Unclaimed [Percy Jackson]

x. i almost get mummified by a creepy lonely granny

AMELIA knew the moment she accepted the quest invite that things wouldn't be as simple as to go to the Underworld and ask pretty please the Lord of the Death to hand over Zeus' Lighting Bolt.

In a way, Amelia was glad for the outcome; For being attacked at the start of their journey, that way they wouldn't fall into a false sense of security that things would go their way. First of all, they were half bloods, one of them a forbidden child, that was the first ingredient for a receipt of disaster. Second of all, since when the fates favored any half blood in the first place?

As the four questers walked the woods along the New Jersey riverbank in the shadows, Amelia felt both a sense of calm, anxiety and fear washing away as the shadows caressed her body but also a sense of dismay as she kept her eyes over the riverbank and into the city itself.

Again, she found herself, this time unwillingly, tuning out the others as they argued the Kindly Ones' appearance in their quest.

She sensed a presence next to her, blinking into focus as she turned her head to see Grover being the one to approach her.

It surprised her. Normally, Grover wouldn't approach her if he didn't have to, as if there was something about her that unsettled him.

"Yes?" Amelia asked.

Grover jumped slightly at the bite in her tone but he took a deep breath, "Are you okay?"

Amelia frowned at him, "Why?"

Grover hesitated as if he wasn't sure he wanted to keep talking to her but took a deep breath, gaining courage "It's just... You keep zoning out on us. Like, I know you tend to that because of your, you know, but you've done it more often since the start of the quest. It's like you're distracted by something"

"I'm not going to screw this up for Percy" Amelia drawled, figuring that's why he was talking to her.

"It's not like that" Grover defended quickly, getting slightly unsettled this time by Amelia's dark eyes locking on his own. A shiver went down his back at the lack of a pupil in her eyes. "It's..." he glanced over her shoulder, towards the city. Amelia tensed. "Nevermind" he murmured. "I was just wondering if you were okay"

Amelia relaxed slightly the tension in her muscles, "I'm fine, Grover. Don't worry about me"

Grover nodded slightly stepping away from her, though the crease in his eyebrows didn't go away.

Amelia pursed her lips, grabbing her bracelet to fiddle with it and to not zone out again. It wouldn't do them any help if she was distracted.

Good thing she did because that way she didn't jump when Grover puffed out a few notes on his pipes, getting excited that they worked, hoping to remember a 'find the path' song. Amelia's lips twitched briefly as she shook her head in amusement.

§~§

They didn't find a path.

Amelia didn't worry about the darkness, avoiding tripping or slamming into trees.

She even pulled back Percy before he could slam into another tree, and not because of kindness.

Annabeth, she stopped her before she could trip, directing her across a rock.

"You can see in the dark?" Annabeth concluded after Amelia guided her away from being tripped for the third time, hand tightly gripping the other girl's arm.

Amelia shrugged, "Yeah. Cool isn't it?"

"You could have said so before I crashed into the first tree" Percy whined ahead of them after he tripped for the fifth time in the mile of darkness they've walked.