Chapter 8:
Memento Mori
Percy couldn't exactly recall falling asleep. At this point he suspected his mind would never allow himself to fall into slumber. Considering the things he'd seen and read the past two days he assumed sleep would be but a distant dream.
Despite this, at some point during his journey across the endless ocean on a lofty raft, the dark starless night lulled him into sleep.
And with sleep came the screaming.
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Throughout his life as a demigod he had experienced his fair share of nightmares; both normal ones and visions of the past, present, and future.
His prior experience could not have prepared him for the cacophony of voices that assaulted his senses the moment his eyes closed.
They were screaming a name, a concept. Was it his?
Visions crashed down on him, multiple at the same time. Each only lasting a split second yet they all felt equally real.
If Percyc could scream he would have joined the chorus of hopeless cries but his body wasn't his own.
He was a crazed soldier hunting down survivors with his squad. He looked at the head of the team, a young man that smelled like spoiled wine. He had the same crazed look he had. He pointed at a farmhouse in the distance. With a smile he gave the command to shoot. Panic screams emerged from the house.
Before there was any time to process that his life was replaced with the one of someone elsel A kid of 5, shaking his mommies arm and begging her to get up, only for her mom's eyes to fall out of their sockets.
The vision shifted once again. She was sitting in a helicopter, below her there was a large collection of tents, cries and despair could be felt. But she had no time to focus on those lingering feelings, instead she had to deliver the weapons as she was told. The helicopter levelled itself against a massive wall. Then it happened.
The complex of dam systems, high up in the Swiss mountains were obliterated by a set of green explosions. At the foot of the mountain a refugee camp was being washed away by the newly released water.
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With a gasp the young demigod woke up.
He opened his mouth to let out a scream, only to find himself wondering why he felt like screaming.
He felt distant memories lingering below the surface, deliberately pushing themselves as far away from him as he could. Memories that felt like a dream.
He frowned but as he started to wake fully the confused feeling slipped away until nothing was left besides a funny feeling Percy could not describe.
The raft stopped moving. Percy drew his gaze away from the early morning sky and directed his gaze down.
The pure deep blue water had been replaced by a more muddy, see through, substance that showed a layer of sand right under him.
A familiar looking beach greeted his eyes. It almost glowed magically in the light and shadows of the rising sun.
Percy's feet dug into the sand, sinking halfway before rising.
Like a moth entranced by a lamppost Percy took another step without looking down. Without saying a word Percy moved forward over the empty beach until-
Splash.
A reddish-almost black liquid drew across his pants.
He kept walking, ignoring the splash every step made as he crossed the red stained hillside.
Flies buzzed around his head while he kept marching forward. A silent buzz started to blank out his mind.
Faces with empty looks stared into nothingness as he passed straight past them.
Without any effort at all Percy walked past a torn down barricade.
He barely registered the smell that was present everywhere, just like the flies.
He stepped onto something hard; he refused to look down or to stop moving forward.
Around him swords and spears had been struck down in the ground, their blades looking like macaber versions of crosses.
The eerie silence, only broken by the sound of flies, was slowly making him feel sick.
In silence he pleaded for someone to run out of the cabins, for someone to get up and tell him a joke.
Only the echo of his footsteps accompanied him.
Percy finally stopped when he reached the center of camp.
His feet were wet, maggots were headbutting against his shoes while a smell tried to blind all his senses.
He narrowed his attention to the Hearth of Camp Halfblood. Or what used to be the hearth.
Now it looked like the remains of a big bonfire, or maybe a pyre. It must have been built some time ago as dust had managed to gather on top of the remains.
Along the edges of the fiery remains he could detect blackened weapons, charred bones, flags taken from the cabins and half burned Dracme.
A message was written with graffiti, unceremoniously sprayed onto the marble floor.
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In memory of the heroes that have fallen,
Betrayed by those they fought for,
Memento Mori.
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Percy started to vomit.
The maggots rejoiced.
A/N Man, I just love writing fluff. Also, if people have suggestions for how the Olympians would destroy the world, be free to share it and it might be a detail in this story!
Or not, I am not at all desperate for attention.
-CaptainMoonShine-