Falling for You

Percy: VI

Percy: VI

Percy shifted to lie on his back, easing the pressure off of his chest wound that had accumulated after sitting upright for so long. They'd been on their little march for days now. His leg was still twinging furiously and his trouser leg was a mess of blood, but at least now he could feel it doing some serious healing. They had soaked some bandages in the Phlegthon, and while it burned like Hades, it seemed to heal deep into his skin when left on for extended periods of time. The limb ached with an incessant gnawing he had grown to recognise as the bone slowly fusing back together.

Well, at least he wasn't walking on it.

Percy stared up into the dark abyss, smirking at the blood-red fog.

He absolutely could not wait to tell his friends.

The Maeonian Drakon was surprisingly comfortable- its skin was like a battered leather handbag. Considering what Damasen's bed was made of, Percy could feel the similarities, and that made him wrinkle his nose a little. He put his hands behind his head as the Drakon carried him forward. Bob and Damasen walked steadily on either side. The motion of swaying from side to side was similar to that of a La-Z Boy.

Most monsters kept their distance; not many would be stupid enough to attack a group that consisted of a Giant, a Drakon, a Titan and the infamous son of a 'Big Three' God.

But, Percy reminded himself gently, some really were that stupid.

Percy's head shot up as a small group of cyclopes, low on the hierarchy, decided to try their chances. They leapt at them from behind rocks, roaring a battle cry, running headlong at them with weapons raised in the air. Because, to be fair to them, their group, though ostensibly intimidating, were slightly easier to take than perceived. The Giant was a pacifist, the Titan an amnesiac, the Drakon newly tamed, and the demigod gravely injured.

Percy pushed himself up on his elbows. Next to him, Bob braced himself and gripped his broom tightly. The look in his silver eyes was a little unnerving.

The first cyclops was instantly vapourised with a bite from the Drakon. But Percy wasn't prepared, and it jolted Percy as it shot forward. Everything shifting out from under him, Percy rolled backwards, head over heels. He fell off, and slammed into the ground with a howl. All the air in his lungs knocked out of him, Percy found he could barely move. He cursed the Arai in his head, then wondered; if an Arai killed another Arai, would it receive his curse? He cursed them again, just to be sure. See how they liked a mangled leg. Bob was too busy fighting the largest cyclops to help but Damasen was by him in a flash, helping him to his feet and standing back to back with him.

Percy unsheathed his swords and let his senses flow out of him, searching for liquid around him. He focused on the two cyclopes barrelling towards them. With a shaky flick of his wrist to focus the direction, he swept their legs out from under them, like they were caught in the backwash of a wave. A small smile made its way onto his pale face.

He was getting good at this.

They were all too big for him to vapourise, but slow and lumbering enough for him to control. He held their thick blood tightly in his fist. Percy kept them pinned until Damasen finished them off, both breathing heavily once they were gone. The Drakon snapped one around the waist with a screech, gold dust glittering through its long fangs. There was only one left, and Bob took a stance for his finishing blow.