prince of the seas: excellent /minotaur / nope.
aero546: #plottwist As for guesses, I've got nothin' I've got a btd battles game I need to get to. Bye now! :D / Absolutely nothing? That's a shame... there was a hint in the last chapter ('The Path of Curses')...
billycolin (chap 3): i've just found this and it's great i hope you have/will brings bob's kitten. i guess i'll have to find out / Small Bob will (possibly) make an appearance.
billycolin: just finished what you've wrote so far and i really hope you do finish this story as it's great. err... giant? kronos said they were working together keep up the great work update as soon as you can plz :) / I fully intend to complete this story, don't worry. They will meet a giant on their way out, but that doesn't count as a monster.
KeeperofElements: Perhaps Kampe? Or a Giant, Polybotes for example? Maybe another Titan? / They'll be meeting a Giant, yes. Which one? You'll have to see. As for Kampe... no, she's not the monster.
love story inter: Hello! I'v been curious, but are they gods or just immportal now in this fanfic. PS: I love this it's unlike the other fanfics and its really good i think you will become a great writer even if you dont think so! / The seven are half-immortal like Artemis' Hunters, and so are the demigods that survived the Titan War and the Giant War. Percy is fully immortal with golden ichor, but not a god/Titan... yet. Thanks for the compliment.
Dalton: This is awesome and my guess for the monster is either the pit itself or Nya because they'll be passing by her domain / They might meet Nyx, but she's not technically a monster. She's a Primordial who isn't really that smart, according to how Rick Riordan wrote her...
uther: I must say, this story is different, it makes u feel like you can see what percy has gone through fr te last 2 centries and a half an how he survived as we all know normal demi gods cannot stay in tartarus for to long or they would become insale or worse and to the author you have a great ideas the way you made these chapters/story is truely amazing i have seen many danfics but he way you describe them would make Rick Riordan happy! I wish you the best luck! / Gods, you're making me blush...
GuardianWolfman: Nice chapter. Loving this story so far. I'm guessing they will run it to the Aria. / Well done!
Shout out to: GuardianWolfman for guessing correctly! Here's a cookie (::)
Disclaimer: same as last chapter
Chapter 12 - Path of Curses
Percy was expecting incredulous looks from the other half-bloods, but they seemed to take it in stride and didn't even ask him loads of useless questions – though Thalia and Clarisse obviously wanted to know everything. Oceanus' sword had a lot of power shimmering below the surface, a lot like the sea – the calm shielding the strength. The blade hummed as he studied it, seemingly having a life of its own and reacting to his touch. He remembered when Oceanus had fought Poseidon in the Titan War, Oceanus' sword had been a silver serpent writhing in his hand, but now the weapon only hummed.
"Percy," Nico called, "are you ready?"
Percy looked up and nodded, pushing himself off the drakon-hide bed he had withdrawn to after beating the ocean Titan in an attempt at distancing himself. He smoothly sheathed the silver sword and stood up. "When do we start?"
"Now," Jason said with his hand in the pommel of Koios' sword.
Percy nodded, "You've all memorised the route?" When they all spoke various affirmations he relaxed slightly, "Good." He turned to looked a Damasen gratefully, "Thank you for allowing us to rest here whilst I recovered, my friend."
Damasen's smile didn't reach his eyes as he looked at Percy, "Your trials are not yet finished, child of the sea. The Titan King's oath to you he will not break, and you shall be left alone as no half-blood in history."
Percy swallowed nervously, his eyes narrowing, "My life is my life. I'll live it how I want."
Damasen shook his head, "The Fates cannot be tricked nor beaten. I meant no insult to you, Perseus, merely a warning."
"Percy," Iapetus called from outside the hut.
Percy quickly strode out of the hut, barely giving Jason time to move out of the way as he shoved past. Outside the hut Iapetus was sitting on a boulder, fingering the tip of his spear as he watched for anymore enemies to find them. "Bob," Percy greeted.
Iapetus snorted, "Why do you insist on calling me that?"
"Because you're more Bob than you are Iapetus, and Bob helped me before," Percy calmly replied.
Iapetus nodded slightly, "I won't be joining you in your journey out of the Pit, as I will have to delay any of the other of my brethren that Lord Kronos sends." He stood up, turning to look straight at Percy, "I have a gift for you, before you go."
Percy cocked his head to the side. "A gift?" He echoed, "What for?"
Iapetus chuckled and let out a sharp whistle that pierced the surroundings. "An old friend wishes to see you again," he said cryptically as he tried to not think about his alike to his youngest brother Percy looked in that simple movement.
Percy frowned, "I don't think I have any friends down here."
"Your fellow demigods," Iapetus said pointedly.
"No," Percy said with a shake of his head, "I haven't seen them for three centuries. They would've changed too much. I feel like I don't know them anymore," he admitted.
