Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid mermaids. Green tails...fangs. Why? Why? What? No? What was happening? That girl Thalia, she seemed nice. Impatient though, nothing like his mermaid...same voice though...same voice...voices...voices...
The diary it was still there...where was it? His precious diary...not even his, but still precious. The witch, he remembered her – what did she say to him? No, too blurry. Couldn't remember.
He couldn't stay in this inn, the walls felt to threatening. Too real. What he use to live in...the honeysuckle aroma in the air...then it had gone. Vanished. Gone.
He stepped out of his inn door. He didn't shut it, what was the point of shutting doors, he was coming back anyway...he always use to leave his doors open...
Someone said something to him, but he couldn't process the words. Did he say the word chicken? The figure went away. Why didn't the girl let him experiment? It helped clear his mind...focus on something real.
It was late at night now. The cool air helped him to clear his head, it was a lot better than the small menacing room that girl had put him in.
He started walking. There were still people around. Thankfully no one talked to him, if only they would let him experiment...
The diary. That's what he came out here for. The old fading pages, neat small handwriting. It annoyed him. He couldn't read it. He use to be able to read. He still wanted it though.
His feet started moving faster and faster, he hoped he could find it again. Where was his goblin now? His little creation had abandoned him – maybe he had gone to the kitchens, he did like cooking. He always had made great recipes for Leo. Spinach and cabbage stew...the mermaid found it funny. So he found it funny as well.
The mermaid, the mermaid. Her name was slipping from his memory. What was it? It began with C. Ca – no, Celappa? No, that wasn't it. Maybe her name was in the diary. That girl could read it to him. He would remember then, he would remember...
The trees looked distorted. They didn't use to look like that. Everything was too dark. He was never going to find the diary.
Then he saw the clearing where the explosion had happened. He didn't know why it had happened. His mind was so full of anger and hatred, then that girl had given him another chance. Something snapped inside him.
He ignored whatever it was. All he wanted was the diary. It must be somewhere around here. It wouldn't have gone too far since it was so heavy.
He waded his way into the pool of gemstones; they looked so dazzling and beautiful in the moonlight. A memory came back to him, he pushed it aside.
He was going to find this diary, no matter what.
Annabeth silently watched as her maid pulled the lush scarlet curtains together and blew out the candles. Once she was out of the room, Annabeth quietly changed into outdoor clothes and wrapped a cloak around her; she fumbled with the buttons in the darkness.
Cautiously, Annabeth slowly found her way to the chamber door and carefully opened it, trying not to make a noise. She shut her door and stepped into the torch lit corridor.
The expensive soft carpet muffled her footsteps as she crept down the stairs. The night sentry's stood at the base of the stairs. She stopped herself just in time, pressing her into an alcove in the wall.
She thought quickly of all the possible outcomes of this situation. But before she could do anything she heard her bedroom door creak open. She froze. There must've been someone in there all that time.
The door creaked open wider, Annabeth saw the night sentries looking up at it suspiciously. The two of them warily stepped up the stairs, their shoulders tense for any unexpected movement.
Annabeth pressed herself deeper into the alcove, holding her breath. They went past her without noticing anything. She fought the urge to run down the stairs whilst they were facing the other way. Instead, she waited patiently until they had both disappeared into her chambers.
Once they were out of sight, she ran as quietly as she could down the stairs and out into the back gardens. Her heart thumped loudly from the close escape as she ran down a narrow path through the well kept gardens. A fountain continued to bubble as she ran past it, the multi – coloured flowers stared up at her from their beds, as if wondering what she was doing so late at night.
She took her usual route when she often went on escapades. Climbing up a tall tree with no difficultly, she dropped down over the hedge borders of the garden and ran through the deserted field next to it.
Stepping over the small style she found herself back on a path again. The silver moonlight streamed through the narrow streets of Athane, enhancing the different shades of colours in the cobbled stones.
She hid behind the corner of a house, to let a patrol of night sentries walk past with their burning torches. Annabeth considered it stupid that her father banned people from leaving their houses at night – what sort of law was that?
Disregarding that thought, she headed west towards the Mellay camp. Even from a distance, she could still see fires burning and people walking around or talking to each other. How was she going to get inside with so many people awake?
Magic. The voice in her head tried to tell her. Magic. No, she couldn't. She wasn't sixteen yet; she wouldn't be able to use it. Her father had banned magic under sixteen anyway – if someone saw her, she was going to be in deep trouble. Annabeth didn't want her father to hate her more than he already did.
Even so – there was no other option. Apart from going back to the castle. But all this effort? No, she was going to use this magic and it was going to work.
She ran closer towards the temporary tents that had been set up for the contestants. Some of them were already asleep but most were awake and chatting in groups.
If this spell ended badly, Annabeth was going to have a lot of angry highly skilled fighters baying for her blood.
She closed her eyes for a moment and summoned her energy. She could feel it, physically and mentally, it strengthened her body and mind.
There was a rustle of noise behind her; she quickly turned around, afraid that she was being followed.
There was silence and she could see nothing through the trees and houses.
Before she lost her confidence, she stepped forward into the entrance of the camp.
As if sensing her presence, every single pair of eyes looked at her. She heard the elves muttering to each other, as if amused and someone wolf whistled which caused an eruption of laughing.
Someone shouted out something highly inappropriate, which caused her to flush with anger. She raised her hands and channelled her power to them. Sleep.
For a scary moment nothing happened.
More laughter. Though it sounded weak. The air starting turning foggy, which reminded her of the woods, she could feel the air getting denser but it didn't affect her.
Her hands shook from the power and exhaustion. She staggered forwards, beads of sweat popped onto her forehead.
