Chapter 9: A proposition

[Percy's Pov]

I could kind of see Clarisse's angle here.

She either guessed we would be on good terms and I'd go easy on him, or I won't go full out on a newcomer. Which were, annoyingly, both true.

I didn't want to embarrass David in front of Ares's cabin. They'll probably chew him alive for weeks. But if I let him get me, they'll probably chew me alive for weeks.

David looked shocked as well. But when Clarisse and her gang cheered him on, he gripped his black sword and came over to face me.

"You don't have to do this."

"I know. I want to do this."

The answer took me as a surprise. He didn't even sound ironic about it; then I saw, behind his nearly black eyes, a glint of excitement flicker.

That…made me feel slightly uncomfortable, to be honest. David was a good kid. He had a kind heart, and it freaked me out a little when he came arm in arm with other Ares kids, covered in bruises.

I wasn't a fan of the idea that he had something similar to Clarisse.

I mean, she was ok, I guess. After the last year's incident, I understood she had her reasons for being a grumpy old sack of a person, but that didn't change the fact that she was a grumpy old sack of a person.

Nonetheless, the kid was eager to fight me. And I didn't decline his offer.

"Don't go easy on me."

"Alright."

I was going to go easy on him.

We carefully aimed our distances for about a minute, and I had to admit that he was good for his first training session. I guess being a child of Ares pays off like that.

David lunged at me with a forward thrust. A nice, swift attack but the movement was stiff, and I saw it coming from a mile away. I blocked the strike, letting his sword slide past me. That made him lose balance. I quickly tried to swat down at his hand to disarm, but he quickly turned his sword around to a large swipe. Too large. I ducked under it easily.

Then he suddenly kicked out at my face. I didn't expect that. I blocked it again with the hilt of Riptide and stepped back. David was slightly out of breath. I was not. But he knew he had caught me by a surprise at the last one.

Ok, he was way better than I initially thought. He had a lot to learn, but the kid had sharp reflexes and was skilled at improvising his movement.

Ares kids were cheering him on at the staircase.

"Go get him, newbie!"
"Kick him in the teeth!"
"Break Jackson's nose!"

David had a smile, and it reminded me of how Ares did two years ago during our fight.

"You are going easy on me."

"Of course I am. I don't want to hurt you."

"Well, thanks for the concern."

He came forward again, jabbing at my right knee. I locked my sword under his and swiped up. I nearly got the sword out of his hand as he staggered back, but quickly regained his pace.

I decided to go in for an attack.

Not a serious one, just a step-in-stab that would just be a bit tricky to block. It'd be better to dodge it. But Ares kids tend not to dodge an attack. If they did none of them would be a push-over.

But David widened his eyes a bit, sidestepped the strike then slashed down at my extended arm. I had to step back again to avoid it.

The cheering grew. I felt myself getting warmed up slightly.

I looked back at David, who was heaving at this point.

"You want to do this?"

"Anytime."

I went for attack again. This time, I got slightly more aggressive and stepped into his guard, slashing at his open point.

And, surprisingly, he quickly ducked out of the way and countered with his slash that I had to lurch back to dodge. I felt the tip of his blade ruffle my t-shirt.

I stepped back, and David advanced again.

He swung low again, probably thinking my guard was down there. I locked his sword the same way as before, but this time David quickly slashed up as my sword went under his.

I had to move back again, this time the tip of the blade scrapping just the tiniest place on my skin.

That sent a shiver down my spine.

Ok…this kid was not just good. He was getting better. Improving his skill right on the spot during our duel.

"Still holding back?"

David asked with a grin.

However, he was out of breath and had to step back to catch them. He still didn't know how to spend his stamina, how to move most efficiently during the battle. But I'm sure he would start picking that up if I dragged on the duel.

I decided to go all out.

Don't be too hard on me; I was positive that he did hold his own enough for him to gain respect, and I had my rep to keep hold. Not that I couldn't allow anyone to be better than me, but you know what I mean.

I went into his defense again and slashed down. He tried to dodge sideways, so I switched mid-swing into a twisting jab. That must've caught him by surprise because he hurriedly readjusted his sword, which was just what I wanted.

I pulled back at the last moment and whacked his backhand.

"Gah!"

David dropped his sword. I pointed at his throat with mine, and after a few seconds of pause, he raised his hands in defeat.

"You're really good, Percy."

It was weird hearing someone from Ares cabin call me 'Percy'.

"I'd say you have the potential to be better."

David smiled, waved it off as a polite comment, and thanked me before returning to his cabin.

But I really meant it. If he gets a good enough teacher and a few years of training, he just might become the best swordsman I'll ever see.

