The Fates' Mistake

Chapter 1

A clanging filled the small stone structure as two swords met in the middle of the room, their users soaked with sweat and studying each other respectively.

"You are improving greatly," Percy praised in Greek, pushing a raven-haired lock, out of his face. Zoë let a small smile grace her lips, "You do not put in the effort." She replied simply. Percy shrugged and continued circling her, his guard up, "Maybe. But you have improved. " He said earnestly. She let her sword tip drop to the stone ground and questioned him,

"Truce?" holding out her hand. Percy slowly nodded suspiciously and reached his hand out to meet hers. They grasped each other's hands in a soft handshake and nodded. Zoë put her sword Anaklumos in hairclip form and stared at it watching it play around in the morning sun's gaze and crossed the room to the wall opposite the trap door to drink from the flask. Percy reached it first and shook it revealing that it did not have very much left, he frowned and offered it to Zoë.

"Here, you drink it, you require it, greater," He said, handing the water flask to her. Zoë shook her head, pushed it back, and told him,

"No," but she knew from the second that he offered it was a lost cause. Sighing deeply, she grabbed the re-offered cowhide flask and chugged it. Percy finally let himself relax and sat against the chipped half wall laying his bronze blade beside him letting it glint wickedly in the awoken sun. he looked around the small room, rusty small pieces of metal lied scattered around the room at random, small pieces of the walls were in the corners having been brushed away from the center, streams of sunlight broke through the small but numerous holes in the wall revealing dusty air, the walls were a dirty white and made of sandstone as well as chipped and missing pieces in some places, opposite of the duo was a rotting wooden trap door which led underground to the entrance, and the ceilings were also rotting wood. This was one of the nicest places they have stayed, the number of monster attacks was exceptionally low, and they had a roof over their head and a place to train. Percy was broken out of his thoughts when Zoë stood to her feet and held out her hand to help him up, he accepted it and was tugged to his feet rather harshly by Zoë who he shot a glare at, and she replied with an innocent face.

He turned around and picked up the leather backpacks and handed her one, he opened his own to inspect the food supply. The brown bag held ⅔ loaf of bread, 3 pounds of meat, and a single pound of berries, as well as other supplies such as extra sandals, an extra chiton, and a himation, four slices of Ambrosia, and a few golden drachmas. He looked at the lack of supplies with a frown, today they were going hunting.

"Zoë, we have a significant lack of supplies if we plan to leave tomorrow." He announced, Zoë only nodded grimly. "Today we must hunt, or rather you hunt. you have seen my attempt to use of the bow" He explained. She nodded holding in a giggle. Pacing the room slowly his plan came together, "I can teach you to track better and-" He stopped being cut off.

"I can track," She interjected angrily. Percy only nodded in response,

"If you think you can track, then I will pick berries, set a trap, as well as skin the animal you catch." He proposed in hopes of not enraging the girl further. Once she nodded her approval, he let out a breath, her punches hurt. He strolled to the trap door and waved the girl over and she trotted lightly to him with the wooden bow in her hand and her small quiver at her waist holding many unmercifully sharp handmade arrows and her backpack. "I would prefer to thank you," She started, "I don't know of your ways, but the new items are wonderfully crafted." She praised gesturing to the new bow and plentiful arrows. Percy shot her a lopsided smile and replied,

"Ah, but look what you have accomplished," He praised back gesturing to the backpacks and flasks. She blushed in return as he only smiled more. He lifted the trapdoor and said, "Ladies first," Zoë punched his shoulder in return but went down the hatch nonetheless, Percy propped the trapdoor open with a stick and started to descend the stone steps, about ten feet down he found the ground, it was pitch black with moisture dripping from the stalagmites and dirt crumbling around them.