I'm back, and with a brand new chapter! My friend helped out with the writers block, so y'all can thank her :)
Crowd: HURRAY! Thank you!
I really have nothing else to say, so...
Disclaimer: If I was Rick Riordan, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfiction when I could be writing the BLOOD OF OLYMPUS.
Nico'sPOV
"Ouch!" I exclaimed as Petra punched me in the arm. Hard.
Stupid vampire strength.
Petra rolled her eyes, "Don't be such a baby, di Angelo." I stared at her indignantly, and she grinned at me."Aren't you going to teach me the basics, first?" I asked.
"I believe in learning on the job." she answered. Petra came at me again with her fist back, and threw a punch at me. I caught her hand with inhuman speed, and she tried to hit me again with her other hand, but I caught that one too. I raised an eyebrow as if to say That's all?
She smirked at me, then brought her leg up and kneed me in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I double over, and she kicked me in the face. I flew backward, but landed on me feet. I glared at the laughing girl (that was literally a head shorter than me) who was making me look like an amateur. Petra looked at me.
"All you have to do is fight like you would without a weapon. Use your surroundings."
I looked around. All I saw were a whole lot of windows. How in Hades' ghost filled underwear am I supposed to use my surroundings? Petra ran at me again, going full speed. Fight like you normally would with out a weapon, ok.
Pshaw, I got this. Maybe. (Probably not).
Petra launched over me and did a round house kick. I dropped to the floor and kicked her legs out from under her. She fell to the ground, but caught her self at the last minute and did a little somersault back up.
I sprung back up to my feet and aimed a punch at the vampire. She caught my hand with ease and I bit back a smirk. I jerked my hand and quickly bent my arm back, then threw it dawn as if I was hurling a ball at the ground.
Petra was thrown forward, flipping as she flew. She landed about a foot in front of me with a thick thump and a quiet "Oof". I had a feeling that I hadn't won yet, though.
And I was right. Petra hopped up and spun on her heels, a more determined look in her eyes. She ran towards me and drop kicked me. I stumbled back a bit, and fell to the floor as Petra kicked me feet out from under my legs. We both jumped at the same time. Petra turned to me, her hand out behind her. Her claws were extended. Fuck.
Her long sharp nails raked my chest and red hot pain exploded in my torso. I ignored hit and kicked her back. She seemed to expect because she caught my foot and threw it up. I flipped backward and landed on my back.
I was panting and feeling very bruised, but I still tried to get up. But the next thing I knew, Petra's foot was on my bleeding chest and she was smiling victoriously at me.
How cliché. After a moment, she removed her foot and offered her hand. I sighed and grabbed it, and she pulled me up.
"You're good, but a lot of vampires could beat you." Petra told me, "Even ones who are smaller than you." She gestured to herself. I nodded stiffly. My open wounds had closed up, but I was still sore from all of her blows. Petra gave me a sympathetic look, like she had experience what I was going through before.
"Let's take a break." she suggested, sitting down on her haunches. I took a seat next to her, and we were both quiet for a few seconds. Petra reached over and pulled my sunglasses out of her back pocket. She handed them to me. I thanked her and put them on. We became quiet again, and I started to think. I looked over at Petra. She looked so familiar, but I couldn't think of who she reminded me of. I voiced the question that I've been wondering about for a while now. "So... How'd you end up in this place?"
Petra got slightly stiffer and looked straight ahead. I realized then that it might've been a sort of personal question.
"Err - sorry, you don't have to tell me." I said. Petra sighed and slouched.
"No, it's okay. It just brought back some bad memories." she told me, "But since I've already invaded your mind and know all about your life, you deserve to have a bit of info on me, right?"
I nodded slowly and admitted that it would be fair. Petra grinned, then looked over at me. Her smile dropped off her face.
"It started about ten and a half years ago when I was still human...
Petra's Flashback
I lived in a small, slightly run down apartment with my mother, Cassandra Kronos, and my nine year old brother Alric, in Cannes, France. I hadn't always lived in France, I was an American citizen, born in San Diego. Our family moved to Cannes when I was eleven, and my mom wouldn't tell me why. I barely knew my father, I had only ever met him once, when I was eight. He was a god, one of the Olympians. And he was risking a lot to come visit me and my brother.
We were pretty poor. My mom had to work three jobs at once, so she was gone everyday for the whole day. She was so sweet and used to be a very beautiful Greek women, with long curly cinnamon colored hair and pretty hazel eyes. She was tall and had ivory skin like my brother and I, and an athletes build.
