Emberlynn Knight

"Cookie? In that case, don't you mean dis-BATCH-ed?" She did not, in fact, understand the inside joke. But Emberlynn Knight was never one to pass up an opportunity for puns. She watched his movements, finding herself inadvertently mimicking his blocks and slashes. Of course, her attempts were much slower and clumsier than his. "Still..." The girl gave a wry smile. "I wouldn't underestimate me."

Actually, he probably wasn't underestimating her. So far his estimates appeared to be spot on. But all she could do now was keep stalling. "I plan on being quite the warrior when I grow up! Someone strong, like you! Or like Ms. Rayne..." Her former cabin leader was one of the first people that popped into mind. Though she'd recently seen the woman take a rather embarrassing fall, it had done nothing to dampen the girl's admiration.  As she spoke she kept trying. Another pass, another swipe - maybe she'd get lucky.

Come on team... where are you?

Emberlynn skittered to a halt as Azreal once more intercepted her path. And this guy calls ME persistent. Still, she had to admit she was developing a certain level of admiration for the man. Like a young child looking up to a much older (and stronger) brother. And like any good brother, his uncanny  ability to get in her way had started grating on her nerves. Perhaps she shouldn't have expected to win. By all logic, she shouldn't win. And yet she had. By luck or skill or some combination of the two, the rainbow-haired girl had managed to grab a couple of points for her team. And with the sweet taste of victory fresh on her tongue, defeat was all the more bitter.

More tricks? Well, she hadn't actually thought that far, but she wasn't about to let him know that. "Well, Sir Azrael, I could hardly let you run off mid-conversation, now could I." The young camper eyed the other Red defender. She didn't recognize him, but he looked dangerous. Ember didn't like that calculating gleam in the man's eyes. Thankfully he hadn't gotten involved yet, but it was only a matter of time. As for her own reinforcements... from what she could tell, Katie hadn't been spotted yet. Good. Then she'd do what she did best - keep the others entertained. 

"You're going to throw me in a cage?" She put on an indignant face, though she knew this game was no holds barred. Still, it made for an amusing picture. "How ungentlemanly of you. I'm not an animal you know, even if I've no recourse but to fight like one!" To an extent it was an accurate metaphor. The little warrior had relied more on instinct than anything else to survive the game thus far. Though her instincts leaned more toward communication than combat. She made another swipe for the red fag. If she could grab it, awesome, but she mostly wanted to keep the defense occupied until Katie could make her move.

Following Katie's lead, Emberlynn pursued Azrael through the forest. She stayed a few paces behind the older campers, keeping a close eye on how they carried themselves. The girl may not have had training quite yet, but that didn't mean she couldn't learn from those around her. Katie struck her as a smart girl - someone with a good head on her shoulders. Perhaps that was a virtue bestowed on her by Athena, or perhaps simply a trait of her own personality. Regardless, it seemed she knew more about this game than Emberlynn did, and the little camper was relieved not to be leading the charge this time.

When they reached the camp, she found that there was another Red Team member waiting for them. Great... she thought. Seriously, was the entire red team composed of buff adult men? Azrael aside, the other guy had to be at least eighteen or nineteen. She'd already seen Mr. Selway  camping out by a red team flag, and the Ares councilor had been mentioned as well.

As for her teammates, she'd met a small somewhat-rude boy and now a girl who looked to be around her age. Though Katie may  have been a bit older - she did seem more experienced with all this. Still, the teams from what she'd seen were wildly unbalanced.  She'd have to do something to distract them. As she and Katie sat near the edge of camp, she tapped the other girl on the shoulder. "I've got an idea," she said. "I doubt those we could take those two in a fight, but perhaps we can lure them away from the flag." She pointed to some large stones laying about, then pulled some leftover vines and ropes from her last trap-making endeavor from her bag.

A few moments later she'd built a precarious stack of stones atop a long string of vine. Em moved a good ways away, then yanked on the rope, causing the stones to crash noisily to the ground. She nodded to Katie as if to say NOW! Then, banking on the distraction, she made a charge for the flag and hoped her ally would do the same...

