Chapter 8: Dreaming Creepy Rituals, Coffins and more Death
AN: Need more ideas for Truths and Dares. Give me as many as you can!
Also received a scratch on my upper lip today at the dentist. Could look like a female Jason Grace with my light hair and eyes. I'm literally thinking that all the time I look in the mirror.
Apollo and Rachel exchanged looks at Percy's statement. Leo however was nodding with full belief, or at least partially. He'd figured out how to use the great prophecy to his advantage, but like Percy said mostly he and the other had to just let it happen. For Annabeth he had a feeling that was a lot more difficult. His ADHD attention was captured by the bright light coming from the rising scene.
Luke was kneeling in front of the sarcophagus dressed in pure white. He was saying that their spies had reported success and Camp was sending a quest as Kronos predicted. Their side of the bargain was almost finished.
"I still don't understand how he's alive," Jaz shook her head. "He looks too healthy for someone who took a three hundred foot fall three months ago, no matter how magical they are."
Nico looked at Percy thinking Percy had looked about the same after he'd convinced him to go through with it. Too healthy, too powerful and even know without the curse too godly. But that was Percy naturally and Luke had needed the curse on him to be that way.
"You'll get it at some point," Percy promised not looking back at Nico though he'd caught his look.
"Can we focus on the rest of that sentence?" Alex suggested. "Sounds kind of ominous and evil plot-like. Bargains and spies. All of that stuff."
"So there's a spy who's telling them what's happening in camp," Reyna noted. "I'm sure we'll learn who it is. But what about this bargain?"
"Can't say," Rachel told her.
"How do you know?" signed a confused Hearth.
"You'll see."
Kronos answered that was excellent and that once they had a way to navigate he'd lead the army through himself. Luke closed his eyes saying it was too soon and maybe Hyperion or Krios should lead.
"He's hesitating," Thalia breathed in surprise.
"He tried to avoid it," agreed Percy. "He was the whole time. The signs were there."
Kronos said with finality that he would lead and once one more person joined them he would rise. Luke shook as he protested talking about Kronos's form. Kronos ordered Luke show him his sword. Luke pulled the sword out and Kronos said that Luke had pledged himself to Kronos and this sword was proof. Luke agreed then started to protest again. Kronos continued saying Luke had wanted power and now he was unable to be harmed and would rule the world. He would avenge himself and see Olympus destroyed.
"More like Kronos would," Chris spat.
Clarisse gripped his hand for once calming him down. He took a deep breath and relaxed lying on her shoulder as she also watched the scene in front of them with steely eyes.
Luke agreed and the coffin glowed telling him to make the strike force ready. As soon as the bargain was finished they'd move forward to attack Camp Half Blood then they'd march on Olympus.
"You ruined that plan at least," Walt noted. "I mean you're all still here and Camp still exists. So spoiler, you all won."
"I guess a lot of what happens is obvious now," Percy agreed.
Luke got up after someone knocked on the door and the light disappeared from the coffin. He told whoever was there to come in. Two dracaenas came in and behind them, Kelli the empousa. She greeted Luke fliritingly. He responded by asking what she wanted, calling her demon and saying he'd told her not to disturb him.
"At least with everything else the guy realizes it's not smart to hang around an empousai," Jason said. He didn't notice what the comment had done to the people that had known Luke.
She complained that wasn't nice, he seemed tense and then offered him a shoulder massage. Luke stepped back telling her if she didn't have something to say she needed to leave. She complained she wasn't sure why he was so huffy when he used to be fun. He said that was before he'd seen what she'd done to a boy in Seattle.
Everyone winced.
Kelli said he meant nothing beside a snack, her heart belonged to Luke. Luke said thanks but no thanks and again told her to report or leave. She said that the team was ready, they could leave. Then she paused frowning. Luke asked what was wrong. Kelli said there was a presence, his senses were getting dull. They were being watched. She turned into her true form and pounced. Then Percy was seen waking up in his bed only calming down when he saw Tyson snoring nearby.
