Ebony Wings: Chapter 23

Chapter 23 

Christopher 

Christopher ducked under a spear thrust and had to roll away as Gorilla Pet quickly thrusted out again.

"Someday, you're going to mess up you stupid monkey! You can't dodge forever!" He spat.

Christopher got to his feet and side-stepped to avoid a shield-bash.

"Dammit! Stop that speed you have! It's cheating!"

"What are you talking about?" Christopher rolled to the side.

"Don't play dumb with me!"

Christopher stepped back. He was as such a disadvantage with that spear! The length of it and how fast Gorilla Pet could thrust out and pull it back. He knew that he had to get inside, to get past the spear head.

The problem was, Gorilla Pet knew it too. He barely kept the spear out for Christopher to grab it, he always withdrew quickly so that he was ready to thrust again.

He was right though; Christopher couldn't dodge forever. He was gonna try his damnest though.

He waited for Gorilla Pet to thrust up high, he ducked and launched himself forward, throwing himself into the shield. Gorilla Pet steadied himself as Christopher swung.

Christopher smacked Gorilla Pet with the flat of the blade and Gorilla Pet recoiled in pain. Christopher raised his left gauntlet covered fist and punched out, connecting with Gorilla Pet's gut.

Before Christopher could deliver another strike, Gorilla Pet recovered and raised his shield and Christopher's sword bounced of the disc of metal.

Christopher stepped back dodged the thrust. This was not going to work!

Christopher may be the better unarmed fighter but Gideon was definitely the better weapon fighter, plus that Spear!

In that moment of distraction, Gorilla Pet swung the spear in an arc. Christopher managed to side-step but the spear tip managed to slice through his right bicep. Christopher winced and rolled back, grabbed his bleeding right arm.

Gorilla Pet kept striking. Thrust after thrust, forcing Christopher back.

Christopher grit his teeth. If only he had a longer weapon! If only-

Gorilla Pet accidentally tripped over a tree root and he had to place a hand on the ground to steady himself. Christopher took up the opportunity swung his sword but-

"What in Hades?" Gorilla Pet stepped back, narrowing his eyes at Christopher sword, but it wasn't a sword anymore.

The handle of the silver blade had extended, the blade widened and curved to form a sort of shape reminiscent of a crescent moon. The Cross-guard had completed disappeared. The sword was an entirely different weapon now.

A glaive. He wanted a few more seconds to look at it but Gorilla Pet was on the move again.

"What kind of weapon is that?" Gorilla Pet thrust out with Spear, Christopher knocked it aside with his new Glaive and then Christopher kicked him backwards.

"You're just full of surprises huh, Leftover?" Christopher struck with his Glaive using an overhead strike with two hands while Gorilla Pet raised his shield to block it.

Gorilla Pet took the chance and struck at Christopher's legs. Christopher side-stepped so the spear plunged itself into the ground. Before Gorilla Pet could pull it out, Christopher kicked it. Sending his entire body weight on the shaft, the spear snapped into two.

The loss of his weapon distracted Gorilla Pet for a moment and Christopher spun the Glaive to gain momentum before striking with it, connecting right with Gorilla Pet's nuts.

He crumpled to his knees and Christopher swung the Glaive one more time, striking his head with the flat of blade. Gorilla Pet groaned and tried to push himself up but Christopher pulled his foot back and kicked him in the head, Gorilla Pet went limp.

Christopher let out a sigh of relief. Now that the threat was over, his ankle exploded in pain and Christopher crumpled to the floor too. He had landed on it earlier when the two attackers had thrown him, he was so high off adrealin that hadn't noticed till now.

The peeled off his greaves and looked at his ankle. Yup, definitely swollen.

That wasn't his only injury either. The cut in his bicep was still bleeding and his forehead had been busted open, probably from being tossed around too. There was a sharp pain in his chest too, probably from getting shield bashed earlier.

Christopher tried to regulate his breathing, so far he was accomplishing it. He checked that off his list.

Next on the list, the Glaive. Or sword.

It was back in it's normal sword modeformthing again. Leather grip, V-shaped Cross-guard and silver blade slightly longer than the length of his arm. On the blade, the word "Aytier" was still engraved on the blade. What was going on?

