Fight to the Surface (Sea Prince Trilogy #2)

Chapter Thirty

"We're close." Percy said.

Loki wanted to ask, "Close to what?" But his current predicament prevented him from doing as much. So he nodded his head wearily and marched on, Percy stumbling along behind him.

It wasn't much longer until Percy gripped Loki's shoulder, forcing the god to stop. Percy pointed out something in the distance, barely visible on the horizon a little off to their left.

There was a hut, the path there littered with giant remains of dead creatures. The skeletal structure and the pieces they found scattered around clearly all belonged to the same type of monster. A pit bubbled nearby, full of acidic substance that did not look friendly no matter what angle you looked at it from.

Loki looked hesitantly at Percy and pointed at the cabin as if to say, "There?"

Percy nodded in confirmation. "There."

The closer they got the more tired Loki felt. It was so close, but oh so far. His limbs were killing him, his muscles ached, his lips burned with pain. And finally they reached the door. Well, it wasn't a normal wooden door, but rather an entrance blocked by the skin of a creature Loki was unfamiliar with.

It was a place to rest. Perhaps, and Loki could only pray, that this place was friendly. Surely Percy wouldn't have lead them here otherwise.

But upon reaching the door a thunderous roar echoed behind them. Loki could've sobbed. If this thing was after them- which he was 95% positive it was- then they wouldn't survive. He'd had enough. He just wanted this experience over and done with. Gone. Out to the back of his mind. He felt rather than saw Percy tense up behind him. They couldn't hide in the hut, the thing had clearly seen them now and it was charging towards them.

It was then that Loki registered the worn down appearance of the monster. It looked as bad as they did. It was bleeding from hundreds of cuts, missing chunks of skin and the odd part twisted in what probably wasn't the right angle- but you could never tell with monsters.

Suddenly, before reaching them, it collapsed at their feet, a bony spear jutting out from its mouth, impaled from behind. Loki swallowed harshly. He held an arm out to keep Percy back but the demigod swerved around him as a bloodied figure appeared from the side of the dead beast.

Percy collapsed almost headlong into the giant, a grin on his face and tears streaming down his cheeks. "Damasen." He croaked.

"Perseus." The giant rumbled.

Loki wanted to know what the hell was happening. He wanted to know how Percy knew this giant- better yet, why this giant wasn't presently trying to kill them.

"You need healing." The giant stated. Percy had called him Damasen.

"Your skills are the best around right?" Percy made a pathetic attempt at a laugh.

"Of course. Come inside, I shall treat you and your friend." Damasen said, picking up the dying demigod.

They were both dying. That's what Tartarus was designed to do to them. And it was working.

The giant did not yet question why they were there. He knew Percy would need rest before answering the questions that burned inside him. He knew that Percy would have questions for him as well. But they could wait until Percy and Loki were no longer on the brink of death.

Loki dug his fingers painfully into the palms of his hands so he didn't cry out as Damasen skilfully pulled the string from his lips. Percy had already been treated as Loki refused to allow the giant anywhere near him until Percy was in the clear. He was dozing off, his head resting against Loki's shoulder. He was exhausted. They both were. Being here, finding this place- it was a miracle.

For Percy's treatment they'd had to put him to sleep and hold him down. Something he'd been cursed with was a monster's excruciating regeneration.

After Loki's treatment was complete he felt so much better. The life had returned to his face and his body no longer burned with a thousand pains.

Damasen gently shook Percy awake. Percy mumbled and groaned not waking up yet.

"Percy." The giant called softly.

Sea green eyes blearily blinked open. The pain had finally left them. "Mmm?"

"How did you end up down here?"

Percy took a moment to comprehend the question. Then he launched into an explanation of the events leading up to now. His training with his father, joining Blyke, the things he did and how he'd been brainwashed. He talked about how Blyke had kidnapped his little sister and tried to through her into Tartarus when Percy and Loki ran away. Although Percy had to skip over certain events because he simply didn't remember them.

"What happened to you? After we left, and Bob, and Small Bob, and how did you escape the embodiment of Tartarus and-" the words came spilling out of Percy's mouth as he became more and more upset, tears gathering in his eyes again. Loki drew the crying demigod into his side, whispering things into his ear to make him calm down.

"To tell the truth I myself barely escaped. The vortex of Tartarus didn't take all of me, only half of me. From then on I couldn't move, as one shouldn't when only in possession of an arm and a leg. Tartarus believed I was dead and moved on to destroy Iapetus. He- he did not make it."

Percy's eyes squeezed shut, guilt swallowing him.

He'd left them down here.

He left them at the mercy of Tartarus.

It was his fault.

Bob, his memories. The Titan who fought for him, called him a friend.

Gone.

All. Percy's. Fault.

Percy clearly wasn't in a state to talk anymore. He fisted Loki's shirt in his hands and cried.

"How can we get out of here?" Loki had no particular attachment to the giant, other than gratefulness that he'd patched them up. Loki also knew not who this 'Bob' or 'Iapetus' was.

"I am unsure because surely you should know this already. The Doors of Death are no longer open."

~~~~

I cannot work out why, but recently my motivation to write has just dropped. It's gone s p l a t. So this took a long time to write. My apologies. But here it is, Chapter Thirty. Not too many chapters left to go here now.

Peace,

BTSWD
Borntosingwithdrama