"How did she sense you?" asked Carter. "Even with all the ba dreams I take half the time the gods can't sense me. Unless they summoned me."
"She's a servant of Hecate," Hazel said startling everyone. "Magical. She knows how to sense that stuff. It comes with being able to manipulate the mist and perceptions."
"Do you think the bad guys ever dream of us?" Leo asked suddenly.
"Now that," Sadie pointed at Leo, "Is a very scary thought."
Percy looked around his gaze falling on a picture of Annabeth. He reached for a sweatshirt that was hanging next to him then turned with confusion seeing the glowing blue green of the fountain. He got up and stood next to it.
"Another Iris message?" Piper asked.
"Something like that," Percy nodded. "I'm not even sure they were Iris messages."
"The last one was," Apollo frowned. "This one doesn't seem like it is."
"More like a different type of message," Nico agreed.
Percy said the fountain was trying to tell him something. Then there was silence. He sighed saying all right asking it to show him Nico. The water shimmered and Nico was in a graveyard in a black cloak surrounded by fog with a walmart bag at his feet.
"I know that graveyard!" Sadie yelped.
"You do?" Carter asked her.
"She does," Walt agreed. "Anubis took her there to talk the first time you met."
"New Orleans," Nico stated. "A city for the dead."
"Home," Hazel said wistfully. "It looks the same. There's still gris gris and mardi gras and riverboats, right? All the people with their ghost stories and everything."
"Yes," Walt nodded. "That doesn't change about that city."
"We'll go soon," Nico told her. "Shadow Travel."
Hazel smiled at him thankfully.
Nico was watching gravediggers and asked if it was deep enough yet. The same ghost as before said nearly but it was unnecessary, he already had advice from the ghost. Nico said he wanted a second opinion and snapped his fingers where the digging stopped and two skeletons climbed out of the hole. Nico said they were dismissed thanking them and they collapsed into piles of bones.
"Still so cool," Alex grinned which quickly turned back into a frown. "Never use it on me again."
"Never," Magnus pulled a face.
Nico's look was downright creepy but there was the slightest trace of amusement in his deadpan eyes.
THe ghost complained Nico could thank the shovels they were as smart as the skeletons. Nico pulled a twelve pack of coke out of his Walmart bag and opened a can and poured it into the grave saying to let the dead taste again, rising to take the offering and to remember. Then he emptied more coke into the grave.
"Summoning the dead?" Walt asked. "Spirits."
"That's dangerous," Thalia shivered. "I hate spirits. They're the worst."
"I've seen you summon without ritualism now," Reyna looked at Nico. "Your power has increased."
Nico shrugged but Percy was nodding at him thinking. The increase of the power, the fear, all that came with it, that he understood. Nico looked away now thinking of his talk with Percy before. He'd thought they were worlds apart. They weren't much different in the end.
He opened a McDonald's happy meal and shook fries and a hamburger into the grave. The ghost mumbled that they could've used animal blood like they did when he was alive, it was good enough. Spirits couldn't taste the difference. Nico said he'd treat the dead with respect.
"That's how it should be." Walt's tone was absolute.
Nico looked at him. "You're right. There's not enough respect for the dead, making sure they get proper burial rights, still are remembered and everything that happens to them."
"But we can try though," Percy said. "And we haven't been trying good enough. I've forgotten too many of the dead while I was focused on other things. But you're right. They're the reason I fight, Zoe, Bianca and all the others that come after them."
Nico gave him a look of thankfulness which Percy returned.
THe ghost asked if he could at least keep the toy.
There was a bit of laughter and snorting. Annabeth frowned though, "That doesn't sound like him."
"He's greedy," Grover said. "Of course it does."
"Toys are fun," Tyson agreed.
