Percy Jackson and Andromeda's Lament
A.N.
This is my first fanfic. I appreciate reviews, constructive criticism and flames, but please be gentle. English is not my first language so please bear with any mistakes in using the English language and any geographical mistakes.
More A.N. at the end.
I don't own Percy Jackson.
Now, on with the story.
Chapter 1: The Trouble with Dreams
14 years later…
"And that is how the six siblings, led by Zeus, defeated their father Kronos and spent the rest of eternity ruling over the world"
Those were the first words that Percy heard as he started to gain consciousness from his unplanned slumber. His arms were on his desk, his head planted firmly between them, napping shamelessly in the middle of class.
"Good nap, Mr Jackson?" The Latin teacher, Mr Brunner questioned, eyes twinkling in amusement. Percy, just coming back from a great nap on his desk, smiled sleepily and answered.
"It was nice."
Percy gave the teacher a cheeky grin and Brunner, utterly amused by the boy's audacity, started chuckling softly to himself. Percy, thanking his luck at having such a cool teacher, chuckled along. That is, until, the Latin teacher stopped and started to ask him questions, an amused glint never leaving his eyes.
"Then, Mr Jackson" The wheel-chair bound teacher began, his enthusiastic voice and small smirk giving Percy a feeling of dread. "Tell me, why is it important that we learn about the Greek myths?"
Percy thought about it, then not coming up with a good answer, started looking around the classroom. He caught the eyes of Grover, his best friend, and gave the boy a glance that screamed 'help'.
Grover shrugged in response making Percy sigh "I-um… because it's important… to learn about the past... and the Myths… are tied to history?" He finished uncertainly.
Mr Brunner nodded, seemingly agreeing with Percy's answer and the boy sighed in relief. He saw Grover discreetly give him a thumbs up. He gave the boy a smile in thanks. At least he got it right.
"And why is it important to learn about the past?"
The smile dropped off his face. Percy gave it another thought before giving up and replying. "I don't know sir."
It was Brunner's turn to sigh. "Alright then. At least you understand that the past IS important, but I expect more, Mr Jackson."
The bell rang, signalling the end of class.
The teacher hurriedly turned to the whole class. "Your assignment, an essay on the importance of studying the Greek and Roman Myths."
With that, the Latin class was over.
Grover was putting his things away when Percy arrived at his seat. "Hey, G-man. Why didn't you wake me up?" Percy said in fake indignation. "I could've avoided all those questions."
Grover was a curly-headed boy who needed crutches and, for some reason, always wore a beanie on his head, even in their shared dorm room. He was in the same grade as him, but Percy was sure he was held back a few grades. No 6th grader had acne and the start of a beard on his chin.
"I tried to." Grover defended himself. "You just wouldn't wake up. Then Brunner arrived and started class, so I just let you sleep. Besides, you seemed like you needed it. Still can't sleep?"
Percy shook his head in the negative. It had been happening for a while now, but ever since the Christmas break he had trouble sleeping. He could get to sleep easily enough. The problem was staying asleep. There was one dream that he had every night without fail. And every night he woke up because of that dream getting at most only 3 hours of rest. He always forgot the dream after he wakes but he could still remember feeling the sadness and the loss caused by the dream.
Remembering his sleepless nights thanks to Grover's inquiries, he suddenly felt tired and weary. He slumped on Grover's desk, thankfully now void of Grover's stuff. Giving into his heavy eyelids, he closed his eyes and sighed in relief.
Grover looked over at Percy worriedly. Grover knew what his friend was, and having dreams that affected him so much meant that soon Percy would know what he was too. Time was running out.
"Go back to the room Percy. You look like hell." Grover tried to convince the tired boy. "We have that field trip tomorrow and that should be tiring enough as it is without you looking like you're about to collapse with exhaustion."
Percy nodded tiredly and made to get up when Nancy Bobofit, the redheaded, orange-freckled, kleptomaniac bully started teasing them.
"Percy! You look like hell!" She said in a voice so worried and sweet that it was obvious it was fake. "Was Grover too rough last night? Can you walk? You had fun at least, didn't you?" She was mocking him and dragging Grover in as well.
