Inevitable | PJO

Calypso

"No I did not! And be careful or yours will be on the next fire!"

"You two argue like an old married couple!" Piper sat up suddenly, bleary eyed. "And you've only known each other about a week!"

I huffed. Leo had accidentally set me on fire at the workshop in training. He hadn't stopped apologising, then dragged me off at the start of the Games. Awesome friendship there.

The fire guy in question just stretched his smile out even wider.

"Let's wake Jason." Piper decides. "We need to work something out. We can't just stay here and talk."

After a few prods and pokes, Jason's eyes shoot open and we pull on the correct coats and sit around the fire.

"We could all stay together." Piper ventures. "I mean, we're doing better as a four already."

Leo munches on his chicken.

"Yeah Beauty Queen, but it makes us a huge great target, doesn't it? The Careers spot us again, and BAM!"

"Don't shout, Leo!" Three of us whisper in sync.

"Yeah yeah. Working on it."

We argue quietly for a while. Me and Piper are all for staying together, but the boys think it would be a disadvantage. ("No offence, bro!")

Finally, I decide that a compromise is in order. We agree to split into me and Leo, and Jason and Piper again, but if we see each other in the arena, we'll help each other, share supplies and provide shelter. Jason even says the unspeakable - that if one of us dies, their partner will immediately find - and be taken in by - the other pair. We make Leo's 'District 3 Bro Promise' - where he makes us waffle off a lot of stuff about never giving up on each other. We don't mind though.

By midday, I say that me and Leo really must go if we want to find somewhere to shelter. Piper hugs me so tight I almost start crying. I've only properly known her for a few hours and yet I've never had a friend like her. Jason and Leo hit each other on the back, and we all walk to the cave edge.

Piper gasps, and before I can ask if she's ok, I see that she's seen.

Huge, massive white bears patrol the flat plains around the back of the mountains. They walk so uniformly and pace along in a line around the edge, circling the arena. Mutts. They must have been around the other side yesterday.

Leo makes to step outside.

Huge mistake.

The eyes of every single bear fix onto us, blue orbs unnaturally large and pale. They break their line and pound up the mountain towards us, gargantuan paws pounding whilst the land beneath us shakes. Ice splinters into my eyes.

Jason grabs me and Piper, pushing us back through into the back of the cave. Leo follows behind. Maybe, just maybe, they won't be able to get in.

We've barely got inside when the mouth of the cave explodes into piles of snow. The walls shudder and break. We don't have time to run. Leo and Jason stand in front of us, bodies bundled in coats, but that's nothing against those horrible bears. Their heads appear, snapping and snarling through the snowstorm they've started up.

This is it.

Leo takes my hand. Jason does the same to Piper.

I'm still holding the tiny knife from earlier, so I brandish it at the bears. I swear they're smiling greedily at us. One of them looks right at me, at the small flash of silver in my hand. And he swallows it. Both my knife and my hand.

The pain is excruciating, my wrist is on fire with needles and sledgehammers going at it, whilst my head's gone so dizzy I can't phantom proper facts. I stumble against Leo and almost pass out.

In my delirious dream, a bear's claw slices through Leo. Instead of blood from the wound, a huge bronze dragon bursts forth.

I'm coming back to you Calypso. I swear it on the River Styx.

I don't know where the words come from. I've never even heard of a River Styx before. I just know that the words are important. Leo said them.

I look through the now-blue snow, falling although it fell ages ago. A bear lunges, but it's alright. I'm dreaming. It won't hit me.

Someone screams my name. A girl. Zoe? No. I haven't seen Zoe for too long. She disappeared years ago.

Piper.

I see her throw herself in front of the bear, but it's ok. I'm 10 years old, sitting there home and listening to my older sister talk. I don't know any girl called Piper.

Now someone else is shouting at me, a boy this time.

Leo! I think giddily. Leo! I'm coming!

And with that, I collapse.