"It will get better, Perseus, that I can promise you," Iapetus said vehemently.
"No, it won't. When I get out of here I'll go insane, won't I?" Percy asked weakly, "Only Tartarus is protecting me at the moment."
"Gradually, you will, yes. If you keep to yourself, that is. Find your place in the Camp for half-bloods again, and you won't become completely insane. You shall have an anchor, Perseus, much like a ship out at sea. An anchor will ground you and keep you from drifting away."
"My anchor is – was – Annabeth. Now she's gone… I don't know…" Percy muttered, scanning the area and seeing a flash of gold. He froze, rapidly backing away and scrambling to unsheathe his swords… as a small calico kitten jumped out from behind a rock. He relaxed a fraction, his hand still clenching around the hilt of the sword as Iapetus crouched down.
"Hello again, Small Bob," the Titan murmured, acting like he hadn't seen Percy's small panic attack. "I hope you've been taking care of yourself recently." Small Bob mewed, rubbing his head against Iapetus' gauntleted hand.
Percy felt a grin tug at his mouth, lifting up the corner of his lips in a small smile as he fell to his knees. "Small Bob," he said in relief, "I missed you. Where've you been these last years?" Small Bob leapt at Percy, and the son of Poseidon caught the kitten with practised ease, hugging him to his chest.
Iapetus chuckled, "I believe Small Bob would like to stay with you, especially knowing what happened to you the last time you two separated."
Percy winced slightly, "Thank you, Bob." Small Bob relaxed against Percy, a deep purr emanating from his throat.
Iapetus shrugged, "He shouldn't stay down here on his own any longer, and I shall never allow my siblings to harm him."
Percy nodded thankfully, "I'll take good care of him, Iapetus, I swear it on the Styx."
"Percy," Nico said, suddenly appearing beside him, "come on. We've got to go. I can sense a Titan or two getting closer."
Percy nodded and stood up. "Right, I'm coming." He followed Nico, and then stopped to face Iapetus, "Thank you for saving me, Bob."
Iapetus smiled, "Get going, Perseus. Damasen and I shall cover your retreat for as long as possible."
"Give them Tartarus," Percy growled.
Iapetus chuckled, inclining his head, "Have you ever known me to do anything less?"
"No, but there's always a first," Percy grinned.
Iapetus nodded, cocking his head to the side as he sensed a sliver of power enter the camp from the opposite direction he was expecting, a small thought identified the intruder, and he smirked as he turned. The waiting demigods watched in shock as a Titan strode straight towards them, his eyes full of resigned determination.
Jason noted that the Titan's limp was gone as he moved to the side. Iapetus studied his brother in amusement, "I thought you refused to help."
Krios stopped in front of Iapetus, crossing his arms over his chest, "So did I."
Iapetus' eyes shone, "So what changed your mind?"
"According to Our Lord, I am already going to be in trouble. I may as well complete what I had planned originally," Krios smirked, "well… that, and Othrys had become far less than what it used to be. Perhaps we can change things."
Iapetus nodded, amusement fading out of his eyes and being replaced by a spark of hope, "It is truly good to see you again, brother."
A golden light started across the swamp, rapidly approaching over the muddy water. Krios quickly turned to Percy. "Tartarus wishes to speak to you before you exit; he awaits you in the House of Night, sending a message to bring your dead girlfriend."
Percy nodded, not even bothering to stop his flinch. "Thank you, Krios."
Krios shook his head. "Nay, it is I whom must thank you, Perseus. For through you, Iapetus regained his sense of the old times, and passed it onto me."
"Old times?" Nico asked, "What do you mean?"
Krios cast a quick glance at the golden light that was his King. "Kronos used to be the perfect King, and then paranoia took over. Prevent that from happening to Olympus, for we used to be the protectors of Gaea, or the Earth, before we fell into darkness as our hearts became shadowed with greed and lust for power. It is time that we try to regain that title."
Iapetus breathed out heavily, "Survive, demigods. Promise me this – you will all get out of the Pit."
Krios frowned slightly, "Perhaps I can request that you find a mortal by the name of Victoria Argyris and give her my apologies?"
"We promise, we will." Percy said solemnly.
Iapetus nodded turning to Krios, "Together, brother? Like old times."
Krios looked at Iapetus carefully for several moments before nodding and grasping the offered arm. "Together," he agreed. "I can think of no better way to go."
Percy swallowed, but let go of Small Bob who bounded over to Annabeth and carefully picked her up after growing to adult form. The demigods quickly ran from the two Titan brothers who turned to face their youngest sibling. Percy couldn't help it as he looked back in time to see Iapetus block the swing of a scythe at his head, a shockwave of energy blasting back everything within thirty feet.
