[Third Person's PoV]
Lucian was sitting on a large boulder by the riverside with his legs crossed, and Annabeth was leaning back against him, sitting on his crossed legs.
She had her phone extended out, puckering her lips as she took a couple of photos. "What are you doing?" Lucian asked, amused.
"Capturing moments from our quest together. I thought it'd be nice to have some pictures to remember," Annabeth replied, showing him the photos she had taken.
"I got a few more when we were at the Arch…" she said, scrolling through the pictures on her phone.
"Oh my god, you're turning into one of those girls who say 'like' and 'omg' too many times—the cliché blondes who are always taking selfies," Lucian joked in mock horror.
Annabeth slowly turned toward Lucian, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Did you just call me a dumb blonde?"
"Uhhh…" Lucian started, remembering how much Annabeth hated that stereotype. He quickly hugged her waist and kissed her cheek. "Love you?"
"Why is that a question?"
"Because I love you so much, it blurs the line between what's real and what's not. I can't help but make it a question—like, wow, how can I love someone so much?"
Annabeth blinked before leaning back against Lucian and giving him a side-eye with a smirk. "That was a good save."
"Thank you, I'm quite proud of myself for coming up with that one," Lucian said, a bit proudly, leaning his head forward past Annabeth's shoulder.
Annabeth rolled her eyes before kissing his cheek in return.
"There's seriously something wrong with you two," Clarisse said, leaning back against the rock they were on, watching Lucian and Annabeth with disgust.
"How can you act all lovey-dovey with that happening in front of you…" Clarisse said, pointing to the flock of birds ahead.
In the middle of it, Percy was fighting, clothes torn, breathing heavily. He wielded his trident, sending out multiple water projectiles from the river behind him, attacking the Stymphalian Birds.
Although some birds were hit, most didn't die immediately. They dove down, dodging Percy's attacks and striking back with their Celestial Bronze beaks, while others sent razor-sharp feathers at him. Percy had to constantly dodge and counterattack, but they seemed endless.
"Remember your footwork, Percy!" Thalia shouted, cupping her hands to amplify her voice.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING!!" Percy snapped back, irritated, as he rolled out of the way of a barrage of feathers.
Thalia stood in front of the boulder, arms crossed like a drill sergeant. "Footwork and rolling around aren't the same thing, you dumbass!"
Percy growled in frustration, dodging and attacking the birds.
Annabeth half-heartedly cheered, pumping her fist. "Wooo, go Percy, you can do it!"
Percy shot her a glare, but Annabeth's distraction cost him. One of the feathers slashed his forearm, making him cry out in pain.
Blood dripped from his wound, staining his arm red.
"Lucian, are you sure he's going to be alright? This is dangerous; Percy could be killed," Grover asked worriedly, watching Percy's condition.
"I wouldn't worry about Percy. You're forgetting two things—one, I'm a potion maker, and I have potions ready for him in my shadow. And two, THAT IDIOT CAN HEAL HIMSELF USING WATER!" Lucian shouted the last part louder so Percy could hear him.
"Did you have to scream that right in my ear?" Annabeth winced slightly, turning her head away.
"Sorry," Lucian said, giving her an apologetic look.
"WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THE NAME-CALLING!? DUMBASS THIS, IDIOT THAT—ENOUGH ALREADY!" Percy yelled angrily, slamming his trident into the ground. The trident glowed green as moisture erupted from the rocks, swirling around Percy to form a protective dome of water.
The water rushed over his body, closing his wounds, though he didn't get wet. Percy closed one eye in exhaustion, healing taking its toll on him. He then raised his trident, and the dome began to float.
Large bullets of water shot out from the swirling sphere, striking the birds and smashing them into the ground, killing them one by one. However, Percy groaned from the strain, and the sphere began to descend.
Once it reached the ground, it popped, and Percy dropped to one knee, using his trident for support. Only one Stymphalian Bird remained.
The bird dove down, seeing Percy's vulnerability. Still using the trident as support, Percy reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out a pen.
Uncapping it with his thumb, he used the trident to propel himself forward, stabbing the bird with his golden sword.
With all the birds dead, Percy collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. Though his water manipulation didn't wet him, he still glistened slightly from sweat.
Lucian then puffed into smoke, reappearing in front of Percy. He leaned down and extended a hand, "Using both the sword and trident was smart. Good work..."
Percy smiled as he grasped Lucian's hand, creating a crisp slap. "Thanks," he said as Lucian pulled him back to his feet.
"As for the name-calling, we mean it in an endearing way. You think I've never called Annabeth or Thalia a dumbass or an idiot before? Those two are some of the biggest dumbasses—"
"YOU'RE THE DUMBASS, YOU FREAKING IDIOT!" Annabeth suddenly flew in and drop-kicked Lucian in the stomach, sending him flying back, clutching his stomach.
"Urgh! What the hell was that for!?" Lucian demanded angrily, looking toward Annabeth.
"I could ask you the same thing! Why the hell would you teleport when I'm sitting on your lap? I hurt my butt when I landed on that boulder because of you!" she said, pointing to the boulder they were sitting on earlier, massaging her butt slightly in pain.
"Eh?" Lucian paused, realizing he had indeed teleported from underneath her. He rubbed the back of his head. "Love you?"
Annabeth simply stuck up her middle finger. "This is what I think of your love," she said, turning around with a huff.
"Ouch..." Lucian muttered.
"Phtttt!" Percy couldn't help but cover his mouth, stifling a laugh at the scene.
'Percy…'
Percy snapped his head toward the water, his expression becoming serious. "Hello?" he responded to the voice he heard.
Seeing Percy's reaction, the group became confused and worried. "Percy?" Grover asked. "Are you okay?"
'Come to me, Percy… We must talk…'
"Mom?" Percy asked, ignoring Grover's question as the sound of his mother's voice threw him off.
"Mom?" Thalia asked in confusion. "What's going on?"
Almost entranced by the voice, Percy began walking toward the river. "Percy!" Grover called out in worry, about to move in and stop him as Percy waded deeper into the water.
However, Lucian stopped him. "Hold on, Grover."
"Huh? But Percy is acting strange..."
"Do you know what's happening with him?" Annabeth asked, tilting her head in confusion, looking at Lucian for answers.
"I can sense a water spirit in the river. If I had to guess, it's a message or calling from his father. He's not in any danger; there's no malicious intent."
"Ah, I see... then he can't ignore it," Grover nodded, and they all waited for Percy to receive his message.
********************************************
+10 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3