Angry at what was being implied about him and Grover, Percy started to get up off of the desk, growling. He took three steps towards the offending girl before he stumbled and had to hold onto Grover lest he fall to the ground.
Nancy seeing Grover holding Percy started another round of teasing causing Percy to turn red in embarrassment and anger.
He made to move towards Nancy again when Grover pulled him away from the girl and urged him to let it go. "She's not worth it, Percy. Just go to bed, I'll catch up with you later."
Percy wasn't about to just let it go, but he agreed with Grover. After all, he couldn't do anything about it right now, not with his head spinning and his body so heavy. So with a nod, Percy moved away from Grover and left the classroom amidst the laughter and jeering of their classmates, vowing to make Nancy pay.
Percy trudged through the campus, heading towards the dorm room he shared with Grover. It was still early, being late afternoon, but he was going to bed already. He was so tired. He felt like he was being weighed down, and every step he took rattled his bones. His vision was spinning and his head was pounding, slowing him down even more.
At times, when the dizziness was especially bad, Percy though he could see flashes of lightning, or hear thunder rumbling. Sometimes, he could even hear someone panting for breath like they had been running for hours or the sound of a giant bellowing. It was just him, of course, because when he looked out the window, the skies were clear and the sun was shining and no one was running. Obviously, there weren't any giants.
What should have been a 5 minute walk took Percy almost half an hour. He had to stop a few times to regain his breath, or to lean on the nearby walls for support while waiting for the dizziness to recede.
He just wanted to go to bed and rest.
Finally, in what he felt was like forever, he arrived at the door of the dorm. His vision was now getting worse, and he saw double. He groped for the doorknob, and once gripping it, opened the door. He headed for his side of the room.
He didn't even bother changing his clothes and fell on the bed, shoes and all. He was asleep in seconds. Before he lost consciousness, he swore he saw violet eyes looking intently at him.
Grover was worried. Percy had been weird since the dreams started. He, of course, knew why Percy was having dreams. He was a satyr after all, and Percy, a demigod. At first, he chalked up the dreams to the regular demigod dreams that he knew the half-bloods had.
It had been months though, and the dreams still persisted. Percy still couldn't sleep properly.
Furthermore, what really worried Grover were the emotions he was picking up from Percy after the dreams. Satyrs could sense the emotions of demigods and mortals, and Percy was feeling immense pain and loss after each dream.
When Grover asked Percy about the dreams, the demigod merely shrugged him off saying that it was nothing. Obviously it wasn't, but Grover couldn't push Percy without telling him about himself, and about the boy's heritage. So Grover did the best he could to be the friend that he knew Percy needed, even if the boy didn't even know that he needed one. He tried to be supportive without prying.
Today though was different. Percy was fine earlier today, even managing to showcase his cheekiness during class. After class though, Percy was looked like the undead. His usually tan skin was pale and clammy, his normally shiny black hair looked dull and his vibrant sea-green eyes were blank. When he was walking back to the room, Grover was ready to catch the weakened boy, expecting him to fall at any moment. Usually, Percy was one of the most energetic guys Grover had seen, even for a demigod.
He knew that something was wrong. Demigod dreams didn't affect demigods this much, especially one that feels as powerful as Percy.
So this is why Grover found himself knocking on the door of the Latin teacher's office. He heard shuffling from inside the room and waited patiently for Mr Brunner to let him in.
The door opened, revealing the wheel-bound form of the Latin teacher, an inviting smile present on his face.
"Ah, Grover, my boy. What is it? Is there a problem?"
"We need to talk about Percy."
Brunner frowned. The reason he went to this school was Percy. "Let's talk inside." Brunner rolled his wheelchair into the room, facing the sitting area. This was a talk between friends, as such, using the desk would have been in poor taste.
He gestured Grover to the armchair, who promptly sat down while thanking him.
Brunner raised an eyebrow at this. Grover was usually a nervous person. This Grover had a sense of purpose that raised alarms in Brunner's mind.
