I’m not just going to turn my back on him when he might need me.”
Both Thalia and Annabeth smiled at his response. They then turned toward Artemis. “I can vouch for Percy,” Annabeth said with a confident grin. “Seaweed brain here might not seem like much at first glance, but he’s definitely one of our hidden powerhouses in the camp.”
…
Lucian was kneeling on one knee, bearing the immense weight of the heavens on his shoulders. One streak of his dark hair had already turned white. He suddenly let out an annoyed grunt.
“What?” Luke asked, leaning against a nearby structure.
“I don’t know why, but I’m suddenly feeling really annoyed right now,” Lucian grumbled, his face twitching involuntarily.
…
Thalia nodded her head in agreement. “I also vouch for Percy. I can’t really speak about the others, but Percy is someone whose skills I’m confident in. We also don’t know where this quest might take us. We might need to cross the sea or deal with something of a similar nature, and his abilities will be very useful to have on the team.”
Percy’s cheeks started to feel warm as he looked down, smiling to himself. The others began chiming in as well, vouching for him one after another and speaking confidently about his skills and past achievements. Their trust in him only strengthened his determination even more.
Artemis studied Percy closely for a moment. Percy grew stiff under her gaze, unsure what to do with his hands. He kept switching between resting them in his lap or on the table, alternating awkwardly between the two spots.
“Okay,” Artemis said after a moment of careful contemplation.
“I’m still unsure about this, my lady…” Naomi said, another one of Artemis’s Hunters. She stared in Percy’s direction with clear apprehension in her eyes.
“It is fine,” Artemis replied. “I am no stranger to the name of Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon. He single-handedly defeated the Minotaur without any prior training. In the years since, he has battled drakons, giants, and even bested Ares in armed combat. The following year he defeated both Charybdis and Polyphemus.” Artemis recounted his battle history with clear awareness. “His achievements alone make him more than a welcome and needed addition to the team.”
Grover gave a visible shudder upon hearing the name of the blind Cyclops. Percy snickered beside him and patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.
“I should go as well,” Markus said, his brows furrowed with concern. “Like I keep telling everyone, I’m Lucian’s lieutenant. If he’s in any trouble, it’s my responsibility to make sure he’s fine.”
“Absolutely not,” Celyn, one of Artemis’s Hunters, interjected. “There are already three demigods from this camp going. The next three need to be from our Lady’s own personal squad, which is us. It’s only fair.”
Their words ignited an argument that quickly spread across the room as voices rose and shouted back and forth between the different groups.
“This is a serious discussion about a quest,” Charles exclaimed, stabbing a finger onto the desk for emphasis. “Fairness isn’t what’s going to help us here. It’s skill and abilities that matter.”
“I agree with Charles,” Selina said, casually brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “This is clearly a life-or-death quest. Lady Artemis can’t afford to be partial in her decision if she truly wants to save Lucian.”
“Your campers aren’t the only ones in danger!” Phoebe exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table. “It’s Zoe too! Our lieutenant is in the same situation as Lucian. We are thankful to him for what he’s done for Lady Artemis, but he’s not our main concern.”
“Well that explains why she’s missing…” Thalia said, having noticed the former lieutenant’s disappearance earlier but not giving it much thought until now.
“It’s a long story,” Artemis replied, giving a brief explanation. “We received word of a girl who was in danger and being offered as a sacrifice, but it turned out to be a trap laid out for us. We all managed to escape relatively unscathed, but they took Zoe as collateral.” As she spoke, Artemis clenched her hands tightly, an anger she was forced to suppress and swallow down for the time being.
“And it was on your way to rescue her that Lucian came to you and tried to warn you,” Annabeth said as she started piecing the full story together.
“I was doing a bit more than that, but yes, that was mainly the case,” Artemis answered evenly.
“So what have you decided to do for the other three candidates, Lady Artemis?” Chiron asked, his hands interlocked over his lap as he sat in his wheelchair. “Will you be selecting members from your own squad to fill the rest of the numbers?”
Artemis turned to look at her Hunters. She thought carefully about the quest ahead, the uncertain journey, their unknown enemies, Zoe… and Lucian. She closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. “No, I haven’t chosen what to do with the other three members yet. And no, Chiron, I will not simply be picking from my Hunters.”
“But Lady Artemis!!” Three of her Hunters protested at once, clearly aggrieved by their goddess’s decision.
Artemis raised a hand to silence them. “I’m sorry, but they’ve all made some fair points that I can’t argue with. They’re right. I am not allowed to be partial. I can’t let favoritism get in the way of what’s truly important here. What should determine your place on this quest is your skills and powers. If you girls want to accompany me, you’re going to have to prove yourselves worthy.”
“If I may make a proposition, Lady Artemis,” Chiron said calmly, an expectant smile growing on his face.
“What did you have in mind, Chiron?” Artemis asked.
“Why not determine the last three members of your quest with a contest?” Chiron suggested. “Those who finish in the top three will be the ones who accompany you and fill the remaining slots.” His words caused the rest of the room to look at each other with deadpan expressions.
“How much do you want to bet he’s going to suggest Capture the Flag?” Travis Stoll whispered to Pollux, one of Dionysus’s twin sons.
Pollux replied with a scoff. “Only an idiot would accept a losing bet.”
“I suggest a game of Capture the Flag!” Chiron declared boldly with a large grin.
“Ughhhhh,” came the tired groans from nearly all the other campers. Even Artemis couldn’t help but roll her eyes a little.
“What? What’s with that reaction?” Chiron asked, looking around at everyone in confusion. “I was under the impression you all enjoyed our little tradition.”
“Chiron, we love you—you know we do—but everyone is tired of that stupid game,” Thalia said with a loud groan while Annabeth sat beside her, trying and failing to hold back her giggles.