The next few days pass in a blur. Percy follows Luke to different classes, he starts teaching her Ancient Greek, and she attempts to use the tools in the arts and crafts room to hollow out her horn. It doesn't work very well at first, but Luke is quick to step in and show her how to do it properly.
Most of the other campers are really nice, but she sticks close to Luke when they pass the Ares kids, they often jump at her, sneering and laughing when she flinches behind him. "Oooh is the little baby scared?" they tease, but Luke quickly steps in between, and they back down. They may be children of the god of war, but Luke's ability with the blade is unparalleled.
Something which he is trying, and failing to pass on to her.
"Tip of the blade a bit higher Perce, Yeah that's it," He coaches her. But her tiny flutters of pride are quickly squashed as his blade flips over her own and wrenches it from her grip. "That was better, I think a couple more goes and you might get it!" He encourages, but she shakes her head, "it's no good Luke! I can't do anything! I know everyone's trying to guess who my parent is, but what if they're nobody? What if they're some little baby river god or something lame? The only thing here I can actually do is canoeing! Like that's particularly useful when you're fighting for your life!" She throws her hands up and sulks over to the arena doors, avoiding looking at Luke.
"Just… forget it. I don't belong here. Chiron can phone Larissa to come pick me up, ok?" Then she leaves, ignoring him calling after her as she runs towards Cabin Eleven.
Sneaking in past a sleeping daughter of Hermes, she tiptoes over to her sleeping bag, stuffing her stuff inside, grabbing her freshly hollow'd horn, and then sneaking back out. She sees Luke in the distance, leaving the arena and looking around wildly. Looking for her.
But she doesn't feel up for the pep talk he'll surely give her, so she ducks behind the cabin and sits, staring at the edge of the forest. She's near a thinning in the trees, and through the greenery, she can see the beach. Something about the sight of the ocean calls to her, pulling her away from the safety of the cabins.
She steps into the treeline.
Instantly a hush falls over her, the birds go quiet and light wind stops.
She goes deeper.
Whatever had been calling her, it wasn't the ocean, because now she's headed away from the beach and further into the dense trees. But still, she follows the pull.
She walks for what feels like hours, climbing over rocks, jumping over roots, deeper and deeper. Any sounds of the camp have long since disappeared, and she can only just barely hear the crashing of waves on the beach.
It's gotten dark now, and a thick fog rolls in, but despite not being able to clearly see her feet, she continues on, following the pull, tripping and stumbling her way forwards.
She pauses by a great big tree, it's huge trunk so wide that even hugging it her arms don't go around more than halfway. It's so tall that, looking up, she can't see the top. She sits on one of the massive gnarly roots which sprawl out from the base of the tree like fingers, crooked evil fingers, beckoning young children closer to be snatched up and thrown in the fire!
She's very tired, maybe if she just rests her eyes for a moment, then she can keep going. Just for a moment.
"The woods are dangerous" Annabeth's voice rings in her mind. But she's been walking for hours, and nothing's hurt her apart from blisters. Maybe they were just making it all up. It's all just one big elaborate prank.
But why?
Why would they want to prank some orphan nobody like her? Who would be so cruel? Luke wouldn't do that, surely not. He's been acting like a protective older brother the last couple of days, and she's been really enjoying having someone care about her like that. Sure she's had foster brothers in the past, but none of them really cared. None of them tried to care.
They all knew that they'd eventually move. The system never lets them stay in one place long enough to build friendships, let alone a family. And eventually, you learn not to care. Caring just makes the pain worse when you have to leave.
Something that she'd forgotten in her brief excitement at being a demigod. She'd thought she'd found somewhere permanent. Somewhere she could call home. Someone she could call home. Even if she'd only known him a few days.
He's been looking after her, checking in on her, making sure she's gotten enough food, sharing his t-shirts, because the ones at the camp store are a horrible fabric that make her skin itch, and he's been trying to teach her how to use a sword.
Unfortunately, it's that last thing that's causing most of her problems.
She can barely pick it up sometimes, and when she can, she struggles to hold it steady, the blade shaking as her arms tremble with the effort.
Luke seems to think that, the more she swings the bloody thing around, the stronger her arms will get, and so the better she'll be able to hold it. But, although in theory she would agree, in practice, it seems to be having the opposite effect. Every time she tries to pick it up, the thing feels heavier, as if it's purposely making it harder for her. But it's just a dumb sword, it can't do that… right?
