The Legend of Percy: Book 2 - Through Grief

14. Opening Up a Bit (Confessions of a Concussed Mind and an Annoying Animal)

Percy saw Azula doing the lightning thing she did and it shocked him.

Heh.

It'd just been a spar for him, but apparently not for the princess.

He let the water flow around and over him, watching it crash down on the girl right as the lightning leapt up and through the water. The demigod still stood within the back of the wave so the electricity wrapped itself around him.

Percy felt it. He definitely felt it. Though it wasn't unlike anything the Grace siblings had thrown at him over the years. Only not as powerful. Once the wave had passed, and he still felt the electricity coursing through him, he stabbed his sword into the ground.

Almost as quickly as it had come over him, he felt the electricity leave through his feet and sword.

He stood up, stumbling slightly, to see the princess laying quite a way down the sandy riverbed, unmoving. His own clothes had scorch marks few and far between, thanks to the water not actually touching his body as it came over him. All of that water that he'd thrown out of the river flushed around the two of them, back into place.

Percy's stilted walk took him over to the unconscious girl. The demigod quickly felt for her pulse, feeling that she was most certainly still alive. He put his hand above her mouth and felt breaths coming out.

At least she's alive.

He looked over her form, then back at their surroundings.

Well, I guess this is probably what would've happened if Chiron didn't intervene. Or if the Oracle hadn't interrupted. He laughed to himself slightly. Although Thalia's might've hurt a bit more, I reckon I still would've won.

The boy picked up the princess before walking over to the river. Her limp body, soaked clothes and armour not helping at all in his efforts. With barely a thought, the beginnings of a small, open canoe made of ice sprung out of the river. He pulled the boat over to the side and stepped on it.

Holding what was practically a curved sheet of ice in place, he laid the princess down on one end. The demigod took off his shirt and placed it next to her, lifting her onto it and hoping that the small difference in warmth would help. Then he slowly let the ice trundle down river.

Looking ahead, he saw his main problem. The rapids.

Well, there's an easy way to not have to go through them.

He held back the river. Letting the water beat against the tug in his gut. Whilst doing that, he pulled water around the sides and turned his sheet into more of a hull, just for better protection. Percy also thickened the ice under the two of them.

Just go over them.

It was child's play compared to being back on that beach against Ares. He was mostly fully fit and it was also not the ocean. The sea was much more untamed than a smallish river. Not to mention he'd grown so much since then.

He felt himself rise up, as the water level dropped away from the rocks exposing much more jagged spires below.

With a wave of his hand, he pushed the water under him forward, moving his ice ship along behind the crest of the wave. The small canoe-like vessel tipped skywards and he had a light tussle with the water to hold them straight.

Percy felt water hitting and crashing over the rocks below and with every second, they got closer to the lake.

With a huge splash, his wave dispersed out into the main body of water and his little ship flew out into the deeper section of the lake. The princess looked unmoved, which was his main priority with that little stunt.