Hold Me Close
Even though he had practiced everyday, nothing had prepared him for what was happening right in front of his pale eyes. Monsters of all kinds were invading the camp he called home. Cabins lay torn apart and scattered about the path. Screaming from both parties drowned out any other noise as the white-haired male stood rigid with fear.
People rushed passed him as they headed towards the danger, weapons in hand and fury on their faces. One person in particular caught his attention; a redhead with sharp golden eyes named Josephine. He remembered meeting her when he first arrive to camp, running like a chicken from some harpies. She seemed amused by his sad efforts of protecting himself. They were acquaintances by the end of the day.
Mal watched Josephine disappear into the midst of battle, letting out a snarled as her sword clashed with claws of the first creature he had sprinted from. Clenching his fists together, he turned around and dashed towards where they kept weapons. He snagged an axe from its perch, cautiously looking around as he noticed how quiet it sounded in this area.
With one last glance, he turned and headed back to where he saw the other demigods engaged in battle. Stepping foot into the raging war, he grimaced at the amount of blood that was already spilled.
Hearing a grunt from behind him, he ducked in time to see a rock soar over his head and crash into the ground. Mal turned to find two large feet in front of him, looking up to meet the eyes of a eight-foot-tall giant. His arms were heavily tattooed and had yellowed teeth as he barred them.
Without a second thought, Mal swung the axe down onto the giant's toe, slicing it clean off. He stepped back as the eight-foot-tall man let out a howl of pain, rage clouding his eyes. He raised his club and the white-haired teen tensed his body, ready to run. The steel whistled through the air as it came down to meet the demigod, but only hit dirt. Letting out a confused cry, he bent down in search of finding him; that was a mistake.
A sharp pain erupted from the giant's neck, his hand coming around and smacking the area only to have the axe cut farther into his skin. With a grunt, he dropped to his knees and fell flat on his face. Mal jumped down from a tree and, with some effort, got his axe out of its neck.
He did not have time to rest when an bloodied axe came flying towards him. Pushing himself to the side, the blade only cut his cheek and got itself wedged into the chest of a harpy that was coming up behind him.
A frustrated huff of air brought his attention back to where the axe came from in the first place; a minotaur. Mal's pale eyes widened in fear as the bull-man dragged his hoof in the dirt, preparing to charge. Adjusting his grip on his own axe, the demigod swallowed thickly, watching him warily.
"Hey, Mal. Looks like you need some help." Mal only had a second to glance over to see the red curly hair of Josephine, he only nodded his reply.
The minotaur took off towards them, easily covering the distance. The two demigods stood their ground until they could feel the bull-man's breath on their faces. Falling away from him, the minotaur smacked right into a tree trunk. With no hesitation, Mal is up in a flash, axe wedged in between its shoulders. Ripping it out, he brought it down for another attack, but the minotaur kicked back, hooves coming in contact with Mal's chest. The air was squeezed out of his lungs and he was sent slamming into the crumbling stairs of a cabin with a sickening crack.
An enraged cry was let out by Josephine as she stabbed her sword into the bull-man's back, shadows swirling around the blade and traveling up to surround its head. She removed it with a tug and the black mist entered in every crevice it could find, her golden eyes glowing. After a few moments, he dissolved into dust, blowing away in the breeze. Josephine abruptly turned and rushed to Mal's side. Her sword materialized into thin air and she grabbed the sides of his face.
"Stay with me now," Her voice was urgent as she lightly slapped the sides of his pale face. "Mal! Come on!"
His blue eyes fluttered open, drowning in pain. He raised his hand and gripped her wrist tightly.
"I thought you were a goner." Josephine let out an airy laugh, but she could tell she had spoken to soon.
Mal managed a weak smile at her statement, eyelids slowly sliding closed. She frantically shook his shoulder, his cheek resting in her other hand. Her expression was desperate as she tried to keep him awake.
"Hey! Don't you dare close your eyes on me!" Josephine yelled at him as his head slumped forward, eyes fully closed now. "Mal!" She cried out, pulling him into an embrace.
She could hear the white-haired demigod's breath brush pass her ear as she held onto him. Somewhere in her mind, she felt that if she held him close enough, he would push through it and that's what she did. Tears were streaming down Josephine's face as she squeezed him tight.
"I can't lose my one and only friend."