Chapter 1: Deadly Game

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Percy

She took a step forward, leaving me all alone by myself.
"All right," I muttered. "I'm flattered that you wanted me on your team."

Outside, it was a hot and muggy night. The woods were terrifyingly dark, with fireflies darting in and out of sight. It was an eerie experience.

When I arrived, the place that Annabeth had led me is a small creek that gurgled over a few rocks, while the rest of her team has already dispersed into the surrounding trees.

I'm standing there by myself, wearing my huge blue feathered helmet and shield, and I'm thinking and feeling like a moron.

The bronze sword, like all of the swords I'd tried thus far, seemed out of balance in some way. Despite the fact that it was the most appropriate sword I'd tried, the leather grip drew on my hand like a bowling ball.

After all, no one could possibly attack me, could they? Olympus, after all, had to be concerned about liability, didn't they?
I mentally whispered to myself in order to relieve myself of the strange sensation that was churning in my stomach at the time. Danger.

In the distance, the conch horn blared loudly. I heard whoops and angry yells in the woods, and the sound of metal clanking against metal is deafening. Children fight as if their lives are at stake; they fight for their lives. A blue plumed ally from Apollo cabin dashed past me like a deer in headlights, leapt across the creek, and vanished into enemy territory without a trace.

I thought it was fantastic. As usual for me, I'll miss out on all the fun.

Then I heard a terrifying sound that sent shivers down my spine: a low canine growl from somewhere in close proximity to me.
I instinctively raised my shield because I had the distinct impression that something was following me from the shadows. The growling eventually stopped. The presence seemed to be fading away. I felt relieved in some ways, but it was all a ruse to make me feel better because things were about to get much worse.

The underbrush on the other side of the creek caught fire. Five Ares warriors screamed and screamed as they emerged from the darkness.

They struck me as barbarians. "It's time to cream the punk!"
Clarisse let out a scream that sounded like it came from an animal. Her pig eyes glared through the slits in her helmet, revealing her ugliness. She clung to a five-foot-long spear with a barbed metal tip that flickered with red light as she fought for her life.
Despite the fact that her siblings only had standard issue bronze swords, the concept of swords is far from comforting.

They dashed across the stream after the prize and the said prize is apparently me. There was no sign of help in sight. I had the option of fleeing or defending myself against the entire Ares cabin.

However, unlike Minotaur, these kids were not as stupid, and I was able to avoid their swinging arm. They are not as dumb, despite the fact that they appear to be.

As Clarisse thrust her spear into my chest, they encircled me. I was stunned. Despite the fact that my shield deflected the point, I still felt a painful tingling sensation all over my body. My hair was standing on end. My shield arm became numb, and the air was scorching. My nostrils were tingling with a faint ozone scent.

Electricity. Her stupid spear was charged with electricity. I took a deep breath and step back.
With the butt of his sword, another Ares member slammed me in the chest, sending me sprawling to the ground. They were, however, too busy laughing to kick me into a puddle of jelly. Although I could feel my face becoming hot with rage, it subsided before the pig-eyed girl said anything.

Clarisse told her sibling, "Give him a new haircut." "Take his hair in your hands." I was able to get myself up on my feet. Clarisse slammed her spear into my sword as soon as I raised it, sending sparks flying. Both sides of my arms were now completely numb. Oh my goodness! I was thinking to myself.

"Oh, wow," Clarisse exclaimed, her voice sneering. "This guy makes me nervous. I'm truly terrified."
Her voice full of mockery and irony.

"That's where the flag is," I said pointing to the location furiously. I wanted to come across as enraged, but I was worried it wouldn't come across that way. "Yeah," one of her siblings agreed. "Yeah," another said.
"But, as you can see, we don't give a damn about the flag. We are concerned about a boy who made our cabin look stupid." What? Are they really this stupid?
I thought quietly.

It was my responsibility to tell them that they could do it without my help and yes, it was probably not the wisest thing to say at the time.
Two of them attack me viciously, allowing Clarise to stab me in the ribs with her spear.

I let out a guttural sound as soon as the pain hit me. To make matters worse, the electric point shocked me, and the experience was unpleasant. My arm had been slashed by one of her cabin mates' sword, which slashed across my arm, cutting me deeply into my skin.

The sight of my own blood made me dizzy, and the pain from having my ribs pierced was making me feel even more dizzy than I ought to be.
"Hey! No maiming," I managed to say.
"I messed up," the man admitted. "I guess I'll have to give up my dessert privilege."
He pushed me into the creek, and I splashed to a halt in the water. They all burst out laughing at the same time.

I figured I'd die as soon as they'd had enough fun with me to stop laughing. However, something happened after that. My senses seemed to be jolted awake by the water, as if I'd just finished a bag of my mother's double espresso jelly beans.
Clarisse and her cabin mates dashed into the creek to grab me, but I stood my ground and greeted them all.

I was well aware of what I needed to do. With the flat of my sword, I swung it against the first guy's head, knocking his helmet off completely. My blow to him was so powerful that I could see his eyes vibrating as he crumpled to the bottom of the pool. A pair of ugly numbers came at me: Ugly Number Two and Ugly Number Three. One of them was slammed into my shield and the other guy's horsehair plume was sheared off with my sword, which I had brought with me. Both of them moved quickly to the sidelines.

The rest of it, on the other hand, I completely forgot about. Everyone is enraged and angry, the man who injured my arm was sneaking into my back, while I'm fighting the ugly number two and three for the second time in a row. On one side, he swung his sword, slicing a large gash across my back, earning a howl of pain from me.

Before I can confront the perpetrator, a cut slashed across my thighs, the majority of cabin members look at me with varying expressions written across their faces. The water was slowly healing me, preventing me to crumple on the creak, but before it could do so, a sword was thrust from my back, easily sticking out to my front. It was nothing but pure agony, even the water wasn't doing anything to alleviate the overwhelming pain I'm feeling.

I'm totally out of it. I wish I hadn't come across this camp. 

End Of Chapter

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