A/N Song for this chapter: Epic and Dramatic Neo Classical Music - The Untold 2 Full Album

Chapter 16

Percy Jackson vs Viviane part 2:

Blood in the Water

Annabeth flinched and subconsciously covered her eyes the moment Excalibur plunged through Percy's chest.

A powerful flash coincided with the moment the holy blade clashed with the flesh and for a split second the entire arena was blinded.

The constant rain of Percy's assault had ceased finally. Viviane pulled Excalibur out of the demigod's body. The steel blade sang while blood gushed out of the wound and muddied the water a deep brown.

Without the sword pinning him in place, Percy barely stood straight, like a puppet without strings.

Viviane expectantly stepped back, waiting for Percy Jackson to drop dead.

The demigod's hand twitched. "Gotcha!"

Suddenly all life returned to the demigod's body in one rapid burst and he surged forward, swinging his sword from the ground up in a wide and deadly arc.

Viviane was caught blindside and barely managed to step back in time. It was too late, the sword's upward momentum was faster and a sharp hot pain seared through Viviane's mind. The world turned into a white blurring mess.

The Greek's sword continued its attack and came down, ready to cleave her divine flesh apart.

Viviane couldn't see anything, she could barely think, but she didn't need to. Her left arm automatically moved up in a perfect arc to parry Riptide.

Shocked, the Greek stepped back, creating some distance between herself and the Lady of the Lake

Deep red wisps of blood and divine gold ichor turned into mist when it mixed with water. Spiraling outwards with smoky tendrils from the center, crimson and gold mixing and dancing while changing the once peaceful gray water into an gaping wound.

"People!" Heimdall yelled. "Percy Jackson does it once again! Not only did he survive a fatal attack from the Lady of the Lake, he relentlessly hit back!"

"SILENCE!" Viviane howled, silencing Heimdal with a growl. The Lady of the Lake was clutching her face with her right hand, trying to stop the bleeding yet blood slipped past her fingers like water.

From a distance Percy Jackson just watched the scene unfold, worry etched his face but although he stood still, everyone in the crowd could feel the ocean inside of him, ready to lash out at any moment.

Viviane slowly removed her hand. The beautiful angelic face was scarred by a macabre wound where her right eye used to be. Golden tears poured down into the water.

The gods gasped. Humanity pulled back and froze up.

Red and gold stained her dress, hatred scarred her face. Viviane's expression turned into a thin snarl. She raised her sword in the Greek's direction. "You survived…That shouldn't have happened."

"You attacked my mist clone." her opponent smirked. "Tis but a scratch, but you look like you've seen better days."

Viviane's furious expression turned cold. With a soft voice she spoke. "I heard stories of the Greeks and their tricks," Viviane murmured. The lady sounded disillusioned, disappointed almost. "Odyseus, Theseus, Herakles…" she pointed at the demigod in front of her. "Perseus Jackson. None of them fit to be king."

"Like you gods are," Percy countered. The water around him went still. "I was born under a broken oath. And then they broke their oath again, and again. And now they want to end the world." He glared at the divine side of the audience. "It's time they got what they deserve."

"You mistake me for one of your Olympians." Viviane held Excalibur with both hands in front of her. "Begone with your lies and tricks!" She plunged the sword down into the lakebed.

All at once the lake began to glow a soft green and the arena was cast into a beautiful light.

Above the Greek a ghostly apparition appeared. A woman. Her black dress and ebony hair flowed on an invisible current, her face was impeccable and beautiful but her eyes, oh her eyes ruined it all. They were two burning pits of fierce hatred that no words could fully describe.

Annabeth's hands were shaking, she covered her mouth trying to keep tears from flowing out.

"Oh Percy, what have you done?"

Zeus leaned back in his chair. His expression was stoic, yet underneath it he was boiling. How dare she intervene? She could ruin everything.

Loki cackled and laughed maniacally, he couldn't contain his excitement anymore. This situation was just too good, too perfect. Too chaotic.

"You know what?" Loki gasped between laughs. "I think I am rooting for the demigod."

Brunhilde felt the glare from Athena's daughter from across the arena. Hell, she would have felt it across the world, no doubt. Yet she couldn't help but to smirk madly.

"I'll end you, or die trying," Percy pointed Riptide in Viviane's direction. "That I swear on the Styx."

Thunder roared in the distance.

"Hahahaha," Brunhilde chuckled to herself. "If there's someone out there who hates the gods maybe more than I, it is her."

"I can't believe it." Göll's hands were shaking. "The Styx!?"

Brunhilde smiled haughtily. "Twice blessed by the River Styx—his loyalty combined with her hatred of the oath breakers. It's the only way anyone could survive Excalibur."

"B-but it's the Styx!" Göll muttered.

