Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson & the Olympians or Naruto. Percy Jackson & the Olympians and Naruto are the property of Rick Riordan and Masashi Kishimoto respectively and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.
-|Strange Sights|-
"What is that?" Thalia points to a ring broken, black, marble columns inside a large crater to their right.
Zoe rubs her chin but doesn't reply.
"Can't you check Daedalus' map?"
"I doubt this map of Tartarus belongs to Daedalus." Zoe raises the map and taps it with the back of her hand. "There is no way he could know it well enough to make a map this detailed."
"He's rubbed off on you. To the point, please?"
Zoe scoffs at the idea of a man influencing her. "That is not on the map."
"Are you sure we're not lost?"
"Thalia, I have been alive longer than your country has been on the map. Most of that time I spent as a hunter of Artemis. I do not get lost."
"What if the map is faulty?"
"If we consider the crater, we can assume it has not always been here."
"You are saying they fell into Tartarus. No way. Those pillars would be dust from the fall."
"Do not be so sure. The supernatural tend to go in the face mortal physics."
"Any guesses on what it is?"
"It is a shrine."
"You sure of that?"
"I have seen others, though that one is missing an altar."
They stop at the edge of the crater and check their surroundings. The center of the crater is low ground and an easy spot for an ambush. Thalia rolls her eyes when she sees Shinobu focus at a distance. She shuffles and shakes the blonde she is carrying behind her. She chuckles at Shinobu's pout.
With no enemy in sight, they slide down the crater then walk towards the shrine. Zoe eyes the pillars. "This is a shrine to Hermes."
"What makes you so sure?"
"The pillars are of Greek architecture, and their quality is far too high to be for anyone other than a god."
"I didn't realize you had an interest in architecture. You and Annabeth should compare notes."
Zoe shakes her head. "I recognize the design because I lived long enough to see them when Greece was still standing. The hunters of Artemis do not spend much time with civilization. I cannot tell if these are Doric, Corinthian, or a mere imitation of the Greek style."
"So what makes you so sure this belongs to Hermes?"
She points to the center surrounded by the marble pillars. Thalia sees the imprint for the missing altar and the drag marks on the ground.
"Aside from cooked meat, the scent of strawberries is strong here. The strawberry tree is one of his symbols of power."
"Cool. So what now?"
"The Mansion of Night is straight ahead."
"No plans to investigate? Someone has desecrated a god's shrine."
"That is a surprise. I did not expect for you to hold that sentiment to a god."
"I'm surprised you don't consider how close you are to one."
"We are hunters of Artemis. Our loyalty lies with her, not to any other." She bites her lips and looks up at the pillars but continues before Thalia can speak. "That does not mean I am against lending aid to a god. It just happens that we do not have the time." She then takes a silver bracelet and leaves it in the center of the shrine.
Thalia waits for them to hike up the crater before asking her question. "What was that about?"
"The gods are not omniscient, but they have great hearing when it comes to themselves. I did not want to risk angering the God of Travelers while we are in a middle of a dangerous journey."
"Smart move. I don't want to copy Odysseus' mistake of pissing off Poseidon while at sea. Twenty years in Tartarus ranks high in my don't do list. Do you think I should leave the speed god an offering as well?"
"No. He should understand our situation. Besides, you do not have anything to offer that we can spare."
"We can give him some of our rations."
"No!"
"You're right. With how these taste, he might consider them an insult."
"Stop!"
Thalia stops beside Zoe and follows her gaze down to the ground. "What? The ground ahead is muddy. We are wearing boots. Shinobu doesn't, but I can carry her through it. I'll drop her if she bites my ear, though."
Zoe grimaces and does not respond. Instead, she points left and further ahead.
Thalia squints and makes out a length of churning water. "I assume that's the source of all this water." She follows it backward with her gaze. "It the end of a river. Weird. I didn't know rivers could end like that. Is this how lakes start out?"
"No, lakes do not form this way. But that is not what should worry you. We are looking at a river."
"And?"
Zoe resists the urge to sigh. "Where are we?"
"Tartarus?"
"And what do you know about rivers in Tartarus?"