"I'd love some help!" Emberlynn smiled at the new arrival. Finally, someone else from the blue team. She stood by the girl, more confident now that she was not alone. "Good to see a friendly face. Well, Sir Azreal... It seems that question I asked earlier as tho whose reinforcements would be the first to arrive - it took a bit, but it seems we have our answer!"

The man lunged forward to grab at the flag, but she managed to get in an effective block - a move that surprised her more than anyone. "If you've got backup of your own, best call it now."  The colorful girl gave a wide grin, empowered by the blue team's suddenly superior numbers. She looked more confident now. Emberlynn had always been at her best when she had a friend by her side. "That, or face the wrath of myself and... and..." She paused a moment, looking to her companion. It occurred to her that while the girl had known her name, Em had no clue what hers was. "And this amazing girl beside me! Ah- what is your name?"

"Truly? Well, I cannot wait until nighttime then!" Emberlynn was excited to learn her team had some powers she had yet to witness. She noticed he had picked up a bit on her speech pattern. Suits him, she thought. Or rather, it suited the knightly image of him she had in her head. Ember had grown up loving old fantasy movies and cartoons. Being wide-eyed and a bit pretentious (as middle schoolers tended to be), she had quickly gotten the impression that an extensive vocabulary would make her sound more elegant. Besides, if she was going to become like her favorite heroines, she needed to look and speak the part.

Of course, no matter how much she pretended, she knew she wasn't on the level of her adversary. She assumed the older campers here had seen many battles of their own. Real battles. And the combat prowess he showed was nothing if not a sign of experience. "Monsters... I take it you've faced a few in your time?"

"Dustin... Ah yes, the combat instructor. I unfortunately have yet to make use of his services. Just arrived shortly before this game started, you see. " She kept talking, looking for opportunities to put more distance between him and the flag. If he truly did have backup, this wasn't going to end well for her. She doubted she'd be able to fend off one combatant for long, much less two. But if it was distraction... Well, that was a game she was good at. Perhaps she could keep him talking until help arrived.

Just keep a cool head, Em. You won last time... kind of. And you can do it again. "Tis a pity I'm not on his team then. So far the most ruthless person on blue team I've met is... Well, little ol me! And I hardly count now, do I?"

She just had to keep him talking. So long as the rest of the blue team was nearby, they could come help drive off the attackers. Surely there was someone around she could rely on... She hoped.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"  Emberlynn asked, stepping between the blue team's flag and a man she now recognized quite well. She'd built quite a bit of confidence grabbing two flags in a row. The last bout, however, had dampened her mood a bit. Though at least this time she was at "home base". What's more, it was in a place the girl had scouted when it was in enemy territory. Every advantage here would be valuable, especially since she was up against...

Azreal. Yep. There was no mistaking that face. If last time had been an unfair match, this meeting was straight up rigged. Here there were no slippery rocks to make him hesitate. Just a thirteen-year-old girl and a sword she didn't know how to use. Still, she pointed it with all the dramatic flair she could. "Ah, Sir Azreal." She'd taken to calling him that in her head, as he'd reminded her so much of a fantasy knight before. "We meet again!"

Emberlynn was high on adrenaline and excitement. She'd done it. She'd really done it! Not only had she managed to grab a flag for her team, but she'd gone head to head with an adult demigod and survived! To the tiny girl, that victory was enough to make up for at least most of the terror she'd faced throughout the day. In doing so, she'd completed her most important objective. Ember had actually been useful to her team. It felt so good to be a part of something - a feeling she'd been straining to grasp ever since she'd been dropped off at Camp Half-Blood. Still pumped from her victory, she set out in search of the enemy's new location.

She was approaching the East Woods when she heard male voices. The little girl quickly dropped low, ducking behind some bushes. It sounded as though they were planning an attack. After a few moments of hiding, she risked peaking up to see who was talking. Mr. Selway! Dang, it had to be another of the adults, didn't it? It seemed he had called the red team's defenders into a huddle to talk strategy. Still, there was a positive to that. Perhaps if she was quiet enough, she could snatch another flag while they were all distracted... 

