Peter
Awaking up, I was greeted by the sound of constant movement coming from the bedrooms. I stared at the legs of a small table in our living room. Half of my face was staring at it while the other half was pressed against the cold floor. The floor was cold and rough enough to cause any back pain, but this was nothing compared to how Alea and I used to sleep while we were on the run. Maybe that's why I was indifferent about sleeping here when my siblings wouldn't welcome me into the bedrooms. How long has it been since I started sleeping on the floor? The question brought painful memories and a pitiful answer. 7 years. That's how long I've been sleeping on the floor and how many years since Athena disowned me. Standing up, I shook the memories away. Deciding it was best to leave before my siblings came down, I went to the corner of the living room, where I hid my belongings under one of the floor tiles.
I quickly grabbed my necessary things and headed to the restroom. I was done before any of them came down. Walking out of the Athena dorm room, I spotted cohort 2. Feeling tension leave my body at the sight of them, I rushed over. Levi and Charlie play cards by the fire while Alea reads a book. It was customary for us to get together like this before anyone woke up. It wasn't a set rule but something we just came to expect from each other. Even before we formed cohort 2, most of us were usually awake before anyone, simply because we didn't want to deal with everyone's whispers and looks. Although Levi didn't care about that, he mostly woke up early to train. Alea was the first to notice me; she placed her book down and called out.
"Morning," she said, letting out a yawn.
Levi and Charlie looked up from their game and gave me a nod. I returned the nod and went to sit next to Alea. She was about to return to her book when a loud crash came from the Common Room dorm. Alea let out a sigh and shook her head.
"Those idiots," she murmured.
I asked her about it, but my question was answered a second later. The door to the common room dorm was burst open. Amira came out running with a grin reaching the ends of her face. Behind her, a very soaked Ansel came out. He looked around until his eyes landed on Amira. He began to chase her, all the while glaring at her. Amira, on the other hand, was laughing all the time. Finally, they made their way towards us; Amira quickly hid behind Alea, using her as a shield. But that didn't seem to matter to Ansel as he reached for Amira over Alea. With a sigh, Alea's forehead flicked Ansel; maybe it was because he expected Alea to stay still that he didn't see it coming. Alea's hit must have knocked Ansel's anger out as he calmed down.
Amira, amused by everything, looked at Levi and said," One Goldie as you ordered."
I see. Amira was serious about making Levi train Ansel…wait does that mean me, too? Amira turned to face me as if to confirm my statement and let out an evil grin.
"And one Peter. Come along now; let's get this training started."
Ansel stomped his foot and pointed at the window.
"Are you people nuts? The sun hasn't even risen. I'm going to sleep," he declared.
Well, it was expected Ansel would always be late to school. What wasn't expected, however, was that Ansel didn't have bed hair. Maybe it was because Amira threw water at him, but still, it would have made for an amusing sight.
After much threatening from Levi and Alea, Ansel reluctantly agreed to accompany us. These training sessions were something Levi insisted we do if we wanted to grow stronger, so he usually led them despite Amira being the leader of the cohort. Today's training was different since we had Ansel, but it was still tricky. After some lengthy exercises, we crossed to the sword-fighting area. Levi and Ansel both stepped into the middle. This part would focus on Ansel, given his lack of swordsmanship. The rest of us were on the sidelines, taking a short break.
"You think Levi will go easy on him," I asked.
I placed the question for anyone to answer, but we already knew the answer.
Charlie let out a small laugh, "Seriously, Pete, you really think that fighting manic will go easy."
I shrugged, having expected the answer. Levi, a son of the war god, wouldn't be easy on anyone.
"You know, I think the one who might be in trouble is Levi if he doesn't take it seriously," Amira commented.
We turned to face her, but her focus was on Ansel. Although her words indicated that she believed in Ansel, she still wore a frown.
"You're right," Alea said. "How he fought against the Sphinx proves he has potential, but don't you think it's too early to say he can match Levi?"
In terms of strength, demi aura control, and training, Levi had Ansel easily beat, but an upset could happen. It wasn't impossible. I didn't get to see how Ansel fought against Ms.Robinson, but from what the other told me, it was like he was a seasonal fighter. Despite it being his first time, he had coated his weapon with demi aura, proving he had potential. But there was something that kept nagging at me like a fly. Alea explained that Ms.Robinson had captured Ansel in her paws, but when she opened them, he was standing elsewhere. That was a clue to who his father was. It had to be, so why did I get such a bad feeling when I think about it. Charlie, staring at them, suddenly spoke more severely, which hardly happened.
