Hello! I'm sorry that I didn't update yesterday: I am sick and I had to rest, and my school starts on Monday…*gasp!* Crap! Now I'm sad. I have no idea how often I am going to be able to update with my new schedule, considering I'm going into 6th grade. However I will try to update as much as possible. Anyway I hope this chapter doesn't make you sad if it's horrible….Ok on with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything…got it?
Into the Fire
"Ok…" Annabeth said, obviously thinking that Thalia was very strange. "Like I was saying, we need to discuss the sacrifice. Have you all decided what you will be sacrificing?"
"I'm sacrificing my sword." Nico said.
"I'm sacrificing, to my great despair, my spear." Thalia said, with a grim expression, as though having to give up something for the sake of others was just too unbearable.
"I'm sacrificing…um…Riptide." I said, even though my brain hadn't really come to that decision; it was almost like someone else had acted for me, but I didn't ponder it much.
"Wait, you're all giving up your swords!" Annabeth said bewildered.
"So what?" Thalia said, looking annoyed that Annabeth had even thought that her act of "kindness" was not genuine. "And mine isn't a sword, stupid. It's a spear. There is a difference you know." (A/N: Haha Storm-Brain. I just had to add that.)
"Well…never mind." Annabeth said, hastily turning back to Nico and me. "Well, first I am going to light the fire, and then you are going to throw your swords in. Now please don't call me crazy, but…then you have to jump into the flame as well." Annabeth said sheepishly.
"Um…no thanks!" Nico said loudly, darting his eyes from side to side, as though looking for someone to shout, April fools!
"Yeah, nice suggestion. But no thanks!" Thalia said sarcastically, determined to win this fight.
"Shut up and listen to her! Has she ever been wrong? If we are going to save the world we need her help…which she can only give once a day I might add!" I said in a fierce voice. I looked over at Annabeth, and I saw that she was giving me an extremely grateful look.
Everyone else seemed to be at a loss of words, so I looked at Annabeth, folded my hands in my lap, and told her to continue.
"Well, after you jump in the flame, if I have this figured out correctly, the ring will turn to ashes, along with your swords. Then the ring will reform, and you will have to put it on your finger. To put some of your soul into the ring, you must think ONLY of your swords as you put it on your finger. You will know if you succeeded if the ring glows red." Annabeth said, taking a deep breath, because she had been talking fast, hoping no one would interrupt her.
"How do you know all of this?" I asked. I sure hadn't ever heard of any of this.
"I've been doing as much research on ancient history as possible. There are some legends that talk about sacrifices like this."
I just nodded.
"When will we get our swords back?" Nico asked, tilting his head to one side.
"Well, I believe your ring will be your sword. Just like Percy's ring, I think it will be able to morph from a ring to a sword. And, like Nico had said a while ago, it can be used as an empathy link, and a transporter."
"What do you mean by transporter?" Thalia inquired.
"Well, if this ring thing comes out correctly, the rings will serve as a three-way empathy link. It will also transport all of you to the same spot." Annabeth said.
"Wicked!" Nico said, acting like the thirteen year old he should be, his face alight with excitement, even though it was a tense time.
"Are you ready?" Annabeth said rather nervously.
We all nodded, feeling apprehensive, and looked at Annabeth for instruction.
She carefully lit the hearth, and stepped back to watch the flames rise.
The red and orange flames seemed to jump out at us, hoping to lick human flesh. Thalia came to be in the middle of me and Nico so that we were on the ends.
We each looked at each other, and then threw or battle weapons into the blazing fire.
At first nothing seemed to happen, but then the fire turned a bright blue, black, and green all at once. It only took me a few seconds to realize it was the color of all three of our eyes. (A/N: Nico's eyes are black right? Oh well they are for my story!)
We started to walk forward. "One, two, thr-"I began, trying to countdown.
"I can't do it!" Nico whined, interrupting me.
"Nico, we have to. Please." Thalia said, looking at him with forceful eyes.
Sighing, he turned to me and waved his free hand at me, signaling me to start the countdown again.
"One, two, three," I shouted. Before jumping, Nico, and Thalia looked at each other one last time, and jumped into the fire.
