Muscle Memory or Trauma
One day before the Capture the Flag competition, Luke gathered everyone from Cabin 11 to teach them how to use a sword. He expected Percy and Harry, since Annabeth seemed to have called them to join her side in the game, to need to know how strong they really were.
Percy had at least shown some strength when he defeated Clarisse easily before. But he hadn’t actually used a sword, so there was no way to know for sure if during Capture the Flag, when everyone would be armed with swords, spears, and all kinds of weapons, he would be able to defend himself properly.
Because it was basically a war, not a duel.
Harry, on the other hand, really wasn’t very good with a sword. He could use one more or less for defense, and daggers too, thanks to Dred’s training. But his specialty was still magic, illusions… and a bit of potions.
Still, he was interested in seeing the level of the camp’s kids. The ones who supposedly trained here their entire lives.
The training field was filled with metallic noise. Swords clashing. Boots kicking up dust. Shouts of effort. The sun beat down hard, making the metal gleam under the light.
“Alright, Percy. Since it’s your first time and we need to properly see your level, I’ll be your partner,” Luke said with an easy smile as he stepped into the middle of the training field, sword in hand.
“Oh, sure,” Percy replied simply as he looked through the swords in a basket of training weapons, checking which one felt more comfortable.
Most of the swords had that common Greek style, widening slightly toward the tip. Some felt awkward. Others too short. Or too long. So he kept digging through them for a while, lifting them, testing the weight, turning them lightly in his hand.
“Don’t worry, just grab any. Luke’s the best swordsman in the last 300 years. You won’t even be able to touch him,” one camper said suddenly, sounding impatient.
“Yeah, yeah. Let him pick something comfortable,” Luke answered calmly, though there was a hint of pride there. And confidence.
Percy glanced at him for a moment before choosing a sword that felt more or less right in his hand. Of course, he could’ve used one of his own swords. And thinking about it, each of them was different from the others, yet somehow they all felt perfect for him.
But since this was training, he had to use a blunt one. After all, he didn’t want to hurt someone by accident… or hurt himself trying not to hurt anyone. Which, to be honest, was very possible.
Percy walked toward the center, stopping right in front of Luke.
“You said you’ve had some training already, so first let’s see how far you are from the others. So we can fix your mistakes,” Luke said calmly as he took his stance.
Percy nodded and raised the sword with both hands. He lifted it vertically in front of his face and inclined his head slightly before settling into a guard different from Luke’s.
No one could help but wonder about those almost ceremonial movements. Some even gave small mocking smiles. Meanwhile, Harry, who had been talking with Jean and Daniel, threw them a slightly amused look before returning to their conversation about using spells during the competition.
Luke looked at Percy with that relaxed smile. But the longer he watched that defensive position, as if Percy were measuring him, the more he noticed that his posture was perfect.
And whenever Luke thought he spotted an opening, Percy would shift his body just slightly, covering that weak point.
Luke’s expression became a little more serious.
“Then… I hope you’re ready,” Luke said calmly, looking straight at him.
Percy simply nodded.
Luke made the first move, stepping forward and cutting toward Percy’s shoulder. Since the swords had no edge, it wouldn’t do real damage. But it would still hurt. If it landed.
Percy moved at the same time, raising his sword with both hands to block. But that wasn’t all.
When the blades clashed, Percy quickly twisted his wrist and let his blade slide down toward his back, while Luke’s sword scraped along it with the sound of metal dragging against metal.
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Luke’s blade ended up to Percy’s side. Without changing his stance, Percy shifted his sword slightly above his head and cut down directly toward Luke’s shoulder.
With sharp reflexes, Luke noticed and jumped aside. But at the last moment, Percy adjusted the direction of his cut, following him.
Luke reacted quickly, bringing his sword up to meet Percy’s. The impact was strong enough to push both blades back as if they had bounced off each other.
Luke felt a slight tremor in his wrist from the force. Percy felt it too.
Percy glanced briefly at his hand before looking up at Luke with an expression like he had just found that fun.
Luke narrowed his eyes, more serious now.
Harry, standing among the other campers, noticed their surprised faces. Everyone had assumed Percy would get hit immediately, like what usually happened with newcomers. He just smiled, proud.
“Nice hit. Seems it’s true that you’ve had some training,” Luke said again with a faint smile as he walked around Percy, adjusting his position before taking his stance once more.
“Then I’ll raise the level a bit,” he added before attacking again, this time faster and stronger. The whistle of his blade cutting through the air made that clear.
