Demigods Academy - Year One

by Elisa S. Amore

  Aethon wasn’t having it. That arrow could’ve hit him, too. He reared up, and blew a stream of fire from his mouth. Flames tickled the tips of the griffin’s hooves, and he reared back, swooping to the right, and Revana nearly fell off his back.

  As we galloped past her, I turned and flipped her the middle finger.

  Aethon snorted, and I almost swore he chuckled.

  I hit the last of the targets, not missing one, and then we thundered out of the course and back to the finish line. I was greeted to some claps and cheers. Revana flew in a few minutes behind.

  After I dismounted, Aethon snorted then nuzzled my head from behind, knocking me off balance. Then he trotted back into the stables on his own.

  Artemis brought her horse alongside me. “No one has ever ridden Aethon before.”

  “Don’t tell Ares,” I said.

  She grinned. “I won’t.”

  As Revana brushed past me, I grabbed her arm and leaned into her. “Don’t push me, Revana. I’ll let this one go because of what happened in prophecy, but next time… I will retaliate.”

  She jerked out of my grip and stomped away.

  Georgina was next to race. I hugged her. “Good luck. Take a unicorn, the griffins are too hard to maneuver.”

  She nodded then the whistle blew. She sprinted into the stable. A minute later, she rode out on a unicorn, and it sprinted toward the course. She was ahead of Isobel by a few seconds, who came out on one of the griffins. Within seconds, she fell off and had to scramble up onto the beast’s back. But the griffin wasn’t having it, and it flew away to return to the stable.

  Isobel let out an exasperated scream.

  Artemis rode up to her. “Do you wish to try another mount?”

  She shook her head. She knew it was pointless. Her time would’ve been bad and she’d fail anyway.

  “You’ve forfeited. You’re an automatic fail.”

  When Georgina rode back in, she was all smiles. I hugged her after she dismounted. “Yeah, I’m so proud of you.”

  “I wouldn’t have done it without you.”

  Arm in arm, we stood back and watched as Jasmine made her run. She rode out of the stable on one of the fire-breathing horses and sped toward the course. When she returned in great time, she wasn’t happy.

  “I missed three targets.”

  “Oh, Jas, I’m sorry.” I hugged her. “But it’s only one trial. You got the rest.” I gave her a reassuring smile, but I wasn’t so sure about Poseidon’s trial. She was pretty good in the water, but I’d heard rumors the water God was infamous for his difficult tests.

  After everyone went through the course, Artemis let us know the results. I’d placed first, with Lucian a few seconds behind. Georgina, Ren, and Mia had passed. Revana had passed but barely. Isobel failed, and Diego was part of the twenty-five who had failed.

  It was getting close to the end. We only had four trials left—Poseidon, Ares, Zeus, and the last one was for Athena. These ones were going to push us to the limits of our abilities. I was afraid, not for me, but for my friends. I didn’t want to lose them. They were all I had left in this world.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  MELANY

  As I stood on the shore of the lake—that Lucian and I had discovered during one of our flights around the grounds—with my friends beside me, I couldn’t stop shaking. I wasn’t scared, well not entirely, but had adrenaline racing through me in anticipation of the trial. We all wore red and black wetsuits with the option of wearing goggles. I opted to wear them, as did Jasmine and Georgina. I noticed that both Ren and Lucian went without.

  Poseidon stood proudly in front of us, the water of the lake lapping at his bare feet.

  “This trial will test all your limits. This is a four-mile wide lake, and you will have three hours to swim from here to the opposite shore. There is a rest station in the middle for those who need it, but remember that you are competing against your peers. The first twenty-five swimmers to hit the opposite beach pass this trial. The rest will fail.”

  I glanced at my friends. This was it; this was going to be a real test. But I wasn’t going to leave any of them behind. I reached for Lucian’s hand and tugged him closer. Frowning, he looked down at me.

  “No matter what, don’t stop for me.”

  “Blue…”

  “I mean it. You need to pass this trial. Please just concentrate on that.” I squeezed his hand. “Promise me.”

