Riptide

Chapter 23

Nico POV

Camp had been dull today.

No new demigods, no monsters to fight, no quests, no Hermes cabin pranks.

Not even a lost pizza boy.

The camp was always like this after a memorial. Whether it is for the snapped, or for Percy's. They had built a statue for him. Next to the one of the five, it was just a lone trident, surrounded by a Pegasus.

We would often laugh, would say that he would have blown it into smithereens if he ever saw it.

The sky was grey as Thalia and I sat around the Hades table. No one really bothered to sit at their own table anymore. It was often because they were alone, or the weight of their lost brothers and sisters was too much for them to bear.

The smokeless fire burned low and dark, not casting enough light to surround us in shadow.

Several of the campers sat beside us, eating food that seemed greyer than before. We all sat in silence, heads down, not speaking, just enjoying each other's company. Even Clarisse was silent.

A gasp resonated out from some of the half-bloods beside me, and I looked up to see a boy standing in the centre of the fire, blood soaking his face and chest.

"Help."

A weak whimper fell out of his mouth, and I ran to catch him as he collapsed. I dragged him out of the fire and onto the dirt, to where an Apollo camper was waiting.

"Stand back." Hollered the camper. I closed my eyes as memories of Will tried to push their ways to the surface. I had to remain strong.

"Holy gods... How... How...?"

I opened my eyes to find the Camper edging back, a bow having magically appeared in his hand, "Black blood. Monster."

Cries ran out in harmony with the slice of swords being drawn. I looked at the monster's face. Sure enough, black blood poured down it. But the other eye was cracked open, and I could see a hint of sea green in them.

Wait... Sea green?

"Hold up," I said, raising my hand into the air. Weapons were lowered as I walked forward.

I crouched down next to the monster and wiped the blood off its face. I gasped.

I was staring into the eyes of Percy.

"No, it can't be. How... How it this possible?"

I could barely hear the sounds of Thalia and Clarisse gasping as they sat down next to me.

It couldn't be possible. Percy Jackson had died almost give years ago. I had felt his presence leave and go to Eslium.

Me and Thalia picked him up and carried him over to the infirmary. One of the Apollo campers ran to stand in our way.

"What are you doing? That's a monster. We don't help monsters."

Clarisse gestured for us to keep going and picked up the boy and pressed him against the wall.

"Listen here, punk. That fish head is a friend of ours that we thought was dead. So we are going to help him."

The boy skwirmed against the wall, "But it's got black blood. It's a monster."