Emberlynn nodded. So that thing that attacked her had done so because she was a demigod. In a strange storytelling kind of way it made sense. "So, I'm here to train." She repeated. That, to some extent, was comforting. She pictured herself briefly as a warrior princess from one of the cartoons she loved to watch. If gods and monsters existed, so too could people like that. And perhaps... one day... But this was no cartoon, she realized. This was real life. Her life. And she wasn't sure if that was terrifying or awesome. "I suppose it's good to know I'll have a place to stay at least. And it would be nice to know more about my birth family."

Em had been raised knowing she was adopted, but had long been discouraged from asking questions about her lineage. You're a Knight and that's that, her parents used to say. She'd gotten the impression that her curiosity hurt them, so had long ago learned to keep silent on the matter. Yet here was a chance for answers. A weird, nigh unbelievable chance, but one she couldn't help but latch onto. My parents... right! She wondered what they were going to think of all this. It was one thing to let their teenage daughter study the ats in New York for a few years. It was entirely another to let her train to fight monsters at a summer camp for - for...

"Ah, Mr Selway?" she inquired suddenly. "Just how long is this program? Thing is, if I miss too much school..." There was a play she had wanted to try out for, but a string of absences was a good way to get her banned from extracurriculars.

Atlas suddenly burst into laughter. After a moment, he got a hold of himself. "Sorry, Em. It's just... you're really worried about school right now of all times?"

"Well..." she replied a bit defensively. "It's a valid question. Just how long will I be staying here?"

Azrael caught the blade at her side. Well, that's a problem. She had hoped that by not drawing her weapon she could avoid being brought into a fight, but it was good to at least have access to it. Worse, he was using that grip to yank her away from her goal. She jumped back a bit, clumsily yanking the weapon from his makeshift grasp. She noted, however, that he had moved to disarm her. Specifically not to take her out. The guy reminded her of a knight from a fantasy movie. He had the movie-star looks, the flashy sword moves- and, it seemed, some sense of nobility. Between his movements and his warnings about the rocks, Ember concluded that he did not want to hurt her. It struck her as ironic that her inexperience was likely the only reason she'd lasted so far. Had she any talent with the blade or any concept of what she was doing, this man would've downed her in an instant. But morality was keeping him from attacking a defenseless kid. So a wildly unbalanced fight strangely became a stalemate.

"Emberlynn, Iris cabin." She replied in turn. "That's me! Loud and persistent!" The little girl grinned. The next thing he said did not instill confidence though. She had enough trouble keeping one adult at bay. Hell, she'd only managed by playing on the morality of hitting children with swords. But if this "Derrick" did not share Azreal's sense of virtue. Well, she'd be in trouble. "Yeah? And you think me a moron then I'm sure. As if I'd come all the way out here by myself." She bluffed for time, hoping that another Blue Team member had heard her call. "We'll have to see whose "reinforcements" arrive first!" With that she made another unarmed grab, hoping his hesitations might provide her an opening. She didn't have to win. She just had to grab it...

Ember turned tail and began to run. She charged through the forest as quickly as her little legs could carry her. Not quick enough. Not fair. She thought. That thing has like a billion legs and I've only got two. She jumped and rolled, narrowly missed by a stinger strike. Finally she grabbed for her weapon. Lot of good that was gonna do... She'd only been here like a week before this damn game. That was barely enough time to learn to hold a sword, much less use it effectively in combat. Iris... mom, I guess? If you're out there I could use a little help! "Someone... anyone..." the girl panted under her breath as she charged deeper into the forest. "Somebody help me..."

As luck would have it, it seemed Emberlynn was not the only human in this neck of the woods. The little rainbow-haired demigod erupted in a spiral of leaves and color from some foliage, spotting a girl to her right as she kept running. The massive Scorpion soon burst from those same bushes, making it very clear what exactly the thirteen-year-old was running from. Finding herself cornered, Ember held her blade clumsily before her. The monster, now standing between her and the new arrival. It had scarcely registered the other girl intent on devouring its colorful prey. "Ah, you there!" She called to the other camper. The other kid looked older, more experienced, and bonus - heavily armed. "You look like you're good in a fight! Mind lending me a hand?" It might have sounded like a clever movie line - were it not said in such a terrified and out-of-breath voice.