Luke attacked toward Percy’s waist. Percy stepped back to avoid it, then ducked under a strike aimed at his shoulder. He lowered his sword for a moment and, as he rose, brought it up in an upward slash.
Luke blocked again, and the impact forced both swords back.
But Percy used that momentum. He spun, using the centrifugal force to drive his blade straight toward Luke.
Luke quickly moved his sword, deflecting the strike. But the moment he did, he felt a kick slam into his stomach, forcing him several steps back across the dirt.
A few campers let out surprised sounds at the sight of Luke getting hit. Some just stared, mouths slightly open.
Luke touched his stomach, almost as if he himself hadn’t expected that, before looking back at Percy.
“Wow. That was pretty good,” Luke said, his smile returning. “Usually it takes a bit longer for newcomers to start mixing close combat with a sword. So I guess I underestimated you.”
As he spoke, the smile was still there. Not in his eyes.
He took his stance again.
Percy seemed to feel the shift too, and for a moment his expression turned serious.
“It was an insult to hold back. Sorry about that,” Luke said, acknowledging it openly.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Percy replied calmly, like it didn’t really matter to him.
Luke exhaled and settled into guard again. This time his stance was different. Tighter. Firmer. More focused.
Once more, after studying Percy’s guard, he made the first move.
This time his sword aimed straight for Percy’s neck.
Percy raised his blade to block, then changed his mind halfway through and jumped back, feeling the air slice in front of his throat.
At the same time, he saw Luke’s foot driving toward his stomach after the cut.
But it didn’t stop there. Luke followed with a descending strike that forced Percy to bring his sword up again. When their blades met, Luke shifted the force through his wrist, lifting Percy’s sword just slightly and leaving him open to a strike with the flat of Luke’s blade toward his face.
Percy dodged it. Barely.
Only to take a kick to the stomach that made him stagger back, air leaving his lungs.
Luke didn’t give him a second.
He launched a powerful strike straight toward Percy’s shoulder.
Percy lifted his gaze, serious now, and met it with equal force.
When their swords clashed again, the impact traveled up Percy’s arms and the blade snapped between the edge and the hilt. The dry crack of metal breaking echoed across the field.
But Percy reacted instantly, grabbing the broken edge before it hit the ground and thrusting straight toward Luke’s neck in one smooth motion.
Luke’s expression shifted to surprise at the sight of the blade snapping, and he didn’t react in time as the tip of the broken steel closed in on his throat.
“Expelliarmus.”
The blade in Percy’s hand flew away, torn from his grip.
Percy turned sharply toward the source of the spell.
Harry stood there, wand raised, staring at him.
“Idiot, are you trying to hurt someone?” Harry snapped, stepping forward.
“Ah…” Percy blinked, as if only just realizing. “Sorry.” He looked quickly at Luke, a bit embarrassed. “When the sword breaks, that means I lost, right? Sorry about that.”
Harry walked closer, still looking at him like he’d done something stupid.
“Sorry, Luke. It’s a reflex from training with our cousin Dred. He breaks Percy’s swords all the time during practice,” Harry explained.
“Ah… right. Yeah. Of course,” Luke said, still sounding slightly surprised as he touched his neck where the blade would have landed.
“Ahh. I lost. Damn. First time I’ve lost, not counting Master Einjard or Dred,” Percy muttered, frowning a little before looking back at Luke with a grin. “You’re really strong. Way stronger than the goblins I fought in the Gringotts coliseum. We should keep training together.”
“Sure,” Luke replied, still not fully out of his surprise.
As Percy and Harry walked off, Harry kept telling him he needed to respect duels according to his own sense of honor and that he almost crossed a line. Percy just scratched the back of his head, looking more embarrassed by the second.
Luke stayed where he was, watching them. Dust still hung lightly in the air. The other campers were watching too, still processing what they’d just seen.
“You okay, Luke?” one of his friends asked, stepping closer.
“Yeah. He’s got good reflexes,” Luke said calmly.
“That was surprising. Even you might not have had time to react if he’d caught the broken blade in the air. Still, I’m sure it was just luck,” the friend added, trying to downplay it.
“I’m not just talking about Percy,” Luke replied.
During the fight, even though he hadn’t been directly watching Harry, he was sure of one thing: Harry hadn’t been standing there with his wand ready the whole time, waiting for something to go wrong.
And yet, at the exact moment Percy reacted on pure instinct and moved to strike, Harry’s spell hit his hand.
Even Luke hadn’t reacted that fast.
And it saved him from a bad hit. Luke knew that very well.
Luke looked once more toward where the two boys had gone.
Then he turned away, his expression completely serious.
