Clockwork

52

Lelantos allowed Percy a head start, his humor showing.

I know it's dark out there, but do try to have fun. It is a game, after all, Lelantos said, his voice ringing in both Percy's ears before Percy moved his legs into a sprint.

When Percy lost sight of Max and was fully enveloped by the darkness of Tartarus, Lelantos' already barely detectable presence completely disappeared. The Titan erasing his presence confirmed what Percy had already suspected, which was the fact that the hunter was playing with him. That confirmation assured Percy that this game would drag on for the Titan's entertainment and Percy could find a way to make it work for him. At least, he hoped so.

As Percy kept running, he noticed that he was slower than he was as Clockwork. His body felt lighter without his metal parts and it maintained enough athleticism to run for a good amount of time, but as Percy was, he doubted he would last long no matter how much Lelantos lagged behind.

Ares' dagger and Riptide's hilt burned in his hands as if the weapons themselves sensed the danger in the darkness. The hunter made no sound, and that was Percy's biggest problem.

Lelantos was silent with his bow. Percy guessed he could fly or at least float, as the sandy ground didn't give the Titan's position away. Percy couldn't even hear the others anymore, just the sand under his feet and his own pounding heart.

His heart, also problematic. It was loud and it was distracting. How does anyone focus with this pounding constantly in their ears? Even the makeshift heart he had as Clockwork was removable or able to be silenced.

You're running despite knowing you won't get far. Why don't you fight me, warrior?

Percy kept running.

At first, running had been on instinct, the panic button in his mind telling him to get as far away as he could. Then, there was that there may be a pattern that would show Percy how the titan traveled. Then it was the more-than-irrational thought that a moving target would interest the Titan more, or would make the arrows miss him by that much. However, listening to the gravelly voice murmuring smugly in his ear gave light to a new motive for his newfound love of cardio.

Spite.

A hunter loves the chase, but they prefer prey that fight back. Makes it fun for them. Letting Percy run himself into exhaustion is definitely a hunting strategy, but the way the titan suggested that Percy fight him rather than run made Percy think that Lelantos enjoyed prey that futilely tried to fight.

A dog's bark invaded the silence. A hunting dog, maybe?

The dog's bark came from a direction though. Not directly into his ears like Lelantos. Percy veered to the left, the opposite side of the dog's bark, and something sliced through the air next to him, knicking the exposed skin on his arm.

The wound was shallow, but it didn't hurt. Instead of pain, he felt the odd sensation of the nanobots that Cabin #9 installed.

If they were still working, then Percy couldn't be human. He had to still be Clockwork.

Another bark caught Percy's ear, and Percy did what he did before and swerved to the other direction. However, this time he did so swiftly and with more confidence. The arrow missed him by a hair, but it missed him still.

It got Percy thinking that the dog couldn't belong to Lelantos, as the greatest hunter to exist would probably be against using beasts that gave away his location.

Could it be a hellhound? It wasn't like Percy was aware of the monsters at this level of Tartarus.

You evade my arrows well, warrior. I'm quite impressed.

Percy was less impressed and more confused.

"What monsters are there?" Percy asked between breaths, thanking Hephaestus and all things holy that his stamina could push him to keep running. Feeling human again was excruciating, but knowing that he was still Hephaestus' creation was an odd sense of comfort. Him being slower, lighter even, must just be an illusion to match this form of his.

You need not to worry about your companions, warrior. No monster would to come into my territory. They will only die after you do.

Lelantos sounded sure, but Percy doubted that the barking came from some regular lost pet.

Wait.

Lelantos' response meant that the hunter hadn't heard the barking.

Another bark-- this one sounding more like a yelp-- cut through the air. It sounded much more urgent than a mere bark, like a warning and everything in Percy's body told him to stop. Percy came to an abrupt halt, his legs stopping before the rest of his body figured it out and his upper body jerked forward.

Yup, he was definitely still Clockwork and it seemed some of his limbs needed to be tightened.

Cold breath met the front of his face, and Percy could actually feel the air cause icicles to form on his eye lashes.

You even saw me coming, the titan of air mused. Lelantos gave off a mind numbing chill, and it almost paralyzed Percy where he stood. Percy could move, but every instinct that hadn't been dulled by death was begging for him to stay put even as his body began to involuntarily shake. Percy clenched his jaw, knowing that now the titan was in front of him he would only have one chance to move if even that.

However cold it was, and no matter how much Percy was shaking, Percy remembered the burning hot feeling of Riptide and Ares' dagger. I wouldn't make any sudden moves warrior.

The titan's harsh voice came from in front of him, behind him, above him, and it bounced off the corners in Percy's mind. Percy felt the sudden urge to laugh. To laugh at the fear he was feeling long after death. Lelantos would do better as the titan of fear rather than the titan of air.

A loud, resounding bark sounded through the fog that Percy's fear had constructed, and the sudden alertness made Percy's body stop shaking.

Aw, hero. You seem rather shaken up. Everything alright?

Something cold touched Percy's face-- Percy couldn't decide whether it was the titan's hand or a blade -- and another bark sounded.

Percy didn't know if it was a reflex to the bark or to the titan's unwanted touch. He didn't know if he did it out of fear or if he actually felt confident that he would do something, but both of his hands swung at the air in front of him where the titan should be.

Riptide struck nothing but air. He lost his hold on it and it fell uselessly to the ground.

But the dagger Percy received from Ares, the "Death Bringer" Lelantos had called it, lodged itself into something and Percy's arm and head to began to throb.

Cold hands, Percy was sure they were hands, gripped at the dagger that had all but melted itself into Percy's hands.

Not bad, warrior.

(•_•) (•_-)(-_•)(-_-)(/•_•)/

That's it. That's the author's note.
~Demons