~ Sea Green and Stormy Gray ~
SAPHIRA
Where is she?
What is this place?
What's going on?
These questions run marathons around Saphira's mind as she finds herself in a very unfamiliar setting. It's cold, freezing even. The temperature is unlike anything she's ever felt. Not even the most frigid nights in the mountains during winter can compare to this, as if death itself was freezing over the land.
The land? What land is this? Nothing looks even remotely familiar. In her two thousand years of life, Saphira has never seen such an environment. The earth is made entirely of black, cracked stone. Jagged boulders of nightmarish black rock, so black it almost looks like stygian iron, reach up from the ground like giant daggers. She can hear… wind? No, not wind. Screams and wails, shrieks and howls, but no such sound that comes from the voice of mortals… no, they are the voices of monsters, hundreds or maybe thousands, blending together into an unholy, chilling chorus of horror.
Saphira is lying on her back at first, but she quickly sits up and scans her surroundings. She rubs her arms, trying to generate some kind of warmth to counter the ungodly cold of this place, but to no avail. Shivering, teeth chattering, she stands, keeping herself hunched over and hugging herself. It's not just the cold she's fighting. She feels lost and scared, without hope and without support, without…
Without anything.
She feels as she once did, when she lost the person who meant more to her than anything else in the world, but now it's like it's amplified to feel a thousand times worse. It's this place, it's this place that has to be causing this. It's unnatural. What kind of place could cause such a sensation of hopelessness? What kind of place could feel both so bleak and so horrifying at the same time? What kind of-
It hits her.
Saphira's lungs feel constricted, like they are being gripped tight by the frigid fingertips of some unseen force. Her heart simultaneously feels like it's racing and completely frozen with no beat. Her hopelessness turns to fear, then to terror, then to panic as she realizes that there is only one place this could be.
Tartarus.
. . . . . . . .
It wouldn't be a fitting description to say that she snapped out of her nightmare. That would imply that she came to, fully awake and alert and ready for action. It was an abrupt -and welcome- ending, for sure, but it felt more like being dragged out of her sleeping bag through a bog while drugged and blindfolded.
Groggily, Saphira opens her eyes, immediately regretting it when she's met by the sunlight. It's agonizing, despite it being filtered by some kind of fabric. Reflex dictates that she shield her eyes, but the moment she does so, a horrible ache snakes throughout her body, drawing a pitiful moan from her lips. She's barely able to move and the next couple minutes are painstakingly awful to endure as she does her best to try and get her bearings and her body working again. Slowly but surely, her eyes begin to adjust to the light, though it means nothing for the headache. At least she can see.
She's in a white tent, spacious and somehow feeling ventilated. Both looking and feeling about, she finds that she's lying stretched out on her back, on a white cot, covered by a white sheet with her head supported by a very comfortable pillow. This must be one of Camp Half-blood's hospital tents but…
The battle.
Memories of when she was last conscious come flooding back to her all at once, making her head hurt all over again. The crash, the empousa attack… Asteria. The last thing Saphira remembers is lying on the ground, bleeding out from her wounds. Her wounds. How did she survive? How did she get here? Did the campers hear the commotion and come out to investigate? Did they carry her here? Did they save Asteria? What about Lykos, and Argus, and Terry?
With a start, Saphira makes an attempt to get herself out of bed. She wants answers. Her spirit is willing, but her body has other ideas. Pain fires throughout her entire being, making her yelp and flop back down, which only makes it hurt even more. Before she can make another move, she must examine herself.
Carefully and slowly, Saphira pushes the sheets off of her to reveal her body clad in what looks like modern hospital patient attire; a soft-cotton, light blue gown. A soft shudder runs down her spine when she realizes that someone had to have stripped off her previous clothing to get her into this. Her body has been seen before, by her sisters, but it makes her more than a little uncomfortable that someone else, possibly male, laid eyes on her.
She may not share all the ideals of the Hunt, but wanting to preserve her decency and her honor are two things that she does treasure.
Hoping to get that thought out of her head for now, Saphira continues with her self-examination and moves to inspect beneath the gown. The sight leaves her wondering. How in Hades did she survive? She's been injured many times in the past, but this? Her thigh, entire waist and hips, her wrist, and part of her upper body around her chest and back have been wrapped in clean gauze bandages.
