there must be more than this provincial life.
[ percy jackson x original character ]
[ book three in the belle series ]
[ the mark of athena, the house of hades, & the blood of olympus ]
[ bonus: the lost hero, the hidden oracle, the ship of the dea...
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𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖎𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖝-𝖍𝖚𝖎𝖙: BOB THE TITAN
★ 。／｜＼。★
BELLE DECIDED THAT if she ever got out of Tartarus, she would never take her walks with Percy for granted ever again. The two often took strolls around Camp Half-Blood and admired their home. They also took walks along the beach of the Long Island Sound where they didn't have to say a word and just enjoyed being in each other's company. And Belle's personal favorite, when Percy would lead her around the streets of New York City with him in the lead as she held his hand tightly, him looking back at her occasionally with his eyes lit up as bright as the skyscrapers that made her heart race.
But now they held hands as they followed the Phlegethon, stumbling over the glassy back terrain, jumping over crevices, and hiding behind rocks whenever the Empousai slowed down in front of them. It was pretty hard to stay far enough back to avoid getting spotted yet close enough to see Kelli and her friends through the dark hazy air. Belle could feel her skin baking from the heat of the river and breathing was still a challenge.
At least the Phlegethon was healing them slowly. The cuts on Belle's palms and forearms had faded away. She had ripped a piece of denim off of her jeans and used it to tie her hair back, and it reminded her of old times before she had cut her hair. Belle might've been fine physically, but mentally, she wasn't doing so well. Hunger and thirst creeped up on her and she was completely scared out of her mind.
Just like it had been when they were falling, Belle didn't know how much time had passed. Her and Percy trudged along the river, following as it cut through the harsh landscape. At least the Empousai weren't walking fast. They shuffled on their mismatched bronze and donkey legs and often fought a lot with each other. Apparently none of them were in any sort of hurry to reach the Doors of Death.
Suddenly, the Empousai sped up and swarmed around something that looked like a beached carcass on the riverbank. Belle didn't know what it was, but the demons attacked it enthusiastically. Once they moved on, her and Percy approached the spot and found nothing but a few splintered bones and blood stains drying in the heat of the Phlegethon. Belle's stomach turned upside down and she felt the sudden urge to throw up.
Belle rubbed her eyes. "I hate it here."
"I know," Percy replied softly, pulling her away from the scene. "We'd better keep moving, Beauty. We don't want to lose them."
Belle pushed herself to move on. She let her thoughts wander back to her friends back at Camp Half-Blood and on the Argo II. Belle wondered how they were doing back at Camp, and in the Argo II's case, with trying to reach the House of Hades above. Most of all, she thought about how much she missed everyone.
