Drowning in the Siren's Song

Chapter 10

The trio left the reserve on the 4th day when the sun was high and shining cheerfully unlike the somber mood of the demigods. The seemed reluctant to part, yet an air of excitement wafted in the air. He guessed it came from the temptation of discovering the Camp and starting a new life. It was a feeling he'd experience before. 

Though he had his own opinions, he didn't want to force his ideals on them, so he'd keep quiet about why he'd refused to accompany them, instead sharing in their eagerness with a silent smile. The only opinions that mattered in a decision were their own. 

He prepped them with plenty of medicine, food and tips, and additionally, Luke was going to nitpick the stores again for the rest of necessities. They were well-prepared and well-rested, easing his worries a little. 

They'd promised to meet again, somewhere or sometime, By only Percy knew that chance was the only way he would see his friends again. After a few melancholic words of farewell, they were gone, leaving him in the calm loneliness of the reserve by himself. Suddenly, the forest seemed deafening. It was broken quite quickly though, when the naiads challenged him to a water- fight. He was sad, but happy for them as well. 

His days went on quietly, the unexpected visit leaving barely any impact on his original routine, except for the fact that he got more sleep the following days. Though there was the time when he was almost found out by the forest rangers.

He was on a 'mission'. A request of Delilah's he'd put off due to the company of the demigods. He was supposed to check on a fungus which was spreading in a part of the reserve and try ot eradicate it. He had encountered a sick dryad, but she had insisted that it was nothing so he'd ignored the red flag, something he regretted. 

Unknowing to him, she had passed due to the fungus eating her from inside, and had considered it an illness from age, but after her tree collapsed it started growing on the nearby plants as well. It wasn't a good situation, and he was grateful for Delilah to bring it to his attention. He didn't want any more nature spirits to suffer.

After observing the fungi for a while, he realized that it could be treated with vinegar, and decided to swipe some from the store. He didn't want to go outside, but if he put off treating the fungus, a lot more dryads could be in pain. 

He had gone and come back without incident, and just as he was spraying the diluted vinegar, he realized that jeeps were coming in that direction. Since he had taken time to react to the message, it must've been unusual to them. Either he didn't know how to treat the fungus, or he hadn't gotten the message. He figured they were there to research it themselves.

Though he appreciated their desire to help the reserve, their timing could've been better. He had to quickly gather his items and scramble up a tall tree, hiding clumsily behind a curtain of aerial roots. Fortunately, his clothes were also in dull shades of brown and black, helping him blend in better.

Still as a statue, he watched them poke at the plants, surprised to find a liquid spread on the white spots. He held in his laugh as they pondered and wondered what it was, when finally someone with a working brain realized that it had been him. 

It was the first time he was seeing the the rangers so up close, and boy, was he surprised. The mood had immediately turned cheery and relaxed. The scientist who was hovering around the plants and fretting over then was wiping off his sweat and the rangers were already getting the jeep started to return. 

He was completely dumfounded. They trusted so much? It was almost dizzying. 

He was so surprised that he flinched and almost lost his precarious footing. He grabbed onto a hanging root to stop himself from falling, but ended up causing the branches to rustle, dragging the attention of one of the men. It was very subtle, easy to mistake as a breeze, but someone there had sharp ears.

He looked up, his eyes scanning the tree on which he was perched, looking closely. Thankfully, his gaze passed over him easily, instead settling on Keria who was seated on a branch next to him. She chirped loudly, as if asking him 'so what?'. He was going to have to reward his little companion, he decided, controlling himself from breathing a sigh of relief when the ranger left, climbing into the jeep without another thought. 

It had been a while since he'd felt so anxious. Because of his wonderful father and step-father, he felt a sense of revulsion whenever he encountered a man. All the stories he'd heard from Oak and the nymphs also gave a very good idea of how men behaved. The times may be different, but he didn't really have a good impression of them on a first-hand basis. 

His feeling of repulsion on sight plus the fear of getting discovered by the ranger lasted only for a minute, but it severely drained him mentally. He almost dropped from the tree when his muscles relaxed involuntarily, making him aware of how tense he'd been. 

He was thankful when he spotted a dryad nearby, who was smiling sympathetically at him. Even Keria, who had healed enough to fly, came over and sat on his shoulder, pecking his ear affectionately. He patted her gently and climbed down the tree, making sure that the rangers had all left.

Quickly, he left, going the opposite direction, going deep into the woods where there were no muddy roads and no chance of meeting anyone. It wasn't a very big deal, but the possible threat of being known and maybe forced out of the reserve had shaken him to the point where fear surged in him like waves. His rational side would calm himself but his anxiety would take over and the cycle continued. 

He finally stopped running, noticing that he was completely covered in cuts and bruises. Living in a place filled with branches and twigs and stones obviously brought him some levels of pain, but he usually was mindful enough to step carefully, yet this time, he'd not bothered at all. 

Keria, who had followed after him in the air, landed on his head, making it really look like a nest. Her foot had healed significantly, enough to grip his hair and making him wince when her sharp talons dug in deeper. 

He swatted her, trying to get rid of her, but when she revealed her stubborn side, her grabbed her with a agile hand, making her squawk indignantly. "You asked for it." He defended himself unconsciously, intimidated by her blue eyes which glared at him.

Ah. He realized what she was up to. She was distracting him, the little rascal. He suddenly felt like squishing her to his chest, but repressed it, knowing that she wouldn't like it. She was a wild bird, through and through, who had simply decided that he was worth her time. 

He was thankful.