Flower

Chapter V

The day of the race came with a sense of dread in the pit of Andy's stomach. It didn't help that it was the worst weather to do a sport in, humid and hot.

Andy let out a sigh as she looked around the racetrack. It was built in a grassy field between the archery range and the woods. The spectators sat on rows of stone steps, including tantalus, the satyrs, a few dryads and camp mates.

As she looked around, looking for a few of her siblings who woke up early to watch it, she heard a metallic screeching sound. They came from birds roosting in the tree, they were an ugly shade of gray-and-white, fat pigeans. Andy had never seen them aroundn camp before, she tried to remember if she had seen them before but she couldn't think of anything.

Mr. D didn't show. He never got up before ten o'clock, Andy wished she could do the same.

"Right!" Tantalus announced as the teams began to assemble.

A naiad had brought him a big platter of pastries, and as Tantalus spoke, his right hand chased a chocolate éclair across the judge's table.

"You all know the rules. A quarter-mile track. Twice around to win. Two horses per chariot. Each team will consist of a driver and a fighter. Weapons are allowed. Dirty tricks are expected. But try not to kill anybody!" Tantalus smiled at us like we were all naughty children. "Any killing will result in harsh punishment. No s'mores at the campfire for a week! Now ready your chariots!"

Beck led the Hephaestus team onto the track. They had a sweet ride made of bronze and iron —even the horses, which were magical automatons like the Colchis bulls. Andy knew for a fact that their chariot had all kinds of traps and mechanical things she didn't understand.

The Ares chariot was bloodred, and pulled by two grisly horse skeletons. Clarisse climbed aboard with a batch of javelins, spiked balls, caltrops, and other things Andy couldn't see from where she was.

Apollo's chariot was completely gold, pulled by two beautiful palominos. Their fighter was armed with a bow, though he had promised not to shoot regular pointed arrows at the opposing drivers, which Andy knew they didn't think throught as the Apollo kids could use fart arows, grappling hook arrows and more.

Hermes's chariot was green and kind of old-looking, as if it hadn't been out of the garage in years. It didn't look like anything special, but it was manned by the Connor and Travis Stoll, and Andy knew the other contestants needed to watch out..

That left two chariots: one driven by Annabeth, for Athena. The other by Percy, for Posiedon.

Before the race began, Andy noticed Percy, who tried to approach Annabeth and tell her something.

Before Amnabeth could answer, the conch horn sounded. "Charioteers!" Tantalus called. "To your mark!"

"We'll talk later," Annabeth told him, "after I win."

Andy saw Percy walk back to his chariot which was unsurprisingly blue and he took a while to get ready.

From where she sat she couldn't see much. Andy sat with Katie, Jolie, and Silena. Silena was busy making sure her "boyfriend" didn't die. Katie and Jolie where making bets on who would win. Andy leant over to Katie, who was on the other side of Jolie, and whispered, "I bet you 10 drachmas Clarise wins."

Immediately the two girls shook their heads in denial, "No, it's obviously going to be Annabeth, she's the brainy one and always wins." Katie said.

"Nuh uh, Percy's going to win!" Jolie, protested. Andy scrunched her nose up in disgust as she heard the boy's name. Jolie exclaimed, "I know you dislike him, but Annabeth's the brains of the operations not Percy but he's the son of the Posiedon so-"