Percy's POV

Well...we made it out of the death weather, the clear line of daylight indicating the zone ends there. The clouds from the rain causing permanent darkness was really effecting my sleep schedule, whether or not I had one before that I refuse to confirm. "Where's your friend Thomas?" Adam asks while flicking his wet hair around like a dog.

"Wasn't he just behind us?" - Percy

"I'm not sure, I was focusing on you" - Adam

"After that lighting I looked away and we got separated I guess...what if you asked Athena?" I say his eyes light up with the idea almost as if he forgot his own gifts

"Good point, give me a sec" and with enough eyebrow twitching and odd facial expressions which I can only presume to be him communicating, I see Athena and Yasmine coming up from behind the trees. No where near as far as I thought they'd be luckily.

"I'm sorry Percy, I haven't seen him. But he most definitely didn't pass any of us, isn't that right Adam!?" Her tone changing harsher towards Adam which confuses me

"Uh...shit...I forgot again didn't I." - Adam

"What do you mean?"

"As you know Athena got two gifts as per an Alpha bloodline, same goes for me." He says while rubbing the back of his head

"Go on..." I encourage

"Well I've never been the best at using multiple at a time, Athena's the one for that. She was completely bending the water above her and Yasmine hence why they're not wet at all...I was focused on taking your pain away like an idiot I guess."

"I'm not understandin-" My own thoughts clicking into place as I realise I don't feel anything, nor felt any sort of pain to me other than the pressure of the rain?

"I can take on the pain of anyone I touch but I could of just stopped the rain from hitting us altogether...yeah I'm for sure an idiot haha"

"Well I owe you that much I'm sure of, but that wasn't the point in her bringing up your gifts was it?"

"No, my other one was to locate an individual. I just won't be able to use my own eyes while I do it so I'll need you to guide me in the direction Percy, I can trust you with that right?" He says while leaning down and laying a hand on my head, kissing my forehead and without needing a response from me he closes his eyes. "I can see his exact movements and location like a silhouette, but nothing that's surrounding him or us. It's never been useful before now so let's pray I can do something for once" Adam goes on to explain how exactly it works, which if I'm honest sounds extremely useful but I guess he's never gotten in a position where it's needed.

"Head in that direction, we'll be around you letting you know if you walk into a tree or something. Or I might not, depends on my mood" Athena gladly states as Yasmine begins to heal some bruises on me and Adam that I didn't previously notice.

"Thanks Yasmine"

"You still owe me for dragging your ass out a storm, can't let you die just yet"

"Shhh, I don't remember so it doesn't count" I smirk while running ahead of Adam for protection

"Hmmm yeah maybe I should just kill you myself, how about that?" - Yasmine

"Percy, my most beautiful mate. I love you but shut up for a sec" Adam states which causes us both to become silent as we watch him navigate towards Thomas...I'll ask how he knows if that even is Thomas once we get there.

-

We halt at the call of Athena telling us to stop suddenly, "Have you guys never even questioned how Thomas has gotten this far up without even shifting?, because where we're headed isn't a cursed zone to be exact but, It just isn't...kind to the living."

"Athena if I'm leading us into a death trap and you've said nothing this entire time then I'm gonna slit my own throat" - Adam

"You haven't, but when I was younger I came here often. I pray the lady here remembers me for the sake of us all." She says, not bringing any ease to my current nerves as we reach a land of pure desolation, the trees crumpled down and dry like the life's been sucked out of them. An ice cold winter chill as fog sweeps in and out as if it's a hand swiping around for something.

"Lady?" Yasmine asks

"There was a nice lady who lived here, her name was something like...Clio? I remember her telling me stories of old and how the surrounding places came to be, she always seemed off to me though"

"Not to worry anyone, but Thomas hasn't moved since we first started walking to him. He's stood in the exact same place as before without a hint of him even breathing."

"Can we hurry?" I ask rhetorically as I increase my pace without anyone even answering

"Percy! Do not separate, she doesn't like visitors!" Athena warns but I continue into the mist, pulling Adam's hand to not get lost

"My...you are a lively...one" An icebound but oddly welcoming voice speaks out, slowing my previously fast paced heart. "Turn to me, forgotten one" once again speaking in the same tone but this time I turn my head to make eye contact.

Her untied forest green hair expanding past her hood, flowing out along the wind with it's own intentions. Pure white eyes that first appear soulless and transparent but just visible enough to where I can see her Iris, locked onto my figure. Her clothes a black and gold torn robe that's smothered into the ground but freely animated behind her...is she even walking. "Clio?" Athena draws her attention as the ghostly figure makes her way over to her.

"You've grown well, make use of your bloodline as most do not." - Clio

"Thank you, but we're sort of in a hurry to find someone. Have you seen a guy about my height, probably drenched in water and bulked out like a tank?" She gives an accurate description that I have absolutely no complaints with

"There" Clio points with an arm that gives off a faint green glow and elongated nails that could slash open a rock...probably? I ain't gonna find out and that's for sure. "But. That's not him. I can help" She makes her way towards the direction before we could ask any questions, the fog seemingly dissipating in the path she takes as if granting her access.

"Thomas!?" I call out which causes his body to fly towards me in reaction but causing me to shut my eyes. Hearing a clank of metal I open my eyes to view Clio standing in front of me, in place of where Thomas was.

"You, I do not recommend keeping that body. You're killing it." - Clio

"Banshee, you would stop me once again?" - Thomas?

"If I must, Olden Hero." Her hands gliding up a highlighted green sword with a unique shape...I remember seeing it in a book once, it was used commonly among a certain race. 'A falcata sword?' My memory jogging itself up like an old engine, probably just distracting myself from the scene being played out in front of me.

"The pure blood of the Bound one swims freely within that one, and you will so gladly let it pass through your land?" Thomas points at me...but his eyes still aren't open

"Your old grudges are not mine, settle this upon your own land. Or do you wish for me to pay a visit to you? The one who near enough tore the races apart. The one who broke the godly unison, the one who defiled the gods...and freed the bound one. The fool." She cackles on, her sharp teeth showing from between her lips as she smiles towards the body of Thomas.

The sounding of thunder breaking her happy mood as Thomas holds himself in a stance unfitting of a human, leaning down with one hand up as if he's holding something...a sword? I can't see anything though.

"My, you've certainly abandoned your original figure haven't you. You pretend to forget your roots but your body remembers very well." Clio stands on guard, holding her sword directly upwards as it glows brighter and brighter. "I believe you have already revealed my nature to these children, so let me show you what a Banshee truly is. Cover your ears Children" She looks back to warn us before looking ahead once again, her hood uncloaking her hair as it bursts out in every direction as she rises into the air. Her jaw making an unhealthy cracking as it visibly dislocates itself and her previously youth holding skin ages into one that suits a more deathly rotten tone. A clamorous screech that wails along the fields of the dead, vibrating the very air and our ears being covered doing nothing to defend against it as all of us fall to our knees. Thomas' body quaking into the ground as it shakes, the sound waves themselves becoming visible as they form thicker and thicker onto his frame until his body finally gives up and relaxes itself along the broken floor.

"I, Cliodhna...Queen of the Banshees...will not unsee your actions towards me for the future. Hero."

Author's note: Clean-ah. For anyone having a seizure trying to pronounce it, don't worry it took me a bit to learn too lmao.