*Who are you? *
What?
*Who are you? *
What kind of question is that? I'm Percia. Right?
*Who are you? *
I just told you strange echoy voice thing. I'm Percia.
*Who Are you? *
Oh, maybe it wants my full name. Fine then. I'm Percia Jackson.
*Who Are You? *
I just told you my name. Unless you want something more esoteric? I could be several things. I'm a demi-god, I'm a girl from New York, and I'm a pretty decent baker in my humble opinion. Really ethereal voices need to be more specific in their questions.
*Who. Are. You? *
Like lightening it hit her exactly what the voice wanted to know.
I am Percia Jackson, daughter of Poseidon, sister of Triton, King of Atlantis, Princess of the Seas of Earth, Hero of Olympus.
A strong pulse of magic swept through and around her like a shockwave. Warmth spread through her entire body chasing away the aches and pains she only now remembered. Water churned around her excitedly in a way that reminded her of Clarisse before a battle. As the power continued to swirl around her she felt a shifting in her clothing, its texture and weight different from before. She tried to open her eyes but a bright bluish light forced her to close them once more.
When the water finally calmed she tried again, this time finding it easier to see. She was deep in the lake, the cold water cradling her. For one moment she was confused before the battle with the manticore and the conversation with the Valar came to the forefront of her mind once more. Hands drifting to her abdomen she froze when they met hard leather instead of the worn clothing she had had on before.
Eyes wide in disbelief she took in the armor now wrapped around her small frame. Her legs were incased in sturdy leather pants and knee high boots with shin guards made out of harder leather though far more flexible to allow movement. They were embossed with waves, much like the armor of her father's army. The tunic she wore was a sturdy cotton mix in light blue, over which a chain mail shirt and celestial bronze breast plate sat, and around her waist hung multiple leather straps in a skirt that reached down to protect her thighs. The metal work looked more like fish scales than the typical weave of a chain main shirt. The leather also had embossed designs of waves. Her arm guards were the same. Her hair was now in a high ponytail with a small ornamental hairpiece holding it in place. Riptide hung from a sheath tied to her waist.
This was royal armor, she realized, remembering the time she had been to her father's palace during the war. But how…
A soft glow from her neck caught her attention. There she found the black pearl necklace emitting light and warmth. Apparently it wasn't just a sign of Atlantis' royal family.
Before she could marvel further at this new information a dark shadow crossed over the lake. All around fish scurried away in fear.
Right. The dragon.
It seemed the Dwarves had made it to the mountain, and either scared the beast away or angered it. Now it was going after Lake Town.
With a thought she was on the surface of the lake, slightly disoriented from the sudden shift. She saw the dragon make the first pass over the town, its fiery breath scorching the buildings. Running she gathered her will, loath to give the beast another shot at the now burning village. As it swung around for another go she shot a funnel of water at it, throwing it off course and down into the lake.
"Evacuate the town. Now." Somehow her voice carried over the water easily and she knew they had heard her. The sound of people fleeing reached her ears. But she ignored them to focus on the real issue.
The dragon heaved itself from the depths spinning wildly to rid itself of excess water. The giant wings snapped open to allow it to hover in midair. With the light of the moon and the blaze behind her she could see the reddish scales, long serpentine body and deadly yellow eyes, which glared at her fiercely.
"Who dares to challenge my wrath? I am Fire! I am Death!"
Huh. It talks.
"That would be me, you overgrown handbag," she snapped. Gesturing out a triton formed in her hand.
The beast snarled angrily puffing up to strike. She could see the flame inside of it growing in preparation. Just as it opened its mouth to let loose its fury she struck, throwing the triton with deadly precision into its gapping maw. The dragon reared back in pain and confusion, the water snuffing its attack for the time being.
Instead it righted itself and dived towards her position, no doubt believing he could just swallow her whole. In a blink she sunk into the lake, moving until she was behind his now floundering form.
"What magic is this," the creature hissed furiously.
"No magic," she replied jovially, bringing her hands up and clenching them together. As she did such the water under and around the dragon surged up and over the beast, dragging it back into the depths of the lake. "Just water."
She knew she had to be careful as the waves from this battle could just as easily destroy the town as the fire could. It seemed the majority of the people heeded her words and were leaving the town in droves well away from the battle, but it was a fairly large town. She might not be able to save everyone, or even most of the town, especially if this got out of hand, but she could give as many people as possible a chance.
Sure enough the dragon once again escaped the cold grips of the lake launching up into the air. Its tail flailed at the closest buildings demolishing the wood to splinters.
"I. WILL. KILL. YOU!"
"You'll try," she corrected him absently preparing for another strike. Only the dragon swung towards the town, deciding to hit an easier target.
