Chapter 16

One day later.

Kayla sat inbetween many chattering half bloods on the bleachers of the Chariot racetracks. Her wings were away for those behind her, and no one she usually spoke to was around. For once, Kayla wasn’t talkative. She felt anxious. Maybe it was the birds that had gathered in dozens now, that flew around above the border. Her stomach ached, her back was itchy, and she damn near felt like throwing up. There was a foul smell in the air that, for some reason, no one else was reacting to. Yet Kayla was holding back gagging from it. Had something died under these seats?

Malcolm was one of the people down at the Chariots that were lined up for the races that were due to start any minute now. He was Annabeth’s partner. Clarisse was with Axel, her favourite brother- though she would impale anyone who argued Clarisse had favourite siblings. She also had skeletal horses, somehow. Thin, and looking like they would probably make lego sound effects if they were to fall, but they looked confident in themselves. Percy and Tyson were pushed to the end of the racetrack, and that boy had a gleam to his face that looked way to hopeful. Kayla herself was sat on the end of the Hermes bleachers. She would cheer for them, since she had belonged there many years anyway.

Tantalus sat on his very own bleacher with no one but Dionysus, who was stuffing his face with grapes and wine as Tantalus watched in anger. They hadn’t cared when Kayla and Travis had begrudgingly gone to share the bird news. Something about ‘already heard’ and ‘it’s nothing’.

“Charioteers!” He yelled over all the talking- and the squawking birds. “Attend your mark!”

Demigods erupted in early cheer as the chosen Charioteers of each main cabin and their fighters got into position. A few more seconds, then he waved his hand and dropped it. The horses hooves clattered as they roared to life, and tje race begun.

Oh, Kayla really didn’t feel good. She watched with squinted eyes and her hands on her stomach, tapping her foot incessantly.

Before all of their eyes, the Apollo cabin had already crashed into shambles, and Hermes cabin had swerved off the track from using too much force on the Apollo cabin. Athena and Ares were fighting for first place, and Percy was just behind them.

Charles Beckendorf must have pressed a button, as a panel slid out under the Hephaestus cabin, sending atleast three sets of balls and chains into the back of Percy and Tysons chariot. Kayla found herself cheering. Halfway through a “yes!” Before clapping her hands on her mouth and looking away nonchalantly. Nobody noticed.

Ares cabin had sent some form of mini bomb into Demeters chariot- making their fighters fall off the back. They were causing alot of havoc. Axel gripped his spear before plunging it into Demeters left wheel, letting go of it to jam it in. He then picked another spear up that must have been in some hidden compartment, and he held that one for later threats.

The crowd was going wild. Except for Kayla, who was now fanning her face. God, it smelt like dea-

“Birds!” Probably the loudest voice Kayla had ever heard from a demigod. Oh- it wasn’t a demigod, that’s why. Tyson had somehow managed to echo his words through the entire racetrack, pointing upwards at the sky. Hundreds upon hundreds of birds- all pecking at the invisible barrier above. The squawking was deafening. And before anyone knew it, they had started to fly down. Down, past the barrier. Kayla held back another gag.

Around her, those cheers turned into screams. Kayla’s wings had never sprouted out faster, quickly covering her head. So fast… already swarming and dive bombing everyone around.

Some chariots had stopped completely, or had toppled over from loss of control. Axel had thrown a protective layer of equipment over their chariot, as he fought himself to keep it held up while the birds pecked at his fingers. Their needs glimmer in the sunlight. Malcolm was hitting all of the bird around their chariot away- and it seemed like a race between only Ares and Athena at this point. God, when was it not?

Kayla had gotten up, following the crowd to get off the bleachers that held them higher up in the air. Her wings were over her head, yet it didn’t stop the birds. “I- hey! We’re basically family! Ow!” One started to pluck at the feathers of her wings. Oh, god, she better not get skinned wings. Quickly, she flapped her wings up in the air, hitting them away. She found out very fast that by flapping her wings vastly, meant it would keep them from being able to attack. Mostly. The only downside was, it made it very difficult to walk without her own wing force and the air resistance constantly pushing her back and forth. But, it looked like everyone was having difficulty to go anywhere right now.

She found herself pushed into the racetrack before she even knew it. Mainly from everyone rushing about. A runaway chariot came barreling towards her, to which she yelped and moved out of the way. It smashed straight into someone else. Kayla felt her heard slam in her chest. Was this what the illness was about?

Warning her about- death? And here she was, telling herself she most certainly couldn’t sense it.

