Second Chances

Chapter 9 - Love and War

(Adara's P.O.V.)

The tension was like that between two prize fighting boxers being separated into their respective corners. Reed was led away by many larger Knights and some other strong individuals, while Chang just escorted himself away towards his tent. I hadn't honestly been feeling myself since Tajima's funeral, and found myself silently floating behind Chang on his path back to rest. Not entirely sure what my intentions were, or why I was keeping more to the shadows than just simply walking behind him, I waited a couple of moments before entering.

"What do you want?" He asked with an icy edge to his voice. It made me hesitate before I looked up into his shattering golden eyes and dirty brown hair. The face was ideally the same but that hair and those eyes didn't match, he was so close to being his twin it was scary and comforting at the same time.

"Are you alright?" I hesistantly asked, my hands tugging at the sides of my shirt like a nervous school girl in front of a popular boy. "I doubt that Reed meant all of those things.. it's been really crazy lately.." I took a step closer to him, feeling my face flush red with embarassment. Why was I trying to console him? The guy I loved had died and this i***t hadn't even tried to say anything to me yet.

My thoughts were cut off, good and bad both, when he rested his hand atop my right shoulder. "Do you think.. that I'm a coward?" The words almost stuck in his throat as I lost myself in that oh-so-familiar face. "I don't think you're a coward. You killed Hector and a good fighter, and now your the sole leader of the Knights." It didn't sound as nearly as pleasant as I really had hoped, but it might have had too much of an impression.

Standing there in the dimly lit tent of the immortally young and new Knight captain, the twin of the person I loved, kissed me. It felt both familiar and foreign at the same time, a moment that I wasn't sure was real or imaginary and it ended with a shrieking scream.

"Ah..." I quickly pushed Chang away from me, effeciently breaking the kiss as we both looked to see the third party who had burst into his tent, but I had a good guess who it might be. "You... you... agh!" My suspicions were cofirmed, standing in the tent's opening was Cassidy. "It's not enough for you to get your own boyfriend killed, but you have to take mine now also?"

I blinked at her in astonishment, trying to puzzle together if she had really just told me that I was responsible for Tajima's death. My mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but no sound or words would escape my lips. Chang interrupted our potential fight, with a stern look on his face. "You have no right to talk to Adara about my brother like that, and so you know.. I kissed her first, which I apologize for."

I realized that despite his scolding of the girl, he was apologizing to me and not her. I nodded my head dumbly as I still had nothing to add objectively to this growing conversation. "You kissed her first?" Cassidy asked in astonishment, her voice mixed with a twinge of fear. Chang just took a deep breath and sighed. "Yes, and it wasn't right or fair of me, she's always been my brother's."

I tried to mouth the words 'sorry' to Cassidy, but the tears were already starting to flow down her cheeks. "I've always held a grudge against you, Adara. I wanted to be happy like the two of you were, but I was just fooling myself in the end." The girl rushed away from the tent and I made a break to follow her. Chang tried to pull at my arm to keep me from going, and I just glared back at him. "You should be the one trying to console her.. you think that you're the only one hurting? You're just a big jerk, and maybe Reed was right about you! Stop running from the people who care about you!"

(Thalia's P.O.V.)

I swear that I heard a scream from what I thought was Chang's tent. Percy should be the one to look into this kind of thing, being male and all, but it was a girl who screamed. I figured that something bad must have happened, and I needed to inspect it carefully. As I got close enough to the tent I saw Cassidy rush away with Adara chasing after her. Oh, this is gonna be trouble. I thought quickly, but got within hearing distance of the duo. Adara was trying to console the other girl, but from what I remember of them at camp, they had never really gotten along before.

"He's just really confused at the moment, please don't view him badly because of it." As I was trying not to be caught spying on their little chat, Percy snuck up on me from behind. Well, he didn't really sneak, but I was so absorded into the two girls that I didn't notice him until he was whispering into my ear.

"What's going on, Thals?" I nearly jumped out of my own skin, before calming back down and relaxing next to him. "I think we have a budding love triangle growing. Besides that though, did the council have anything additional to say?" I tried to scan his face for an answer, but if he had one then he was hiding it well. "I told them all about your dream and the most we could figure out was there must be a spy or something within the Knights. We just have to hold our own a little while longer, and the enemy should make the significant mistake we need from them."

Percy pulled on my hand softly, walking with me back to our tent for the night. As we got out of any possible eavsdropper's earshot, he added a final thought to the recent council ideas. "Nico said that someone had been snooping around the Styx for a few weeks, but his dad wasn't sure their intentions and whoever it was never stuck around long enough to be interogated." That thought was alarming but odd as I was roughly pulled inside our tent, Percy pulling me down onto the bed to sit next to him.

