"The moment I met you,
I held my breath.
And you've been taking
it away ever since,
Nico di Angelo."
[ NICO DI ANGELO x MALE OC ]
[ PERCY JACKSON SERIES ]
[ HEROES OF OLYMPUS SERIES ]
cover by @humaneity !
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0023. | THE THREADS THAT TIE THEM TOGETHER
It was Percy's funeral.
Vela couldn't really bring himself to say much. He had got the impression that Chiron had sort of expected him to say a few words as Annabeth was too busy crying but it was hard to talk about a guy he realised he barely knew when he was surrounded by grieving campers that had all had their lives touched by Perseus Jackson.
All the campers had assembled in the amphitheatre to pay tribute to the son of Poseidon. Vela sat with his siblings, holding Silena's hand and letting Lacy lay her head on his shoulder, but he kept his eyes trained on Annabeth. She stood by the ceremonial fire and held a sea green silk shroud that was clutched tightly in her mourning hands like she was scared to let it go because that would mean letting Percy go and she just couldn't do that. So instead she stared aimlessly at the central burning embers of the fire, looking hopeful that maybe they would bring back Percy as they had Vela and all would be okay.
But as Chiron got nearer to the end of his eulogy, the prospect of Percy Jackson getting punched in the face by Will Solace suddenly seemed a whole let less likely to happen. Which on one hand, was pretty good because Vela was totally lying when he told Will he couldn't punch because damn could that boy punch! It genuinely would have broken his nose if it already hadn't been broken. But on the other hand, of course the death of a fellow camper, and one Vela knew as a quest member, was horribly sad.
He remembered how Percy sewed up his face because everyone else was too shaken up. How he had shoved Annabeth behind him when the Sphinx attacked. How he had consistently done everything that he could to show loyalty to his friends and to protect them in every way he could.
Vela sighed, wiping away the tear that fell.
"After so long a silence," Chiron said gravely, like even he was struggling to find the words that no one wanted to admit. Percy Jackson was dead. "it is unlikely our prayers would be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honours."
Annabeth stepped forward, carrying the shroud towards the fire. Without a word and with puffy eyes, she dropped it to the flames.
Her voice was shaky. "He was probably the bravest friend I ever had." She admitted. "He..." her face turned bright red suddenly. "He's right there!" She yelled and pointed at the back of the amphitheatre where she was right.
Percy Jackson was alive.
Vela laughed in disbelief. He stood up to see him as the crowds of campers swarmed the presumed dead son of Poseidon. From a distance, he would've looked exactly the same to everyone else but Vela's eyes were better than everyone else's. He could see the extra length in his black and grey hair; his hallowed cheeks; his skin that looked less tan, more sunburnt. And then his body that Vela remembered thinking was strong and lean was skinny and barely retaining muscle. Whatever had happened to him, must've nearly killed him because that boy did not look good.
