I whistled as we found ourselves surrounded by the Ares Cabin, their tough, don't-mess-with-us expressions locking onto me. I smirked, glancing at Clarisse. "Clarisse, you missed me already? I didn't think I'd left that big of an impression."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself, Jackson. We're dueling. No rules. I want to see what you're made of."
Annabeth shot her a look. "Back off, Clarisse. Go bully someone else for once."
I held up a hand. "It's fine. Let's do this." If Clarisse wanted a fight, I wasn't about to back down. We headed for the Coliseum, an open-air arena with marble seating that felt straight out of ancient Greece. I scanned the racks of weapons. With Tempest out of commission, I needed something reliable. After testing out a few swords with terrible balance, I settled on a falcata—a single-edged sword with a forward-curved blade. It felt solid enough, even if I'd have preferred my own.
I walked over to where Clarisse was waiting, testing the weight of the falcata with a few swings. She pulled a small metal pole from her pocket, and with a flick of her wrist, it extended and grew into a wicked spear, crackling with electricity.
"You ready for this, Jackson?" she taunted.
"Born ready," I shot back, adjusting my grip.
Luke Castellan, who I'd seen in passing, strode over. Tall and blonde, with a scar down one cheek, he looked at us both with a lazy smile. "Alright, kids, I'll oversee. Try not to kill each other—too badly, at least. Begin!"
He leapt back, clearing the way in a flash. Clarisse lunged at me instantly, her spear aimed right for my chest. I sidestepped and spun, bringing my sword around in a sweeping arc, aiming for her side. She twisted out of the way, her spear striking my blade with a metallic clash that reverberated through my arms.
She didn't give me a second to recover, pushing me backward with a relentless series of jabs. I ducked and dodged, barely able to keep up with her speed. This girl had been training for years, and it showed. I felt the force of every blow.
"Gonna have to do better than that, Jackson!" she shouted, swinging her spear in a wide arc. I ducked just in time, feeling the electric crackle of the spear singe the air above me.
I quickly backed up, my mind racing. The falcata was solid, but it wasn't mine, and Clarisse was good—really good. Then, an idea came to me. I reached out with my senses, finding the smallest trace of moisture in the air, calling it to me. A thin stream of water spiraled up from the ground, pooling in my hand before I flung it at her.
The water blasted into her with surprising force, knocking her back a few steps. She snarled, shaking her head as if shaking off a daze. "Water, huh? Cute trick." She lunged at me again, spear swinging in deadly arcs.
I blocked a few jabs, only to feel a sharp, sudden zap as her spear grazed my arm. I hissed as the electric charge spread through me, making my muscles seize up. "Agh!"
"Oh, didn't like that?" she taunted, spinning her spear with a wicked grin. "Maybe I'll give you a little more."
She charged, thrusting the spear toward my chest. I countered with the falcata, but the force of her blow sent a jolt through my arm, and I barely held on. Another electric pulse crackled through my hand, numbing my fingers.
I gritted my teeth, fighting past the pain. Another pulse, another trickle of water spiraling from my fingers, I formed it into an icy mist, hurling it toward her legs. The water solidified on impact, trapping her boots in a slick layer of ice. Clarisse's eyes widened as she stumbled, her footing suddenly unstable.
I took the opportunity, sweeping in with a fast downward slash. She barely managed to block, her spear locking with my sword. I leaned in, my face inches from hers. "Still think this is cute?"
She grinned, pushing me back and shattering the ice with a single stomp. "Yeah, I do." She brought her spear down in a wide arc, and I jumped back just in time. I'd barely regained my footing when I felt the air charge with static. Clarisse thrust her spear at me again, lightning flashing down its length. This time, it hit dead-on.
Electricity surged through me, burning and numbing every nerve in my body. I staggered, feeling my knees buckle as I fought to stay on my feet. "That all you got?" I managed to say, through gritted teeth.
She narrowed her eyes, twirling her spear. "Trust me, Jackson, you haven't seen anything yet."
I focused on the pain, pushing through it, pulling more water from the air, pooling it in my hand, and heating it until steam rose off my palm. Then, I launched the scalding water at her, catching her arm.
"Ah!" she screamed, jerking her arm back, her face twisted in pain. She snarled, fury blazing in her eyes. "You're gonna regret that."
She lunged again, and we clashed in a frenzy of blows, metal clashing, sparks flying. I managed to duck a strike and slice at her shoulder, but she whirled around, her spear striking my side hard enough to knock me off-balance.
I managed to twist around, summoning another torrent of water to freeze around her legs, momentarily locking her in place again. She snarled, raising her spear high to strike—and just as I braced for the hit, Luke's voice cut through the air.
"Enough!"
We both froze, breathing hard, still locked in our battle stances. Clarisse's chest was heaving, her grip tight on her spear, her expression a mix of anger and surprise. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, my arm still tingling from the electric shocks.
Luke stepped between us, giving us both an approving nod. "Impressive. For a first day, Jackson, you put up one hell of a fight. And Clarisse—looks like you finally met your match."
Clarisse glared at me, her competitive edge sparking to life again. "It's not over, Jackson. Next time, you won't get so lucky."
I grinned, feeling the adrenaline ebb. "I'll be ready."
Luke stepped between us, giving a short, sharp nod. "Alright, alright. This is over. Both of you, head to the infirmary. You look like you've been through Tartarus and back."
I glanced at Clarisse, who still looked like she'd have gone another round if she could. She huffed but turned and stomped toward the infirmary without a word, and I followed.
