Chapter 11 - I Hate Immortal Killer Stalkers

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

"I'm right about you not hurting me." I said as we rode the drakon's back. The drakon had offered to carry us wherever we want. Atè didn't seemed bothered by it all and agreed. Soon, we're trudging in a place thick of mist.

Why would I hurt you, Milady? The drakon asked in a puzzled tone.

"Seemed like it a while back." I answered.

Forgive me, Milady but I'm just playing around. It said. The giant hadn't been around for a while.

"The giant? You mean Damasen?"

Yes. The anti-Ares spawn of the earth and the Pit.

"Atè said that," I gestured to the goddess. "Damasen perished on the hands of Tartarus because he helped my friends with their quest and out of Tartarus."

Indeed. The drakon said as its tail whipped at a reforming monster nearby, bursting the bubble and killing the monster. I flinched. Kill them while they're still reforming or they will kill you. I need to remember that always.

"He's not the only one." Atè said. "Just like what I told you, the Titan Iapetus was with him when he perished." She flicked her wrist and another reforming monster got destroyed. "We should be careful. Tartarus is way more ruthless than his wife, Gaea. He wouldn't think twice about destroying us."

Possibly. But not me. He wanted me alive. Alive to destroy the gods. I sighed in exhaustion. I nocked an arrow and shot above without much than a glance, disintegrating a lone monster flying above. Silence took over except for an occasional roar. The gloom had gone quite thick to the point I could barely see the drakon's outline. I let my thoughts wander for a moment, eyeing the gloom suspiciously. I remembered the dream I had back then, about the mysterious winged man with a snake entwined around him. Nothing from what I learned from Camp Half-Blood seemed to be related to him. But frankly, I seemed to know him. Somewhere. Somehow. I got a strange feeling he has connection to the strange memories induced by Tartarus. I need to find him. I have to find him.

"Say," I said, breaking the silence. "About the information you got..."

In the dark, Atè's godly aura shone. She looked like some lantern against the thick fog. "Told you it's not a good idea to talk about it here."

"I know, we're in the enemy's territory- or body- whatever you like. Though saying body gives me the creeps." I said.

She waved her hand. "We could talk about it. I could keep Tartarus- if he's listening- at bay for only a few minutes. That's all I could spare. I'm not an Olympian for Chaos' sake." She looked at me. "Where do you want to start?"

I gestured at her. "Your choice."

"Well, let's start with your little camp, shall we? Within seven days time, a huge horde of monsters will surround the remaining camp and attack it. And I don't simply mean just a simple attack. It will be from all sides. Be it land, water, or sky. The interesting part?" Her eyes glittered. A dark smile curved on her lips. "It's simply for provocation. Tartarus wants to provoke the Olympian gods by committing mass murder of their mortal children. After that, he will personally destroy them, including us not-so-important gods, and everything we did in history. In other words, erase our legacy in this world."

I cursed, gripping the bow tightly. Just to provoke to the Olympians?! I gritted my teeth.

Atè sighed. "I will be honest with you, half-blood. I don't think we have even a bit of a chance to win against Tartarus. Monsters are not only his allies. Well, not all of them though." She patted the drakon's scales. "Every being who has a grudge against the gods will be on his side. Titans, Giants, souls of the damned, maybe some stupid gods who were banished and didn't care whether they will be destroyed too, you name it. All of them were already bad news. But," I flinched. Something that shouldn't be known to gods appeared in Atè's eyes. Fear. Suddenly, I felt cold. I waited for the worse."The possibility of having primordial gods at his side will be a lot more than even the Olympian gods could take."

The pressure around us increased a hundredfold. I felt the air being sucked out of my lungs. Cold crawled up my spine. My head swam. The gloom seemed to be thicker than I remembered. Atè's radiant aura seemed far away. Primordial gods? No...no...that...that can't be...why...why this...? I tried to speak but no voice came out. Then, it struck me. Could it be... ?

I opened my backpack and rummaged inside. "I don't think so. I don't think Tartarus will win this war."

"What are you...?"

I pulled the paper containing the prophecy and showed it to Atè. "This is the Great Prophecy sent to me by Apollo."

Atè took it and read. She gasped and looked at me. Her expression contorted in a mixture of disbelief and fear. "This-"

I waved my hand. "React later. Ignore the first three lines. Look at the fourth." I pointed at the fourth line of the prophecy. "The earth's half whose fate shared...what do you think it means?"

Atè looked at paper. A glint of realization passed through her eyes.

I nodded. "The earth's half or Gaea's spouse. If my interpretation is correct, Tartarus will share the same fate as Gaea. The fate she had last war. Her defeat. Which means, the chances ofwinning this war are on our side!"

"But if you're indeed correct," Atè's eyes bore down on me with such intensity. "The secondand third lines must be accomplished before the fourth." She pointed down. "Looking at it, both lines don't look good news and there's only three weeks before Tartarus destroy us."

I took the paper and went through it. "You're right. But nothing about the two makes sense to me."

"The second line may refer to some kind of resurrection. Maybe the dead. Or you could say the rise of an enemy who was once defeated."

I shivered at the thought. "If it's the latter, then there will be a lot." I remembered stories in camp. I felt bad especially to Percy. He have an awful lot of enemies. I set aside the thought for the moment. I pointed at the third. "The third. Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong but the darkness here do not actually mean evil or wickedness."

Atè nodded. "Possibly. If so, then it maybe referring to the physical dark, not the abstract idea of dark."

"Then, it is night?"

"Night. With the capital N. The protogenoi of the night, Nyx." I've heard about the encounter of two of my friends with the primordial goddess. Anyone would not fancy meeting the goddess.

"She got a mansion here, right?"

"Yes. Just pass the meadows of Akhlys which by the way, we're passing by now."

I stared at the fog. "I hope we're not going to meet her."

Atè frowned. "Actually, I was hoping to. She and I were good friends actually. We both love seeing people in agony."

"Thanks. That made me feel better." I grumbled. I looked at the paper and pondered on the word chained. Something tugged at the back of my mind but can't clearly place it. I looked at the white light flickering in the midst of the thick fog.

Suddenly, the air shifted. My skin tingled. A familiar presence. I nocked an arrow and pointed it to the gloom ahead. I ordered the drakon to stop.

Atè shifted in alert. "What is it?"

"He's here." I answered. I hastily put the paper in my pocket.

"What?"

"He's here. Tartarus is here. His physical body. Can't you feel it?" I asked.

"No."

I looked around. Damn it! Where is he? I patted the drakon. "Get us away from here. QUICK!" The drakon obliged and dashed. "Keep an eye at the sides! He could be anywhere!" I ordered to Atè. I kept my eyes trained behind. For Olympus sake! Stop playing with us! Show yourself, you demon! I gritted my teeth. We can't escape Tartarus. I glanced at Atè. If at least I could warn them...Without much thought, I jumped off the drakon, rolling off the dusty ground. Atè shouted in alarm and the drakon stopped abruptly. I could barely make their outlines in the thick fog.

"Go!" I shouted. "I'll distract Tartarus! Warn everyone above!"

"I won't do that! He'll kill you!"

"He won't! Trust me!" I imagined her biting her lip, trying to decide. A moment of hesitation. Soon, I heard a rhythmic sound of heavy feet going farther and farther until it faded away. I positioned my bow, waiting in the gloom.