There is a prison in a more ancient part of the world,
A pit where men are thrown to suffer, and die.
But sometimes a man rises from the darkness.
Sometimes the pit sends something back.
All rights of PJO are Rick Riordan's
"Άνοδος στο φως, Άνοδος στο φως, Άνοδος στο φως." The chant came again and again. The chant of hope in the darkest of places.
" Άνοδος στο φως, Άνοδος στο φως, Άνοδος στο φως." The monster was so close. Just one more jump and he would be able to climb his way to freedom and make his way to the more forgiving parts of Tartarus.
"Άνοδος στο φως, Άνοδος στο φως, Άνοδος στο φως." The lastrygonian giant jumped reaching for the ledge with his fingers outstretched. The tips of his index scraped the side of the ledge and he fell back down to the darkness. Before he hit the ground the rope that was secured tightly around the giants waist became tight and snapped, stopping the giant from becoming a grease spot on the prison floor.
Percy watched from the shadows with his hands on little Thalia's shoulders. They both stared as the giant was let down from his hanging position over the despondent mob of monsters. That was the closest a monster had come to escaping in a long while and the hope that he would make it was suddenly snatched from them. That's the worst part of this place Percy thought, it gives you the illusion of hope and then takes it away. He had watched hundreds almost thousands of monsters try to make the climb since he could remember. None had ever made it passed that ledge and he was yet to try.
It's not like Percy wasn't fit enough to try, he was heavily muscled from living his entire 25 years of life in the pit with huge traps, shoulders and arms that would make Ares jealous at their size, and legs that's power could only compare to a pouncing panther or a jumping horse. Overall he was an intimidating figure that very few would be willing to mess with; and the few that had were quickly put into their place. He was the Apex-Predator of the prison.
His companion on the other hand, little Thalia, was the exact opposite. But that was to be expected when she was only 7 years old. Her mother had given birth to her in this very pit and died shortly after due to rape and murder from the inmates when the doctor had forgotten to lock the cell. Percy had snuck in and saved Thalia, protecting her as she grew up. He loved her like an older brother loved his sister or a father loved a daughter; and he swore that one day he would get Thalia out of this miserable prison.
"Percy" came Thalia's quiet voice in query," Do you think that I can make the climb one day?" she asked. Her big golden eyes boring into his soul searching for the answer.
" Yes little one. In fact I believe your the only one who can make the climb." said Percy confidently. For he knew why no one ever made it out of the pit. It was because only the pure of heart and strong of mind could make the jump and no one down here, save innocent Thalia, was pure of heart.
"What about you?" she asked," Won't you be able to come with me?" Her eyes began to tear up at the thought of her guardian, her friend not by her side. He was always there to keep her safe.
"No Thalia, I can not leave this place like you can. You are still untainted by evil, I however have no chance of leaving without... outside help." he said choosing his words carefully. He still had not told her about her ancestry or who her father was. It would be to dangerous for her scent would bring every monster in the Pit down on them.
"But your not evil? And what do you mean about outside help?" she asked quizzically. She was so innocent, so oblivious to the evil around her, he wanted to preserve it as long as possible; but he knew that soon she would have to learn with or with out him soon. Soon, but now today.
" I have lived my entire life in this pit. The darkness is apart of me. One day you will understand what I am talking about. But for now all you need to know is that you will escape this place very soon." Thalia knew that she wouldn't get anything out of him so she merely nodded at his words.
"Now come Thalia, let's return to our cells and get some sleep." Percy said as he nudged Thalia along back into the waiting darkness.
One year later
"Come on Thalia! We have to get you to the wall!" He yelled over the massive prison riot that was taking place. It was time for Thalia to get out of here.
Percy turned away from Thalia as she followed him closely through the prison. So far they had made it this far without any attention but soon their luck would run out.
"Hey! Over there! It's the girl! Get them!" came a shout off deeper into the Pit. Percy cursed some very colorful language under his breath.
"Percy!" she said covering her ears from his French.
"I know, I know! Jump on my back." He ordered quickly. Thalia latched on with her arms around his neck and legs wrapped as far around his abdomen as possible. He turned just in time to see a telekhine lung at him. Simultaneously Percy's foot came up and met the monsters chest, sending the seal-dog hybrid flying across the catwalk that lead to the climbing wall. Percy began to run across when a sound alerted him to the mob of monsters behind him starting to file into the bridge, they appeared to be waiting for something. At the same time a giant cyclops walked towards him blocking their destination.
The cyclops looked like he was trying to locate Percy but knew he was on the catwalk. He finally seemed to find the duo before speaking," Give us the girl and you can go free Perseus." it said with above average intelligence for a cyclops. It's milky eye having trouble focusing on them.
"Leave Polyphemus and I may let you leave with what little eye-sight you have left." was Percy's reply.
Polyphemus sighed," So be it spawn of darkness." He raised his hand to signal the attack but the monsters stayed back to afraid of the intimidating figure in front of them to move.
