An Assassin's Guide to Family

Chapter 48: Past

—————-Percy's POV:——————

Living on your own was hard, and it was even worse when monsters could be around any corner and all you'd managed to scrounge up was some camping supplies to live in until you knew what to do.

The fire popped in front of me, a small flame soaring off to the side and landing in some grass. A small flame caught as the flame began trying to consume the rest of the patch of grass.

I sighed as I pulled my hand up, small tingles appearing in my gut as some water flew from a bucket I'd collected and plopped onto the flame, dousing it until it disappeared.

I'd been by myself for around 3 weeks now, I'd lived off of wild animals that would come around. The meals were inconsistent but I was immensely grateful for any source of a meal. Every time I caught something I would silently thank Thalia. She and the hunters taught me everything I knew on hunting.

I took a small bite from my meal, a small rabbit that had unfortunately fallen for my trap. It was bland but I'd yet to get my hands on salt or pepper so I was just gonna have to put up with it.

My camp was small, with a simple tent and the basic materials I'd managed to snag from random places. I found my only pot at the bottom of a river, some fish had pointed it out. I would be mad at people for polluting but it'd resulting in something I needed to live so I'd take it.

The fire cracked again as the wood shifted, it had been slowly collapsing in on itself over the course of the 4 hours I'd sat here. It almost reminded me of myself.

I quickly grabbed a different stick and shifted the pile, the wood all falling to the ground as an array of small flames rose up into the night sky, it looked like stars.

I pulled my knees up to my chest hiding my face in the small crevice now formed between my knees and body. I wasn't cold, the fire was hot enough to make the entirety of my small area inhabitable, but hiding made it easier.

I'd tried not to cry, I didn't have the resources to be wasting energy like that. I was just existing. It was like I was in a constant state of just being here, not awake, not alive, but definitely not dead or asleep. Just here.

A small sound in the woods caught my attention. I turned towards the dark woods surrounding me, the fire cast dancing shadows on the trees making it harder to catch any motions from foreign beings. I stood up, if it was another creature I was praying it was food and not foe. I quickly pulled out Riptide, its sleek body extending as I uncapped it.

Another rustle shook a bit further away now. With a start I began running, leaping over logs and bushes. I probably looked like a deranged kid raised by wolves but...well half of it was kinda true so anyone seeing me wouldn't be completely off.

As I got further away from my camp it got harder to see, so I relied more on bits of moonlight and my powers to sense anything that moved.

I could barely feel a group of people up head, one led the pack, the others quickly gaining on them. While usually this would be where I back off something told me this was different than a group of friends.

I picked up my pace, hopping over a larger tree that had collapsed onto the ground. As I placed my hand on it to vault over though I felt a soft wet cloth instead of hard bark. I didn't slow as I grabbed it. I tried to see its color as I ran but it was too dark to see anything. I rubbed it between my fingers and as I passed under a patch of light I saw it, the crimson red that colored my hands. I looked up now, tossing the cloth to the side. I needed to help whoever it was that was hurt. I shoved Riptide into a makeshift holder on my belt - a hole that I maybe extended in my belt so that it could sit on my side.