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—THE sun was unbearable. The heat waves were bearing down on Judith, threatening to give her third degree burns from exposure. The girl had no doubt in her mind that the Apollo kids were behind it, giving them yet another boost in the chariot race.
The Ares cabin had gone to Tantalus immediately, hoping to get the sun cabin disqualified for interference. It seemed as if the man was actually considering it before dismissing their concerns, deciding it would add another challenge to an already troublesome event. Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew smirked as Judith and Clarisse left the big house that morning.
Judith was livid.
But now she was even more determined than before to win the race. Casting a scalding glare in the two boys' direction, Judith turned to her sister. Clarisse was stretching out her muscles, preparing for the intense amount of movement that was about to go down. Judith was also doing some light stretches, but hers didn't need to be as in depth.
As driver, there wouldn't be as much moving. In fact, she would need to stay as still and balanced as possible to not jostle the reins the wrong way. The girl was a little miffed that driving would be the only thing she'd be doing, but she had to remind herself that she could be easily replaced by Ellis or Sherman. She would not complain.
The two brothers in question were helping to harness the skeletal horses in place while Judith and Clarisse finished out their pre-race run through. Mark refused to be any help after Clarisse told him off the other night, and Maya Brown, their sister, was assembling all the javelins, spiked maces, and caltrops. They may have had their qualms about not being on the chariot themselves, but they knew how important it would be for the Ares cabin to win this.
"Right!" Tantalus shouted. "You know all the rules. A quarter-mile track. Twice around to win. Two horses per chariot. Each team will consist of a driver and a fighter. Weapons are allowed. Dirty tricks are expected," snickering came from the Stoll brothers and the daughters of Ares knew to anticipate something of the sort from them, "but try not to kill anybody!"
"No promises," Clarisse muttered, making Judith chuckle under her breath.
"Any killing will result in harsh punishment. No s'mores at the campfire for a week." Harsh. Good thing Judith didn't like s'mores. "Now ready your chariots!"
Judith stepped on the platform and wrapped the leather reins around her hands tightly before unwinding them and coiling them up again in anticipation. Her hands were probably going to lose circulation mid-race, but so long as she kept her arms steady, they'd be fine.
"Charioteers!" Tantalus shouted out again, everyone in the stands around them turning quiet. "Attend your marks!" Clarisse stepped into the chariot with a spear in hand. He swung his hand and the flags on the sidelines fell to the floor.
