DISCLAIMER IN FIRST CHAPTER

CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE TITANS ALL WANT ME DEAD NOW

" ποιόσ?! διατί?!" Translation: what and why.

Coeus grabbed my wrists. "You do not talk now unless you are spoken to."

I nodded, covered in fear. I concentrated on sending Deathra a message by thoughts.

βοηθώ μι, αρέσκω, Deathra... I begged. The Titans... They want to kill me. βοηθώ μι, αρέσκω...

CLAIM'?! What?! Why?! Where are you?! How can we help?! Deathra replied almost before I even finished the sentence.

The Titans want me dead also... Why, I don't know... Where? Well, where is Kronos' cut up body at? If you can even get here without joining again, I don't know either... I admitted.

YOU'RE IN TARTARUS?! Inferno's voice shouted.

Yes... I felt embarrassed. Just help me!

"Oh no. You are not allowed to 'Mind-Speak' with your sister or her new guardian." Iapetus gave me a shot in the arm, the liquid looking as if there was blood mixed with... Silver?!

I suddenly felt weak. Coeus let go of my hands which went to my head the second he did. What was happening?

Claim'! Are you all r- Deathra's voice stopped suddenly, like when someone cut the telephone line while the other person was talking.

"Can't send nor hear anyone through thoughts... Excluding Kronos' thought when he's talking to you." Hyperion stated. "You can ask whatever you're wondering but only one question now."

"What... was... in... that... shot?" I asked, having trouble to speak.

"Oh... Dragon teeth, Medusa's blood, dragon blood, Chimaera's blood, Minotaur blood, Hydra blood, and silver. It's the main thing that's making you week and the blood and teeth are just so you can't 'Mind-Speak' or hear it." Uranus listed out. "Time to sleep now. May Hypnos give you dreams of your friends being murdered- by you."

My eyes slowly closed, wishing I could just be dead.

--dream--

At first, I s-er dreamed nothing but soon, I saw someone who I thought looked like Thanatos but found was actually Hypnos.

"Why are you talking to me through a dream? Why aren't you giving me dreams of myself killing my friends like Uranus wanted?" I wondered.

"You want me to do that?" Hypnos asked, questioningly.

"I- um- uh... No, not really." I said, so embarrassed that I was probably as red as blood- the blood with oxygen in it, and human, I mean.

Hypnos laughed. "I have been asked to deliver you a 'Dream Meeting' by someone you are close to but haven't seen for over two centuries."

"Well, that narrows it down to... Um... Like everyone on Kronos' side besides most of the Titans." I muttered.

"A million people, yes. But someone before you came to Tartarus." Hypnos replied. "Have fun talking to her."

Hypnos faded out and another face faded in. I was thinking it was the other girl that was going to jump in with Deathra and I but I don't think it was.

"Hello, Claimeral." The girl greeted with a tone that sounded like it was going to make the dead live again and the living die. "Remember who I am?"

"Sorry, but no, I don't know. If it was before Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades made me a mortal, then I don't remember." I admitted.

"Huh. So before you jumped into Tartarus counts, right?" The girl said.

"Yeah... So mind telling me who you are again now?" I wanted to hear her name before I start calling her The Girl forever.

"Appolonia Khthonia." She answered, sounding bored. "I knew you and your sister before you two decided to jump in."

"Appolonia Khthonia?" I repeated. "Doesn't Appolonia mean Destroyer and Khthonia mean Of The Underworld?"

"Yeah... So what?" Appolonia sounded annoyed.

"Then... your name means... Destroyer of the Underworld?!" I exclaimed. WHAT IN THE -uh- DEPTHS OF TARTARUS?! Uh... That doesn't sound right... WHAT IN THE NAME OF ZEUS?! Better. "Why did your parents name you that?!"

Appolonia rolled her eyes. "Think of the Titan Lord."

Why do I want to think about Kronos?! I thought. He put me in this place!

"Now think of who he wants dead the most."

Um... Zeus, if I'm not mistaken, is who he wants dead most.

"Think of his brothers."

Poseidon and Hades.

"Which one is less seen in Olympus?"

Hades... Where is this leading to, exactly?

"So if something happened to the Underworld, what do you think will happen?"

"Uh... Then all the dead souls will be released into the world... Zeus will be angry because he'll think Hades let them out on purpose... Then a war between the gods will happen!" I exclaimed.

