To Hold Up the Sky (Percico/Pernico)

Chapter 18: They Meet Someone Unexpected

Prophecy:

There will be six at the beginning and at the end.

One will be enemy and one will be friend.

A choice be made; heart or mind.

The lover's ears be deaf and eyes be blind.

Misleading will he try to thee.

For much is the Pit God's unease.

For an ancient god will pave.

A looming final path: destroy or save.

Chapter:

Darkness loomed over the demigods as they slept, threatening to tarnish or destroy the makeshift fire they made in the center for warmth. Silent breathing and the crackling of flames filled the usual silience of the maze, making it feel less creepy than it already was. But then one awoke.

Rachel's eyes flew open, wide with fear from a terrible nightmare. The oracle quickly sat up and looked around with haste, looking for any monsters. When she saw only her fellow demigods sleeping peacefully, she sighed with relief. Then of course she noticed Katie, who was on guard duty, fast asleep. Her relief was quickly replaced with the annoyance she constantly felt for the six, especially Katie. 'Ugh, Katie's so irritating!' she grumbled in her mind.

Getting to her feet, the Oracle drew out her sword and took over guard duty, keeping a close watch on the pitch black corridors to their right and left. Oh how she regretted helping Katie with this. As she sat there for hours trying not to fall asleep, Rachel planned to have a nice, long chat with the daughter of Demeter when she woke. 

A clatter of a sword bought Rachel's attention, shaking her out of her tired haze. She wipped around to see a thin blonde guy with bright blue eyes sneering at her, his white toga dirty from nights in the maze. Dark circles ran under his eyes and his cheeks were slightly sunked from hunger, telling her that he had been on the run for a long time. But Rachel didn't feel pity for him, for the guy was and is her enemy.

"Octavian?"

 He snorted. "Who else?" The blonde kept a firm grip on his sword that he dropped earlier, feeling very threatened in the presence of six frenemy demigods.

Rachel stared, shocked to see him. "Why in Hades' name are you blundering around the maze? Don't you have stuffed animals to rip apart or something?"

Octavain glared. "Don't mock me."

It was her turn to snort. "Says the guy who gutted Percy's pillow pet."

"So are you saying I should start sacraficing live animals?" Octavain challenged, crossing his arms. "Cause that's barbaric."

"I'm saying you should get a life." Rachel retorted.

Cheeks stained red from being embarrassed and furious, Octavain glared at her. "Its the only way for us Romans to read prophecies." Then he smirked. "At least I don't spew green foam and harbor an old lady in my body."

'Gods, he's so annoying!' she screamed in her thoughts. Rachel glared at him. "Your forgetting something." She snapped. "You happen to murder stuffed animals on a daily basis!"

"Gods your so annoying!" Octavain screeched to both her and himself, fusterated beyond belief and voicing Rachel's thoughts outloud. "You keep forgetting that they aren't even living animals. They're just sewed up cotton balls in the forms of animals!"