Nico ordered him to be quiet emptying more soda and three more happy meals into the grave then chanting in ancient greek. The grave bubbled and frothy liquid bubbled over. The fog became thicker as it all became quiet and dozens of figures appeared by the gravestones.
People shivered. Nico looked down twisting his ring and Will laid a hand on his leg looking at him concerned. Nico's look told him he was fine, he just didn't want to talk but he held Will's hand anyway.
The ghost said there were too many, Nico didn't know his own power. Nico argued weakly he had it under control drawing a black metal sword, the spirits retreated looking at it and Nico commanded they go one at a time. One came up to the pool of food and scooped French fries out. When it stood again it was a guy with curly dark hair and green eyes with a seashell clasp on his cloak over greek armor.
Everyone looked at Percy. Percy rolled his eyes. "It's a relative."
"Percy looks more like Poseidon," Apollo agreed. "Which is why we weren't sure about…"
Percy's look shushed him before he spoiled who it was.
Nico asked who he was ordering him to speak. The young ghost looked confused for a minute before saying he was Theseus. Outside the misty iris message Percy gaped.
"Theseus?" asked Piper. "But he's so young."
"That's what I was thinking. This is the guy that went into the labyrinth to fight the minotaur," Percy agreed. "I thought he was huge and buff."
Rachel looked at him weirdly. "I don't think that' what she meant. I mean you were younger than him with no experience when you fought the minotaur."
"But—" Percy started but was cut off.
"She's right. Theseus lived to be a lot older and he became kind of a jerk like we just heard with Adriane," Piper agreed. "So why is his spirit so young?"
"Because that's how he was in his prime, how he wanted to be remembered," Nico explained.
"As an eternal sixteen year old?" Thalia scoffed then she paused. "Never mind. I'll be fifteen forever."
There was a bit of nervous laughter.
Nico asked how he could retrieve his sister.
There were a bunch of gasps and whispers as heads turned to look at Nico. With one hand in Will's and Hazel's hand on his shoulder he met their looks. "I know it's wrong. She knew she was going to die, she accepted it. I shouldn't have tried to bring her back."
"You were grieving," Hazel told him. "And you stopped for a bit, then when you tried again you saved me."
"And without Hazel we wouldn't have won the war," Jason agreed. "We might all try and do what you did Nico."
"You've learnt from it. You were grieved and upset," Percy told him. "But you know what Bianca would think about you now. What we all do."
Theseus looked at him blankly telling him not to try, it was madness. Nico demanded to be told. Theseus said his stepfather died, he'd thrown himself into the sea thinking Theseus was dead in the Labyrinth. Theseus couldn't bring him back.
Percy looked down. Theseus was a reminder to him. Always. Theseus was what he could become, someone who let his bigger flaws take over, someone who was a jerk and pushed away those he loved, let his pride get the best of him. Then he became a villain, a world class jerk who no one wanted to be around. One who kidnapped woman, ransacked villiages and ruined peoples lives. Percy wouldn't become him. He'd never given up on his mother, he'd never done anything to hurt her and remembered a sign to give her. He was not Theseus, not a person who would give up and hurt others when he did.
The ghost next to Nico hissed and told Nico to ask about the soul exchange. Theseus scowled saying he knew that voice . THe ghost yelled he didn't and all Theseus would do was answer Nico's questions. Theseus insisted he knew the ghost.
"He knew him?" Piper asked.
Nico looked at her warily. "He knew him."
"Nico," she said worriedly. "He's…"
"I know who he is, better than you," Nico interrupted. "Don't tell me what I already know."
Piper bit her lip and didn't answer Jason's questioning glance. Nico nodded looking back at the projected vision in front of him.
Nico demanded to hear about his sister and if the quest in the Labyrinth would bring her back. Theseus was looking around for the other ghost still but couldn't find him. Then he looked back at Nico, answering. He said the Labyrinth was treacherous and only one thing saw him, through, a mortal girl's love guided him, not the string.
