The Betrayed Hero

Chapter 29

The training with the elite team members was rigorous; the whole team moved like a well-oiled machine. They blindly trusted one another. They continued to shift from one position to another like a deadly dance form, their weapons wielded. Zale, the leader, who held Luna and Riptide in both of his hands and danced in a dangerous yet wonderful ballet dance with his swords. They all resembled a lovely, hazardous ballet routine. Zale's leadership shone through as he effortlessly wielded his swords in a lethal yet beautiful display of skill and coordination. The accuracy and coordination of the elite team members were breathtaking to witness, as they executed each move with grace and strength. Every smooth action reflected their mutual trust and commitment to their training and target.

All the campers looked at them in awe and something more in their eyes akin to jealousy. Even Chiron appeared to be entranced by the elite's technique, which was unusual for a seasoned centaur. It was evident that Zale and his team were more than just warriors; they were artists in their own right, perfecting the art of combat with breathtaking ease.

As soon as the Elite team were done with their performance, silence fell for a moment, though the Elites looked like they did not break a sweat while showcasing their skills, but the campers soon began to fill the stadium with murmurs, some out of praise, some out of envy, and some trying to figure out the moves of the Elite team.

"Let's start the training together now; let's pair one-on-one." stated Astèri

"Yes, it will also help us understand each other's moves better," added Skià, nodding her head in agreement.

"Let's start pairing up then," Vèlos said, reading his bow and arrow while glancing at the rest of the team.

"How do you suggest we pair up, Chiron?" Zale asked his former teacher.

Chiron thought for a while and answered, "Let the campers decide who they want to pair with. It's important for them to feel comfortable and confident with their partners."

"I don't think we have time for the campers to feel comfortable with for little sparring practice. We need to be prepared for the upcoming war as soon as possible, Master," replied Ìoras, his voice thinly veiled with annoyance. After Zale had slipped up by calling Chiron 'master,' all Elite team members had taken to calling him master with the excuse of 'our commander's master is our master.'

"I agree with him, Chiron. Let's just go with anyone who is not sparring at the moment and take turns." Annabeth piped up from his side.

"As you wish, then let's start," Chiron said, crossing his arms and taking a step back, ready to butt in if the sparring gets too dangerous.

One by one, campers and elite team members started to pair themselves with elite team members.

Annabeth stalked straight towards Percy, but Jason beat her to it, and the elite team members saw it happen and tried to muffle their giggles, but it was useless. Percy heard it and sighed; they were definitely going to report it back to Laszlo, and he was going to be teased about it for an eternity. Percy turned his hooded head towards them, and they quickly composed themselves, ready to spar.

The pairs got ready in position, and at Chiron's count, they began with the sparring.

Soon the training began, and the arena was filled with the sounds of metal clashing and grunts of effort as the demigods practised their combat skills.

Percy's focus sharpened as he faced off against Jason once again. It had been years since he had faced Jason, and over the years, Jason had improved his skills; he was better than the last time Percy had duelled with him. His moves were precise, his defence was strong, and he moved fast as if wind was carrying his feet. But over the years even Zale had grown strong, his skills more formidable, matching Jason blow for blow. His senses were heightened; he could hear the next attack coming from Jason. As the two clashed, sparks flew, and the sound of metal against metal echoed through the training grounds.

Over to the side, Luke went head-on with Annabeth, the girl he watched grow up, along with Talia, who was engaged with Astèri at the other end of the arena. Annabeth with her dagger was unstoppable; her moves were smooth and fluid, each move calculated like a true daughter of Athena, her grey eyes stormy and filled with misplaced rage. Luke, on the other hand, battled with sheer strength and intensity that startled even himself. As he clashed with Annabeth, memories of their childhood training sessions returned, fueling his drive to prove himself in this combat, not to show off as the second in command of the chaos army but to show that he was still the one who taught Annabeth how to fight and to show that his mistakes had led him to the life he now had and he still regretted them.

As the training progressed, the entire elite squad and campers fought with zeal and determination to demonstrate their worth and improve their abilities. Each attack and parry demonstrated their determination to become the best warriors they could be, pushing themselves to their utmost in the heat of practice.

Soon after what felt like days of training but was just around three hours, Chiron signaled the end of the session for a break, encouraging everyone to stay hydrated and rest before the next round. The campers scattered, feeling proud of their progress and ready to continue developing their abilities in the future sessions. While the elite team sat in the middle of the arena to discuss what they had observed among the campers, Zale had thickened the moisture around the team. That was one other thing he could do. Ever since Zale had been to planet Chaos, he had had more time to understand his Poseidon side of powers, and he had understood them and started to use them to his benefit in the battles; he could control any kind of liquid better around him, and he used that power when he was feeling especially ruthless and angry.

As they sat down for discussion, Lee was the first one to break the silence. "You know, I have always respected Laszlo. I have always admired how he trained the soldiers, but today I have newfound respect for him."

Everyone chuckled at Lee's secondhand compliment to the trainer.

"Yes, I hope we weren't like this when we started." Bianca added with a smile on her face.

"You all were the same; believe me, I know." Luke replied with a smirk on his face as he smugly gazed at them all, receiving scowls back in return.

"All right, let's talk about the important stuff. They are all, in my opinion, good enough for the final mission." Charles went on, returning attention to the present affair. "We need to strategise and prepare accordingly." With a nod of agreement, Bianca prepared to get into the specifics of the strategy.

"Yes, just more practice and they will be even better." Zoe added to it, her eyes trained on Riptide, who lazily lay on Zale's lap.

"Do you really think it was good to give Grover birthday wishes through the empathy link?" Selena asked the question everyone was wondering about. "I do think it was a nice gesture, but we should be cautious," she continued, concern evident in her voice.

Others nodded in agreement; they did trust their commander, but this was a risky move not only about his identity but also for the upcoming war.

"I know this was a risky move, and lots of speculation is going to happen because of this, but I think this will also work for our benefit. Now that attention is diverted towards finding Percy, they won't be focusing on us much, and we will also figure out if there's a spy among the campers who is keeping the other side informed." Zale said, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair, drying it the second his hand touched

Ìoras hummed in agreement. "I think Zale has a point, but we still need to be careful and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity."

"I think we should get back to the others; they are starting the patrol shift." As she got to her feet and brushed the dirt from her trousers, Selena spoke. "We can discuss the next move with them and make sure everybody is fully on guard." With that, the elite team headed back to join the rest of the campers.