Camp Half-Blood and Earth's Daughter

Chapter 9

"Brooke, wake up," a voice called. I opened my eyes. Hazel was bending over me. She wore a purple Camp Jupiter T-shirt and an old pair of jeans.

"Come on, it's time to train!" she exclaimed. I laughed at her enthusiasm. She grinned back and handed me an orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt and white shorts. I got dressed and pulled on my belt. Hazel said to meet her at the dining pavilion for breakfast in five minutes.

I pulled out my two daggers. They both glared up at me. The one in my left palm was golden. Hazel had explained to me the night before that Romans use a metal called Imperial gold that was extremely rare. Nico told me that Greeks used a metal called Celestial bronze. Both metals were fatal to monsters and demigods. The dagger in my right hand was shiny and bronze. Both weapons seemed to glow in the darkness of the cabin.

When I first picked out these two weapons, I felt a calling to them. Now I realize that they will just set me more apart from everyone else because they represent Roman and Greek. Perhaps I was called to them because Gaea had affected both camps when she awoke. I shuddered.

I looked around as I sheathed my weapons. I slept in the Hades cabin with Hazel and Nico last night. The cabin was separated in half by a red curtain. Hazel and I had slept on one side while Nico slept on the other. The bunk beds were black and the blankets and pillows were a pale gold. There were no windows.

The horn blew in the distance again. I scrambled up and ran to the dining pavilion to meet with Hazel for breakfast.

***

"The secret is to get in close and be fast," Annabeth instructed. We were in a fighting arena. She was teaching me how to fight with a dagger.

"I've used a dagger since I was seven years old. I lost it when I was in Tartarus, so now I use a drakon bone sword that I was given," she added. I winced. I can't believe she actually was in Tartarus. The thought just caused me to become even more impressed by her.

"It's hard to fight with a dagger, much less two. Make sure you have a firm grip on both, but know when to lessen it if you need to change your grip," Annabeth squeezed my hands that were wrapped around the handles of my weapons.

"Let's practice fighting. I'll go easy on you," Annabeth assured and started to advance. Her grey eyes were sharp and fixed on me. I tightened my grip and dodged as Annabeth slashed her sword near my head. I crouched and sliced her sleeve with my gold dagger. Annabeth groaned as blood trickled down her arm. I winced, realizing that I had accidentally cut her.

"Don't show your enemy mercy!" Annabeth scolded and kicked me in the gut. I scowled and rolled between her legs. I kicked her in the back and she stumbled forward. I ran up to her and wrapped my arm around her, pinning her arms down. I held my bronze knife at her throat. Annabeth paused for a moment, then lifted her hand up, breaking my grip on her. She spun and flipped me. I landed on the floor with a grunt, her sword inches away from my face.

"Looks like you won," I admitted sadly. Annabeth chuckled, but didn't move her sword. I closed my eyes, concentrating. I conjured the scent of grass and mulch in my head, mingling with stone.

The ground started to rumble. I opened my eyes. A small hill of dirt and stone was forming around Annabeth. It started to rise, encaging her.  The mound of dirt continued to rise.  Annabeth started gasping for breath as the cage of rock adn dirt rose to her chest.  I felt my body start to heat with power. I was glowing gold.

"Stop!" a voice commanded. I blinked, the feeling of power and enmity gone. Annabeth gasped as the dirt and stone started to sink back into the ground and disappear. Percy ran up from behind me, catching Annabeth as she fell, unconscious.

"What did you do to her?" Percy growled. He glared at me. I stumbled back, alarmed by his sea green eyes that were now vicious.

"I didn't do anything, I didn't mean to hurt her!" I stuttered.

"Get out of here, Evans!" Percy yelled. Whimpering, I ran out of the bright arena.