"What are you waiting for? Get them!" the cyclops bark. His command galvanizing them into action. Percy turned to meet the mass of monsters tripping over themselves trying to reach them.
"Thalia watch my back!" he yelled over the desperate war-cries hat filled the air. As the first monster reached him, a dracanae, he smashed her face in with his massive fist before following with a left hook to the side of the face sending the snake-woman over the bridge. He other monsters paused at how easy he had dispatched their comrade giving Percy just enough time to press his advantage plowed forward into the monsters swatting, smashing, and kicking anything that stood in his way.
"Here he comes." warned Thalia on his back as Polyphemus evidently got tired of waiting and advanced on the catwalk. Percy lifted up the monster nearest to him and threw it into the now nearly depleted crowd of monsters before turning around to meet Polyphemus' advance.
"Just you and me Polyphemus." said Percy as he moved forward. His mind was working over time trying to figure out how to beat his bigger and stronger opponent. If they were on wider ground he could rely on his speed and quickness to get behind Polyphemus but with the close quarter he would be confined unless...
But he had no more time to think as Polyphemus brought his fist down to try and smash Percy in one attack but Percy leapt back narrowly avoiding the advance. He recovered and moved forward putting all his power into his strike. As Percy's fist made contact on the cyclops' elbow a sickening crunch and a snap could be heard as the elbow was destroyed.
Polyphemus reeled back, howling as he clutched his elbow in pain. Capitalizing Percy jumped up punching Polyphemus in the eye. As the monster tried to recover from those two ferocious attacks Percy grabbed Thalia, swinging her off his back, and slid her through the cyclops legs; before running full speed jumping onto the railing and launching his body over Polyphemus' shoulder grabbing his neck as he flew by. When he landed back on the catwalk again he had Polyphemus bent backwards holding his neck in his arms.
"I win." Said Percy darkly as yanked upwards snapping Polyphemus' spinal chord in two.
He turned around and ran to Thalia and picked her up carrying her to the wall. The monsters were already recovering from the concise death Percy had just dealt to the cyclops and were running howling for revenge.
"Quickly Thalia, climb. Keep going and don't look down. Climb to freedom and find your father. Don't come back for me. " he told her.
"Who's my father? And what do you mean don't come back for you?" she asked urgently.
"I can't say his name down here but just know that in time you'll know." He said emphasizing the word. "Don't comeback for me Thalia." as he gave her one last push to the wall before the inmates finally got to them. They grabbed Percy from behind and dragged him into the mob. His last word to her before she lost sight of him were "go".
Thalia climbed for her life and didn't look down. She clutched every stone with a death grip. She didn't have the comfort of the rope and she was afraid a stone would slip and she would go tumbling down. Back into the abyss and Percy's sacrifice will have been for nothing.
She continued to climb till she made it to the point of no return. The stone ledge. One jump to freedom. One jump to make it out of this prison. But if she couldn't make it then she would be a speck on the prison floor. She was almost to the point where she wouldn't take the jump when she heard Percy's voice from bellow.
"You can do it Thalia! Trust yourself!" came his voice. She looked all the way down to see Percy standing in the middle of a gigantic horde of monsters yelling encouragement to her. Then he turned and grabbed the neck of an empousa snapping it with one hand.
Thalia looked back up to face the leap of faith she had to take. She sucked in a deep breath, took a running start and leapt, arms outstretched. Her hands made contact with cold stone and she grabbed and held on with all her might. She hauled herself up and continued her climb. Finally she pulled herself up and over the final ledge escaping the pit. She looked down to see if she could find her friend only to see nothing but darkness.
Percy fought for hours trying to keep the inmates off of him. He killed hundreds of monsters with his bare hands; breaking necks, smashing skulls, snapping bones, it got to a point where he was even enjoying himself. He was as swift as a shadow and as fear-inspiring as the mystery of the dark to a child. Brutality and efficiency were his styles and he used them well. But eventually he grew weary as he stood alone against a mob of Tartarus' most dangerous residents.
The Minotaur, Kelli the empousa, Ma Gasket, the Manticore, several Arai (spirits of curses), and all the worst monsters of myth stood across from him as he kneeled, exhausted from the onslaught.
"Give in Perseus, there is no fighting us. You will be overrun eventually. Yield and we will make it less painful." hissed Kelli. But Percy just glared at them defiantly. He rose to his feet.
" If your so confident empousa then come and get some bitch." He said preparing himself for what he knew was coming. Kelli dashed forward at lightning speed claws poised to rip his throat out. Percy merely caught her by her neck and looked her dead in the eyes.
"She'll never make it out of here alive." The monster said." Eventually the landscape itself will destroy her. She will run out of time."
Percy merely laughed at her," That's the thing though. Time is always on her side." He said. Kelli's eyes widened in realization right up to the point where Percy separated her head from her body.