"Makes you wonder if he should really be here with us. Don't get me wrong, he is fun and goes along with my jokes, but are we really people he should be with, given his potential?"
Despite his childlike personality, Charlie could be severe and realistic when it counted. Although rare, this was the reason for his nickname, the masked clown. I had known Charlie since we were young, yet there were times when his seriousness scared me.
"I told him about the cohort last night," I answered. "He said he didn't care, and if that was the case, he was also defective."
Like a switch turning, Charlie laughed and returned to his childish self.
"Man, he wants to be around losers like us; maybe Alea was right. He is a weirdo."
Alea smiled at Charlie's words and nodded before turning to give me an unsure smile. I knew what she was going to say.
"I told him about you."
Alea let out a shaky sigh, almost nervous about speaking, but she still asked, "And?"
I flashed her a smile and watched her face relax.
"He said you were rude and weird."
Charlie laughed, but Alea shook her head, although I could see a smile play at the ends of her mouth.
"Again!"
Levi's loud voice snapped us out of our laughter and focused on them. Levi was standing a few inches from Ansel, who was bringing down his sword. After a few more sword strikes, Levi explained some sword maneuvers. Ansel was listening, giving an occasional nod, but his eyes weren't on Levi's demonstration; instead, they were on the ground. I frowned and looked at the ground, but there wasn't anything but Levi's shadow. I looked towards Alea and Charlie to see if they were looking at the ground but were focused on Levi's demonstration. Amira was the only one who glanced at the ground and then back at Ansel. I moved to stand beside her.
"Did you notice something on the ground?" I asked.
Amira was quiet for a while as if trying to confirm something, but in the end, she just shook her head.
"No, I couldn't see anything. Maybe we're overthinking it, but…well, ever since yesterday, something's been bugging me."
That was odd. Usually, Amira lived her life without things bothering her anymore, like a ship drifting without purpose in the water. Ansel's voice caused us to look back.
"Why are you tying my hand to the sword handle?"
This was one of Levi's more unique training methods. He invented it, or at least he claims to have invented it.
"A sword must be seen and feel like an extension of your arm. It is the thing that will help you survive," Levi explained.
His reasoning was valid, although his execution method was odd. But for someone who had never had sword training, Ansel simply accepted it. They got in a ready position, and I noticed Ansel's sword was on his left hand. Because of this, his stance was different from that of Levi.
The morning air grew cold as those two stared down at each other. Then Ansel made the first move but his first step was slow and needed more explosiveness. Ansel struck at Levi with the wooden sword, but Levi was an impenetrable fortress. He deflected each of Ansel's strikes with ease. Then it was Levi's turn to attack; he was ruthless, not letting Ansel breathe. But surprisingly, Levi couldn't get a solid hit, which was odd because Levi had only taught Ansel the offensive form of swordsmanship. Yet Ansel was defending perfectly, not giving Levi a clear opening. Did Ansel have previous swordsman experience, or was this raw talent? Was his intuition of swordsmanship that good? It shouldn't be, no matter how much talent Ansel possesses. This became clear when Levi began to push Ansel back; however, it wasn't because Levi was overpowering Ansel. No, it was because Ansel's body or mind couldn't keep up with what Ansel wanted to do. He was always short in his footing when he moved or half a second too late to strike. It was like Ansel was glitching in real time. Levi noticed this and frowned as if not pleased by his advantage, but he still used the openings. Anyone showing these weaknesses should have fallen, but Ansel didn't.
Instead, he used those openings to bait Levi in. Missing his intended footing, Levi moved in to strike, but like a serpent, Ansel swung his sword back, almost hitting Levi's head. Noticing the incoming sword, Levi jumped away, putting distance between them. Both of them caught their breaths and stared at each other. Ansel twisted his left wrist. At the sound of cracking, a frown appeared on his face. Both of them moved at the same time. They matched each other's strikes, and for a moment, they looked to be in a stalemate. Both of them were trying to push the other; for a moment, they looked to be in a statement again. Then Ansel began to lose, and Levi grinned, finally able to push Ansel back. I watched Ansel's movements closely; something about them seemed familiar. Just as Levi was giving the final push, Ansel's right hand grabbed Levi's sword arm. I watched as Ansel pulled Levi closer to him, and simultaneously, he jumped up. Ansel's knee aimed straight at Levi's incoming face. I could see Levi's eyes widening in realization; it was too late. As Ansel's knee made contact with Levi's right side of his face, Ansel swung his sword at Levi's left side. Hit from both sides of the face, Levi staggered back, dropping his sword. Ansel caught him and helped him down. Levi blinked several times before glancing up at Ansel, who was smirking at him. Jolting Levi back to normal. He quickly stood and stared at Ansel with suspicion.