"Yep. I'm one of Kronos' and Rhea's children so it's natural that Kronos wants me to destroy the Underworld, hence the name. But I used to be a goddess living with your parents and you two. But the minute you two were born, I jumped into Tartarus knowing that I should be here when you two jumped in." Appolonia stated. "Now, what did I do this for again? Right." She did a motion similar to the one I did to make fake blood and a blindfolded and gaged male appeared. "Now, whenever we had a traitor, it was normally your sister's job to kill them. But since she's not here... You know..." Appolonia quickly took of the male's blindfold and gag.

He quickly fell to the floor, near where I sat. He coughed.

Frightened, I moved next to him and helped him get off the floor.

"Thank-you..." He coughed out. His voice sounded so familiar...

"Luke?" What was going on here? He tried to kill me twice and now Appolonia says he betrayed Kronos?

"C-c-Claimeral? B-b-but--?" Luke sounded as confused as I was.

"You must chose to either kill him or give full alliance to Kronos and never leave us again." Appolonia threatened.

Luke stared into my eyes, pleadingly. "Please... Don't go to Kronos..."

I stared back, questioningly. I thought he would as me to keep him alive but instead, he wants me toKILL him?! "But why?"

"I-I'd rather die, Claimeral. I killed you, remember? I killed a goddess. I'm supposed to be punished." Luke answered.

"You heard the traitor- he wants you to kill him. So do it!" Appolonia nearly shouted.

"C-c-can I ask my sister for her choice?" I wondered.

Appolonia rolled her eyes. "If it'll help, yes. Hypnos? Mind letting the sisters talk together in dream?"

I think Hypnos said yes because soon, I was able to say this to her:

Deathra! Help, please! Appolonia Khthonia is going to make me kill Luke! I just can't bring myself to do it! Help me decide, please! This is the only time I'm allowed to talk to you! After I decide, I can't talk to you anymore! I yelled.

I wrapped my arms around her as if I was tortured and she was the one who saved me... Which, in this case, was sorta true.

"Deathra... Appolonia, she wants me to kill Luke... I can't do it... Help me, Deathra, please..." I begged.

'She stated, "But Luke's back at the cabin, wounded!"

"Tartarus has a different timezone than camp. It's only been less than one minute there when here I've been stuck for three hours." I replied. "Deathra, help me, please. Help me decide..."

"My soul wanders free,

I only need you to be,

But without you we weep,

Your still body making not a peep.

For you, sadly, I'd die,

No, I speak no lie.

But to ask me something such as this,

O, I cannot be in a bliss.

I would do anything for you,

But now, my heart is in a storming a brew.

'Help me,' you plead.

'But how,' I ask, 'when my heart is mislead?'

'Please, decide for me.'

'O, why can't they let us be?'

'Death of one is the only solution.'

'But what will be of the conclusion?' ©

I can't help you for if I decide differently than Fate wants it to, time itself will be ruined. This choice is meant for you to decide." She answered, crying.

I nodded, and said:

"My tears are the rains of the world,

My blood, the magma under the world.

I hoped my sister could help me,

But what she said is what is to be.

I am foolish to have even thought so,

And now, the time is nearing for you to go.

Me, I always ask of you,

But you never ask of me, too.

'Forgive me,' I asked once.

'No, tell me this isn't true." Was your response.

I closed my eyes slowly,

My soul going to deeps so lowly.

Sadly, you wept over me,

Then I begged you what was to be.

'The choice is of yours alone,'

'O, I'd rather be just bones!'

'I am sorry, my dear twin.'

'As long as He doesn't win.'©

Go, now, Deathra. I have made my mind."

We embraced one last time.

My reality returned to the dark place with Appolonia and Luke.

"So, what did you chose? Either one, it still helps Kronos." Appolonia asked.

Luke faced me once again, his eyes begging me just to kill him.

Tearfully, I made a sword appear in my right hand. "Forgive me." I said, but I wasn't sure who I was directing it to, after deciding.

"Just strike, Claimeral. Don't think of what Hermes or myself will think of this later." Luke comforted.

I nodded, praying to the gods to forgive me also. But I still wasn't sure what I was going to do with the sword- strike Appolonia, strike Luke, or even strike myself.

'Hades, my Lord and Father, please help me decide what I must do, and forgive me for falling back into Tartarus.' I prayed.

