Percy Jackson and the Saviors of Tartarus

Underworld: Part 2

Percy's POV

       Theseus pushed me from behind, and I went sprawling forward.  I picked myself back up, trying to feel the movements of air being displaced as Theseus moved, as he had instructed me to, but it was so hard.  I thought I felt a bit of something to my left, so I stuck out my fist.  It hit flesh, and I smiled to myself in victory.

       'Nice.' Aéras congratulated from her tattoo form.  She preferred staying like that while we were still in the Underworld with its nasty air.  Her favorite places were on my left forearm, where she currently resided, above my heart, and on my collar bone.  Still grinning from the successful punch, my first of the month, I took off the heavy blindfold and earbuds that I'd had in.  Theseus was training me on my senses, and he did this by canceling out my best ones, seeing and hearing, and making me fight without them.

      "How was that?" I asked, breathing slightly heavy. 

       "Good," Theseus sighed, rubbing his jaw where I'd hit it, "but not good enough."  I groaned.  It was the last day of the month, and I'd made little to no improvement since the beginning.

       "Am I going to have to-"

       "Yes, you're repeating my task."  I frowned, but nodded, knowing I was not yet ready to advance.

   
• • •

       I stood perfectly still, my feet shoulder width apart and slightly staggered, Riptide at my side.  Aéras had gone silent for now to make it easier for me to concentrate.

       I reached out my senses.  I couldn't feel any movement in the air or any vibrations coming from the ground.  I took in a deep breath and tried to find what laid underneath the sulfuric smell of the Underworld.  I smelled Thesus's Earthly smell coming from somewhere on my right, as well as a few other scents.  One of them I recognized.  It was the scent almost like Annabeth's, but there was an aura of power and pride mixed in with it that told me who it was.  Athena.  I wondered what she was doing down here, but then I realized that she must have been checking up on my progress.  I knew she wouldn't fight me herself, so I didn't worry about it. 

       I checked on Theseus and found that he had moved.  I concentrated on the floor and the air, and felt motion behind me.  I ducked and swiped my leg across the floor, knocking my attacker to the ground.  Through the stone floor, I felt Theseus groan in what I guessed was a mixture of pain and annoyance.  I brought my sword down, and his came up and blocked mine.  I had been practicing a new, kind of effective strategy, and brought it into play.  I sensed the water molecules in the humid air and used them to 'view' Theseus in my mind.  He was jumping up from the ground, and he swung the flat of his blade at my throat.  I blocked it and counterattacked at his arm. 

       The fight continued on like this for an exhaustingly long time.  I was by far the better swordsman, but he had the advantages of sight and sound.  The water-molecule thing was exhausting and I could only keep it up for short bursts at a time.  After what seemed like a lifetime, I disarmed my mentor and held the point of my sword to his throat.  I had only just let my guard down when something rammed me in the stomach.  I stumbled back, gasping for breath.

       'Dam!' I thought to myself

       'Maybe now is not the time to make jokes.' Aéras reprimanded.  'You should probably focus on not getting your butt whooped.'  Sometimes having another being in your head listening to your internal monologue is helpful for staying on task.  I regained my composure and realized what had happened.  Theseus had a hidden knife on him and had used the butt of it to hit me in the stomach.  Theseus was amazing with a knife, possibly better than I was with a sword.  I felt my nerves consume me.  With no sight or hearing, how could I ever stand a chance!  What if- I stopped myself before I could go any further down this detrimental train of thought.  I tried to calm myself but it didn't work.  I felt Aéras nudge an idea into my brain.  I followed her advice took in a deep breath and found that I could smell Athena.  If I disregarded her godly aura, then it did remind me of Annabeth.  With this, my shoulders relaxed and my mind cleared.  It was time for me to finish this.  For me, for Annabeth, and for our future.