"I thought you never used a sword before," he asked.
It was probably everyone's question, mine included, at the moment. Noticing that we were walking over, Ansel scratched his cheek, a habit he had when unsure.
"I was telling the truth. …this might sound crazy, but when the match started, I felt enormous confidence. It was like something was telling me that I could do it. I've never had confidence before when doing things. Still, this time, it was almost like I was overflowing with it," Ansel explained, his words becoming more apparent.
Even now, as he was explaining, he was doing it confidently. Was this arrogance or maybe ego? But the wording couldn't fit with either of them. Thinking the same thing, Levi questioned Ansel.
"Did you ever think you could win?"
The phrasing Ansel used didn't indicate arrogance, cockiness, or ego. Of course, it could be that Ansel used the wrong wording, but something told me he didn't.
"No, I didn't think about winning or losing. I just had confidence that I could pull it off. Is that bad?"
If he didn't think he was going to win or lose, then it was blind confidence that Ansel had. It's like running through a dark tunnel, and even though you can't see, you still believe you could do it without knowing what's inside or in the end. Levi picked up his sword before answering.
"I don't think so. Let go-"
Levi was cut off by the sound of the breakfast bell going off. Levi began to put away the swords by mentioning that it was unfair. Amira let out a loud gasp.
"I forgot I had a meeting with Chiron about next week's flag game."
With that, Amira dashed to school. The rest of us made our way to the dining hall.
Despite being the first to wake up, we were the last cohort to arrive at the dining hall. As we made our way to our small excluded table, people turned and stared at Ansel. There was some whispering and points, but no one dared call out to him. It was interesting to hear the stories they were making up about his origins. Some thought he was cursed, while others, primarily girls, believed he was a god in disguise. I nearly fell when I heard it. Besides me, I heard Charlie chuckle dangerously. In some distant future, there would be a prank; hopefully, I won't be involved. We took our usual spots with the added bonus of Ansel sitting between Alea and me. Alea didn't seem too bothered by it, but when Ansel ordered his food, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"How can you order steak for breakfast? Too much red meat is bad for you. You're such a weirdo."
"Says the one who ordered avocado with toast. Who puts that together, weirdo," Ansel retorted.
It was surprising how opposite they were to each other in some aspects and in others very similar.
"Enough with the love fest. Let's discuss what kind of origin story we should develop for Ansel. Everyone is already making one, so let's have some fun with it," Charlie proposed.
You could see the excitement leaking out of him. That was until Ansel spoke.
"I don't mind, but before that, can I ask why you have a reaper tattoo?"
I knew he meant well, and it might have been my fault for not explaining to him yesterday, but his question cast a veil of tension on us. Levi stiffened and glanced at Charlie. While Alea was getting ready to intervene. The topic of Charlie's tattoo was a mystery even to us. We only knew that he had it after he suffered a tragedy when he went out on his first quest. He only ever says that it's a mark of his sin. Charlie was quiet with his head up as if finding the ceiling fascinating. And without even looking down, Charlie replied with a faraway tone.
"Let me ask you something first. If someone were to someday sacrifice their lives to save you, would you love them more for it or-"
Ansel cut him off with a sharp answer, "I would hate them."
His answer seemed to surprise even Charlie, who looked at him confused as if he had heard wrong.
Finishing his bite, Ansel continued, "It's a selfless act but one that would only bring more pain to the person they sacrificed themselves for. The person they leave behind would feel alone and suffer, thinking it was their fault. Or they might try to seek revenge, robbing them of their lives. If you're going to die, then die selfishly."
His answer was so… childlike that it was almost laughable. Yet no one at the time laughed or gave any indication of wanting. Especially not Charlie, whose expression changed to that of a sad child. I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for the fact that I was sitting before him. A slight grin began to form on Charlie's face as the expression of the sad child faded into the background.
"Alea was right. You are a weirdo," Charlie said with his usual grin.