"TJ. Nice to meet -" Their introductions were interrupted by what felt like a sudden earthquake. The ground began to shake, and as she ducked for cover she saw a skeletal hand rising from the ground. "EEEEEEKKK!!!" she stomped at it with her foot, not even thinking to use her weapon. It was the most horrifying thing she had ever seen in her life. They'd told her there were monsters in the forest, but nobody told her about the freaking zombies! Following TJ's lead, she scrambled inward toward the bushes. She hid away and watched as one by one the zombies fell to their various preparations. But she knew as well as the boy did that they could not hold out forever. Then she finally remembered her weapon. Unsure what else to do, she stepped forward (just behind the edge of a pit trap they'd laid) and swung at a few outstretched bony arms. Three skeletons turned to lunge at her, but ended up back where the belonged - in the ground. 

She saw another weapon lying on the ground. Was that - it must be TJ's. Gods, tell me he's okay. He had to be right? She'd just heard him yelling a moment before. The girl grabbed for the second sword. Her feet scrambled beneath her in an insane dance, trying her best to avoid the disgusting undead reaching up from the ground. Suddenly she felt her back up against a tree. She cowered into it, crouching to make herself as small as possible. The two weapons were held crossed in front of her in a X as if to rebuke the nasty creatures. "G-go away! Leave us alone!" It was a desperate plea of someone who could no longer get away. Yet oddly... it seemed to work.

The zombies were gone... this wave of them anyway. But where was it that they came from? Were these the monsters of the forest? Or did the red team have some very gross reinforcements? And more importantly, she'd been separated from her teammate. She ran back toward the foliage, searching for their hiding spot. It felt an eternity before she heard a small, sniffling voice. "Are they all gone?"

Emberlynn followed the noise in time to find him preparing to leave from camp. "TJ! Thank the gods you're alright!" She understood his plight. She too was utterly terrified, and none to eager to stick around this place. Maybe it would be best for her to go exploring herself. "Y-yeah. We did it!" She said shakily, indicating the mass of triggered traps before them. Thinking of those three she'd led into the pit, she couldn't help but have a new sense of pride - even if she'd spent the rest of the time cowering. "Thank you. Oh, and you're probably gonna want to take this." She offered him his sword. Well, it was probably his. They al looked the same to her.

Damn. He noticed. Ah well, she supposed it was to be expected. A trained warrior surely would never had fallen for such a simple ruse. Still, she kept a relatively friendly demeanor compared to the man's combative one. Reinforcements? She wasn't sure if she trusted that. She knew there were other members of the Blue team out there. There was TJ, and whoever had grabbed the first flag, plus a gaggle of people that had been with her on their way to their own flag.  But Ember had rarely seen them. And considering this guy's physical prowess... she was still unsure how much help they'd be.

Em did not, in fact, draw her sword. This guy obviously knew what he was doing, and drawing a weapon might be the only indication he needed to strike at her again. Of course, swiping for the flag would likely produce the same result. But what else could she do? To have come this far just to run away seemed an awfu waste. No - even if she couldn't fight him, maybe she could keep him distracted while her team found the place. "You're correct sir, these rocks can be awful slippery. And also quite ECHOEY!!!" She called out the last words as loudly as she could, letting them reverberate against the mountainside. Anyone even remotely near the area could have heard her. Good. Sure, she could run away and look for reinforcements. Or she could call them to her. Of course, it could easily draw the attention of more red defenders. Or worse, monsters. But the oblivious girl had a penchant for only looking on the bright side.

"Not getting rid of me that easily, my good man. Ah - who are you?" Grinning, she made a reckless swipe for the flag again...

"Gods damn it!"

The cry was carried through the forest air, reaching the ears of one very confused Child of Iris. She'd been scrambling from area to area, trying her best to take it in. This was by far the most intense game she had ever played in. She hadn't played much capture-the-flag growing up. Little Ember had been more the type to hide away the whole game and look for a comfy place to sit and draw. But even if she had been an avid capture-the-flag player, the girl doubted it would have prepared her for this tournament. This one was full of monsters, actual weapons, and if the sound she just heard was any indication - damsels in distress. Chin up, Em. The thought entered her brain as she steeled her resolve. You've got helping to do.

