Prince beyond the Stars (Percy Jackson/Son of Chaos Fan-Fiction)

Chapter X

-Phi-

We had been training the campers for three days, and they were already dead on their feet. So much for persistence. The Warriors and I decided to give them a day off. When Eta and I told our group, it couldn't have been more obvious they hated our training. They were gone the second we told them. We watched the campers leave as Eta turned towards me.
'What are you going to do today?' she asked.
I shrugged.
'Train a bit, I guess. Maybe go into town,' I said. 'It has been too long.’
As I remembered not to have seen my mom and Paul since the day I left, I felt the cold feeling spread over my body. What if they had died? What if they weren't even around anymore?
'Phi,' I heard a soft voice say, dragging me back to reality.
'You okay?' Eta asked, looking concerned.
I let out a sigh. 'Yeah.'
She didn't look convinced.
I sighed. ‘I’m thinking about my mom and Paul. I don’t know if they’re still.. here.’
Eta hugged me fiercely, and I hugged her back. ‘I can always find out by asking Nico, or perhaps Annabeth,’ she said.
I felt the tears roll down my face. ‘Thanks Bianca. I would really appreciate it.’
She let go and smiled a little.
'What about you?' I asked her.
'I want to check on Nico. I haven't seen him since I lied to him about choosing rebirth, and I just want to know if I did the right thing.' Her shoulders slumped.
'It'll be alright,' I said.
'I hope so,' she whispered.
I put my arm around her, and Eta laid down her head on my shoulder. Together we walked back to camp.

-Annabeth-

When Phi and Eta announced we didn't have training today, we all went back as fast as they could, before they could change their minds. I wandered around camp, not really knowing what to do. I decided to do some training on my own, and I felt my feet bringing me to the arena. However, I wasn't the only one who wanted to train. All around me I saw campers practice their techniques, alone or together. But one person standing in the middle got my attention. Phi was battling a dummy, furiously hacking into it, using a lot more techniques than I knew. But some of the moves I recognized. Because they looked exactly like the moves Percy had been using. It made me slump my shoulders, for it felt like a stab in my heart. I missed him. Phi saw me watching him and motioned me to come closer.
'So you were in for a training, I see?' he said.
I nodded.
'Up for a challenge perhaps?'
Phi waved his hand, and the dummy disappeared, only to reappear against a wall of the arena. He held up his sword, already in battle position. I smiled a little, for it was exactly what I had been looking for. A challenge. I drew my sword, getting into the same position and our battle begun.

It was something I had been looking forward to, I realized. Battling someone who was as good as me, to finally have something to fight for. As Phi and I were battling, I finally felt the adrenaline again. For the first time I felt alive. I hadn't felt like this since Percy had left. When the realization dawned upon me, I slowed down, which was the opportunity Phi had been waiting for. He disarmed with three slashes. My sword flew away, landing with a light smack on the ground. Phi had his sword pointed at my throat, but only for a second, for he sheathed it and walked away. I was left in confusion as I saw him exit the arena and walk into the direction of the beach. For a split second I was thinking about what to do, until I grabbed my sword from the ground and ran after him.

I found him sitting on the same spot three days ago, when we had that argument. His wings however weren't laid down behind him. They were hanging crumpled down his back. I walked up to him and sat down. I crossed my legs and for a while we weren't saying anything. Just watching the ocean and the sun shining in the sky.
'Want to tell me what's on your mind?' I asked him.
Phi didn't answer for a very long time.
'You just really remind me off someone I used to know.'
'Used to know?'
Phi nodded. 'A friend of mine. He was the one that came to get me for Chaos' army. You have the same amount of determination. I can see it in your eyes.'
'He was?'
In that instant I knew I had said something wrong. His whole body went rigid, and if I would have been able to see his eyes, he probably would have looked at me with a deadly glare. Phi let out a sigh.
'I guess there comes a time when you should let it out by telling someone.'
He shifted a little.
'When I was still on earth, Sigma came to get me, for Chaos had recruited me himself. However, I didn't know, so when we met, me injured from a fight and him blocking my way out, we got into this huge argument, and for some reason, he won, due to his huge amount of determination. The same determination,' he said, nudging me with his shoulder, 'I saw in your eyes.'
I smiled, knowing this was one of the rare compliments he would give me.
'That argument was the beginning of our friendship, and we became like brothers along the way.'
Phi rubbed his arms, as if he was cold.
'One day, Chaos sent us on a mission. We went with five. We came back with four.'
I swallowed.
'I'm sorry,' I said. He turned his head, like he was looking at me. I saw him smile sadly.
'Fighting with you remembers me of him. Thank you,' he said.