"Coffee, Grover? Or maybe Tea?" Brunner offered, then added "Or maybe some tin cans? I've been piling up quite a bit since your last visit."
Grover declined the offer, raising even more alarms. Grover never refused tin cans. Mr Brunner tensed, sensing that Grover was seriously worried about Percy. Over what, Brunner was about to find out.
He started to get up off his chair, standing for the first time in a long time. He stretched out his front legs, his large body sliding off the trans-dimensional chair, and with a soft pop, his full horse body came out. He stood to his full height, towering over the sitting satyr, and waited for the boy to start.
The satyr was trying to find the words to explain the situation to his mentor. Of course, not knowing the contents of the dream, Percy claiming that even he doesn't remember them, he would have to start with his own worries.
"Percy has been having dreams, sir." Grover started "It's been going on for months, and it's really taking a toll on him. You should've seen him, sir, after you left. He was walking funny, clutching his arm like it hurt and stumbling all over the place."
He then proceeded to enumerate the physical effects. The clammy skin, the bags under the eyes, the dull hair and the blank eyes. After a bit of thought, Grover added.
"Actually, it was like he was poisoned, but that's impossible! He doesn't even know what he is."
Chiron stroked his beard, thinking about the symptoms that Grover claimed Percy was showing. He wouldn't go as far as saying that the boy was poisoned, though some poisons do cause the same symptoms, diluted Manticore venom coming to mind, but the state of his health, if Grover is to be believed which he absolutely did, means that something is affecting him.
"It seems like this all started because of the dreams" The centaur commented. He let Grover think about his words while he mused on his own thoughts.
Demigod dreams, unlike mortal dreams, have meaning. They could be messages, warnings of danger, or for the exceptional demigod, glimpses to the past and to the future. What this might mean for Percy could be anybody's guess.
The ancient trainer felt that Percy would be a strong demigod. Even untrained, he was showing promise. However, something had always felt different about the boy. It was like his scent was muddled, smelling strongly of one scent that he was almost positive on the identity of the boy's father, but sometimes, another scent wafts through making him rethink everything he knew about the boy.
Whatever is happening right now, they needed to be ready. The plan to wait until the summer seems like it needed some adjustment. His gaze shifted to the ballpoint pen sitting in a cup on his desk. Grover, noticing the change, followed the man's gaze and widened his eyes.
"I think, my boy, that it is time."
While the satyr and the centaur were conversing, Percy was dreaming. Recently, he had been having the same dream over and over, and this was no exception.
He was always aware that he was dreaming. In the dreams, he didn't have a body. He was just there, seeing, smelling and hearing. This was the part that he always remembers. The darkness, just before the dream starts. It was because of the darkness that Percy knew that he kept having the same dream. Everything after the darkness Percy forgot when he woke up.
Slowly, the dream started up and a scene formed.
Somehow, he knew the dream always started happy. It was of a family, a woman, a man, and a little girl, walking down the street holding hands the sun setting behind them and the moon starting to rise.
The girl was around 4 years old, wearing a beautiful deep red dress and black flats. She was pretty, her pale skin and dark hair complementing each other nicely. Her hair was long but with some parts of it braided with ribbons, so he wasn't sure of the length. Her face had an aristocratic air to it with her symmetrical features and high cheekbones. She had the most beautiful eyes Percy had seen. It had a deep violet colour, reminiscent of amethyst gemstones.
The man was clearly the girl's father. He had the same dark hair and pale skin that the girl had as well as he aristocratic features. His eyes were dark and looked like they held a great deal of pain and sadness, but at that moment, they were filled with joy. He was watching the girl with interest, and it was clear that he loved her very much.
To Percy, the biggest surprise was the woman. He knew who it was. She had dark brown hair and light blue eyes. Her smile could make anyone's day and Percy could tell that from experience. The woman was non-other than his mother, who at present time was already in her mid-40s but in the dream looked like she was 20.
This made Percy wonder who the man and the girl was. He and his mother lived with a bastard of a man named Gabe Ugliano, who Percy took to calling Smelly Gabe. He never even knew about a girl, who, from what Percy could see, was his mom's daughter. And what of the man? Was that his father?
