The Oracle & the Augur ➳ Octachel/Rachtavian [Complete]

X. Brim of Death (10)

A r i a ✯

"Please work, please work," whispers Ava.

I look up from the bow I'm stringing and look at her. The daughter of Iris was hunched over the water fountain next to the Big House. She had just thrown a drachma into it as an offering to her mom.

Studying Ava, I'm not sure what to think. I hadn't seen her in what, four years? It seems like almost yesterday...

She gasps loudly, "Octavian!"

Well, clearly the Iris message worked fine. Standing up from the bench I'd been sitting on, I felt intrigued to see how my little bro was doing on his first quest.

I stop in my tracks as soon as I see him. Octavian was lying on a bed, not looking good. At all.

My eyes drop to look at his side, where a bloody bandage was hugging his body. A concerned Rachel was sitting next to him, her eyes full of sadness. 

Octavian opens his eyes slowly, and furrows his eyebrows towards us. He clenches his jaw and manages to lift his head up.

"What the hell do you want, Ava?" he croaks, causing Rachel to snap her head back and spot us.

Poor Ava, the girl was practically trembling. And let me tell you, nothing makes that Aussie tremble. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. I walk up so I stand beside her.

"Octavian..." I gulp, trying not to look at his wound, "What happened?"

He tries to say something, only to cringe in pain. I feel a twang in my heart, we may be half-siblings, but I always thought of him like my full-blooded brother.

Rachel gently helps him rest his head and he appears to fall asleep right away. Dipping a towel in water and wiping the sweat off his forehead, she takes a deep sigh and looks up at us.

"Something went wrong with the engines, we had to go by water," she takes a deep breath and continues, "Then... then Scylla and Charybdis were there, and..." an uncontrolled sob comes out of the Oracle.

I suddenly notice how tight I'm gripping the bow and try to relax. I begin thinking of= options. Octavian doesn't look well, and I can't even begin imagining what would happen if he... if he...

"Kay– I mean, Aria. What do I do?" pleads Rachel.

"Healing isn't my strongest specialty," I say discouraged.

"Look– there's Will!" Ava finally speaks. I spin around and spot Will–who can miss that bright hair?– feeling instant relief. He was the best healer in the camp.

"Will, come here! Hurry!" I shout. As Will comes jogging towards us, I have to hold onto my bow tighter because my hands won't stop shaking.

"What's up?" he asks, then looks at the Iris message. His eyes turn into slits when he notices Octavian is there.

I can practically see the anger coursing through my half-brother; Will, that is. "Why in the gods names is Octavian with Rachel? I thought she was going on her quest alone?" he shouts.

"Long story, but Will he's hurt real bad. You have to help him!" I urge.

"You don't even know the guy! Why would you care?" responds Will, giving me a disgusted look.

I march up to him, now it's me who's angry, "I care because he's my brother," Will steps back, a confused look. He suddenly notices the resemblance, probable of our eyes, and gasps, "So I need you to tell me how the Hades we're going to help him."

Will just stands there, shocked, but walks up to the fountain a few seconds later. He squints at Octavian, ignoring Rachel completely.

"Give him some Nectar." he states neutrally.