CHAPTER 39

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(Ella's POV)

July passed by quickly..

Percy & I spent our days devising some new strategies for capture-the-flag & making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares’s hands. Percy had also managed to get to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava. I'd stood there in shock wondering how he'd done that..

The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together. At the bonfire, the camp's senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads. Percy got his own leather necklace,  with a bead for his first summer. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

“The choice was unanimous,” Luke announced. “This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, & the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!”

The entire camp got to their feet & cheered. Even Ares’s cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena’s cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause.

However in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year...

That night though I felt uneasy. I couldn't sleep, I kept tossing & turning around. Finally I gave up on sleep & decided to head to Percy's cabin.

As I was heading there however i felt myself collapse & was mentally transported somewhere else...

In the vision it was daytime at camp, but it seemed deserted. Then I noticed Percy heading to the sword fighting arena, so I followed him..

Luke was already there slashing at the old dummies turning them to a pile of straw and armour. I had to admit I was a bit impressed.

Finally, he saw Percy, & stopped mid-swing. “Percy.”

“Um, sorry,” Percy said. “I just-“

“It’s okay,” he said, lowering his sword. “Just doing some last-minute practice.”

“Those dummies won’t be bothering anybody anymore.”
Luke shrugged. “We build new ones every summer.” That was true we did.

Now that his sword wasn’t swirling around, I could see something odd about it. The blade was two different types of metal-one edge bronze, the other steel.

Luke noticed Percy looking at it too. “Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter.”

“Backbiter?”

Luke turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. “One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals & immortals both.”

I thought about what Chiron had told me when I'd first arrived at camp four years ago-that a hero should never harm mortals unless absolutely necessary.

“I didn’t know they could make weapons like that.” Percy said surprised.

“They probably can’t,” Luke agreed. “It’s one of a kind.”

He slid the sword into its scabbard. “Listen, I was going to come looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight?”

I felt that unease again.

“You think it’s a good idea?” Percy asked. “I mean-“

“Aw, come on.” He rummaged in his gym bag and pulled out a six-pack of Cokes. “Drinks are on me.”

I stared at the Cokes, wondering where the heck he’d gotten them. There was no way to smuggle them in unless you talked to a satyr.

Of course, the magic dinner goblets would fill with anything you want, but it just didn’t taste the same as a real Coke.

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