Nyxs' Knight - Percy Jackson

The Pledge

"Perseus. It is time for you to pledge yourself to me" a voice whispered, and broke into Percy's sleep. He sat blot upright, and immediately pain exploded around his stomach, causing him to crash back down onto... a mattress? He was lying on his plush bed inside the cave Nyx had created, with the goddess herself floating in the doorway.

He looked down at his stomach, and realised that it was strapped tightly with cotton bandages, red lines of blood visible from the wounds. That must have been where the eagle had sunk it's talons into the tender part of his flesh, attempting to rip out his liver. His broken hand was strapped with the same thick cloth, only his fingertips visible. All in all, not a bad intake of injuries for the day, as he had been expecting a lot worse.

Percy slid off the bed wearily, being careful to cradle his injured hand and not stress his wounds. He faced Nyx, who, as always, had her thick cloak shrouding her body and face.

"So, I'm finally going to become your knight?" he said tiredly. Frankly, he was sick of these trials that seemed to injure him in every possible way.

"Indeed" she said, her voice low yet still carrying enough power to echo around the cave. "Come this way, Perseus."

She hovered in the doorway for a few moments before heading back down the rough stone corridor, with Percy in her wake. They travelled down the hallway, coming to the dark, familiar cavern where this had all began. Nyx drifted slowly through the cave and headed down the large corridor to the right, which was illuminated by the same dim torches as the glossy corridor they had come through.

They walked down it for a few long, quiet minutes, Percy's footfall being the only noise in the wide hallway. Then, the two turned a sharp corner, and the corridor opened up into a humongous cavern the size of two school halls. The walls were rough brown stone and illuminated by tall free standing torches, whist a glass chandelier the size of a car hung from the ceiling, it's candles providing the rest of the light.

In the very centre of the cave were four tall shimmering pillars on a raised platform made of otherworldly obsidian-like rock, surrounding a large altar around a metre high made of the same stone. The whole cavern felt like it belonged on a different planet, the dancing light of the candles contributing to it.

"Lie down" Nyx whispered as she drifted up beside the platform as her slender, gloved hand slipped out of her cloak and gestured at the altar. Percy followed her directions and laid down on the cold slab, his head resting against the smooth glassy surface. The stone was freezing, like death had touched it - which it probably had. Percy shuddered at the though.

"Now, I am going to bless you and link you to me Perseus." Nyx whispered, slowly hovering next to him. Then, to Percy's shock, she slowly lifted the hood from her face, revealing the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Nyx's skin was the colour of ivory, her sleek feline features framed by ebony black hair, so black it seemed to be made of shadows. It was impossible to tell her age by looking at her face, and her eyes held thousand of years of knowledge - they were pure swirling shadows with a singular pinpoint of light in the centre, like the night sky with only one star.

She simply radiated power.

Percy was dumbfounded by her striking beauty, so he could only look at her when she placed her cold, gloved hand over his forehead. He gazed up at her, a question niggling the back of his mind. "Why didn't you just heal me?" Percy inquired, pointing at his stomach wounds. Nyx emanated pure power, so it was a bit strange that she wouldn't heal her soon to be knight so that he was at his full strength.

As soon as the question left his mouth, Nyx's pristine face contorted in anger. "Would you like to know the answer?" She growled, her eyes lighting up. "I will tell you".

"One of your fellow demigods stole my power source from me!" She exclaimed. "They stole my vúxta, my amulet that holds a portion of my strength! I am nothing without it, I am weak!" Nyx's cold voice dropped to a whisper as the fire died out of her eyes. "That is how we have come to this situation, after all. I am not strong enough to take my amulet back." She said, staring Percy in the eye.

"And you are going to help me get it back."

Nyx laid her icy cold hand over Percy's forehead once again, chanting in an unfamiliar language. The pillars seemed to be generating heat, the temperature increasing as Nyx's chanting got faster and faster. Soon, the slab was a searing heat under his back, almost as if it was on fire. His hands and forehead had a weird pressure like feeling on them, like hot pins being dug into the surface of his skin.

"Pledge yourself to me Perseus!" she cried as the heat intensified further. "Say it!"

"I, Perseus Jackson, pledge myself to the mistress if the night, Nyx. I swear to become her knight!" Percy screamed, hoping it was the right thing to say.

Suddenly it felt as though his body was on fire, and he writhed trying to get away from the pain but was held by invisible bonds. Nyx's chanting peaked, and her voice rose to a scream as she uttered the final words to the incantation. Percy screamed in pain, and suddenly, the torment ceased, leaving Percy shattered and sweaty on the once again cold slab.

Nyx floated to the ground, wobbling slightly as she hovered. "I must rest. This task has drained me immensely" she whispered, before drifting out of the cavern, her black eyes half closed. Percy felt very tired. Who knew torture made you sleepy?

He stared down at his arms and noticed two black star shaped spots on either hand. They seemed to be moving, constantly changing shape and writhing under his skin. He felt no different, except that there seemed to be a small presence in the back of his mind, barely there, but strong enough to be noticed.

So that was it then.

He was now a Knight of Nyx.

***

G'day.

I'm slack, I know. Sorry if this is a bit of a weird chapter... I'm tired. Oh, also THANKYOU FOR GETTING ME OVER 1K READS! WAT?! *cries hystericaly*
Anyway, 2 months and 1 week till BOO release date! Can't wait. Hope you enjoyed.

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Jaydeebooboo.