Today the girl was beaming and it was clear that she got her smile from his mom, solidifying his idea that the girl was actually his sister. The girl was swinging her arms as she walked, making the two adults swing theirs as well as the girl was holding their hands. The man was carrying what looked like shopping bags, while his mother was holding a black stuffed wolf to her chest.
They were heading towards what looked like a large apartment building. Considering that they were in SoHo, the apartments were quite large meaning that the apartment the trio Percy was following was expensive.
'So mom used to be rich.' Percy thought after seeing the trio enter one of the buildings.
They headed to the elevator and Percy watched as they proceeded to the top floor. The top floor was all just one big loft, easily fitting at least thirty people.
'They're totally loaded.'
The loft was beautiful, furnished to the nines, and if Percy was to guess, ridiculously expensive. It had a rosewood floor and walls, with the wall having a darker tint than that of the floor. Of course, it was polished until it was shining. The windows were large, letting copious amounts of sunlight through, framed by dark red curtains. The view of the Manhattan skyline was visible through the windows.
The living room had a fireplace, some plants perched on its mantle. There was a leather couch with matching armchairs, under which a beautifully designed rug was, opposite an entertainment centre that rested against the wall. A coffee table made out of granite was easily in arms reach of the couch. A grand piano was standing near a window, and a book case filled with books on all kinds of topics was against another wall. Paintings depicting different landscapes were dotted throughout the living room.
The kitchen was a chef's dream. The counters were black marble which allowed for plenty of space when cooking. The kitchen appliances were cutting edge which would make even the sternest of chefs, smile in delight. A kitchen island for eating was also present.
The dining room was grand, the tablecloth a simple white. The table was wooden and had an elegant carved finishing. The red velvet chairs looked very comfortable. A grand chandelier was above the table, illuminating the delicious dishes that were frequently served on the table.
There was a staircase, leading to what Percy assumed were the bedrooms.
The girl and the man was currently lounging in the living room. She was holding the stuffed wolf, happily talking to the man in her childlike voice while he was getting a fire started. His mom was in the kitchen, taking out what looked to be a birthday cake. On it four candles and the words "Happy Birthday Mia!" written in frosting was clearly visible even to his dyslexic eyes.
The girl, Mia, saw the cake as it was being carried to the coffee table by his mom. She squealed and nearly tackled the man, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs, then running to his mom and carefully wrapping her arms around her, lest the cake be dropped.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The girl shouted between squeals, releasing her grip to allow the cake to be put down on the table "I love you guys so much… Mom… Dad!"
The couple smiled, the man wrapping his arms lovingly around his mom.
"Make a wish sweetie."
The girl smiled, then closed her eyes and blew out the candles.
The surroundings went black, as if the only light that illuminated the dream was the candles. Gradually the surroundings started to lighten but the dream showed a different scene.
They were still in the loft and it was still as beautiful as ever. Peeking outside the window, Percy could see the moon shining brightly. He could spot from wherever he was a girl's leotard hanging on the couch's back, gymnastics hoops and ribbons scattered on the floor. There was a gym bag sitting on the couch, the stuffed wolf from before peeking out of the bag, and cookies on the table.
Mia, now looking a bit older was seated on the piano with her mom. She was being taught how to play and was just learning the first notes of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The man was nowhere to be seen.
The light was coming from the candelabra perched on the piano. It lent an ethereal glow to the Mia and his mom's face. Percy looked intently at them.
Mia still had a smile on her face, but looking closely he could see that there were sad undertones to her smile. His mom, while clearly enjoying spending time with her daughter also had a sad look in her eyes.
After making another mistake on the piano, Mia slumped her shoulders and asked softly.
"When's dad coming home?"
Mom froze, turning her head slowly and looking at Mia. The sad look in her eyes intensified for a moment before it was they softened and gave Mia a sad smile. "Soon, honey. For now, let's just continue playing, okay?"
The girl nodded, a frown appearing on her face before she grinned at her mom, revealing her missing teeth. The smile on her face was infectious and soon his mom was also smiling, this time a bit more genuinely.
