Drowning in the Siren's Song -II

Chapter 1

Percy was singing. 

It had been so long since he'd sung that he felt compelled to, just to remember how it felt like. It was as if he'd lost his singing. He just didn't want to forget it.

He had found himself a secluded corner in some trees and settled on a branch, letting his legs follow the motions of the wind. A lock of his hair crept in his mouth as he sung but he did nothing but ignore it, too engrossed in his private moment of recluse. 

Leaving the Wolf House gave him freedom as well as took some away. He had locked his 'Greek' counterpart there and now that he'd finally discovered his 'Roman' self, he had to lock that part of him away.

It was more than just a figurative. There was more to the words 'Greek' and 'Roman' that he thought. He could see the clear differences after travelling to the Wolf House. The culture, mannerisms and way of thinking was so much more differentiated than he thought. He even had to switch between thinking in Greek to thinking in Latin.

But now, he was somewhere between Greek and Roman. He would sometimes name things in Latin and curse in Greek. He felt like his identity was spilt in two. 

But when he felt lost, he would remember he was a Siren. Something which was solely his and would remain a part of him forever, hence the impromptu singing session.

 After quite a long time, he was alone. At least from humans. He had Blackjack and Keria alongside him, but they weren't the ones who prevented him from showcasing his secrets. 

He'd chosen a lullaby, singing it as a legacy of his mother. There was longing in his manner and reverence in his voice. Instead of the bastard gods who only watched, she was more like a god to him. 

As time went on, no matter how he protested, his memories of her dimmed. Instead of her sharp, bright image, he'd grown accustomed to simply recalling her feathered touch and songs. He replayed the moments again and again, resolved not to forget any more.

He had resigned himself to his fate despite blaming his childish mind for his forgetfulness. As emotions surged within him again, he sang louder and louder, jumping off of the tree to roam. He was determined never to forget the songs she'd sung to him at least. 

And as if fate was playing with his stings, the place where he'd stopped to find solitude lay a tall, old tree.
An Oak tree. 

It big and tall, reaching up to caress the clouds. Seeing it shot pains in his heart, making him remember his grandma. But that was where the similarities ended. 

Unlike her glowing green tree, it was dead, only its body standing tall without any life in it. He could feel its insides growing dry and felt even more melancholic. 

He couldn't help but feel depressed. It was as if he was waking up from a happy dream. He'd finished his training in the Wolf House and his momentarily protection from the prying eyes of the Greeks was ending. 

Going into California, he was aware that it was a temporary measure given only for him to become stronger.
But how could he, just a boy of 12, rebel and hide against the gods who were immortal from the dawn of time? He was sure they wanted him dead. 

Being a Siren could only take him so far. He was powerful, and he would grow more so, but was it enough? Why was he working so hard? What was the use. Questions plagued him as he grew colder leaning on the dead Oak. 

He'd stopped singing at some point. His eyes bore into the ground as blank as possible and his mind kept drifting. His sanity was floating on a sinking boat. He didn't notice the black feathers surrounding him until the harsh texture of the bark was replaced by warmth. 

Blackjack had pulled him to his side, using his wing to blanket him while Keria pressed her head under his chin. Maybe without realizing he'd passed his emotions to them. Both were heavy of breath as they clung to him, desperate in their own way. 

They had panicked immediately when a tsunami of darkness was forced onto them. Blackjack was grazing while Keria hunted, but they both sought after Percy when he unconsciously allowed the passage of thoughts to them. 

The pure emotion they'd felt was too profound to comprehend. Was it misery or sadness? Maybe it was anxiety, maybe fear. They'd never experienced it and could not describe it. All they knew at the moment was that the usual Percy was lost. 

Blackjack who rose a riot every time his coat was brushed the wrong way and the impassive, prideful Keria, both huddled to him, digging themselves into dirt. But he couldn't register it; he didn't hold them. 

It was a given that when they approached him, he would stroke them, whether it be a light pat or a thorough scratch of affection. But right then, his blank eyes didn't shift and his hands remained silent. 

Fear surged through them as the panic subsided. Their warmth was seeping through him, and yet, he was limp like a rag doll. Even Keria's prey had more life in them. 

Blackjack was a far more tame compared to the pure wildness in Keria. She's been with Percy, but at her roots, she was a bird of the sky. Affection having no effect, she did the next best thing she thought of- She attacked him.

She was absolutely merciless. 

She attacked him just as desperate as she was, raking her claws across his stomach and jabbing her sharp beak like a dagger. There was chaos as limbs and feathers tangled, ending only when Percy grabbed her like a chicken, holding her feathers together in one hand, letting her body dangle.

She continued cawing, fire in the sea of her eyes. 'Snap out of it' she conveyed, cursing him in the process. She hated seeing him like that.
She wasn't human; She didn't understand what was happening, but she hated it. 

Her fear cut through his own. 

Feeling Keria get scared snapped him out of it. He realized where he was and what he was doing. It took him a second to comprehend how he came to holding Keria like that and why Blackjack was far away, anxious. 

He checked her all over, extending her wings and running his fingers over her talons in silence. Once he was done with her, just as quietly, he got up and went over to Blackjack and checked him over. After he was satisfied, he let out a big breath and plopped on the ground, legs shaking. 

'They're okay.' He repeated to himself. He seemed to have forgotten what condition he was in minutes ago. The anxiety he felt from them completely overwrote everything which was in his brain. In that one moment, all he needed was the reassurance that Keria and Blackjack were safe even though they were the ones hugging him. 

Meanwhile they both were bewildered by the complete one-eighty Percy had taken. Instead of the dark waves of depression, a solicitous mood had replaced it. But they were more than okay with it. Normal Percy was back. The kind Percy who worried for them.

"We should get going." Percy turned his back on them, going towards the little clearing where they had landed. He didn't want to talk about it, nor remember anything. 

And just like how he wished, it was all forgotten as they both followed behind him, listening as Percy continued his song with a darker tune than the night.