Reyna figured she had a couple seconds before landing to her death.
She wasn't scared of heights, nor was she scared of death. But Reyna hoped that when she slammed onto the rocky ground below, it was an instant trip to the afterlife.
Her mind wandered, wondering what had happened to her. After seeing Leo's unconscious, possibly dead body, something snapped inside her. It was as if something hijacked the driver's seat to her body, forcing her to watch as a passenger. Even her self preservation instincts were thrown out the window. Only one thought echoed in her subconscious.
Eliminate the enemy at any and all cost.
Reyna was frightened by the experience. Sure she managed to slay all the venti in her enraged state, but what did she have to show for it? Coach Hedge was now gone. Leo had been barbecued by a bolt of lightning. And now, she was falling to her death due to her own stupidity.
Reyna thought back to what Dylan said to her, before blasting Leo with a million volts of electricity.
I expected such a trick from the Greeks, but never a Roman. Greek and Roman. What did he mean by that?
You smell more like a half-blood. She remembered Coach telling her.
What the hell is a Half-Blood? It sounds familiar, and yet…Reyna suddenly felt guilty at the thought of the brave faun. He was surely dead.
Not like my fate is any different, Reyna thought. Instead of looking down to see how close she was to her doom, Reyna decided to look up at the sky.
The storm clouds were still above the skywalk, but had begun to dissipate rapidly. If she had missed any venti in her carnage, she doubted they would be dumb enough to stick around. Reyna managed a breathless sigh.
If this is how I die, she thought bitterly, at least I put up a good fight.
Reyna waited for the inevitable. She stared up at the blue sky, blinking more than usual due to the roaring winds. After a couple blinks she saw something. A black silhouette.
At first Reyna thought it was a black spot forming in her vision, or a strand of her hair. The black spot grew bigger. She saw 20 foot wide wings sprouting off a creature that looked exactly like a horse. Two of them, flying next to each other as the winds brushed their lushes mains. Behind the two creatures was a cart with two wheels on the side.
A chariot. Reyna thought. She laughed bitterly to herself. A flying chariot soaring over the Grand Canyon. I have definitely gone insane.
The chariot zoomed closer to her. Reyna could barely see the shape of a teenager in the cart of the chariot, holding the reins to their horses. The wind still roared in her ear, but she managed to make out some words.
"Gotta make it! Gotta make it!"
Reyna watched as the winged horses tuck in their wings and dive straight down. They pierced the air like an arrow, descending down farther than Reyna herself. She risked a look below, then immediately wished she hadn't. She was maybe 200 feet from hitting the hard desert ground. Reyna was so close she could see black scorpions scurrying around the Canyon floor.. The body of water she believed to be a creak, was actually a wide river. Her heart threatened to beat out her chest.
"Hang on!" The teenager yelled. Reyna watched the chariot straighten itself below her, now flying horizontally, aiming to intercept her. She saw a guy with black hair raising his arms up, as if to catch her. This is going to hurt, Reyna thought. She stretched her body and limbs as far as she could in hopes it would make her easier to catch. Reyna clenched her eyes shut and braced herself.
"Oof!" Reyna landed painfully into the guy's arms. The horses whined and the chariot wobbled to the side from the impact. "Hang on! This is going to be close!" The guy managed to grab onto the reins while also holding her, pulling the belt up. The horses neighed in desperation, flapping their wings in a desperate attempt to stop their descent.
Just when Reyna thought they were going to crash into the river, the chariot lifted itself back up into the air. The guy gave a huge sigh of relief as the horses flapped their wings calmly, taking them up the Canyon. He looked down, staring at Reyna with stunning amber eyes.
"You okay?" He asked.
For once, Reyna's mind didn't focus. It stayed in its confused, hazy and panicked state. Her ability to stay calm in stressful situations seemed to have limits. Falling 6,000 feet into the Grand Canyon was clearly past that.
Reyna could only muster a nod.
The guy gave her a comforting smile. "I'm going to set you down next to me." He said, eyeing her carefully. "Will you be able to stand?" Reyna nodded again. "...Okay." The guy let go of the reins and gingerly set her down.
