The Kingdoms

Chapter 12 - Stones in Your Feet

Percy waited patiently for Nico to call back for him, when he heard something, he could hardly make out what it said. He waited for Nico to come back to see what was taking him so long, but after several minutes he couldn't understand what was taking the other prince so much time. He went over and stuck his head inside the hole, it was really dark, he didn't really understand how it could lead to a clearing.He knew that if he didn't try and go through there was no way he could get to the other Kingdom, he got onto his hands and knees to try to fit his way through the hole. He figured out he couldn't fit all too late, he ended up getting stuck halfway into the hole.

"Damn it." He grumbled, trying to use his legs which were pretty much sticking out to try and get out. It took a good long time, but he finally got out, regretting even having tried to get through. "Nico, come back, I can't go in there." Percy yelled into the hole, he really wished that Nico hadn't went without him. Why hadn't he came back to check on him or anything? "Are you okay?" He called down the hole, he really didn't know what was going on. Doubts silently started coming to mind, Percy didn't pay them no attention. Nico wouldn't try to save him and then try to get him captured again right? Also, he wouldn't just ditch him right?

As time passed and soon night arrived, he knew something had gone wrong or Nico had abandoned him. The rain had stopped finally, so everything was mostly wet still as it had been raining for so long. He closed his eyes leaning against the wall of the mountain that rose way above him, waiting was all he could do. He ended up falling asleep when crickets started to make music to welcome the night, the birds were also chirping away just before they were to give in for the crickets to play their melody.

When morning came, birds woke him up as well as a cannon shot. Percy sat up instantly at the loud noise, they were nearby, he really hoped that cannon wasn't a signal that they were coming for him. He looked back at the hole, trying to figure out what to do. He grabbed a few sticks, maybe he could make a note for Nico if he comes back? No, that wouldn't be a good idea if someone else found it. "I'm sorry Nico, I'll meet you at the Kingdom of the Sky. Get there safely will you?" He yelled quietly into the hole, before standing up, wiping away all the mud from him. He then proceeded to climb up over the mountain, hoping it would bring him to the clearing that Nico had talked about.

Surely they would meet up somewhere in the future right? He hated to think that something bad had happened to him, he sighed, he was a really weak king. Percy pushed himself over the first big rock which had been the one that covered the hole, then all of a sudden he felt something move under him and the rock fell from underneath him. He looked at where the hole had been, but it was now completely caved in.

"Sorry Nico..." He whispered, and then stood up to walk on the now pretty level ground. Being careful of some holes that appeared around, he soon reached a part where the mountain reached up higher. Percy never had climbed a mountain and honestly, it was pretty scary, he found some nooks and crannies, but honestly that didn't ease his fears as he pivoted himself up the rocks and up the mountain till he was at the top.

Already after only a good half hour of climbing, he was exhausted, mountain climbing definitely wasn't his thing. Then there was the fun and wonderful part of going down the mountain and trying to avoid very steep places. He started making his careful way down, as he had finally made it to where he could see the clearing. "You weren't kidding when you said there wasn't much to go till we got there." Percy said to himself, but pretending as if Nico was still there. To the side, he spotted the Kingdom of the Earth, just as extraordinary as he had thought.

Percy had heard tons of stories of how the Kingdom of the Earth had looked, and most of them definitely couldn't describe it. It was completely engulfed by the largest mountain in the area, it was built into it so well that the walls were made by the remains of what used to be the outside of it. Not a single of it looked touched as if it was completely planned before, he found it almost hard to believe it existed.

Prying his vision from the really nice looking canon, he continued to make his way down. Using trees, and bushes as help to get down. Since the Kingdom was so close, he was glad when trees were spotted at the bottom. When he finally touched down with the even ground, he sat down immediately. He pulled off his shoes not even knowing how he had went through having them on for a majority of the walk, he discarded them by a tree. Burying them in mud, he was absolutely disgusting, but he tried not to think of it too much.

He had to get to the Kingdom of the Sky, Nico was going to beat him if he didn't hurry up. With that, he took a two hour nap only getting more wet, before heading off again. Using the trees for cover as he made his way over to the other mountain range that had the Kingdom of the Sky placed on top of it, he couldn't see it as it was even higher than most mountains. Now in bare feet, he felt more in control of himself, all the stones really hurt his feet though... By dawn, he finally had arrived at the other mountain range. Cannons had been going off for quite a long time, he was just guessing they were practicing for when they sent more people to the Kingdom of the Sky. Percy was ridiculously tired, but his determination kept him going, or more like knowing that the faster he got there the faster he got to see Nico again. 

He grabbed the stones that were the firmest into the stone and found some crannies to put his toes into so he could get up further. He looked up at the tall mountain and saw a road, he smiled, a road. Soldiers had told him about how the Kingdom of the Sky had a long road that led all the way up the mountain and back down, it was one of their wonders. That meant Percy wouldn't have to climb anymore once he got there.

Gaining more motivation, he speeded up his pace, some stones that he ended up grabbing stones that weren't the most firm. Taking way more risks, a few times he had slipped, luckily he didn't mess up too bad that he ended up falling. His feet started to ache from all the small stones that lived in the nooks he had put his feet in, but he kept going. His hands soon felt the gravel of the road, and Percy soon pulled himself onto it.

His exhaustion overwhelmed him when he got onto the side of the road, as it had grown late into the night. He closed his eyes, hoping to only sleep a couple hours and then start walking to the Kingdom of the Sky.