This also brings her mind back to her companions, one of them in particular. Oh, where is he-
A soft huff interrupts her thoughts. Where did that come from?
Saphira glances down to her left and softly gasps in both surprise and relief. Right beside her cot, lying on his side on a laid-out roll of fabric, is Lykos! Despite wanting to hop off and rush down to him, Saphira is forced to remain where she is, though that doesn't stop her from trying to take him in with her eyes alone. Her gaze rakes over his form and every inch has her eyes stinging and her breath choking a bit. He looks horrible, just like he did in his fight with Lycaon last year. The wounds themselves have healed, but the scars are still taking their time, with some still more prominent than others. She can see where cuts, scrapes, and gashes were inflicted, even in spite of his fur. Over his eye and cheek, his neck, his body… everywhere she looked, she would see them.
She remembers what she saw and heard right before she blacked out and pieces it together. He had saved her, once again. He saved her from the empousai by himself, after somehow also dealing with that cyclops. Lykos almost died for her… again.
Saphira fights back the sob that threatens to escape her chest. She doesn't deserve a friend as loyal and devoted as Lykos is to her. She is extremely lucky and that is something she makes note of to never forget.
"I want to see her! Let us through!" A familiar voice rings out from somewhere outside the tent. It sounded like… Chloe?
"Girls, I'm sorry, but she was in bad shape. She needs rest!" A second voice, the soft tone of a male, replies.
"Appreciate the input, Solace, but that is our Hunter and we are seeing her right now. Best get out of our way." That was Thalia!
A second later with some more arguing, three people come spilling through the tent flaps.
"Absolutely not. I am a healer too and I have every right to- Saph!" Chloe cries the moment she sees Saphira and rushes her. Before Saphira can protest, her friend launches herself upon her in a tackling hug that pushes her back down on the cot with a squeak. Chloe is followed closely by Thalia who mimics the action, effectively knocking the air out of Saphira's lungs.
"Thank the gods, you're okay!" Chloe exclaims with relief flooding her voice. Her embrace feels like she's trying to crush Saphira's ribs and Thalia is not being any gentler.
"You had us all worried! When Chiron called, we immediately left to come-" the lieutenant begins, but she's interrupted..
"You two! Please!" Saphira mewls pitifully. "I love you both, but I'm in a lot of pain here!"
"Sorry!" They both reply and ease up on her. Saphira winces as she sits up again. Chloe cups her face and turns her head gently towards her own.
"Everyone back home is worried sick about you. When Chiron called us and told us what happened, I about had a heart attack!" She says with a scolding tone. "Don't ever scare me like this again, understand?"
Saphira nods as best she can with Chloe's grip on her. "How did you get here?"
"Chiron sent us pegasi and they flew us here," Thalia says.
Saphira frowns. "Artemis didn't come?"
"She wanted to. Believe me, she was frantic about it, but Zeus is forcing her to stay on Olympus. Some Olympian drama or some shit."
"She will be here by this evening though," Chloe assures her. Her gaze drifts to the sleeping wolf beside them. "Is Lykos okay?"
"I… I think so," Saphira replies. He looks like the fight was a bloody one, but she can't say for certain how his current state is. "He saved me, but I blacked out. I don't know what exactly happened to him."
Someone clearing their throat draws their attention to the tent's entrance. Standing there is a boy, tall, fair-skinned, and blonde-haired, dressed in a doctor's coat over his orange T-shirt and cargo shorts. He holds a clipboard with a pen in his hands.
"Sorry to interrupt, but since Saphira is awake, I do need to commit a checkup on her," he says.
Chloe sniffs and straightens her posture. "I can handle that. I'm a healer."
"I understand that, but Saphira was injured on camp grounds and that makes her my patient like anyone else would be," the boy replies. "I am the one who saw to her wounds. I promise you she is in good hands and you can stay right here if it helps put you at ease."
Chloe looks ready to argue further, but a hand on her shoulder by Thalia has her holding her tongue.