Reyna winced when she stood on the chariot. She felt as if a hot metal rod was propping her left thigh, then stabbing into her flesh.
"Your leg looks pretty bad." He said, "I'll take a look at it when we get to the cliff."
Reyna said nothing. She couldn't even muster the energy to look at him. She would never admit this to anyone, but at that moment, she felt extreme embarrassment. And also a lot of anger, though she wasn't sure why. Was she so egotistical in her past life, that she'd get angry for being saved?
She shook the thought away and looked down at her leg, noticing a terrible burn mark on her thigh. Actually, she had a lot of burn marks on her body. Mostly on her arms. Had she really taken so much damage in her rampage? She knew the venti had managed to hit her a couple times with lightning, but her body had ignored it. Now all she felt was pain.
The two rode together in silence as the chariot approached the cliff. Reyna could tell whoever this guy was, had a lot of questions. But whatever face Reyna was making clearly made him bite his tongue. They landed in front of the museum, where Reyna noticed another chariot parked along the road. The two winged horses kicked at the dry sand, as if disappointed there wasn't any grass to eat.
"Let's get to that bench so I can take a look at your wounds." He said, stepping out of the chariot. Reyna wanted to deny his offer and say that she was fine. Then the burning pain in her leg quickly shot the idea down.
"My friends." Reyna said, surprising herself. She said the word so easily, she almost believed Piper and Leo had been her friends for years. "They're still–"
"They're okay." The guy gave her an encouraging look, "They're being cared for as we speak." He offered her his hand, as if to guide her to the bench like she were some crippled grandmother. Reyna ignored the gesture. She struggled off the chariot and limped towards the bench. Reyna sat down with a groan.
"My name is Angel, by the way." The guy said as he approached her. He knelt in front of her and inspected her wounds. Reyna resisted snorting in amusement. Of course the guy who comes to save her from falling to her death was named Angel. "Man, you took quite the beating." He muttered, examining the bruises on her arms.
Reyna let out a scoff. A beating is putting it lightly.
"You should see the storm spirits." Reyna said.
"Don't need to." Angel said with a knowing look. "That gold dust you're covered in tells me everything I need to know." He returned to his work, pulling out ointment and bandages from a pouch he had on his hip, and began applying it to her wounds.
After the quick and calming ride on the chariot, Reyna's mind finally calmed itself from the mini panic attack she managed to suppress.
She watched Angel with an analyzing stare. He didn't look very intimidating at first glance. His black curly hair looked poofy, almost like a black storm cloud. His jawline and chin were sharp like glass, his tanned skin rough and calloused. Angel wore a black hoodie with an orange shirt underneath, along with black jeans and white high top sneakers. His eyes were what really caught Reyna's attention. Inside his amber pupils, she could see tiny flames, dancing like campfires. She suddenly found herself comfortable around the guy.
"I'm Reyna." Reyna said before she could stop herself. Suddenly, her body felt like a blob of jello, as if the adrenaline she had during the fight finally subsided. She fought back the urge to curl into a ball and fall asleep on the bench.
"Reina?" Angel asked, "You mean like, queen in spanish?" Reyna narrowed her eyes at him, not sure why his comment annoyed her.
"It's spelled with a Y." Reyna remembered, "And yes, it's spanish for queen. Is that a problem?"
He shrugged and gave her the same comforting smile. "Not at all. Just curious." He finished tying a knot on her bandages, keeping them in place. Reyna looked down. Both her arms were mostly covered by white bandages while her leg had a sticky pad with ointment.
"I hope we don't always meet like this. You know, with me having to bandage you up and all." Angel said.
Reyna wasn't sure what to say. "Why do I feel so–"
"Tired?" Angel offered, "Maybe it has to do with the fact that you slayed over 20 Anemoi on your own. You're exhausted and injured. Of course you're tired."
That was not the answer Reyna was looking for.
Why do I feel so comfortable around you? She wanted to say.
"Anemoi?" Reyna asked instead.
"Ánemoi Thúellai." Angel said again, "Storm spirits. That's what they're called."
Reyna shook her head. "No. Storm spirits are called Venti."
"That's the Roman term." Angel said after a moment, "How much do you know?"
