This chapter is kinda short and boring. I would love to reach thirty chapters, so I had to plan out everything carefully. I hope you like it anyway.

This chapter is dedicated to Think_inspiration for her heartwarming comment, "EPIC battle, EPIC drama! EPIC writing, EPIC quality, EPIC plot, EPIC dialogue, EPIC story, EPIC detail, Pure EPICness Replace EPIC with every synonym for epic combined That still isn't how epic it is ;)" Thanks a bunch Think_inspiration!

Onto chapter 25. Like I said, its a bit short and boring but I hope you enjoy it all the same ...

Chapter 25: Suspicions Arise - Hazel's POV

There was so much metal around, I thought my brain would implode.

Swords, daggers, bows, shields, axes and so many other different weapons were strewn left and right across the battlefield.

Everything about the fight was painful.

Those who fell were rescued by Chiron or one of the Apollo medics. But some of the wounds looked so bad, I knew they just couldn't make it.

Whilst fighting a laistrygorian, I received a deep cut to my upper arm. It stung like crazy, so I raced across the battlefield and into the amphitheatre to get it fixed up so I could continue to fight.

An Apollo girl greeted me once inside. She took one look at my arm, made a clicking noise with her tongue and let me over to a bench where she sat me down before rushing off for first aid supplies.

I hoped she would be fast, I didn't want to stay here any longer than I had to.

We were already three hours in. Twenty or so campers were sitting around with minor injuries, and about another ten were lying down looking like death warmed up. In a corner, three tarps covered what I guessed where bodies. I didn't want to know who was underneath them. One looked so small.

The girl came back with some ambrosia and a roll of cloth.

'Hi,' she said breathlessly. 'I'm Dayna. Just stay still while I fix you up.'

I did as she asked, shutting my eyes tight. But although I could block out the horrifying sights of the hospital, there was no way to dampen the sickening sounds of the battle; clashing metal, raging growls, helpless screams.

'Chiron!'

I opened my eyes, and my heart sighed in relief as Frank jogged into the arena, his face tight with pain and dismay. He didn't see me, he was too busy relaying a report to the centaur.

'Chiron,' he repeated. 'We have five more injured down by the lake. Epsilon's having trouble defending another two on the other side. A fight by the amphitheatre looks like it's going to go sour. We're going to have a lot more company.'

'We can't keep this up, we don't have enough medics,' Chrion muttered regretfully.

'Then we'll have to borrow some people,' I stood up as Danya finished bandaging my wound.

'Hazel!'

I felt all the wind knocked out of me as Frank crushed me in a fierce bear hug. He let go and grabbed my shoulders, staring straight into my eyes beneath my helmet.

'Where have you been?' he asked fearfully. 'I've been so worried. Are you okay?'

I nodded, 'I'm fine. But we have to rescue those others. There aren't enough Apollo campers. You can turn into a bird and fly me over to the wounded, and then we can bring them back. It's our best shot.'

'Hold up there,' Dayna said from behind me. 'That cut you got was really deep. Too much physical exertion could be really bad for your health.'

I bit my lip, 'And what about the other campers. Don't you think their wounds would be bad for their health?'

Dayna opened and closed her mouth, caught with indecision.

'See,' I said sadly. 'We don't have a choice.'

She sighed, 'Just come back if it starts bleeding again. If you don't, you could bleed out, and that would mean your death.'

I nodded grimly and turned to Frank, 'Let's go.'

He frowned in concentration and was soon a majestic eagle. He lifted in the air and allowed me to grab hold of his feet.

For those who haven't flown Air Frank before, it isn't something I would recommend.

The winds ripped at my clothes as we soared through the night sky at around three in the morning. Frank did a lap around the battlefield, trying to locate where we were most needed.

The fight was worse from high up.

Still bodies were scattered all over. The clang of metal was loud enough to hear,  and flashes all over the battlefield indicated the use of powers. As I watched, part of the lake surged up and sweapt half a dozen monsters into a raging whirlpool. But more took their place.

Frank dropped me next to Commander Epsilon by the lake, before returning to human form. Epsilon was fighting off a couple of giant scorpions. Where did those come from?

'Nice of you to drop in,' he shouted, cracking a smile.