"They're bad?" Everything in Tartarus wants to kill you.
This time, Zoe releases a sigh.
"Don't ugh me! I didn't stay in camp long enough for them to teach this stuff to us." Though she doubts she'd remember if they did. Often, her many shifts in patrols tired her too much to pay attention to the lectures.
Zoe places her hands on her hips. "Rivers from Hades flow down to Tartarus. That is the River Acheron, also called the River of Pain."
"So, it is bad." Thalia shuts up at Zoe's glare.
"It serves as the ultimate punishment for souls of the damned. The water on the ground which shouldn't be there comes from that river. The water is bad."
"Okay! Okay." She avoids Zoe's eyes. They scare her more than her nightmares of falling. "So what now?" She almost forgets Shinobu's presence. A quick check shows Shinobu's attention is again elsewhere.
"We must find a way around it."
"It'll take forever to skirt around that area of mud."
Zoe shakes her head. "The wet patch reaches the Phlegethon."
Zoe's vision amazes Thalia. "But that's impossible. That's the side of the fire river we came from."
"This... stop could be recent."
"Or we might not have noticed it when we were chasing Shinobu down her scorch swim." Shinobu perks up at the mention of her name. If they crossed it before, maybe it was safe to cross it again.
"Another possibility we must consider is how time and space warps in supernatural locations."
"Don't. Thinking about twists in spacetime makes my head hurt. Let's keep it simple. We don't follow it right, so we go left, right?"
"Right."
They follow the River Acheron back but stay from far a distance. A fall down the Phlegethon was horrific, but it also healed its victim. She doubts they'd survive a dip into the River of Pain. They are so far away that Thalia can't see it in Tartarus' darkness, but Zoe assures her it is there.
Zoe points at a distance. "The gap thins there. Our best chance of crossing the river will be there."
They both frown at the thought of moving so close to the river. "Please tell me there's a bridge."
Zoe shakes her head.
"Can't we make one?"
"With what?"
"I dunno. How about those pillars in that shrine we passed earlier?"
Zoe glares at Thalia.
"Yeah, I know. Just throwing ideas around."
"A foolish idea."
"You got anything better?"
Loud rumbling interrupts Zoe's retort.
"What is that?"
A dim, amber glow lights up behind them. "Not anything good."
"Duh!"
A loud boom thunders, and fire sweeps through the land.
Thalia turns her head towards Shinobu. The fire was far away but races towards them. They can't wait.
They run.
Thalia's feet crash into the ground in rhythmic thumps. Her heart drums blood into her ears.
How far was-
She crashes into a wall. She crashes into a mesmerizing wall of malevolence.
"It's your fault!"
"No."
"You should have never existed!"
"No!"
"Your brother would still be here if it weren't for you!"
"Jason."
"Camp would be safe if not for you!"
"How many more will die?"
"..."
"Gleeson? Phoebe? Zoe? Shin-"
"Ouch!" Thalia's hand snaps to the ear Shinobu bit. The haze lifts. "What?" Her eyes dart to her right. "Zoe!"
Zoe stayed still on her knees in silence. Tears run down her face, glistening against the orange glow. Thalia notices her own tears and runny nose. She sniffles and wipes her face with her coat's furry sleeve.
She shakes Zoe. "Wake up." The flames roar behind them, but the river's shrieks are all she hears. Shinobu's embrace tightens around her. Her own nails bite into Shinobu's leg. She glances at the inferno rushing to them and back to the immobile Zoe.
She slaps Zoe in the face. "Wake up!" No response.
Shinobu's arms leave her shoulders. A sharp pain erupts in her pinky, and her one-handed grip on the blonde fails. Her broken nail draws her attention the rivulets of red on her hands.
"Blood on your hands."
A grunt snaps her from her daze. Besides her, Shinobu places Zoe's arm over her shoulder. She stands, lifting the hunter with her, but the height difference makes it awkward. The pair teeters. Reflex takes over, and Thalia catches Zoe by the arm. She lifts that arm over her shoulder. Together, Shinobu and Thalia drag Zoe away from the approaching flames.
"You will fail."
