Father's Pride
By Sabrina Balinie

Ok, so today started out like any other day. I woke up, seeing the roof of the Hermes cabin. I stood up and got into my usual attire- A Camp Half-Blood orange t-shirt with ripped jeans and sneakers. I slipped on my converses and put on my glasses. "Time for training!" I said, not-so-enthusiastically. I walked outside and smiled, noticing Drake.
"Oh, Hey Sabrina!" He said. I smirked and walked over.
"How did you sleep, Drake?" I asked.
"Pretty good, if I do say so myself! I slept face down in my pool again. It was awesome." He laughed. I shook my head and grinned.
"You know, one day your gonna be face down in the pool, and when you wake up, you'll be in the stables or something." I joked. He gave me a confused sort of look, and I grinned. "You don't have a sense of humor do you?"
"I do! I'm just not excited for your training today. You got Pegasus riding with Aphrodite girls, and got sword training with Ares kids. I don't know how well that will end up."
"Oh… Yeah…" I bit my lip with my chipped tooth. Last time I had training with Ares kids, Alanna got face planted into a wall and I got a black eye and chipped tooth. "So… I'll meet up with you after training?"
"Yeah, of course. Seeya around Sabrina!" He waved, walking to his cabin again. I walked back into mine and grabbed my dagger and my shield. I strapped my shield to my back and sheathed my dagger.
"Pegasus riding… " I sighed, and walked to the stables. I was very hesitant to get onto a Pegasus, mainly because last time my Pegasus dropped me in the middle of the ocean with some water-monster. Lemme tell ya- Not fun. I got on the Pegasus named "Black Widow" and looked at Ashleigh. I growled at her. Her hair was still missing and she was glaring at me, like my mom did when I got detention at school or when I got caught by the cops.
"Everyone, please mount your Pegasus and fly up, about 1,500 feet please." Ashleigh smirked. The lesson went pretty well after that. My Pegasus didn't lead me out to nowhere, and Ashleigh didn't shout at her sisters to come and kill me or something. Pretty productive, if you ask me. I walked to the arena and sighed.
"Time to die…" One Ares kid threatened. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.
"Yeah, yeah, ok. Whatever floats your boat." I sneered.
"I'm not lying, you little thief. I mean it…" He warned. He seemed so sure, I almost felt scared. I shrugged it off and held my dagger out. One charged at me, and I flipped, pulling out my shield. I landed on my feet, then went to my knees. I held it out as they charged me again. I deflected, and roundhouse kicked one guy.
"Oh, you'll pay!" Angelo, a 15-year-old Ares kid, yelled angrily. He charged at me while another came from behind. Before I could react, They had both slammed the hilts of their swords into me. One into my skull, one straight in the chest. I could barely breathe.
"What the Hades?!" I yelled, barely able to stand up again. Raven noticed me and looked kinda confused. She walked off, though. I got out my dagger again, but Angelo walked behind me while I was down. He slammed his fist into my chest, and I could hear a few cracks. I winced and my vision blurred a little. In the next second, I blacked out.

I woke up in a fast blur of black and grey. I looked at the floor, and noticed it wasn't the floor of the arena. It was a dark grey looking texture, covered in rocks. I tried to move, but I was strapped to a pole, via ropes. I still could barely breathe. I noticed someone walking towards me. Instantly I thought of those horror stories I had read back at home, where the person gets knocked out, and when they wake up, they get brutally murdered while they are strapped to a table, watching in horror.
"Don't worry Sabrina… I won't do that. I'll make sure it's shorter…" Said a familiar voice. My eyes widened.
"No way… Father?!" I spluttered. Certainly Hermes wouldn't hurt me…
"You guessed correct, Sabrina." He walked into the light so I could see him. He had the brown hair, brown eyes, and the glint in his eye that I had. It couldn't be true! "It is I, Hermes, god of Travel and Thievery!"
"Are you kidding me?!" I yelled. "What are you doing?!"
"I am here to finish a job I should have done on the first day you arrived at camp, when I sent that hellhound after you… That's right." He said, noticing my scared expression. "I meaning make sure you didn't make it after that day."
"Father, you've GOT to be kidding me! You said you loved me when I first visited you!" I said, more scared then I have ever been in my life.
"Were you aware that I persuaded Aphrodite to tell Ashleigh to capture Jessie for the sheer fact you would kill yourself?" Hermes asked, looking up at the black ceiling. He noticed my face again and shook his head disgusted. "I guess not. Well, it's time I've finished this."
"FATHER WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I yelled. Immediately, my eyelids started to droop, and my breathing slowed majorly. I did my best to stay awake, fearing that when I close my eyes, the next time I'll wake up is in DC recording studios, AKA the entrance to the underworld. I heard a huge explosion, and one wall fell forwards. I saw Drake, Raven, Gian, Jessie, and Marc standing there, weapons out. Hermes growled.
"What are you kids doing?!" He yelled, and his voice morphed. I suddenly felt angry, and I knew what god this was. It wasn't my father, but Ares, God of War! When Ares was in his true state, that's when I had to give in. I couldn't breathe at all and my dread took me over. I felt my heart slow, and nearly stop. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was Drake yelling in anger.
"This has gone far enough!" He yelled. Then, I let the drowsiness and the chance of death take over. I closed my eyes, and my breathing stopped.

"Sabrina…. Sabrina…! SABRINA!" Someone yelled. I could tell they were worried, for the tone in their voice sounded scared and afraid the person wouldn't respond. Instantly I knew that voice was Drake's.
"Raven, can't you make sure she stays alive?" The voice owned to Gian asked. "I mean, you are the queen of the Underworld now…"
"I can only do it if the person isn't meant to die. Everyone has to die… But I haven't gotten a call from Thanatos yet…" Raven said.
"Can't you do something?" Drake asked, panicked again. "I mean… I can't lose her again…"
That's when something happened. My chest contracted and my heart started beating again. I breathed a shaky breath and I groaned. My eyes opened, but very slowly. Everyone sighed in relief.
"Thank gods…" Drake sighed, as I sat up a little.
"I feel dead…" I moaned. "I feel like I was dragged to the Underworld, and back, and then thrown into the Pegasus stables…"
"Thank gods you're ok…" Jessie said in relief. "I was so sure that Ares had killed you…"
"Well… I'm alive" I smirked a little. "Now let's go make that God pay…."
"Already did!" Drake smirked. "Let's just say 'Macedonia' saved our lives. Yours included."
"Thanks, guys." I Smirked. I got tackled with a bear hug by Drake. 'I love my life…' I thought. Little did I know that I will be feeling sorrow beyond the power of hell very soon.