When she managed to trace the source of the sound, she was surprised to find a pretty young woman collapsed next to a gopher hole. Even more surprising, it was a woman she recognized. "M-Miss Rayne?" She exclaimed, running over to aid her former leader. Ember hadn't stayed in the Hermes cabin long, as it hadn't taken much time for her to be claimed. Yet even in that short time, she'd made some fond memories of the Cabin Leader. The lady was caring and kind - definitely not the type who deserves to be monster food. The girl knelt down beside the injured woman, scanning her leg to see how likely it was that she'd be able to walk. "You tripped?" She inquired, guessing based on the scene before her and the exclamation that brought her here. "What were you spacing out over?" She joked. She didn't have any healing powers, so she had to settle for the pain-numbing power of laughter. "Boy problems?"

"Ack!" The strike to the side of her helmet sent the clumsy girl sprawling. Thanks, boy. She thought briefly of the teammate who had given her this helmet earlier in the game. He'd inadvertently just saved her life. At least, she could see it that way. Though she doubted it would've come to that. She couldn't imagine that, had she not been wearing a helmet, another human would have made such an attack. She staggered to her feet, scanning her attacker up and down. As she did, she lost any hope of taking him in a fight. This guy was an a full-grown adult. He had blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, and a face like some kind of Hollywood star. And he was muscular - another trait which put her at a distinct disadvantage.

Emberlynn, on the other hand, was a barely-teenage girl with zero muscles or combat skills. Getting past this guy by force was about a hundred percent impossible. After a quick appraisal of the situation, she decided to try a different tactic. She removed her helmet, feeling along the side of her head to make sure it wasn't bruised. As she did, she gave her best "innocent girl who has no idea what's going on" face. It was especially easy since she actually was, in essence, and innocent girl who had very little idea what to expect in a game like this. "Thank you for the concern. I'll be sure to keep it in mind. I am awfully clumsy after all, as I'm sure you can tell from that display just now..."

Emberlynn was rambling, doing her best to keep the man's attention on her words. As she did, she slowly circled toward her goal - step by step- once innocent gesture at a time. "This game is awful dangerous. They gave us weapons of course, but they can hardly expect a brand new arrival to know how to use one." There it was. Finally. Just within reach. She slowly reached for the flag once more...

It was almost reassuring to be working with someone just as inexperienced as she was. She couldn't help but share the boy's excitement as they set about making the tripwire. It seemed a relationship that had started in instant turmoil had resulted in, at the very least, teamwork. Perhaps this young man could even become her friend. She started to wonder if this was a product of her blood. She'd heard in the Iris cabin that her siblings were known for unnaturally good communication skills. She wondered if she really could "make a friend of anyone." If she was going to have superpowers, that would indeed be the best one. After all, everyone needed friends.

Though, she suddenly realized, it wasn't like she knew much bout this kid. She hadn't seen him around any of the cabins... nor did she even know his name. If friendships were to be made, surely introductions should be made first. "I'm Emberlynn, by the way," she whispered, tying the end of a vine to a large, sturdy tree trunk. "And you are?"

Ember watched from the bushes nearby as the red team set up their new camp. She couldn't believe her good fortune! To be fair, she had reason for that. The fact that she'd happened to come so close to the enemy's flag in her desperate scramble to survive was the first "lucky" thing that had happened to her since this whole thing began. As for the fact that there was nobody stationed to guard it... she wasn't sure if that was lucky or incredibly suspicious. Still, such an opportunity could hardly be passed up. She crept toward the flag as quietly as possible and carefully reached out her hand...

"Ah... thanks." She took the helmet and stuffed the remainder of the clean bandages back into her bag. As for the already soiled ones, she used hem to tie back and conceal the rest of the uncovered hair. "I suppose you're right. Do you think it'll happen though?" She glanced down at the sword hanging clumsily at her side. They'd all been given weapons in this game, supposedly to fight off any dangers in the wilderness. But the weight of the blade felt far too real for her liking. It'd be one thing to run around a park swinging foam weapons, but this thing could really kill somebody. Or, according to the councilors, something. "You think someone might get really hurt?"