"The most troubling issue is the state of the Knights." I tried not to roll my eyes or grow annoyed at how they could crumble so quickly this fast. "You don't think a spy could have anticipated them falling apart like this, in the event of his death, do you?" Percy shook his head no, but added his own thoughts to the mix. "I think their breakdown was unexpected, but the Trojans would surely use it to their advantage, so it's gonna be our turn to act now. In the morning Nico is going to summon his skeletal army. Our debate was how many he could summon and if there would be any kind of limitations on them."

I tilted my head for a moment, awaiting the answer before I had to pull it out of him myself. "Well, kelp head? Is there a limit or anything?" He ran his fingers through his unkept hair before smiling at me. "Sorta yeah.." Percy hesitated and smiled sheepishly again. "Nico said that while they would provide good shields and can most likely deal with basic soldiers, they will be essentially useless against the most skilled Trojans and officers."

Percy seemed a little bothered by something still, so I decided to pull it out of him as best as I could. I softly placed my hands on his cheeks and pulled him in for a soft, deep kiss. "We can make it out of this, remember." I smiled at him and we just stared at each other for what seemed to be a few minutes before both laying down to sleep. I held tightly onto him as we both laid there awake, trying to will ourselves to rest, but all I could think about was his heart beating as he breathed.

"Thalia.." Percy finally broke the pleasant silence in just a small whisper. "We're going to tip our hand in the morning, we have to fully gain the momentum back in this struggle. The Knights need to rest also, and hopefully will regroup swiftly. We have..." I shut him up by kissing him and staring lovingly into his sea green eyes, I felt annoyed with myself for not seeing how much he was trying to handle for everyone. "Just shut up and sleep, we'll figure everything out together and if you continue keeping everything to yourself then I'll just have to beat you senseless."

I bured my head into his chest and listened to his heartbeat again, feeling his breathing relax and his hold on me adjust and become more secure, we both slipped off in a blissful and dreamless sleep.

(Percy's P.O.V.)

The sun was rising into the md-morning sky when I finally woke up and woke Thalia up as well. We both went about our usual morning activities in preparation. Kissing, laughing and smiling, with my occassional joke or act of idiocy and her threatening to beat me up if I continued it. I was stumbling around in my bed clothes still, which consisted of just a shirt and shorts, when I stopped Thalia from getting dressed herself. This nearly got me slapped, seeing as she had on surprisingly less than usual, wearing just a bra and boxers.

"Perseus, what do you think you're doing? We don't have time to admire the view or play some ridiculous game today." Thalia had definitately woken up ready to get into battle today, so I was on rather thin ice for the moment. She watched me stare at her body for a moment, before adding with a threatening tone. "Unless you forgot, we plan on going into battle ourselves today. I didn't want to have to make an extra change into less before I put on my armor, so I skipped step."

I gulped, nodded and sheepishly smiled at her. "I just wanted to hold onto this memory for a minute first, just in case." She looked irritated before cracking a smile at me. "Gods, you're such a boy." I couldn't help but laugh as she rolled her eyes while getting ready, then turning to me with a mocking look and snickered. "You plan on going to war like that, lover boy?"

I blushed at her, noticing my obvious misstep in dressing. I was standing in almost full battle armor, with the exception being the shorts I was still wearing. "I should finish getting ready.." I said with a small laugh. "Will you gather the Hunters and have Nico get the campers roused?" Thalia nodded and gave me a playful punch in the gut. "Don't take long, and you better be fully dressed when you come out, or else."

I composed myself and took a moment before properly getting ready. I stepped out into the crisp Montana air, and proceeded to the command tent. Thalia, Nico, Annabeth, Clarisse, Travis, Connor, Adara and two other males were there waiting. I could place one of the boys but not the other, but an introduction was properly made before I could wonder too much about it.

"Lord Perseus, I am the current representative for the Knights, Lieutenant Fumio Han." He was by far the oldest Knight I had yet seen, at least appearance wise. "Please, no need for formalities here." I smiled while politely informing the man, who nodded before motioninng to the slightly young man behind him. "This is my Corporal, Seiji Kayato. We are the commanding officers for the Rangers."

Nico looked at myself and then Thalia before looking at both Knights. "So, are you newly appointed Lieutenant, and why isn't Chang meeting with us on the Knights behalf?" Fumio gave a bit of a disgruntled look before explaining, much to the protest of his subordinate beside him. "I have been in place as the Lieutenant for quite a few years, this is not a new station for myself." I glanced at Thalia nervously, the Knights might be in worse shape than we both thought last night.

Fumio didn't miss a beat though, as he continued to explain. "The Knights have only one Captain but we maintain two separate Lieutenants, as well as two Sergeants, and each of our divisions has it's own Corporal." It was making more sense, but still didn't answer the obviously glaring issue at present.