"Alright, Will. Go ahead," the lieutenant says.
Saphira shuffles uncomfortably at the mention of him being the one who treated her while she was out.
"Not that I am not grateful, but doesn't that mean you saw me…" she trails off, not really wanting to say it.
Will replies with a chuckle and a kind smile. "Yes, but you don't need to worry. I am a doctor, sort of. Plus, I have a boyfriend."
The answer surprises her, but it also brings her relief. Still, she did not see that coming, so she says the only thing she can think of.
"Oh."
"Clarisse also had two of her siblings stand guard over your tent around the clock, just to ensure nobody got any ideas," Will adds. "Like I said, you are in very good hands here."
Saphira makes a mental note to thank the war child the next time she sees her.
"Now, let's get started. How are you feeling?" he asks.
"Hurt."
"Anything more specific? Do you feel any nausea, lightheadedness, drowsiness…?"
"Not really, no," she replies. "My whole body aches."
Will nods and begins jotting stuff down on his notes. "Are your wounds reopened? Is anything bleeding at all?"
Saphira shakes her head.
"Can you stretch?"
Again, she shakes her head. "I tried to move earlier, but it hurt too much."
"Expected. You took a nasty beating and you've been asleep for three days, so-"
"Three days?!" she interrupts. She's been out for that long? What about… "Where is Asteria, and the others?! What hap- Ow!"
Her reaction jolted her and sent another stab of pain arcing through her. Both Chloe and Thalia are there to ease her back down, but she doesn't want to be eased.
"Saphira, you need to calm down and take it slow. You are in no shape to be moving so erratically right now," Will gently reprimands her.
"He's right, Saph. You've been still for a long time. Your muscles need time to accustom themselves to movement again," Chloe pipes up.
Saphira groans and strains to get up again. "No, I… I have to know! What happened to Asteria? And Argus, and Terry? Are they okay?"
"Argus and Terry are alright. Argus is in recovery and Terry is already back to his duties. You and Lykos were the ones who were hurt the worst. Your wolf was the one who had carried you back to the Big House, and alerted us to find Argus and Terry just outside of camp," Will says.
"What about Asteria? Where is she?" Saphira demands.
Will's gaze becomes crestfallen. "The little girl? We didn't see her anywhere. The monsters must have… but you mustn't blame yourself."
Realizing what he's implying, she shakes her head. "No. She's not dead. She's alive."
They all frown at her.
"How can you be so sure? Monsters don't take prisoners, Saph, you know that," Thalia says.
"She's alive!" Saphira insists. "Thalia, there were dracaena and hellhounds after her. You know as well as I do that neither of those two species hunt demigods unless someone else is making them. Someone wants Asteria and they want her alive. They-"
She pauses as memories of that night start to come back to her. Her fight with the empousa among those memories, but not so much the fight itself as it is something she said.
She's not for eating.
That was what Kelli said. She was about to say something else about it to Saphira before Tammi interrupted her.
"What is it?" Thalia asks, cutting into her thoughts.
"They were trying to capture her, Thalia. Not kill her. The empousa, she said something about Asteria not being meant to be eaten. I don't know what exactly they have in mind for her, but she needs us. She needs us and… oh gods, it's been three days! They could be anywhere by now!" Saphira growls in frustration and makes a move to get off the cot, but she's intercepted by Chloe and Thalia.
"Not so fast. Remember, take it easy," Chloe says.
Saphira tries to break free of them, but in her current state, they're right. She'd be hard-pressed just to stand up, let alone try to outmuscle them. Even Chloe can be deceptively strong. With a sigh, she surrenders herself to them.
"Here. Drink some nectar. It'll help you start getting back on your feet," Will says, holding out a canteen to her. Given she has little choice, Saphira nods in acceptance, taking the canteen for a sip that went on longer than she intended, but the godly drink is reenergizing. To her it tastes like hot chocolate, the way Chloe makes it back home. Her friend is spectacularly talented in the culinary arts, and can make even something as simple as melted chocolate in milk taste heavenly.
It takes some willpower on her part, but eventually she can pull the canteen from her lips with a deep breath.
"Thank you," she says, handing it back to Will. "I'd like to try to stand now."
