thunderstruck | a.c¹

2.18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN!
alternatively titled: chariot race

THE NEXT MORNING, EVERYONE WAS BUZZING AROUND EXCITEDLY.

It was a beautiful summer day with blue sky and plenty of sunshine. The camp had started to look the way it should look: the meadows were green and lush; the white columns gleamed on the Greek buildings; dryads played happily in the woods.

Aurora was feeling better than ever as she and Annabeth went over strategies. 'Going over' being that the redhead just listened while the blonde ranted. She knew it was helping though, its good to have someone listen to you.

As Annabeth and Percy drove onto the track, Aurora couldn't help admiring the work Tyson had done on the Athena chariot. The carriage gleamed with bronze reinforcements. The wheels were realigned with magical suspension so they glided along with hardly a bump. The rigging for the horses was so perfectly balanced that the team turned at the slightest tug of the reins.

Aurora and Keiryn cheered as Annabeth and Percy shot down the track so fast that they became a blur. The blonde held on tight to the rail. The wheels glided beautifully. They took the first turn a full chariot-length ahead of Clarisse, who was busy trying to fight off a javelin attack from the Stoll brothers in the Hermes chariot.

"Go Annie!" Aurora yelled and clapped her hands.

"Go Perce!" Keiryn smiled and waved the little sea green and silver flag he'd made for them.

Annabeth threw her first javelin in grappling hook mode, knocking away a lead-weighted net that would have entangled them both. Apollo's chariot had come up on their flank. Before Annabeth could rearm herself, the Apollo warrior threw a javelin into their right wheel.

The javelin shattered, but not before snapping some of the spokes. Percy and Annabeth's chariot lurched and wobbled. Aurora was sure the wheel would collapse altogether, but they somehow kept going.

Hephaestus was coming up close behind. Ares and Hermes were falling behind, riding side by side as Clarisse went sword-on-javelin with Connor Stoll.

Annabeth picked up her second javelin—a real risk considering they still had one full lap to go—and threw it at the Apollo driver.

Her aim was perfect. The javelin grew a heavy spear point just as it caught the driver in the chest, knocking him against his teammate and sending them both toppling out of their chariot in a backward somersault. The horses felt the reins go slack and went crazy, riding straight for the crowd. Campers scrambled for cover as the horses leaped the corner of the bleachers and the golden chariot flipped over. The horses galloped back toward their stable, dragging the upside-down chariot behind them.

Percy held the chariot together through the second turn, despite the groaning of the right wheel. They passed the starting line and thundered into our final lap.