  After a few seconds, he nodded. “Okay, I promise.”

  I let go of his hand, turning my attention back on Poseidon.

  “You may use your skills however you see fit during this trial.” A slow smile spread across his face. “But remember, you aren’t alone in the water.”

  About fifteen feet out, the normally tranquil surface rippled. A small fin breeched the water, then another, then another, until there were nine small fins sticking out from the surface. There was more bubbling then the fins disappeared.

  Jasmine grabbed my arm; her hands were trembling. “That’s a hydra.” Her voice was barely audible over the splashing of the lake water onto the beach.

  “Are you sure? It didn’t look very big.”

  “Those fins were just one of many on the tops of their heads.”

  I swallowed. Dealing with a baby Charybdis had been nothing compared to the possibility of a one hundred foot sea dragon with nine heads.

  Taking Jasmine with me, I huddled in next to Georgina, Lucian, and Ren. Jasmine grabbed Mia and pulled her into the group. “We need to stay together as much as we can. I have a feeling there’s going to be strength in numbers.”

  Everyone nodded. Then Poseidon blew into his shell horn to start the race.

  We all entered the water, trying to stay close together. It was going to be a long swim, but I was sure if we grouped our strengths, we could all make it to the other beach and pass the trial. I knew Ren and Lucian had two fails, so I didn’t expect or want them to sacrifice their time for us, well, for me in particular.

  Once in the water, Ren and Lucian set the pace, and the rest of us followed behind. I sucked in air, then dived down to swish my body back and forth like a fish, propelling myself forward. Everyone else did the same; then we surfaced and did it again.

  The next time I came up for air, I did quick look behind and saw we were making good time, and we were middle of the pack. It was a good position to be, as we could put on the speed at the end.

  After about an hour of swimming, my muscles started to ache and fatigue was trying to settle into my body. I looked over at Georgina; she was struggling a bit. I swam over to her.

  “Next time we dive down, hang onto my foot and just glide with me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yup.”

  She nodded, and we both took in air and dove. As instructed, she grabbed my foot, as I propelled my body forward like a dolphin. I didn’t go as far or as fast, but it helped her conserve energy, so I considered it worthwhile. We did it again and again, until my legs started to seize up.

  We swam close to the floating rest station. I saw a couple of people scramble up onto it to rest. In theory, it seemed like a good idea, but I knew from experience they couldn’t rest enough to make a difference in their muscles when they got back into the water. Oxygen wise it was sound, but I suspected those people were going to suffer some severe cramps during the next half of the journey.

  Halfway there and I felt optimistic. Ren and Lucian led the way, and they hadn’t slowed. Like a flock of birds, we were conserving energy by swimming in the current they made with their bodies. I looked back. We’d pulled away a little from the pack. There were a few people swimming at our rate, and there was one person—I think it was Marek, judging by his black hair—who was ahead of us.

  As the shore came into view, I started to smile, but a shout from someone nearby nearly froze me in place.

  “I felt it under me!” It was Diego, and he thrashed about back and forth.

  “Quit moving around,�
�� Revana shouted, as she moved away from Diego. “You’ll draw it to us.”

  “It’s not a shark. It’s a freaking hydra. I think it’s going to do what it wants.”

  Another shout came from another group of people.

  Georgina started to thrash a little beside me. I shook my head. “Don’t panic. Just concentrate on your strokes. We’re almost there.”

  Then Diego was yanked down into the water.

  That made everyone within a ten-foot radius scream.

  Georgina was one of them.

  “Lucian!”

  He stopped swimming and turned to me. “What happened?”

  “Something happened to Diego.”

  Ren swam over. “What do you want to do?”

  “Can you take Georgina, Jasmine, and Mia with you? Swim to the shore.”

  He frowned. “Mel… he wouldn’t do it for you.”

  “I know.”

  He shook his head and looked at Lucian. “You take the girls. I’m going to go with Mel.”

  “No, he’s my friend—”

  “I can manipulate the water. Mel and I can hold our breath the longest.”