"Alright, but slowly," Will says. He nods to the girls to assist her, and they each take one of her arms and help her ease off the cot. Immediately, Saphira almost collapses due to her legs buckling beneath her, making her gasp and clutch her friends' sleeves tightly to catch herself.
"I'm okay, I'm okay," she says, waving off her concerned expressions. Setting her mind with determination, she forces her legs to start working. Little by little, she can feel her strength begin to return to her body. She notices a small stir from Lykos, and decides she wants to check him up herself. With Chloe and Thalia's help, she makes her way over to him and they gently lower her onto her knees before him.
"Lykos?" she murmurs softly, reaching out to run her fingertips over his side, starting from his shoulder and working down. So many scars… the cyclops and Kelli have done a number on him. She doesn't think he killed Tammi as well. She was the one holding Asteria in the end, and if he had killed her, then the girl would have been safely here in camp.
A soft twitch of his ear at her voice tells her he is at least sort of awake, despite his closed eyes and otherwise motionless body, barring the soft rise and fall of his flank with every breath.
"Are you alright?" she coos. A soft, low whine is her response, followed by a deep inhale through his nose as his eyes slowly flicker open. His icy-yellow orbs lazily drift towards her, focusing on her face without actually lifting his head.
"He collapsed after bringing you to us," Will explains, having not moved from his place. "I did what I could for him as soon as I finished patching you up, but unfortunately we don't have anything to help… erm, creatures that are not human."
He's avoiding the word 'monster.'
"I know Wolves of Lycaon can boost their healing factor if they consume mortal flesh or blood. Clarisse even tried to offer him some of her blood, but he refused and passed out shortly after," he finishes.
Saphira exhales. Of course he refused. Even for the sake of saving himself, he would never take the blood of a demigod. Stubborn wolf…
"Thank you, Will," she says.
"Of course. I may not be terrific with a bow like my siblings, but I can at least put my gifts in medicine to the best use that I can," he replies.
Chloe looks at him with a frown. "You're a son of Apollo?"
"I am. Why?"
"He's my father too. I actually used to live here, but I joined the Hunt nine years ago."
Will looks surprised, but he smiles at the revelation. "Well then, welcome back, sis. You look a lot younger than you are, though."
"Conditional immortality," Thalia reminds him.
Saphira continues stroking Lykos' fur, hoping to get him moving. She doesn't want to walk around camp without him at her side, or leave him here alone.
"Can you move?" she asks, hopeful.
The wolf groans and stretches out his limbs, revealing his fangs with the widest yawn Saphira has ever seen him do.
"I genuinely pity anyone who ever gets on his bad side," Will muses, eyeing the white instruments of death within Lykos' jaws.
Lykos rolls onto his back to stretch out some more before rolling back towards Saphira, this time with his head lifted to give her a friendly nuzzle. She hugs his head, hoping he can feel her gratitude for saving her life for the hundredth time.
"Come on. Let's get our muscles working again," she says. Lykos nods while she's helped back up by Chloe, and he lazily gets to his feet for one final stretch before he shakes out his pelt. He seems to be getting back into it with an easier time than she is. Curse his wolfish durability, she jealously thinks to herself.
"If you wish to change into something less, ah, flimsy," Will says, "there is a T-shirt and a pair of shorts beneath your cot. I don't imagine you would feel comfortable walking outside in a hospital gown."
Thanking him for the suggestion before he steps outside, Saphira searches for the clothes, which Thalia pulls out from under the cot. Lykos steps outside, probably to get some well-earned fresh air while he waits. The nectar certainly worked its magic on her, but Saphira still struggles with quite a bit of movement that normally would have posed no issue for her. With Chloe's and Thalia's assistance, she is able to slip out of the gown and get herself into the provided attire.
"Heh. You actually don't look too bad in that," Thalia remarks, giving her a once-over.
Saphira glances down at the orange camp shirt and jean shorts that now adorn her figure. She's not quite sure what to make of it. On one hand, she feels much more modest in this than the gown, but on the other hand, this isn't the clothing she is used to. She feels so… modern.
