Odyssey

The Arena

After Clarisse told Annabeth on where Percy was. Annabeth was ready to sail right away, but to her surprise. Clarisse went with her. Since Clarisse is a Spartan Princess, and a warrior that has fought in the war like Annabeth and Percy. She had a military ship that they could use.

But not wanting to get any other soldiers in trouble along with Clarisse. She hired a bunch of sailors for the journey. Now with a ship, and a destination. Clarisse and Annabeth sailed from the port of Sparta. A few weeks into the journey, Annabeth and Clarisse had gotten closer, and were soon friends. No longer enemies in a war, but now friends brought together from desertion.

"I've only ever heard about Pephka from it's dangerousness," Annabeth said.

"It's not that dangerous," Clarisse said. "It's just filled with scammers trying to suck every Drachma out of your purse. It's main thing was that the Minotaur was rumored to be from there. There is statues of it all over, and vendors selling cheep remakes of statues and even remakes of Theseus's armor."

Annabeth, knowing that She and Percy were Demigods, a slight bit of her feared that the Minotaur was real. Clarisse must have picked up on this because she patted Annabeth's shoulder. "Do you think it's real?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes, but it's long dead," Clarisse said. "I love those old stories. About Theseus going through the maze and killing the Minotaur. Perseus killing Medusa—"

"He did what?!" Annabeth said.

"Oh not your Perseus, the legend Perseus. Demigod Perseus, not the annoying non-Demigod Perseus," Clarisse said. Not clearing anything up.

"Annoying?" Annabeth said. "Do you not like Perseus, my Perseus?"

"At first I didn't, but once he nearly killed that louse Luke, Perseus started to grow on me...like a rash," She said. "I hate that fake Luke. His armor is to shiny and he's to much of a coward to fight in a real battle like us and Perseus. I can respect a warrior like Perseus."

"Have you told him that?" Annabeth asked.

Clarisse blushed hard, "No! I will never tell him that! I want to fight him, show him whose boss!"

Annabeth laughed, feeling better now.

Their trip lasted over two months, until they finally docked into the port of Pephka. It was night time, and Clarisse and Annabeth entered the city. Annabeth was looking up at a large, towering statue of a half man half bull. The Minotaur. She felt a chill run down her spine, at the thought of whether it was real.

"I know where he could possibly be," Clarisse said. "But I don't know where exactly it is."

"You still haven't told me where Percy is, where is he Clarisse?" Annabeth demanded.

"I haven't told you because... it's the most dangerous place in the world. And there is a good chance Percy is already dead—"

"Percy is not dead!" Annabeth stomped her foot. "I know him, he is not dead."

"I hope so, if he still is alive... he's probably not the same," Clarisse said cryptically.

"Where?!" Annabeth demanded.

"The Arena."

They both spent another month asking around for the location of the Arena. Most people didn't know, but others went white and refused to talk again. Until Annabeth asked a group of large men in scary looking armors.

"Where is the arena?" she asked.

"Woah... look at her! I would like to have you—"

Annabeth stomped on his knee, bending it completely backwards. The large mans screams filled the tavern they were in. She ripped off his helmet, and punched him until his face was near unrecognizable. The mans friends were so scared, one of them wet his tunic. "Where is it!" She demanded, but the man she was holding up was near dead. So she stared at the nearest big guy, while holding the beaten man up. Now with the information on Percy's location, Annabeth slammed the mans head into the table.

"Damn girl..." Clarisse said. "I can see why he loves you now."

They took a small boat down a dark creek. After an hour, large pikes with dented and bloodies helmets impaled on them. The helmets quickly ran out, and were replaced with rotting severed heads. Then the Arena appeared. A large round Arena, several stories tall was carved out of a large cliff side. Roars of cheers blasted from inside, bodies were pilled up and being burnt off to the side filled the air with black smoke. A row a statues were carved along the main path. Each statue with a lit brazier in front of it. But more than half of the braziers were putt out. Two men can up to a statue, and dumped a pitcher of water onto a statues brazier.

"He's killed another Arena legend..." the man with the pitcher said to his friend. "So the Campion called Death will run out of opponents." They looked a newer statue, the last one on the left side. Annabeth went up to it, it's brazier was lit with a raging fire. The statue was incredibly detailed, and had a helmet on in the shape of a large skull. It was so detailed Annabeth could tell from the scars on the statues skill, scars on which she studied every night at the Olympics. "Percy is... Death."