Guys, I feel so bad! But I swear, I have a perfectly good reason for not uploading sooner. Okay. My laptop broke down. Something was messed up with the motherboard and it takes more money to fix it than to buy a new one. Almost twice as much. So, my dad just bought me a new laptop only yesterday night and I spent all afternoon, after school, writing another chapter. This would've been uploaded way sooner. I had half the chapter typed out on my other laptop but it crashed and I didn't save it any other way. So, I'm sorry. I can't tell you guys how much. I'm really, really, really sorry.
Anyhoo, I'm thankful that you guys are still interested and still reading my stories even though I really need to work on my speed. I'm really thankful that you guys waited so patiently! It means a lot.
~ Christina
P.S.: I rather like this chapter! ;) And I hope you do too! You know what to do! R&R
Ten.
The poison spread through my body slowly, painfully, as if taunting me with the sweet mercy of death. I was paralyzed, unable to move as Jake Mason carried me hurriedly across the battlefield, dodging campers fighting one, sometimes two, enemies at once. I was barely conscious. I wanted to sleep, almost willing it to take me under, but I motivated my eyes to keep themselves open. I needed to talk to Annabeth, explain to her what happened, and that she shouldn't worry, that I'd be fine. I knew how much of a worrier she was. And the oncoming stress was definitely not good for the baby.
Staying awake proved to be difficult as I kept nodding off, my lids closing almost against my will. Only Jake's words and reassurances that we'd be there soon kept me teetering on the edge of consciousness.
While I shifted with Jake's stride, my thoughts kept replaying the events that led up to this disastrous outcome. I promptly remembered that after the Kraken had been slayed, I'd jumped around, helping the rest of my friends. But, as I made my way to the central point of the battle, a blur of silver caught my eye. It moved with amazing grace and agility, zinging from one point to another until its form was undecipherable. Pulled by an unexplainable force, I found myself racing after it, deeper and deeper into the woods, keeping a close eye on the flash of color.
I knew I should be out there, fighting alongside my friends. After all, I was, and the words weren't my own, "Hero of Olympus." I should be fighting not chasing after mysterious animals and getting distracted. Twice, I'd turned around, ready to return but just then, at my weakest point, my most uncertainty, the animal appeared and I realized that it was a fox. Not just any regular fox – a silver one. One that reflected a full moon when there were no clouds in sight. I half-expected some Olympians to pop out and give me some help on how to dwindle down the enemies' numbers. But nothing happened. The animal, with its intelligent eyes, stared at me, not moving. I'd hesitate, but then, the fox just rushed off, deeper and deeper. I followed after it, logical reasoning failed me as I jumped over tree stumps, rocks, jutting roots, and vines to follow.
The woods opened up into a clearing, more specifically, Zeus's Fist. A huge pile of boulders that resembled nothing of its name. The fox stopped at the base, head cocked to the side, eyes trained on me as I crept closer. I flinched when my footfall snapped a twig in thirds, and looked over to see if the animal had been scared off. It hasn't. It still sat, eyes following my every movement. Stupidly, I felt self-conscious, half-wishing I'd wore a better looking shirt.
The fox didn't move and some part of me, some unthinking, careless, overwhelming part of me hoped to catch it. For reasons, I, myself, don't understand. I completely disregarded the hissy fit my instinct was throwing, screaming at me to turn back and don't touch it. As per usual, I paid no attention to that part. My arms shot out, open on both sides, ready to grab if the fox so much as try to escape.
I walked closer, closer, until there was less than five feet between us. Our close proximity elicited a reaction from the animal. Its lips curled back, exposing sharp incisors. Its eyes glittered with glee and the excitement was almost palpable. Now, seeing that, why hadn't I turn back?
I didn't know. But as I moved closer and closer, until finally, my hands clasped together, grasping the twitching animal by its body. For a second, I felt nothing of the ordinary except victory and smugness. Staring at the fox's empty, expressionless eyes that radiated nothing but cold pleasure, a tingling feeling shot up both my arms and dispersed, moving in all direction, flowing through my body like germs.
The pain hit when the fox opened its mouth and actual human speech emitted from its throat. I gasped, horrified, startled, a bit entranced, and promptly plopped it down. I thought it would run off but it stayed, on its hind legs, as my legs crumpled beneath me and I fell, backfirst against the soft, weed dotted, grasses.
"Oof!" I grumbled, staring up at the cloudless sky. The impact of the situation hadn't registered yet. The silver fox launched itself on my chest, sitting on its haunches, shaking silently. I knew the animal, so human-like, was laughing at my stupidity and idiocy.
"For a Hero of Olympus, you're pretty stupid." It said, the words almost like a sneer.
My mouth flopped open, shocked, that I'd actually understood. I chastised myself. Of course I would understand, it's talking in plain English. "Y-you can talk." I hated how I stuttered.
