La Vie en Rose // Percy Jackson

xvii. invasion of the party ponies

"One on one," Percy challenged Luke. "What are you afraid of?"

Luke curled his lip. The soldiers who were about to kill Percy hesitated, waiting for Luke's order.

Before he could saying anything, Agrius, the bear-man, burst onto the deck leading a flying horse. It was the first pure-black pegasus I'd ever seen, with wings like a giant raven. The pegasus mare bucked and whinnied. Percy seemed to be able to understand her thoughts. My guess is she was probably calling Agrius and Luke some names so bad Chiron would've washed her muzzle out with saddle soap.

"Sir!" Agrius called, dodging a pegasus hoof. "Your steed is ready!"

Luke kept his eyes on Percy.

"I told you last summer, Percy," he said. "You can't bait me into a fight."

"And you keep avoiding one," Percy noticed. "Scared your warriors will see you get whipped?"

Luke glanced at his men, and he saw Percy had trapped him. If he backed down now, he would look weak. If he fought him, he'd lose valuable time chasing after Clarisse. For Percy's part, the best he could hope for was to distract him, giving us a chance to escape. If anybody could think of a plan to get them out of there, Annabeth could. On the downside, Percy knew how good Luke was at sword-fighting.

"I'll kill you quickly," he decided, and raised his weapon. Backbiter was a foot longer than my own sword. Its blade glinted with an evil gray-and-gold light where the human steel had been melded with celestial bronze. I could almost feel the blade fighting against itself, like two opposing magnets bound together. I didn't know how the blade had been made, but I sensed a tragedy and one glance at Percy told me he seemed to think so as well. Someone had died in the process. Luke whistled to one of his men, who threw him a round leather-and-bronze shield.

I clasped my hands together and Annabeth placed a hand on my shoulder.

He grinned at Percy wickedly.

"Luke," Annabeth said, "at least give him a shield."

"Sorry, Annabeth," he said. "You bring your own equipment to this party."

The shield was a problem. Fighting two-handed with just a sword gives you more power, but fighting one-handed with a shield gives you better defense and versatility. There are more moves, more options, more ways to kill. I thought back to Chiron, who'd told Percy to stay at camp no matter what, and learn to fight. Now he was going to pay for not listening to him.

Luke lunged and almost killed Percy on the first try. His sword went under Percy's arm, slashing through his shirt and grazing his ribs.

Percy jumped back, then counterattacked with Riptide, but Luke slammed his blade away with his shield.

"My, Percy," Luke chided. "You're out of practice."

He came at him again with a swipe to the head. Percy parried, returned with a thrust. He sidestepped easily.

The cut on Percy's ribs must've stung. I figured his heart was racing. When Luke lunged again, Percy jumped backward into the swimming pool and felt a surge of strength. He spun underwater, creating a funnel cloud, and blasted out of the deep end, straight at Luke's face.

The force of the water knocked him down, spluttering and blinded. But before Percy could strike, he rolled aside and was on his feet again.

Percy attacked and sliced off the edge of his shield, but that didn't even faze him. He dropped to a crouch and jabbed at his legs. Suddenly his thigh seemed to throb like it was on fire, with a pain so intense he collapsed. His jeans were ripped above the knee. He was hurt. I didn't know how badly. Luke hacked downward and Percy rolled behind a deck chair. He tried to stand, but his leg wouldn't take the weight. I managed to escape my captor and ran to him, quickly checking him over.