Flowergirl, Percy Jackson

011. The Earth Mother's Daughter

"Should we wake them?"

"They look so cute... adorable, really." 

"We ought to wake them." 

"Can we take a picture first?"

Lila blinks as she slowly wakes up, her head resting on a soft, pillow, which beats steadily. "What's happening?"

"Shhh." 

There's a flash of a camera, which is enough to wake her up, back to her senses. In horror, she realises that her soft pillow is actually Percy's chest, and that Thalia and Grover standing over them, both looking mildly amused, though also concerned. She pushes herself into a seated position. "Guys?"

"Good sleep?" Thalia says with a smirk.

Lila ignores her blush, as Percy also wakes up, equally confused. He, like Lila, must have had some kind of nightmare. She shudders to think of that period in her life. She forgot how she used to depend on Luke. He manipulated them all so well. 

Thalia's grin fades. "Come on. It's late afternoon. We've got visitors."

"Visitors?" Percy says, confused?

Thalia nods. "A Titan wants to see you, under a flag of truce. He has a message from Kronos."

The white flag towers over all the surroundings, flapping in the gentle wind. It's huge, and it's carried by a giant who's even huger, with bright blue skin and grey hair. 

"A Hyperborean," Thalia explains. "The giants of the north. It's a bad sign that they sided with Kronos. They're usually peaceful."

"You've met them?" Percy asks.

"Mmm. There's a big colony in Alberta. You do not want to get into a snowball fight with those guys."

Lila decides not to ask for more details.

Beside the giant are three average sized human-things. One is a half-blood in armour, another is an empousa in a black funereal dress, and the third is a tall man in a tuxedo. It's an odd group.

"The tux dude is the Titan?" Percy checks.

Grover nods nervously. "He looks like a magician. I hate magicians. They usually have rabbits."

"You're scared of bunnies?"

"Blah-hah-hah! They're big bullies. Always stealing celery from defenseless satyrs!"

"Grover," Lila says, completely seriously. "You're the Chosen Satyr of the god Pan. You're the least defenseless satyr ever."

Thalia coughs.

"What?" Grover demands defensively.

"We'll have to work on your bunny phobia later," Percy decides. "Here they come."

The man in the tux steps forward first - he's definitely the leader, as the others seem to defer to him, in respect. He has long-ish black hair, tied back in a ponytail, and dark sunglasses cover his eyes. Around his face, the skin is covered in scratches, like he's been mauled by a tiny animal.

"Percy Jackson," he says smoothly. "It's a great honor."

The empousa hisses.

"My dear," he says. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable over there, eh?"

She releases his arm and drifts over to a park bench. Lila checks out the other demigod - it's Ethan. He's gotten a new helmet, but it doesn't disguise his nose, which seems completely broken from when Percy hit him. He's limping a little too, which Lila's sure is from her fight with him, which brings her a little satisfaction. After what he did to Annabeth, she has no love for him anymore.