Heroes of Olympus - The Blood of Olympus (Discontinued)

Chapter 7 - Annabeth

Chapter 7 - Annabeth

Annnabeth swung her legs off the saddle of her hippocampus, and plunged into the water. She began wading through the currents, the cold making her legs turn numb, her ankles to jelly, the fear in her chest expanding until it threatened to engulf her, to immerse her in her fear. But that didn't matter to her at the moment; nothing mattered right now.

"Annabeth, where are you going?" Frank called, swiveling his steed around, grabbing hold of the empty reins of Annabeth's hippocampus as it tried to make a hasty bolt into the maze. It tossed its head in alarm, whinnying anxiously once it felt the reins go slack, the weight on its back vanish. "Come back!"

Annabeth ignored him. She pushed herself through the water until she reached the small island that floated near the back of the eastern tunnel. Knowing she had only minutes before the demons came back, she splashed her way onto the bulk of the small island, climbing and climbing until she stood at its highest peak. From her perch, she had a clear view of almost the entire labyrinth stretching forth below her.

She saw Nymphs and Nereids racing down corridors and tunnels in the distance, she caught side of Jason's face appear behind one of the floating rafts before it disappeared again as three demons charged him and Hazel. Looking toward the back of the maze, toward the direction where the demigods' flag lay, back to where she heard Percy scream, her heart nearly stopped.

Percy's left arm was coated in blood, staining the water around him in a nauseating crimson cloud. His hippocampus was gone, and he stood knee-deep in the freezing current. About fifteen demons surrounded him on all sides forming a semicircle of death, snarling and hissing, baring their weapons. How the demons had gotten to the other side of the arena that quickly, Annabeth had no idea. One Nymph, she saw, held a weapon dripping with blood (obviously Percy's attacker), and unspeakable rage threatened to cloud Annabeth's vision until it blinded her entirely.

But Percy stood his ground, his back pressed against the flag, Riptide held firm, his eyes blazing with anger. Several times, Annabeth saw him dip his arm into the water around him, apparently hoping the water would heal his wound, but his arm wouldn't stop bleeding. Obviously, these waters were enchanted so they wouldn't fulfill Percy's needs, yet Percy's powers over the water seemed to be in full control, despite his lacking abilities to heal himself.

As one, all fifteen demons lunged for him, their eyes flashing within the bright spotlight of the coliseum.

Percy bellowed, sweeping Riptide outward in front of him, and the water responded to his will. A huge wave erupted outward on all sides, sweeping the demons off their feet, throwing them full force into the barracks around them, several smashing flat into wood-rafts, others getting suspended in the trees growing on the islands.

As Annabeth watched, they re-grouped and attacked him again. Percy summoned a small hurricane catching the monsters in whirlwind of power, and blasting them out the top like pressurized caffeine in a bottle of coke. Sparring himself time after each failed attack, he suddenly looked her way and caught Annabeth's eye. Annabeth was grateful she and Frank had only gone a short distance, otherwise Percy probably wouldn't be able to hear her. "You okay?" she called above the noise of the crowd, and the clanging of weapons.

Percy gave her a thumbs up. "Never better!" he yelled back, and even though he grinned at her, his face was tight with pain. "Go Annabeth! I'll be fine! Get the flag! I'm not killing them; just holding them off. If I kill any, they'll just respawn near your position."

Annabeth hesitated.

"Go!" Percy yelled as the Nymphs and Nereids regained formation, charging him again.