She shuddered to think of the possibility. But she knew full well that in a place like this, anything was more than possible. "Well, I don't know how good a shot you are with that gun, but I sure as heck don't know how to use this thing." She motioned to her own weapon. "But maybe..." she scanned the area around the hidden flag. Plenty of trees and bushes... plenty of opportunities. "Maybe we could set some traps? That's not against the rules, right?"

The child of Iris was... a bit lost. She'd been making her way through the forest, humming a pleasant tune as she searched for signs of life. She wasn't worried about making noise this time. After all, she was well within her own territory, and not close enough to a friend to lure in any dangers. Of course, he hadn't accounted for the dangers that might approach her on her own. The councilors were always warning that this forest was a dangerous place, but that hadn't really clicked for Emberlynn. It was just so... pretty. Surely an area so beautiful was somewhere she was meant to be. Though now that she thought of it, the girl was neither sure where she was meant to be, nor where exactly she was. She scanned the trees around her, looking for any familiar signs. But... they were trees. And while beautiful, they did tend to have a rather uniform look.

Emberlynn paused to close her eyes, breathing in the heavy forest air. She tried to sense if there was anyone or anything around her to latch on to. No luck. While her time at Camp Half-Blood so far had instilled a few useful skills, awareness of her surrounding was not one of them. Little Ember, though she did try, was oblivious as ever. Though it was fortunate that she had taken a moment to stop, else she may not have heard the rustling sound coming from a nearby group of bushes. Her head swiveled in that direction. Was it an animal, perhaps a rabbit of squirrel? Or if she was lucky, maybe it would be another camper?

A curved sword hung awkwardly at her side, though as she made her way to investigate she did not so much as reach for it. It was a Greek weapon, designed for horseback combat as it had been explained to her. Though she'd been told it was less effective in ground combat, it still had seemed to call to her. So too did the idea of riding into battle on horseback. She wondered if the camp offered horse-riding lessons... Even as she walked straight into potential danger, her mind was always wandering. She spoke with a soft and welcoming voice. "Hello there, whoever you may be! I seem to have gotten myself a bit lost." If it was a person, maybe they could direct her back toward camp. If it was an animal, at least she'd have a moment to enjoy playing with the local wildlife. "Perhaps you could help me out m-"

What she saw, however, instantly snapped her from her obliviousness. A pair of yellow eyes glinted from behind the foliage. Then another... and another... A group of creatures? No - a single, massive creature. One with twelve eyes, long, spindly legs, and a spiked stinger slowly raising to strike at the child. "m - Mr. Scorpion..." she awkwardly finished the sentence. Any thought of befriending such a hideous thing was gone from her mind, as it seemed all too eager to kill her. Had she been more well-trained she may have gone for her weapon. As it was though, she was brand new to this whole monster fighting thing. As she stepped back, only one course of action occurred to her. Run.

@ McKayla Johnson

"Ahh!" Ember exclaimed in surprise at the boy's sudden approach. She quickly realized her error, putting a hand to her mouth. "S-sorry," she whispered. She hadn't seen anyone else hiding here, but perhaps she had been mistaken. Looking the boy up and down, he did seem better camouflaged than she was. Though that may have been helped by the fact that he was shorter than her. And it did strike her that no matter how well he was dressed, his increasing loud  reprimand was bound to draw attention anyway.

"Look," she gave him a friendly smile. She didn't appreciate being yelled at, but had found it was better to make friends than enemies. This was especially rue, she assumed, with her own teammates in a game involving weapons and monsters. "I get your point, but if you don't quiet down, we're both going to lead the red team right to us. And also maybe avoid leaving shiny candy wrappers lying about. You seem like a smart guy, and there's plenty of bush to go around. Perhaps we could share?" She hoped by complimenting him, the boy's ire might calm a bit. "You're right about my hair though..." she rummaged through her pack as quietly as she could, searching for something with which to cover herself. Unfortunately, there were no helmets there waiting for her. There was, however, a roll of white bandages. Ever the resourceful type, she unrolled them and knelt further toward the ground, staining them with mud.

"Wanna help?" she whispered, her warm smile shifting to more of a clever smirk. "Trust I'm not eager to put dirt on my head, but they won't work well as camouflage when they're bright white like that."

