The Demigod Games

Chapter Thirteen

Leo tossed Piper an apple from his backpack. "Thanks," she coughed, wiping the sweat from her brow.

The arena was set up as a desert with a scorching hot sun and a nonexistent water source. The tributes, if not killed by each other, were definitely going to be dying of dehydration.

"No problem," Leo responded, slinging his backpack over his shoulder again. "There's gotta be a pond or something somewhere here. Even a source of shade." Even after seeing so many dead, and everything seemed hopeless, Leo was still hopeful. a full believer of the impossible.

"No," Piper groaned. She lost all hope before the games had even started. She was no match compared to even Leo. "That's how they would get us all together. One small water source, one great way to lure in the tributes in to fight over it."

Leo nodded, his curly brown, sweat soaked hair falling into his eyes. "You're right. But it might be good just to find it."

As soon as Leo finished his sentence, five canons sounded. "What the hell?" Piper asked, looking around the arena in the sky. All of a sudden, the sun disappeared and a projection appeared in the skies east in the arena. The symbol of Mount Olympus materialized and a short anthem blasted from hidden speakers. Leo and Piper had to cover their ears from the sudden noise.

"It can't be," Piper muttered under her breath.

Leo nodded once again gravely.

"I can't watch." Piper covered her eyes. "Please tell me Jason isn't up there."

Leo gazed up into the sky as five faces covered the sky for mere seconds along with their names and Godly parent. "You should have more faith in him than that," Leo said as he wiped his curly brown mop out of his face. "Nope. He's still alive," he told Piper as the last face dissolved from the sky.

Piper let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the Gods."

When the anthem finished playing, the sun didn't rise again. A full white moon rose and stars took the place of the cloudless sky. But instead of heat, it was icy cold. "I should start a fire," Leo brought his hands out in front of him, ready to snap and create a flame out of midair.

"No," Piper ordered. "They'll find us that way. Let's just go find a shelter and place to keep warm, repair boy."

Leo let his tanned arms fall to his sides. He looked out to his surroundings to see that instead of a baron desert, there were trees and shrubs. "When did this happen?"

Piper shrugged. "Does it matter? It's here, so we may as well take an advantage of it."

"But..." Leo glanced off into the distance. Back there it still looked like a desert with nothing alive within. "Fine. Lead the way, beauty queen."

"With pleasure," Piper replied curtly, then looped her arms through her sweater. It was made out of a heat absorbing material, thank the Gods. Leo and Piper walked for a while in silence, fearing that anyone could overhear their conversation, or worse find them. "I wonder if Jason is somewhere out here," she whispered, tears nearly rushing to her eyes as she wandered through the various trees.

"He can handle himself, Pipes," Leo reminded her, pushing a branch aside for her to walk over.

Piper could almost see Jason's eyes as she forged through the various wildlife. There were crickets and frogs, as distinguishable by the nightlife sounds they were making. Every time she closed her eyes, Jason's deep blue eyes were almost visible underneath her eyelids. "Breaking up with him was the worst mistake I've ever made," Piper said only loud enough for her to hear.

"You were trying to protect him, weren't you?" Leo asked, raising his thick, dark eyebrows. Piper nodded quickly. "You were being selfless, how could that be a mistake?"

--

Percy wrapped a makeshift bayounet around Annabeth's arm. It still was bleeding three hours after the bloodbath at the cornucopia. "You just had to get that trident, seaweed brain," Annabeth muttered as Percy set her down in the tree.

Percy smirked slightly. "It's better than having nothing, wise girl."

"You're still a seaweed brain," Annabeth laughed, punching Percy's arm weakly with her good arm. "But you did find that water source."

"That reminds me," Percy murmured, then reached into his tiny backpack that contained a canteen and some bread. "Drink some water." Percy propped the canteen next to Annabeth, who took a greedy sip before handing it back. "We have to go back there to heal your arm."

"No," Annabeth refused. "Clarisse nearly got us while we were there. She's going to be there waiting for us. And Edward, that guy has got it out for you."

"She'll be drawn away by another tribute at some point," Percy shrugged.

Annabeth leaned forward and kissed Percy on the cheek. "You stupid seaweed brain, you just had to save me."

Percy cupped her pale face in his cold hands. "You've done the same for me," he told her, then gave her a long kiss on the lips.

"I love you, Percy," Annabeth whispered against his lips.

"I love you more."