Shrouded in Darkness

Fight or Flight Mode

"What do you mean?" I ask feeling the muscle in my stomach clench.

"Well I asked for Chiron to give you the same schedule as me so first we're going to the stables, which you will love by the way." Percy tells me as we begin to walk up the valley towards the hills.

"Wait, wait, wait. You said work? What does that involve?" I ask Percy snickers and shakes out his hair.

"Were going to clean the stables but it's not that bad. We'll have one of the other houses helping us this week." Percy says with a shrug. "Then we're going to sword practice because we need to get a weapon on you before an quest talk comes about. Then we're going here, there, blah blah blah and more blah blah blah." He continues rattling off the days activities.

"Sword practice." I say cutting in because really that's the only part i heard which i was stuck on. I held a sword once. Percy's to be exact i didn't really want to do it again. And it doesn't sound too fun.

"Don't worry. You'll love the teacher he's a great guy!" Percy says smiling at me. "But first, like I said. Stables." We've reached them. I step into the stables and it's not as bad as I expected.

"Oh gods I expected a whole lot worse." I said with a shudder. Percy laughs at my relief.

"Yeah it's not that bad. You'll love it. I do." Percy says grabbing a broom, a shovel, and some brushes.

"You love this? Mucking out stables and cleaning out hay?" I ask with a disgusted look on my face.

"Just wait." He says with a wink. I'm not convinced as he hands me a shovel. He's right there's another cabin there to help us though I can't tell who. They all look pretty angry though. "They lost at Capture the Flag." Percy tells me as I hesitate to enter a Pegasus stall.

"What's that?" I ask confused.

"Oh right!" Percy says snapping his fingers. "Remind me to tell you later but those are Nemesis' kids. Goddess of revenge. Don't let them scare you." but they were scaring me. With their piercing eyes and permanently fixed scowls my fight or flight mode was kicking in and i really just wanted to run in the other direction.

Hey! Missus! I turn abruptly to the sound of the voice but it's just the Pegasus standing there.

"Please tell me I'm not crazy." i whisper staring at the white Pegasus as it's stretches its shiny wings.

Alright. You're not crazy. I gasp again as i step further into the stall.

"Sweet!" i tell the Pegasus tentatively as i reach out slowly to touch it's head. She closes the distance between my hand and her head and i stroke her affectionately. The Pegasus whinnies softly. "Do you have a name?" i ask moving my hand toward her silky mane.

Petunia. She tells me.

"Pretty name. I'm Violet." i say with a smile. Petunia nods her head the way horses always do when it looks like they understand something.

Both of us are name after flowers! She exclaims.

"Yeah i guess we are." i say with a smile. Turns out Percy was right. I liked spending time with the Pegasus even if it meant cleaning out their stalls and brushing them out which they didn't need a lot of.

"Hey sis you done yet?" Percy calls out walking into my stall. He whistles. "Wow you're quick." he says enthusiastically as i throw down more hay for Petunia.

"Yeah i guess you were right. It was better than i thought." i tell him with a smile dusting off my hands.

"Just wait. This is the fun part." Percy put two fingers in his mouth and whistled a night note. In seconds the roof of the stables began to fold in on itself and reveal the bright blue sky.