Chapter 7: Two Weeks of Spartan Hell & The Beginning of Chaos
Two weeks.
Fourteen days of pure, unfiltered, Ares-approved suffering.
I wasn't sure if I was proud or just mildly concerned that I hadn't died yet.
Since my first real underwater fight with Percy, I had thrown myself into training with the kind of reckless determination that made Clarisse question whether I had some kind of death wish. Every morning started the same way—wake up, stretch, and ignore the constant muscle pain as I dragged myself to the shore. Then, it was round after round of getting dunked, punched, and yeeted underwater while my lungs screamed for mercy.
And it wasn't just water training anymore. No, no. That was too simple.
I had escalated.
Underwater combat? Barely scratching the surface. Now, I had added weights to my arms and legs—custom-forged bronze bands that made sure every movement felt like I was fighting through quicksand. I had trained in deeper waters, in stronger currents, even in storms whenever Percy was feeling generous (read: annoyed enough to make my life hell).
And let's not forget the land training.
After spending my mornings nearly drowning, I'd head straight to the camp's combat arenas, where Clarisse personally saw to it that I was reminded why she was the daughter of Ares. Sword fights, shield drills, hand-to-hand combat—she beat me down so many times that I was convinced she was using me as stress relief.
Even the Hermes cabin got in on it. Luke had seen me training and, for whatever reason, decided I wasn't a lost cause. So, when I wasn't sparring with Clarisse or drowning with Percy, I was running obstacle courses, dodging traps, and learning how to fight dirty from the best tricksters in camp.
And the best part?
[STATUS UPDATE][Berserker Gauge: 70% (Max Control: 50%)][Strength: +3][Endurance: +4][Speed: +2][Combat Instincts: +2]
My progress was real.
My body had changed—my movements were sharper, my reflexes faster, and my strength? Oh, man. I had nearly yeetedone of the Ares kids across the training field by accident.
I wasn't at my peak yet. Not even close.
But I was getting there.
Then, just as I was starting to feel good about myself—Camp Half-Blood started falling apart.
It happened during breakfast.
I was stuffing my face with bacon when suddenly, the entire camp went into panic mode. People were shouting, campers were running toward the hill, and Chiron looked like someone had just slapped him in the face with a prophecy.
Clarisse slammed her cup down. "What the Hades is going on?"
I swallowed my food and stood. "Dunno, but I guess we're about to find out."
We rushed toward the commotion, pushing through the crowd, until we reached the source of the problem—Thalia's tree.
Or rather… what was left of it.
Because someone—or something—had poisoned it.
The once-healthy pine tree at the edge of the camp was now dying. Its branches drooped, its bark had turned an ugly, sickly gray, and the magical barrier that had protected Camp Half-Blood for years was flickering.
"Oh, that's bad," I muttered.
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were already there, looking just as horrified as everyone else.
"How did this happen?" Annabeth asked, her voice tense.
Chiron's expression was grim. "I… I do not know."
"Great." Clarisse crossed her arms. "So what you're saying is, someone walked in, poisoned the most important tree at camp, and nobody noticed?"
Chiron sighed. "The barrier was strong. It would have taken powerful magic to do this."
I glanced at the tree, my fists clenching.
This was bad.
Really bad.
Because without Thalia's tree, Camp Half-Blood's defenses were gone. Every monster in the area would be smelling blood soon.
And if we didn't fix this fast, we were screwed.
The next few hours were a blur of chaos.
People were scrambling, trying to reinforce camp defenses. Chiron sent word to Olympus, but we all knew how that would go—gods weren't exactly fast when it came to helping their kids.
I found Percy pacing near the Big House, muttering to himself.
"Let me guess," I said. "You're about to do something stupid."
Percy shot me a look. "Not stupid. Just… dangerous."
I smirked. "Same thing, really."
He sighed. "Grover just came back from his search. He found something—something that might save the tree."
I raised an eyebrow. "What, like a magic tree-healing potion?"
"Not exactly."
Annabeth joined us, looking serious. "The Golden Fleece."
I blinked. "...Like, the actual Golden Fleece? Jason and the Argonauts? That Golden Fleece?"
Annabeth nodded.
Huh.
Okay. That was… unexpected.
"So let me guess," I said. "You guys are planning a nice little quest to go grab it?"
Percy nodded. "Yeah. Chiron's picking the quest leader right now."
I crossed my arms. "And you're hoping it's you."
Percy hesitated. "I mean… yeah."
I studied him. He looked worried, but there was also that stubborn determination in his eyes—the same kind he had when we fought.
"Alright," I said. "So when do we leave?"
Percy blinked. "Wait, we?"
I smirked. "Duh. You think I'm gonna miss out on a chance to fight more monsters?"
Annabeth groaned. "Oh, gods. Not two of you."
Percy hesitated. "I mean… if Chiron approves—"
"Approve what?"
We turned to see Chiron trotting over. His face was serious, which wasn't a great sign.
"The gods have sent their decision," he said. "Clarisse will be leading the quest."
We all froze.
"…What?" Percy said.
Chiron sighed. "Ares petitioned the council. They agreed. The quest is hers."
I blinked, then turned to my sister. "Huh. Guess you're the main character now."
Clarisse smirked. "Damn right."
Percy, meanwhile, looked pissed.
"This is insane," he muttered. "We need to work together on this. It's not about gods and their egos, it's about saving the camp."
"I agree," Annabeth said. "We have to help."
Chiron exhaled. "I understand. But the gods have spoken."
Percy clenched his fists. "Then we'll just have to find our own way."
I smirked. "Now that sounds like my kind of plan."
Percy glanced at me. "You really up for this?"
I cracked my knuckles. "A chance to punch more monsters? You know I am."
Annabeth groaned again. "This is a terrible idea."
Grover gulped. "We're gonna die, aren't we?"
I grinned.
"Only if we're boring."