After that, the Ares cabin left the sword fighting arena to go wrestling. I hope they go easy on David but also knew they really wouldn't. I practiced some moves on dummies alone, but they weren't an interesting target after a duel like that.

I cut my practice short.

I took a quick shower and decided to spend some time at the lake until supper time. Already few hours had passed since lunch, the sun setting over the lake with a beautiful orange light spraying down on the half-blood hill. The Golden Fleece glimmered against it.

…Thalia would be ok. And we were going to rescue her.

I didn't want to see Annabeth that distraught ever again.

We will rescue her. We'll find a way.

Thinking about the event at Westover Hall made me feel gloomy, so I tried to think of a new subject to keep my brain occupied. Which of course meant my brain remembered that the shield was damaged during the battle.

I took off my wristwatch and activated the shield. It creaked noisily as it spiraled out. Dr. Thorn's mace-tail made a huge dent, and now I saw the spikes had punctured the dented part too, so I was holding a metal plate doughnut.

The beautiful metal pictures that my brother had crafted were all banged up. In the picture of me and Annabeth fighting the Hydra, it looked like a meteor had made a crater in my head, and Annabeth was headless. Seeing that made my skin crawl most uncomfortably, so I turned it back to a watch.

I had no idea how to get it fixed; I remember Beckendorf saying after inspecting the shield that even he wouldn't be able to fully repair it, especially because of the decorations on it.

{"They're carved in with extra care and love. I know this sounds stupid, but I'd suggest you keep the shield safe, Percy."}

Yeah, I totally failed on that part.

I trudged back to my cabin. The lake could wait. It won't be going anywhere soon, and I didn't want to deal with Naiads at the moment.

I put the watch on the bedside table and was about to flop down onto my bed when I heard a strange sound. A gurgling of water.

At the back of the cabin was a big basin of gray sea rock, with a spout like the head of a fish carved in stone. Out of its mouth burst a stream of water, a saltwater spring that trickled into the pool.

The water must've been hot because it sent mist into the cold winter air like a sauna. It made the room feel warm and summery, fresh with the smell of the sea. There was a small note attached to it.

It had a trident and a smiley face drawn on it.

I couldn't help but smile. Bet the smiley face was my mom's idea.

"Thanks, Dad."

The surface rippled. At the bottom of the pool, coins shimmered—a dozen or so golden drachmas. I realized what the fountain was for. It was a reminder to keep in touch with my family.

I opened the nearest window, and the wintry sunlight made a rainbow in the mist. Then I fished a coin out of the hot water.

"Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering."

I tossed a coin into the mist and it disappeared.

Now, who to call…?

For a second, I thought about calling Tyson─he was currently at an undersea forge, working for my father's ocean army. But I eventually ended up against the idea. I didn't want to bother him with his work, and not with the news that his beautifully crafted shield was crumpled.

Maybe I could call my mom? That would be the "good son" thing to do, but then, she wouldn't be worried about me yet. She was used to me disappearing for days or weeks at a time and was aware of CHB.

Then that left me only one option. I was slightly nervous at the idea, but I threw caution to the winds─err, waves.

"Show me, Poseidon. God of the sea."

My heart pounded as the mist shimmered. It occurred to me a bit late, that my father would probably be busier than Tyson, and my call might be a nuisance.

Then, the mist cleared.

My dad was looking at me from the other side of the mist.

At first, his outfit took me by surprise, mostly because most times I've seen him he was in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.

Currently, he was wearing armor that glinted from green to emerald, a deep-sea blue, and then green again just as I watched. He had a silver crown on his head, decorated with red rubies that shinned brightly even underwater. The only aspect I realized was his sea-green eyes and a black beard.

He looked like the king of the ocean─which he was, technically.

My dad wrinkled his eyes slightly as he smiled.

"Hello, Percy."

"Uh, hi dad. I hope, I didn't interrupt anything."

The wrinkle around his eyes got slightly deeper.

"Percy, I gave you the fountain for a reason. I cannot promise I'll always answer, but do remind yourself you are my son."

That made my heart wrinkle in all the good ways. It might sound weird to people with regular parents, but it was rare for a demigod to get a chance to meet their godly side even once or twice.

To be embraced like this, well, I tried my best to look like my cabin was dusty, and I was just allergic or something.

"So, why did you call me?"

"Erm…to thank you for the fountain? I liked the trident."

Still, I felt pretty dumb as I said it. I half expected him to be disappointed and scold me or something, but he chuckled slightly.

"Yes, I considered tasking Apollo for a haiku, but Sally suggested just a drawing would suffice more with my, image, as she said."

"You've met mom?"

