Chapter 20:
To Escape a Fire
His left eye leveled with the telescopic scope on the sniper. His own nervous breathing caused the glass to fog up. He adjusted his position ever so slowly. Shifting his body on the ground while steadying his breathing. His finger nervously coiled itself around the trigger.
Like a snake he felt ready to release his poisonous sting through the metal pipe. All it would take is to coil his finger tight.
The sniper rifle's model and inner mechanics were a mystery to him. He had seen his father use it to hunt deer and he repeated the process with mechanical precision.. Slide in the bullet. Pull back the trigger and level the reticle.
Far away the crosshair darted across a spruce timberland. Above the sky glowed a soft gray as the clouds trapped the sun behind their fast coat. A soft layer of snow covered the landscape like a harsh blanket. Frost clung against trees and bit through the wildlife.
Humanoid spirits, deer and birds had been frozen stiff in mere seconds. The soft blue glow of ice clung to their bodies while underneath it frostbite and frozen expressies were hidden.
He took a deep breath, wiped the fog of the scope's glass and pressed his left eye against the cold glass.
The lines and circle engraved in the glass focused on a fragile looking creature far away. A woman that was strolling through the winter landscape.
The circle of dead and his focus floated around her before finally his hand stopped trembling for long enough so he could focus on her head. It wasn't until he released the breath he was holding that the scope lined up perfectly.
As if sensing the malicious thoughts, the woman's gaze shifted. Her eerie blue eyes penetrated through the white timber
His finger tightened around the trigger as if it was his own heart. The weapon spat out a bullet.
The silence exploded around him. His eardrums rang. A sharp pain came over his body.
Taken aback by the weapon's explosive recoil he felt a brief panic overcome him.
Hastily he pressed his eye against the vizor and looked for the woman, trying to spot her in a twisted game of hide and seek.
He found her soon enough in the white landscape.
Her pale face has been coloured gold. The left side of her head had been hit. A grotesque wound decorated her cheek. Gold colored blood streaked across the white snow.
The woman however, despite the gaping wound. Didn't drop to the floor like she was supposed to. Instead her head slowly turned into his direction. Her cold stare narrowed.
He felt his blood freeze up.
"Yeah." A voice next to him said. "That was a bad idea."
Startled, he jumped up.
Next to him stood a boy. He was around his age. Young, dark eyes and hair. A sword hung on his side.
Words escaped him. He knew he was supposed to run for his life. He tried to. He screamed to move his own body. But he couldn't feel his own body anymore.
He had to look down to find it.
A thin layer of ice was crawling across his skin.
The panic exploded. Tears welled up as the numbness began to sing his flesh.
A pitiful smile fell over the stranger's face like a shadow. "I'm so sorry."
The sword cut clean through his body.
Percy's eyes shot open. Immediately his body got up. The build up adrenaline tensed all his muscles at the same time. His hand reached out his pocket to reach Riptide.
His hand only touched the naked skin of his leg.
As if to counter balance his sudden movement his body screamed and ached. The muscles in his leg became unresponsive. He crashed down to the floor just as quick as he got up. His fall was softerned by a layer of blankets.
Blankly, Percy looked up at the ceiling.
The ringing in his ears started to fade. As well as the pain he felt in stomach.
Percy gazed down and observed that he was not in a forest as he thought he was. Nor did he wield a sniper rifle. Instead he was lying in a pile of cheap looking blankets.
Above him the gloomy sky was replaced by a glass dome. Modeled like a rich cathedral. Similarly, surrounding him were not trees or grass. Instead dirty looking storefronts, walkways and empty restaurants.
The setting looked familiar. But in an eerie way. He had been to places like these but had never seen them this desolate. A shopping mall.
Still confused, Percy looked around. His brain was diving through memories. Still trying to make sense of the world of faded colors. He saw a restaurant located at the corner. The doors were wide open. The only thing being served was spoiled food and flies.
He was located on the second floor of the mall. Lying in front of an empty clothing store. All the clothes had been thrown off the shelves and the mannequins had been decapitated.
Everywhere he looked he saw the same thing.
Restaurants, stands and ticket boots waiting for customers that would probably never come.
Percy blinked.
Then the memories flooded back. He recalled the dessert. A factory or base. There were all kinds of weapons. Lamia. Artemis.
Evanholly.
A seering white pain hit him.
The weapon. The spear. Artemis.
He clutched his head. Even the thought of that spear hurt him.
"Easy," a soothing voice rasped next to his ear.
He opened his eyes again.
A large dragon claw wrapped itself against the balcony. It pulled itself up and a large dragonic body rose from the main atrium.
Sometimes it was easy to forget how big the jailer was.
Kampê climbed over the railing, dragging her own body across it like a snake/
Percy's heart calmed down as he felt her presence again.
"W-w-" Percy tried to speak but his raw throat was not able to string together the sounds to make a word.
Kampê pointed to a water bottle that was lying next to him. Eagerly Percy took the bottle and put it against his lips. He threw his head backwards.
The water tasted dirty and was too warm. Still, he drank it eagerly. Soothing his vocal cords as the droplets slid down his throat.
"Another dream?" Kampê asked after Percy put down the bottle.
Percy looked at the monster in confusion.
"You uh, stirred a lot in your sleep." Kampê admitted
"Yes." Percy muttered. He blinked profusely. He struggled to unsee the forest and the ice biting through his flesh. But something else about that dream was also bothering him.
It seemed…familiar? He shook his head.
"W-What happened?"
Percy asked. Immediately he clutched his head. "Wait, no. I get it. How long was I out this time?"
"26 days."
Percy stared at his own body. He weakly touched his legs. Trying to see if it had somehow died off. His own flesh felt weak and alien. Malnourished.
He groaned.
"What exactly happened?" He asked after a disappointed sigh.
"The humans created a weapon to kill the Hunter." Kampê sighed. She unfolded the wings behind her back.
Percy winced.
Her wings had been damaged. Torn and scarred but now they were barely more than exposed bone, muscle and flesh stripped of scales. Scorched black and filled with holes.
Percy let out a curse.
"Got to admit, humanity does have its way with weapons."
"Where are we?" Percy asked. He swallowed. He felt the rawness of his tongue began to fade away.
Kampê shrugged.
"I traveled west until I found this place."
"Thanks."
Kampê only nodded.
"So what's next?" Kampê asked.
Percy dropped his shoulders and fell back. He stared at the ceiling. A sense of hopelessness fell over him.
The humans. They built an entire camp and managed to stay hidden from the Gods for so long. Only to be sniffed out like a candle.
Was it because of him? Did he attract Lamia? Artemis?
Were the strings of fate woven against him?
It wasn't fair.
A tear escaped him.
He had dared to hope. A small part hoped that maybe Humanity could survive.
That hope was squashed.
Here they were. A jailer from Tartarus without wings.
A demigod who can't save a single person.
"Hestia." Percy muttered softly. "I need you."
A/N It has been a while since I wrote for this fic. I blame past me for not writing. So yeah, review and stuff please.