  I touched Lucian’s cheek with my fingers. “Remember your promise.”

  He nodded then turned and swam hard toward the shore. Georgina, Jasmine, and Mia followed him in.

  “Ready?” I asked Ren.

  He nodded.

  Then we both sucked in air and dove down deep in the water. It didn’t take long to spot the hydra. It was huge. At this depth, it was creepy as hell to see this big, dangerous creature just hovering ten feet below a big group of swimmers. It looked like it was having a good time knowing it could pluck anyone of them at any time.

  I spotted Diego, struggling to get out from between the jaws of one of its nine heads. There was no blood, so the creature hadn’t bit into him. It was just playing around, probably instructed by Poseidon to detain, but not kill anyone.

  We swam toward the beast. A couple of its heads took notice of us, but it didn’t look worried in the least. As we got closer, Ren started to move his hands around in front of him until he formed a small cyclone. Then he sent it spinning toward the hydra’s head, the one holding Diego.

  As the cyclone hit, the head opened its mouth. I swooped in and grabbed Diego by the hand and dragged him to the surface. Another few minutes and I was pretty sure he would’ve drowned. When we came up for air, he gasped, taking in water. As he sputtered and coughed, I slapped him on the back.

  “C’mon, we need to get swimming.”

  While I made my first strokes, I saw in the distance Lucian and the others were almost at the shore. Revana was close, as were most of the group. I looked behind me and spotted maybe ten or so still struggling in the water. We weren’t going to make the top twenty-five. For me it didn’t matter, but for Ren that meant three fails.

  “Ren, you need to swim faster.”

  “What about you?”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m good.”

  He nodded and dove down into the water. I knew he had the power and stamina to make it.

  I kept swimming alongside Diego to make sure he didn’t go under. He looked exhausted, barely able to swim. I was okay with failing this trial. It didn’t matter to me.

  As we kept swimming, I felt the water bubbling beneath me. I stopped and glanced around at the surface. It looked like we were floating in a pot of boiling water. It was the hydra, and it was obviously unhappy.

  There was more bubbling under me, each bubble getting bigger, pushing me out of the water. Then it was like a huge wave growing underneath me, lifting me, Ren, and Diego higher and higher. I risked a peek behind me and saw the hydra emerge from the water like a volcanic eruption, rolling us on top of the wave. My stomach lurched into my throat as the wave sent us crashing into the beach.

  I rolled onto my back, sputtering and coughing, and looked up as Poseidon loomed over me. His smile was broad and warm.

  “You all made it. You passed the trial.”

  I blinked at him, shocked. “We did?” I sat up to see Lucian, Georgina, Jasmine, and Mia running down the beach toward us. I looked over at Ren, who seemed as dumfounded as I felt. Diego had yet to even register we were out of the water.

  Lucian reached down for my arm and pulled me up. He hugged me. “You rolled in on the wave, beating the rest of the group.”

  I couldn’t believe it. We’d passed, despite being almost dead last. We all shared hugs and stunned congratulations. Exhaustion started to settle on each of us. I could especially see it on Ren. I grabbed his hand and squeezed.

  “Thanks for coming with me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  That night when I rolled into the dorm room intent on just unzipping my wetsuit and falling into bed, I found a small box on my bed. There was a note on top. It read: For your bravery in the face of defeat. P.

  I opened it to find a large protein bar. Laughing, I picked it up and ate it in three bites. I was asleep by the time my head hit the pillow. And I didn’t dream. I had the best sleep of my life.

  In the morning, I felt invigorated. I was pumped, ready for the day. I needed that energy for Ares’s trial. I braided my hair, put on shorts and a T-shirt, and figured I was ready for anything.

  We gathered out on the south training field where Ares waited. Behind the God stood several warriors, including Heracles and Antiope, who was rumored to be one of the greatest female warriors to ever live.

  “Today,” Ares bellowed, “is about single combat. For this trial, you may choose what kind of battle. Sword, spear, or hand to hand. Depending on what you choose will determine which great warrior you will face.” He gestured to those behind him. “In the old days, we would’ve fought to the death, but today you will fight until your opponent says otherwise. They will be the ones who determine whether you pass or fail.”

