Ivy sat in her favorite tree, looking down at the campers enjoying their daily lives. Life had beaten the daughter of Hades down fairly low, but she showed it almost no satisfaction. She had inherited her soft, curly hair and her chocolate skin from her mother, the same mother who had thrown her out because she was a "child of the devil." She wasn't, really. She was just a child of Hades.

James Brosing, son of Ares, was practicing his sword work.

Ivy sighed, shadow traveling to the arena, where she began wordlessly to spar with James.

Natalie entered the arena. "What's the party?" she asked. "Can I join?"

James ignored the girl, focusing on his battle.

Natalie knew he'd dismissed her, so she humphed, her strawberry blonde hair flying out behind her as she flounced away.

Isi walked into the arena, her magic fan in hand. She opened it snowflake-side out, and it became a three-foot-long Celestial bronze menace.

Natalie turned back to Isi. "Hey! Can I train with you? Grumpus over there has NO MANNERS!" she added pointedly.

Isi smiled. "Sure! Hack the dummies? First to destroy three wins?"

Natalie laughed, showing off her smile once more. "I guess so!"

James sat by himself, staring out at camp. At the same time, Ivy was on the cabin steps, drawing in her sketch pad.

James walked up to her. "Hello," he said. "Would you care to spar?"

Ivy shrugged. "That sounds cool. I would like to." She sighed.

James pulled out his Claymore. "Ready?" he asked.

Ivy nodded. She turned her necklace into her javelin and got into her stance.

James swung his claymore in a great heave, aiming at her shins. Ivy jumped in the air and kicked off James's chest and back flipped. Then she swung her javelin at his shoulders all in one motion. James was struck by the javelin, his chainmail trenchcoat blocking the damage. He then did one of his favorite moves—swinging the Claymore around in a fury of speed and power.

Ivy slowly backed away. She had her javelin out in front of her as a way to protect her. But James's Claymore knocked it out of her hand.

James stopped spinning and held the tip of his sword against Ivy's throat. "Do you concede?" he asked.

"Not this soon," Ivy hissed. She held out her hand and a skeleton warrior appeared and pulled James off of Ivy long enough to let her get her weapon.

James was surprised, but he acted accordingly. He swung around and shoved the skeleton to the ground, stomping on its head.

That was when Ivy made her first mistake. "Oh no!" she yelled, dropping her javelin. "Don't hurt it!"

James smirked. Being a warrior meant shutting off emothions. He whipped around and stomped on Ivy's javelin head, rather than the skeleton's. Ivy panicked. She was totally lost. That's when she made her second mistake. She tried to run.

James stopped her easily and picked up her javelin, which was now slightly deformed in the head. "I take it you concede now?"

"Okay…I really suck," Ivy sighed. "And why did you mess up my weapon?"

James shook his head. "No use crying about it. Besides, I can train you if you want."

"Oh, um, sure," Ivy said.

James took off his trench coat, revealing his toned chest to the world. He began running through combat stances, scars glistening in the sunlight.