A strong gust of wind blew through the open window and the candelabra went out. The room was bathed in darkness and the dream changed once more.
When Percy could see again, he was in a clearing in the forest. He could barely see it was so dark, the light of the full moon being the sole source of light that Percy could see. The shadows seemed to dance with the wind.
Percy could hear grass crunching, footsteps rapidly approaching and the sound of someone gasping for breath. His attention caught by a rustling bush, he turned towards the sound just in time to see a figure burst out from the foliage.
The girl deemed the clearing to be safe and proceeded to slide down a nearby tree till she was seated on the ground. Her body betrayed how tired she felt, but when Percy looked into her stunning violet eyes, he could still see fire raging. She wasn't defeated. Not yet.
It was Mia. She was older now, around his age. Her hair fell around her lower back and her eyes looked like they were glowing. Her face, arms and legs were covered in cuts, scrapes and bruises. Her jacket was in tatters, her jeans ripped in some places. Sheathed on her back hip was a dagger made out of a black metal, its pommel decorated with an amethyst that matched Mia's eyes.
Even on the run, she was beautiful.
Gone was the girl who had a smile that was as bright as the sun. Her expression was now carefully crafted into a mask of indifference, her eyes the only clues as to what she was feeling. Percy could see in them her determination, to do what he did not know, but also sadness, pain, regret, and anger.
He watched the girl rest and saw how the girl kept aware of her surroundings even though he could tell she was exhausted. Hours passed, Mia falling asleep after a few minutes of silence, and still he watched her. She was nice to look at, he admitted to himself, but if anyone were to ask, it was because there was nothing else he could do.
The moon was still high in the sky when the sound of multiple pairs of footsteps broke the silence in the clearing. He followed his ears, looking for the source of the sound. He drifted towards the general direction of the disturbance.
He left the clearing, heading a few meters into the forest, when he caught his first glimpse at the monsters. There were three of them, all women and they were beautiful. That is, until you see them properly and some sort of mist clears from your vision. They had flaming red hair, chalk white skin, red eyes and fangs. They would have looked like vampires if not for their legs. One was bronze, the other, donkey.
Percy willed himself away from the disturbing sight and found himself, once again, in the clearing where Mia slept, unaware of the monsters nearby. Panicking, even though he was not physically present and, as far as he knew, was in no danger whatsoever, he started shouting at Mia to wake up. Even knowing it was a dream, he tried his best to alert the still sleeping girl to the danger when, to his surprise and to his relief, the girl seemed to have heard him and wake up.
Mia shook her head, clearing the sleep induced haze, and immediately took stock of her surroundings. It looked like she was searching for what woke her up, but it was impossible. She couldn't have really felt him, could she?
Both of them heard a twig snap and immediately turned to the sound. From the cover of darkness, they glimpsed a head of flaming hair, and in a snap, Mia was off, Percy following. She was sprinting, low to the ground, quickly but carefully moving away from the monsters, hoping that she wouldn't be spotted. Amazingly enough, even though she was running full-tilt, Percy barely heard her footfalls.
Percy heard a screech, then some snarls, and then the chase was on. He thought that Mia had put a good distance between her and the monsters, but when he looked back, he was shocked to see that the flame-haired hybrids were right on their tails. Trying once more to alert the girl fleeing for her life, he waved his arms in the air and shouted.
"Mia! They're right behind you!"
Percy was pleasantly surprised that Mia seemed to once again hear him. In a great show of balance and grace that impressed Percy, Mia turned mid step, drawing the blade on her hip, and swung her dagger in a wide arc, all in one move. One of the monsters was unfortunate enough to be hit by the swing, her throat now spurting out blood and her essence being absorbed by the blade. Soon, there were no traces of there ever being a third monster.
The two remaining hybrids snarled in fury, red eyes glowing. "Give it up, demigod. You can't face both of us at once."