That's when the rest of the horde moved in. He squared up to the charging Minotaur; grabbing the bull-man by the horns he twisted his body to gain the right amount of leverage, he swept his leg forward send the bull-monster to the floor. He reached down pummeling the monster in he face till his snout was nothing but purée beef. Percy grabbed ahold of the two dangerous looking horns and pulled with all his might. A snap came from the two ivory points as he lifted up his makeshift weapons. He went to work on Ma Gasket. Leaping into the air, twisting mid-air he landed on the lady-cyclops back and drove his shanks into both sides of the Cyclopes' head.
He jumped off immediately as a projectile zinged by his face. The manticore kept his distance while he launched his poisonous spikes at the demigod. Thorn sent another three spikes at his target's face. Percy bent backwards dodging each missile before coming up only to catch a spike in the quad. He grunted as he pulled the spike out and threw it right back at the monster. The man-cat hybrid dodged his own projectile but failed to notice Percy advance on him, grabbing his jaw and ripping it out. The Manticore dropped dead at the demigod's feet.
A searing pain erupted from Percy's back as he realized to late that an arai had snuck up behind him raking its claws against his back. Percy turned and with his one remaining horn stabbed the Arai in the throat killing the spirit of curses.
Immediately he felt a searing pain in his neck as the dying curse of Polyphemus took hold. He dropped to one knee trying to fight through the pain. The surrounding Arai attacked pressing the advantage. One jumped on his back poised to rip out his throat. Fighting through the pain Percy reached around and ripped the spirit off his back throwing it on the floor and crushing it's windpipe. Another curse, this time, Ma Gaskets curse, as his temples felt like they a industrial sized nail driven through them. Still he fought on, carrying more and more curses as he fought off the spirits.
It was inevitable that eventually Perseus would be brought down; the pain had become unbearable. He collapsed from the pain, unable to move. The last thing he saw before he slipped into Morpheus' realm was the foot of a Lastrygonian come down on his face.
Thalia wandered the harsh climate aimlessly for days, going somewhere but nowhere at the same time. Just trying to put as much distance between her and that dreaded pit she had left he friend in. It was inevitable that the demigod would run into some sort of monsters. But it came sooner then she wanted it to.
She was currently hiding in one of many rocky outcrops from a pack of three beasts: a empousa, a cyclops, and a hellhound, all three of whom were in a very heated discussion.
"...if he is rising then we should join his forces. Surely he'll let us out of here." said the empousa.
" Or he'll laugh at us before destroying us." Argued the cyclops and the hellhound grumbled in agreement.
"There is always that. But it's wor—" the empousa stopped as the hellhound turned around walking off towards the pile of rocks that Thalia was currently hiding in.
"Grim, get back here, there's nothing over there just like the last hundred times you've looked." exclaimed the cyclops. But the hellhound kept digging and Thalia was getting increasingly worried that she would have to make a break for it. Unfortunately her nervousness was her downfall as she took a step back causing a small rockslide down the elevated position she was hiding in.
"Curse the fates." She thought but had little chance to continue expressing her hatred for the masters of destiny as the cyclops and empousa noticed the disturbance before making their way to her direction.
" Well this is it, Remember what Percy taught you. Fight as hard and viciously as you can." she thought. She was probably going to die within in a day of escaping her prison. The empousa was right next to her hiding space when Thalia leapt out lashing out with her entire being at the vampiric-monster. The she-monster fell backwards on her back as Thalia wailed on her face with closed fists. Not giving the monster a chance to even fight back as it's face was reduced to a bloody mess. The empousa was almost pushed to unconsciousness when Thalia was lifted up by a meaty hand as the cyclops inspected her with his one red eye.
Panicking Thalia kicked open air trying anything to get away from the monster but it was no use. The cyclops had an iron grip on her shirt. "What do we have here?" mused the mono-eyed monster.
"KILL IT! EAT THE DESPICABLE DEMIGOD!" Screamed the she-monster hysterically while Grim the hellhound barked, jumping up, trying to get a piece of the little girl.
The cyclops shrugged at the empousa's demand," Sorry little demigod but no escape for you." He said before taking a long sniff of her which Thalia found rather creepy. "No, not a demigod, a demi-titan!" he said dropping her, for reasons unknown to the young girl, to the waiting and hungry mouth of the hellhound.
Thalia closed her eyes preparing for the worst as she tumbled to her death. Suddenly she felt a a tug in her gut and she opened her eyes wide in surprise of the sensation only to notice the hellhound had stopped it's jump mid-poise leaving Thalia to land on the soft fur of the monsters back and tumble to the ground in a heap.
"Did you see that! She froze Grim!" exclaimed the battered empousa. "That can only mean tha—" but she got no further as the golden figures of an hourglass and a scythe floated above the 8 year old demi-god's head.
"All hail the newest daughter of Lord Kronos, King of Titans, Lord of Time." bellowed the cyclops. As all three monsters kneeled and bowed to her.
Hey Guys I know to those few people that follow me you know I have been away from fanfiction for a while. I just lost interest in writing for a while but I'm back now and I'm gonna try and start updating. Let me know how you like this new idea and story. Sorry about the ending. I know it's little choppy.