Nyxs' Knight - Percy Jackson

Trial One

Percy started out if his fitful sleep, and opened his eyes to find himself in yet another new place. This time, instead if a dank, dark cave, he was in a lush forest. Black whiptails screeched in the towering pine trees, and out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw a deer bound over a small pond and through the thick foliage that surrounded the clearing he was in.

As Percy attempted to stand, he felt strange. Very strange. He looked down at his body... and discovered that it was not his own. Instead of peering down at his usual two tanned arms and legs, there were four lanky white-brown speckled ones joined to a muscly body of the same colour. He shakily stood- on all fours - and wobbled over to the small pond in the clearing. He leaned down to look at his reflection and saw a speckled snout, pointed ears and his own deep green eyes peering back at him.

Percy let out a startled moan, which came out more of a grunt, and wavered slightly as he slumped down against the ground. So many questions flittered around his mind. What the heck had happened to him whilst he was unconscious? Where was he? Why was he a DEER!?

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared beside him. The darkness contracted to form a midnight black cloak dotted with luminous silver stars, topped with a hood that made it impossible to see the figures face, but without the view, Percy knew exactly who it was. No other being had her aura: a vacuum like suction that seemed to draw in Percy's very essence.

Nyx.

"Why, dear Perseus, I hope you like your knew form." She whispered, her voice reverberating around the forest. Percy attempted to yell angrily, but settled for a grunt after failing to form any type of words in his throat.
"Do not worry, it is not permanent. This is just the body you will take for trial one. Are you familiar with the Greek fiend Actaeon?"

All Percy could do was shake his head.

"Well, Actaeon was a young, arrogant prince whom was fond of hunting. When he was a young, immature boy, he spied on the goddess Artemis whilst she was bathing. So captivated was he by her divine bodice that he did not realise she had seen him, and before he had a chance to flee, she turned him into a deer and made his own hunting hounds chase him. The poor man was devoured alive by his own dogs."

"Thanks for the history lesson" Percy thought sarcastically. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Well child, this story has everything to do with you. You see, this trial is a test of survival. You must find a key that is hidden somewhere in this forest whilst outmanoeuvring three of my most vicious hunting hounds. If you find the key, I will come and collect you. If not, you will suffer the same fate as Actaeon: being devoured alive by my dogs. You shall have a ten minute head start before I unleash them. Let us hope you succeed."

And with those cheery words, Nyx's form flickered for a moment, then imploded on itself with a loud pop.

'Oh great.' Percy thought,

'This day just keeps getting better and better.'

*******

Percy dodged between tall cedar trees as he learned to use his new deer form. He was doing okay so far, except for when he crashed into a fallen tree and did a front flip before landing flat in his face. He thought he could still taste dirt on his tonsils.
His ten minute head start was long gone, yet he had not heard or seen any sign of Nyx's hounds she said she would release. He had spent a full ten minutes on a single spot searching for that stupid 'key' he was meant to be looking for with no luck.

He was scouring a small patch of ferns and logs when a deep, bloodcurdling howl rang through the forest, sounding very close. Two more howls joined the first, making a frightening chorus, getting closer with each passing second. Percy felt panic bubbling in his chest and started to bound in the opposite direction when there was a rustling in the ferns. Suddenly, a large, grey hound leaped out of the scrub, teeth bared and a vicious growl ripping itself from its jaws. Saliva dripped from its silver k - nines as it snarled menacingly and began advancing on it prey - unfortunately, in this case, Percy. It's black eyes had the same effect as Nyx- like they were sussing out Percy's soul and figuring out the most painful way to extract it. It lunged at Percy's throat, and he barely had time to dodge its snapping jaws.

He bolted away through the forest with the hound snapping at his hooves. He dodged a large stump and quickly twisted his body around to avoid crashing into yet another tree. Percy was quickly losing the first hound when two more emerged from the shrub in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. He flipped around and kicked one of the mutts in the head, making it yelp and retreat a little. The second hound, enraged at its companions injury, bounded down towards Percy and jumped on his back.

Percy grunted in pain as the dogs claws sunk into his back, and he attempted to buck it off. The mutt rolled over in the dirt and lay still for a moment, before leaping back up like nothing had happened. Percy decided to bolt, heading in a new direction once again, all three hounds catching up.

He leaped over a small gorge in the hill side, but came to a halt when he saw what was in front of him. An almost vertical crevasse at least twenty meters down stretched as far as Percy could see, with a deep blue lake at the bottom. It was impossible to jump to the other side - it was too wide. He turned around and went to go back the way he came, only to be greeted by three pairs of black, beady eyes. The hounds advanced slowly from all sides, knowing that their prey had no escape. Then, Percy wondered if he still had control over water in his deer form. He decided that he would have to take the chance. He would have to jump.

He leaped back, just as the dogs lunged for him, and jumped over the ledge. As he plummeted, he tried to will the water to act as a cushion - and failed miserably. "Guess water powers don't work if your a deer" Percy thought miserably, before hitting the water. It felt like slamming into concrete at a hundred kilometres and hour. Percy sank to the bottom as black spots threatened to overcome his vision and his lungs felt like they were going to explode. As he exhaled his final breath, he saw something gold shining amongst the black rocks. He swam, well, attempted to swim, down to the shimmer and moved aside the dirt. There, sitting at the bottom of the damn lake, was the key.

He snatched it up in his jaws, and felt a pulling sensation over his body. Then, he was sucked up into a black water spout and on the way to his next challenge.

A/N
Well, this chapter might be a bit weird because I tried to do an action scene... not too sure about them. Anyway, hope you like it. Don't forget to vote and comment. Thanks

Jaydeebooboo