Second Chances

Chapter 7 - Devour

(Adara's P.O.V.)

I woke up slightly before the sunrise that was encroaching the horizon, and headed towards the infirmary tent. It had annoyed me that I hadn't been allowed to stay in there overnight with Tajima, but it would be okay if I could see him as early as possible. Nobody was in the smaller tent that was housing him in the back. They had given him a more private tent so he could rest and also hold briefings with the other commanders if needed.

"Mornin." He casually called as I entered the tent, a faint trace of light spraying into the room.

"Hey sweetie, you look a bit better today." I tried to reply cheerfully for him.

He honestly didn't look that well, but I would be the last person he would hear that from me. He gave a small chuckle, knowing that he couldn't possible be looking much better.

His face broke into a sullen facade that disturbed me. "Adara... do you love me?"

The question stung me lightly, but I did my best to smile and nod yes.

"Of course I do, why would you need to ask me?" My hands were lightly starting to shake as the Knights captain, this dark haired and silver eyed immortal teenager struggled to stand up to his feet in front of me.

"Tajima, what do you think you're..." He cut me off with a deep kiss and wrapped me tightly up in a loving but sad embrace.

"I just need you to know that I care so much about you..." If I didn't know better, I could have sworn that he was crying.

"Adara... I'm so sorry that it has to be this way..." his words hung loosely in the cool morning air. "I love you so much... please forgive me."

I was absolutely stunned when the boy I loved more than anything in the world, painfully walked outside of the tent and fought to put on his battered but beautiful black armor. He never once looked back at me, and I fell to my knees in despair and pain. We had already spent our one day of reprieve to bury Andew Biha's headless body and have our shroud ceremonies. Today the war would recommence.

I watched as the light of the dawning day broke across the plain between our camp and the walls of Troy. I heard his deafening cry that would be heard all through this valley by allies and enemies alike. I knew that this moment, with the dawn making him look like one of the Olympians, this was my final goodbye to Tajima Kou. "Knights of the Dawn... to me!"

(Trojans - Hector's P.O.V.)

"Lord Hector, the day of war is once again dawning, we can began our assault against the gods." I nodded as I had my morning meal with my brothers and fellow captains.

We discussed our usual battle formations and strategies, and how to deal with the recent crop of reinforcements from the Knights.

"Brother, our scouts say that the new additions are composed mainly of archers and healers. The Knights still seem to be the bulk of their front line. We shouldn't have much to fear from the latest demigods arriving." Paris openly voiced his opinion, but it was a faulty one indeed.

"Paris, you should well know what kind of powers demigods can wield. They have all the children of the big three present as well, two of such being minor gods."

Our information had been especially thorough, given it's sources. We knew every weakness and c***k in our opponents army, and planned on exploiting it severly. The only real people we needed to account for were dead or demoralized. Biha had been swiftly beheaded, though it had cost my own personal captain. That just left Griffin and the other Kou, Chang. Tajima had been dealt a more devastating blow and his Knights moral would surely suffer from that.

A messenger came bustling into the dining hall nervously, as he begged to speak. I nodded in permission and he unleashed slightly unpleasant news, but it could be very advantageous for us overall.

"My Lords, Tajima Kou is standing on the battlefield with his personal Knights."

My expression waned slightly for a moment, before a smile persed my lips. "I think I should personally go and greet the captain of the Dawn."

(Percy's P.O.V.)

"Thalia.. wake up.." I shook lightly at her shoulders but just received a mumble and a few other inaudible words. "Something's going on outside, we have to hurry..."

I would have tried to convince her to rise more, and I admit it was even hard for me to wake up this early. In actuality, I had a terrible dream, in which the Knights were horribly slaughtered.

"Come back to bed Percy, it's too early to get do anything yet." She mumbled again as I gave up on waking her up for now.

I rushed to put on my pants and stepped outside, the sun was glaring directly into our tents direction from the plains.

"Tajima, no!" I looked over to my right and saw Chang, and a defeated looking Adara crumpled to the ground.

I knew immediately what was glaring the early sun in our faces. Somehow the Knights had grouped together as a wall, along with their bedridden and highly stubborn captain.

"Chang, is he really out there?" A got a solemn nod in response and stared back into the burning glare, before he offered a valid response. "My brother is the dawn, and I am the dusk... no matter his condition, he will always rise to the battlefield with the sun. That is his role, as the burning pillar of strength that refuses to be moved or swayed. He ushers in the rise of the day and the spirits of hope."