"You need a mortal to guide you?" Reyna asked Thalia leaning over to whisper. Thalia looked between Percy and Rachel and nodded. She had her suspicions there. Annabeth had made enough calls and ranted plenty of times for that.
The ghost said they didn't need that, he'd guide Nico. Then he instructed Nico to ask if the exchange between souls was true. Nico repeated asking if a soul for a soul was true.
Hazel gripped her brother's hand. He looked at her. "I'm done with that Hazel. I've been done with it for a long time."
Theseus said yes but asked again about the ghost. The ghost yelled for him to just answer the question. The other ghosts around the pool of food started to whisper. Nico yelled he wanted to see his sister and asked where she was.
"It's her ghost you keep trying to summon," Alex said. "Not just to find out, to talk to her."
"But she wouldn't talk to you," Magnus finished.
"She wouldn't," Nico agreed. "Not to me."
Percy inhaled sharply but no one but Nico, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson noticed. But soon, more people would be noticing. They'd been watching and they'd see every last thing he did. Soon they'd all realize what he really was.
Theseus didn't answer instead looked around scared saying 'he' was coming having sensed Nico's summons. Nico demanded to know who. Theseus said 'he' wanted to know the source of this power, he demanded Nico release them.
"Who's watching you?" ordered Jason.
Nico looked down. "I don't know. At least I'm not really sure."
Percy winced making Will look at him. "You know?"
Percy met his eyes then Nico's. "Like Nico, I have suspicions. Probably stronger ones than his."
They waited for him to say more but he just looked down preparing for what he knew was coming in the next few seconds.
Percy was watching the fountain tremble as the whole cabin shaked and the noise with Nico grew louder and the whole Iris message glowed as Percy yelled for it to stop. The trembling grew as Percy cowered backwards and squinted in the purple light as the fountain cracked. Ghostly shadows hit the wall and he uncapped Riptide slashing down as saltwater splashed everywhere and rocks crumbled across the floor. Tyson snorted but kept sleeping.
"Man, you can sleep through anything," Leo shook his head.
Tyson blushed as Percy chuckled at him though some people could see it wasn't full of his usual heart. He was shivering and kept sending glances to Nico who was staring at him both confused and concerned. But his face shifted with realization when the scene continued.
Percy was sitting on the ground riptide lied in front of him as he hug himself shivering in shock in the water fountains wreckage. Behind him a sped up time was going and soon it was morning and Tyson sat up and found him sitting there. He helped Percy onto his bed and swept up the stuff as the scene faded.
Percy was staring at Nico now. He was shivering still clenched in his hand was Annabeth's but he was gripping his other arm with the other hand as he stared. Apollo looked at him. "He's in shock. He shouldn't be in shock. That stuff shouldn't have put him in shock."
"It did though," Jaz said. "Get him a blanket. Annabeth talk to him, comfort him, lie him down on your lap."
Annabeth was already doing all of that long before Jaz had said anything. Percy stopped shivering then snapping out of it. The scene had collapsed, it was done. Annabeth was looking at him. She'd seen Percy go into shock only a few times in her life, all right after a death, but even then it was rare. The only time she'd seen him go into shock like that was during their journey through Tartarus. "That was him, wasn't it?"
"Kronos?" Thalia asked. "Since when does he do that."
"No," Annabeth shook her head. "Not Kronos."
"A primordial," Percy agreed. "Not sure which. But they were helping Kronos."
Apollo drew back. "No wonder you were in shock. Only the elder gods have seen some of the primordials. The only one I've ever seen is Gaia."
"Wait, you've only met one?" Percy asked.
"Yeah," Apollo said. "I mean you can't have met more than her."
"I've met at least three," Percy said.
"Three sounds right," Annabeth agreed. Both of them shut up when they realized everyone was staring at them gaping. Rachel snatched Annabeth's notebook and wrote down what they had just learnt.