Something needed to happen, fast. Kayla wanted this feeling gone, and a bonus of no deaths would be extravagant! “Ow!” Lost in thought, a bird had pecked it’s metal beak right into her lower leg. She kicked it away.

Bad birds. Bad, useless animals. Why did these things exist, again?
Kayla gasped as another bird took a chunk of her hair.

Life force draining. Hadn’t she been instructed to try it on animals with insignificant life forces? This was much better than innocent butterflies.

It had told her to focus. Focus, put both arms out, and try to think angry thoughts, to manifest the powers.

She did just that. Honestly, it made her look a little crazy. In the midst of it all, no weapons, and nothing but a power she hadn’t even attempted before. Kayla grunted, both arms extended, fingers contorted at all different angles.

One of the birds started to peck at her fingers.

She yelped, hitting it away and focusing again, this time on the relentless one that wouldn’t leave her alone. The weaker the force, the easier. The book had said. It came at her again, and this time she sent a right hook to its poor little skull. It squawked and fell to the floor, picking itself back up.

With all her energy, she told herself to breathe as she tensed the muscles in her arms, getting all that anger out, from petty arguments she still held a grudge over from three years ago, to not being claimed by a deadbeat father until fifteen years into her life.

The bird met the ground again half way through flying back up into her face. It screeched, lost its balance, and ended up on its back with white eyes.

Kayla snapped out of her focus. She had a five second victory cheer to herself with a serious face until she attempted the same again to a bird that someone had just hit away with a spear. It’s eyes turned white almost immeidately after she let out a line of threatening curses to wind her anger up.

Meanwhile, some campers were too caught up in still racing to give a damn about everyone getting bit to death. Like Clarisse and Axel, who had just finished and were claiming how they won to everyone- no one was listening.

Kayla shifted her focus to the birds that had gone to attack Clarisse regardless. With one swift motion of mangled hands, the birds dropped instantly, their wings giving up on them. She did the same for Axel, sending one plunging into a Chariot wheel.

As the only two who had just gotten their weapons out to help, they looked at her dumbfounded.

“What are you-” a bird sent its claws right at Clarisse’s face. She beheaded it.

“I don’t know, what happened to the Chariot behind you?!”

“Percy, dragged Annabeth away somehwere, and- curse the gods!” She grunted at being clawed at her arms.

“Just fight,” Kayla yelled, slamming her palm into the air- causing the bird to drop dead. Clarisse had no time for enquiries. She shook her head free of questions before slashing her way through a dozen of birds. About time.

It felt like hours. Forever, even, that they were fighting off these monsters. Kayla had gotten quite the training done. Anytime a headache started to play up in a few seconds flat, or her stomach felt like it was about to fall out- she knew just where to look to prevent someone from life-threatening injuries.

She hated to admit to herself that this might actually be pretty cool. She had picked it up like lightening, and the adrenaline rush she recieved was well worth it. All she needed now was less stomach aches.

She really hoped in the back of her mind, however, that she wouldn’t have this reaction to oncoming possible death absoloutely everywhere she walked outside of camp. That would be a real mood killer.

The only thing that got the birds to back off was a high pitched song from a CD player that Percy had stsrted to hold up in the air. Everyone was confused at first- at the sound and the birds backing off. Yet there Annabeth and Percy stood in the stands, Percy with a speaker, and Annabeth besides him. The screeching and squawking became louder until eventually they were out of earshot, accending up into the sky.

Everyone was out of breath. She hadn’t even noticed her nose was bleeding until she had time to catch her breath back. Yes, somewhere along the line she had failed to remind herself to keep breathing.

She wiped her nose, looking around. It looked like a blood bath. Right here, in Camp Half Blood.

“We did it,” Tantalus errupted from his stand besides Percy, who looked ready to clap back that there was no ‘we.’

Kayla didn’t hear anything else from the old clown, too busy regaining herself. Campers were up and helping eachother back to the infirmary. Some lay unconscious.

Many who had noticed were getting increasingly worried of whoever it was that they cared about being unconscious.

“They’re not dead.”

A few surrounding campers looked to Kayla when she spoke. She tucked her wings in, but not away.

“How do you know?” A camper asked, knelt besides their fallen friend. He was cut up and bloody.

“They’re not, no one is. I know.” She spoke, wiping her nose again. Clarisse was staring at her once again, spear in hand.

“What’s all that about?”

“I’ve been updated,” Kayla coughed, groaning. “New and imporved.”

Clarisse rolled her eyes at the girls attempt to joke even with how wrecked she was. “Hell of a lot of injuries you stopped.”