"I have an extra set of our usual outfits I can change into later," Saphira says after thoroughly examining herself. "Let's just get going. Three days is a big headstart, but if we leave right now, we should-"
"Hold it, Saph," Thalia cuts her off. "We can't go hunting for Asteria just yet."
"What? Why not?"
"Artemis' orders. We are to wait here until her arrival, at which point a meeting will be held with the camp directors, elders, and counselors. They just had a pretty major monster presence right outside their borders and they are concerned. Not to mention all the gossiping that satyr kid has been doing about a superpowered demigod child incinerating giant hellhounds."
Saphira's heart sinks deeper into her chest. "So we can't do anything?"
"Not until Artemis gets here, no. They'll decide at the meeting."
"No use in stressing about it now, Saph. You'll just work yourself up for nothing," Chloe tells her. "Come on. Let's get you some air."
Saphira sighs, but she doesn't argue. They're right, and maybe focusing on other things will help to pass the time until then. With Chloe's arm around her waist and her own arm around her friend's shoulders, Saphira ambles out of the tent, followed closely behind by Thalia. Lykos is sitting outside, waiting for them. Will must have headed off to attend to other duties somewhere, given his absence. It's a bright, sunny morning; warm with a gentle breeze sweeping over the camp. Campers of all ages are out and about, performing their daily activities. That is until they notice them. Suddenly, the change of clothes doesn't feel very modest to Saphira. Most of her body is covered, including her bandaged wounds, but her leg and wrist that are wrapped up are on full display… and she still has some old scars on her uncovered wrist that she suddenly feels very self-conscious about. Thankfully, Thalia notices her unease and the stares of the other campers.
"The hell are you all looking at?!" the daughter of Zeus snaps at them. That does the trick, and the campers avert their eyes, though some still steal glances now and again. Still, it makes Saphira feel much better and she whispers a soft word of thanks to the lieutenant.
"Hey, if you've been out for three days, then that means you haven't eaten yet," Chloe remarks. "You must be starving."
As if on cue, Saphira's stomach growls, a sound joined by the much deeper rumbling of Lykos' belly. He probably hasn't eaten for just as long as she has if he's been beside her sleeping form for the past three days.
"Well, that answers that. Let's get to the Mess Hall and see about getting some food in you two," Thalia suggests.
Lykos perks up at the mention of food. He must be ravenous right now. He normally eats quite a hefty helping of meat; since animal meat, while obviously adored by him, does less to satiate him than if he ate… other things. He needs more of it.
Saphira lets them lead her on their way, but they are stopped by a pair of voices calling out.
"Thalia!"
Immediately, Thalia whirls around in response, not with aggression, but with a joyous expression. She must recognize the voices. She gasps and holds out her arms to an incoming pair of campers, one boy and one girl. Both are tall, with the boy surpassing the girl quite noticeably. He has scruffy black locks while she sports golden curls. Both are quite tan and both bear a matching streak of gray in their hair, something that makes Saphira a little queasy as she recognizes where that comes from. The boy's eyes, sea green, and the girl's, stormy gray.
The girl launches herself into Thalia's arms, throwing her own around her neck and the two squeeze each other in a fierce embrace.
"Annie! My gods, it's been too long! It's so good to see you!" Thalia cries.
"I've missed you so much, Thals!" the girl replies.
"I've missed you too! And you too, Kelp Head!" Thalia says, directing that second bit to the boy who rolls his eyes with a lopsided grin.
"Missed you too, Pinecone Face. Where have you been? Second war ends and not even a letter?" he asks with humor in his tone.
Thalia groans as she puts the embraced girl back down on the ground. "Ugh. The war didn't end for us. We still had some business to take care of. But I'll get to all that later. We were just about to get some breakfast. Care to come with?"
"Well, yeah!" the girl exclaims as if she was stunned that Thalia would even need to question their choice. "We want to catch up! Plus, we haven't eaten either yet. Percy and I heard you were gonna be in camp so we rushed here as fast as we could to see you!"
"Aw, I'm touched. You better be treating my little sister good, Percy," Thalia warns him.
"Thalia, I have and always will treat Annabeth like the goddess she is," the boy fires back.
