I Get on Neptune's Bad Side

It was the next day.  I'd told my father I wanted to duel with him last night, and he just nodded and said things would be prepared.  We had a large feast for lunch, then I went to train and prepare for my failure.  

No way was there any possibility that I could win.  But I had to at least try for True, Cassandra, and Felix.  I couldn't just let them die on the quest, not if there was something I could try.  Plus, I couldn't handle seeing anyone else die.  

Agwe opened the door of my training room and I straightened, turning my trident back into ring form and marching as stiff as a soldier to the arena.  It was out in the ocean, but there was a section closed with air that True and the others would be in, watching.  

Like I needed any pressure.  

I circled the rim of the arena, twisting my ring before pressing and turning it into the trident.  My eyes wandered down below, trying to guess how far the water went before it touched the bottom.  Around the arena were tall monuments that probably made humans think it was the lost city of Atlantis.  

When I looked at the three demigods I was fighting for, I found True Archer already watching me.  Cassandra Castor was glaring at everyone and everything, and Felix Knightly was watching True and scoping everything out.  

True nodded at me, telling me she had faith.  A terrible decision, really, but I couldn't go up and tell her that.  Neptune had arrived.  He looked angry, yet slightly amused.  Probably because the thought of me thinking I even had a chance at beating him was slim to none.  

But Percy beat Ares when he was twelve and had no experience... 

Who was I kidding, Neptune ruled the sea, it was his domain.  I didn't stand a chance.  

I circled the rim, regretting my life choices.  Neptune thumped his trident on the arena's floor, causing a gust of water to hurl at me.  We hadn't even started yet!  I blew over the edge and gripped it tightly, hanging on for death life.  

My left hand, being weak, slipped.  Then my right hand started doing the same.  I cursed and let go, bending the water to help me back up.  I thrust my trident on the ground, sending a wave of water, but not as strong as Neptune's.  

He charged and moved to slice my arm, but I dodged and hooked my trident through his, causing him to strain as he tried to separate them.  I jumped up and kicked him in the chest, flipping back and shifting my trident into a gleaming Imperial gold sword.  

Shots of water burst at him, but he didn't seem fazed.  Just annoyed.  Great.  His trident slashed my side, blood filling the water.  But it quickly stopped, thanks to my water healing.  I gritted my teeth and plunged my sword at his stomach, but he dodged and sliced me again.  

I fell and bit my tongue, tasting the metallic taste of blood.  In a flash, I ran at him and sliced his side, golden ichor floating up in the water before disappearing.  He nearly decapitated me after that.  I'm hoping it was by accident, but I was fearful it was on purpose.  

We fought for what felt like forever.  The water strengthened me, but each cut weakened me.  I was huffing bubbles and sweating-can you sweat in water?-too much.  

I always feared letting my emotions overtake me.  It happened once, and I caused a hurricane and destroyed a few buildings, flooding a large piece of Earth.  But unbottling my emotions might be the only chance I had at winning.  

Flashbacks of the quests came back to me.  Allora being stabbed, the shock on her face as she felt the sword.  Stumbling to the ground.  We were in the desert, there wasn't a drop of water anywhere.  I cried and screamed as she closed her eyes and took her final breath.  

Quest after quest, death after death.  It was never-ending.  

Everything flew out of my mental emotion bottle and launched a whirlpool at Neptune, which turned into a tsunami.  It lasted for a full ten minutes, and when the waters calmed, Neptune wasn't anywhere to be found.  

True wore a surprised impressed expression on her face, slowly clapping.  I then collapsed on the arena floor and blacked out.  The last thing I felt was the waves lifting me away before everything turned black.