The Moon's Shine (PJO)

Chapter 21

Ten deadly warriors crept into the clearing with their weapons bared. Within seconds, Ariana, Abbot, and Percy were surrounded by the sons and daughters of Ares.

Ariana's grip tightened on her swords while Abbot cowered behind her in fear.

The leader stepped up. Her eyes were glowing like a lantern in satisfaction. "I've caught you, Perseus," Clarisse said. 

"So it seems," Percy replied. He made no move to summon Riptide. "How about we move away from my teammates? They got nothing to do with this." He raised his hands in surrender.

Clarisse snorted. "I'm going to beat you up and then take the flag. Do you think I would let such an opportunity go to waste?"

"I was hoping you'd be stupid enough to fall for it. You have in the past." Percy smirked, knowing Clarisse would be mad.

True to his prediction, Clarisse immediately flushed red in embarrassment. "You arrogant punk! Let's see if you talk back when you're beaten bloody!" She charged at him, her spear pointing right at his heart.

She didn't say I was wrong, Percy thought gleefully.

Before Clarisse could get to him, Percy's gaze locked onto something in the forest. "I-Is that the Hydra!?" he exclaimed.

Everyone's gaze followed his pointed finger, inadvertently drawing their attention from the son of the sea to the monster appearance he had made up on the spot . . .

Which was exactly what he needed.

He burst into action, drawing Riptide. Within seconds, before the element of surprise had worn out, Percy knocked out the two warriors—one male and one female—closest to Clarisse. 

Upon hearing the bodies thunk into the grass, everyone spun around to face Percy. It only took half a second for Clarisse's face to turn from confusion to rage. 

"I'm going to kill you!" Clarisse howled.

"Deal with the others!" Percy ordered Ariana and Abbot. 

"And what will you do?" Ariana asked as Abbot drew a rusty dagger from his pocket.

Percy grinned. "Handle the idiot." 

"Hey, you dumbos!" Ariana yelled at the warriors. "I challenge all of you to a duel!"

Naturally, being the offspring of Ares—the god of duels, among other things—there was no way the fighters would ignore her request. 

The seven warriors growled and charged at her—leaving Percy and Clarisse to fight it out in their lonesome.

Behind Ariana, Abbot gulped in fear. His hands were shaking like a sapling in a hurricane. He yelped in pain as Ariana kicked him to the ground. "Stay down!" she ordered him. "Or I'll cut your head off!"

"Who is that?" Clarisse grunted as she dodged Percy's attack. "Your lackey?"

Percy dived out of the way of her jab and looked backward. His eyes widened in surprise.

It'd only been a few seconds, but Ariana had taken down four of the warriors. The remaining three were now circling her cautiously, seeming to understand the skill gap.

Percy rolled to his feet and looked back at Clarisse. "If I'm not careful, she's going to make me her lackey."

"Not if I beat you up!" She charged with her spear.

It's always the same thing, Percy grumbled as he dodged. 'Beat up Percy' that and 'beat up Percy' this. It's a surprise I still have my nose.

With his expertise in the art of swordsmanship versus Clarisse's angry spear tactics, the battle should've been over by now. But Clarisse had an advantage:

Her spear was a taser.

Named "Maimer," (And Lamer behind her back by other demigods—excluding one unique demigod with green eyes who said it right to her face) taking a blow would mean game over, as Clarisse's spear had the voltage of four tasers in one. 

"Why don't you block me with Riptide?" Clarisse taunted as Percy jumped away from her slice.

Percy rolled his eyes. They both knew why: Riptide was made of metal; if it so much as touched Maimer while he was holding it, he'd succumb to the electricity.

Percy was helplessly forced on defense as Clarisse kept on wildly swinging. He could only keep backing up, desperately hoping he wouldn't trip on his own two feet. There must be something I can do . . .

His back hit something solid. He spun around . . .

And found himself staring at a tree. He was cornered. I guess this is it.

"AUGH!!!" Percy yelled in pain as Clarisse whacked him with her spear like it was a baseball bat. Electricity arced through his veins, and his nerves lit up with pain. He collapsed to the forest ground, his muscles unable to support him.

Riptide was a few feet out of reach to the right. 

"That was too easy." Clarisse kicked him in the stomach. Hard. Then, she threw her spear behind her and bent down, preparing to choke him out.

"The fight isn't over, y'know." 

Clarisse froze.

And then gasped in pain when the butt of the blue flagpole was jabbed into her stomach by Percy. 

She stumbled back, gasping for breath. Her foot touched a familiar object on the grass.

Just my luck, Percy thought as Clarisse picked up Maimer again. He looked around desperately and saw something shining to his right in the dim light of the moon. 

It was Riptide. He dove toward his sword, his fingers grasping at the hilt . . .

When Maimer flew out of nowhere and jabbed into his left arm. 

Percy yelled in pain as his wound sizzled. The horrible smell of burnt human flesh rose into the air. 

His mind shut down. The electricity went through his body forcing him to convulse wildly.

"That's just a taste of what you'll get," Clarisse jeered. "Maybe you'll even—huh?"

She trailed off in surprise as Percy ripped Maimer out of his arm and staggered up to his feet. The wound wasn't bleeding any more. He would later realize that the electric spear had cauterized it. 

Behind him, Ariana sheathed her swords as the last warrior collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Percy could see with his quick look that neither Ariana nor Abbot were injured.

They had won.

"Give me back my spear, you punk!" The daughter of Ares looked panicked—then spun around to face the forest. "PLAN B, YOU MORON! GET OVER HERE!"

Almost as if they were waiting for Clarisse to give up, a blur shot out of the forest in an instant. Percy tensed as the person ran towards him . . .

. . . But he almost dropped Maimer in surprise when the blur ran in between Clarisse and him—then escaped into the forest again.

"What the . . . ?" Percy looked at Clarisse. "That was the worst backup I've ever seen. Maybe they realized you're too dumb to be their leader?"

"They weren't trying to help me," Clarisse said coldly.

At that moment, Percy realized that his left hand was feeling awfully . . . empty. The flag!

I must've dropped it when Clarisse stabbed me. 

The son of the sea looked at where he had fallen—the exact spot the blur had run through.

His eyes widened in understanding. 'Plan B' was grabbing the flag!