Percy the Overlander

Chapter 2

After screaming for a long time, Percy stopped when he realized that he was still nowhere near the ground, or at least that's what he thought, he couldn't see the ground, he couldn't see anything as a matter of fact. A chilling memory returned to him. The darkness. The falling. the sense of hopelessness. The fall to Tartarus. Only this time, he was alone, not to mention the fact that he had no idea what he was falling down to and the knowledge of the swiftly approaching ground. Now he thought this was a bad idea, and then resumed screaming.

Then, all of a sudden, Percy felt like a big wind came out of nowhere and pushed back up on him, he felt in his guts that he was slowing down. He felt his feet touch the ground, and the wind stopped. It took everything he had to resist kissing the earth. He looked around, everything was still dark.

Why would anybody want to sneak out of their apartment to come here? Percy wondered to himself, he wished he had some kind of light.

"Do you not have some kind of light?"

Percy jumped at the sound of the voice, " Who's there?" he demanded. A torch was lit, the light reveled the face of a man somewhere in his thirties.

" My name is Mareth. Welcome, Overlander."

"Er... Hi."

"Fell from the New York City, did you?"

" I guess."

" What is your name?"

" Percy Jackson."

" Follow me, then, Per-see Jackson, and I will take you to our city." Mareth offered kindly.

They walked for a while in silence until Mareth commented, " I was fortunate that I heard you screaming, otherwise you most likely would have gotten lost and died."

Percy thought to himself, was I really that loud?, then he said to him, " Thanks. Say, just how many more of you are down here exactly?"

" Oh, the human population is supposing the amount of near one-thousand."

Percy ment to ask if he heard right, but what came out was, " one-one-one... th-th-thousahh.... huh?"

" Well, that is only including the number of humans, it is well over twice that much including the fliers and gnawers."

"Fliers?"

"Yes, I believe they are what you Overlanders call bats, and gnawers what you call rats." They reached the end of the cavern, a set of double doors in the cave wall.

Mareth opened them. A large, furry monster stood on its hind legs in the doorway.

" Ah..... fresh meat...." A deep voice, in a pleased tone came from the thing. Percy couldn't stop himself before he knew what he was doing. Within a second, his sword Riptide was out of his pocket, uncapped, and expanded to where the tip was just inches from the beast's snout. It was taken aback by Percy's speed.

"Relax, Percy Jackson, Ripred here is a friend of ours." Mareth put a hand on his shoulder.

" Yeah, Percy, what's wrong with you?" The monster ( apparently named red-rip) tried to sound innocent. In the light of Mareth's torch he could see that the strange mammal was an extremely oversized rodent with gray fur and two scars in an "X" pattern on his face.

"That is a strange sword," Mareth admired the glowing Riptide. " Do all Overland swords compact like that?" he asked as Percy quickly recapped his magical blade.

"Er... yeah, but normally we lust use guns."

"Guns?" Mareth looked curious.

" Loud, projectile-launching, metal sticks." Ripred answered.

" How did you know that and you didn't?" Percy pointed at Ripred then at Mareth.

" Doesn't matter," Ripred growled, " So, I suppose we will show the new warrior to his room?

" Yes," Mareth frowned at the big rat, " I suppose we should it is awfully late." Percy knew this was an understatement, he remembered the kitchen clock, it must have been nearly four A.M. " Come, Percy." Mareth ordered, his mood seemingly changed for some reason.