Raised from the Depths: The Apple of Their Eyes [A Percy Jackson FanFiction]

Thirty-seven: Our homecoming; a great opportunity to fall again

"Affinity! I see it! We're home! We're home! Oh, Camp Half-Blood! I've missed you so!" Sol exclaimed from behind me, snapping me from my groggy sleep. I stirred slightly, my cheek rubbing against Onyx's warm fur. I had fallen in an extremely light sleep as soon as we took off. Fighting Mico and lifting earth out of the ground really took a lot out of me. Not to mention I was physically battered from falling out of a tree and getting the crap beaten out of me. It was relieving to hear camp was so close, even if I hadn't been there that long in the first place.

Onyx let out a short, inquiring chirp, his powerful wings beating behind us.

"Just lower us down where Sol tells you, buddy." I whispered, tightening my grip around his neck, to make sure I wasn't going to fall.

"Awe, look at those guys! Scramble little demigods! Scramble! Oh... Affinity... AFFINITY!" Sol's voice slowly became more panicked, and he shook my shoulder.

"For the love of the gods, what, Sol?" I snapped, keeping my eyes shut, so I couldn't see how high up we were.

"They're firing arrows at us!" He screamed. "Onyx! Pull up! Pull up, now!"

Onyx lurched to the side, screeching wildly as his wings beat quickly, pushing us higher into the atmosphere. I sat up in shock, my limbs going numb as I looked down to the ground. Sure enough, several arrows whizzed through the air, trailing Onyx's path like a swarm of bees.

"What are those psychos doing?" I yelled back to Sol.

"Um, maybe you're the psycho! Gryphons usually aren't friendly towards demigods! They probably think Onyx is attacking! Remember how a demigod, well, Mico, invited in that huge boar? They probably think a demigod invited in another monster! They don't know it's us!" Sol explained over Onyx's agitated roars.

"How do we show them it's us without getting Onyx shot?" I asked urgently. I didn't come all the way back here just to lose another one of my friends.

"If they saw us first, they'd stop shooting!"

"What does that mean?" I asked in a shaky voice.

Sol was silent for a few moments, before speaking. "Onyx, head left towards the strawberry fields!"

Onyx obeyed, shooting across the sky as he struggled to avoid the flying celestial bronze arrows. "What are you doing, Sol?" I demanded, turning to him.

He stared at me with determined eyes, his eyebrows furrowed as he took a large, trembling breath. "Do you trust me?" He inquired.

"Sol, please-" I was cut off by a horrible shriek from Onyx, and his flying faltered. Pain and fear seemed to radiant from him as he began losing height.

"Affinity, do you trust me?" Sol was shouting now, grabbing my wrist. His eyes were begging, but his face was set and serious.

"Of course." I muttered, fearing rising in my throat.

"Then don't kill me for this." He stated, before wrapping his arms around me and throwing himself off of Onyx's back. The gryphon shouted in protest, but was able to escape to a higher altitude.

My breath hitched in my throat as the air resistance caused my hair to fly up around my face. I felt Sol's arms stiffened around me, and slowly the arrows ceased. My stomach flipped inside my abdomen, and I couldn't help but shake as I pictured Sol and I as pancakes on the ground.

"S-Sol!" I stuttered, squeezing my eyes shut as we free fell ever closer to our death.

"Poppy!" Sol screamed. "Here, girl! Here, Poppy!"

"Sol! Sol, we aren't going to make it!" I whispered above the turbulence. Sol pulled me closer, and I heard him him mutter something, but I couldn't distinguish his words.

I felt us hit something. We stopped very abruptly, and it took the breath from my lungs. My joints and ribs cracked, but I was still breathing, and we were still moving. I opened my eyes. We were still in the air, and to our sides, giant white wings were flapping and gliding as we got closer and closer to the ground.

A pegasus.

"That's a good girl, Poppy." Sol croaked. "That's my good, brave girl."

"We're alive." I whispered in disbelief.

"I think that's the second time Poppy saved you from falling to death. You should really thank her sometime." Sol sighed, his grip on me loosening as the pegasus landed. Instantly, I could hear dozens of voices approaching.

"I'll get right on that as soon as I can breath again." I choked out, my entire body screaming in pain. I wonder how many bones just broke.

"Sol? Affinity?" A familiar voice hit my ears, and I blinked as I was lifted out of Sol's arms, and set on the ground. I groaned at the movement, my vision blurring. My brain was starting to shut down due to all the my nerves sending pain signals at once.

"Chiron." I whispered. "Please. The gryphon. His name is Onyx. He's not an enemy. He's hurt. Please don't kill him." I explained quickly, gritting my teeth as I spoke.

"We'll take care of it, baby. Just, rest, honey. You're very hurt." A different, female voice assured me. I turned my head towards it, but my eyes were closing, and I didn't get to see her. My body was being to shut down, and I only had time to whisper one word before I lost consciousness.

"Mom."