━━ ❝ 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 to shine like a star you must burn
like one ❞
•--• ✹ •--•
[ i. completed / edited
ii. previously called folklore
iii. extended summary inside
iv. book 1 of the greek tragedy series ]
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"One on one," Percy challenged Luke. "What are you afraid of?"
Luke curled his lip. The soldiers who were about to kill them hesitated, waiting for his order.
Before he could say anything. Agrius, the bear-man, burst onto the deck leading a flying horse. It was the first pure-black pegasus she'd ever seen, with wings like a giant raven.
The pegasus mare bucked and whinnied.
"Sir!" Agrius called, dodging a pegasus hoof. "Your steed is ready!"
Luke kept his eyes on Percy.
"I told you last summer, Percy," he said. "You can't bait me into a fight."
"And you keep avoiding one."
"Scared your warriors will see you get whipped?"
Luke glanced at his men, and he saw he's trapped him. If he backed down now, he would look weak. If he fought Percy, he'd lose valuable time chasing after Clarisse.
"I'll kill you quickly." he decided, and raised his weapon.
Luke whistled to one of his men, who threw him a round leather-and-bronze shield.
He grinned at Percy wickedly.
"Luke," Annabeth said, "at least give him a shield."
"Sorry, Annabeth," he said. "You bring your own equipment to this party." The shield was a problem.
Fighting two-handed with just a sword gives you more power, but fighting one-handed with a shield gives you better defense and versatility.
There are more moves, more options, more ways to kill.
Luke lunged and almost killed Percy on the first try. His sword went under his arm, slashing through his shirt and grazing his ribs.
Percy jumped back, then counterattacked with Riptide, but Luke slammed his blade away with his shield.
"My, Percy," Luke chided. "You're out of practice."
He came at Percy again with a swipe to the head. He parried, returned with a thrust.
He sidestepped easily.
The cut on his ribs stung. His heart was racing. When Luke lunged again, Percy jumped backward into the swimming pool and felt a surge of strength.
Spun underwater, creating a funnel cloud, and blasted out of the deep end, straight at Luke's face.
The force of the water knocked him down, spluttering and blinded. But before Percy could strike, he rolled aside and was on his feet again.
Percy attacked and sliced off the edge of his shield, but that didn't even faze him.
Luke hacked downward and he rolled behind a deck chair. Percy tried to stand, but his leg wouldn't take the weight.
