Abandoned- a pertemis story Ψ ☑️

Memory Lane. Chapter 28

I'm back and this time I've got the confidence to write something awesome!
Oh? I'm not allowed write confident stuff? Oh. Okay. That's cool.
I suppose I'll just stick to wowing you guys with the normal story.
Enjoy -Internet Head.

ΨPercyΨ
"Percy! Switch!" Carmen called out to me and I thrust out my hand.
He grabbed me by my sleeve and thrust me forward, moving backwards at the same time.
I swung my blade down on the neck of the ghoulish skeleton things that populated the maze.
It cried out but went down easily.
I capped Riptide and caught my breath "these things feel never ending." I remarked.
Carmen ran his finger along his blade "well we are knee deep in the Sanctum. The security here is tighter than everywhere else."
I nodded in response "right." The sanctum.
The sanctum was supposedly the middle of the maze, the stronghold where we would find all our answers.
Carmen had referred to it as the sanctum so that's what we kept calling it.
Scary name, I know.
Carmen moved forward, his boots making almost no noise on the marble floor.
He opened the heavy set doors that led into the next room.
"Percy!" He yelled "quick!" He jumped back and threw up a canteen in the air, slicing it in half with his sword.
Responding to his yells I willed the water to move forward and down in small sharp needle-like points.
We'd talked about this tactic earlier, thinking it would give us a much needed edge if we were ever surprised.
Skeleton bodies fell dead outside the door as Carmen backed away, more skeletons pouring out.
I made the fallen water wrap around some ankles, causing them to trip some.
Carmen moved back in, decapitating the stuck skeletons then parrying the blade of another that had escaped my grasp.
Then I moved in, skewering the skeleton with my sword.
We quickly disposed of the corpses and moved on.
And so we went on, clearing room by room, floor by floor until we eventually reached a room that was completely empty save for a veiled archway.
Carmen closed the door behind us and followed me closely as I went to inspect the archway.
It was put up against a wall so it couldn't possibly lead anywhere, though the veiled arch was alluring in a way that I can't describe.
I almost heard whispers promising me riches, fame, anything I wanted coming from that arch but I ignored them.
Maybe if they offered me blue pancakes I would've gone.
Carmen shook me and gestured to the door which was being assaulted.
"The security must have found out where we are. That door's not going to last long. What do we do?" He fretted, gripping his sword nervously.
I uncapped Riptide "there's really only one thing that we can do. Fight." I grimaced, wishing there was any other way.
Carmen whined "it's always like this! Gah! Always fighting!" He huffed "we need to stop being backed into corners, man. This keeps happening way to often for my taste."
The door burst open and tons of skeleton ghouls poured into the open doorway.
Carmen and I both go into fighting positions but we stepped on the arch's veil and when we lurched forward to attack we slipped and fell into the arch.
I don't have much experience with arches but as I understand them they don't usually take you to what seems like another world.
That's exactly what this one did though.
Suddenly we weren't standing in the sanctum anymore, we were now in Camp Half Blood though it wasn't like the present.
This is what Camp Half blood was like before Dave moved in.
I looked around and could immediately tell it wasn't real.
Everything felt washed out, as though the vibrant green grass and shining sun were just pale, watery imitations of the actual thing.
I looked down and found myself in my old clothes.
A camp T-shirt and a blue open jacket with jeans and everything.
None of that labyrinth chic we'd picked up.
I looked over at Carmen who looked uncomfortable in his T-shirt and grey flannel.
As soon as he saw what he was wearing he rolled down the sleeves, covering up his arms.
He turned to me, sword in hand "Perc, any ideas?"
I shook my head "I'm just as lost as you right now. Is this a Ruby thing?"
Carmen debated on it "I think so. This might be a extremely defended shortcut."
I sighed "well then, we'd better find the end of it."
We walked through the camp that was empty of demigods except for the two of us, carefully checking each cabin and every bunk for something weird or out of place.
Carmen caught up to me as the sun began to set "Why doesn't Hestia have a cabin? Like, not even an honorary one." He noticed
I thought about it for a moment "well, aside from not having children she just doesn't really need to be represented that way. She's not flashy or anything, I think the hearth dedicated to her is enough. I don't know, I haven't really asked her about it."
Hestia wasn't the sort to complain with what she was given. She took what she had and was content with that.
Or at least, that's what I thought of her.
Carmen nodded thoughtfully in response "I guess that makes sense. Hestia isn't all that bad."
I broke out into a grin "a Rouge Demigod whose sworn themselves against their godly parents control is complimenting an Olympian? I never thought I'd see the day."
Carmen flushed "shut it. I'm not sure I'm a Rouge Demigod anymore, I mean I did rebel against them quite a bit. I'm shocked the council even decided to talk to me."
I smirked wider "ah, so a 'rouge Rouge Demigod' then. The rebel."
He scoffed and threw an apple he'd found at me "shut up!"
I dodged the apple and laughed "whatever! Let's just get out of here."
We continued to search until Carmen called out from the Hera cabin.
"I haven't been here in a while but I'm not sure this is supposed to be here." He said, looking down at the very cutesy pink welcoming mat that read: come on in folks! We're here for a dandy time!
"Uh, no. Unless this place has its own version of the Stoll twins that play pranks on nobody then this is definitely fishy." I told him, cringing at the mat.
Carmen reached down and lifted the corner of the welcoming mat and, with a sound like when you drink out of a straw, he disappeared.
The mat dropped back into place as I jumped back a little "what in the name of Zeus's newborn frat child...!?"
I collected myself and tentatively called out for Carmen, hoping that he would reappear.
My spirits sunk as I realized that he wasn't anywhere to be found.
I looked around at the empty camp and felt a deep sullenness within me.
Now that I was alone this place felt so much more empty, more dark.
I felt abandoned, like the entire camp had left simply because I was there.
I turned my back on the camp and flipped up the welcome mat.
Wherever Carmen went, I was going too.