Still Running (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Into the Flames

The fire wasn't even touching him but it felt like he was burning alive it was so hot. Every instinct was telling him to run away, fire was his natural enemy. He wasn't meant to be here yet he couldn't turn around.

Not when he could hear cries of help within the fire.

He ran towards the sound, very aware that he wouldn't last long with all this smoke clogging up his lungs. He had to find them fast!

"H-help us!" He heard a voice ring out further into the field of flames.

Percy didn't hesitate one second, running towards the sound. He recognised the guy who was on the ground, coughing horrendously.

"Eric!"

"P-Percy?" Eric said staring at him blearily, like he couldn't believe his eyes.

Percy bend down to help him up but Eric grabbed his clothes and pulled on them urgently as he said "No! F-forget me! Jack!"

Percy immediately remembered the young boy he has been working with.

"His further out. I-I tried to get to him but I-" Eric cut himself of, grimacing. 

Obviously he hasn't gotten far without the smoke from getting to him.

"I'll find him! Don't worry!" Percy told him firmly. He steadied him as Eric almost fell over while coughing "You okay with me leaving you?"

"I'll make my own way o-out! G-get J-Jack!" Eric groaned out.

Percy nodded and with one last look he was running into the fire once more. He looked for small openings he could get through. 

The flow of water he had spraying all over the fire was slowly weakening the flames but Percy was not sure if this would be enough.

Would he be too late?

No! Don't think like that!

He scolded himself.

He ran deeper into the field, the grass curving underneath his feet and then finally he heard it. Small whimpers coming from nearby.

The smoke blocked the majority of his vision now so he called out, coughing as he did so "Jack?!"

Once again he heard some quite whimpers and Percy ran towards the sound, finally a small shape curled up among the burning grass came into his view.

"Jack!" Percy shouted as he managed to make his own way to the kid, finding a safe route to avoid the flames felt like he was trapped in a maze. who now he could see was almost unconscious. 

His eyes were almost closed when Percy got to him.

"Jack! Stay with me!"

Percy then lifted him easily on to his shoulders, the boy weight very little and started to run back towards the way he had come. He knew that he might have been able to go a shorter way but with all this smoke blocking his vision he didn't want to go the wrong way. It was had started to get incredibly hard to breathe and Percy sped up, running as fast as he could, the tugging in his gut guided him to where he had started spraying the water so he knew he was close to being freed from this burning field soon.

Percy almost collapsed in relief when the smoke cleared and the ground was no longer burning him.

His knees giving way underneath him.

"Jack!"

Cries of surprise and happiness filled the air, Percy felt several people help take Jack from his back and lay him on a make shift stretcher.

"Percy, are you okay?" Astrea voice what actually sounded concerned, filled his ears as she bent down next to him.

"E-Eric? Is he-?" Percy started to ask but Astrea cut him of looking a little annoyed "Yes his fine"

"Stand up Percy" She said, more gently this time and with surprising strength she helped him to his feet.

Then he heard it.

A strange sound he hasn't heard in a long time, something that made him start to fill warmer inside.

Applause.

Percy looked up to see the grateful expression of the town around him.

Usually he didn't care about this sort of thing even was embarrassed by it but with the town that has been so wary and hostile towards him, to this?

It felt... nice.

The fire had died down a lot now and the smoke started to clear.

The ginger girl, no, Astrea from the corner of his eyes is watching him with a strange expression on her face, he couldn't understand what she was thinking or feeling.

His instincts tingled a little.

Astrea...

Why did that name, sound familiar?

Thank you for reading! I lost motivation for a bit but I was determined to start writing this story so I forced myself to focus on this story before I wrote more on any of the other stories I am focusing on 😅 the two chapters are basically to say sorry that they're short and sorry I took so long over them, still I hope you enjoy x