NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Reyna," Annabeth starts, "I wouldn't be contacting you if it weren't important. You need to meet us. You have a role to play, healing the rift between us. A Roman must return the Athena Parthenos, return what is stolen as a peace offering."
"And why should I do that?" Reyna asks.
Jason steps beside Annabeth, "because it would mean more if a praetor returned it, and unfortunately we can't afford a detour we must arrive in Epirus and delve into the House of Hades, Percy's life depends on it."
Annabeth winces at the reminder.
"Percy? What do you mean?" Reyna questions.
"The doors of death, must be closed on both sides, one is in the house, the other side is in the pit, where Percy fell." Nico explains.
"Percy fell into a pit?"
"Not a pit, the Pit. Tartarus. Percy fell into Tartarus."
Reyna's face pales, but a determined look fills her face.
"I shall meet you in Epirus. But be warned, with me gone Octavian will continue a march and attack your Camp."
"And without the statue it will happen anyways, it is a risk we must take"
Reyna nods, and Annabeth swipes through the message. Turning she looks at the expectant eyes of the others.
"Athena contacted me in a dream, took her long enough." She explains.
"That explains that then. I'll let Coach Hedge know to watch for her so he doesn't attempt to kill her," Jason says heading onto the deck where Hedge was steering the ship.
When she returns to her room to grab armor and a book for her watch, laying innocently on her desk is Dedealus's laptop and her dagger. By them, a slightly burnt note. She reads the note then collapses on her knees gripping it tight, crying. It brings the attention of the others who crash into her room. She points at the dagger and computer then shows them the letter. On it, it simply reads:
Wise girl, you dropped this.
Love,
Seaweed brain
He wakes with a start, smell of fresh bbq wafting into his nose. He follows it to the altar where food rests. The smell reminds him so thoroughly of camp he almost sobs with joy. He digs into what is there filling himself up. It tastes like camps food to. He wraps some of the remaining food in cloth hoping it will last. There is a pack of m&ms that reminds Percy of the Stoll brothers. They always sacrificed a pack to Hermes each meal.
He has a bizarre thought. Quite possibly stupid. But it is worth a shot. If camp sacrifices sometimes end up here, what is to say his sacrifice won't end up on the surface.
He stumbles to his bag grabbing a page from the notebook and a pen. He scribbles onto it.
To Will Solace,
NOT A PRANK
Hey, long story short I'm stuck in the pit, but a Hermes shrine is here. Sacrifice ambrosia and water please. Need to live so wise girl doesn't storm down to the underworld to kill me again.
Thanks,
Percy
P.S. don't panic too much. Fire water heals. But I am also surrounded by every monster I have ever killed, at least those who haven't reached the surface.
He takes a flare from the bag using it to burn the paper, praying to Hermes that it makes it to them.
It could have been ten minutes or an hour, time is hard to tell in Tartarus, when a letter returns alongside a bag with several bars of ambrosia and a small flask of nectar. A few seconds later several bottles of water arrive, one of which is salt water. Percy sends a letter saying thanks.
There is a roar in the distance. And Percy scrambles to pack all the stuff into the bag, it is heavy now but it is nothing compared to the sky.
Before he leaves, his hand lands on Annabeth's dagger. Quickly taking another flare, he sets her dagger and computer on the alter wrapped with a letter saying
Wise girl, you dropped this.
Love,
Seaweed brain.
He prays to Hermes as the paper burns, the knife and computer disappearing with it, "return it to Annabeth for me please" he speaks and he heads off into the gloom ahead.
He nearly trips onto the Titan. Disgust curls its claws around him as he stares down into the blister. Hyperion lay inside, half formed. His fingers itch to tear the titan apart. He stabs down viciously into the titans heart, Hyperion's golden eyes snap open but it is too late. The Titan is already dispersing into dust. Ichor splashes onto Percy.
Something whispers in the back of his mind. Ichor is just liquid. Percy pushes it away, sure he can control the rivers, but Poseidon isn't the god of liquids. Then again normal water is within his control as well. And Percy has never been normal by demigod standards either.
He continues to follow his instincts further into the darkness. The further he goes the darker it gets. Something in front of him moves.
He hears it quickly, from somewhere in the fog comes a deep thrumming noise, like the idling engine of a large construction vehicle. He can feel the vibrations through his shoes. If he wants he can grab hold of them and redirect them.
He hasn't really worked with his earthshaker skills since the Mt. St. Helen's incident, he had cause several deaths, and whole neighborhoods lost homes. It is too dangerous to play with on the surface. But here? Why not.
He gently prods it, a tug in his gut as the earth stills. He holds it there letting it grow tension.
A figure appears and he starts to let go, but the regains control when he sees it. A tiny calico kitten. Like the ones Atlas accidentally created. For a second the kitten flickers, revealing a skeleton underneath. Yeah it definitely is one of them.
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