Percy Jackson: Legacies of Olympus

Chapter 3: Alaric Interrupts My Lesson

When I got to the arena, Chiron was already there helping the campers get into their armor. Since they were all relatively new to camp, they needed some extra time preparing for class.

I noticed that Evan, the kid I met at the Mess Hall yesterday, was in this class. Chiron noticed me and asked, "Percy, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to take the day off?"

I replied, "You know me, Chiron. I'm not a party person. I'd rather be here."

Chiron shrugged, "Alright. I'll be in the Big House if you need me."

I nodded as he walked away.

Once everyone was ready to begin, I asked, "Is this anyone's first sword-fighting class?"

Almost all their hands went up.

I clapped my hands together, "Okay, first we have to find each of you a sword that is balanced enough for you. It won't be perfectly balanced, but it will do for now. Near the end of the summer, before you go back home, the Hephaestus cabin will make you your own sword."

After they all had gotten a sword, I showed them a basic stance. I explained, "Your stance is just as important in a fight as keeping your guard up. There are many different offensive and defensive stances out there, but this stance is the most neutral there is."

Some of them looked a little confused so I said, "Think of it as a blank slate. Every other stance is built on top of this. Does everyone understand?"

They all nodded.

I then said, "Alright. Why don't you all get into the stance and keep your guard up. I'll come and check to make sure you're all doing it right."

Once everyone was doing it properly, I continued with the lesson. I said, "Now, let's do some sparring."

Evan raised his hand. He asked, "But didn't we just start?"

I explained, "In my experience, the best training is in a fight. And don't worry, I'll be watching."

He nodded, excepting my answer.

As the first pair of students were called, I said to the others, "Watch them while they're fighting. You'll notice their patterns and weaknesses. It's a great skill to have, and an important one too."

The two students were Evan and a daughter of Apollo named Leah. I looked at them and said, "On the count of three. One. Two. Three!"

Leah attacked first. She was quick, especially for a beginner, but her stance was sloppy.

Evan was too preoccupied with blocking her strikes, so he didn't notice her mistake.

After ten seconds or so, Leah began to tire and slowed down. This allowed Evan to take the offensive.

Unlike Leah, Evan's stance was good, but his strikes were weak. Leah noticed this and parried a strike that was going for her gut.

Evan took a step back, recovering from her blow.

Leah ran towards him and disarmed him.

I clapped my hands together and said, "Leah won! Good job, both of you."

I then looked at Leah, "Make sure to work on your stance, it was sloppy."

I turned to Evan and said, "Your stance was good, and you did a good job waiting for her to tire out, but your strikes were too weak. But, that'll come with time and training."

Suddenly, there were a bunch of gasps behind me. I turned around and saw an Iris Message between the campers. It was Alaric.

"Hey, 'Ric."