End of the Line

#46 - Such Irony

Chapter 46 - Such Irony
published: Wednesday, 11 December 2019

A harpy had Piper pinned down, and was preparing to feast on her tasty demigod flesh. Piper let out a yell as she kicked the monster off of her and scrabbled for Katoptris, which was lying beside her.

Piper sat up and simultaneously stabbed the half-woman half-bird. The monster let out a deafening screech and burst into bronze dust that flaked down onto her hair and clothes.

Brushing the dust off, Piper let out a sigh of relief. Her muscles were aching, and her brain was numb with tiredness. Giving birth had somehow temporarily numbed her battle senses, and it rather annoying.

On the bright side, it seemed to have strengthened her abilities to charmspeak. She'd already convinced a whole legion of monsters to turn on each other with hardly a word.

"Hey," came a breathless voice. Frank jogged over and pulled Piper to her feet. He checked her for wounds before checking himself.

Piper opened her mouth to ask him where they were headed next, when she noticed the grey pallor of his cheeks. "What happened?" A sinking feeling grappled within before the words had even escaped her lips.

Frank swallowed. "It's Will."

Piper rounded the next tree and felt her eyes well up as she saw Nico leaning over a dying Will Solace.

"Don't go," Nico sniffled. "Please. Will, I need you. Please."

Piper felt Frank's arm snake around her as  they approached their dying friend. They knelt down beside Nico, Piper burying her head in Frank's shoulder.

"Nico," Will managed. A weak smile broke his features. "Hey, don't cry."

Nico sobbed, "You absolute idiot. Why did you take that knife?"

Will stared tearily at him. "I love you."

Nico's hand clasped Will's so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you," he cried. "Gods, Will, please, don't go. You have to hold on."

"It's ironic that I can't save myself," Will said softly.

"I swear to Olympus," Piper threatened. "Get up, Will, or I'll charmspeak you to life." 

A half-sob half-laugh bubbled up in the back of Nico's throat.

"Piper," Frank warned suddenly. There was the sound of elastic stretching as he drew his bow. Piper glanced up to see an arai swooping down on them, talons outstretched.

Before he could knock an arrow, a golden arrow spring from the creature's neck and sent it spiralling to the ground.

Piper looked behind her to see Apollo striding up to them. His brow was furrowed with concern, and all traces of his usual arrogance had disappeared completely from his features.

"Nico, I need you to move," the god said firmly.

"No," Nico said insistently. "I'm not leaving him." He protested between hiccups as Piper pulled him away. "I'm not—"

"Nico," Piper murmured as she forced herself to pull him back. Nico curled up into a helpless ball in her arms, and Piper found herself hugging him from behind. She buried her head in his shoulder, biting her lip as she watched Apollo kneel over Will.

A string of words in Ancient Greek left the god's lips, and Piper only understood some of them. It was a spell; a healing spell. Even Nico ceased his struggling and watched with bated breath.