When Myths meet Magic || 3

16|| Percy

Annabeth drew her dagger as the familiar shink of Riptide extending echoed softly through the trees. She crouched down and studied the soft dirt, holding her dagger high to let the golden glow sift through the trees. Nothing moved, the stillness eerie.

From above her, Percy was scanning the woods. His usually lax sea green eyes were tensed, like the calm before a storm. "Don't see anything," he muttered. Annabeth looked at him. "What did you expect? A glow in the dark camping tent?"

"No need for the sarcasm, Wise Girl," he said. "I get plenty from Harry."

"C'mon," Annabeth whispered and crept forward silently, avoiding tree litter. A massive, fallen tree lay in their way, half propped up against another tree. Percy crouched down and peered under, but couldn't see much in the darkness. He glanced to Annabeth.

"You coming?"

She shook her head. "There are probably loads of spiders under there," she remarked distastefully. "I'm climbing over, if you want to join."

Percy shook his head with equal enthusiasm as Annabeth. "This is a tall one," he said. "I'm not going that high in the air."

"It's not that high," Annabeth said as she gripped the bark firmly.

"There aren't that many spiders," Percy replied with equal defiance.

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said with a smile as she pulled herself up. "We're losing time here. Just get to the other side."

They continued another few yards before a soft crackling stopped them. Percy readied Riptide as Annabeth shifted her grip on her dagger. The dirt in front of them trembled.

Four earthborn rose from the ground, sniffing experimentally. Two were smaller than the others, though they were just as ugly.

"Aha," A taller one said. "I thought I smelled demigod."

A smaller one frowned. "You stepped on me," he snarled accusingly. His six fists balled into what resembled boulders. "Now my nose is all ugly and squashed."

"I thought it was just a family trait," Percy said before flicking out his sword with uncanny speed. The young earthborn let out a little grunt in surprise as he melted into a puddle of clay. The other three stared at his remains, stunned, before roaring and swinging their fists. Annabeth and Percy worked as one, whirling around to get the other's back before taking care of their own. Within a minute, all other three earthborn were shapeless puddles of clay.

"Funny," Annabeth said, kicking the clay. "I almost feel bad for messing up his looks, then I realized he never had any to begin with."

Percy shrugged and poked Riptide at a pile. "Oh well, let's keep looking."

>>>•O•<<<

"Nothing," Hazel reported in a whisper. Far above, Frank the snowy owl hooted softly in response. Hazel smiled grimly as she thought about the unpleasant surprise Sirius Black was going to get when they found him. If they found him, she grudgingly admitted to herself. He might've not even been in the forest.

Hazel winced as a sharp crack echoed through the forest, sending a few bugs scurrying away.

The forest was quiet-- to quiet. It rattled up Hazel's nerves and, without knowing it, was summoning a trail of precious stones and coins in her wake.

"Come out come out wherever you are," Hazel muttered softly. Her instincts told her that they had almost reached the one mile mark when she stepped on something. A soft, black something.