Chapter 9

In the mornings to partake in, they were rather more dull than not. Despite Camp Half Blood always having its protective border from Thalia’s tree, there seemed to be more rain spells or windy days than not. It had been three days since Percy Jackson had taken farewell on his quest, which Kayla had soon learnt he had gone with Annabeth and Grover.

Kayla had avoided the words of Percy’s quest wherever she could. She’d like to say she’d matured from the other day after throwing a paddy from the entire claiming situation, but she’d be lying. She hadn’t. Infact, each time Kayla went into the Hermes cabin that she considered her cabin, jealousy would seep through at how short Jackson’s stay had been in the Hermes cabin.

Each day had been near enough the same if not gradually worsening. Thunder storms had been seen in the distance from Camp Half Blood recently, and earthquakes, well, atleast Kayla could say she’d experienced one now.

Starting today was when Kayla would start her punishments for participating in Capture the Flag. That’s how Kayla saw it, she had just wanted to join in. Dionysus would probably like to spitefully disagree with that point of view. So, with the set tasks of cleaning out Pegasus stables, she made her way down from the mess hall rather quickly. She had three rounds of detention for her earlier stunt.

Like usual, it wasn’t as sunny as it should have been. There was still the warming pastel-like colours of the day. Still blue in the sky, yet more cloudy perhaps. And way more grey clouds. The pegasi seemed to agree with the dislike of the weather change from what Kayla could see from the top of the hill as she walked down. Pegasi wafted their wings about mindlessly, alot like Kayla did with hers, funnily enough.

Kayla’s wings over the past few days had spread like wildfire for the camp gossip. She’d gotten them neatly under control. They didn’t feel as plastic-like anymore. They were rather easy to retract or even rid of completely- literally disappearing into sparks of golden dust. Though, Kayla found after hours of keeping them away her back would start to itch or ache. It was a confusing thing to wrap her head around. Her back wounds had been half healed with ambrosia and nectar, leaving two sort of slightly unhealed, scarred over, shallow craters on each side of her upper back. She hadn’t taken a liking in that new body modification.

As she dragged herself down to the pegasus stables, the more she realised just how much the weather had affected them. The nearest pegasus to the footpath had the bottom of all four legs covered in wet grass and mud, its wings damp and shiny. It whickered, the wings flapping in response as it took a few trots closer. Kayla snickered and flapped her own wings in response. It felt like being a celebrity down here.

The stables were moderately clean, which Kayla was surprised with. She figured having an assigned detention would have more of a challenge. All there was were uncleaned stables on the left hand side. All the right ones were clean. There were fresh haybales down at the bottom, some of which had toppled over and caused a sprawl of hay outside of the stables. All the pegasi were outside, enjoying their time as best as they could in the damp, glossy looking grass. Kayla furrowed her eyebrows, walking in further, confidently. This would be easy.

Well, it would have been easy. Yet the further she walked, the more she heard the grunting and complaints of someone in the end stable. The more she realised the manure being flung into the wheelbarrow outside. The more she realised someone else had been set the task she had been.

Kayla ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. It was very obvious to see Clarisse had wound up in the same situation she had been. She hadn’t even seen Kayla yet. Ah, shit.
She spoke from behind Clarisse, watching intently how the girl surprisingly did her set task without complaints or any signs of laziness. “Go on then. Spill. What’d you do?”

A silence errupted and Clarisse paused the shovelling of the manure, her hunched back straightening as she turned her head to look at Kayla. She looked exasperated. Sweaty forehead, arms red from exhaustion. Her curly hair tied back in messy looking pony tail. Her face showed no discust at Kayla’s appearance, but no interest either. She replied, “I learnt using the excuse that I’d tripped over on my thirty second walk back to the Ares cabin when looking like I’d been mauled, isn’t a good excuse, Kayla.”