Percy and Annabeth. Saphira's throat starts feeling a little dry. Of course, she had wanted to meet them personally all this time but now that they're right here in front of her, she finds herself unsure of what to say. She is not at all prepared for this.
"Oh my gods. I'm being a jerk," Thalia suddenly steps aside to show the rest of her party. "Guys, these are two of my best Hunters. This is Chloe."
Chloe offers a small wave while keeping her other arm around Saphira's waist. Thalia then goes on to introduce Saphira.
"And this is-"
"Zoe!" Percy's shocked tone cuts through her sentence. His green eyes are wide and his expression reads genuine disbelief. Saphira is confused. She knows he knew Zoe. He was there when she died. Why would he think she is her?
"Percy, that's not Zoe," Annabeth says softly. Her eyes speak a silent apology to Saphira.
The son of Poseidon blinks, realization seeping into his eyes. "I… oh, gods. Sorry. It's just that, you seriously look so much like her."
Saphira shakes her head with a small smile and a faint blush. "It's okay. Family resemblance, I suppose."
"Family res-" Percy starts, looking surprised all over again. "You and Zoe are related?"
"By blood, she is my aunt, but I always saw her as a big sister." Saphira can tell what he's going to say next by his expression. "Please do not apologize for her death. I know who you are, and I know very well what you did for her. I've been wanting to meet you for a long time."
Percy pales some. "F-for what?"
Saphira takes a deep breath before she replies.
"To thank you."
"Thank me?"
"You travelled with her, fought beside her, and you were…" she trails off for a moment to compose herself and stop from crying right then and there. "You were there for her, in her last moments. You were there for her when she took her last breath, something that I couldn't do and it haunts me every day to think about how I wasn't there for the person I loved most."
"Saph, sweetie. It wasn't your fault," Chloe says, giving her a gentle squeeze.
"I know, Chloe. But that doesn't change what I feel," Saphira replies. Her voice chokes up a bit and she clears her throat. Percy is looking at her with sadness, and another emotion that she recognizes, for she knows it all too well herself.
Guilt.
With a shaky breath, he meets her gaze and draws himself up with a newly set look of determination.
"I know we literally just met, but… from this moment onwards, I want you to know that you have an ally with me. Anything you need, don't hesitate to IM me. Okay?" he says.
Saphira tilts her head in confusion. "But, why would you-"
"Because you aren't the only one who feels guilt about what happened to Zoe," he interrupts. "I was there. I watched her as she passed on and I was powerless to do anything about it. She was your sister, and because of the fact that I wasn't able to save her, you lost her. You lost someone you loved and I can never make that right… but gods damn it if I don't try."
By the end of his response, Saphira has lost her battle against her tears as they now stream freely down her face. She never once doubted what was said about him, but now she finally has gotten to see his character in person, to see the man who made even Artemis change her views on men. Sniffling, she wipes away at her eyes, barely resisting the urge to rush forward and hug him.
"I hope the gods bless your future, Perseus Jackson," she sniffles.
Percy finally smiles at her while Annabeth steps in to slip her arms around his waist, likely trying to comfort him over his guilt.
"Heh. Well, a lot of them hate my guts, so that's not likely," he replies as the humor slowly returns to his eyes.
"Then perhaps they could do with an attitude adjustment," Saphira replies. Percy and Annabeth both look a little nervous at the statement, so she moves to reassure them. "Do not worry. They cannot be offended unless I directly address one by name. Besides, Artemis would tear any of them apart should they even think about touching one of her girls."
"If you say so," Annabeth says with a shrug. "Shall we go on our way to get some breakfast?"
"Yes, please!"
Before they can move on, a soft grunt grabs their attention. Lykos is sitting near them with his ears flattened and a glare on his face. He looks a little displeased for some reason.
"Oh, right! We forgot to introduce you," Thalia says. The wolf turns his head away from her, as if to show her his offense at being forgotten about. "Sorry. Percy, Annie, this is Lykos, Guardian of the Hunt."
Both demigods look a little perplexed by him. Well, Percy looks perplexed. Annabeth is looking at Lykos as if she were studying a newly discovered artifact.
