A/N: There's going to be a few chapters set during Percy's training, then it'll move on to the main storyline.
"Wake up Percy!" yelled one of his roommates at seven twenty six in the morning.
Percy sat up in his bed and rubbed the sleep out of his sea green eyes.
"Come on, or we'll be late!" the same roommate, who the now awake Percy recognised as fellow five year old demigod Rio son of Nike (the godess of victory), said.
"What for?" Percy half yawned half said.
"First day of sword training, obviously." a third half blood, Sasha daughter of Hecate, sighed.
Percy opened his mouth to say something.
"Just shut up and get ready Prissy." Clarisse, daughter of Ares, growled.
Everyone knew she was one of the most eager demigods to start sword training.
"It's Percy." Percy complained as he went into the small changing room.
He put on stonewashed jeans and a dark grey tee shirt in as much of a hurry as he could without making a mistake and putting his head through an arm socket. He left the room and followed the impatient children out of their dorm room. They came out into a corridor with plain white walls and a fake wooden corridor leading past all of the other dorm rooms and to the stairwell at the far end of the building. Simple lights lit the corridor.
"We're going to be late." Clarisse growled, "It's all your fault Prissy."
"You want a water bottle to explode in your face again Clarisse?" Percy asked, referring to a time when Clarisse had tried to beat him up, and Percy threw his water bottle into her face and made it explode all over her.
Rio laughed, and Sasha smiled.
Clarisse stayed silent, but she clenched her fists.
They put on their shoes which were on shelves by the double door exit to the building. Everyone's shoes were the same - simple grey shoes with velcro. Rio put his shoes out and ran a hand through his messy brown hair before heading outside. Clarisse was next out after pulling her huge shoes onto her equally huge feet. She pushed a strand of her stringy blonde hair behind her ear. Percy was the third one out, and Sasha's purple strands in her otherwise black hair lit up when she finally stepped into the sunlight.
The group of children saw the other five year olds head into the melee training building and sprinted over the soft green grass of demigod island to get there. By the time they arrived they were panting and out of breath, but in time.
"You're late." said Tina, a daughter of Eunomia (godess of law and legislation) said.
Percy looked at his digital watch, and took a moment to read the numbers making up the time.
"Seven thirty." Percy said.
"Nineteen seconds late." Tina huffed.
Percy stuck his tounge out at her.
"I told you Prissy." Clarisse growled.
"Stop being a meanie Clarisse." Samantha, daughter of Harmonia, said.
"Alright everyone, ready to learn to use swords?" shouted a teenager who looked about fifteen years old.
He had a buzzcut and a scar on his cheek, but a good natured smile. A name tag on his grey shirt said his name. Hayrr? No, Harry. Percy, like all demigods, was dyslexic, and so had problems with reading. It felt like every letter had a vendetta against him and kept leaping and spinning around just to annoy him.
"Yes!" chorused about twenty five year olds.
"Alright, form lines in your dorm groups." ordered Harrry.
Percy scrambled to get to the front of his line, but ended up third behind Clarisse and Sasha. He waited impatiently as the first person in each line hit a dummy several times so Harry could figure out what weight of sword to give each child. Clarisse, predictably, got a long, heavy sword. The next group went up and hit the dummies. Sasha was given a thin and short sword, almost a dagger but not quite. Percy rushed forward when it was his turn and attacked the dummy. He was given a sword to try out but it felt a bit too heavy for him. But, at that moment he was too excited to mind, so he headed to the back of his line and Rio was given a long sword with a thin blade to reduce it's weight.
"Everyone get into pairs and try out some swipes and parries." Harry ordered.
Percy ended up paired with Sasha, who went for a swipe before Percy was expecting it. His inborn battle reflexes kicked in and he blocked clumsily. He went for another swing but the sword's weight slowed his blow down and he had to turn it into a block as Sasha slashed again with her lighter, more fast swinging sword. Percy pushed his blade against Sasha's and was about to win when his opponent stepped to the side and sent him tubling to the side.
"I win." Sasha said.
Clarisse kicked Rio between the two and he moaned in pain.
"You got lucky." Percy defended.
"Oh yeah. How about we go again?" Sasha asked.
"Ok." Percy said, reaching for a water bottle from the stack in the midle of the room.
"Nuh uh Percy." Sasha said, "No powers."
Percy did a puppy face.
"Please?" he begged.
"Nope." Sasha said, "Not gonna happen mister."
Percy sighed and resigned to the fact that he was going to lose again. After about half an hour of losses and lucky wins, Sasha let him have a drink of water, and the tables turned.
Percy started the next fight with a swipe, his sword a blur of bronze. Sasha blocked and went for a swipe at his feet, and he jumped over it and swiped towards Sasha's shoulder. The daughter of Hecate was forced to twist out of the way and her hand began to glow green. Percy quickly grabbed her wrist and the blast of magic energy meant for him hit Clarisse, blowing her off her feet. Sasha panicked and Percy used the chance to put his sword to her forehead.
"You only won because you used powers." Sasha said.
"So did you." Percy replied, sticking his tongue out.
Sasha smiled.
"Alright, you win." she admitted, "Fair and square."
A/N: Thanks for reading, please leave a review.
