Chapter Nine. Wow, I am just blowing through these chapters.
Percy's POV – Camp Half-Blood
When I arrived back at my cabin, I called my dragon.
Alexō, please come here.
On my way.
He arrived less than thirty seconds later, what's wrong? He asked.
I'm leaving. I can't stay here any longer. I pulled the saddle out from under my bed and strapped it on Alexō.
Where will we go?
Anywhere but here. I put on my armor, strapped on my belt, strapped on my swords, and slipped the shield on my arm.
When I had packed all my clothes, I grabbed the scrolls and placed them in a saddlebag.
I slipped on ring on my left and slipped my leather gloves on over my hands.
I looked around the cabin for anything I might have forgotten.
I couldn't think of anything else, so I wrote a quick note that said I was leaving, never to return.
I put my old demigod armor in an empty saddlebag. I grabbed my Minotaur horn from the wall and stuffed it in a bag too.
Okay, do you think you'll be able to fly? I asked Alexō, referring to the weight of all the items on his back.
Yea, it's not that heavy. Now jump upon my back and let us leave this wretched place!
I agree, lets leave! He shot into the sky and angled himself southward.
Let's settle in a mountain range somewhere.
Okay, I'll start looking.
It's no use; you won't find anything anywhere near here. We'll have to travel for at least a day before we can even see mountains.
Okay, then let's fly. I tightened the leg straps and grabbed a hold of a spike to stable myself as my dragon flapped his wings harder, flying as fast as he can. And soon, without anyone knowing it, we were off like bats in the night.
/^\
We must have traveled three hundred miles that night and the following day.
Alexō just had me feed him energy from the ring to keep him going.
As it kept him running, it did not fill his stomach, so we stopped every six hours to eat a quick meal, then started again.
We passed over the Appalachian Mountain range, and then Alexō turned and started going west, towards the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
We were making great time, and I was sure we'd get there in a little over a day.
/^\
I was right; we reached the Rocky Mountains in a little over a day and a couple hours. We found a spot that was well secluded, had a lot of trees and was far from civilization.
It was a little spot inside the valley of two mountains, where people were forbidden to fly or drive, as it is too dangerous.
There was a light snow on the ground where Alexō landed.
He was panting hard.
Alexō, rest. I'll get some defenses up and running.
But-
No, rest. You need it. Thanks for pushing yourself so hard. My dragon relented and laid down, falling to sleep soon after.
I walked around and put up a 10-mile radius of wards.
They were mainly wards to let me know if anyone or anything was approaching, and to change their minds if they get to close.
It was mainly to keep monsters out.
I have to deal with monsters now that I'm back on Earth.
When all defenses were up and running, I picked spot to sing my home.
I began to sing, accessing my magic and working through the night.
/^\
My house was a third of the way done.
I had sung the house up above the ground, so if anything did get past my defenses, I would be too high up for them to do anything quickly.
The stairs up to the loft and the floors where done.
I included a spot for Alexō to take off and land, as well as a bed for him.
I started on the walls, but I was only able to make the outside walls and none of the walls in the interior.
When Alexō woke, after dawn, he saw me slumped over against a tree.
Perseus! What happened? He asked, not noticing the stairs leading up to the loft above.
Huh? What? Oh, sorry Alexō. I was up singing our house last night.
What hou- he looked up, oh, that house. I thought Arya said it took weeks to properly sing a house?
It does, I'm just singing the bare model. Once we're settled in that, then I'll start accessorizing.
Okay, did we bring any faelnirv?
Yea, but I want to save it. I'll just take a nap. You could probably use another one too.
He opened a wing, and allowed me to snuggle up against his warm scales.
I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Annabeth's POV – Camp Half-Blood
It's been three days since Percy disappeared. I know I told him not to talk to me again, but I was being a jerk, and I'm sorry.
I actually really, really like him, but he was just being so weird, you know? And he's changed so much, I'm not sure if he's really my Percy.
When I went to his cabin the morning after the day he returned to apologize, I noticed he, and all his things were gone. There was a note on his old dresser, that said,
Dear Reader,
If you have found this note, than I am probably over a hundred miles away by now. You'll never catch up to me so don't even try.
I'm tired of people picking on me just because I don't eat meat, or I have pointed ears, or because my face is more tapered than anyone else's. I am not like you, and I never will be again.
I am an elf. I will never be human again, and I will live much longer than any of you ever will.
Goodbye,
Perseus Kingkiller Poseidonson
The not eating meat statement especially took me. I had seen the exchange between Percy and Clarisse.
When I told Clarisse about it, she was immediately ashamed.
She might not like Percy, but he had earned his place as leader of Camp Half-Blood, and she knew that.
I had cried for almost three hours before Malcolm told me to consult Chiron about finding Percy.
"I'm sorry Annabeth, you'll have to ask the gods," Chiron said.
"May I go see them?"
"Yes, take Argus with you."
When I reached Olympus, the building was eerily calm.
I made it to the entrance of Olympus, and walked up to the Throne room.
"Yes, Annabeth?"
"I have come with a request," I said.
"What may that request be?" Poseidon asked me. He probably knew it had something to do with Percy.
"I ask that you give me enough information to find Percy."
Zeus looked up then tilted his head to the side slightly, as in if concentration.
"He has placed wards to keep me from determining his exact location, but it is somewhere within the Rocky Mountains," he expression grew soft. "Tell him Gûntera wishes the stars to shine over him and peace to live in his heart."
"I will," I promise.
I walked back to the van with a new mission in mind:
Find my Percy.
Percy's POV – Wood hideout – 3 days later
I had finished my house, and I loved it.
It was still bare, but I can make most everything I need with either my hands or magic.
I had already built a table, a bookshelf, a weapons rack, a closet, a pantry, and a sink.
I just started to make bowls and plates out of clay, so I'm running out of clay on that.. Oh well, I got about six good plates and bowls from the clay I was able to scrape up.
I moved to put them away, but I realized I had no storage space.
So I began to sing into existence my cabinets, some drawers and other sorts of storage spaces.
I planned to make a bed for me to sleep on later today, but I'm just not feeling it.
Alexō, why am I so- so, droopy today?
I do not know, maybe something's about to happen. Right as he said that, I felt someone or something step over the western border of my camp.