The New Demigods

Chapter 11: The Last Training

It was day 30 of our training, making it the last day before we embarked on our quest. The day started like any other, I opened my eyes to the familiar view of the leaves that made up the ceiling of my room. I climbed down from my bed using the footings carved into the oak tree trunks that supported my bed and went to the front door to collect my breakfast.

I pulled open the door to see the familiar tray piled high that day with pancakes and a variety of fruits, I picked it up and sat at the edge of the pool in my room with my feet dipped in the water. I had already healed myself in the pool the night before with the rest of The Outcasts over dinner, but some mornings I still liked to feel the water around my feet.

When I finished my breakfast, I changed from my pajamas into my toga - it had been freshly cleaned at night to rid it of sweat from my training. I had stopped questioning the magic of Olympus, as I did not know where my food came from or how my toga was always cleaned, but I had other things to worry about.

A familiar timid knocking came from my front door as I finished my morning stretching.

"Good morning!" I greeted opening the door to Scarlett, she smiled and returned the greeting. We headed out to the court and over to Piper's house knocking on her door. She greeted us with a smile and mouth full of blueberry muffin as we headed over to Horace's house.

"Here we go," Piper said, knocking on Horace's door.

"Coming!" We heard him yell frantically from the other side.

"Bets on his excuse this time?" Piper smirked.

"I slept in," I theorized using my best impressions of Horace's voice.

"This one piece of hair just wouldn't stay in place," Scarlett mocked in a low voice and we all chuckled.

Horace swung open the door and knelt on his front step to put on his gladiator sandals. "Sorry guys, I had wicked bed head this morning." Piper and I turned to Scarlett laughing loudly. "What's the joke!?" Horace demanded, "as if you guys don't do your hair in the morning!" Piper patted Horace on the back, reassuring him our laughter was friendly and we headed to the main building.

As we climbed the steps leading to the main building, Peyton came running up the steps behind us. I hadn't seen her since we had a tour of her arena and I had an altercation with Poseidon. The four weeks of training had clearly made her much stronger as her arms and legs were more toned than I remembered, but she still had full cheeks that dimpled when she smiled. Her blonde hair was even brighter, after being bleached by the sun, and her skin glowed with a tan while seeming more weathered than before. She smiled briefly when turning to see us in her mad dash.

"Whoa you guys are still here?" She stopped to ask us.

"Is there an option to leave?" Horace asked sarcastically.

"Well you stopped joining us for breakfast and dinner after the first day, so I guess we assumed you'd been taken somewhere else," she explained after scowling at Horace's response.

"Nope, we're still here training for the quest with you guys, just one more day huh," Piper jumped in to counter Horace's poor conversation skills.

"Yes, I can definitely see the training has done you all well," Peyton complimented while looking over us and I blushed. "Well, I better get going, I think I already missed most of breakfast."

"It was nice seeing you!" I blurted out after her, as she put her hand on the door.

"You too, Gem," she turned and smiled at me before heading inside. Piper and Horace started snickering when the door closed.