I rolled my eyes, 'Are you always like this?'

'Yep!'

Pulling out our weapons, Frank and I fought alongside Epsilon and defended two campers.

While we were extreme fighters, Epsilon was a destructo machine of fury and nightmare. I almost pitied the monsters who strayed in his path. He slashed and hacked, obliterating the enemy. The fight was over within seconds.

I studied Epsilon while he wiped his hands on his jeans. His fighting style was incredibly ... unique. He didn't fight like a Greek, nor a Roman, but something in between. Like a combination of the two.

'We need to get these two to the hospital,' I yelled over the sounds of the battle.

He nodded, 'I know. But how can we get them both there safely.'

'Frank,' I said. 'Could you turn into an eagle again and take one of the kids?'

He frowned, looking skeptical, 'But what the other one?'

'That'll be our job,' I glanced at Epsilon. 'Can you defend me while I carry the kid to the hospital.'

He saluted with a smirk, 'Course. Better hurry.'

Frank shifted until he was an eagle. He wrapped his talons around the one of the campers arms, careful not to scratch them, and took off towards the amphitheatre.

'Ready?' Epsilon asked.

I nodded in response.

'Then let's go.'

He held his sword out in front of him, and I swear I recognized it from somewhere. He saw me staring at it and his face slackened.

'Come on,' he said weakly.

I took a deep breath and then pulled the campers arm around me shoulder, keeping one arm around their waist. Their head lolled, indicating they were unconscious. Great.

Epsilon lead the way across the battlefield. We stuck to the shore of the lake, I wasn't sure why, but Epsilon insisted. He slashed at any monster that came within three feet.

We eventually made it to the hospital where we met Frank standing beside the bed on which lay the boy he'd rescued. Epsilon and I deposited our camper on the bed next to him and unclasped his helmet. Dayna came rushing over to start work on them.

They were so similar, they must've been twins; a boy and girl with dusty brown hair and skin the colour of cocoa. Their lips were cracked, and they both had acquired several wounds.

I sighed, 'How many more will this war take?'

Frank shook his head.

'I don't know Epsilon said wearily. 'All I know is that we must win it. For the sake of my father and all the worlds.'

'Your fighting style,' I started, still not looking at him. 'Its incredibly unique. I thought you said you trained here, at Camp Half-Blood.'

I glanced at him as his shoulders tensed. Without his hood, I could see his eyes through his ornate helmet. They were the brightest, most intense sea green; almost precisely the same colour as the girl, Azelle's.

'I did,' Epsilon replied, caution clear in his tone. 'But it was not the only place I trained. I stayed at Camp Jupiter for a while, as well.'

'That's how you knew Octavian and Reyna. When we first introduced you, you recognised them.'

He stayed silent, and I remembered something else.

 I said quietly, 'You knew Sally, too. Didn't you?'

He neither confirmed, nor denied it. But his silence was enough of an answer.

'I think you have an idea of who I am,' Epsilon whispered eventually. 'But I warn you, if we are to win this war, no one must know.'

I bit back an army of questions. He was right. I did suspect who he was. I couldn't know or sure until he revealed himself, but I had I pretty good idea; Roman and Greek fighting ... Sally ... that sword ... the sudden reinforcements of Tyson and the cyclopes ... the interest he showed almost two weeks ago when he asked about our friend Percy Jackson ...

I pushed my thoughts out of my head and smiled at Epsilon, 'You can always trust me.'

He sighed gratefully.

'Frank,' I called.

My boyfriend, who had been loyally standing by the whole time, stepped forward, 'Yes, Hazel.'

'We have to go rescue the other fallen campers,' I said. 'There are still those five by the lake.'

He nodded dutifully as I turned to Epsilon and held out my hand.

'Just in case one of us dies tonight,' I said cheerily as he clasped my hand and shook it.

He chuckled, 'Let's hope not.'

Letting go of his hand and taking a deep breath, I turned to the door of the amphitheatre. Then the three of us unsheathed our weapons, and headed back into the hard of the battle.

Clarisse's POV

Usually, I love fighting.

But this war was kind of an exception to that rule.

I didn't like the wounded who lay bleeding to death while battles raged around them, or the monsters cutting down campers like trees. It was too much to take in.

