Percy Jackson One Shots and Short Stories

#76 - Etched on Skin (AU) (Part I)

Chapter 76 - Etched on Skin (AU) (Part I)
published: Monday, 1 March 2021

Time Frame: Alternate Universe (AU); set after Battle of the Labyrinth

Synopsis: After Long Island is struck by ancient magic, Annabeth finds that broken sentences start to appear on her wrist; the thoughts of her soulmate. And she isn't the only one.

Contain(s): soulmates and soulmarks

—*—

The blast came from nowhere.

Well, not exactly nowhere.

Camp borders had been attacked — again — by members of Kronos' army. It wasn't as full-on an offensive as the Battle of the Labyrinth had been a few weeks ago, but it was hardly a border skirmish.

These were monsters Annabeth had never seen before other than in textbooks. Demons from the underworld, carrying cursed magic, appearing to be a strange mix between the Furies and harpies. They screeched every time they swooped down, talons outstretched and midnight-black wings fanned out.

A scene out of hell. Literally.

Between Annabeth slashing at one of the demons before it could claw the life out of Percy and him shielding her from another with a wave of water, Annabeth heard an ear-splitting shriek.

Some of the demigods around her instinctively dropped their weapons, hands slammed over their ears. Some dropped to the ground in agony.

Annabeth's head rang from the resounding noise. Beside her, Percy stumbled, forcing her to catch him.

"What in Hades?" she made out from the movement of his lips.

One of the demons — the one who had emitted the noise — was hurtling into the air, similar to a rocket thrusting into outer space.

Raising a hand to block out the sun, Annabeth squinted.

She watched, eyes glued to the fascinating sight as the demon, upon getting a few hundred feet into the atmosphere, exploded into bronze dust, like a monstrous bust of fireworks.

Annabeth didn't close her eyes in time as the demon's final scream released a blinding flash of white light, but Percy pulled her back into his arms, both of them hitting the ground as monster dust rained down around them.

<<< >>>

There was a ringing in Annabeth's ears. Black spots danced before her eyes as she furiously tried to blink them away.

A heavy weight pinned her down. Percy.

"Percy," Annabeth tried to say, but her throat was hoarse. The effects, as far as she could tell, were akin to those in the aftermath of a bomb. She couldn't hear her own voice, but the vibrations in her throat told her she was speaking.

As her vision jarred back into focus, Annabeth felt Percy roll off of her, still too disorientated to comprehend what had happened. "Percy," she tried again, and this time she heard her voice like she was underwater. "Percy."

Annabeth rolled onto her back, panting as she scanned the surroundings. A black circle with a radius of ten feet was scorched into the ground where the demon had taken off.

Not a single monster was in sight.

Three figures lay writhing in the scorched area, their skin blistered from the blast — Annabeth's vision tunnelled as she recognised one of them as Chiron.