"So, if your a Lieutenant, then it's fair to assume the other is Chang, correct?" Fumio nodded, the officer behind him interjecting. "Lieutenant Chang is more of a strategist than a fighter, it's why there are two." Fumio raised a hand up silently, the younger Kayato quickly stopped his participation in the discussion. "Despite being the Lieutenant and second seat for the Elite's, Chang has always deferred to his brother in actual combat. I worry that unless he takes a much more active role on the front lines, that the Knights will try to divide themselves accordingly."

Annabeth was rolling her eyes, Clarisse was enjoying the turmoil within the Knights and many others appeared slightly panicked. "So, what do you suggest we do to help?" Thalia asked incredulously, but the man didn't back down from her, only smirked. "Chang is in no true condition still to lead, and a majority of the men wouldn't follow him for various reasons. The problem is that, as Knights, we will not serve another Captain other than our previous. I believe you understand that way of thinking?" Fumio said still not breaking his eye contact from Thalia.

She agreed, which I knew she would. The Hunters would only view Artemis as their commander, even if they did have varying Lieutenants. "We get the premise, so you plan on acting as commander in Tajima's stead?" Annabeth posed the difficult question the smiling man with asian features. "Actually, the idea that myself and the other officers believeb best, is for Perseus to take overall command." I was about floored by the idea but Nico and Thalia both seemed to like it.

"In light of things, that seems like a good course of reasoning. It would allow our main leaders to avoid as much conflict as possible, good control of our armies and help reduce untimely deaths." Nico said as I agreed reluctantly with the vote that followed. "That means you need to appoint a temporary field commander, Thalia." I said to her sternly, hoping she wouldn't insist on partaking directly as a commander. She just shrugged lightly and half smiled, while I issued out the plans I had gone over last night with the Olympian council.

"For the moment, we need two officers for each division our forces are separated into." Everyone looked at me curiously, while I gathered all of my thoughts. "Lieutenant Han serve as my second until Chang is ready to resume his duties, then I will decide on a further course of action for the Knights, whose ranks are already firmly established." Fumio gave me his salute, as did his officer. "Nico will help out with the campers and our skeleton front lines, Thalia will continue with the Hunters. Which brings us to the campers, which I want in four divisions, which will be broken into grouped cabins based upon family traits."

Everyone nodded as I broke up the groups, similar to the Knights ranks. "Clarisse will lead our front lines, the cabins being Ares, Hephaestus and Nemesis." Clarisse grinned and told me her picks for her officers. "I would like Michael McDonald from Hephaestus, and Taylor Preston from Nemesis." I nodded as we sent messengers to inform the ones chose to report to the command tent immediately. "The Stoll's will lead our next division which will be made up of the cabins of Hermes, Hecate, Demeter, and Dionysus." Both the brothers smiled and cooed in unison. "Cassidy Faust."

I thought of the slight irony in that aspect, but knew it might be a good idea for her safety and some of her friends around her in combat. "Our last division will consist of the cabins from Apollo, Eros, Aphrodite, and Athena." The room was a little shocked at the last group, and I could feel Annabeth glaring at me. "Annabeth will lead our healers and archers, and lend assistance to the other divisions of demigods." I was a little nervous that she might object but instead just offered her two choices of officers. "Adara Markas and Wyatt Phelps." After a couple of minutes of deliberating about battlefield positioning and generally just waiting on the rest of our war council to arrive, they all finally did.

Once everyone had gathered, I finished up my summaries of the army and current tactics. "Alright, everyone gather your cabins by division and group accordingly." All but Nico, Thalia and the two Knights left us. "Fumio, I would like the Knights to rest as long as possible, but would your Rangers be able to lend support without getting directly involved if needed?" He smiled and nodded, leaning into our small circle. "The Hunters might be decent fighters, but nobody can best me in archery." He saluted and smiled challengingly towards Thalia, who was grinning back at him as if accepting his archer's duel. "Don't do anything rash, Thals." I tried to warn her, but was shrugged off by the anticipation of very fresh combat looming.

"Alright guys, how about we go out and greet us some Trojans properly." Nico left to go get ready to summon up our skeleton front line, and Thalia started to leave to get the Hunters together. "When I use them, my officers will be Tristen and Elyssa. That doesn't mean I won't be fighting.. but, I promise I'll be careful." She said to me with a smile as she left me alone to myself in the tent.

"There is a bit more conflict that I was hoping for..." I started to mumble to myself, but was cut off by an additional voice. "That's the general state of war, cousin." I turned around to see Hermes, grinning like he was planning on ripping off a bank or something. "Do you think the Knights will be okay? A lot seems to be riding on how they cooperate with each other now." Hermes patted my shoulder reassuringly. "I doubt the Knights will forget what they've lost so easily. It won't likely be in this war because of the fresh vengeance they will most likely thirst for.. but if they crumble, it will most likely be later on. You just need to hold them together until then." He continued grinning and I couldn't help feel a little better, but more nervous also. "Yeah.. no pressure." I smiled at him as he disappeared and I turned to face the day.