After dinner, I followed all of the Ares kids into a huge arena. The bottom was flatbut then there were a bunch of stair-like structures all the way up to the top.
“Whoa!” I said in awe. One of the boys, who’s name I learned was Max, throws me a sword. I let out a little squeal because I wasn’t expecting someone to be throwing swords at me. I let it clash to the ground. I picked up the sword and tossed it back to him while shaking my head ‘no’. I pulled out my sheath and my balanced sword.
“Now, who wants to spar with me first?” I asked the Ares kids. Clarisse was the first one to step forward.
“Kid, prepare to get pulverized,” she warned me, with a smirk on her face.
She started the dual with a lunge, but I easily leaned to the side and dodged it. I then swung my sword toward her long spear, but she pulledher spear back and lunged to my unprotected side.
“Agh,” I said in pain. I tried to ignore it and took my stance. When she lunged for my middle, I took my sword and it clashed with her spear. In mid lunge, I twisted my wrist in a circle and her spear went flying out of her hand. Her gaze followed her spear, then she just stared at me.
“There is absolutely no way in the middle of Tarterus, that simple sword lessons could help you beat me! Kid, your dad has to be Ares!” I sighed as the pain in my side registered.
“Okay, can we get this cleaned up before we worry about who my dad is?” I said. I winced as the pain got stronger with every second. Clarisse examined my wound and walked over to a big box. The box was red with awhite cross in the middle. She reached in and took out something that looked like a brownie.
She tossed it to me and said, “Eat it, that should be enough,” she explained.
I didn’t question her since she seemed to be the only one that actually cared about me. Once I took the last bite of it and swallowed, The pain immediately reduced to a low throb.
“Thanks Clarisse,” I told her. She smiled and nodded.
“yeah, okay kid. Why don’t you go shoot some targets over there with Emma?” She pointed to a young, blonde girl robin hooding her arrows. My family used to use that term, it’s when someone shoots their arrows in the same spot, splitting the other arrow in half.
I pulled my sheath and bow out of my hair and pressed the button for both of them. I grabbed an arrow and looked at a moving target that was the size and shape of a pigeon.
I drew the arrow and exhaled as I let the arrow soar through the air. The arrow hits the target directly in the bull’s eye. I repeated my actions with all of the other targets. I even let Emma use some of my arrows since they never end. Eventually, me and the six-year-old named Emma sat down and discussed our families.
I learned the Emma was daughter of Ares and came here just a week ago with a satyr. That’s when I realized that I didn’t know Dylan as well as I thought I did. I pushed the thought aside and continued with our conversation.
I learned that the minute Emma met Chiron, Ares claimed her as his own. I sighed becausestill wasn’t claimed. I repeated my story to her and as I finished, her eyes widened.
“So, you don’t even know if your Olympian parent is your dad or your mom?” She asked surprised. I shook my head and Emma smiled.
“Don’t worry Sam, a lot of the demigods get claimed at the campfire. If your parent doesn’t have any other children, I will come cheer you up every morning!” She smiled brightly and I smiled back in response.
“Okay, in the mean time, want to see if you can nock down the pigeon?” I asked her. She nodded and I gave her my sheath. She took her aim for the rope holding up the pigeon. She misses the first time but hits it on her second shoot. The pigeon landed on the floor with a loud thud.
Clarisse stormed over and Emma immediately hid right behind me.
“Hey kid, what was that?” She asked in a loud voice. I took in a deep breath.
“We were practicing, I aimed to high for the pigeon target and cut the rope instead,” I covered for Emma because I knew she was afraid of Clarisse, just from how she hid from her. Clarisse snorted.
“Aim for one that won’t make a loud noise from now on okay kid?” I nodded as Clarisse stormed off. Emma came out from behind me and gave me a huge hug.
“Thank you so much!” She said excitedly. I hugged her back and watched the campers line up to leave.
“Emma, I think it’s time to go have some s’mores,” I told her. Emma nodded and took my hand. We both started for the pavilion.
When we got to the campfire, everyone was coming out of every direction. We sat down at a table as Emma pointed out some Hermes kids coming out of their cabin all at once. They got stuck in the door and we both laughed as they finally all bursted out. Some of them fell on the floor and others just started to yell at each other.
Once everyone had settled down, there was a weird light shading everyone’s faces. At once, they all gasped in shock. They were all looking up, right above me. I slowly looked up, afraid of what I would see, but it wasn’t scary at all, it was a nice surprise.
I saw an image of a swan. The swan was holding a torch in it’s beak. People kept on switching their gaze from the swan, to me. Chiron came out and looked at the swan.
“All hail Samantha Harper, daughter or Enyo,” Chiron told us all.