I looked a bit bewildered by the facts but nonetheless asked Chang what his role was then. "I am the soothing pillar of calm and night, that gives relief and justice to our allies. Hope can never survive without faith. I am the faith of the Knights."

Many others had begun to stir awake at the outburst of the dawn, and I was about to excuse myself when a young girl appeared from the side of the tents and rushed towards Chang and myself. I thought she was young at first, until I saw her as she got close to us. It was Hestia.

"Chang! I demand to know why you are standing here with that girl, while your brother is badly injured and trying to fight without your support." I was taken back by her harsh tone with her son, but Chang didn't flinch under her flaring fire eyes. "Mother... I can't change his decision in this, you should know that well enough."

She calmed down considerably but maybe it was grief that was really bothering her. "I don't want to lose either one of you..." Her voice shook slightly as she spoke and I couldn't help but think how my parents must have felt during the many battles I had fought in the year prior. Chang seemed to indeed resemble faith, as he knew exactly what to say to her. "I promise that I won't fail here... even if the fates have determined Taj's path... I promise that we will never fail."

He looked suddenly very tired and drained, and then I could hear the pinging sound of blades clashing on the battlefield. Tajima was making what we silently suspected to be his final stand, but his voice was refusing to falter as he kept shouting orders to the Knights. It was then that I saw the battalion of Trojans that were challenging him. Hector had personally led a group out from the gates, but it wasn't his own. He was planning on testing Tajima's strength first with the Carians.

(Thalia's P.O.V.)

I awoke to an empty tent and shouts of soldiers fighting and immediately worried that Percy had tried to tell me this morning he was leaving for battle. I got dressed in my hunter's battle armor as quickly as possible, but found Percy standing just outside the tent. Many others were just blankly standing and staring at the unfolding scene on the plains, which caused me to look and gasp. The Knights were fighting a much larger group, which Percy whispered to me were the Carians, being led today by Hector himself.

Yesterday in our war council, we had learned that Hector and the true Trojans had yet to participate in any of the skirmishes except for the previous one on our first day arriving. I knew we couldn't just stand about like idiots all day, so I began to gather up the Hunters and camp demigods. I found my best archer, a girl named Elyssa, and had her continue to rally all the Hunters up and meet me back at the command tent in an hour.

"Thals, can you hold back on taking the Hunters out into battle still." I looked quizzically at Percy, before asking him why. "What would the point of coming here and waiting?" He smiled stupidly at me, grasping my hand for emphasis. "Simple.. it seems that Hector only cares about the destruction of the Knights. He believes that we might be just simple reinforcements, so we need to keep playing up that front for a while longer."

I nodded understandingly and when Elyssa came to report in, I told her to stand by with the others for support. "Thalia, is that the best idea?" She asked me sincerely, and I explained to her why it was best for the moment. "Elyssa, if we do indeed decide to engage the enemy, it will only be as archers and from a distance." I relayed to her, which prompted a slight nod. "Gotcha, I'll tell the others." She went back to the girls and watched in anticipation with them.

Chang was rousing the Knights finally but Lady Hestia was holding him back, it was a bit past noonday by now and I was wondering what they were waiting for. "Percy, how come Hestia isn't allowing the next wave of Knights to join in?" He was standing near Nico and Annabeth, just a few paces behind Chang and his other officers.

"Tajima doesn't seem to really need the help." I was about to slap my boyfriend but I noticed the young men on the plains, enthrowed in combat. Tajima stood out in the middle of them all, hacking and slicing a small circle around himself with precision. His skill was by far the best I had ever seen, far surpasing that of Percy or Luke. It reminded me of someone we had constantly learned about in schooling at camp, Achilles.

The Dawn elite's were no slouch either mind you. Percy, Annabeth and Nico pointed out the officers, they all wore black plumes on their silver trimmed helmets. None of the other Knights had any plumes yet, but the one that stood out was the flashy silver plume of the captain. "He's incredible..." Annabeth gasped in a mere whisper, but we all nodded along with her in agreement.

(Third Person P.O.V.)

Tajima whirled in small, concise circles, while the Dawn elites responded to his movements in perfect fluidity. The Carians were having a world of trouble breaking into the defenses of the Knights. Within moments Tajima had dealt mortal blows to the Carian three lower ranking officers of Clytius, Polybus and Calesius. The whole aura of the Knights was building and Hector's face scrunched up in a mixture of worry and concern.

