(Re) Zo̱ntanoús Nekroús - Chapter Nine

Carter POV:
Walking the old paths that were so familiar to me and yet so unfamiliar made sadness swell up inside me, I had no idea how long it had been since Camp Half Blood had feel, a year, two...who knows, but it still felt like home to me.

I thought all this as I walked through the ruins of Camp Half Blood, my rifle pointed at the cornors, incase one of the "campers" came out for lunch. Eleanor stood behind me, her bat in her hand, I felt her anxiety radiating off her like a eletric heater, i was tempted to try and comfort her but I knew that she'd just shrug me off, so i kept my silence.

We soon came to the Hephasteus Cabin, its metal walls were rusted and the door was badly dented, but, like the Apollo cabin, it was amazingly well preserved. Eleanor moved up the door and tried the handle, but it didn't turn "Damn, the thing so rusty it won't turn" she hissed, kicking at it in anger, I hurried forward and stopped her "Hold on, the Hephaestaes kids were always tricky little blacksmiths...if i'm right it should be...here!" I pressed my hand against the middle of the door, suddenly a section of the door started to turn, then click into place, and suddenly the whole door slid to the side,  leaving the entrance open for them.

"Wow" Eleanor said, obviously impressed.

"Yeah, they were always a fan of those puzzle locks" I said, chuckling to myself. We moved inside, the cabin was, unsurprisingly, empty. Tools and parts were strewn along the floor, some broken, some intact, weapons hung from the walls, some rusted to disrepair, some looking brand new.

I scooped these weapons up and slid them into my backpack, I counted them all, several daggers, hatchets and a single longsword.

"Not alot...but better then nothing" Eleanor muttered, walking along the bunks. I got up and followed her as she stopped in front of the bunk at the end, staring at the name carved into the side.

"Leo Valdez..." Eleanor said, she then looked at me, as if realising i was there for the first time "He taught me how to control my powers you know...he was just like me..." I nodded, I remembered old Valdez, he had been in Camp for nearly thirty years, he had been one of the final defences Camp had had, even now i remembered his final stand, standing on the top of Half-Blood Hill, letting loose inferno's of fire that charred everything in front of him...I also remembered how he had died, giving me, Tristan and Eleanor time to escape as he faced Nikolai.

"He was a hero Ellie..." Eleanor's eyes sparkled as she heard the nickname i had given her, she then turned to me and stepped forward, her body inches from mine, i blushed, trying not to show my embarassment "What's wrong..."

The next second she had my face in her hands, I stared into her eyes for a moment "Eleanor..."

Whatever would have happened next would forever be unknown to me since at that moment a giant, grey, rotten figure lunged forward, knocking us both the floor. I gasped in shock, my rifle flying out of my hand as i realised the figure was a Zombie camper, Kevin Stasham, a son of Ares.

I drew my sword and got to my feet as the zombie lunged at me again, grabbing me by my cloak and pinning me against the wall, baring its sharp, yellow teeth to bite me.

I shouted in defiance and drove my blade into its neck, blood spluttered out like a sprinkler, the zombie fell to the ground, gurgling on its own blood, I pulled my blade free and, with a flick of my wrist, decapitated the creature.

I let my exaustion out finally in the form of three long gasps, I then pulled myself to my feet and looked at Eleanor, then my eyes widened.

Eleanor lay on the floor, unmoving...her side coated in blood, a discarded rusty blade lodged into her side.

"Eleanor!"