My daughter, Hades' voice told me, I forgive you, but I cannot help you decide like your sister. Strike Appolonia, she will not be wounded for those who serve Kronos are immortal. Strike Luke, you would be revenging yourself, but if you do, the prophecy cannot be continued and you will be stuck here forever. Strike yourself, you may have been under Kronos for two centuries, but in your mortal life, you did all good; your mother, sister, and I will lose you, a wonderful daughter and sister; and all of your friends will lose you also.

I nodded slightly, having feared he would say that.

I remembered that Deathra said that Luke was wounded back there at camp. A new idea popped up in my head.

I made it so it looked like I was going to strike Luke but instead turned it and- is it possible to do this?- knocked out Appolonia and only slightly wounded Luke.

" φέρω να κατασκήνωση ημίθεοσ." I said to him, and when I finished, he was gone.

Finally, I awoke from this nightmare.

-----

"Lady Claimeral." A voice that belonged to Themis greeted. "They gave you a strong dosage of that blood/silver mix."

"Themis?" I wondered, unsure, just beginning to shake off the sleepiness. "Are you not against me?"

Themis laughed. "Against you, Lady Claimeral? I see why not they are angered with you."

"Oh..." I was still confused. "Are the dragons all right?"

Themis stopped laughing. "The dragons... Let me show you." She brought me into a dark room- but of course, Tartarus is completely dark- and we saw four glowing red eyes- one pair, the one that was lower than the other, was duller.

"Blood-Drinker, Flying-Claimer, Lady Claimeral is here." Themis used a calm voice to speak to them. To me, "Lady Claimeral, your dragon, Flying-Claimer, has been ill. And when the guardian of someone gets ill, it means that there is a horrible fate that will happen to the person. I've been thinking it was that you died."

Before she could say the next sentence, a loud, but gentle, growl came from one of the dragons- I think this was mine.

Madam... I fear for your safety... A weak voice said who I later remembered as my dragon.

Why is that? I asked.

I'm ill... When I'm ill, you'll be in danger of something horrible. Flying-Claimer answered.

Oh no, that's true? Oh gods...

Yes... She sounded as if there was something painful in her.

Themis made a light of some sort appear, letting me see the dragons.

I was really surprised when I saw them.

Well, um... Here is how Blood-Drinker looked like:

She had a neck and head of a serpent and fortunately, didn't have hidden heads waiting for one false move like the Hydra. Her wings were like one of a bat's, one over Flying-Claimer. She bared at me her fangs once, scary, but pleadingly. All her scales were jet black, darker than the depths of Tartarus itself almost. Well that was a simple outline of how she looked. And just as I write that, her blood-red eyes glow and she nearly attacks me with her arrow-tip-shaped tail.

Flying-Claimer, though, looked almost nothing like Blood-Drinker:

She did have a snake-like head but above her eyes, though, I swore I saw feathers. Her wings, also, were like a bird's, even her mouth soon seemed more like a beak than a serpent's head. She opened her mouth weakly and I discovered she didn't even have fangs. Her blood-red eyes softened when she saw me, turning into a cool shade of light blue. Her claws, more like talons, were dull but still sharp enough to cut through the hardest metal know the man. When I tried to tell what color her scales were, it seemed as if they were brown feathers instead but returned to the appearance of scales. Her tail was pulled up near her head, her scales taking the appearance of feathers now and then.

Ma'am, please help my sister. I beg of you. Blood-Drinker pleaded.

I nodded slightly. "Themis, is there a way I can help Flying-Claimer? I don't want her to die and I'm sure she doesn't want me to either."

Themis frowned. "Sadly, we don't know anyway how."

Madam, there is one cure... Flying-Claimer said.

What is it? I inquired.

Appolonia Khthonia put a curse on Deathra. If you can find a way to remove it from her... Blood-Drinker answered. Curses put on a family member of a person with a guardian can and will effect the guardian. It makes it harder for the person to find a way to help both and then something happens to the person before they can save either of them.

How can I get it away from her? I repeated it again to Themis to see if she knew after the dragons said no.

"I only know of one way," Themis replied at last. "You must reunite with all of your siblings."

"All of my sibling?" I repeated, confused. "You mean Deathra?"

Themis smiled. "Sorry, I may be the Titan of Justice, but I can't tell you."