Mia let a smirk emerge from her mask of indifference. "Once there were three. They chased little old me. To one of you I said, goodbye, adieu. Now what about you two." She taunted in a sing song voice. "Should I run, go flee? Or should I kill all three?" She drew another dagger, this time bronze, from a sheath on her ankle, and smiled scarily at the two monsters. "What do you think?" She asked tilting her head cutely to the side, acting as if she didn't just say that she was gonna kill someone.
The monsters responded with more snarls and shrieks, though now they were visibly more careful. They were no longer rushing forward, looking to pounce, but were analysing her, looking for openings.
The dual wielding girl didn't wait for them to attack. She charged forward, surprising the two monsters. They had seen no signs of the girl preparing to pounce. One moment, the girl was calmly twirling the daggers. The next, she was slashing at one of them with both blades in a scissor like move.
Surprised by the move but having the reflexes of monsters, the first hybrid leaned back, the daggers just missing her neck. The second monster tries to grab Mia, looking to bite down on the girl's neck, but Mia showing once again great grace sidestepped the vixen's outstretched arms. Mia lashed out with her black blade, managing to land a scratch on the hybrid's arm.
Immediately, the monster started screaming, holding its arm. Percy could see something coming out of the wound and being absorbed by the black dagger Mia was wielding. Eventually, the wounded monster stopped screeching in pain and once again got ready to attack.
While her sister was nursing her wound, the other monster kept Mia busy. Slashing with claws and kicking with her donkey foot, the monster kept attacking, hoping to buy her ally time to re-join the fight.
Mia, taking advantage of her enemy's desperate attacks, kept on the defensive, dodging and parrying blows while looking for an opportunity to counterattack. The more the monster became desperate, the more mistakes it would make.
Dodging an attempt to grab her with a pirouette, Mia saw her chance. The monster overextended and was now stumbling. Before it could regain its balance, Mia slashed, first with her right, second with her left, and to Percy's horror, a third time, using both blades in a strike that decapitated the monster.
The monster burst into golden dust. The dust started to scatter to the wind when Mia raised her black blade and the dust rushed into the dagger. Again, like the first casualty, no traces of there being a second monster was left.
"The monster is dead, no match for my deft." Mia began in a sing-song voice. "Do you yet feel dread? You're the only one left."
The remaining monster snarled in response before visibly calming down. Knowing what would happen to it should it attack now, it tried changing tactics. The monster snapped her fingers and in a flash, the mist that Percy saw through the first time he saw the creatures came back, and he saw once again the form of a beautiful woman.
The monster-turned-beauty smiled sweetly and said with a purr "Is this really necessary, my dear?" She looked at the Mia, blades still drawn in a combat stance. "Let's put a stop to all the violence, shall we?"
Mia's response was to twirl her blades once, then to close in and slash at the monster once, before jumping back to a reasonable distance.
"Your magic doesn't work on me, Empousa."
If possible, the Empousa's smile grew even larger. "Oh… honey… I wasn't talking to you…" The woman, to his shock, looked right at him, or at least where he thought his body would be.
Mia's eyes darted around, looking for someone the Empousa could be talking to. She didn't turn her head, using only the corner of her eye to scan surroundings, expecting the monster to attack if she looked away.
"There's no one here."
"Of course there is. He's right there." The monster pointed in his direction. Mia allowed her gaze to look at where the monster was referring to. Her eyes widened in surprise, looking as if she saw a ghost.
'This doesn't make sense.' Percy thought 'I'm just dreaming. How could the Empousa even know I was here?' He looked down. His jaw dropped, which was a surprise in itself because as far as he knew, just before the Empousa acknowledged him, he didn't have a body let alone a mouth.
Now, he had a body, though it looked transparent, like wasn't altogether there. He was still visible though, and right now, both Mia and the Empousa were looking right at him.
"Who are you?" Mia shouted at me. Maybe she thought I was with the Empousa? She changed her stance, until she looked like she was ready to attack me if I so much as moved suddenly. "What are you doing here?"
"M-me?" Percy asked, dumbly pointing to himself. She glared, her violet eyes trained at the boy, giving him a look that said 'are you stupid?' "I-I'm P-Percy Jackson… and this is my dream." He finished dumbly.