A bright flash of green distracts her.
She stands up, cautiously eyeing the soft light through the trees. Is it something dangerous? Surely if something wanted to eat her it wouldn't announce itself, right?
Warily, she approaches, taking care with where she places her feet to not snap any twigs and give away her presence.
She stops just within the treeline of a small clearing. The glowing light is coming from a sword, hovering in mid air, gently bobbing as a golden ribbon twists and turns around it.
There's no one else around.
Slowly, she steps out of the trees, looking around tensely, waiting for something to jump out of the bushes, but nothing does, and she approaches the floating sword.
Reaching out a hand to touch it, but quickly withdrawing it as an intense heat meets her fingertips. She circles the sword curiously, why is it here? How is it floating? How long has it been here for?
There's writing down the side of the blade, and she thinks it says 'Anaklusmos',
"Riptide."
The sword starts glowing even stronger, a brilliant golden light filling the air as the ribbon starts swirling around her, in between her legs and through her hair. The light pulsates, and it takes her a few moments to realize it's beating in time with her heart, the rhythmic glowing growing stronger with each steady pump.
She reaches out to grasp the hilt, and this time, there is no heat, just a pleasant feeling of right as the pummel of the sword fits gently into her hands.
This, this is her sword.
Riptide.
~~~~~
"Wakey wakey little girl," a gravelly voice drawls threateningly. Percy keeps her eyes clenched shut. "Come on, open those pretty little eyes for the King of Wolves darling." The man teases, "it's rude to keep your King waiting!" His voice snaps directly in her ear, making her eyes shoot open as she attempts to twist away, but his hand shoots out and grasps her in a firm grip, nails feeling like claws as they dig into her shoulder.
His golden eyes stare directly into her own as a foul breath from yellowing teeth assaults her nose.
"There we go my Pretty, much better." She tries to look away but his other hand grasps her firmly by the chin, forcing her to look at him as he examines her face.
"Eh, you'll do."
Then he picks her up and throws her over his shoulder, marching into the trees as she tries to wriggle out of his firm grip. But matter how much she fights, pummeling his stomach with her feet and his back with her fists, he doesn't set her down, nor can she force herself free.
"Enough of that my Pretty, you'll meet the rest of the pack soon enough, and you've picked a lucky night to be wandering around in these woods! Tonight's the full moon, perfect for our little introduction ceremony!"
"Luke!" she screams, hoping that he'll hear her. "Luke!"
"None of that now Pretty, they won't hear you from here anyways, you left the borders quite a while back." His voice cuts into her, oh how could she be so stupid. Annabeth told her that the woods were dangerous, and Luke had said that the barrier isn't as strong, not as noticeable when you pass through it. Oh why didn't she listen?
"Luke!" please come, "Luke!" Please save me, "Luke!" I need you.
"You can scream as loud as you like Pretty, won't change anything. They're too far away, no one's coming to save you. You're alone out here." His voice is mocking "all alone with the big bad wolf."
They erupt into another clearing, and she can hear a mix of laughter and barking dogs, which turn to excited babble as they approach.
"Sire! You found one!"
"Dinner Time!"
"Boy I sure am hungry, it's been a long time since we've had a good proper demigod for a snack -"
"Silence" he snarls. And they instantly obey.
"This one's not for eating. Tonight we will perform the ceremony! Introduce a new member to our ranks. Thomasson!" He barks, "prepare the circle. Gilweed, fetch the stones, and Gunders, retrieve the moon-waters. We shall begin at Moon-peak."
Percy listens as people crash out of the clearing, probably to get what they were ordered to, but when the man starts moving again, she gives one strong kick to where she roughly estimates his privates to be.
Her aim was true, and he drops her as he clutches his family jewels.
Rolling away from him, she jumps to her feet, but stops short in her tracks.
The man is straightening up, a sardonic smile on his face, "where'd you think you're going? He snarls softly.
The clearing is filled with a mixture of humans in various states of undress, mostly men, and giant wolves, far larger than any she'd seen in a nature documentary.
"Wh-who are you?" she stutters.
"Wh-who am I?" He mocks.
"I am Lycaon. The Werewolf King."
