Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character of this fiction other than Layla. This fiction does not have any intention of so ever of plagiarizing any previous work of Rick Riordan.
AN: Hey guys and girls! I hope you are having a good week! Again, my beta reader didnt answer my email so I just thought about updating without her! I misss herrr soooo muuuch! =((( Have fun with the chap!
SEI-2405
VIII – Down the drain!
"Hold on, that sword or… or… bracelet … whatever the heck that is. Is THAT sword?" Thalia asked once again mesmerized.
"Yes." Annabeth replied not even looking at Thalia. "What do you know about it?"
"I've heard about it from Artemis… The most powerful weapon of ALL 'Excalibur'."
"You two! Be quiet! I need to concentrate here!" Percy closed his eyes once again to focus on getting the water stream to listen to him.
While Percy was focused on his task Layla was ready to engage in the fight. The brunet observed around her and notice the stalactites that were hanging around the ceiling of the cave; if she was right Kevin's double ball mace was too big and long to be used in that situation. The daughter of Zeus waited until Kevin made his move; the bat like monsters swag his mace at full speed. Layla Was right the attack got obstructed by the stalactites; dust and rocks flying around were the only effects of the attack.
"Where are you you bastard!" Kevin yelled while gliding at the same spot due to the difficulties to see through the tick cloud of dust.
"ARRRRG!" The winged monster yelled. One of his wings had been chopped by Layla's sharp attack.
"Wow! She is good!" Thalia yelled with enthusiasm.
"Too good to be true…" Annabeth couldn't help but give a shy smile. "Percy, how is it going?" The daughter of Athena turned to Percy.
"All set! We have third seconds to get moving!"
"Layla!" Annabeth yelled the brunet that had Excalibur pointed at Kevin's throat.
"You are lucky. Next time will be your head, enjoy while you can." She said and turned her back to the monster.
The daughter of Zeus started her way back to her friends when she suddenly stopped. A sharp pain made her almost lose her balance. She glanced down towards her lower ribs; a bow arrow had perforated her from behind. Once again she turned in the direction where Kevin was. From up the entrance where they had come from, a silhouette of a slimmer person was fading, his dark clothes covering him from head to toe, making it impossible to figure out his identity.
"Ha-ha-ha… I don't think it will be a next time demigod!" Kevin stared Layla in the eyes. "Hahahaha, the venom in that arrow will give you a painful and long death. That friend of yours was lucky to die the way he did if compared to the way you are going to die hahaha…"
Anger overwhelmed Layla; she griped Excalibur tighter and with one move slashed Kevin's head. The monster just turned into dust and disappeared in the air.
"That was for Douma, ugly face…" She said while materializing Excalibur into bracelet form again.
An earthquake suddenly began. A loud and unrecognizable noise was also heard. Annabeth, Percy, Thalia and Layla stood still for a second.
"That doesn't sound good. We better get out of here…" Thalia suggested.
Layla managed to make her way back to her friends in the middle of the earthquake. She was fighting to stay conscious. Layla stumbled in her feet, but Thalia grabbed her just in time. The shorthaired girl noticed all the blood on Layla's, she raised her gaze and starred at the similar blue eyes not saying a word.
"If we don't go now we will miss our chance!" Percy yelled at his friends.
"Lets go! What are you two waiting for! The stalactites will crush us soon!" Annabeth addressed Layla and Thalia.
Thalia was about to say something when she heard Layla's wisper;
"Please don't say anything… at least for now."
Thalia bit her tong. She understood her; she wouldn't like to worry her friends as well. The hunter of Artemis nodded in agreement and helped Layla up. At Percy's signal the four of them jumped down the abysm. The last thing Layla saw before passing out was a strong stream of water rising up and catching them in the middle of the fall.
/
Percy had managed to get to the shore. He was exhausted he couldn't control the stream very well. He had also lost track of where were his friends. He stood up by the margin of the river looking for his friends; a little further down he found Annabeth laying on the ground.
"Annabeth! Annabeth!" – Percy called friends name until she woke up.
"Stop being so noisy Percy…" The daughter of Athena sat down. In front of her the river was flowing slowly while on her surrounding all she could se was a forest covered by white snow. "Where are we?"
"I don't know. But at least I was able to keep us dry because the weather looks horrible." Percy said also looking around.
A noise coming from the woods behind them startled them. They saw Thalia coming towards them. Both demigods exhaled in relief.
"We have a problem." Thalia said looking her friends in the eyes.
Percy and Annabeth knew that the daughter of Zeus was serious since there was no room for jokes in her tone. They followed the spike haired girl to a clearing in the middle of the trees. There was snow everywhere; Percy and Annabeth saw that Thalia had managed to clear an area in the middle of the small clearing and that she also had started a small fire. By a tree close to the fire they saw Layla sitting down.
