The Silence -Percy Jackson Fanfiction-

Chapter Six-Restless

Percy wasn't sure how long it took them to reach the cave above the coral maze. He spent the whole time half conscious, Luke and Ash tugging him along, or carrying him. He never felt so useless. He couldn't swim, could hardly move. His dreams were filled with night terrors, mixed images of The Silence feeding, his stay at The-Cave-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, and various other images. 

He wished he could escape his own mind, but however such a task was impossible. He attempted to fight off sleep, fight off the nightmares, but it was a fruitless journey. 

When they finally reached the cave, Percy was conscious, one arm wrapped around Ash's shoulder, the other around Luke's as he floated more than swam between them. His movements became more eager as the cave came in sight, but the thought of the threatening creatures, which had most likely been watching them remained present in his mind, cautioning and warning him.

They searched the cave thoroughly, only to come up fruitless. Percy collapsed on the side of a wall, head in his hands, tears running down his face, making The Waters taste slightly more salty than usual. 

His father was gone. They had been watching them, and had taken him. They hadn't a chance of finding him again, or even of knowing whether or not he was alive. 

"Percy," Ash whispered, quieting Percy's sobs. His voice was quiet, hushed, and caused Percy's to snap up. There was a murky shape slowly swimming towards them. Percy flopped behind a rock, and Ash and Luke quickly got into a fighting stance. 

Not two moments later, surprised gasps rang out in the deathly silence. 

"Ash?" Came a startled, deep and weary voice, and Percy felt himself stilling in shock.

"Poseidon! You're alive!" Ash exclaimed, and Percy struggled to prop himself on top of the bolder. 

"Of course I am. I went out just now, looking for Riptide. I've have searching for many cycles now. I saw..." His voice trailed off, and Percy could see a dull golden glint on the walls, showing his father held his favorite sword. "I saw those creations capture Perseus. I couldn't do anything, however. Two had stayed around and prevented me from doing anything. I escaped, and managed to kill them, but I saw Perseus being carted off, Riptide floating into the coral mazes, and I only just now found it...Ash, is Perseus alive?" Poseidon's face was vulnerable, weak for once in true concern. 

He seemed to be ignoring a silent Luke for now, which no one had a problem with.

Ash's eyes flickered to where Percy had just managed to defeat the boulder, and was now perching on it, lower body out of sight, and elbows rested on it. Poseidon had his back to him. Luke almost snorted at seeing the proud look on Percy's face, but held back, knowing it wouldn't look good to the king. Also, he knew such a feat was something to be proud of, Percy in the condition he was in.

"I've been better, father, I can easily say," Percy said weakly, attracting the attention of his father. 

The reaction he received he should have expected more, really. Poseidon stared at him for a moment in a mixture of wonder and awe, horror and sorrow, before making a mad dash to his son, hands hovering carefully over the wounds, as though he didn't know which one to start first. 

"I'll recover, I'm sure." Percy reassured, only to get glared at by his father. Protective Squid, Percy thought fondly for a fleeting moment. 

"What happened, Perseus? And who is that man?" Poseidon whispered, voice hoarse, eyes flickering to Luke's still form for a moment before darting back to his son protectively, hovering around him in such a way it looked as though he was shielding him from the stranger. 

"Gaea. Her minions took me to a hideout of hers...where Ash and Hunter so happened to be." Percy spoke quietly, silently morning the loss of his friend. Poseidon blinked, and looked at a lost looking Ash. He seemed to only just notice the absence of man, always by Ash's side, but said nothing, his hands still hovering. "And, it seemed as though she was determined to have some fun with me. But we were rescued, thankfully. Three came, all in all...we were attacked, however, upon leaving. Luke was one of the rescuers. He made it out alive with us. If you could heal my tail first, that would be phenomenal, father," Percy said through gritted teeth, as though the memories themselves hurt him.

Poseidon's eyes snapped to his sons tail, widening dramatically upon seeing the ripped and holed-filled fin. Fins, as you grew were the size of your arm, and from top to bottom some sort of damage had been laid upon his son, which he could see in slight, bur horrific detail. 

Poseidon carefully set to wok healing his son, starting with his tail, and eventually getting to his torso and arms, back and face. Once he finished, he set an almost asleep Percy down, and moved over to a slightly more aware Ash, who he set about healing quickly. 

