𝒫𝑒𝓇𝒸𝓎 𝒥𝒶𝒸𝓀𝓈𝑜𝓃 - 𝒱𝒶𝓂𝓅𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒹𝒾𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈

Chapter 8

*Previously*

Whatever was behind me made no move, like it was waiting for this. So went with option number three.

"Go, I don't care what or who you are. Leave now"

With my back still to the shadow, I put as much snarl and menace into my voice as possible. My hand drifted to my pocket for the second time that day.

"Oh I don't think so"

POV Percy Jackson

The voice was cold and, menacing was an understatement. He sounded like I was personally responsible for the death of his grandma. Hey, I'm a lot of things but not a granny killer! Well actually as I think back I have killed a lot of monsters posing as elderly people, and technically most of the monsters are thousands of years old making them...... Stupid DEMIGOD BRAIN!

I took a deep breath, the suddenly cold night allowing for my breath to be seen as a whimsical cloud of white vapour. The man still made no move, my fingers were getting tingly and were itching for riptide. I knew I couldn't just swing around with my sword and stab freely but I really wanted to.

With my hand firmly gripped around Riptide, I slowly turned around.

The man in front of me was pale, with black slightly dishevelled hair and piercing blue eyes. He had a certain marble-like beauty. Not in a handsome way but something far more dangerous. He had a certain busk like appearance and trust me as the kid of a greek god I have seen my fair share of marble statues. 

He shifted ever slightly the moonlight illuminating his face.

It was almost hideous, his facial structure and body were all angles sharp and unforgiving. Being a half-blood taught me to analyse the appearance of my opponents and find their strengths and weaknesses. This man was clear, from the way he positioned himself to the pristine designer  clothes on his back.

Vanity, pride perhaps though he was no hero. 

Human? 

Unclear. 

I could usually sense power and there was definealty power surrounding him but nothing I have ever felt before and that set me on edge. I thought of my time in Tartarus, my encounter with Nyx. Brawn and violence weren't always the best strategy.

"Hey man, Look I don't have a wallet and my phones back at my house. I have a couple of dollars in my pocket but nothing else"

As I spoke I slowly raised my hands and adopted a resined look on my face, like getting robbed was not how I saw my night ending but I wouldn't put up a fight. My idea had the attended effect. His eyebrows rose the tiniest bit, revealing that I had confused him.

If someone is not sure you a threat, they will bait you into showing your true colours, so by acting weak you give them nothing. I often used this trick on monsters all the time, ha dumb monsters.

"I haven't seen you around here before and running at night through the forest at night, tut-tut not very smart"

He flashed me a cruel smile and I tried to suppress mine, he had fallen for it. 

"Yeah I'm new and I don't want any trouble"

Again I went for unassuming, I was regretting my macho 'Go, I don't care what or who you are. Leave now' remark now. Such a seaweed brain. I kept my hands in the air and let a small bit of fear crawl onto my face.

The man was staring me directly in the eyes, so he didn't notice we slip the foot back into the swimming hole. If this was going to go sideways I needed to be prepared. The air was charged with electricity, he clearly wanted something.