crow's calling - Percy Jackson (2)

chapter six

     Despite actually having been feeling better before their descent, Wren was pretty sure that their climb down this time was even worse than the last. She dumbed it down to growing nerves due to the mass amount of monsters physically popping out of the surface below, but following the empousai while simultaneously trying to keep them from spotting her and Percy proved to be draining.

This cliff was also a hell of a lot longer than the last one.

Wren wasn't sure what ached more at that point, her legs, her arms, or her lungs. It was almost like the air was growing heavier as they made their way down, and Wren may not have even a scientist, but she was pretty sure that it was meant to be the opposite way.

Eventually she felt her legs wobble just a bit too much, her head going foggy for just a second before Wren let herself lull against the wall with an uneasy breath.

"Wren? You okay?"

"Can we stop? Just for a second. I need..." Wren hoped her voice didn't sound as shaky out loud as it did in her head, "Just a quick break."

Percy was quick to pull the girl onto the nearest ledge, arm around her as they sat as close to the wall as they could without the Phlegethon dripping onto them. Her body seemed to be starting to remember that it was broken in various different places so the action made her wince in pain, but Percy offered a quiet apology before following his words with an almost soothing "I got you."

Wren let her eyes close as she leaned against him, and she was sure that she was shaking but her entire body just felt like it was buzzing. Maybe the Phlegethon was wearing off. Maybe she had to drink from it again. Maybe it wasn't working.

Maybe, maybe, maybe. Wren had all of these maybe's. Annabeth would know. She would have all the answers and never have to stop and think about it. Annabeth would have been a far more reliant partner down here - Wren was clueless.

"Things could be worse." She finally said after a couple long moments of silence, her lungs still aching but her breathing evening out the slightest bit.

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"I mean, we could be dead already."

"Right, right." Percy nodded, moving his head from resting atop hers so he that could look at the girl. "Thank you for that."

"Just keepin it real, dude."

"Your optimism is astounding."

"The fact that you just used the word astounding is astounding."

The Jackson boy snorted out a laugh at that, Wren herself letting out a breathy chuckle as she let her head fall back to resting against his shoulder. As disgusting as she felt admitting it, the sound of Percy's laughter did help to lighten her spirits the slightest bit.

She just wished her spirits were being lifted somewhere inside of the Argo II rather than literal hell.

"Do you think they're okay up there?"

Percy wasn't all too sure of what to say. He had all the faith in the world in the demigods aboard the flying ship, the six of them were probably the smartest people Percy had ever been around in his entire life. In fact, part of him was sure that they were making a hell of a lot more progress now than they ever had with him and Wren on board.

The other part of him wasn't so sure. He was worried about them, some more than others. Worried that this was the one thing that could really send them all over the edge - not in the same way that he and Wren had gone over the edge, of course.

He was worried... he was worried he was making Wren a hell of a lot more nervous with how long he was taking to answer.

"Of course they're okay."