Percy Jackson: The Light Bringer

Nothing Lasts Forever

   As soon as she placed her hand on it, I knew something was happening. I heard the sound of gears turning somewhere within the walls and Andromeda gasped all of a sudden.

   "I need to renew its bond" said Andromeda, her eyes closed. I nodded in spite of not knowing what she meant. She then started drawing strange symbols on the air.

   I watched in surprise as the symbols appeared on the door and started moving. It was almost like the door and Andromeda were talking to each other. Never thought I'd say that.

   "Well well well" I heard a voice say, making my blood run cold. "We got you where we wanted you"

   "What do you want War?" I asked while taking a defensive stand, my eyes searching for him

   "What I want...you can't give." Said the voice. I tried to find the spot where it was coming from, but the cave echoed the sound, making it next to impossible to know where he was.

   "What I need, however, is for the girl to open the doors" 

   "Not gonna happen buddy"

   "Oh I think it will" came the reply. Even though I couldn't see him, the benevolence in his voice was all but too clear. 

   "Do you want to know why?" Strange sound filled the air. Whispers...hundreds of them speaking to me. The sound got louder and louder. Once more, a throbbing headache made me wince in pain. 

   "Because you're going to help me." And all of a sudden, everything became an eerie quiet. The quiet lasted for only a second though. I instinctively raised my sword and blocked an incoming strike.

   "Not bad" War said, his face now completely visible and his sword inches from slicing my throat. With lightning speed, he pushed me back and sliced at my leg, making a small but deep gash on my thigh.

   I barely had time to feel the pain before a barrage of strikes was launched at me. I blocked a few but many went past my defence and left wounds in various places.

   I was slowly but steadily loosing ground. War's strikes kept pushing me back as I struggled to maintain a proper defence. From the corner of my eye, I saw Andromeda drawing more of the symbols. I had to take this fight away from her and give her time to do whatever she was doing.

   And I did just that...stupidly if I may add.

   In a desperate move, I flung myself at War, surprising him. I grabbed hold of him and quickly unfurled my wings and took to the air, carrying him with me. War's surprise soon turned to smirk as he lifted his sword and struck at my back.

   His sword hit my left wing, making me scream and let go of him, as a searing pain echoed through my body. Loosing all control on my flight, I spiralled downward and hit the ground. War landed on his feet, a small cloud of dust spreading out from the force of the impact.

   The feeling was torturous. My mind couldn't form coherent thoughts. Every time I moved, I felt as though a sharp spike pierced my shoulder. There I lay on the floor, both my wings open and one severely damaged.

   "Pitiful" I heard War say, sneering. 

   I painfully opened my eyes and saw him approach me, swinging his weapon in his hand. My own sword was nowhere to be seen. His irises were a blood red in colour. His armour was unlike anything I had ever seen, a meticulously crafted shell of metal. 

   "Tell her..." he said in a slow and threatening voice. "To open the doors"

   "Go to hell" I said, my words coming out as little more than a whisper. Then, War did the most scariest thing — he smiled. The smile was in no way ordinary of that of happiness, it was the smile of a madman, a psychopath.