𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

111

Akhlys lunged at Percy, and for a split second he thought: Well, hey, I'm just smoke. She can't touch me, right?

He imagined the Fates up in Olympus, laughing at his wishful thinking: LMAO!

The goddess's claws raked across his chest and stung like boiling water.

Percy stumbled backward, but he wasn't used to being smoky. His legs moved too slowly. His arms felt like tissue paper. In desperation, he threw his backpack at her, thinking maybe it would turn solid when it left his hand, but no such luck. It fell with a soft thud.

Akhlys snarled, crouching to spring. She would have bitten Percy's face off if Hadrian hadn't charged and screamed, "HEY!" right in the goddess's ear.

Akhlys flinched, turning toward the sound.

She lashed out at Hadrian, but he was better at moving than Percy. Maybe he wasn't feeling as smoky. 

Hadrian had an arrow in his hand- one of the three Damasen had gifted him. He tried to drive the point into the goddess, but it didn't hurt her at all. He gave up with weapons and dove straight between the goddess's legs and rolled to his feet. Akhlys turned and attacked, but Hadrian tripped backwards. 

Percy couldn't help but wonder how many of his fights were won by sheer luck like this? Percy was so stunned, he lost a few precious seconds. He stared at corpse Hadrian, shrouded in mist but moving as fast and confidently as ever. Then it occurred to him why he was doing this: to buy them time. Which meant Percy needed to help.

He thought furiously, trying to come up with a way to defeat Misery. How could he fight when he couldn't touch anything?

On Akhlys's third attack, Hadrian wasn't so lucky. He tried to veer aside, but the goddess grabbed Hadrian's wrist and pulled him hard, sending him sprawling.

Before the goddess could pounce, Percy advanced, yelling and waving his sword. He still felt about as solid as a Kleenex, but his anger seemed to help him move faster.

"Hey, Happy!" he yelled.

Akhlys spun, dropping Hadrian's arm. "Happy?" she demanded.

"Yeah!" He ducked as she swiped at his head. "You're downright cheerful!"

"Arggh!" She lunged again, but she was off balance. Percy sidestepped and backed away, leading the goddess farther from Hadrian. Speaking of Hadrian- the boy himself was an insult to misery. He'd lost so much, been through so much. And yet he still laughed fully, he still joked and he still had hope.

"Pleasant!" Hadrian grinned. 

"Delightful!" Percy added.

The goddess snarled and winced. She stumbled after Percy. Each compliment seemed to hit her like sand in the face.

"I will kill you slowly!" she growled, her eyes and nose watering, blood dripping from her cheeks. "I will cut you into pieces as a sacrifice to Night!"

Hadrian struggled to his feet. He started rifling through his pack, no doubt looking for something that might help.

"Cuddly!" Percy yelled. "Fuzzy, warm, and huggable!"

Hadrian was definitely going to make fun of him for this. 

Akhlys made a growling, choking noise, like a cat having a seizure.

"A slow death!" she screamed. "A death from a thousand poisons!"

All around her, poisonous plants grew and burst like overfilled balloons. Green-and-white sap trickled out, collecting into pools, and began flowing across the ground toward Percy. The sweet-smelling fumes made his head feel wobbly.