"Hey! Uhh. Unclaimed guy! You here?" A new voice sounded from the woods.

"I'm here!" Christopher shouted back.

The boy that stepped out from the woods was the same black haired boy that talked to Annabeth earlier. "Hey- whoa." The looked around at the forest floor where the four attackers were crumpled on the floor. "You did this? Wow."

"Yeah." Christopher looked at his handywork. "Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you."

"Huh." The boy scratched his head. "One of the Nemesis kids came running screaming that Gideon was going to kill you and everyone panicked, we sent out an entire team to search for you."

"Glad to see I'm so loved." Christopher smirked though the movement hurt his chest.

"Yeah, Silena freaked out." The boy knelt down to feel the pulse of the each of the fallen attackers. He sighed in relief at everyone of them. "You know, I did something like this during my first Capture the Flag too."

"Did you beat up a blood-thirsty child of Ares?"

"No, she was a child of Ares though." He informed. "I got claimed right after that fight too."

The two of them looked up to the top of Christopher's head, just in case his godly parent had a sense of humour and decided to claim him now.

Christopher shrugged. "We all can't be lucky I guess."

"Yeah, can you stand?"

"No, my ankle is messed up." Christopher replied.

"Alright then." The boy knelt down and put Christopher's arm around his shoulders and then grabbed Christopher's sword with his other hand. "Come on up."

"Ow, ow, ow." Christopher winced as he helped him up.

"Sorry."

"It's okay." Christopher took a deep breath. "By the way, did we win?"

"Yup." The boy grinned. "The plan worked flawlessly. Annabeth's plan usually happens that way."

Christopher smirked back. "Nice."

"What's your name by the way. Don't really want to call you Unclaimed, you know?"

"Christopher." He said, though he frowned internally. Still needed to practise saying his real name.

"Nice to meet you Christopher. I'm Percy." As Percy helped dragged him out of the woods.

"So you're the whole big shot to the demigod world huh? Saved the world and things like that."

"Yeah. I kinda am." Percy grinned.

"By the way, what are we going to do with the other guys?" Christopher pointed his chin in the direction of the four fallen warriors.

"We'll get people to get them, don't worry." Percy reassured him. "Plus one of them was already coming too."

"Alright then." Christopher sighed.

--

"You again?" Will Solace stared at Christopher as Percy slowly dragged him to the First-Aid Stand.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" Christopher tried to smirk but winced due to the pain.

"Everyone's been freaked about you. Set him down Percy." Will pointed to the chair nearby and Percy helped Christopher sit down. "You messed yourself up good this time." Will took some gauze and distilled water to pour on the wounds. "How many Ares kids did you pick on now?"

"Lot too much." Christopher winced as Will poured some water on the wound on his bicep to clean it.

"He took on 4 of them." Percy elaborated, sitting on a table nearby. "He knocked them all out."

Will paused suddenly. "Seriously? Are you sure you aren't some child of Ares of something? Or Athena?"

"No." Christopher winced again. "I'm pretty sure I would know if I'm addicted to fighting or to facts."

"Yeah doesn't seem like your kind of thing." Will wrapped a bandage around the bicep, once he was down he moved on to Christopher forehead.

"Christopher!" Silena and Mike came running towards the tent. "Holy Zeus- you scared us!"

"I didn't exactly do anything-"

"Quiet you." Silena sighed with relief. "When Diana came running out of the woods screaming-"

"She freaked." Mike added in. "She freaked real hard."

"Yeah, when some comes out of the woods screaming that someone is going to kill your friend, you freak!"

"Wait, Symphatic Attacker was a girl?" Christopher raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Nothing." Christopher waved it away.

"Christopher!" Cecelia was up next, running towards him with Aaron and Zed.

"You're alive!" Zed raised his hand up for a high-five and Christopher returned it. "Nice dude. How many of them did you beat up?"

"Four. All of them, knocked out cold." Percy repeated.

Zed whistled. "Nice. Welp I gotta go."

"Where are you going?" Mike frowned.

"To tell everyone about Christopher the invincible!" Zed did a mock salute and ran off.

In that time, Cecelia slapped Christopher hard.

"Ow!" Christopher frowned at her.

"Dammit. Woman, I'm trying to close his wounds. Can you not open them up again?" Will frowned.

