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The sailors threw a rope at us. I ignored it and created a huge geyser that placed my friends safely on deck. Luke was still smiling and he watched my friends.
"I didn't think you would bring anyone." He said.
"Believe me, I didn't want to. Where's Thalia? If you did anything to her, you'll pay I swear."
"You think I could do anything to her?"
"I was taught not to trust you, Luke." My voice was cold, nearly as cold as his. Hostilities had been opened.
"What are you two talking about?" Annabeth asked. I hadn't told them anything about Luke loving Thalia. Oups!
"I was used to you telling everything that happened in your "dreams" but I see you kept that secret. Why?" Luke asked. He did look curious to know.
"Thalia must choose if she wants us to know. If I was her, I'd like to keep something as disgusting as that for myself." I spat.
"Like you want to let young Nico here choose if he wants to tell the world he is a son of Hades?" Nico trembled. How had Luke found out?
"Yes, exactly like that. It's not my choice to make." I said firmly. "Now where is Thalia?"
Luke turned to one of his general and murmured a few words. "She's coming."
Annabeth looked at me, her eyes asking me what her voice couldn't. What had Luke been talking about? Except I couldn't answer.
Then, we turned around. Two Laistryogans were bringing Thalia. She was bound and gagged and her eyes were miserable. When she caught sight of us, her eyes seemed to light up. But then, she realized that since we were there, Kronos's army wouldn't let us go. They would keep us here whatever happened.
"See, I didn't do anything to her. Now, I suppose you won't want to stay without putting up to a fight?" Luke asked.
"Exactly" I answered while uncapping Riptide. Tyson, Nico, Annabeth and Thalia who was still attached looked at me. I clicked my fingers and Thalia's ropes let go of her and I created a small pout of water that pushed away the Laistrygoians.
"You know we are more than you and that you are not as well prepared as us and that you are putting your friends' lives in danger?" He asked looking amused.
"I know all that but I am not putting my friends' lives in danger." And before they could react, I had formed a wall of water between the monsters and Annabeth, Nico, Tyson and I had pushed Thalia to safety behind it.
"You know we are accompanied by a titan of the sea?" Luke said even more amused than before.
"Oh, yes. Let him try and smash it. They will certainly be gone before he can break the wall." I was amused now.
"Let me make you a deal, Percy. We fight a one to one. You win; we let you go with all your friends. I win, you stay here and you all work for Kronos. What do you think?"Luke had a concentrated face now.
"You're on!" The water stopped my friends from being hurt but it didn't stop them from hearing.
"Percy, don't do that!" Tyson screamed. And they all started to protest. I already knew how it would finish. Luke would cheat and would win. But I wouldn't let my friends pay for my stupidity.
I smiled at them and turned towards Luke.
"Swear by the river Styx!" I ordered him.
"Fine. I swear by the river Styx that I will let you go, should you win. Your turn."
"I swear by the river Styx that we will stay if you win legally." Which meant that if he cheated like the prophecy said, my friends would be able to go.
"Choose your weapons." He said. I held out Anaklusmos while he took out Backbiter.
"You've got no chance, Percy. You'll never be able to beat me." Maybe he was right but I wouldn't stop fighting him for that reason. And he would always cheat. Maybe I would be lucky. I knew he would cheat. Even if I knew it, I wouldn't let destiny decide for me.
Luke whispered something to his general who smiled. I wondered what he was going to do.
Luke lowered himself to a crouch while Thalia was trying to tell me that she wasn't worth it.
I too lowered myself to a crouch and Luke attacked. He had grown stronger while he had been here. Bad thing for him, so had I. I ducked and the blade missed me of a few inches. Luke smiled.
"Looks like you've been growing muscles at camp. Too bad it won't be enough." He said before attacking again. I jumped on the ramp to escape the blow. Good thing I had a good balance. His smile widened and he jumped on it too. I started attacking like it was a lost cause. We had the same balance and it didn't look like he would ever fall. He aimed another dangerous blow at me and I did a back flip on the ramp. Later I asked myself: How had I done that?
Luke didn't look so amazed but Tyson had his mouth opened in awe.
"You know that won't be enough to go away from here. You're no use to us in bits; yield, Percy."
"In your wildest dream, I wouldn't." I answered. He attacked again and I owed my arm still on only to a great reflex. I attacked his left foot, hoping he would fall but it didn't work like that. Instead of falling, he gave me a wicked kick in the stomach. It knocked all the air out of me. By I don't know which miracle, I managed to stay on the ramp but I had trouble taking my breath back.
"You should see yourself, Percy. You don't have to do this. You just have to join us and save the fighting for the gods." The idea of joining him seamed even more disgusting now than before.
"Stop thinking I'll ever join you. It will never happen." I yelled. Then I had an idea. It would probably take all my energy away but that didn't matter. I cried "Golden mast" I had no idea where that came from but I felt the boat was in my command. I ordered the waves to become bigger and soon, instead of a nice afternoon with a nice flat sea, they were Tidal waves. The waves were bigger than I had ever seen them.
"What are you doing Percy?" Luke asked, still stopping my blows. With one second of break, I taped my wristwatch and my shield opened gracefully. Luke smiled and ordered his general to bring him one, while fighting. The boat was stumbling madly but we managed to stay on the ramp. When the general brought the shield, Luke whispered something to him. I didn't catch what he had said.
I ordered the boat to move and Luke fell down from the ramp. I smiled. I ordered the boat to move quicker and no one could stay on their feet. I was the only one left standing up on the ramp. Luke got up first and ordered something to his general but he looked scared. I just about heard Luke threaten him and the general nod. I knew this was not good for me.
Luke came towards me and quicker than I would have thought possible, he aimed a clean arc with his sword. I did another back flip and missed death by a few inches. I looked at Luke's face and saw what I dreaded; he was smiling. He had wanted to keep my attention focused on him while his general ordered the archers to put some kind of liquid on their arrows. All at once, they shot me. I heard a scream from behind. It came from Annabeth, I was sure of it but I didn't have time to check.
I ducked and most of the arrows missed me but one scratched my arm. I felt darkness invade my vision. The liquid was some kind of sleeping drug. Just before falling, I called Rainbow in the hippocampi's language. I didn't know when I was taught to speak it but the important thing was that he would lead all my friends to safety.
"Jump" I screamed. They didn't seem to want to move so I pushed the water so that they were suppose to land in the water but I felt a force against me. With the last piece of consciousness I still had, I fought Oceanus. Tyson understood quicker than the others, he picked them up and jumped in the freezing sea. The sea seemed to welcome him in its arms. The last thing I saw was Nico, Thalia, Annabeth and Tyson sailing in the violent sea towards Camp Half-Blood. I stopped fighting and fell of the ramp where I had stayed. At least, we had saved Thalia and like the prophecy said, Luke cheated and I would be locked in a prison. The last thing I felt was being brought down in the hold of the ship.
