End of the Line

#11 - The Battle of the Dead

Chapter 11 - The Battle of the Dead
published: Wednesday, 5 February 2019

Percy's eyes widened as he saw the first creature.

It was Luke. Luke Castellan.

The blonde hair, the scar, the same crooked smirk. It was unmistakeable him.

"How?" Percy whispered.

Annabeth had nearly dropped her dagger in shock, and she was frozen in place.

More gasps and shouts erupted from his friends as the other creatures started to growl and start forward.

Percy recognised some faces.

One was Sammy Valdez – Hazel's old sweetheart and Leo's greatgrand-father. But his eyes swirled with green and his mouth was twisted into an unnatural sneer.

Another was a familiar face Percy recognised from pictures in Piper's room – Tristan McLean, the famous actor and her father.

"You can fight, young demigods," Apate's voice reverberated deafeningly. "But can you fight them?"

Percy's gaze finally landed on the person in front of him. The dark skin and hair were all too familiar. It made him go ashen.

"Percy," Charles Beckendorf sneered. He drew two massive bronze swords. "Ready to die?"

The seven zombies charged at once, howling and screaming battle cries. They smashed into the demigods with full strength, into people who had never in their worst nightmares ever thought of having to fight them.

Percy raised Riptide instinctively, keeping Beckendorf from slicing him into ribbons. He parried another strike and dodged the other sword.

Percy stumbled backwards. "Beckendorf–"

"Surprised to see me?" Beckendorf snarled. "After you left me for dead on that godforsaken cruise ship?"

Percy swallowed. He felt sick to the stomach. "Beckendorf, this isn't you–"

He was cut off as Beckendorf whirled around and slammed the flat of his blade into Percy's side, knocking him to the ground.

Percy gasped for breath as he scrambled backwards, narrowly missing Beckendorf's next attack. 

Beckendorf's eyes were churning with bright, green mist.

Percy glanced to his right, where Annabeth was busy fighting Luke. He whirled around like a madman, slashing, ducking and rolling before striking her again.

Annabeth was struggling to keep up, her eyes filled with horror as she was forced to fight the one person she had considered a brother.

"I won't fight you, Luke!" she sobbed as she deflected another blow.

It spurred Percy on and gave him strength to press on. He's already dead, Percy reminded himself bitterly.

He slashed Riptide across in a wide arc, forcing Beckendorf to defend as Percy ran forward and slashed at his knees.

Beckendorf howled at the cuts on his shins as he almost keeled over in agony.

Percy made to slam the hilt of his sword against Beckendorf's head, but Beckendorf parried the strike and sliced his swords at Percy.

They nicked his side, making Percy wince as he clutched his abdomen. The blood was soaking into his shirt and the cuts were throbbing badly.

Percy forced himself to regain his stance as Beckendorf cane flying at him again. He pushed him back with Riptide and kicked him in the stomach.