The Demigod With A Fedora

Bite The Dust!

The Obstacle Tower was in the middle of the Pavillion, which was nice since I had some place to sit while I watched and cheered on for Roy. Roy and Clarisse had to go get ready, and they left me alone sitting at the seats, observing the Tower.

It was about thirty-five feet tall, and it was.. an Obstacle Tower! You had to climb, you had to dodge, and you had to be fast. There was a huge wood at the top, and I suspected that it was supposed to swing and demigods had to avoid it if they wanted to grab the flag at the middle. I heard the clopping of hooves, and I turned to find myself looking up at Chiron, the centaur.

"May I join you?" he asked, as he stood next to me.

"Yeah... I would offer you a seat, but it looks like you can't sit... no offense."

"None taken." He was facing the Obstacle Tower. "I hope you have settled in, Dante. Now, I'd like to ask whether you would like to join in on the Obstacle Tower game or not."

I stared at him. "Me? Obstacle Tower? With the other demigods?"

"Yes," he answered. "You can take your time thinking. I'll gear you up, so to speak anytime during the game. Except, the ending."

"Thanks," I said simply, and he walked away.

I was bored, but it was my first day in Camp Half-Blood. I didn't know anything, and I guess you could say that my demigod skills haven't kicked in yet. I was still waiting to be claimed. I'm a freshie. But it would be fun.

The demigods poured out, and were standing all around the Tower, looking up at it. They had elbow pads and gloves on as well. A mixture of girls and boys. I spotted Roy among them, and gave him a thumbs-up. He grinned at me. "Go get 'em," i mouthed, and he nodded.

"Ready to lose, Jackson?" I heard a familiar voice, Clarisse's jeer out loud.

"Get ready to bite the dust," I heard another voice said, probably whoever this Jackson guy was.

Finally there was the sound of a gun, and the demigods charged towards the Tower, climbing it. Roy had a headstart, already on the second stage of the four-stage Tower. He was climbing the rock-climbing wall, when a camper on the other side pulled the foot steppers, nearly causing Roy to fall.

"Get back at it Roy!" i shouted my support, and Roy managed to climb again. He pulled the foot steppers as well, and the camper lost his balance and fell face-first onto the ground. He bites the dust!

Roy was already at the third stage, hanging on the chains when suddenly a camper swung out at him. He evaded the kick, and he banged into the camper, making him smash his face into the Tower walls. Another camper, a girl this time lunged at Roy, and he fell, managing to grab onto the second stage, the foot steppers. Clarisse was on the other side this time, and she pulled the foot stepper. Roy was groggy, and now he fell and hit the ground with a thud.

I stared at my friend on the ground, gaping. When I looked up, I felt my blood rise up a hundred degrees. I was angry. My heart beat increased, and I decided to join the game.

i ran towards Chiron, and before I could say anything he handed me elbow pads and gloves. He smiled at me. "Go get them."

I quickly put on the equipment and ran straight into the middle of the Pavillion, right at the base of the Tower. My fedora stayed on my head. On the first stage, there were spinning tree trunks and I jumped on one, launching myself up and onto the third stage, grabbing a chain. I climbed up quickly, and Clarisse was already at the fourth station. I couldn't lose to her. I wanted to beat her, for Roy.

And so I climbed up with such speed that I managed to get to the fourth stage. The fourth stage were long, thinner than tree trunks that jutted out of the tower, and they were horizontal. What's worse, the trunks were spinning.