Emberlynn's eyes widened. So all this "god" business truly wasn't an exaggeration. There were actual honest-to-goodness Greek gods roaming the world and impregnating mortals. Aunt Amelia had told her something along those lines, but she had assumed she meant her father was a dangerous and powerful businessman or her mom was a crime lord or something. Someone untouchable and dangerous - godlike. But to hear so bluntly that this whole ordeal was about actual, literal gods... if her head hadn't been spinning already, it certainly was now. "Tyche... luck and fortune... I see. Well, it must be great fortune that we've met then!" She made the joke both as a friendly gesture and to ease her own nerves. Though her words were calm and sweet, she was still clearly shaken. Axel reached over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's right Em!" He said reassuringly. The satyr had been beaming since hearing the cabin leader's compliments. "It is lucky. Cause now that you're here, you'll be safe. And Mr. Selway's great at his job! You'll get it in no time, promise!"

Emberlynn looked at her friend. Her best friend... she'd thought she knew everything about him until just hours ago. Now, she wasn't sure she even knew anything about herself. Speaking of... "Ah, there may be an issue Mr. Selway. You said cabins are divided by our - ah - deific lineage? Unfortunately I'm an orphan by birth. And my adopted father, well, he's no god." She chuckled a bit to herself. Mr. Knight wasn't horrible or anything, but he did certainly play favorites. But now Em was a real life demigod. She had to wonder what her "perfect sister" would think of all this. Then again, perhaps she'd be handling it with more grace. "If I don't know who my parents are, then where will I stay? And, well... is there a way I might find out?"

There was also the issue of the other thing he said. Life for demigods was "not always the easiest." The incident with the dog came to mind, along with a few other suspicious occurrences over the last year. But she had a feeling that wasn't the extent of it. Perhaps... well, she hoped that was something she wouldn't need to ask about.

Emberlynn was hiding in a bush near the flag, preparing to jump out at a moment's notice. Well, hiding may have been too strong a word. Sticking out like a rainbow thumb was more like it. While she'd been groomed, eager, and ready to go at the start of their journey, the long trek through the forest had done quite a number on the small girl's appearance. As it was, a mass of tangled hair stuck conspicuously out in several strands from her "hiding place". The fact that it was a variety of bright colors made it all the more suspicious. If left to her own devices, she'd be more likely to get the flag spotted than help defend it. Though with her teammates surrounding her she would hopefully not be left for long.

Emberlynn sat on a stump close to the fire, the sparks glinting and dancing in her strangely purple eyes. She'd followed the crowd over to this area, and watched intently as the crowd oooed and ahhed at the various claiming. Though a cloud did still hang in her mind, it was hard not to get wrapped up in all of the excitement. As each stranger got a lightshow above their head, the girl began to wonder about her own lineage. Which god gave birth to her, and whoever it was, why had the child of a god been raised an orphan? Mt. Olympus must have been a busy place, but surely a quick "Hi, I'm your mom/dad" might have given her a bit easier of a childhood. The claimees seemed excited, eager to devote themselves to the cabin of whichever parent called to them. But - was that right? From what the girl had been told, the gods were forced to claim their children by thirteen, so there was no guarantee that she was even wanted by her "birth family".  Speaking of which, Emberlynn's thirteenth birthday was fast approaching.

The hubbub began to wane as the night came to a close. The event was almost over it seemed.  She stood and stretched her arms upward, relieving the stiffness in her limbs. The child found herself looking at the space above her head. Something had to appear there. If not tonight, then very soon. And when it did - would she like what she saw? Though her logical mind was telling her to be wary, there was another feeling. A stronger feeling. Looking around at her fellow campers cheering and welcoming the new members of their cabins, she identified just what that feeling was. Longing.