Everything started moving in slow motion. The flags that had been flapping in the wind, moved abnormally slow. Elves' that had been standing up fell to the ground ten times longer than they should have.
Their eyes were drooping, it was working. She felt euphoria rise up inside her underneath her fatigue.
She stopped the enchantment and abruptly fell onto her knees to regain her breath. Move she told herself. She was here for a purpose, not just to knock out the one hundred contestants for the Mellay. But the achievement brought a smile to her face, not many could say that their first spell was knocking out the best fighters on earth.
Hurriedly, she walked through the maze of snoring warriors; she was sincerely tempted to drop soil into their open mouths. That's what Travis would've done.
Panic suddenly rose up in her throat when she saw a perfectly awake figure walking towards her. Black hair...greens eyes.
She remembered him.
"Percy? You're still awake." she choked.
She could see him smiling. "You need a stronger magic to put me to sleep, wait...I know you," he sounded surprised. "You're the princess of Athane?"
"You're supposed to be dead," Annabeth stated. She still was getting over him being here. In flesh and blood.
Percy frowned. "Why would I be?"
Annabeth just stared at him. She could see his face properly now. Her mouth fell slightly open.
"Hello? Anyone there?" he smirked looking into her eyes.
"I – I... y- you, how?" She was transfixed by his face. He was beautiful in an eerie ethereal way, a timeless remote sort of face. But there was no doubt that he was an elf, she could see the points of his ears slightly peeping out of his messy black hair. So why did she feel such dread, just by standing in front of him? "You're supposed to be dead."
Percy frowned. "Really? I don't remember dying."
"B-but you were pulled into that lake when you saved me, you never came out!"
"I did come out," Percy said. "I can hold my breath for a long time."
How did he manage to sound so calm? Annabeth was mentally freaking out inside.
"It's not possible to hold your breath that long – you were down there for ages! I've been living in complete guilt these last few years and then you turn up as if everything alright it's -"
"Slow down, slow down – look I'm here now, it doesn't matter what's happened in the past, ok?"
She didn't know where her anger had come from, but it felt good unleashing it out, since she had always been taught never to talk back to people.
"You still haven't told me who you are," Annabeth fired back at him. "All you've said your name is Percy, you haven't explained who you are or how you could fight a fully grown mermaid on your own – with magic, which is forbidden under sixteen."
Percy looked shocked at her outburst. "Why should I explain myself to you?"
Annabeth glared her best glare at him, she saw him flinch slightly which made her feel a bit better. "Because I'm the Princess of Athane, my father is the king and he will personally punish you for using magic under sixteen."
"Where has this come from? I freaking saved your life and now you're going on about punishing me for using magic under sixteen? You're just as arrogant as every other king or queen."
That stung. "I'm not arrogant, I just believe in justice."
Percy sighed. "Ok, ok I understand. Can we just forget everything that's happened and start over again – what is the real reason you decided to come here?"
Annabeth breathed in. Why had she come here anyway? No, she couldn't say it. Not to him anyway.
"I wanted to know if you really were alive, since I thought you were dead."
"Good, and now you know that I'm alive, what are you going to do?"
He was seriously making it hard for her to control her anger. "I need answers; I'm not going to tell anybody. I just want to know how you are so skilled at magic."
Percy hesitated; Annabeth noticed he was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
"Ok, I'll tell you. Do you want to sit down? You look shattered." Only then did Annabeth realise that she could barely stand on her feet. Her first spell had drained an incredible amount of energy from her.
She sat down on a small wooden chair that some bulky guy had fallen off and was now lying with his face in the ground.
"So tell me from the beginning," Annabeth said.
"Right, ok..." Percy hesitated again as if unsure of what to say. "There's not a lot to say actually, so don't get your hopes up."
Annabeth nodded.
"When I was born, my parents abandoned me in a cave," his voice wavered at the end. "I grew up on my own, I learnt how to feed and cook for myself..."
"Right..."
"Well anyway, when I was two, I was exploring the human villagers. It was the middle of winter and I was looking for someone to look after me...I didn't like being alone and cold in my cave. I remember looking into the humans small houses, there were bright colourful fires inside each one of them. They looked so comforting and warming..."
Annabeth gestured to go on.
"The humans called it fire; I kept looking at it through the windows. I wanted it for myself. I didn't realise my hand was covered in it until I looked down. There were flames all over my hands – it didn't burn me, I didn't scream. I just wanted more of it...but it wasn't until I was three years old I managed to create fire again." Percy let that sink in and then carried on. "I continued using magic, to fight off monsters and bandits...I usually help the captives of slave traders or thieves – then I leave them and they never see me again."
"That still doesn't explain how you managed to find your way through the fog and rescue me from the mermaid. Not even the most powerful elf can defeat one as quickly as you did."
Annabeth felt like she had stepped onto dangerous grounds.
"No, you just have to know their weakness."
"What is it?"
Percy gave her a crooked smile. "It's surprisingly simple; a smart girl like you can figure it out."
"Uurrgh, you're so frustrating. Thanks for the story but I really must be going now," she stood up on her horribly weak legs and started walking between the fallen warriors.
"Nice spell by the way!" Percy called. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Annabeth turned around to see Percy holding a pile of soil right over Prince Triton's mouth. She smirked.
Forgetting her weak legs she rushed back and carefully placed the soil in Tritons open mouth. At least he stopped snoring.
"I think we'd make a good team," Percy said, although Annabeth wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.
"Yeah," she replied, gazing at his face one last time before disappearing back to her castle.
AN: Hi! just had enough time to finish this before school - i will try to write more tonight hopefully if i've got no homework!