"Percy," Jason called, "come on, we've got to go." Percy nodded, turning and running after his old friends as they started their journey out of the Pit.
Percy clenched his jaw as he cleaved a dracaenae into two pieces and turned to stab a hellhound in the jaw. It had been too much to hope that they would get out without having to fight – apparently Kronos had managed to put out a bounty on their heads, and despite Tartarus' interference, the monsters were intent on bringing the demigods back to the Titan King alive.
Percy idly concentrated on where they had to go, imagining the route to the House of Night in his mind as he hacked at an empousai. He wielded Oceanus' sword and Riptide together, deciding that dual-wielding was better and more efficient whilst he didn't have a shield. During his time with the Titans Kronos hadn't wanted him to weaken too much, so forced him to occasionally fight monsters in the army, and sometimes a Titan or two. Percy was pleased to say that more recently he'd managed to kill some of said Titans, but unfortunately it didn't take them long to reform again and only made them pissed at him.
Percy ducked and turned, snarling as he jabbed at a cyclopes that had tried to behead him. "This way!" He shouted, hoping the demigods would hear and follow as he dived amongst the monsters. He hacked off limbs and cut monsters in half in his dash out from the skirmish. Small Bob seemed to appear by his side, Annabeth now on his back as he easily kept pace with Percy and killed monsters without any effort.
Soon the demigods regrouped the other side of the hoard of monsters that they had ran into and quickly set off after Percy again. The immortal demigod easily navigating the harsh landscape around them like the back of his hand, a subtle reminder that he was considered the Prince of the Pit, which was evidenced by the monsters that charged from the opposite direction to protect the demigods.
Percy glanced back to check that all of the demigods were following him as he entered the Path of Curses. "We've got to be really careful here. I don't want to antagonise the inhabitants of this forest."
Leo blinked, "This is a forest?" He asked as he looked around at the dead tress surrounding them.
Percy shrugged, "It's Tartarus."
"Good point," Leo conceded.
Percy smirked as he continued, warily watching the shapes fluttering around them in the dead trees. Thalia frowned, "What are they?"
"Don't attack them," Percy replied calmly.
"What are they?" Thalia repeated.
Percy opened his mouth to answer, but a hiss echoed around them, "Foolish demigods, you enter our home."
Percy clenched his jaw and called up to them, "Titans or Tartarus?"
Mocking laughter came from above, "Lord Kronos shall rule all."
Percy took a breath, looking back at the demigods, "No killing," he said firmly.
Nico's eyes widened, "They're-"
Percy nodded, "The Arai, the curses."
The demons cackled as they dove down in a single hoard, dozens of them quickly approaching. Percy quickly stabbed one through the heart, hoping that the Pit would protect him from their curses, and was pleasantly surprised when nothing happened. Clarisse saw him and quickly took after him before he could tell her not to. The daughter of Ares cried out, her hand moving up to cover her eye in pain.
"Acid in the eye," the Arai laughed, "a courtesy of the Drakon from the Battle of Manhattan."
Piper was the next to kill one and immediately slumped to the floor unconscious. "Eternal sleep from the Earth Mother, a lovely choice."
Percy gritted his teeth and forced some water from the river Styx up through the ground to cut through several arai around him. "Thalia, help Clarisse, and Jason, get Piper," he ordered firmly. "Frank, stop shooting."
The demigods immediately did as he said and the arai hovered above them, their wings beating in unison. "You realise it is futile to fight – we hold the curses of the defeated and you shall fall before us. The Titan Lord will reward us greatly."
Percy shook his head, "No, actually. I just wanted them out of the way so I can kill you all," he said savagely.
"You are a demigod, what can you do?"
Percy shifted his grip on Oceanus' sword as the weapon changed into a spear with a quick thought. He stabbed the butt into the ground and yelled, "Back!" A wave of force erupted out from Percy, slamming the arai away and spiralling into trees and rocks.
The demigods were looking at Percy open mouthed, and the immortal demigod ignored their gazes as he glared at the defeated arai. "Tell our current tracker that he may try all he likes, but I will be getting out of here. Alive. With my friends. And you could thank him for the extra abilities while you're at it," he smirked.
The arai screeched in response, struggling to rise to their feet, but the ground shook and split open to knock them off balance. Percy grinned as the monsters were sucked down into the depths of Tartarus. The area darkened and the demigods felt an incredibly powerful being watching them, but were oddly comforted.
"Thank you, Lord Tartarus," Percy said respectfully.
"Continue on, little demigods," Tartarus' voice echoed around them, "I await you in the House of Night."
Expect another two to three week wait for the next chapter.
Next time: The demigods arrive at the House of Night, and we visit Camp Half-Blood to see what's happening there.
Which old friend will Percy meet in the House of Night? Hint: not classified as a monster.
