The Remembrance of Chaos (PJO)

Chapter 17

A/N-Sorry for the delay, had something important to work on. I can now update regularly—about once every four days. Thanks for your patience.

If Percy had a bite of stew in his mouth, he would have spit it out in shock. Fortunately, he had finished the delicious soup, and instead opted to look at Artemis in shock. "We're fighting now!?"

Artemis calmly took another mouthful of stew, as if she hadn't said anything shocking. "Of course. When did you think we were? In a week?"

Percy ignored the dig. "I don't know!" He exclaimed. "At least after you tried breaking the barrier in your mind, or at least tomorrow!"

Artemis looked at him in triumph, as though she had finally understood something confusing. "That's why you don't want to fight: you want to sleep!"

"Of course! What kind of human being doesn't want to sleep? Even more so when they got up way too early?"

"You're an immortal," Artemis chastised. "You don't need sleep."

"That maybe so, but I still feel the need to sleep."

"Well, you're going have to earn it." Artemis stood up, making their empty bowls disappear into thin air. "I have to unlock at least one ability before you can sleep."

Percy looked at Artemis, confused. "You said it takes a month."

"That's only if I try the boring way . . ."

Also known as the safe way, Percy thought.

". . . with fighting, it's very quick, but I don't know which ability unlocks."

"Does it have to be a fight to death?" Percy whined, with as much reluctance a teen would use when ordered to go to bed. "I'm tired and very fatigued."

"Yes," Artemis said. "Plus, nothing better than going to bed after your heart has been pumping hundred-and-ninety beats-per-minute."

"And after getting stabbed in the heart ten times," Percy muttered. "Also after getting decapitated several times."

"That's the spirit!" Artemis cheered. She then pulled Percy up to his feet. Two swords with silver blades appeared in her hands. 

They both were basically a godly type of silver metal (since normal metals couldn't kill immortals)stuck to a hilt.

As bland as a sword could be.

Artemis noticed Percy eyeing them. "They're both exactly identical, so nobody will have an advantage," She explained. 

Artemis held out the sword in her left hand, and Percy took it. Fortunately, he still knew the art of swords. He gave it a few practice swings: the sword was a bit too light for his taste. That meant it was faster to strike, but the strikes would be less in strength, and he could not parry all of the attacks. Percy would have to use his agility and dodging more than his blade for defending.

Percy didn't know what sword he was basing all of this information on, but he had the nagging feeling it was special to him. 

He was so focused on calming his nerves, he did not notice when his pocket got a bit heavier.

"Other than skill," Percy countered. "You're twice as good as me."

"We'll see about that." Artemis got into her ready position, knees bent, and sword in front of her.

Percy looked around the inn, noticing all the obstacles, such as tables, chairs, and the occasional soup bowl lying on the ground. "Shouldn't we move some stuff? So we don't trip?"

"Think of them as real-world terrain: be aware of your surroundings."

Percy took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He got into a position similar as Artemis, with his blade in front of him, and his body ready to move.

"Ready?" Artemis asked.

"Ready."

In a flash, Artemis was right in front of him, swinging at his neck. With inhuman reflexes, he ducked the blade and stabbed in front, aiming at Artemis' stomach. 

Artemis simply twisted out of the way of the sword, this time stabbing at his heart with the sword. 

Instead of dodging, Percy simply misdirected the sword away from his body, just like a batter would do to a baseball. While Artemis was recovering (which wasn't more than a few moments), he brought his sword back up to ready position, and took a few steps back, disengaging.

Sure, he could have tried to attack, but he needed to think of a plan to beat her—attacking and defending would not do anything. 

They started circling each other, observing each others' movement and steps, waiting for the other to attack.

Percy then saw a chair a few inches away from the imaginary circle the were tracing. A plan suddenly popped into his head.

When Artemis was just a few feet from the chair, Percy put his plan into action. He dashed across to Artemis, and feinted a swing, aiming towards the left part of her ribcage. 

Artemis had stopped to defend, putting the chair exactly behind her. Instead of dodging, she parried it.

However, before she could parry it, Percy switched directions, aiming toward the right side of her body. Instead of jumping back how he hoped, though, she ducked, letting the sword skim over her head.

Now Artemis had the advantage of surprise. While she was crouching, she brought her sword up to stab. 

Percy dodged to the side, not letting Artemis move from her position: he still had a trick up his sleeve. He gave her just enough room to get up, but started wildly slashing at her. But the truth was, it just wan't random slashes; there was strategy in it. 

Artemis defended all of them, but then Percy then saw his chance. When Artemis attacked him again by slashing, instead of dodging—or parrying, he locked their swords together; the only way to get out was for one of them to disengage. 

But instead of doing that, they fought for control, neither giving up. Percy then kicked Artemis in the stomach, and disengaged at the same time.

Artemis, surprised, went crashing into the table and chair behind her. They buckled under her, and she fell onto the floor, her sword flying away from her.

But Percy didn't relent; Artemis had told him to keep on going until one person got killed. He charged forward, swinging his sword down, aiming for her heart.

Now, it was Percy's time to get surprised. Instead of dodging, two daggers appeared in her hands, and she blocked, locking their blades once again. 

The daggers didn't look regular though. Both were very beautiful, with detailed engravings on the hilts. The blades on both of them looked similar to the sword Percy was using, except they looked shinier and . . . ancient. There was a power pulsating from them that indicated they were some kind of godly weapon, and he had an idea of who they belonged to.

"You're not allowed to use those, right?" Percy asked. "I stand no chance against your signature weapons. I think Chaos would have a hard time too. Doesn't it make reforming a harder process?"

Artemis only grinned in response, worrying Percy to the soles of his boots.