“Deaths,” She answered, walking closer. “I stopped deaths, now… I need some ambrosia, so, I’ll be-“

“Let’s go.” Clarisse cut her off, taking a close spot besides her.

Kayla didn’t argue. She limped along. Her hair was a mess, her wings had chunks of feathers ripped out, covered in dust, too. Her hands were all mangled and such. Clarisse had a few cuts and scratches, but seemed fine.

“Your… effort was good out there. And killing those birds was sort off impressive.”

Kayla smirked, not managing a chuckle. “I thought we were all gonna die.”

“How’d you learn you could do that? The killing thing?” Clarisse asked. Her voice was steady, just a bit gruff. She was shaking with adrenaline, which was no surprise.

“Just then.” Kayla answered. “Have a book, in my cabin, from Thanatos.”

“You met him?”

“No,” She held back a scowl. He left a book, a note, and a necklace. Necklace is… somewhere. Book is interesting. Note is in the bin.”

Clarisse nodded, looking back infront of her. “Right.”

Inside the infirmary, Kayla was a minority. Many people were in way worse condition than her. Way worse condition.

“Ugh,” Kayla let out a half groan half wince, turning back around. “There’s no medics, I’ll sort myself out in my cabin. Everyone’s injured.”

Clarisse turned around with her, holding a wide stance with hands on her hips. “Not everyone, and I’m not. Come on, I can mix up some ambrosia and nectar, can’t I?” Clarisse asked in an almost challenging tone. Kayla raised an eyebrow, amd slowly turned her entire body back to Clarisse.

“And a heat pack?” She asked. Clarisse nodded with rolling eyes as she started to wade her way through the crowds of Apollo medics amd injured campers. Unauthorised campers going into medical cabinets at a time like this was always dismissed. Especially over the past few months of attacks at camp.

Kayla stood with her hands leaning on a stray hospital bed table. She felt drained, and that was perhaps why learning to steal life force was better than simply taking it away. She would remember that when practicing next time, whenever that may be.

“Bottoms up.”

Kayla grimaced. Clarisse handed her a watered down drink of mushed ambrosia and nectar. It was pushed up to her mouth. Kayla took it hastily and swallowed it herself, sighing in relief.

“Okay,” She recovered slowly. It sent a nice warmth through her body. “So you won, huh? That’s nice. You think anyone was even looking?”

Clarisse scowled. “They better have been, so they know Ares won. Dionysus and Tantalus better have been.”

“Hey, hey, it wasn’t a jab, just… with the state of things, you better start wishing someone saw that win.”

Clarisse crossed her arms, kmowing at the back of her mind, Kayla was right.

“Atleast Ares actually competed, unlike some.”

“Hey, shut it. Didn’t ask. Irrelevant.”
Kayla replied, stretching out her wings as she crossed her arms. A few feathers fell out at the action.

“You’re Irrelevant.”

“Not as Irrelevant as-” Hm, Kayla thought, scratching her neck. “Actually… so, you know that one time you sorted my wings out?”

Clarisse dropped her arms to her sides, a bored look on her face. “No, wrong time, that was an entire operation,”

“Just quick, they hurt. And theres some cuts. And scratch them for me.” Kayla turned around without a second to spare, despite how much everything hurt.

“Ehhhhh, you know,” Clarisse outstretched a reluctant hand, her face scrunched up. She eas less hostile, since last year in camp. “I shouldn’t, and they’re not even that bad…”

“Just fifteen seconds, please. Right in the middle,” She flapped her left wing. “Yes! Okay, that’s it.”

Clarisse had forced herself to scratch inbetween her wings. They were much more more endurable when they looked nice and clean. Not.. patchy and scabby, and greasy. “Oooo-kay.” She pulled her hand away, wiping it on her army cargos. “No more of that. Let’s go down to the cabins. Then you can rest up and help clean the camp later on.”

Kayla swivelled around, groaning as the itch hadn’t quite been scratched. She leant against the wall and dragged herself down.

“Lets go.” Clarisse had other plans. She clasped her hand onto the collar of Kayla’s shirt, dragging her out of the infirmary before there was any chance of Kayla making a fool of herself.

“Ow- ow, ow-” She pushed Clarisse away by the elbow, tripping down the infirmary door steps clumsily as she caught herself.

Clarisse stood, unimpressed- however she had paused on how Kayla had managed to push her away. “You’re a fool, you know that?”

“…Yes. Very aware.”

Clarisse rolled her eyes and continued walking. They split to go to their own respectable cabins.

Any rest was very short lived. For everyone.

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