The Demigod Games

Chapter Thirty-six

Percy hadn't felt so at peace in days. His bones didn't seem to ache as much, ever after the Gods had supposedly revitalized them. The throbbing pain of knowing his fate seemed to numb as he spent most of his time relaxing in the isolated cave.

Unfortunately, renewed happiness brings new reason to be angry. It really is needless to say, but him and Annabeth got in several fights over the stupidest things. They often wouldn't last for more than a few minutes, being only human to argue. Percy certainly didn't mind them any way, knowing they'd end up with impassioned kisses and hormones going through the roof.

Annabeth had been out of the cave for only half an hour, searching (well, most likely hunting) for morsels of food. Despite that, they only required a normal estimate of food due to their elongated encounters, so to speak.

Percy began to wonder what Annabeth would be like with pyrokinesis or something insane like that. It's hard to imagine someone as feisty and fearless as Annabeth with even more power than she already possessed. She held her own, never failing to utterly amaze her boyfriend.

Boredom growing, Percy stretched for a moment. His thighs siezed, almost causing him to fall as he lifted himself onto his feet. He clamped onto the rocky wall of the cave, preventing himself from collapsing. It had been too long before he had even been out of the cave. Maybe he missed it, the action of it all. The monsters who would constantly threaten his life, the constant fear of attacks...He chuckled to himself. Years upon years had passed since he hadn't experienced the trauma of being a halfblood. Getting a break, for even a little while, was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Before he went to lie down again, Percy analyzed the cave wall. There was a thumping against it, but it was inconsistent. Someone, or something was trying to break in.

--

Leo gathered Aelia's hair from her eyes, watching her carefully.

"Are we almost there?" she asked, peering up towards the son of Hephaestus.

He nodded, "Just a couple more hits."

Aelia continued sawing through the branch with all of her focus. "Still have no idea how this even got in here. It's kind of ridiculous."

"You'd think the Gods would be a little bit more knowledgeable," Leo agreed, sighing slightly. Even with battered hair and dirt-covered skin, Aelia still managed to glow with the light of her father.

They turned their heads in unison when they heard a gasp from the trunk of the tree. "The Gods can see you two, you know!" Piper yelped from below. "My mom might be the Goddess of love, but even she'd be slightly MORTIFIED!"

They made eye-contact for a moment, registering Piper's comment. Leo knelt down and then released Aelia's hair. "TEAM LEO!" he shouted at her, sticking out his tongue playfully.

At that same moment, Aelia cringed. "We're definitely being PG!"

"You're disgusting!" Piper faked a gagging motion. "You can get sucked off when we're out of you, you know!"

Leo laughed. "That's not what you told Jason!"

Piper turned red, absolutely infuriated. "I swear to Gods, Valdez. There we be a day where-"

"A day where you what?" A new voice entered the mix.

The three demigods turned their heads all at once, astounded to see a golden boy standing in a single beam of light. His hair seemed paler and blonder than ever; his eyes piercing with brightness. Aelia leaped down from the tree, cautiously approaching the new arrival. "Jesus, are you a God now?"

Piper couldn't restrain herself anymore. Between the breakup and her heart wallowing in a pit, she found herself unable to continue acting as if she was fine. It was her goal to let him live, knowing that he'd be one of the best bets to winning the world back from Gaea. She cast herself off to the side of his life, knowing that it was the best for everyone. For once, Piper decided to go with her heart over her head. "I've missed you," she said almost breathlessly. Seeing him looking normal made her overwhelmed.

He smiled as if he had never done so before. Simultaneously, they threw themselves onto each other and landed with a thud. Laughter followed as well as a few less than gentle kisses. With a few hoots from Aelia and Leo, they realized it was time to stop.

Before Leo and Aelia had the good fortune for this to happen, Leo muttered to her, "See what I have to deal with?"

"A mess of hormones and their inability to commit to anything they say?"

"Precisely."

"How did you even get here?" Piper inquired, peering up towards the mound of leaves missing from the treetops.

"I flew," he told her blatantly, smirking not out of pride, but for just seeing her once more. "The mountains gave me a runway."

Leo kicked himself off of the branch, nearly landing on top of Aelia. She gave him an annoyed look before looking to Jason. "But how did you find us?" she questioned. "If you can find us, then can't Edward and Lara find us?"

"Piper was shouting," he remembered. "I recognized her voice and took a shot."

"Dios mio," Leo muttered.

Aelia punched his arm. "Doesn't that Lara girl know you better?"

Leo laughed nervously, rubbing his new bruise. "Maybe...just maybe."

"You flirted with her, didn't you?" Piper asked blandly.

Jason nodded, repressing a knowing chuckle. Leo gave him a nearly venomous look. "What does it matter? We just can't goof off anymore."

"Never thought I'd hear you suggesting to take things more seriously," Piper remarked, entwining her fingers with Jason's.

Then Aelia cleared her throat. "I agree with him. We need to stop this," she said, taking a tentative glance at Leo.

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. He spent hours searching, praying that he'd be able to protect the daughter of Aphrodite. Piper had always been a warrior, but he saw more than that when he looked at her. Jason saw the defiant spirit she held close to her heart. The tangled braids that fell down her back. The way she'd stand up for what she believed in, not matter what. The son of Jupiter only considered himself to be the eye in the sky, the brute strength that led the charge. At heart, maybe he only felt as good as Edward. Brutal. Merciless..

She made him realize countless times that it isn't about being invincible, being a demigod is about fighting back no matter what the costs. Without that attitude, the seven would never have made that far. "If it means that at least one of us gets out alive, I'll do it," Jason cut in.

"It's settled then. No more games. No more...unnecessary behavior. We've gotta preserve ourselves," Aelia sighed, leaning against the tree trunk instead of Leo.

Leo shifted slightly. "We should find the others too."

"You mean Percy and Annabeth?"

"Yep," Leo replied, popping the 'p.'

"We already lost Hazel," Aelia said quietly. "It's not an option to lose another one of you."

She took a deep breath, wary of the three sets of eyes locked on her. "We'll have to split up and find a place to meet again," Aelia continued, "well, you know before we're found by the terrible twosome. Jason, Piper. You'll go towards the mountains. Leo and I will go deeper in to the forest."

"We'll meet up right here, at this tree," Jason knocked on the wood for emphasis.

"How will we remember this exact tree?"

Jason smiled smugly. Lightning cracked, splitting the oak tree into two pieces. They all exchanged nervous glances, preparing to flee. "Ready. Set. Run."

With a pained cough, Aelia remarked, "You do realize I was just strangled, right?"