The Empousa disguised as a beauty laughed, the sound comparable to tinkling bells. Mia, on the other hand, looked as though he just confirmed her suspicions that yes, he was stupid.
"He's been helping you, you know. He woke you up when we got close, and he told you that we were behind you." The monster said, glad that its plan worked and that the attention was no longer on her. Mia was now looking at Percy intently, while Percy, did what a boy his age, would have done when being scrutinized by a pretty girl, forgetting the fact that they had the same mom. He fidgeted and blushed, avoiding eye contact.
Mia slowly started moving closer to the boy, trying to not appear threatening. Percy let her. Even with her blades drawn, her body tense and ready to pounce at the monster, who Percy forgot was even there, she looked beautiful to him. Her eyes were alive, her face flushed from the exhaustion, and Percy started smelling a sweet lilac scent when she got close.
Her eyes looked him up and down, scrutinizing him closely. Eventually she said to him "You look like my… my mom."
Percy noticed her pause and wondered what happened. He knew his mom. If Mia was her daughter, why would she be here in the forest, alone, wearing tatters and carrying blades?
Mia looked at him expectantly.
"What?"
"You look like my mom." When I didn't answer, she prompted "Why do you look like her?"
Percy struggled to form an answer. How do you tell a girl, a really pretty girl, that you had the same mom, when you're the same age but you didn't grow up together but have memories of your mom raising you?
"Um… mom… is… um…" Percy stuttered out. He really didn't know how to answer.
Suddenly, the dream started to darken. He looked down at his body. It was fading. He looked around and tried to find out why the dream was changing. Then he saw what was missing. The Empousa was gone, it had escaped. The monster who had flames for hair.
Mia looked at me in alarm. The boy, Percy, she thought, was fading. "What's happening?"
"The Empousa" I gestured to the empty space the monster used to occupy "is gone." He gave Mia one last look, seeing the anger in her beautiful violet eyes.
Mia thought that the Empousa tricked her with an illusion and was angry at herself.
Percy thought she was angry with him.
With that, Percy couldn't see anymore. The forest was swallowed by darkness, and by then he knew that he lost his body again.
When Percy regained his vision, he was on the crest of a hill. In the distance, he could see a collection of buildings. He saw a multi-story building, a porch wrapping around it, painted red. He saw volleyball courts close to the house, then he saw the campfire burning hot and bright in the distance. He could hear singing and laughter in the direction of the fire.
Behind him, he heard panting and just as he expected, a girl with long dark hair and dazzling violet eyes entered his vision. She was out of breath, flushed, her skin had more cuts, scrapes and bruises and her clothes were in a worse condition than before. God, she looked beautiful.
His gaze shifted, following movement behind Mia and gulped. There was an army of monsters. There were huge, muscled, one-eyed giants with clubs, a group of snake-women wielding swords, spears and shields in formation, a flock of bronze birds with beaks and feathers that gleamed in the moonlight, looking like they slice through flesh. Worst of all, a bit ahead of the army, was a lion with a man's head and a scorpion's tail. It was a monster right out of Percy's nightmares.
At that moment, he remembered one of Mr Brunner's lectures.
"A Manticore is a greek monster. Like the Chimera and the Sphinx, the Manticore is a hybrid of creatures. The head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion. This is what makes a Manticore. Beware this monster, for it possesses immense cunning because of its human aspect, a strong and agile body because of the lion aspect, and the ability to shoot poisoned spines from its scorpion tail."
He broke out into giggles. To think he would find the answer to Mr Brunner's question from earlier today. "Studying the Greek and Roman Myths is important because we could come face to face with a Manticore." His chuckles became full blown laughter.
Mia reached the crest of the hill and was now standing in front of Percy, gazing at the buildings through his non-existent body just as he had when he arrived.
He saw the way she smiled softly and his face heat up and his heart skipped a beat. Unlike the smiles he saw when she was a child which warmed his heart at its innocence, or the smirks and grins she wore when she fought the Empousa, Percy liked this smile the best.