He managed to knock down several buildings with his clawed feet before she was able to push him back with another wave of concentrated water. By this time she was inside the town and had used a wave to propel her to the top of one of the structures. It gave her a better vantage point.
Thankfully it looked like the majority of the people had fled; only a few stragglers remained. In fact, one of the boats looked to be weighed down by a vast amount of gold and some very slimy characters. There is no way they would be able to get away with that type of bulk slowing them down.
Once again focusing on the fight she concentrated on the area of the lake the dragon had fallen into again. While she could not form ice, she could control what was already on top of the water. In doing so she forced it to collide together into a solid cover over where the dragon entered the water. She doubted it would keep him down long, but it should buy time to figure out how to kill it.
"Percia!"
Startled she glanced over one shoulder to see Bard running towards her over the rooftops. Considering he barely had to look at his footing, he'd clearly done this before, many times.
"Bard? Is your family okay?"
"I do not know," he gasped out as he came to a stop beside her, his eyes raking her form in surprise. Deep down inside she preened a bit at how bad a** her armor was. "I was arrested by the town guard before the attack. Can you kill the beast?"
"I can try, though I am not sure drowning will do it," she admitted eyes moving to the patch of ice where she could see the dragon pushing against it, its body starting to flame up. Her mind raced for an answer when she remembered the conversation back at the bargeman's home. "But I'm willing to bet if you still have a black arrow, the left breast is the best place to aim for."
The look he gave her brought a sly smile to her face. He shook his head clear and started searching the boats still tied to the docks below.
"Da!"
Both adults turned to find Bain running along one of the walkways towards them, said arrow in hand.
"Go," she told him. "I will hold the beast off as long as I can and try to get you a good shot. I fear we will only have one chance."
"Then I'll make it count," he promised solemnly before jumping off the roof to join his son.
Frowning she noted the ice patch was not moving like it had before. The dragon couldn't swim… could it?
It was only her honed reflexes that allowed her to throw herself back and onto the roof of the building behind her when the one she stood on exploded upward in a shower of debris and flame. The large scaled form of her opponent climbed from the wreckage practically vibrating with rage. Though the main of his body escaped harm, the ice had torn into the membrane of his wings.
"You," he growled teeth bared in challenge. "You insignificant worm! I shall feast on your flesh and tear you limb from limb for daring to attack me! I am the Great Fire Drake of the North! No one can defeat me!"
A witty retort danced on the end of her tongue; however a small reflection of light just near the base of his neck where the shoulder met grabbed her attention. Squinting she looked closer. This was not some piece of gold or jewel that he had crushed into his scales, like some many other spots on his large body. No, this was no treasure of Man, Dwarf or Elf. It was a pure white pearl, probably the size of a basketball, given her ability to see if from this distance. With undeniable clarity she knew she had found her prize.
"Figures," she huffed irritably. What had she done to the Fates in whatever life she had lived to constantly receive the most impossible tasks? Couldn't Kora have been safely tucked away in some corner of Erebor? No, of course not. That would be too easy. She got to be stuck in between the scales of a frickin huge dragon.
Triton owed her, her body weight in chocolate.
"You will BURN!"
Scratch that, he owed her Tyson's body weight in chocolate.
Well looked like she needed to kill two birds with one stone. Plan: distract dragon for Bard and retrieve Kora was a go. Sometimes she wondered how this was her life.
"You make a lot of threats for a pathetic lizard," she called out mockingly unsheathing her sword.
As the dragon screeched viciously, she called on two water funnels directing both to hit the beast. She hitched a ride on one staying low in case she had to drop. Timing it just right she shot a stream of high pressured water into its eye as she leapt onto the beast's shoulder just as the first hit him in the face distracting him, the other knocking him under the chin to throw him back and expose his chest. Scrambling over the scales, which were far slicker than anticipated, she managed to reach the spot where Kora's pearl sat. It took all her strength and agility just to hold on with the dragon thrashing about from the damage to his eye. Using Riptide she wedged her feet into the scales trying to pry the pearl free. From the increased shaking of the dragon she knew it had discovered her plan, which forced her to work faster.
Just as the pearl slid free of the scales the dragon's body shuddered violently, a horrid death bellow echoing in the night. Her stomach churned with the all too familiar feeling of falling, as the creature dropped towards the lake. In her effort to keep her hold on Kora's pearl she didn't see the great tail swinging towards her until it connected with her abdomen throwing her a great distance into one of the houses. Crashing through planks of wood, furniture and whatever else was in her path; Percia finally came to rest near the walkway, but not in the water itself.
Even her armor could not protect her from the pain of such an impact. No doubt she'd be sporting magnificent bruises in the morning, if she could even move by then. As the pain overrode her senses for the second time in as many days, she allowed herself a small smug smile as she glanced at the large pearl held securely in her hands.