"Um, isn't he a-" Percy begins.
"Lycanthrope, AKA Wolf of Lycaon, AKA werewolf," Annabeth says for him. "Usually around three hundred pounds or so, four feet at the shoulder, though this one looks a bit smaller. They have jaws that can crush metal and claws that can rip apart a cow. They originated when King Lycaon of Arcadia cut up his son and tried to feed the pieces to Zeus as a test of-"
"Annabeth," Percy interrupts. She looks at him as if she were snapping out of a trance.
"What?"
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what? Oh. I'm rambling. Sorry," she apologizes, though she goes right back to studying Lykos with interest. "Strange. I thought lycanthropes were supposed to be all black in their wolf form. And his eyes… they're yellow. Is he a newly-turned?"
Saphira shakes her head. "No. He simply doesn't consume humans or demigods. Only wolves that do consume have red eyes. As for his pelt… I actually have no idea why he has those spots of white."
"Fascinating," Annabeth murmurs. "Can he understand us? How come he isn't in human form?"
Answering for himself this time, Lykos nods his head in reply to her first question, then looks to Saphira for help in explaining the second.
"He went through a lot since being turned. I don't know exact details, but I do know that he spent quite a lot of time in Tartarus, and that somehow caused him to forget how to transform back," she explains.
Both demigods freeze at the mention of that name and for a moment, they look like their minds are in a very different place. It lasts only for that moment though before they snap out of it.
"Is something wrong?" Saphira asks.
"S-sorry. It's just that name... It brings back some unwanted memories," Percy says. Saphira doesn't miss how his arm pulls Annabeth ever so slightly closer to his side.
"I understand. Well, Lykos has been with us for just over a year now and he is the most loyal protector in the world. You will not find anyone better than him," Saphira says. At this, Lykos straightens his posture, looking as proud as could be.
"In that case, it's nice to meet you, Lykos," Annabeth says. "Now, let's go get some food!"
. . . . . . . .
While she originally couldn't wait to be moving, Saphira now finds herself sighing in relief now that she has been seated in the Mess Hall. She didn't realize just how much she had been aching until Chloe had set her down, and now she takes a moment to relax and let herself unwind. She's at the foot of the lunch table, the edge on her right and Chloe on her left. Thalia opted to sit directly opposite of her with Annabeth beside her and Percy next to Annabeth. Lykos sits on the floor right next to Saphira, something Saphira feels bad for, but given his anatomy, he would have a hard time being able to sit on the table proper. They had grabbed some of the magical plates the camp uses, along with a few drinking glasses.
"In case you don't know how they work, you just think of the meal that you want and it will appear," Percy says to Saphira and Chloe.
Saphira nods her head. "We do know, but thank you."
They each begin requesting their meal. Percy's plate creates for him, several slices of pizza while Annabeth's creates a burger and fries. They smile sheepishly at the rest of them as they dig in.
"After what we've been through, you never know what meal is gonna be your last," Annabeth says with a shrug. A reasonable way of thinking.
Thalia's plate also summons a burger with fries and she doesn't hesitate to begin scarfing it down. "Agreeable as always, Annie," she says around a mouthful of fries.
Saphira and Chloe both take a moment to think about what they want. What is their usual breakfast? Wild fowl eggs made scrambled, bacon made from wild hog, wild blueberries… basically anything wild. A second later, their plates give them matching helpings of just all that. Saphira sticks her fork into the hog bacon first and takes a bite. It tastes exactly like how Chloe makes it and she can't help but hum happily at the taste.
"That looks pretty good," Percy comments.
"Hunt food always is," Saphira replies without waiting to swallow. She eats with an attitude that rivals the demigods around her, really feeling her hunger now.
A soft whine from Lykos makes her glance at him, his plate empty with a frown. Is he having trouble making it work?
"Huh. Guess it only works for people who uh, look human or something," Percy says.
"We can try to think of your meal for you," Annabeth suggests. Lykos nods pleadingly.
Percy chuckles. "Alright. How does barbeque ribs sound to you?"
Lykos tilts his head in a questioning manner, making a small noise of confusion.