"I heard what you did from Aaron. What the heck were you doing?" Cecelia scowled at him.

"Helping the team win?"

Cecelia shook her head. "You boys. All idiots."

Aaron took a step closer to Christopher and Christopher turned to him. "You slap me on the back again and I swear to whatever deity you want me to that I will punch you in the nuts."

Aaron grinned. "I'm just glad your okay."

"Okay, glad your mushy reunion is done but can I please finish up bandaging him up?" Will asked. "Also can one of you make yourself useful and get me some ambrosia?"

"I'll get some. I think Chiron has it." Silena volunteered before she turned and ran off.

"I'll go with her." Mike followed her.

"I'll have to go too." Aaron annouced. "Victory celebration and cleaning up and stuff."

"Join us later okay?" Cecelia tapped him on the shoulder.

"I'll take him there. Don't worry." Percy reassured them and the child of Hephaestus and Aphrodite walked away. "They remind me so much of Charlie and Silena."

"Yeah." Will sighed, peeling off Christopher's chestplate.

"Who?" Christopher asked.

"Just- old heroes we once knew." Percy smiled.

Christopher recognised that tone. It was the tone he always used when he talked about the late Aunt Aaira.

"Alright then." Christopher replied.

"Back with the Ambrosia." Silena came back into view along with her brother, holding up a package of something.

Will took the package, opening it and taking out a green square of..something. "Here, eat this."

Christopher took it. He eyed it weirdly for a second before he put it into his mouth. It tasted like nutella.

"Well, I think that's it." Will announced. "Any other wounds did I miss?"

"I have a cut on my head." Christopher point at it while still chewing on the ambrosia.

"What?" Will took a closer look at his head. "There's a scar but that's been healed a long time ago. There's some dried up blood though on here."

"Huh?" Christopher reached for his forehead and his fingers came out dry. No blood.

"You sure you hit your head?" Will asked.

"I'm pretty sure-"

"Uhmm. Christopher right?" A new girly voice appeared.

Christopher looked around Will who was blocking his view. He was right, there was a girl that he'd never seen before.

"Hey uhmm. Do I know you?" Christopher asked.

"No actually-"

She was..cute Christopher guessed. Black hair and blue eyes, round face and tanned skin. She looked about 16-17 years old?

"Uhmm." The girl looked around the group surronding Christopher, from Percy, to Will, to Mike and....Silena who was giving her a frown and the evil eye. "I know this is weird but- can I talk to you alone?"

Christopher looked at Silena who kept her murderous eyes on her. "Nah, I think you can say it here."

He was hoping she'd lose her nerve, unfortunately she didn't. "Okay then." She sighed.

Will had moved to sit down on the table right beside Percy, while Mike took a step back. Silena stayed unmoving.

"Uhmm. I just though- Well the 4th of july fireworks are near and- I though you would watch them with me. I know this is a weird time to ask this but I wanted to make sure I asked you before anyone else did."

Mike physically wrapped his arms around Silena's waist to stop her from lunging at the girl. Percy and Will leaned forward with the expression of 'This is going to be good'.

"I- thank you for your offer uhmm-" She was asking him out and she hadn't even introduced herself. "but I-"

"You? You what?" The girl asked.

Silena turned her evil eye to Christopher since she could claw the girl's throat out.

"I- I can't go with you. I'm sorry." Christopher replied.

"Why not?"

Christopher covered her face with his hand in an attempt to stop them from seeing the blush on his face. He couldn't believe he was going to do this, it was so embarassing.

"Because I-" Christopher sighed. "Because I have a girlfriend."

Christopher counted 3 internal seconds before someone reacted.

"Oh." The girl sighed. "Okay then. Sorry for disturbing you." Christopher watched her slowly walk away.

Once the girl was gone, Silena broke out into a excited squeal. Mike was holding her down as she was jumping up and down so it looked like he was stopping her from trying to take off.

"Calm down Silena." Mike told her.

"How can I be calm?!" Silena grinned and giggled like a little girl. "Christopher called Theresa his girlfriend!"

Christopher covered his face with his hands. "Ah dang it."

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For the stronger the Light; the thicker the shadows that fall.  12:37, September 15, 2014 (UTC)