The ghostly apparition gave the crowd a disdainful look. Her eyes met Zeus' and the perfect face contorted into a mask of rage, one shared by her Demigod companion.

The wound on Percy's chest had healed, but a dark scar was left on it, and regardless of Styx's efforts, blood still dripped down his chest and into the lake.

With each drop the water's glow began to dim and weaken. Percy kept bleeding and his blood violently pushed aside the blessed water with cursed blood.

"So this is your Völundr." Viviane straightened herself, regaining her elegance. She waded forward, dragging the sword behind her. "No wonder your world is leaderless and lost." She approached the demigod once more, painting the lake gold.

The image of Styx disappeared and Percy stepped forward, dragging the black murky water with him. "Blah blah blah," Percy mocked. "Why do you decide who's righteous? And based on what? The oath breaking gods you are fighting for? Or is it maybe your dead boyfriend who you can't replace? Some stupid ideal no real person can measure up to?"

"You're going to die for this, Perseus Jackson!" Viviane's eyes darkened. She clenched her fist and ordered the water around Percy to swallow him.

It remained still.

Black water didn't move.

"Yeah, so sorry. That water is off limits, it's mine." Percy grinned.

Viviane's eyes widened with horror.

"Oh god," Göll clasped her mouth. "He's bleeding Styx water. How could you do that to him?"

Brunhilde nodded. "He chose it himself. For his friends, for his family."

"He's DYING!"Göll protested. "He'll bleed his soul empty even if Viviane won't find his weak spot." She turned her teary eyes upon her sister. "You- You're a monster!"

Brunhilde shook her head. "I can't force someone to go into the Styx. This is all him."

Excalibur lit up as Viviane raised it. Unfit to be king, a jester even. Her heart ached a little, she couldn't help but feel bad. There was potential for kingship, yet this diamond, like many before, was just as flawed. Torn by the world around it.

She'd end it here.

Percy stepped forward.

Viviane answered in kind.

And then they both lunged at each other. Excalibur shone brilliantly while the water followed Percy's command and shadowed him.

Riptide and Excalibur clashed and a flash of light followed. Lightning struck near Viviane and almost tore off her arm. Another flash followed just as she parried another strike from the demigod.

From her blindside, the water reached for her, she carefully tried to dance out of the way, shielding herself with Excalibur while also cutting down anything that threatened its territory.

The smell of ozone and the constant assault of rain hindered Viviane's movement. Having only one eye she struggled to follow the demigod who moved like lightning in the rain.

Riptide seemed to come at her from all angles, the Styx's cursed water ate away at her soul while blood soaked water eroded her footing.

She blindly stabbed her sword forward and saw it carve through Percy's calve. Instantly, as it left, the flesh repaired itself.

Not there. Viviane thought to herself, she stepped back and tried to retreat, the Greek however followed her and Riptide swung down.

She had moved out of the way just in time and the sword only cut through some strands of blond hair.

Viviane slammed down Excalibur with all her might and a flash of light exploded around its zone of impact.

The light stripped away the flesh on Percy's forearm and he cried out in pain, yet his flesh was already being repaired by Styx's blessing. He fought through the intense pain and willed the water to grapple Viviane and flung her away.

The Lady of the Lake, by chance, landed into pure water that hadn't been poisoned by the demigod's blood. It broke her fall and allowed her to catch her breath for a second.

Percy struggled towards her. He looked worse for wear now, he was bleeding from more places than one.

"A true king would never poison the very earth he walks," Viviane remarked.

Percy glared at her. "I do whatever it takes for me and my friends to survive, I don't give a dam about your kingship."

"So close…" Viviane lovingly brushed the hilt of the sword. "Yet not it."

The Lady of the Lake stopped her march and came to a standstill in the middle of the lake.

She raised the sword above her head. The moon broke through the clouds and cast the Lady of the Lake in a ghostly light. "Let this world know a true miracle again!"

Light reflected off Excalibur and scattered in all directions, casting dark and light in peculiar and strange patterns. The shadows of people could almost be distinguished from the lake's surface as fractured moonlight danced across it.

Around Viviane and Percy Jackson white walls like holograms rose from the ground. The vague memory of a place long gone seemed to come alive, a moment from ancient history cast into the present like the shadow of a flame.

A castle made of moonlight, straight out of a fairy tale and they were at the heart of it, the throne room.

Ghostly apparitions arose from the water. Flickering mirages of knights, soldiers and heroes of ages long past

"Avalon, I beckon thee." The Lady of the Lake stabbed her sword in Percy's direction. "Rise once more, and put this foul hero to rest."

A/N I wonder what Viviane would've thought of Link.

So yeah, review? Join the Discord or something.

-CaptainMoonShine-