The Lion Boy

The Lion Boy Part 18

Percy POV

That night as we slept I dreamt.

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I looked all around me, and noticed I was back in the forest where I had met Melinoe. I stopped, looking around. Glancing at my arms I noticed they had the same golden sheen to them they had during my first meeting with Melinoe. Perhaps this time it was a bit stronger. I began to stroll through, as a light drizzle of rain began to fall. I ended up finding her by a small lake, she was looking into the crystal waters. She looked up, and I opened my mouth.
"Melinoe!" I shouted, happy to see her again. She didn't react, and instead looked past me, almost through me. Her dark hair was damp, and hung past her shoulders drearily.
"Hurry Percy. Hurry." Her voice was breathy, and faint. Not the silvery tones it had been upon our first meeting. She looked down at her arm, which seemed faded, as though she was joining her ghosts. She looked up again, before she dissolved into smoke, disappearing. I ran towards the spot she had been in, looking for anything that would explain her seemingly weak state. Nada. I looked back to the lake, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw my reflection.
Diamonds were embedded into the flesh of my arms, as well as following the outline of my cheekbones. The golden tint that seemed to flex with my movements became brighter again.
I quickly tore my eyes away again, and saw that indeed, the diamonds had appeared. My breathing increased rapidly in pace, as more metal surrounded my body. Silver circles appeared around my ankles and wrists. Small rubies made random patterns down my legs.Thin lines of blood formed the perimeter around the jewels as they appeared. It hadn't stopped yet.
Strong steel chains dug themselves out of the ground, latching onto my arms and legs, forcing me to the forest floor. The metal was fighting to get away too, and it pulled at my skin. It didn't want to be there anymore than I wanted it there. My skin felt as though hundreds of hot needles were being inserted into it, then lemon juice was poured over the wounds. My mouth fell open as my screams were torn from my body. My eyes turned to emerald and my vision became fractured. I felt bony fingers drag me down into the earth, while I writhed trying to get away. Just as I ran out of air, I woke up.

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I bolted upright and gasped for breath. Summoning a ball of fire in my hand, I immediately began to check for the gems that had appeared on my skin. To my relief, I saw nothing. Still, the dream left me reeling, and I couldn't bring myself to go to sleep. I got up and started walking, letting the bottoms of my feet ablaze so I made a trail of scorch for me to follow back. It had to mean something, demigods don't have any old dream involving agonizing body modifications just because. I shuddered again, thinking about it. Forcing my mind onto other matters, I thought of the village.
Something was itching in the back of my brain, about the bullets, but I couldn't figure out what. It completely confounded me. I sighed and kicked a stray rock on the dry ground. The whole quest was turning out to be much more problematic than anticipated. I hadn't expected it to be especially easy either, but fending off some gunmen wasn't part of the plan. I laid down again, looking up at the clear sky. The stars twinkled. It would have been rather peaceful had the circumstances not been so dire. I wondered if Thalia was okay.

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Thalia POV

I stumbled in the dark, one minute Annabeth and I were talking, the next I was here. A figure stepped out of the blackness, slightly illuminated by the torch they were carrying, but not enough to see their face. The figure chuckled darkly.
"He'll be pleased." I opened my mouth to say something, but found my voice was silenced by a thick purple gas twirling around me, and creeping into my mouth. It covered me completely, then went away. I crumpled, unable to do anything now.
"Now you'll be much easier to manage." The person said happily. My mind was spinning, where was I? I didn't have long to wonder about this before the person in question came from behind me, scooping me up then taking me to and placing me in a cell. As they left, I thought I caught a glimpse of familiar amber eyes.

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I remained where I was for a long time, although I couldn't say exactly how long, as there was no well for me to tell.
I heard a chain unlatching, somebody was coming in. Dark skinned hands opened the door, then closed it again, after rolling a small golden box in. The owner of the hands stood outside, while a disembodied voice filled the room.
"She'll do nicely, this one." It seemed masculine, and rough. Raspy. Like somebody who was sick, and recovering but hasn't been able to speak for a while, and is still trying to get used to it.
"Not as good as the sea spawn, but close enough." My mind went to a certain son of Poseidon.
Percy,
I registered. The voice continued.
"Thalia is it? I'll admit, you'd have been valuable to the cause, but I need you elsewhere." My eyes narrowed. Well, at least I could move them again.
"I suppose you could be a good bargaining chip, but without your sanity, or moreover your soul, you wouldn't be as valuable. It's a shame really."
"I intend on keeping my mind intact thank you very much." I spat at the general direction I thought the words were coming from.
"Quiet." It demanded, "Or I'll make the side effects of the gas permanent." I bit my tongue, glaring as hard as I could.
"Anyhow, Eris was right about you having spirit. I certainly will be feeling, sparky, when I wake. And all thanks to you." Menacing laughter rang out. I clenched my fists and propped myself up, instead of being on the floor like I had been.
"But threatening you isn't the reason I came, I came to tell you this- Your friends are after you, and my wife. I have her in my hold as well. Cooperate, or Rhea will be punished." I gulped, and nodded. I could keep quiet for Rhea.
"One last thing, and I thought I would just inform you of this for my entertainment, your father is what got you here. What wonderful parenting." I gritted my teeth, making sparks fly out of my hands, striking the walls and leaving scorch marks. With those last words, the golden box was whisked away, and the voice was gone.
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A/N : 1150 words exactly. Hope you guys enjoyed this, any guesses as to what the dream means? If anybody gets it right, and I will require a certain level of specificity, you will
1) Be messaged a snippet of the story where a line of the prophecy comes true before I release it on here. What that line will be, will be a surprise.
2) Be provided a full explanation of the dream.
Rules: I will not be giving hints over comments. There may be hints in the story up until the meaning is revealed. You have up until the meaning is revealed to guess. You may guess as many times as you would like. I will not be saying yes or no in the comments, how you will know if you are correct is if I message you. Only one person can win. If the winner decides to be inconsiderate enough to share spoilers you will be promptly blocked.
Thank you for over 10k views! That's amazing, and I thank you again for all of your support. I have decided that I will be having a 24/7 Q & A. This means, anytime you have a question, you can ask, and it will be answered in the next chapter.
Your Favorite Demigod,
Isa Rivers