Thanks to FLAMELASHER for the review, you made some good points. Here's chapter 5, but as a note its unlikely I will ever post two chapters in one day again. I'll do my best though. Enjoy, and review

Chapter 5: In Which I Duel a Middle-Aged Man

"Pick a weapon." Percy said as we walked into the arena, gesturing towards a table laid out with a wide assortment of killing tools. "Croesus'll see what you can do, and if he doesn't kill you, then you can try my blade." he finished smiling.

I raised an eyebrow at him, and strode over to the table. There were spears, swords, knives, even a pump-action shotgun and a couple of hand-held pistols. I selected a sturdy spear, a eight-foot long stick of hardened ash topped with a nine-inch razor-sharp spearhead of solid bronze. For a backup, I slipped a long knife into my belt. Percy raised a questioning eyebrow as I walked back over. "An unusual choice." he said, but didn't press the matter.

Croesus slid his two-handed sword out of the sheath on his back, and tossed his bow and arrows off to the side. "I'll try not to kill you." He said, and then advanced. My vision seemed to sharpen. I could see from the look in the other boy's eyes which way he was going to go, I could sense from the clench and the tightening of his arms when he was going to strike. The huge sword came down at me in a broad overhand arc, and I knew instinctively that there was no way that I could block it, there was too much power behind the strike.

Instead, I stepped to the side, letting the sword point dig into the sand beneath my feet. Croesus stumbled forward, having obviously expected resistance. I spun the spear around so that I would be striking with the butt of the shaft, and hit him sharply in the back of the left knee. "Aera!" I yelled as the blow hit home. Croesus staggered, and then collapsed onto his knees, terror and panic clouding his eyes as the sword slipped out of his grasp and left him kneeling defenseless before me.

We remained like that for a moment, and then Percy started clapping. Croesus's gaze cleared, and he seemed confused to find himself disarmed and kneeling. "What...What just happened?" he asked.

Percy started laughing. "The newbie disarmed you, my friend. Took out your stance with a blow to the knees, and then terrified you into dropping your sword with his war-cry. All in the space of about five seconds I might add. You have a large amount of natural talent." he said, directing the last part towards me. "Let's see if it's enough to beat my experience."

Percy walked over and helped Croesus up, directing him to stand well outside the range of our weapons. Then he faced me and pulled out a ballpoint pen, the same one he had been spinning when I first met him. He uncapped it, and I gasped in surprise as the pen grew into a three foot long bronze sword.

"I think its rather cool too." he said as the blade swung towards my head.

At the last second I realized what was happening and ducked, lashing out with my spear from a crouch. It was a last-second blow though, and Percy easily dodged it. I stood up, and jabbed forward, but he stepped aside and, using the momentum of my thrust, seized the weapon just behind the head and pulled it right out of my grasp. Then his sword was swinging at me again, this time in a backhand stroke, and the flat of the blade made contact with my thigh in a loud slapping sound.

Despite the fact that I figured a backhand slash was less powerful than a forehand, the blow still hurt like hell, and my leg gave out under the pressure, so I collapsed to the sand. But before Percy could strike again, I rolled to the side, stood up, and drawing my knife from my belt, rejoined combat. I slashed forward, but Percy blocked easily with the flat of his blade. I struck again in a thrust, but he seemed to be able to anticipate my moves. "Aer-" I began, but had to shut up as I was frantically forced to block strike after strike from Percy's sword.

"Don't thrust quite so much," Percy said, as he deflected a thrust, the momentum of which almost sent me sprawling forward. "It makes your attack predictable, and having a good idea of how you're going to attack allows me the chance to plan my defense before you even strike. Never give your enemy that chance. Not to mention that knives are typically made for slashing."

By this time I had gotten the sense that I was just being toyed with, an idea that was cemented when Percy slid his sword down my knife blade, flipped the tip of his weapon under the hilt of my knife, and pulled it right out of my hands. Before I could move, his sword was at my throat.

"We're done for now." he said, making sure I understood. I nodded, and he took his sword away. "What you need is a xiphos." he added musingly. Seeing my confused look, he elaborated. "It was the short sword used by the fifth and sixth century B.C. Greek armies in conjunction with a spear and shield. Very good for both thrusting and slashing, but especially thrusting. It's more suited to your fighting style than what we have here. I'll talk to the kids of Hephaestus about having one ready for your departure tomorrow. I'll see if I can get you a shield made too. For now, take the spear, but leave the knife."

I nodded, and the two of us rejoined Croesus. "You know," Percy said as we walked out of the arena, "I'm surprised you haven't asked us about the teacher who attacked you, Sander."

I shrugged. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it. I'm guessing he wasn't a teacher though?"

Percy laughed. "No, he wasn't. Croesus and Lydia told me about him, and from what they said, it was Alastor, the daemon spirit of revenge. You're lucky to have survived."

"Great." I said, "now I have demons in my life too."

"Not a demon." Croesus said. "A daemon. Die-mon. But demon wouldn't be a far off description for some of them."

"Oh." I said. "Okay. But I thought there was already a goddess of revenge, Nemesis or something."

Both of the other men shook their heads. "Nemesis is technically the goddess of revenge," Percy said, "But she really represents balance, the perfect equilibrium of good and bad in a person, and in their life. Those with too much good, she tears down and adds bad to. Those with too much horror in their life, she helps them out and makes it a little better.

"Alastor, on the other hand, represents blind hatred and desire for vengeance. He is the spirit that hounds people and creates blood feuds and the like. Nasty piece of work, he is. He represents the kind of revenge that has created violence and strife between both demigod camps over the years, revenge three thousand years later for the sacking of Troy, a refugee of which founded Rome. That everlasting desire for revenge despite having already fulfilled the just balance, that is Alastor."

Just then a horn of some sort blew. "Let's go." Percy said. "It's dinner time."

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