All we could do was pray that it would be all over soon, and we would win.

I found myself fighting next to Luke against some weird bird-hybrid things. As much as they looked strange and ugly, they knew how to dodge a blow.

'How long will this last?' Luke puffed as he jumped back, narrowly avoiding a cut in the side.

'Not much longer, if I can help it,' I growled, going in for another swipe.

He shook his head, 'I meant the war, not this fight.'

I blinked sweat out of my eyes and finally caught one of the hybrids in the neck. It wailed as it turned to dust. There were now two left.

'I don't know, Iroas.'

Everything could be a trap out here; nothing was as it seems.

I ducked under his sword swing and struck one of the hybrids in the leg, as he had a go at the other. It went on for some time; swing, duck, hit, slash.

We finally killed one of the hybrids, so we were facing one. But just as we turned to it, Luke froze.

'Luke!' I yelled. 'What's wrong?'

'A message,' he looked at me blankly. 'A message. Something big is going to happen; a trick that end in death.'

I frowned. I'd heard that phrase before, in the Second Titan War. But how was it relevant know?

I realized too late that we'd forgotten about the hybrid. My eyes widened as she took a dive at Luke, raking her wickedly sharp talons across his side, straight through his armour.

'Luke!' I cried.

He locked eyes with me as he fell. I could almost feel my eyes burning with hate for that stupid chicken.

'You wanna fight,' I screamed. 'Well, COME ON!'

The hybrid stood no chance. It squawked as I charged it, slicing it straight through the middle. I coughed and dropped my sword as dust rained down around me. I paid no attention.

I ran back to Luke and knelt by his side.

Strangely, he was smiling sadly. His armour was ripped to pieces and stained dark red. His hands shook as they pushed against the wound on his side.

'Hold on,' I told him.

I hitched my arms under his arms and helped him to his feet. He groaned and coughed up blood as I stood hiim upright.

'No,' he muttered. 'There are fallen campers just there. You need to get them to the hospital.'

I nodded, 'They'll get there, but so will you.'

His protests fell on deaf ears; I was not listening. I inconspicuously pulled him along to the amphitheatre, stumbling more than once. As we went along, Luke seemed to get heavier and heavier until I was practically carrying him.

'You're not aloud to go to sleep,' I commanded shakily. 'You're forbidden, you hear me?'

'Yes ma'am,' he murmured, his eyes drooping.

I managed to get him to the hospital without being attacked. He was swarmed by about three Apollo kids inside. With my help, we lay him down on the nearest stretcher where he began to nod off.

'No!' I shouted. 'You're not aloud to shut your eyes! I told you, you're forbidden.'

He nodded, mumbling, 'Not sleeping, not sleeping,' before falling asleep.

I stumbled back from the bed as the Apollo kids got to work, wrapping up the gash, applying nectar and feeding him ambrosia.

What had Luke said before? A message. Something big is going to happen; a trick that end in death. Did it mean Luke's death? Or something daker and more complex.

I turned my attention back to the son of Hermes as he moaned in his sleep. I was never sure what to think of him. But I did know that if Luke died, I can't imagine what I would do.

I will not cry, I will not.

I repeated the chant and clung to it like a lifeline. I was Drakon, also known as Clarisse la Rue; daughter of Ares and warrior of Chaos. There was a war to fight, I couldn't afford to break down. I was needed.

It was with this final thought that I turned my back on Luke and walked out of the amphitheatre. I barely noticed that I had started glowing a harsh, fiery red. I grinned wickedly.

With the blessing of Ares, there's nothing I can't do.

What did ya think? Between now and ... my plan, there isn't too much to write except different characters views of the battle. Sorry if it was a bit boring.

Also, I had an idea for another book, so I thought I'd ask. If I were to write a sequel, would any of you read it? I just wanted to know how many would be interested. Please let me know what you think.

My cover competition is still going. It ends 12.00am on Monday morning. Any covers sent after the deadline won't be accepted. I'd love to have a whole bunch of interesting covers to choose from. It doesn't matter if you think you're bad, have a go anyway. I might just like yours best.

As always, pretty please with ambrosia on top vote. comment and follow. Thanks everyone!