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chapter four
( DAGGER )
On the central green, a group of campers was playing basketball. They were incredible shots. Nothing bounced off the rim. Three-pointers went in automatically.
"Apollo's cabin," Annabeth explained. "Bunch of showoffs with missile weapons—arrows, basketballs."
They walked past a central fire pit, where two guys were hacking at each other with swords.
"Real blades?" Piper noted. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"That's sort of the point," Annabeth said. "Uh, sorry. Bad pun. That's my cabin over there. Number Six." She nodded to a gray building with a carved owl over the door. Through the open doorway.
"Speaking of blades," Annabeth said, "come here."
They led Piper around the side of the cabin, to a big metal shed. Annabeth unlocked it, and inside the shed was lined with all sorts of weapons.
"Every demigod needs a weapon," Katherine said. "Hephaestus makes the best, but we have a pretty good selection, too. Athena's all about strategy—matching the right weapon to the right person. Let's see ..."
Katherine handed Piper a massive sword, which Piper could hardly lift.
"No," them thirds said at once.
Annabeth rummaged a little farther in the shed and brought out something else.
"A shotgun?" Piper asked.
"Mossberg 500." Annabeth checked the pump. "Don't worry. It doesn't hurt humans. It's modified to shoot Celestial bronze, so it only kills monsters."
"Um, I don't think that's my style," Piper said.
"Mmm, yeah," Annabeth agreed. "Too flashy."
She put the shotgun back and started poking through a rack of crossbows when something in the corner of the shed caught Piper's eye.
"What is that?" she said. "A knife?"
Annabeth dug it out and blew the dust off the scabbard. It looked like it hadn't seen the light of day in centuries. Katherine look at it which doubt eyes, she saw this knife before when she first choose weapon but it's not belong to her—never.
"I don't know, Piper." Annabeth sounded uneasy. "I don't think you want this one. Swords are usually better."
"We both use a knife." Katherine sigh and pointed to the one strapped to Annabeth's belt.
"Yeah, but ..." Annabeth shrugged. "Well, take a look if you want."
The sheath was worn black leather, bound in bronze. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy. The polished wood handle fit beautifully in Piper's hand. When she unsheathed it, she found a triangular blade eighteen inches long—bronze gleaming like it had been polished yesterday. The edges were deadly sharp.
Katherine eyes light up and she knew it's belong to Piper now.
"It suits you," Annabeth admitted. "That kind of blade is called a parazonium. It was mostly ceremonial, carried by high-ranking officers in the Greek armies. It showed you were a person of power and wealth, but in a fight, it could protect you just fine."
"I like it," Piper said. "Why didn't you think it was right?"
Annabeth exhaled. "That blade has a long story. Most people would be afraid to claim it. Its first owner ... well, things didn't turn out too well for her. Her name was Helen."
Piper let that sink in. "Wait, you mean the Helen? Helen of Troy?"