"Thank to the Gods everyone is fine…" Percy said scratching the back of his head.
Annabeth turned her glance to Thalia; the hunter looked too serious and worried. The blond widened her eyes and ran towards the brunet that was sitting by the tree. Annabeth's heart skipped a beat; in front of her, Layla was sitting covered in blood from the chest down. Annabeth gently pushed the right side of the brunet's jacket away; there she saw a small arrow that had perforated the girl from behind. Annabeth looked at Layla's face, the girl was pale and breathing hard. The daughter of Athena dropped her backpack on the side and got a first aid kit.
"Layla, I have to take the arrow out…" Annabeth said looking at Layla.
"Don't touch the arrow…" The brunet managed to say with difficulty. "There is venom in it… I don't want anyone else to get hurt…"
Annabeth ignored what Layla said, but she knew she was talking about what had happened to Douma.
"Don't worry, I will be careful."
Percy and Thalia were standing right behind Annabeth no knowing what to do.
"How can we help Annabeth?" Asked Percy with worry in his voice.
"…" Annabeth paused for a second and searched for some thing on her backpack; she then put out a piece of cloth, and extra long sleeve shirt and an aluminum water bottle. "Percy, go to the river and fill the water bottle, after that boil the water for me please… Thalia, I am going to need your help…" Both nod in agreement.
Percy left almost immediately after Annabeth asked him to grab some water. The daughter of Athena had now asked Thalia to hold Layla away from the tree she was leaning on; she also had rolled the piece of cloth she had with her.
"Layla I need you to bite this cloth as hard as you can… The arrow didn't go all the way through, so the best way to take it out is to push it from the back and then pull it from the front, so nothing stays inside…" Annabeth was explaining while analyzing the place where the arrow was. "I don't think it got any of your organs, hopefully… But I gotta tell you its gonna hurt."
Layla used Thalia as support to be able to face Annabeth; she smiled at the silver-eyed girl;
"Lets finish this fast…" The brunet said taking the towel from Annabeth's hands and placing it in her mouth. She leaned forward and rested her forehead in Thalia's shoulder.
Annabeth moved right behind Layla and looked at the small piece of the arrow that was showing on the outside of Layla's leather jacket. She then took a deep breath and turned her eyes to Thalia. Thalia smiled and gave Annabeth thumbs up. After that the hunter held Layla firmly in case she collapsed.
"Alright… 1, 2 …" On three Annabeth pushed the arrow as hard as she could. Layla yelled loudly in pain.
Percy that was still boiling the water by the fire, couldn't help but clench his teeth and close his eyes by the scream of pain coming from where the girls were. When he finally thought it had ended a second scream followed. He grabbed the hot bottle where the boiling water was and went to meet with the others. When he got the he saw Thalia holding Layla, that was now unconscious because of the unbearable pain and Annabeth with hands covered in blood placing the arrow in a piece of cloth. The boy handed the bottle of water to the blond;
"Is she going to be ok? … Are you ok?" Percy placed his hand on Annabeth's shoulder.
"Percy, I need you to get in contact with Grover using your apathy bond. Tell him to bring some ambrosia with him and to get here as soon as possible."
Annabeth's voice was trembling. Percy didn't dare to ask her anything else.
Annabeth and Thalia slowly took Layla's jacket and under shirt off; while Thalia held Layla, Annabeth soaked the towel with hot water and started to clean the wound that the arrow left in Layla. After cleaning the best she could, the daughter of Athena stopped the bleeding by wrapping Layla's waist with some gauze she had on her first aid kit. They replaced the dirty shirt Layla was wearing by the long sleeve Annabeth had taken out of her backpack earlier on. After, they placed a sleeping bag near by the fire and laid Layla on it.
"I'm going to wash my hands and take care of the dirty clothes in the river… Let me know with something comes up." Annabeth said leaving in the direction of the river.
"Percy, what is wrong with Annabeth?"
The son of Poseidon turned towards Thalia;
"All I know is that she didn't want Layla to come with us. She was scared that something like this would happen… It looks like she was right…"
The silence took place; only the noise of the leafs being blown by the cold wind could be heard; the night was cold and the sky was covered by heavy clouds. Annabeth came back and hanged Layla's shirt on a branch of a tree that was near by the fire. After that she took a seat by Thalia. The hunter noticed that Annabeth's eyes were red from crying.
"Annabeth…" Thalia asked for her friends attention. "Tell us what you know about Layla and Excalibur…"
Annabeth looked surprised by Thalia's request, yet, she knew that she couldn't hide it anymore, specially from her two best friends.
"Do you guys know the legend of Excalibur?" Annabeth asked while immersed at the flames of the fire in front of her.
To be continued…
AN: I Would love some reviews! Thanks for reading!
