Ch VI
Percy POV.
Great, a drakon, the second the Massive winged lizard broke through the trees and into view, it was pelted with a hail of arrows, not that it did much good. Mum had drawn the blades of Athena, why did Athena give those to her anyway? I drew riptide and charged, Rachel pulled out a small Bobby pin from her hair and it turned into her black stygian iron great sword called Vladnir. I sidestepped a blast of its acidic breath and slashed at its snout, barely harming it. The monster let loose another blast of acidic breath, this one I took full on, even with the Achilles curse it stung like hades! Mum charged next and flung her blades into the drakon's mouth where they anchored in. Mum rooted her feet to the ground and yanked the blades back hard, ripping the monster's snout in half as its black blood pooled from where it's lower jaw once was. I had to admit that chained swords were pretty handy. The hunters let loose a volley of arrows into the wound, making the beast roar in pain. The drakon swatted two hunters into a tree, one was knocked unconscious but the other, Thalia, my best friend and cousin wasn't lucky, she ended up with a branch through her head. I was beyond pissed off, I was furious. I ran at the drakon and rammed riptide into its left eye to hold on and I willed some water to freeze into the form of spiked knuckle dusters and began to relentlessly punch the beast as arrows continued to shower down upon it. With a final roar, the drakon collapsed and burst into dust. Besides me I noticed Rachel covered in cuts which were smoldering in the sunlight with a dust covered sword in the ground which was where the drakon's back once was. Rachel gave a weak smile then collapsed. I rushed over and shook her lightly.
"Rachel?! " I began to panic." Rachel! "
" L, left pocket." she weakly groaned I nodded and pulled a clear water bottle half full of what I'm pretty sure was blood. I unscrewed the lid and held it to her lips. After a few moments, she had emptied about a third of the remaining liquid and her wounds were closed but her skin still smoked on the sun.
"Is thalia, okay? " Rachel asked. By this time I was silently crying, I shook my head, there was no way thalia could of survived a branch through the head, I'm sure not even a god could. She then saw the state thalia was in but quickly looked away." I'm sorry."
"Ahhhhhh this fucken hurts! " everyone looked over to thalia, we'll the good news, she somehow survived that, the bad news news, she no longer has a left eye. Honestly I'm surprised she's even conscious by this stage. Two of the daughters of Apolo helped her down and began tending to her wounds. Luckily the branch missed her brain. I turned to see mum trying to hold down her breakfast while looking away from thalia and Artemis was clearly iris messaging her brother. With a golden flash Apolo was in the camp and rushed to Thalia's side and began to help, tissue healed and grew back, I had to turn away from this, I wasn't squimish but this wasn't pleasant to watch either.
"you alright percy? " Rachel asked me. I gave a shaken nod." yeah, don't lie to me, I really don't like seeing people suffer, just tell me the truth okay? "
" that is just gross." I managed, I heard someone emptying their stomachs and I'm sure it was mum. "I mean, I'm used to death and monsters but that was completely new."
Rachel gripped my shoulder softly and gave a sympathetic look." I know bur it's a part of our lives, we can't ignore stuff like this as though it never happened, it's what makes and defines us, if it doesn't then we become the monsters." that last part I could tell was full of her own guilt and mostly to herself.
"hey, you're better than any monster, who cares about your curse, you chose to better yourself instead of letting yourself become the monster." I don't know why but the smile she gave me made my heart flutter. This feeling was simular to what I felt for Annabeth but stronger, I was clueless about this sort of thing, if only Silene was still alive, she always gave good advice.
Rachel POV
Fuck my undead life. How is it percy can make me feel this way?! Most other boys I meet make me want to rip their throats out then feed on them, but then he says a few words and I'm putty in his hands, Ugh! This is bloody confusing! On one hand, he's a guy, I really fucken hate them, heck it's only because of my curse that I can't join the hunters and then when I first saw him I acted all nice, what is wrong with me, wait... FUCKEN HADES THIS IS APHODITE'S DOING!
"Hold on a second." I told percy calmly and I tossed some dust into the air before tossing a demachima through it which disappeared. "Mum, please get aphrodite here, now?" after a few moments said love goddess was standing by us with her arms crossed in annoyance, all the hunters glared at her.
"Why are you messing with my emotions?! " I demanded to her.
" I am not doing a thing." she admitted, her cheaks were still stained with tears from earlier. "I've done nothing, your feelings are natural and rather the opposite of what I want."
"oh, and why is that lady aphrodite?" Sally asked with an edge to her voice.
"because I cursed percy to make him mine! " she admitted. Okay, that is messed up.
" Aphrodite, leave, but now." artemis growled.
"what of it loveless freak!? " aphrodite taunted.
Artemis drew her bow and took aim." Leave percous alone, he is the one male I respect and I shall not have you turn him into a man whore! " she left the arrow fly but it never hit its target, aphrodite had flashed away.
Percy stood ramrod still then visibly shuddered." that was disturbing. I respect her but that is just wrong."
"So the entire reason she cursed you is so you two might knock boots? " Apolo asked." bro I'd tap that." that comment earned a kick to the groin from a now recovered thalia and a arrow to the side from Artemis.
"Lord Apolo, no." percy stated bluntly, I was impressed, most guys would of jumped at a chance to sleep with the goddess of love.
"percy, why would you do that? Not sleeping with her? "I asked him.
" my fatal flaw is loyalty, I'd never sleep with her." he replied. My non beating heart hurt, I felt like I was in tarterus again.
"you have a girlfriend? " I squeaked. I felt like shit.
"Not anymore." he muttered before storming off. I turned to ask what that was about and they ignored me asides Sally who was passed out from exhaustion and artemis who walked over to me.
"Rachel, you must know, percous had his heart broken by the daughter of Athena, I can see you like him however, his heart will take time to mend." She told me.
"Why are you telling my this? "I asked, I was curious and the hope that maybe percy may like me made me feel, odd, I've never felt like this, ever.
" I too once had one who I loved, but orion turned out to be a rapist, percy is different, if anything, he is the one male in all my life I would deem perfect." artemis explained, I was curious, why would she tell me about orion? "Rachel, do not break his heart even further but I cannot believe I'm about to sound like aphrodite, but follow your heart." she gave a slight shudder. I nodded and rushed off to find percy.