Then he turned to Luke, who didn't seem to have many injuries. He decided the boy didn't need his help, and instead looked him in the eye. "Thank you." He said quietly, nodding his head slightly, and Luke's eyes widened. Such a thing was a rarity, almost unheard of, and he wasn't going to look a gift seahorse in the mouth.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Luke said, bowing. 

"Your name, soldier." Poseidon demanded. 

"Luke Castellan, Your Majesty." He said quietly, keeping his head bowed. 

Poseidon nodded. "You did well, Castellan. I am in your debt for saving my son. Thank you, once again." Luke almost choked in surprise, but Poseidon either missed or ignored the sound, turning away to assess his son once more. 

"Castellan, what prevents us from returning to the camp I assume your group had?" He asked suddenly, back still turned to the blond. 

"It was just me and my companions left, sir. There was no camp to return to. We were attacked not long before he set out. We had hopped to free them and find shelter somewhere." Luke said quickly, and Poseidon sighed, accepting the answer he hadn't been wanting. 

The next few days where spent tense, resting, licking wounds and trying to occupy their time somehow. A week had passed before Percy lost it. Ash hadn't been far to behind, however, and quickly joined Percy when he randomly announced he was going after one, claiming he was going to make it take him back to the headquarters. Or something along the lines. Whatever he could manage. Luke had agreed to go with him, as he was getting rather restless himself. 

Poseidon could have easily waited another fortnight, but decided the boys needed him. He couldn't let them face such a task on their own. 

It was nighttime when they went out. When they tentatively split up in the coral mazes, weapons held tightly at their sides. Percy was hardly in fighting condition, but he refused to let that show as he swam as sturdily as he could through the colorful stone-like substance. To make up for his less-than-perfect health, Luke was sent to go with him, and so the two swam steadily in single file line, Luke behind Percy.

Their arms scraped the sides of the coral, creating little scratches that served to only annoy them. They were silent as they weaved through the prickly stone, however that silence was soon shattered by a booming shout. 

The sound startled Percy and Luke, causing them both to jump, Percy into a spike or coral. He winced, but didn't hesitate before shooting above the coral, Luke only a few feet behind him. This was the plan. If you where attacked, shout, and go to the top so they could all attack together. 

Without the light from the Great Perl, the water was dark and murky, but that didn't hindrance them very much, as that was their natural setting, living in the dark waters of the sea, where no two-fined creatures above The Waters could reach them. 

They where met with the sight of Poseidon strangling one of them, this one with white hair and a green tail. "Go! Kill the rest! We'll keep this one!" Poseidon shouted, and Percy didn't hesitate before lifting Riptide and swinging at the nearest one, who Luke happened to be trying to tie up with seaweed. The creature struggled, before Percy calming swam over and decapitated her. 

Luke looked at him with offended eyes. "We're keeping the one father is trying not to strangle. Go tie her up, me and Ash will get the rest," He said shortly, and Luke nodded, shooting over to Poseidon. 

Percy looked around himself quickly, hardly catching sight of one that had been behind him before she slashed at him furiously. 

Percy narrowed his eyes, and swung quickly, cutting off her arm. She did nothing but blink at him, waving around her stump. Right, they're dead already, Percy reminded himself, before shooting out his arm. She tried to flail away, but he managed to snag a fist full of her muddy brown hair. 

She clawed at him, and Percy tried not to wince as she cut his hand. He lifted Riptide quickly, cutting her neck. She became limp, and Percy dropped her, cradling his wrist to his chest. He looked around again to see Poseidon swimming towards the cave with the tied one, Luke battling another, and Ash trying to stab another with a piece of sharpened coral.

Luke, however, didn't notice the one advancing on him from behind. Percy swam towards as quickly as he could, which admittedly wasn't as fast as he used to be, as he was still recovering. Luke decapitated the creature just in time for Percy to shoulder him out of the way, taking the raised hand of claws. He muffled a scream of pain as he slashed at the creature, stabbing her in the chest. Her movements stuttered, and Percy sliced through her head before she sunk. 

He panted, holding his scratched hand to the wound to stop the blood floor. His movements stuttered, and he fell back, into Luke's arms. 

"Damnit, why did you do that? Your hurt enough as it is!" Luke cursed, quickly swimming to Ash, who had been slowly making his way after Poseidon. "Why did he do that?" He demanded from Ash. Ash shook his head sadly. 

"He hates losing people. It's his...hero complex, I suppose. I think it's more than just his duty as a prince." He said, and Percy didn't hear Luke's reply, as his fading vision turned black.