"Not a lot." Reyna admitted. She found herself explaining her situation to him. She told him of her lost memories, about Dylan mentioning Greeks and Romans, and that Hedge called her a Half-Blood.
"Half-bloods are demigods. Half human, half god." Angel explained, "If the coach called you a Half-blood, then you're definitely a demigod. Though, I'm not sure what that Anemoi meant by the Greek and Roman part…"
"One of my parents is God…?" Reyna asked slowly. This had to be some kind of cruel joke.
"Not the Christian God." Angel corrected, "A god, from Greek mythology." He paused. "Well, not mythology. Because these gods are real."
"The Christian God isn't?" Reyna asked.
Angel looked nervous. "I'm…not the right person to answer that." He looked around, "Where's the coach anyway? He was on guard duty. He wouldn't miss a battle like this."
"Hedge was captured.." Reyna said. Her chest suddenly felt heavy with guilt. "A venti–storm spirit, one of them took him." Angel clicked his tongue. Before he could say anything, they heard a voice call out to him.
"Hey, Angel." Reyna looked up. Immediately her body tensed again. In front of her stood a tall and bulky dark skinned guy. His head was completely shaved of hair and his face looked like a Mississippi Mud pie. He wore a bronze chest plate, revealing a rainbow tattoo on his left arm. Reyna thought that a little strange.
"Just wanted to warn you that Annabeth is on her way. I don't see Percy around, so…" The guy turned to look at Reyna. He grunted and gave her an upwards nod. "Hey, the name's Butch." He said.
Reyna nodded back apprehensively.
"Thanks for the heads up Butch." Angel said, "Any news on the other two?"
"Oh yeah, you gotta check this out." Butch said. He pointed ahead, revealing Leo laying on another bench. He was still unconscious, with Piper sitting at his side. "It's Leo. He's…" Butch paused, "He's not looking too good."
"Leo…?" A wave of emotions flashed in Angel's eyes.
Reyna didn't waste time and made her way towards the two who fought at her side. The pain in her leg was a little more tolerable, but she still had a limp. Reyna ignored Angel's protest of being careful of her leg. Piper looked miserable and guilt-ridden. She placed a cold rag on Leo's head, as if to soothe him.
"Piper!" Reyna yelled, getting the girl's attention.
"Reyna?" Piper mumbled. She looked up, her kaleidoscope eyes brightened. "Oh god! It really is you! You're alive!" Piper rose from her seat and tackled Reyna into a hug. "When I saw you being blasted over the Canyon, I thought–" Piper's sentence trailed off, leaving her in a mess of sobs and sniffles.
Reyna wasn't sure how to react. She knew immediately by her uncomfortableness that she hadn't had much physical intimacy with others in her life. Reyna resorted to patting the girls back
"I'm sorry I wasn't more helpful." Piper whispered, "If I hadn't frozen up like I did, maybe Leo wouldn't be—"
"Piper, it wasn't your fault. Leo did a brave thing. Good fortune comes to those who are brave. He'll make it through this." Reyna couldn't explain why she felt so sure of her answer. She felt as if she had quoted someone, but didn't know who.
"His vitals are stable." Angel called, causing both girls to look back at Leo. Reyna watched as Angel held a hand over Leo's forehead, a small flame floated over his palm.
He gave a sigh of relief, a smile tugging at his lips. "The lightning rod must've absorbed most of the electricity. Since the rod wasn't grounded to anything it overloaded and exploded in his face."
"How is that good news?" Reyna asked exasperatedly, "The explosion still would've –"
"No, you don't understand. Leo is resistant to heat and fire." Angel said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He's a demigod, like you. Except his father is Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths and fire."
"Hephaestus?" Reyna said, "I think you mean Vulcan. He's the god of blacksmiths and volcanoes."
Angel gave her a strange look, "How do you know that name?"
"I'm not just…appeared in my head." Reyna winced and held a hand to her face. She needed to change the subject off her.
"If Leo is immune to fire, why did the explosion knock him out?" Piper asked, giving her a look. Reyna was surprised at how good they were at reading each other's expressions. Maybe they had known each other before she woke up on that bus.
