ATLOP: Lessons in Water

Ocean Songs and Moon Lit Nights

Hello! I know, I've been gone a bit. I've been sick, burnt out, am in the midst of final exam crunch time and have another two exams tomorrow and the next day, and had several the last few days, and two final projects, and two essays, but I finally had some time to write (and ignored an essay, an exam, and a project to do so alkdsjf, guess what I'm spending the next few hours doing?).

But I'm back!

Hope you enjoy the chapter! This is more of a transition chapter, with some worldbuilding and an important piece of information becoming known.

Also, please read the end notes I spent so much time on them

Come yell at me on my tumblr: Percabeth4Life
Come chat with me on discord: https://discord.gg/3tGNJhu

OO OO OO OO

"There issss ssssomething dangeroussss in the air," Martha hissed as we reached the shore of the creek once more.

I blinked, I didn't sense anything-

My fingers went up to touch my necklace.

Oh.

Oh.

I was still wearing it. I'd... forgotten about it's purpose. It blocked out sensations, blocked me from being overwhelmed... but also blocked me from sensing anything.

I was on a quest, I needed all my senses, not just my normal ones.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked as I moved my hands up.

I carefully unhooked the link in my necklace, pulling it off.

Exhaustion surged as a maelstrom of sensations surged over me. The ground swayed, or maybe that was me. The wind maybe?

For just a moment I could feel everything.

The water lapping at my skin, cool and pleasant, yet with clumps of mud dashing through hit. The crinkling book pages under my fingers, ink filled, worn from years of wear. Olive oil on my tongue, delicate with the tint of unfamiliar herbs. The heady scent of metal, radiating heat and warming my face, yet with a touch of salt rubbing against me. Tickling feathers dancing over smooth scales coating my arms like a shield. Lightning crackling distantly, the faint tinge of wine, rubbing salt and shifting sands. The warmth of the sun like a cleansing mist, the steadiness of the Earth.

My head spun as everything swept over me. My eyes prickled.

And just above those scaled a heavy layer, weighing like danger on my mind as an acid burn filled my nose and mouth, chasing away the warm metal and herb filled olive oil.

My ears rang as Annabeth grabbed my arm with parchment clad fingers, Tyson stepping forward in an updraft of heat.

"Percy?" A voice asked through the ringing, I could taste the word on my tongue, drenched in herb tinged olive oil.

And with a gasp of (breathless, endless, cloud filled) air the sensations cleared like the morning mist.

I was swaying, my head filled with cotton.

I could still feel the scales, tickling feathers brushing over me, acid burning my throat, but the rest was dull, faint, practically non-existent. Like someone had taken all the world and carved it into me, only to cover the marks.

I drew a shaky breath in, letting the (moisture filled, mud smelling) air fill my lungs.

At least until I focused and picked up faint traces nudging my senses.