Training ( Open)

I look around the arena feeling self conscience. I glance uneasily at my dagger. I noticed that it needed to be polished and sharpened but that would have to wait. I slash clumsily at some dummies and felt uneasy. I knew I wasn't a great fighter but I was trying to learn a little. I knew that I'd rather be shopping then training.

"Something wrong?" I ask walking in the arena. "you were going to town on that dummy."~ do people in new york say that or is it a southern thing?~ "Just one thing. your working your dagger let the dagger work you. don't think, just do. I suppose I should introduce my self before i give you advice. I'm Chase, son of Athena. the dagger's a hard weapon to work with. your fairly brave to accept it as your first method of attack."

I turn around and smile " I'm Kristen Bell daughter of Aphrodite " I say smiling. I quickly sheath my dagger, looking embarrassed. " I'm only using a dagger because Swords are just too much for me, I prefer weapons that are agile and light, thanks for the advice, I'll try it out " I say quietly.

" Yeah, Fightings just not my thing, I prefer fashion and makeup, I mean trainings ok, but being in battle is just not fun for me" I say fingering the hilt of my dagger. " I haven't tried underhand though, but what I'd rather fight the dagger then " dance" with it " I say, trying to hide my confusion.

"Oh, I didn't mean dance with the dagger. I meant dance while holding the dagger. There two dif- I think you get the point." I pull out my imperial gold sword and lightly twirl it around in my hands. I loved the way it gleamed in sunlight. "fighting dummies is great practice, Fighting a friend fun is even better practice, but nothing can prepare you for the heat of the battle. Automatons are amazing practice but there run off of a program so they all fight the same. Everyone fights different so you can't have exact practice. the key to fighting is be three steps ahead of your opponent, one to mess up on, one to think for a while, and one to finish them off "

I listen politely, nodding every so often. I let out a sigh and smile wryly. " Personally none of it makes any sense to me, I'm just not a fighter, I don't really see why we always have to kill, I mean maybe it's just me but it seems like a lot of campers are ruthless, I mean not all enemies are bad" I say shyly.

I scrunch up my eyebrows thinking. I stab my sword into the ground and lean on the hilt. "You know what your right. Not everyone is bad. If we mercilessly kill our enemy we're no better than they are. We're learning stab, kill, slash, kill, and all we're accomplishing nothing but blood shed. this is something that needs to be brought up to Chiron. We're teaching six year olds show no mercy. We have all made mistakes at some point, our brothers forgave us, but when the tables are turned we take there lives? Even in war that's not right!"

" Exactly, I mean when we fight we're just like they are, we don't get anywhere, we just create more hate and even when we win battles, it's still pointless because that just makes the next generation of monsters angrier, it's an endless cycle " I say sighing in frustration.

I watch him take out his anger on the dummy and finger my necklace uneasily. I'd never understand why fighting was necessary and I never wanted too, to me it's just a bunch of excuses. " But Battles are completely worthless, I mean there are things that are worth saving " I say

I subtly roll my eyes " Still Kronos and tons of other monsters aren't exactly diplomatic and it's not all strategy it's luck and We could have saved so many lives if we had never fought some of the battles that we've fought " I say with a slight challenge in my voice