The Winged Warrior

Chapter 12

recap:

I saw Lexi give her speech, the campers replying with cheers. I saw her fist hit the air like a bullet, her face set in anger and determination.

Behind her, the flames rose higher and higher until they surrounded her silhouette, her hair looking like a dancing ring of fire as it whipped around her face in the heat and wind. Right then, looking so inspiring and fierce, she was so... so beautiful.

Percy's POV

I stared at Lexi as she stood in front of the flames. The other campers rushing around me looked like blurs moving slowly past as they raced towards the only figure that was in focus.

"Hey Per - Ash? You alright?"

A voice snapped me out of my reverie. Luke was looking at me in concern, obviously noticing my vacant expression. His eyes followed my own and I saw his eyes light up with glee when he saw where I was staring.

"Dude, I knew it! You like her, don't you?"

He nudged me in the ribs and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

"Shuddup." I muttered, pushing him lightly. "Trust me, I've had hundreds of years to think about that, I think I'd know. I was only thinking about how she looks more familiar with her green skin back, that's all."

"Oh, OK..." Luke said, still waggling his eyebrows.

***

We were all heading back to the chaos cabin a few minutes later when Percy stopped. I turned and saw that Nicolas had run out of the doors of our cabin - we had let him sleep there because he was being bullied - and was tugging on Percy's sleeve, pulling him inside.

We broke into a jog and followed Nicolas into the cabin. He led us up to the living room, where we noticed Will standing next to the couch, bending over a figure sprawled over it. 

Will looked up when we entered and I saw his face pale. He rushed over to us.

"He's in a stable condition, but he'll take a long time to recover." he said.

"Who?" I heard Percy say next to me.

We dashed round the couch and saw Dionysus lying there. His arms were dangling over the pillows, his eyes shut and his mouth agape, drooling.

"Hey Perce! He looks like you!" I chipped in, grinning. My grin was quickly wiped away when Percy shoved me into Nico.

"Shaddup." he muttered, his face going beet red.

Will cut into our playful outburst with a look that plainly told us we shouldn't be laughing at a medical emergency.

"So... what happened?" Nico asked, looking at Will.

Will did not return Nico's gaze, however, but instead turned to Percy.

"Nicolas here found him on the steps of the big house. He checked for response from the patient, but when there wasn't one he called me over straight away. We put him in here and waited for you." 

I laughed inwardly at Will's use of the word 'patient'. Even gods got no special treatment from doctors.

Will was continuing; "He's been out for about two hours now, I've analysed him and concluded that he has the same thing that... that Nico had when he collapsed."

He looked away quickly and Nico did too. Nico was determinedly not making eye contact, but staring at the wallpaper.

 "However, Dionysus is a much, much, much more powerful being, so I don't really know what to do." Will spoke, his voice harsh in the quiet room. This time, Will did meet Nico's eyes, and stared defiantly into them without a hint of care or compassion behind his sky-blue irises.