Kayla grinned, just for the humour of hearing Clarisse’s sarcastic voice. “That’s crazy. I was thinking of saying that too,” She clicked her tongue and shrugged. “Great minds think alike, Clarisse.” She answered. Alot with the same tone of Clarisse’s.

Clarisse turned her attention to Kayla’s wings more than Kayla herself. For a second, she looked like she was almost ready to dish out a compliment, but then, her eyes parted from the wings, once again moving to the shovel in hand. “Cool,” Was all she mumbled. “Now grab a shovel and do the one next to this. You’re like, an hour late. Idiot.”

And so, detention began. Clarisse didn’t say much. Kayla didn’t see anything in talking. Not with someone who would just give a snappy response. But Clarisse didn’t look all that mad right now. Very focused, actually. Kayla hadn’t seen the girl of Ares so un-mad. If she’d have known Clarisse would be down here she’d have second thoughts about actually doing her detention. Hell, she’d have rather skipped it and done double of something else if she knew that. It’d have her thinking Clarisse would be screeching orders at the top of her lungs and threatening people with swirlies and spear stabbings.

Kayla worked on the other side of the stables, her shovel moving much slower that Clarisse’s. She got hot and bothered fast. It was a miracle anyone would be able to do this for more than twenty minutes, she thought.

The stables got cleaned up to their partial standards, yet Kayla was lacking the skills to keep up with Clarisse’s paste. Clarisse would be starting on a stable, then the next thing Kayla knew, she was finishing it up with fresh hay. Clarisse spoke, “Come on then, move faster, idiot.”

“This is not a two person job.” Kayla whined back, wiping her forehead free of sweat.

Clarisse sighed, and grumbled a reply, “It’s just like a workout. Or, well not that you’d know much about that, but still.” Kayla paused her hay spreading and snapped her head towards Clarisse, sending the back of her forehead a glare.

“I do, thanks. You’re only talking cause you’re built like megatron.” Kaya rolled her eyes. It was a petty bicker they had going between themselves. And Clarisse only proved it more.

“Mega-what?” Clarisse asked, perking up. She knew what it was- definitely. She just wanted Kayla to repeat it. “I’m not built like that. I’m average. You’re not.” Maybe, in all honesty, Clarisse wasn’t at all built like that. As an Ares kid, Kayla wouldn’t very surprised if it was possible, however.

“Average? That’s a new one.” Kayla mumbled, going back to her task. Clarisse would have retaliated, but the sore body and big detention had her holding back for once. Kayla was so odd. So out of pocket. It was annoying. And out of all things, Clarisse had to do this with her. It didn’t take an idiot to figure out she’d have the other few detentions with her too. What a waste to spend those few hours of her life; talking to Kayla.

As Clarisse and Kayla had eventually finished up, after around a few hours, they had surprisingly maintained a somewhat civil atmosphere. It was annoying; these detentions were assigned for one hour and you were ordered to finish it completely in that hour. Though, it seemed they were running behind atleast one hour. They had worked together when getting the pegasi back in their stables. One which Clarisse seemed to specifically pay attention to, and it intrigued Kayla to wonder if it was hers or not. “You ride Pegasi?”

Clarisse continued to stroke down the nose of the pegasus. It was the same one which Kayla had seen earlier. Its legs covered in mud. “No. I kind of want one though. They’re useful in battle.”

Kayla huffed and moved towards in too. It wickered. Clarisse ruffled it’s hair. “That’s all? Useful in battle. They’re genuinely good pets, you know.” Kayla shrugged, taking a sip of water from her bottle. Really, Clarisse didn’t look like someone to ride a pegasus in their free time. It was probably for the best that she didn’t have one.

“And? They’ve got height advantage. And speed. And energy. It’s like a cheat,” Clarisse stated, stroking it’s chin before pulling away, wiping her hands on her shorts and looked towards Kayla. She smirked, like she had something appealing to say. “Oh, you heard about Jackson?”

“What?”

Clarisse clicked her tongue. “Come on, do you seriously live under a rock? He’s wanted all over the news. That’s pretty funny.”