"Do you not know what that is? Oh man. Lykos, I am about to change your life forever." The son of the sea looks at Lykos' plate, and a moment after, a large pile of long, meaty ribs appears, covered in a strange dark, sweet-smelling sauce. Lykos frowns at the new sight, soft rumbles of curiosity emitting from his chest. He leans forward to take a tentative sniff of this offering, and that's when he suddenly lunges forward with a snap of jaws, startling everyone else at the table, including Saphira. Ribs crunch and snap, disappearing into his belly. In a matter of seconds, his entire plate is completely clear of ribs. Lykos licks his muzzle clean and regards Percy with a look of appreciation and huffs, gesturing at the plate with his head.
"I'm guessing that means you want more?"
Lykos nods. Percy laughs and obliges. The next second, Lykos is scarfing down another helping, this time going at it with a little more self-control.
"Amazing. We finally found someone with a bigger appetite than you two," Annabeth says, elbowing Percy and Thalia.
"Well, what can we say? Lykos is freakin' two hundred and fifty pounds of carnivorous beast. This is just an appetizer to him," Thalia says as she munches on her burger.
Chloe places a few of her bacon strips on Lykos' plate, taking a moment to give him a scratch on the forehead before resuming her meal.
They continue to eat in peace. They laugh as they tell each other old stories, share experiences, and talk about their plans for the future. Despite everything that has happened, Saphira can't help but feel at ease among them. Annabeth and Percy are just easy to get along with and be comfortable around them. They're honest and kind and… Saphira just feels like she can relate to them in some ways.
"You know, for being someone born in ancient times and having lived with the Hunt all this time, you speak pretty good modern English, Saphira," Annabeth comments.
"Thank you," Saphira accepts her compliment. "I learned from many of the newer girls in the Hunt, as well as reading modern literature every now and again."
Wisdom's daughter perks up and her eyes brighten with interest. "You have books in the Hunt?"
Saphira nods while Thalia replies.
"Well we have to have something to do when we're not hunting or fighting monsters. We do have lives, you know."
"Yes. Aside from books, we do also have games like Chess and-"
"Chess?" Annabeth interrupts. She sounds excited, like a child who had just been given a new toy. "You play chess?!"
Saphira nods and Wisdom's daughter looks ecstatic.
"We have to play sometime! I'm dying for a challenge," she squeals. "Percy is awful at it and hates playing with me."
"How am I supposed to beat a daughter of the goddess of strategy at chess?" Percy grumbles.
"If you at least put a tiny bit more thought into your moves-" Annabeth starts, but Percy cuts her off with an offer of a bite of his pizza, which she accepts.
Saphira relishes the moment. Her closest companions and new friends, enjoying a meal together. She wishes life could always be this way, but deep down, she cannot shake the nagging feeling of dread. It's been with her ever since they found Asteria in that park. Something is going on, something huge, something that perhaps not even all heroes together may be powerful enough to stop. She can feel it in her blood. She prays she's wrong, but something tells her that this moment of peace is going to be a rare kind from here on out.
She just hopes that at the very least, they come out of this mess alive.
A/N
So that wraps another chapter. I do have something to address from a review that was left recently. To the person who dislikes the story's direction:
In this series, Percy and the rest of Riordan's cast will remain as they are, as he made them to be. It has been planned from the beginning to be a part of the already-set world created by Riordan. This series takes place right after the war with Gaea and the quest of the Seven. It was always planned to be centered around the OCs as they interact with that setting. I know there are a lot of people who like messing with Riordan's characters and mixing them up some in most Chaos stories (making Percy a son of a primordial or making Annabeth leave him, etc). I also like reading those stories, but there are a lot of them. I wanted to try to do something different.
I know not everyone likes OC stories and that's fine. I knew going into this, that it would not be something everyone enjoys and I'm honestly so surprised and thrilled to see how many do enjoy it the way it is... but everyone has their own tastes and I expected that some would take issue with this series' direction. Nevertheless, I want to do something I have not seen to be done before, and I am choosing to keep the story on that path.
I can only hope that perhaps you might end up liking this after all. If not, that is okay, and I hope that there will be other writers who can produce what you're looking for should that be the case.