Not Your Hero ✔

-6-

Percy exited the bus. Good thing I didn't forget anything. Percy thought as the bus disappeared into thin air. He was a figure of darkness, draped in shadows except for his mouth which gave him a look of wearing a cloak. Not that anyone would notice. It was night on this planet, the tunnel-like houses illuminated by the pale moonlight. The ground was a rusty reddish-brown that looked like sand but under Percy's feet, it felt like steel. No rock insight. Each step was followed with a resounding echo, coming from below the ground. Like the planet was hallow. In that case, tunnel houses make sense. Funny how the map said nothing about hallowed ground.

The ground rumbled from trillions of baritone voices. The map did say something about tournaments. They were coming from underground. Percy looked over all of the weapons he had in his possession. Riptide. A few Nemean Lion Teeth and he stashed it's hide in a quiet spot near the river back on Earth along with a couple of other things for his younger siblings.

Riptide should be enough for now. Percy didn't want to take a chance and fight any tough guys just yet. He wanted to see the strengths of all of the species called Gorums. Gorumi. Okay, not really sure of the plural for Gorum. He scanned the planet around him. All he saw was the reddish-brown terrain and the wide wooden doors that more than likely go down into the tunnel. But those are people's homes, right? He can't just barge in anywhere.

Then Percy heard footsteps, and the echo started coming closer and closer. It was a Gorum. It was a big bulky creature with skin the same color as the ground, and its face smoothed over and Percy couldn't quite see any specific features. But it didn't even seem to see him at all. "Excuse me," Percy said. The giant creature stopped but said nothing. Percy realized that this Gorum might not understand a word that's coming out of his mouth. The Gorum stood there silently, not moving. It didn't seem to see the son of Poseidon at all. Percy examined the Gorum once more and noticed something aligning the sides of their body. Short mechanoreceptors, on its limbs and the side of its face. There was a possibility that this creature is blind.

"Excuse me?" Percy tried again, this time the creature turned to him. "Ello-um h-um." Whaaaaaaaaaa? "M-um I-um rago-um d-um ale-um S-um." Percy pictured the words in his mind. How in the hell am I supposed to make sense of this? An exasperated Percy thought. Then dyslexia came into play. Yay, I have dyslexia even in my mind! He thought sarcastically. The letters swirled, and the -um parts of the words disappeared. The letters of the second -um were placed in front of the letters of the first. In his mind, Percy read 'Hello, I'm Drago Sale.'

Oh. OH.

Percy could remember to do that. "Ello-um h-um. Erc-" Something told him not to reveal his name. So, he panicked. When he panics, he thinks about the sea or anything water. And the coolest name- at least at the time- popped into his mind. "y-um M-um ame-um N-um s-um I-um Aelstrom-um M-um." Maelstrom. "Peak-um S-um ative-um n-um anguage-um l-um." The Gorum demands. Speak the native language...

"You mean like this? Can you understand me?" "Now Drago speak like Quiet Man. Gorum learning species." The giant creature says. Gorum learning species. Gorum learning fast.

"Dreyer and Cyrus happy with quiet man voice," Drago says, patting his bulky stomach. Wait, he's pregnant? Percy knew the map said the males have up to 400 babies at a time, but half of the stuff that map spouted proved to be inaccurate. "Your children?" Percy asks. "Yes," Drago says, almost sadly. Percy also remembered something else that the map says. 400 babies are born, 398 are given to the King, J'viar Se'calem. Slayer of Thousands. Definitely someone I don't want keeping my kids.

"King takes all but the two weakest. Hurt them, rape them, kill Drago's babies!" Drago cries out in anger and sadness. The Gorum in front of me, this intelligent bulky red-brown creature who is covered in mechanoreceptors, and probably well over 7ft tall, showed more humanity than some of the other demigods back on Earth.

"Don't worry. I'll help you. I can't promise you it will be the outcome you want, but I will do my best to make your children's lives better. You have my word." Percy promised. "Quiet Man help Drago?" Drago asks, sniffling. "Quiet Man help Drago." Percy nods, confirming it. "Quiet man nice. Remind me of Big Brother from long ago." You remind me of my brother too, Percy wanted to say. He did see Tyson in Drago.

"Drago help Quiet Man like Quiet Man help Drago. Why Quiet Man here on Goruk?" Drago asks me. "I'm looking to enter into the Tournaments. I understand that this is the best place for them to get money?" Percy noticed Drago looked somewhat nervous. "But Quiet Man can die in big fight place. Don't go." He pleaded. Percy looked at him. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," Percy assured the pregnant Gorum.

"Ok. Drago trust Maelstrom." He says. It was the first time Drago called him by his 'name'.

"Follow Drago. He helps Quiet Man register." Drago says. The tall alien's feet made the ground vibrate. That's probably how he gets around. The vibrations. Drago leads Percy to a quaint looking tunnel home and opened the door. Percy followed close behind as they both traveled down a long stairway, dark and creaky. It creeped Percy out that the door closed by itself when they made it. He'd tried to close it at first but it wouldn't budge.

What was really fifteen minutes felt like hours as Percy and Drago made their way down the steps.

He heard the chants of beings using 'Gorum Latin' Percy had decided to name it. "Remember Quiet Man, speak in the native language. Always." Drago says, his round head turned straight for it. Percy wondered why the language he spoke mattered so much.

Percy and Drago went through a door, which revealed a large Colosseum type area. Crowds were aligning the walls, and a broad dusty battlefield was in the middle. The cheers grew louder as the winner thumped his armor-clad chest. The victor roared savagely before rambling in Gorum Latin. Percy's mind instantly translated it.

"All Hail King J'viar, Slayer of Thousands!" He roared. The victor must've been the king's champion. A man in red robes stood, both arms outstretched. The crowd continued to cheer, but halfheartedly. And that must be the king. The guy looked like a rejected version of Voldemort. The guy wasn't a Gorum. And from the blue skin, probably not even from Goruk. Percy looked at the victor with a new determination. Something about that guy felt off. Both of them. Drago left to go register me and the announcer's voice resounded through the buildings. "Looks like we have one more competitor. Will he take the title of Champion from the great Skratz? Give it up for MAELSTROM!" Surprisingly, that was all in English.

Percy pulled out Riptide, still in pen form. "Begin!" The announcer yelled. Skratz laughed. "You think that you can defeat me, with that?" He said, holding his side as his body shook with laughter. "Show some respect for the lady," Percy says he pops the cap off of Riptide and swung, the sword slamming into his opponent's breastplate. "Well, I never meant to offend you." Skratz retorted.

No more talk. Percy was on all-out battle mode.