Luke bit his lip as Icarus took them down yet another path he wasn't fully certain of, the Legacy of Athena quietly cursing the Maze for tricking them into thinking his navigation skills worked. He knew there was nothing he could do to help, knew that any words of encouragement would seem hollow.
He was also aware that Icarus was still pretending that it was not as big of a problem as it seemed, obviously wanting to hide the truth from the rest of the group. His hesitations were getting longer, some paths taken before he'd even made a decision, but he was still leading the group with what the others perceived as confidence. Unfortunately, Luke knew Icarus's masks well enough to know that the Legacy was worried out of his mind and leading them blind.
"Do you think they're okay?" Annabeth was the one that broke the deathly silence that had fallen over them once they had agreed it would be for the best to carry on moving. There was clear concern in her voice and Luke couldn't help but wonder which member of the group they'd left behind she was most worried about.
"We can only hope that the door they went through closed behind them and whatever was following us couldn't go after them," Piper sounded troubled, her hopes having no conviction behind them. "What do you think was following us?"
"Down here?" Luke turned to raise an eyebrow at her. He was intimately familiar with the horrors the old iteration of the Labyrinth had to offer, having utilised the Maze to his advantage when he was on the opposing force. He was also aware that they were standing in a new iteration of the Maze, one that had been revitalised by the mother of one of its most notorious monsters; notorious herself for her hatred of demigods. This was not a safe place for them. "I wouldn't like to say."
"Maybe it was Nathan?" Hazel suggested, though she didn't sound convinced by her own words.
"Between them, they're a pretty formidable skillset," Frank pointed out, trying to lift spirits. "Percy and Nico are two of the best sword-fighters I've ever met, Thalia is mean with a bow and arrow and Leo is a real-life Johnny Storm."
"Honestly, if I was a monster, I'd be running from them, not after them." Jason nodded along to what Frank was saying. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
"This way!" Icarus declared, interrupting their musings.
Luke looked at him, feeling the exact same worry that was flickering in Icarus's eyes. Though they didn't doubt the capabilities of their friends, they also knew not to underestimate the monsters of the Maze. Down here, in the space between the land of the living and the land of the dead, they were in a position where the monsters were closer to their source. And being closer to their source essentially gave them a 'power up' boost. Neither of them wanted to be the one to remind those of the group who were aware or enlighten the ones who were unaware.
They both maintained their silence.
Percy could feel his heart beating in his chest as he stared down at Leo's prone form for a moment before dropping to his knees to apply pressure to the gaping wound in Leo's lower abdomen, though – with a rising sense of dread – he knew it was rather futile. It was obvious that the Minotaur's horn had gored him, instead of just catching his side like Percy had initially hoped.
He'd hoped that the beast had missed altogether, but he'd known from the minute the two hit the floor and blood started to appear that Tyche had decided to turn a blind eye on them that day.
If the blood flow stopped and the wound was clean, he had a horrible feeling that he would be able to see straight through to the tile beneath.
"How's Thalia?" Percy asked softly, fixing his eyes on the rise and fall of Leo's chest that provided only a small comfort.
YOU ARE READING
Percy Jackson, The Missing Hero.
FanfictionPercy had never asked to be a demigod. It was a fact that he had maintained ever since he'd made the discovery that he was a demigod all of those years ago. He'd been pursued for years by Prophecy after Prophecy, each one greater than the last. Now...
