Chaos Rising |BOOK 2| Harry Potter x PJO |Alexandra Marine|

BONUS: THE DAY SHE BEGAN TO SEE

I rolled my eyes. "But this wasn't war."

"What if it was," Alexandra said. "I'm here to keep you ready for everything you need, Od- Ariana."

I frowned. "What?"

Alexandra raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You just called me something else."

"Oh, I mixed you up with another Athena kid, again," Alexandra replied. I wasn't sure how much of that was the truth. "Now, off you go."

***

"It's almost too perfect," I said. The dark cave was filled with sheep- something I hadn't expected. Beside me stood two more people, their faces gleaming with pride. There were a few more people... too many to count, but they all seemed too happy to be there. "Too good to be true," I said. "Why would the lotus eaters pass up on this food? I mean... there's so much-"

"WHO ARE YOU?" the ground trembled.

I turned around on my heel, facing the darkness, sword out. I didn't have time to wonder where I was. My adrenaline kicked in.

The ground trembled again, and I looked on with wide eyes as the figure emerged into the lights of our fire. The thing was at least fifteen feet tall, with jagged yellow teeth, gnarled hands almost as big as a teen's body, fat dripping off its sides beyond the loins that it wore... worst of all, it had one big, green eye in the middle of it's fat head instead of two.

I took a step back. "Hey," I said, knees trembling, "we're just travelers." My voice was cracking under the pressure, and sounded different for a change.

"YOU KILLED MY SHEEP," the Cyclops said.

"Oh lord," the man next to me said. "Zeus save us. It's Polyphemus."

Polyphemus? How could he be alive? Who even was that man next to me-

"DON'T YOU KNOW THAT PAIN YOU SOW IS PAIN YOU REAP?" Polyphemus continued, "TIME TO END YOUR LIFE- YOU CAME HERE TO STEAL, BUT NOW YOU'LL BECOME MY MEAL-"

I took another step back. "There- it's a misunderstanding- we never came here to steal," I said. I swallowed, thinking fast. "But now that I realize we've done some damage, we'll give you something back for repairs- our finest treasures- so long as we leave alive. You can keep the world's best tasting wine!"

Polyphemus ugly face scrunched up like he was frowning. "Wine?"

"Yes!" I said hastily as a few people rolled a barrelful towards the Cyclops. "A wine that is so fresh that you'd never want to eat human flesh-" the Cyclops drank a few more barrelfulls as though it were just mere drops of wine. "And we will leave in peace without any bloodshed."

A minute passed, and all that the monster did was drink wine, and my mind began to race faster by the minute.

Polyphemus sighed satisfactorily, rubbing his giant belly. "I'd like to thank you, stranger. What is your name?" he asked.

I took a sharp breath. "My name is..." My heart beat against the rib cage like it was going to jump out. "Nobody."

"Nobody," Polyphemus said, smiling. "For your gift, I've one to reply."

I stood there, watching, waiting for the next few words that were yet to come from his mouth.

"Nobody shall be the final man to die."

"What?" I asked, too much in terror to respond back. I turned to the army of soldiers behind me. "WATCH OUT-"

But the blow was deadly. Everyone in a few feet's radius flew into the air as Polyphemus' fist pounded against the ground. My head hit the ground hard. Eyes messy and head dizzy, I stood up, my hands tied to the grip of my sword.

"BROTHERS!" I yelled. "THE REST OF OUR FLEET AWAIT US, AND IF WE'RE DEFEATED, THEY'RE GOOD AS DEAD... FIGHT FOR YOUR LIVES, FIGHT FOR OUR COMRADES-"

The cave roared. Swords were unsheathed at once.

I raised my sword. "SHOW ME HOW STRONG IS YOUR WILL TO SURVIVE!"

"Surround him!" a man yelled to the crew. "Strike his heels! Deploy!"

A rain of arrows hit Polyphemus on the chest, but all they seemed like to him were toothpicks.

"EXHAUST HIM!" another man cried.

"DON'T LET HIM GET CLOSE!" I said, watching in terror as another man began to climb the Cyclops' body in an attempt to murder him.

"STAY IN HIS BLIND SPOT!"

"FOR ITHACA!"

And just as the man's sword went up in the air as he aimed for the eye, something hard hit me.

"HE'S GOT A CLUB!" someone said. Blood was dripping from my forehead as I flew into the air and hit hard against the rock.

***

I sat up straight from the bed at once, cold sweat staining my grey shirt. "Gods," I cursed. "What was that about?"

The apartment lights went on. "You ready?" Alexandra's voice said.

I sighed. "Just a dream," I whispered to myself.

"Two minutes!" Alexandra said. "You're on the clock!"

___________________________________________

A/N: Alright, I've got a new challenge from my sister, and I wanted to ask y'all about whether I should accept it or not.

So, the challenge is that I breakup Tony and Ari and instead pair her with another Avenger.

I seriously don't know what to do, because I like Tony and Ari's dynamic right now, but the thought of Tony not with Pepper is slightly disappointing.

So, do I accept the challenge or no?