"Ah, you are stupid." The fox chuckled, seeming to find my shock amusing. "It's not a surprise. Cross genes with the foolish Olympians and here you are."
Through the midst of everything, I actually felt offended. I was far from stupid. Though, recent events proved that I was contradicting my own words. The voice triggered something at the back of my mind and suddenly, my embarrassment, surprise, and disapproval melted away until it was replaced by one thing: anger. "Menoetius." I spat.
"Finally. You recognize me. Pretty convincing disguise, isn't it?" The Titan's tone was actual curiosity. As if Menoetius wanted me to answer. "It's been a while since I've done this kind of magic but I have to say, I pulled it off wonderfully. Though, I am biased."
"What are you doing here?" I snapped, not in the mood for small talk. I was tired and strangely in pain but it was diluted, as if dulled temporarily. But, second by second, that pain flared, increasing its intensity.
"I see you also have no manner." The Titan sniffed daintily but the gesture looked twisted in his current guise.
"Get on with it!" I growled.
"I was planning to drag this chat on. Give the poison a chance to spread." The animal seemed saddened by the fact and its ear pressed flat against its skull.
"Wait – what?" I asked. A flash of panic erupted inside me.
"The poison." He repeated. Seeing my confusion, he started to laugh though the sound sounded like a bark. "Perseus, I sometimes wonder how you can outshine the Son of Zeus. You're more ignorant and comical than he was. You're poisoned. When you touch the Teumessian fox, you're poisoned. Obviously no one has even capture the creature, hence why it hasn't been recorded."
I made a noise at the back of my throat and the fox's eyes became sympathetic.
"What do you want?" I asked, redirecting the conversation to the main purpose. I would deal with the poison bit later. Surely, ambrosia and nectar would be able to rid me of its nuisance?
"You obviously know that your child would have a choice. To aid the Olympians or the Titans. Since we can't destroy the unborn, because it proved to be of use to us, we'll just kill its father. Every child needs a fatherly figure in their life or who knows what dark, twisted paths they'll take. See, every few millennium, I suppose, depending on your cause, it could be a miracle for you or a pain for us, something miraculous happens and if somehow, your child aids the Olympians, the Titans will vanish, disappear of the face of the earth."
"That isn't possible." I blurted, painfully aware of the aching and paralyzing of my body, starting slowly with my limbs.
"Ah, another thing they don't teach you. Titans and Olympians haven't fought on that day. Ever. Frankly, I don't even know if they're aware of the event that unfolds if our two sides did fought. But long before the Olympians ever existed, the older, more wiser, deities, knew of this development. But they were too much of a cower to prove it true. If the Titans lost, we would vanish into nothingness for one millennium. And vice-versa." He explained.
I blanked. So, there was a way to rid ourselves of them.
He wants to kill me, I realized though I'm a bit late since Menoetius repeated it multiple times. Hit by a fierce determination, I concluded, I won't let him. Hell will freeze over before I go down. Seeing my numbing body dimmed the ferocity of the thought.
"That's low." I taunted. "Using poison to terrorize your enemies. Would've been more efficient to kill me yourself."
The fox narrowed its eyes into slit and I mentally cursed myself. Stupid! What are you doing? Do you want to die?
"It won't work, boy. My work is done. Now I just have to see the consequences of this event unfold. I'm genuinely curious of how you're child will grow up. Seeing as it'll be fatherless." The fox laughed cruelly before it shot off, faster than my eyes could follow. Movements I thought were so agile and graceful before now seemed predatory and dangerous and radiated a harsh, empty beauty.
I laid there for a while, uncomprehending. I knew I had to get up and go back out there but I couldn't bring myself to move. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, I felt my life, my energy, drained out of me. Using the last of it, I opened my mouth and hollered as loud as I could. "Help! Somebody help! Help!"
It was ironic. Me, some famous hero, crying for help. It seemed almost pathetic. I knew that if Ares was here, he'd be more than happy to finish me off himself. The god of War and I were not on good terms.
Suddenly, it was almost instantaneous, footsteps approached. The leaves crunching increased its volume and I knew the saver must be close by. Jake Mason broke through the group of trees. He saw my pale face, a sheen of sweat on my forehead and the way my body lay almost lifeless and immediately rushed over. He was followed by Clarisse, who, with one look at me, cursed in Greek. The pair lifted me off the ground and Clarisse placed my weight on Jake. She filed away my labored breathing, droopy eyes, and the whiteness of my skin and muttered, "I'll alert Chiron." Then, she took off.