"He just has a concussion from the blast. He'll be fine. Just needs rest." Angel said, now examining Leo again.
"Incoming!" Butch barked, pointing up at the sky. Reyna looked up to see a third chariot approaching. This one was driven by a girl with curly blonde hair, tied in a messy ponytail. She wore an orange T-shirt with the letters CHB on it, with ripped jeans and sneakers. The incoming blonde had desperate hopefulness in her stormy gray eyes. It made Reyna nervous. Desperate people were dangerous.
The girl jumped from the chariot before it could land. She stormed towards Reyna with fiery resolve, and drew a knife from the sheathe at her hip. Reyna tensed and grabbed the gold coin in her pocket. Something about this girl screamed, enemy, in Reyna's mind. The dagger in her hand might've had something to do with it, but Reyna knew it was far worse than that.
"Where is he?" The blonde girl demanded getting into striking distance. Reyna pushed Piper behind her and summoned her golden gladius.
"Watch where you point that toothpick." Reyna snarled.
"Woah, easy you two." Angel yelled, getting between them. "We're on the same side. We have to talk and figure out what's going on." Reyna felt compelled to listen to him. She didn't drop her sword, but now strongly considered diplomacy. Reyna slowly lowered her gladius. The blond egirl did the same with her dagger.
"Where is who?" Reyna asked. The blonde girl frowned, like her answer was unacceptable. She decided to turn her gaze to Piper.
"What about Hedge? Where's your protector, Gleeson Hedge?" She demanded.
"His first name was Gleeson?" Piper asked. The blonde looked at the verge of exploding.
"He was taken by the storm spirits. A venti." Reyna said, deciding to step in. The girl's annoyed face fell, instead raising an eyebrow.
"You mean-"
"Reyna prefers the roman terms." Angel said, glancing nervously at her. "I think I should tell you what happened here." Reyna stayed silent while Angel told the girl, apparently named Annabeth, what she told him. Piper went back to making sure Leo was comfortable. Butch joined her and made sure he didn't have any unknown injuries. Reyna watched Annabeth send skeptical glances at her, as if she couldn't be trusted. When Angel finished, Annabeth didn't look satisfied.
"That's it? That can't be it!" She exclaimed, "She told me he'd be here! If I came out here I'd find the answers!"
"Annabeth, you know the gods are vague by what they mean." Angel tried to reassure. "You'll find the solution to all this. You'll find Percy."
"Hey Annabeth." Butch said, "Check it out." Reyna followed where his finger was pointing. She looked down, looking at her feet. She was missing one of her hiking boots. Reyna hadn't realized until just now. It must've flown off after being flung into the Canyon.
"The demigod with one shoe." Butch continued. "It's gotta be her."
"No, Butch. She can't be. I was tricked!" Annabeth glared angrily at the sky, as if it offended her somehow. "What have you done to him?!" She screamed, "What is it you want from me? What more will you take from me?!"
"Annabeth, we should go." Angel said, "Let's get these three to camp, and we'll figure things out there. Where it's safe." Annabeth huffed in annoyance. She sheathed her dagger.
"Fine." She said, then sending a glare towards Reyna. "We'll settle this later." Reyna met Annabeth's glare with her own in a silent battle of wits. Annabeth fumed and averted her gaze. She got on her chariot and took off without uttering another word.
"Butch, you take Leo." Angel said with a heavy sigh. The bald dude nodded. "You two can come with me. I'll explain everything on the way."
A/N:
I hope everyone reading is enjoying the story.
I recently finished the entire HOO series and after seeing Reyna's POV in BOO I felt the need to write a story with her. Jason was pretty disappointing tbh, which made me want to replace him with Reyna. He was kind of cool in The Lost Hero, his introduction was good. Then in Mark of Athena, he does nothing. He gets knocked out at least three times, maybe four. Blood of Olympus was a little better, but he's out of commission for the first half of the book. I find Reyna a way more compelling character, I want to extend her story more.
I'm relying a lot on the original source material but trying to put my own spin on things. I'm open to any constructive criticism like if my pacing is too slow or fast, or if my characters sound unnatural, stuff like that.