Kayla made a confused face, her eyebrows furrowing. “Well, what about Annabeth and Grover? They went too.”

“Don’t know. Don’t really care. It’s just that Jackson kid. It’s karma for lying about killing that minotaur and getting it’s horn. I hate liars. I hate Jackson. I hate his silly little quest. I hope he gets caught.” Clarisse rambled, seemingly getting lost in her opinions. Kayla stared at her gone out while she shared her thoughts.

“…right. Alright. Well, I mean, if he gets caught, he’s gonna fuck it all up for us. Another war, you know? Not good. I hope the idiot can hold his own weight. Zeus kind of wants his master bolt back, I think that’s important.” Kayla stated, and Clarisse huffed in thought, her face yet again going to it’s usual expressionless one.

“He keeps lying about how he didn’t take that master bolt either. Did you see how defensive he got each time someone brung it up to him?” Clarisse muttered, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t know… Annabeth wouldn’t side with someone and go on quest with them if she knew he was lying about that,” Kayla stated. “Besides, there’s quite a few people saying he didn’t. Hermes kids have admitted to snooping all over his stuff when he was sleeping in there. They said they never found a master bolt.”

Clarisse sighed, quite annoyed that someone didn’t understand her point.

“And,” Kayla started, “How would he have even got it?”

“I swear Thanatos claimed the wrong kid. You’re more annoying than Athena’s,” Clarisse replied. “Like I said. He lies. There’s loads of ways he could have got it.”

“Care to share?” Kayla questioned. Clarisse stayed quiet, pushing Kayla’s shoulder back before mumbling.

“You’re no fun.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

Clarisse stood with a stubborn look, staring lazers into Kayla’s own. Clarisse had an opinion, and Kayla didn’t agree with it. “All im saying is there’s people saying he did steal the master bolt. I’ll stand by that.”

“You’re real stubborn.” Kayla rolled her eyes, shuffling her feet on the dusted platform.

“I don’t wanna hear that word out of your mouth. You’re the one who gets detentions all ’cause she can’t keep her trap shut.”

“You’re the one in detention with me.” Kayla backed herself up.

“And I’m gonna be in detention with you for the next week. So don’t make it any harder.”

Kayla snapped a little glare at Clarisse, crossing her arms. Two stubborn girls didn’t make a good mix.

So, the first detention didn’t go well, as expected. Kayla had dreaded the hours of work as soon as she saw her partner. Maybe it was helpful as it wasn’t a one man job, but by God’s did she wish it was with someone different. Such a petty Ares girl was no ones first pick for a partner.

When Kayla thought about it after finally being able to up and leave, she had no clue who these ‘other people’ were that actually spoke of Percy Jackson stealing the master bolt. She had no clue about it. Sure, maybe she did live under a rock. She did only rely on Malcolm for news updates that went on around the world. If it weren’t for him she’d be stuck five years behind.

It was only as Kayla walked back up from the Pegasi fields that she noticed just how many people were sharing the latest gossip of Percy Jackson being wanted all over the news. She really never did pay enough attention to her surroundings, clearly.

She titled her head up to the sky. The air was thick with a storm about to break as dark clouds loomed directly over Camp Half Blood for the first time in which, if she asked Chiron, would probably suspect around a good thousand years. Leaves from trees loosened and fell to the ground or swirled around while annoying the few people that were outside. Things were getting bad. And, if she put aside her hatred for Percy for a single second, she really did hope that the boy would do them all a favour and get the master bolt back where it belonged. Or hell, if he didn’t, she’d start siding with Clarisse and her opinion that he stole it.

Getting lost in though, the churning clouds then let a little droplet of rain right onto Kayla’s face, making her scrunch her face up in surprise. She huffed, as more little rain drops followed shortly after. Time to take cover.

Short chapter that may be added to. Been gone for a while cause I got exams and I’m lazy af <3

ALSO thankyou for 1k readsss, not much but an achievement 🙂

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