  One by one, everyone picked their poison. Jasmine picked the sword, Georgina chose the spear, and Lucian picked the sword. When it became my turn, I said, “Hand to hand.”

  Ares smiled at that, and I started to question why and whether I’d made a bad decision. “Your opponent will be Antiope.”

  The warrior woman stepped forward. She was no shorter than six and a half feet. Her long, golden hair was tied back in a braid, and she wore a tank top and shorts. Her muscles rippled as she walked toward me.

  Ares laughed. “Have fun, Richmond. I’ll inform Chiron to expect you in the infirmary later.” He stepped away from the fight area.

  I didn’t let his smack talk rattle me. I didn’t need to beat Antiope; I just needed to get her attention, let her know that I was a worthy opponent. I was quick, I was agile, and I could take a big person down. I’d taken Heracles down a few times during training.

  When we were toe to toe, I nodded to her then pulled my stance back a few steps. She had a longer arm reach than I did, and I knew if she got a proper hold on me, it would be lights out, and I’d lose the match. My best defense was a strong offense. I needed to come in quick and strike her where it counted.

  As soon as she put up her hands in a defensive position, I moved in. I ducked under her right hook, landing a solid jab to her midsection. It was like punching stone and my knuckles ached. I took a few steps back again, danced around her to the right, and hit her again in the side. This time she flinched; I’d found the sweet spot.

  Before I could move around her again, she spun to her right and struck me with a back hand to the face. Pain exploded across my cheek and mouth. I tasted blood. The blow had knocked me back a little, but I kept my balance and came at her again. I had to avoid getting hit in the head again. She was stronger, stronger than I was, and another blow would likely knock me on my ass. I had to be sneaky, I had to attack her in a way she’d least expect it.

  As I took up my stance again, I spied a quick smile on Antiope’s face. She was toying with me. I took a couple steps back, leapt into the air and spun, aiming my right foot at her face. She blocked me with her ar
m, then pushed, like she was swatting a fly away. I landed on my side on the ground, the impact knocking my teeth together. More blood erupted into my mouth.

  I couldn’t let her win. I refused to.

  I flipped up back onto my feet, then moved around her to the right and hit her again in the flank. She dropped her elbow to protect that side. I moved around her and jumped onto her back. I wrapped an arm around her throat before she could get her chin down and pressed. Even a big opponent needed air.

  I yanked on my arm as hard as I could, as her hands came up and tried to pull me off. I had my legs wrapped around her, my ankles locked at her navel. I was a spider clinging to its web; nothing was going to get me off. She’d have to drop onto the ground if she wanted me gone.

  I could hear the cheers of my friends and peers.

  “Keep at it, Blue. You got her!”

  After a few more seconds, Antiope tapped my hand.

  I couldn’t believe it. I let her go and dropped to the ground. She turned to look at me, rubbing at her throat. A purple mark was starting to blossom there.

  She offered her hand to me. I took it. “Good job. You passed this trial.”

  Jumping up into the air, I made a whooping sound. When I landed, Lucian was there to hug me. “You’re freaking amazing, Blue.” He kissed me, and it wasn’t a simple peck on the lips. It was a full on proper kiss with tongue.

  There were several “oooohs” and wolf whistles. Then Ares was beside us, pulling us apart.

  “Let’s go, lover boy, it’s your turn.”

  “Good luck.”

  I watched as he walked out onto the battlefield, with a sword and his shield. His opponent was Achilles, the greatest warrior to ever live. Nerves zipped through me as he battled. But I didn’t have to worry. Lucian fought like the warrior I knew he’d become.

  At the end, even though he lost the battle with Achilles’s blade tip pressed into his neck, Achilles told him he fought bravely and valiantly. He passed the trial.

  In fact all my friends passed the trial. We only had two more trials to complete then it was over, and we’d be divided into our clans. Then the real training would start. Soon, we would all be part of the Gods’ Army.