νεκρός || Annabeth Chase x Fem!OC

Vol. 3-34: The Great God Pan is DEAD!

ANNABETH

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Percy's hands shook as he picked up the cap. It looked like it had been stepped on by a huge muddy boot. After all that I'd gone through today, I couldn't stand the thought that something might've happened to Grover, too. Luke's golden eyes seemed to be burned into my mind.

Then I noticed something else. The cave floor was mushy and wet from the water dripping off the stalactites. There were large footprints like Tyson's, and smaller ones- goat hooves- leading off to the left.

"We have to follow them," Percy said. "They went that way. It must have been recently."

"What about Camp Half-Blood?" Nico said. "There's no time."

"We have to find them," I insisted. "They're our friends."

I took Grover's smashed cap from Percy and forged on.

Grieve later, my mind whispered. You still have a quest to complete. I tried to stop the tears and the panic. I tried to remove the weight in my chest and concentrate only on my mission, but I couldn't forget what I had seen.

I walked, bracing myself for the worst. The tunnel was treacherous. It sloped at weird angles and was slimy with moisture. Half the time we were slipping and sliding rather than walking.

Finally we got to the bottom of a slope and found ourselves in a large cave with huge stalagmite columns. Through the center of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting by the banks, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover's eyes were closed. He wasn't moving.

Percy choked out, "Tyson!"

"Percy! Come quick!"

We ran over to him. Grover wasn't dead, thank the gods, but his whole body trembled like he was freezing to death.

"What happened?" Tempest demanded, kneeling next to Grover.

"So many things," Tyson murmured. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then... we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this."

"Did he say anything?" Percy asked.

"He said, 'We're close.' Then hit his head on rocks."

"Of course," Tempest mumbled. She grabbed Grover's jaw and moved his head around a little roughly. "I mean, he looks fine."

I shined my flashlight around the cavern. The rocks glittered. At the far end was the entrance to another cave, flanked by gigantic columns of crystal that looked like diamonds. And beyond that entrance...

Tempest followed my flashlight and immediately looked down at Grover. "Wake up, goat." She lightly tapped his cheek multiple times.

"Uhhhhhhh..."

I knelt next to him and splashed icy cold river water in his face.

"Splurg!" His eyelids fluttered. "Tempest? Annabeth? Where..."

"It's okay," Percy said, running over. "You passed out. The presence was too much for you."