Over Mia's shoulder, Percy saw the army approaching and face fell. "Behind you! Mia! Behind you!" He screamed right at her face, hoping beyond hope that she could hear him, just as she had before.
He watched, horrified, as the army got unbelievably close to the girl. He was praying to every god he knew, wishing with all his might, that Mia would see the army and escape before they got to her. In a way, his prayers were answered.
Percy watched with bated breath as a one-eyed giant suddenly gained speed, moving ahead of the rest of the monsters leaving behind his fellow giants and even the quicker looking snake-women. It was closing in fast. "NO!" Percy screamed just as the monster roared a battle cry, still a few meters away from Mia.
Mia, having heard the roar, turned, saw the monster army, especially the Cyclops preparing to strike, and ducked. She dodged the blow and turned to once again run in the direction of the buildings.
The sky flashed and right where Percy stood, lightning struck. Percy, having no body and just a consciousness, watched as the bolt of electricity went right through where the top of his head should have been and strike the ground where his feet should be.
Fire erupted from the ground, consuming the grass, drawing a line between the monsters and the camp. The flames also closed off Mia's escape route. She was stuck. She could either die by monster or die by fire. Talk about out of the frying pan.
Percy watched, transfixed, as Mia glared at the sky, cursed at Zeus, at which point Percy was no longer surprised, and faced the monsters with her two blades. He watched the girl move about the army, dodging, parrying, slashing, kicking, grappling, and doing what she could.
She was like a goddess of death. Each move was precise. Every strike with her blades either wounded an enemy or outright destroyed. Every dodge was graceful. Every parry well executed.
Percy gapped when he saw Mia stretch her body backwards until her hands and feet were firmly planted on the ground. He was wondering what she was doing while appreciating the view of her shirt riding up to expose her flat stomach when in a move that amazed him she kicked a bronze bird away with an overhead kick while dodging a spine from the Manticore.
Eventually though, skilled as she was, Mia was overcome by the sheer number of monsters. After being hit by a poisoned spine, she started to lose ground. Percy watched, transfixed, as he watched the Manticore pounce on Mia, pinning her to the ground.
The Manticore's roar broke him out of his stupor and he started shouting, screaming, and begging for something to happen. Anything that could save Mia.
A bright light shone from underneath Mia. It was shining so brightly that the Manticore released the girl and fled. Hearing a gasp, Percy's eyes shot to Mia's, her violet orbs glowing with power. The bright light turned to darkness, shadows that swallowed everything. The monsters were consumed by the shadows. Even the flames were no match for the darkness that swallows everything.
When the shadows receded, Percy could see piles of golden dust, slowly scattered by the wind.
Silence.
Percy could see Mia breathing softly. He moved closer, his face right in front of hers, watching, wondering what would happen next.
The corners of his vision were once again darkening. The flames caused by the lightning was gone. He looked to the campfire in the distance. He could just make out the flickering embers that were left.
He was out of time.
A trio of old grandmothers broke the silence.
"Not yet girl. Your Fate is not to die today."
He looked at the new arrivals. They were old ladies, for sure, with their wrinkled skin and sunken eyes. They were wearing white robes, and carrying knitting gear which Percy found to be weird, but who was he to say anything? They were just dreams, and he was the one dreaming, wasn't he.
Then he noticed Mia sinking to the ground. He was panicking and he didn't know what to do. He didn't have arms, heck, he didn't have a body. His vision was now almost fully dark. He didn't know how to help.
Then another voice interrupted his panic.
"Um… what are you doing?"
He caught a glimpse of a suit, with a design of, if he was not mistaken, galaxies.
Then everything went dark.
A.N.
Hey guys! This is Andro, your humble author. This is my first fanfic, so please be gentle with your reviews if you are kind enough to leave one.
Regarding the part with Nancy implying things about Percy and Grover, please know that I am in no way against same-sex relationships. I just thought that Percy wouldn't appreciate being mocked that way.
So I tried making detailed descriptions with the apartments, which I found really hard and I don't think that they were very good. Do you guys think that I should continue with detailed descriptions like those or stop?
Thanks again guys. See you next chapter!