We entered a large marble building where sunlight seemed to stream in from every angle, brightening the place more than I thought possible. A handful of Apollo kids were busy with research, organizing herbs, or helping other demigods patch up cuts and bruises. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic mixed with fresh flowers, like the place was part medical center, part garden.
A blonde guy—way too bright and cheery—spotted us and sauntered over, grinning ear-to-ear. He looked like someone who'd just walked out of an afternoon at the beach, tan skin, curly golden hair, and a sunburst smile that was a little too perfect. His eyes practically glinted as he sized up our injuries.
"Hey there!" he greeted, eyes flicking between me and Clarisse. "I'm Elias, son of Apollo. Looks like you two had some fun out there. Let's get you patched up." He motioned us to sit on the nearby beds, pulling on a pair of gloves.
I took a seat on one of the beds, Clarisse on another. Elias approached, examining me first. He raised his eyebrows, looking impressed as he glanced over my arms, which were covered with red, tingling burns from her electric spear. "Electric burns, huh? Those aren't easy to get through. You must be one tough demigod." He looked at me with a sparkle in his eye that lingered a bit longer than necessary.
I chuckled, shrugging off the compliment. "Guess I just got lucky."
He smirked, dabbing some salve on my burns. "Or maybe you're just talented." He leaned in a little, lowering his voice so Clarisse couldn't hear. "So, uh, Percy, are you free later? Maybe we could meet up."
I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. "Sorry, Elias. I'm flattered, really, but I'm not into guys."
He leaned back, a sly grin on his face. "Oh, come on. What if I were a girl?" He gave a little wink, clearly enjoying himself.
I chuckled, "Well, then, that'd be a whole different story."
Elias grinned, straightening up and moving over to Clarisse. "Too bad for me," he said lightly, "but hey, always good to make new friends."
He examined her arm next, grimacing as he noticed the angry red second-degree burn I'd left on her forearm. Clarisse's face was set in a stubborn scowl as he poked and prodded gently, and Elias clicked his tongue. "Looks like you got the short end of the deal here, Clarisse. Water and ice burns from our friend Percy, huh?" He shot me an amused glance, as if he were half-impressed by the damage I'd done.
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, crossing her arms even as he tended to her. "Kid got lucky."
Elias carefully applied a salve, which cooled the angry red splotches on her skin. She sucked in a breath as the ointment settled over her burns, her scowl easing slightly as the pain subsided. Elias' movements were quick and skilled, but he had this way of drawing out the treatment to make sure we weren't hurting anymore before moving on to bandaging up our injuries.
Once Clarisse's burns were treated, Elias turned his attention to the patches of frostbite on her face. "Oof," he muttered, inspecting the small bits of frost damage. "Looks like our Percy here wasn't holding back, was he?"
She shot me a glare, her cheeks red. "Just wait until next time, Jackson."
I grinned. "Looking forward to it."
Finally, Elias handed each of us a small pill and a glass of water. "Ambrosia, a little pick-me-up. Just be careful; too much of this stuff, and you'll be getting a permanent ticket to Elysium." He winked as we swallowed the pills, a burst of warmth spreading through me as the aches in my muscles began to ease.
He clapped his hands. "Alright, you two are good to go. And Percy, I'll see you around." He gave a little wave as we walked toward the door, his sunbeam smile flashing once more.
Outside, the camp was alive with activity, but Clarisse was oddly quiet beside me. I glanced over at her, wondering if the whole fight had left her in a bad mood, but she just seemed… thoughtful.
I decided to break the silence. "So, you up for coming over to my cabin?"
She stopped, looking at me with a mixture of shock and suspicion. "What… what exactly are you asking, Jackson?"
I smirked, letting a little mischief slip into my tone. "I'm inviting a cute girl over to my place, obviously."
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Cute, huh? You got nerve. But fine, I'll bite." She shook her head, though a slight smile tugged at her lips. "Lead the way, hotshot."
We walked back across camp to the Poseidon cabin. The sun was starting to dip toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the clearing, and the air felt cool and crisp. When we reached the Poseidon cabin, she paused outside, looking up at it with curiosity.
"Not bad, huh?" I said, pushing open the door and gesturing her in.
The cabin's interior still had that abandoned feel, and her eyes widened as she took it all in. The stone walls were covered in intricate seashell mosaics, and the air held a faint scent of saltwater. The bed I'd chosen was on one side, a small stack of books beside it, and my backpack on the floor.
"Not bad," she admitted, eyeing the empty beds. "So… you really have this whole place to yourself?"
I shrugged. "Seems that way. Guess it's a perk of being the only kid of Poseidon in camp."
She strolled further in, running her hand along the smooth surface of a seashell-covered wall. "Weird. All the cabins are usually packed to the brim with campers. Must be nice to have some peace and quiet."
I chuckled. "Yeah, for now, anyway." I gestured to my backpack and pulled out a couple of my homemade energy bars, holding one out to her. "Figured you might be hungry. I made these a while back, and they're better than camp food. Mostly."
She took one, raising an eyebrow. "You made these?" She took a bite and nodded, impressed. "Not bad, Jackson. You're full of surprises."
We ended up talking for a while, swapping stories about our training, our fights, and even a few things about our lives outside of camp. Clarisse seemed to warm up, the tough, sharp edges of her personality softening just a bit.
Finally, she got up, stretching. "I'll give you this, Percy—you're not what I expected. But don't think I'm going easy on you next time." She smirked, heading for the door.
I grinned, giving her a mock salute. "Wouldn't dream of it."
She gave me one last look before walking out, and I couldn't help but feel like I'd just made my first real friend here, even if she'd probably still try to knock me flat in every sparring match.
As I closed the door, I swear I had a stupid grin on my face.