The Carians lieutenant, Amphimachus, wheeled around with his spear on Tajima who had his back turned as he dealt with two opposing men. It was blocked by a young, and the lowest ranking Elite, Leon Hunter. Leon had a shining black waraxe, which he used to propel Amphimachus's attack backwards. As if on perfect cue, Tajima swung his swords and quickly impaled the lieutenant. The battle continued to rage on for a little longer as the sun started to dip into the horizon and Tajima's skills started to slightly diminish.

As the pale sunset broke out across the sky, a new battle cry echoed from the Knights. Chang rushed into the battle with the Dusk elites. "I am the dusk.. the relief of the night... Knights to me!"

The two headed Dioscuri of the Knights showed it true's worth for the first time to Hector and Trojans, with immense power and devastating effects. Only mere minutes after arriving to support his brother, Chang dispatched the Carians captain, Nastes. Hector visibly flinched but under his motioning a new battalion entered from the gates, the 1st Division of the Trojans, Hector's personal battalion and the one's responsible for Andrew's death.

(Percy's P.O.V.)

I wasn't sure exactly when Thalia and lovingly slipped her hand into mine, but we stood there in awe of the Knights. The twin brothers fought together as one perfect group with their Knights among them. I heard a familiar song suddenly playing next to me, as I looked to see Apollo standing there with Artemis, both with comforting hands on Hestia's shoulders for support. All three were watching with baited breath, as I caught the ominous words of a Shinedown song on Apollo's iPod.

"Devour Devour

Suffocate your own empire

Devour Devour

It's your final hour

Devour Devour

Stolen like a foreign soul

Devour Devour

What a way to go"

I felt a growing unease, and looked around me to see that all of the Olympians had appeared around us. They were all watching anxiously as Hector, Polydamas and the 1st Division of Trojans squared off with Tajima, Chang and the Elite's. It seemed everyone was holding their breaths, but it all came crashing down just as quickly and violently.

Polydamas had Tajima occupied, as Hector started battering on Chang. The younger Dioscuri was clearly outmatched against the commander of Troy. Hector beat Chang deeply into a corner, and then the moment came. Tajima risked a dangerous blow from Polydamas, a s***h to his exposed back. This gave Tajima a chance to separate his brother from Hector's next strike, which would have been a fatal one for Chang.

"Hope for the Dawn..." Tajima yelled as loudly as he could, but we all whinced as Hector's sword cut him across the chest. Chang staggered back as both Hector and Polydamas swooped in to seal off any Knights trying to rush in for the rescue. Tajima was cut off from his own army and we could only watch and the Trojans beat a hasty retreat.

All of the Gods seemed frozen by what lay in front of them and what the empty plains of the battlefield held as Chang dropped onto his hands and knees. Hector and his men had stolen Tajima's body, after inflicting what had to have been a deathly wound. The first to make a noise was Hestia, who screamed in agony. "Agh.."

The sky piercing scream set off a small chain off sobs and cries, and I knew that we would be given a respite from the Trojans to let this casualty sink in. It took quite a few minutes for the Knights to almost literally drag Chang back to our camp, he appeared utterly defeated. "I've failed... failed my brother and my Knights... our hope has been stolen..."

Every single Knight looked broken and lifeless, and the Knights and demigods alike slowly retreated into their tents. I knew something had to be done, but I had no idea what or how to start. I felt just as depressed as everyone else did, and I wasn't sure if it was because of the effects of watching Tajima's demise in plain view, or if Hestia had seemingly given up hope herself.

Thalia pressed against my back softly, gripping me around the waist consolingly. I could only repeat what Chang had muttered in what had to be the worst hour of his life. "The hope has been stolen." She clutched onto me tighter and I could feel her fighting back tears. I was sure that Hestia herself had given up hope now. I knew what needed to be done. "Thalia, I won't ever leave you. I won't ever let you cry for me, and I won't let you cry for the loss of your Hunters or any more friends. Not here at least."

I stood up after kissing her softly, and found the Gods and Chang together in a dark and defeated mood. "Get your tears out now, because you made a promise Chang." I spoke with all the nerves and conviction that I lacked. "We mourn tomorrow for Tajima, and the next day... all of us together, show Hector and his Trojans that we have not lost our hope! It is shining and burning brighter than it ever has before."

Somewhere inside of me, my courage grew tenfold and I shouted as loud as I could for everyone to hear me. "Together, all of us together... we will show them our strength, and that we have not lost our hope! We will not lose here... we have already lost too much!" Chang thanked me with bleary eyes and smiled, but went back to consoling and counselling with the gods.

I returned to Thalia, a small spark of light inside of me burning now. "Thalia Grace.." I stared her deeply in the eyes, even knowing she resented her last name. "I love you."