Thalia shakes her head and focuses on running. She feels the heat behind them. The fire illuminates the river, the River of Pain. The mere presence of which drowns them in misery. They won't survive its waters. They must jump.
"You will fall."
She stumbles, and they almost fall. Thalia turns to her companions. "I'm sorr-"
Blue.
Calm blue eyes stare into her.
The same deep blue of her nightmares.
"You wil-"
A noise interrupts the river's spell. Words, unintelligible to her ears. Shinobu's voice reaches her, pulls into her, and grabs her.
Trust me. I trust you. Believe!
Shinobu rises. So does she. Shinobu runs. So does she.
The river comes closer and closer. Thousands of voices cry out, shriek in agony, and plead for mercy.
All she sees is blue.
Shinobu's blue eyes. The blue reflected by the seas. The bright blue of the sky.
Shinobu jumps. She flies.
A rush of emotions engulfs her. New tears touch her eyes. Joy. She's flying!
They zoom past the river below them. The explosion behind them is but a whimper from these heights. She sighs in relief. They lived!
Then exhaustion drains her. She screams. Fear. She's falling!
Her hands reach out in front of her and a cushion of air softens their crash. They tumble into the dirt.
Thalia coughs but rises. "Are you guys alright?" She looks up and freezes. Monsters surround them.
Zoe pulls herself up and grits her teeth. "Arai."
Thalia's gaze jumps from enemy to enemy as she drops her bag pack and brings out her spear and shield. She winces as she raises her shield below eye level. Despite the air cushion, the fall left her with a sore back and a bruised rear. She is thankful for the Aegis' aura of fear, but the enemy's reluctance won't last forever.
She thrust her spear forward, but Zoe interrupts her with a shaky grip on her elbow. Thalia glares at her but returns her gaze to their enemies. Their enemies inch forward sensing dissent among their prey.
"Don't kill them." Zoe's whisper is almost inaudible.
Thalia levels an incredulous expression at the idea but remains silent. Now is not the time for banter.
"They are arai, daughters of Nyx." That explains their resemblance to the Furies. "Arai are female spirits of curses. Kill one, and you receive the curse." The grins of the arai widen, and Thalia wonders if they can hear them.
Movement explodes from their right. "No! Shinobu!"
Two arai fall in one strike of Shinobu's silver blade. With a sweep of her hand, silver flies, and five more fall. With her jacket open and with her fluid movements, it is clear no affliction befell her.
"What? I thought you said-"
"..."
A monster leaps at Shinobu from behind but receives a mule kick to the jaw for its troubles.
"Then why?"
"The jacket."
Shinobu tosses a silver dagger at the downed arai. The rest take a step back at the new development.
"What?"
"The coats. They protect."
The arai's hesitation does not last, and they inch forward once more. Thalia steps forward, but Zoe pulls her back.
"What now? Let's help her. We're immune!"
"She is immune. We might not be."
An arai roars its battle cry, and four charge the blonde.
"Explain!"
"Phlegethon. Might have changed hers."
Shinobu cuts one down and blocks a claw with her forearm guard. Her other blade decapitates the attacker.
"Might?!"
"It might not be it. She is young. Not enough time for others to hate."
More monsters turn to golden dust. Thalia almost misses the tiny golden orbs that fall to the ground.
"I'm young!"
"Or her blades. They cut through the lion. Maybe they cut through enchantments."
Thalia turns, but the rage in her eyes dies with the sight of Zoe. The trail of Zoe's tears remains damp. Her breath uneven. Her tall stance marred by slight trembles.
"We cannot risk it!"
Thalia bites down a scream, and sparks fly from the tip of her spear. Zoe's eyes widen before looking away. Zoe closes her eyes, bites her lip, and takes a deep breath. Thalia turns away, but Zoe catches her by the shoulder.
"I won't let her do this alone." Thalia grinds out her words, and more sparks fly from her weapon.
Zoe pauses but steadies herself. "There is a lot of ground left to cover after this." Not to mention the journey out of Tartarus. "We cannot help her if we die here."
"I would rather die than do nothing." Her shield's aura stops the monsters from attacking her when they have another to target. She refuses to hide behind her shield and leave Shinobu to herself.
