Espionage Work Is Really Annoying pt. 2
As the end of the camp drew near, Percy's board had turned into four large boards, with only one of them dedicated exclusively to reasons and justifications. The strings spread across the entire Poseidon cabin, crossing the space from one side to the other.
"Percy, it's time", a voice called from outside. It was Annabeth.
Percy quickly covered the boards with his sheets. "I'm coming", he shouted immediately before heading out.
After everyone ate together, Percy was cheered along with Annabeth as they presented what this year's necklace would be. It was a trident with a black bead, symbolizing the son of the sea god who had gone on a mission to the Underworld and completed it.
Everyone celebrated and encouraged Percy, since during the last few days he had been quite sociable with everyone. Even though part of it was to finally bring his mission to an end, he still ended up genuinely getting along with some of them.
Percy woke up the next morning when a letter on his table caught his attention. It was from Dionysus and, basically, it said that he should notify them if he was leaving for home, and that if he did not, the cleaning harpies would eat him.
That only worsened Percy's mood, since after so much time he still had not managed to find the culprit.
"Ah, damn it", Percy muttered, genuinely frustrated at having discovered nothing. He had main suspects, but even after watching them closely, they did not seem to amount to much.
To clear his mind, Percy left his cabin with the intention of practicing with his swords, taking advantage of the fact that there would not be many campers using the training fields, since everyone would be preparing to return home.
As he entered the sword training field, he noticed that someone else had had the same idea.
Luke.
He was slicing the heads off training dummies with a sword different from the one he usually used. His counselor shirt was soaked with sweat. Percy had been keeping an eye on Luke, since he believed that Luke might possibly be chosen by the gods to face him in that competition of heroes.
For that very reason, Luke, along with a few others at the camp, was one of the only people Percy had not really gotten too close to. He truly hated the idea of ending up fighting someone he considered a friend.
Percy stood still, watching as Luke, with surprising speed and great skill, cut through every dummy in his path, leaving them completely destroyed in a matter of seconds.
Percy thought that he would truly be a good opponent, seeing him display such ability. If he were the same Percy from before entering the camp, even after training all year, he would not have come anywhere close to Luke's level. Of course, that was before Miraak. Now, he believed he could defeat him with ease.
Luke seemed to notice his presence and stopped, looking at him.
"Ah, sorry", Percy said quickly, unsure whether Luke liked having spectators.
"No, it's fine. I was just taking advantage of the last chance to train", Luke replied calmly, with a gentle smile.
"You're pretty good with a sword", Percy commented. After all, he could appreciate someone skilled with one, considering he himself used swords.
His gaze lingered on Luke's weapon for a moment, noticing that it was made of two materials. Bronze and steel. That made Percy narrow his eyes slightly.
Luke noticed and smiled. "It's my new toy", he said, raising the sword toward the light and making it gleam. "Celestial bronze and tempered steel".
"It works on mortals as well as immortals", he explained.
Percy remembered what Chiron had once said. That heroes should not harm mortals unless it was truly necessary. Even he, with his black sword, was very careful about that. He knew his weapon could injure a mortal without meaning to. That was why he had never drawn it inside the camp and had asked Annabeth not to tell anyone that he had it.
"I thought a sword like that wasn't allowed", Percy said with a serious look.
"Maybe it isn't. But you have one just like it too, right?", Luke replied as he sheathed the sword.
Percy frowned when he realized Luke knew. "Did Annabeth tell you?", he asked, feeling a slight irritation.
"Uh, yeah. Something like that", Luke answered simply. "Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone", he added, then smiled. "How about you come with me into the forest? A small excursion. Maybe we can fight something there. I want to see how good you really are. If what I heard is true, it would be interesting to watch you fight".
"Sure", Percy replied without hesitation.
He looked at Luke intently for a moment, though his gaze briefly drifted above Luke's head before returning to his face.
Luke seemed to notice it, but he did not give it any importance. "Great. I always wanted to try being friends with you, even though since your return that has been a bit complicated", he said, sounding genuinely pleased.
He pulled a six pack of soda cans from his bag and started walking, with Percy following him. Even so, Percy kept casting occasional glances above Luke's head.
After walking through the hot forest for a couple of hours, they did not encounter a single monster. Eventually, Luke sat down on a nearby rock, inviting Percy to do the same, even offering him a can of soda. Percy took it, opened it, and examined it briefly, but did not drink. He simply held it while sitting down.
Luke opened his own and took a few sips.
"And was your first mission fun?", he asked suddenly.
"Not at all", Percy replied calmly. "Being chased by monsters all the time, only a madman would want that", he added.
Luke let out a smile, though it was more tired than amused. His face, the same one many girls at the camp adored, calling him the most handsome, did not look like that at all in that moment. His blond hair seemed almost ashen under the light, and Percy continued to occasionally let his gaze drift above his head.
"Yeah, they're awful. I've been living on the hill since I was fourteen. Since Thalia… well, you know", he said. "I've trained and trained nonstop. I never got to be a normal teenager in the mortal world. And then the quest. When I came back, it was like they told me, well, the fun's over, have a nice life", he added, his anger clear. He crushed the soda can in his hand and threw it into the stream.
Percy raised an eyebrow at that. Everyone knew that polluting the forest only angered the nymphs and the naiads. It was almost guaranteed that someone would wake up buried in worms and dirt inside their own cabin the next day.
"To hell with laurel crowns. I don't want to end up like those trophies in the Big House attic", Luke said, his tone growing darker.
Percy placed the can he was holding on the rock, still open, without having taken a single sip. His hand moved subtly toward his waist, where his bag was.
"So, are you thinking about leaving?", Percy asked. In truth, he was buying time. His hand advanced slowly toward his waist, because he was too close to Luke, and Luke had his sword much more within reach than he did.
Luke gave Percy a completely dark smile before snapping his fingers.
In front of them, a circle of flames opened in the air, and something dark emerged from within.
"It's better if you don't try", Luke said, looking down at what now appeared to be a scorpion. "You won't even get to draw your sword. Underworld scorpions are really fast and very, very venomous. You'll die the moment you touch the hilt", he added, staring at him.
Percy stopped his hand just before touching the hilt of his black sword. In his other hand, he already held his pen, though he had not yet uncapped it. Luke stood up, brushing off his clothes, while the scorpion did not even turn to look at him. It remained fully focused on Percy, ready to leap.
"Ah. I actually thought we could be friends, since it seems you really share many of my beliefs about the gods, that they're useless and complete failures", Luke said irritably. "You hate them too, right? And yet you completed their quest. Like an errand boy. Like all the demigods who keep maintaining this horrible structure. Without demigods, do you really think they could keep going like this?", he continued.
"It would be better if everything were reduced to ashes and a new power took control. A more honest power", Luke said with a smile. "I'd tell you more, but no. You're just a pawn like the rest. You ruined everything".
Suddenly, Percy moved his right hand straight to his bag, gripping the hilt of his black sword.
The scorpion lunged at him immediately, but Percy was much faster. He cut it in mid air, splitting it cleanly in half. The stinger shot toward his face, but Percy simply tilted his head to the side, dodging it with perfect precision.
"At last, I found you", Percy said, a genuinely excited smile on his face, having finally discovered the one he had been searching for all this time.