Son Of The Cup Bearer {Percy Jackson x Ejen Ali}

Heads Are Not Meant To Be Chopped Off

Hold on hold on, back up back up- did Rizwan say that Ali screamed in delight?

That. Is. Absolutely. Inaccurate.

Clearly, he screeched like his head was about to be chopped off. Because it was.

He was screaming as he dodged a blade that had came out of absolutely nowhere. Bless his ADHD at this. He felt the blade's sharp point whisking a centimetre from his exposed neck before coming to a pendelum-swinging state right above him.

"HAHAHAHA CON, DID YOU JUST SEE HIS REACTION?" 

Ali fearfully looked up to see a pair of brown-haired men with elfish features howling at the sight of him cowering under a wickedly sharp axe that hung from the ceiling. Which only a second ago, had swung for his head.

One of the elfish brother wiped a tear from his eyes as he shook violently with laughter, "Wh-what is it these days mortals say when something f-funny happens?"

"LMAOOOOOOOO." 

And the two broke into another uncontrollable fit of laughter.

Then Ali noticed a dark-haired girl standing at the corner, not even attempting to hide an amused grin, and beside her stood a frowning Zass.

"Did you- were- were you trying to kill me?" Ali managed to yell.

The brothers fell roaring on top of each other, one pounding the other's back so hard with his fist Ali did not see why they did not fall over. 

"N-never, pal," one finally said, coming to a chuckle. Ali swore he still can hear their maddened laughing echoing in his ears. "It's our new way to welcoming newbies. Like it?"

All the nerves in Ali screamed 'NO' in unison, but Ali forcingly held himself back. "Haha...yeah. It was...funny."

The other grinned at the one who had just spoke. "See? Told ya it's perfect."

"Anyway," the one closer to Ali continued. "I'm Conner Stoll."

"And I'm Travis Stoll," said the other.

"And we're the Stoll brothers!" they said in unison. Ali could only bet they rehearsed this a hundred times.

"Uh...yeah. Hi, Travis, Conner. Mind if I just...settle my things? I've got some...uh...newbie stuff to settle-"

The one named Conner waved impatiently. "Do what you must, man. Hey, Travis, be prepared; we still got another one to go." 

Ali rather had the impression he knew who the another one was, and was determined to warn them quick. Though, what made Ali twice as concerned was that mischievous glint in the brothers' eyes as they watched him. Not wanting his head to be chopped off the second time, Ali immediately sprinted for a bag waiting for him against the far wall of the cabin and, thinking that he should not let his possessions out of his sight, changed his mind about unpacking and slung it over his back and made his way ASAP out.

Rizwan was waiting for him at one of the more mysterious, torch-lit cabin. Ali assumed that this would be Hecate's cabin. The funny thing was, Rizwan was talking with a lollipop stick in his mouth to the dark-haired girl that he had just saw in the Hermes' cabin, and he was pretty sure no one had been following him when he came around.

The dark haired girl saw him and quickly muttered something to Rizwan. Rizwan turned to see Ali coming for them, then he smiled. 

"Hey, Ali. How was your meeting with your friend?" he questioned absent-mindedly. 

"They tried to chop my head off," Ali scowled.

The girl beside Rizwan bit her lip nervously. What was she so regretful about though? Smiling at him?

"Sorry about that, man," the girl said. "They gave me quite a lot for that."

Ali's mind whirled. They gave her a lot of something for the trying to cut his head off. Probably money. It still doesn't make sense because this girl was apologising for what the Stoll brothers did. Did that meant she was responsible?

"I don't get it," Ali finally said.

"The Mist," the girl answered, waving her hand. 

At first Ali thought she was waving to someone behind him, but then he yelped when he saw again an axe swinging for his head. This time, he was really caught off guard. The axe swung for his head and he did not dodge. 

Yet nothing happened.

His head was still intact, the world still revolving. But then...

Ali nearly stumbled over as he realised that he was in between the blade. Rizwan barely looked amused, and was more interested in checking out his lollipop. The girl snapped her fingers and the axe disappeared, like it wasn't even there in the first place.

"That," she said. "Is playing with the Mist."

"H-how do you do that?" Ali asked, his feelings torn between awestruck and horrified.

"It's something children of Hecate easily masters," she shrugged. "Lou Ellen, by the way."

Ali warily shook her hand, noting to never play into anything of this girl's hands, especially if her pockets were filled with money.

"Hey, have you seen Moon anywhere?" Ali asked, the question just appearing to him. He had nearly forgotten about the first time his head got cut off when he went through it the second time. Not a few hours into his demigod life and this happens?

But he needn't to ask, because right at that moment, a young man wearing clothings so black Ali thought he was a shadow before thinking twice zoomed pass, and not a few metres away was obviously Moon, who apparently was chasing the dude.

"Go away! I can't help you!" the dude shouted.

"Please, I'll do anything! Anything please!" Moon was literally begging back.

However, before the grey dressed girl could reach her target, the man disappeared. Not like Lou-Ellen's-Mist disappear. But like, shadow disappeared. 

Screaming at the top of her lungs, Moon punched the ground at her feet as if it had done her a baddie. Ali, however, was hit with a blast of agony and guilt as he heard the poor girl's unheavenly scream. It was almost like she had everything taken away from her.

Ali was just about to ask Rizwan what they were supposed to do when the sound of a large horn being blown echoed throughout the valley. Ali took it was no war signal, because suddenly everyone stood up and had excited looks on their faces.

"Well," Rizwan said, getting up on his feet too. "Time for dinner."