Emberlynn cocked her head slightly as she examined the man behind the desk. He had a laid-back demeanor that served to calm her nerves a bit. Perhaps that was why he'd been chosen for the job? Or perhaps Camp Half-blood had a far more arbitrary was of assigning such duties - the new arrival could hardly be expected to know. But regardless of the reason for his post, the guitar player did instill a bit more confidence in the nervous girl. She gave another winning smile. "Excellent! I'm Emberlynn. Emberlynn Knight. Like the ones with swords and shining armor, not the time after sunset." When mentioning weapons, she couldn't help but picture the massive battle-axe Aunt Amelia had wielded when fending off that horrid dog-creature. She'd been told she'd learn to defend herself here. Did that mean learning to fight with weapons like that. The thought was at once frightening and terribly exciting. Well, she supposed this James Selway person would answer those questions for her in due time.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Selway." The girl gave a polite greeting. "You know Atlas, I assume?" Maybe this person knew each of the satyrs, maybe he didn't, but the former assumption was less likely to lead to embarrassment on her part. In general, she'd found people were far more offended when told they didn't know something they actually did than when thought to have knowledge they didn't. She motioned to the boy who filed in behind her. He gave a small wave, followed by a shrug as if to say I'm following her lead on this one. The two followed the older gentleman into the living room, looking to him for their queues.

"Ah, thank you very much! I'd love a cookie." Ember quickly snatched up a couple of cookies from the plate, tossing one to her friend as they took their seats. "So I suppose this is... an orientation of sorts? You called yourself a cabin leader, so I assume we're to be divided into cabins like a normal summer camp. But..." she shivered a bit, again picturing the horrifying creature that had attacked her. The rush of the day's events still clouded her brain, and it was all she could to to keep up the appearance of confidence. "Well, clearly this isn't a normal summer camp, correct?"

It was a perfect day at Camp Half-Blood. Fluffy white clouds dotted the sky, pierced by brilliant sunbeams. A slight breeze wafted over the open field, causing the various foliage to dance and sway in calming patterns. To the outside observer, all was well with the world. Yet within the mind of young Emberlynn Knight, a vicious storm was brewing. She was splayed out on her back and staring up at the sky. Her multicolored hair looked like an abstract mural painted across the grass, but the scowl on her face made it a distinctly unbeautiful picture. It was strange to see Ember unhappy. In general she was a relentlessly cheerful sort. The girl had the kind of smile that would light up a room and almost always made use of it. But today was different. Today, the little extrovert had nobody to smile at.

The last few days had been a blur of excitement and confusion. There were many "bright sides" to her new life here at camp. For one, the whole "divine heritage" thing was pretty damn cool. She couldn't help but wonder whose ancient blood ran through her veins. She'd studied a bit of Greek Mythology in school in course, but she wouldn't exactly call herself an expert. According to the staff here she would likely find that out soon at an evening bonfire, with her thirteenth birthday being so close. Then there was the matter of camp activities. Little Emberlynn had never seen herself as much of a combatant, but she had to admit that training was exciting. Perhaps she might find a skill or weapon she took a liking to. Envisioning herself as a warrior princess from one of her cartoons softened her scowl a little bit.

But it was no use. The flickering images of a strong and beautiful Emberlynn Knight seemed comically far from reality. Here she was still a small and miserable thing, reeling with questions and desperately missing her old life. She couldn't help but think about her Aunt's bakery and its delicious cupcakes, her mini art studio with every color of glitter paint, the middle school production she'd been working up the courage to audition for - some things she would miss at least for a time, others by their nature would be missed entirely. And most of all, she longed for her best friend. She vaguely understood why Atlas had needed to go. It seemed there might be another of their kind at her old school, and as he was the assigned Satyr there, it was his duty to go follow this new lead. But still, she wished he could have stayed here with her. Starting over was not a new concept to her. But when she'd moved to New York she'd at least had her Aunt, and soon after she'd met Atlas and made a few friends at her new school. But here everything was strange, and here she felt deeply and utterly alone.

As tears began to well in her eyes, she quickly sat up. No. Cut it out, Em. The girl would not be seen crying. She picked a nearby flower and twirled it between her fingers. Looking at it, she could only think of her friend. The boy had a strange affinity for nature. Though now that she knew he was a Satyr, she supposed that made sense. Whenever she had been sad or frustrated, he had taken her to the local park. The two friends would sit on the grass, picking flowers and weaving them together into crowns and jewelry. The process seemed silly, but had never failed to brighten her day. She began to pick a few more flowers here and there, slowly twisting the stems together into a small bracelet shape. Her face brightened a bit as she focused on her work. It was almost like Atlas was still here making flower chains with her to cheer her up. But it wasn't quite the same. Nobody was here with her today. At least, not yet.