But soon her face became very tired looking all of the time, with bags under her eyes, and she became very pale and too skinny, and she was always exhausted.I was soon responsible for looking after Alric, cooking meals, and most of the chores.
I was smarter than most children my age. A lot smarter. I couldn't go to school, I had to watch the house. So whenever Alric left for school, I walked the five blocks to the library, checked out books on math, science, English, and History to learn what I could. This went on for 2 years, until about a month after my 13th birthday.
Mom came home at 1 o'clock in the morning one day, just after I was finished doing the dishes. I heard the door open and close, and my mother appeared in the doorway. I went up and gave her and carefully gave her a hug. It felt like she was coming closer and closer to breaking everyday, more fragile every minute.
"Hello, sweetie." she greeted me tiredly, kissing the top of my head.
"Hi, mama." I said softly, releasing her. "How was work?"
"Fine." said my mother, like always. I still nodded, though. "Are you hungry?" I asked hopefully. The last time she ate was three days ago. "No, ómorfo korítsi mou. Just tired." said mama. I frowned.
"Are you sure? I made your favorite." I tried again.
"I'm sure, Petra" she assured me, hanging her coat up, "Come lay down with me." I looked up into her her tired eyes and gave her a weak smile. "Okay."
We walked into my mothers small bedroom and sat down on her bed. Well, I sat down, mama lay down in front of me, sighing contently. I ran my fingers through her tangled hair, it always calms her down. "Will you sing to me, kóri̱?" my mother asked faintly. I wasn't the best singer in the world, but for some reason my mama loved my voice. She hasn't asked me to sing to her in a year. I smiled down at her, opened my mouth and began to sing a soft greek song to her.
Otan tha niotheis monaxia
otan to spiti tha 'nai adeio
tha 'cheis emena syntrofia
kai tha sou dino ego kouragio
Otan mavrizei o ouranos
otan pagonei i agkalia sou
ki otan se pnigei enas lygmos
ego tha erchomai konta sou
Monacha esy na 'sai kala
mi do sta matia sou oute dakry
borei na zoume chorista
ma totezisame mia agapi
Na 'sai koritsi mou kala
ki otan zitas ton anthropo sou
tha eimai kapou ekei konta
o fylakas o angelos sou
An sou ragizei tin kardia
ki an moni thelei na s' afisei
pes tou pos kapoios mia fora
alithina s' eiche agapisei
Monacha esy na 'sai kala
mi do sta matia sou oute dakry
borei na zoume chorista
ma tote zisame mia agapi
Na 'sai koritsi mou kala
ki otan zitas ton anthropo sou
tha eimai kapou ekei konta
o fylakas o angelos sou
When I finished, I heard my mothers light snores. I smiled softly and covered her up. I tiptoed quietly out of the room and gingerly closed the door behind me. I walked down the narrow hallway to the room Alric and I shared and stepped in. I saw my brother sleeping in his bed. He looked like an angel when he slept. I walked over to him and kissed him tenderly on his forehead before walking over to my own mattress. I lied down on it and was just about to close my eyes when I heard something.
It sounded like the hiss of a snake. I listened carefully.
"I can ssssmell them. Children of the ssssea god." It sounded like a women, but her voice was raspy and she hissed. I heard another one agree and say something that I couldn't make out. There was the sound of a door open and close, and then there was a loud thump.
And then I heard my mother's painful, heart wrenching scream.
Oh, my god. A cliffhanger :o
What's going to happen? Only one of you has the slightest idea. *evil laughter*
That song is called Fylakas Aggelos, or Guardian Angel in English.
Here are the English lyrics;
When you'll feel loneliness
When the house will be empty
You'll have me as company
And i'll give you courage
When the sky becomes black
When your hug becomes cold
And when a sob soffocates you
I'll come close to you
Only you to be well
I don't want to see neither a tear in your eyes
Perhaps we leave separated
But then we lived a love
Be, my girl, well
And when you're asking for your daughter
I'll be somewhere close to you
Your guardian angel
Your guardian angel
If he breaks your heart
And if he wants to leave you alone
Tell him that somebody once
He has loved you truly
Only you to be well
I don't want to see neither a tear in your eyes
Perhaps we leave separated
But then we lived a love
Be, my girl, well
And when you're asking for your daughter
I'll be somewhere close to you
Your guardian angel
Your guardian angel
You should listen to the song to get the full effect, and I hope you liked this chapter. The second part of Petra's flashback is in the next chapter.
Antío proskí̱nio tó̱ra! (Goodbye for now!)