"C'mon, buddy." Jake grunted, swooping down, he hooked one of his arms around the back of my knees and swept me off my feet. Literally. I found myself being carried out of the woods, princess-style. If I wasn't on the verge of death, I would've been pretty humiliated. But, seeing as I was on the verge of dying, I didn't protest. Actually, his movement felt kind of soothing and I felt my eyelids started to close. "No! Don't close your eyes. Keep them open." Jake urged. "Uh, think of Annabeth. Yeah! Think of Chase."
It worked. My mind soon flooded with images of me and my girlfriend, back at our house. I had an image of the day she told me she was pregnant and how I fainted shortly afterward. I thought back to the night, at camp, right after we defeated Kronos, on my sixteen birthday, where we shared our second kiss. The first was a long story and I'd rather not get into that at the moment. Good memories flooded my brain and I smiled goofily.
"We're almost there." Jake murmured.
But, my body was too tired and I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Due to sensory overload, my body completely shut down but before I gave in to the darkness completely, my mouth opened and I said that one word, clear as day. "Hurry."
…
"P-Percy?"
The voice was too loud, almost deafening. I squeezed my eyes tighter.
A gasp sounded, incredibly amplified. "I saw him move!" Someone said. Jeez, haven't they hear of whispering, or inside voices?
"P-Percy!"
Still too loud.
"Percy!"
Don't answer. Maybe whoever it is will go away.
"Percy Jackson!"
My eyelids flopped open and I scowled, shouting, "What?"
A pair of arms was suddenly slung around my neck and I looked down, confused. A handful of yellow, or was it blonde?, was sprawl on my shoulder. "What's going on?" I asked, my voice hoarse and dry.
"You're okay!" Annabeth cried, joyous. Her arms around my neck tightened.
I frowned. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
She pulled back, concern. "Y-you don't remember?"
Chiron clopped in, followed by Grover. "Don't fret, my dear. He's in shock. It'll come back to him."
"In shock?" I opened my mouth to say more but soon enough, all events came flooding back and I was swept with a wave of nausea. "Oh, gods!" I exclaimed in horror as the conversation of the fox, the way I felt when my life was slowly draining, and the sound of the animal laughing cruelly. "How could I be so stupid?" I asked, angry that I was so easily tricked.
"Don't blame yourself." Chiron chided gently. "Temptation is often hard to ignore. Or resist."
"Still." I muttered, running my fingers through my hair in frustration.
"What happened?" Annabeth asked, laying her hand on my shoulder, finger splayed over the fabric of my shirt. I focused on those fingers, on how delicate they look.
I rubbed my forehead, taking hold of Annabeth's other hand and laced my fingers through hers. "I-I followed the fox and I grabbed it. And then, Menoetius's voice talked to me. But the thing is, it came from the fox. I think it's some kind of power. Olympians could disguise as animals, why can't Titans' essence possess one? It makes a lot of sense."
"You have a point." Chiron said thoughtfully. "Continue."
"Well, he told me something that I don't think he was suppose to reveal. I think the only reason he told me was because he thought I was supposed to be dead." I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the denial and refusal, before plunging in and saying, "Every millennium, if Titans and Olympians fought, the losing side would vanish, disappear for a millennium."
Just as I thought, the cabin exploded in chaos.
"That's not true!"
"He's lying to you!"
"How come we've never heard of it?"
Some weren't that nice and they went as far as calling me a liar and some not so nice words.
"Enough!" Chiron shouted. The room quieted down considerably. "There is some truth to his words."
"What?" Clarisse's exclamation was echoed by pretty much every one present. Except me.
"I've heard of the rumor though I have always disregard this." Chiron left it at that and turned to me. "What else did he say?"
"My," I glanced at Annabeth and amended. "Our child make the winning decision. If she aids the Olympians, the Titans would lose. And vice-versa." I said that last part quietly.
"He." Annabeth corrected stubbornly.
"Right." I smiled a small smile. "He."
"We'll have to alert the Olympians. They have to realize that the rumor is true." Chiron started for the door.
"Wait!" I called. He stopped but didn't turn around. "What happened to the war?"
Jake gave me a grim smile as Chiron replied, "We won but with the many injuries, we might as well have lost. The camp won't be safe, even with the magical border, the army can still regroup and attack." He didn't have to say how. We all knew how. The labyrinth. "We'll have to double up on shifts to guard the entrance to the maze but before we do that, I need to council with the Gods. They have to be aware of Menoetius's plan."
With that, he clip-clopped off. We sat there, grim and tired. It seemed like it was only yesterday when we defeated Kronos. Now, we'll have to go back in another war. It almost seemed unfair.
But I can't complain. After all, constant fighting and dangerous quests was in the job description. I don't know. Maybe I'd thought that after all the chaos with Kronos, I'd have a chance at a normal life with Annabeth.
But that was wishful thinking.
A demigod's life is never completely normal. No matter how much they wish it to be true. I learned that firsthand.