"Of course I did."

That lifted my spirit some more; but before I could say another word, someone outside of the vision called out "My Lord?" and my father's gaze drifted off to the sides.

"I guess you have to go now."

I wasn't even mad or disappointed. Just the fact that he was welcoming my calls, visiting my mom for something as small as my present cheered me up a lot. But in turn, my father's face went grim as he came closer.

"Percy, I might end up regretting this, I'll take the chance to give you…a proposition."

"A what?"

My father went quiet. He did seem to deeply consider whether or not to continue the story, or just wave it off and end the call. But in the end, he spoke again.

"Percy, the war against Kronos is admittedly drawing nearer. He has joined forces with the ancient sea gods and titans and, well, is starting to cause a ruckus in the ocean. In my realm."

"Oh."

I wished I would've said something more tactic, or at least brave. But the news that the war was already starting upon us made me feel nervous. The great prophecy was admitting about a child of the Big 3, choosing to save the Olympus or not at age 16. I was 14 now. Only two years left.

My father nodded grimly.

"Yes. Now, I can handle the situation. But I am concerned it might get harder to as it drags on. Some titans have knowledge on many sea monsters that even I have forgotten, or possibly not even aware of."

"Uh-huh."

I was wondering why he would be telling me this. It was a piece of important information, surely, but my dad was not someone who would just throw out bad news for no reason

But then his next words made me jump out of my skin.

"When the time comes, Percy, I might need you here. Underwater, for aid."

"What!?"

My dad frowned a bit. The Iris message stirred as the mist was rippled for a second.

"Sorry, but you mean, that I'll go down sea and help you out?"

"Yes. I hope the situation will not go that dire. But…keep it in mind."

And with a final smile, my dad swiped through the Iris message, cutting the call. I sat down on my bed. My heart was pounding in million times per second.

I might end up helping dad underseas during the war.

That made me feel both excited and worried at the same time. I still had friends here, and by the sounds of it, if he ever suggested it, it'll also mean that my dad would be in a tight spot.

I didn't want that to happen.

"…"

I looked outside the window. The sun was very low, and the sky was turning deep purple.

I pondered on his proposition until a distant conch shell sound signaled dinner.

[David's Pov]

I got dominated at the wrestling mat. Everyone took turns driving me into the mat while complimenting on my sword fight with Percy. He was the best fighter in the camp in 300 years, though Clarisse snorted the comment off as she threw me down at the mat.

He was going easy on me most of the time, so I'd never say I would surpass him soon, or ever for that matter, but it was fun dueling him.

Having fun while fighting…

I hope ma won't be disappointed. She was always concerned when I got into fights with other children, which I did quite often. Mostly they were asking for it, or the entire situation was against my will, but her words were carved deep inside me.

{"David, violence will never solve a problem. Even if it looks like it does, it'll always bite you back someday."}

Then I'd ask what does solve the problem. Ma would hug me and whisper in my ear:

{"A gentle heart."}

I wonder how she ended up with a Greek god of war and bloodshed; seemed to be exact opposites, if you think about it.

Dinner was nice as lunch. I sacrificed a portion of my meal, and this time wished for my dad to protect my mom while she was alone. Maybe I was just seeing things, but inside the flame, I saw a boar running across a field.

While I was enjoying my supper, my eyes drifted over to the hunters this time. They were drinking and eating and laughing like one big happy family.

Zoë sat at the head like she was the mom of the group. She didn't laugh as much as the others, but she did smile from time to time. Her silver lieutenant's band glittered in the dark braids of her hair. I thought she looked a lot nicer when she smiled. She should do that more often.

Also, I caught a glimpse of Luna. She was crouched down by the grass and was watching a small metal horse galloping around her feet. Her eyes were shining with excitement, then she saw me looking. She hastily scooped up the tiny metal horse, put a finger on her lips in an 'Shh!' motion before rejoining at the table.

When we'd finished eating, Chiron pounded his hoof again.

He made a customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis. The clapping was pretty half-hearted, but hunters didn't seem to mind that. Then he announced the "friendly" capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night, which got a lot better reception.

I forgot to ask what that was because afterward, we all trailed back to our cabins for an early light out. I was exhausted by then and immediately fell onto my assigned bunk bed.

As I drifted off to sleep, I heard Clarisse boasting loudly that she will leave at midnight for a quest to the…Labyrinth? I didn't catch her words. Sounds fun enough.

Ha! I guess no one would have seen that coming!

Also, how did you think the combat scene went? I am satisfied myself, but hearing from you guys (readers) is important too. Tell me what I did right, what I did wrong, anything really.

See you in the next chapter!