Ansel tried to argue with his mouth full but quickly choked on his food. I thought back to Ansel's words. Was that why he was so angry about his mom going off? More than that, his words struck me with a sense of familiarity. I had heard those words before, but their general meaning may not be word for word.
It was the second time Ansel's words had sounded familiar; the first time he said the same thing as Noelle…a thought crossed my mind like an arrow piercing flesh. But the more I considered my theory, the more it made sense. It should be wrong. I have to be incorrect. Then why did all the pieces fit so perfectly with my theory? Stop being emotional, I scowled myself. Truthfully, I wanted to forget this thought, but like a seed, it was buried in my mind. The more I connected the pieces, the more it nurtured the thought like sun and water to plants. The way everyone described Ansel disappearing and reappearing somewhere else. The overwhelming power he displayed defeating the Sphinx. His natural talent for swordsmanship and his power to overpower a seasonal demigod. The way his eyes went to the ground when Levi explained a technique.
Then there was the riddle the Sphinx had given him, 'I was born to two worlds. But rejected by both. Accepted by death as its heir but not by desire. The embrace of darkness is my only companion. Who am I?'.
Yes, everything could be perfectly explained by my thoughts. Well, it was not so much a thought but a realization. Ansel didn't simply disappear and reappear; he traveled through the shadows. He didn't merely look at the ground to be disrespectful; he was unconsciously watching Levi's shadow to learn. He could overpower Levi and Sphinx because of his lineage. He was, undoubtedly, the heir to death, the prince that would rule over the dead. He will be comforted not by light but by darkness. He would be rejected by both worlds because in no realm would he be greeted kindly. For Ansel is the son of Hades.
The realization sent shivers down my spine. How would everyone react? We had just lost Noelle, and now we get Ansel. It was like the gods were playing a dirty trick on us. However, that begs the question: did Noelle know about Ansel, or had Hades hidden him somehow? Then, Enzo showed interest in getting Ansel into his squad. Wasn't that proof enough that he must have had an idea of who Ansel really was? A loud thump beside me caused me to lose focus.
"This can't be happening. Stupid flag game," Amira cried out beside me.
Her head was pressed against the table as if trying to become one with the table. Her raven hair is chaotic, as if she had been messing with it. Her face was as pale as a sheet; if it weren't for her groans, I would have thought she was dead. I had forgotten that Amira had met with Chiron about the flag game in three days. Although the match sounded innocent, it was anything but.
"What flag game," Ansel asked.
"Flag game is a match in the Colosseum between two cohorts. Each member has a belt with a flag attached around her waist. The goal of the game is to take off your opponent's flag. It might sound childish, but add in the fact that we were all demigods, and things are anything but childish. In an unsaid rule, to take the flag, you must defeat the other person in battle or the opponent surrenders. Of course, you can't kill them, but there are cases where some people have broken a couple bones. An entire cohort or just a single member could participate; since we are a small cohort, we all participate. Amira, being our leader, meets with Chiron to see if anyone wants to challenge us since it's our turn to participate. Our track record is 0-29, so we're the worst of all the cohorts," Alea explained nonchalantly.
At this point, we didn't see us winning anytime soon. Usually, when it was our turn, most cohorts avoided going against us since it was a waste of time. But when they did decide to fight us, it was mostly so they could test out new moves or something along those lines. I had expected it to be the same this time, but judging from Amira's expression, it seemed like a cohort had decided to fight us.
"Woman, don't keep us waiting. Who is it," Levi asked eagerly.
Out of everyone here, he was always the one that looked forward to being challenged. Amira sat upright, her expression a little haunting.
"The King's Cohort challenged us. All of them want to personally fight."
What?
Usually, the king's cohort would observe the matches or send only one of its members to fight. But all of them wanted to fight us! That was too much, but then again, wouldn't this prove Enzo has an idea of who Ansel really is. Enzo's sudden interest in fighting us could come from knowing Ansel's lineage; after all, Lord Hades and Lord Zeus were bitter rivals. As much as I wanted to tell Ansel who his father was, it wasn't my place, but if Ansel demonstrated his powers in front of everyone, it could lead to him being claimed. Was this what Enzo wanted to do, or was this plan designed by Enzo's right hand and strategies, my older brother Magnus. But then that would mean Magnus knew about Ansel. No, this plan was Enzo's. That was the most reasonable thing to assume. Now, we had no choice but to go along with it. In three days, the whole world will know who Ansel is.