I knew that this was too good to be true. My mind was so focused on everything that I didn't even notice when we made it to sword practice. Percy cleared his throat and I snapped back to reality. I grabbed my sword, but Percy snatched it from me. I stood there still grasping the air where my sword once was when Percy let a some sort of grunt. It was not a happy grunt.

"What?" I took my sword back from him. I looked it over, more closely that I ever had before. Simply put, it was crap. I looked up to him and nodded, signaling I had gotten the message.

"You know Tyson could make you a sword. He wouldn't mind." He offered.

"No. I like it. It sort of represents me." I swung the sword back and forth.

"Why do you say that?" He pulled out Riptide and clipped transforming that simple pen into a gleaming bronze sword.

"Because it looks like crap and is crap, but it has the tendency to surprise you." I charged Percy with my sword acting as a full extent of my arm. The fight ended about two minutes later. Percy won of course, but not without breaking a sweat. Pride flowed through my exhausted body. I bent over trying to gain back my breath.

"Good try," He told me with a little strain to his voice.

"What do you mean in try?" I asked as I tried to lift my head to look him in the eyes.

"If I was a monster, you would be dead right now."

"If you were a monster I wouldn't have fought you." He tilted his head with a smile spreading across his face.

"You can't avoid monsters forever."

"Yeah, but monsters don't come after me like they do you."

"True, but no one here at this camp has a chance of a normal life." He grinned looking off, probably thinking about his adventures.

I glanced at the ground remembering life before the first monster attack. I remember the music "Yeah," I responded in a dead tone. Memories flooded back and sword practice didn't seem like a good idea anymore.

"Something wrong?" He took a step closer to me.

"No," I shook my head as I took a step back, "Thanks for the practice," I stood up completely, "but I think I might go to archery now. I am at least a little decent at that." I sprinted out of sword practice, but at least I had enough happiness in my heart not to go crying to my cabin.

I spent the rest of my day at archery like I had told Percy. A few of my stepsiblings were there and they said hi. A few gave suggestions to improve and I was even able to give a few suggestions myself. Only every minute it seemed my eyes glanced over to the entrance hoping for Percy would once again be blocking my view to the outside.

The day turned to evening and dinner come and went. Nothing special. I gave most of my dinner to Hermes, thanking him for a good day and hoping for another tomorrow. Evening turned to night. Nothing special.