Falling for You

Percy: VIII

Percy: VIII

Kampê was just as hideous as he remembered. There was no other word for her.

She had a human head, but with snakes for hair, like Medusa. Percy knew, as his horrified eyes ran over her, which one he would rather face. The top half of her body was human, though what her tough hide-like skin was made of was questionable. The black lower dragon half, had white stripes running down her back. Racer stripes, he thought he had once heard Paul call them. Like you get on cars. Huge dark reptilian wings burst out of her back, casting shadows over their little bank side ridge, making the black glass ground somehow even darker. A massive venom-dripping scorpion tail lurked lazily behind her. Her claws were incredibly long and there was a sense of being submerged in thick fog when near her.

She was a definite catch.

Percy could see why the Gods shuddered when they had first seen her.

"Er- Kampê," he tried, with a sinking feeling, "You're pretty powerful, no one's denying that. But you don't want us. Surely you've got something better to do with your time than chase after one little mortal?" Percy backed away slowly towards the place where he had left his swords.

"And miss out on making you beg for mercy?" she replied, her tail flicking like the whip beside her.

"Uh- what I meant to say was, shouldn't you be on the surface?" Percy tried. "Gaia hasn't left you down here while she tries to take over the world, has she?"

"Oh no," she said, with a wide and nasty grin, "I'm right where I want to be."

Percy winced a little at the absolutely poisonous stare being levelled at him. Okay, that clearly wasn't working. Kampê evidently had her sights set on him and showed no intention of backing down. Percy went for absolute honesty instead.

"Why me?" he asked simply.

"Why not? To kill the demigod responsible for the fall of Kronos is every monsters' dream." she replied, her eyes blinking sideways like a lizard.

She began to slither forwards slowly.

"Every monster?" Percy asked, a distinct feeling of 'yikes' building.

"Every single monster." Kampê confirmed with a smirk of pure spite.

"What about the married ones?" Percy tried with a half-hearted smile, but even Damasen gave him a wide-eyed 'What are you doing?' look. Did everyone already have that perfected or did they learn it just for him? Kampê effectively ignored him.

"Ever since everyone found out that you fell down here, they have all been out after you. I've set a rather impressive bounty on your head. Or should I say," she stretched her talons out and continued forwards, "For your head."

Neither Damasen nor Bob had moved until then, but next to him, Bob started to withdraw his weapon.

Yet Kampê only had eyes for Percy.

"They say you're the most powerful demigod in history." She watched him with great interest. Both Damasen and Bob flicked glances at him.

"That's not true." Percy dismissed instantly, thinking of Annabeth.

"They say you destroyed Kronos' army single-handedly-"