𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 - 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝒐𝒄

✯¸.•'*¨'*• 𝑺𝑰𝑿𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑵 •*'¨*'•.¸✯

"One on one," Percy challenged Luke. "What are you afraid of?"

Luke curled his lip. The soldiers who were about to kill hesitated, waiting for Luke's order. Before he could say anything, Agrius, the bear-man, burst onto the deck leading a flying horse. It was  pure-black with wings like a giant raven. The pegasus mare bucked and whinnied.

Percy could understand her thoughts. She was calling Agrius and Luke some names, so bad Chiron would've washed her muzzle out with saddle soap.

"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," Percy noticed. "Scared your warriors will see you get whipped?"

Luke glanced at his men, and he saw Percy'd trapped him. If he backed down now, he would look weak. If he fought Percy, he'd lose valuable time chasing after Clarisse. For Percy's part, the best he could hope for was to distract him, giving his friends a chance to escape. If anybody could think of a plan to get them out of there, Annabeth could. 

On the downside, Percy knew how good Luke was at sword-fighting.

"I'll kill you quickly," he decided, and raised his weapon. Backbiter was a foot longer than Riptide. Its blade glinted with an evil gray-and-gold light where the human steel had been melded with celestial bronze. Percy could almost feel the blade fighting against itself, like two opposing magnets bound together. 

Luke whistled to one of his men, who threw him a round leather-and-bronze shield. He grinned at me 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. Percy thought back to Chiron, who'd told Percy to stay at camp no matter what, and learn to fight. Now he was going to pay for not listening to him.

Luke lunged and almost killed Percy on the first try. His sword went under Percy's 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. Percy parried, returned with a thrust. He side-stepped easily.

The cut on Percy's ribs stung. His heart was racing. When Luke lunged again, Percy jumped backward into the swimming pool and felt a surge of strength. He 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 Luke's shield, but that didn't even faze him. He dropped to a crouch and jabbed at Percy's legs. Suddenly Percy's thigh was on fire, with a pain so intense he collapsed. His jeans were ripped above the knee. He was hurt. He didn't know how badly. 

Luke hacked downward and Percy rolled behind a deck chair. He tried to stand, but his leg wouldn't take the weight.

"Perrrrrcy!" Grover bleated.

Percy rolled again as Luke's sword slashed the deck chair in half, metal pipes and all. He clawed toward the swimming pool, trying hard not to black out. He'd never make it. Luke knew it, too. He advanced slowly, smiling. The edge of his sword was tinged with red.