"Death is not the worst outcome. If we become incapacitated, we will become a burden." Zoe interrupts Thalia's retort. "Do you think she will leave us if we fall? Do you think she will survive if we weigh her down?"
Thalia turns her head away. Zoe's words make logical sense, but they go against every fiber of Thalia's being.
"I am not saying we do nothing. We just have to be careful not to kill any of them. Shinobu is immune. We incapacitate. She can finish them off."
"Fine!" She turns and pulls away from Zoe's touch.
Thalia turns towards Shinobu who faced seven new arai. The monsters share her confusion on Shinobu's supposed immunity to their curses. She sees yellow eyes in the background shift with unease. Their fear and confusion prevent them from swarming the blonde, but it won't last.
With every kill, Shinobu's breath becomes more labored. The more they crowd around her the less opportunity she has to throw her smaller daggers.
A silver arrow pins one of the arai's by the foot, but it tears the arrow off without hesitation. More arrows fly and injure the monsters, but none put them down for good. Thalia leaps toward Shinobu and knocks one away with the butt of her spear.
She sweeps her spear under the legs of three. Two fall. One leaps at her. A quick bash of her shield knocks it down, but the two recover and charge. Silver daggers fly and turn them to dust. She gives a grateful nod to Shinobu.
More eyes stare at them. As their desperation grows, the enemy's bravado strengthens. Fanged teeth grin in sadistic malice. At this rate, they will tire down, and they will fall.
Her spear is heavy in her hand. The flight must have sapped her strength. Her next spear sweep stops after hitting two. Silver arrows whiz past her to Shinobu's enemy. A clawed hand grabs Thalia's weapon by the shaft. Reflex sends the arai flying with a jolt of electricity. The monster crashes on the ground incapacitated.
Incapacitated.
With a heave, she throws three monsters with the swing of her spear. She ignores the monsters rising back up and focuses on the charred monster's spasms.
Thalia looks down on her spear, then turns to Shinobu. She stares Shinobu in the eye and speaks. "I'll be back. Trust me." She hopes she can convey her thoughts without words as well as Shinobu could.
Thalia runs with her shield raised high and plows through half a dozen monsters. Her shoulder flares in pain with each impact. She returns to Zoe who is fending off six with her daggers. A broken bow lies on the ground. With her shield in front of her, Thalia lets loose a mighty roar. The monsters flee in terror.
"Thalia, what-"
"Shut up! I need to concentrate."
Zoe opens her mouth but snaps it shut under Thalia's glare. Zoe turns her gaze away from Thalia's eyes. "I'm sorry."
Thalia's glare softens but does not disappear. "Whatever. Go make yourself useful and cover me." She tosses her spear at Zoe and plants her shield on the ground as a deterrent. Thalia concentrates on her hands and almost misses Zoe's nod. She closes her eyes and recalls their time with the light bulbs.
"What are you doing?"
Thalia huffs at Zoe's interruption. "Remember that time when I had to power up that digger? I need to focus if I want to keep the voltage low."
"What are you planning?"
She can feel electricity arc between her hands. Thalia wonders if talking helps her concentrate. With a deep breath, she concentrates until the arcs stop. She brings her hands closer and more arcs form. Another deep breath and those arcs dim into nothing. Her hands close in a finger's width from each other.
"You said nonlethal, right? Well, what is more nonlethal than a taser?"
Zoe grabs her by the wrist and pulls her hands apart.
"Hey! What's the big idea?"
"First of all, tasers can kill."
"If what I do kills them all, that would raise the chances of me dying. You said it yourself. Better to die than be a burden."
"Second, you're doing it wrong."
That causes Thalia to stop and stare Zoe in the eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"How do I dumb this down for you?"
"Hey!"
"What you practiced in that cave with the light bulbs was controlling how much force you used. If you want to make a taser, you need a lot more force than what a light bulb can handle."
"Good. This should be easy then."
"It is still much less than what a lightning bolt gives out. But that is not the point."
"Then hurry to it."
"For it to be nonlethal, you must control the amount of electricity you use."
"Okay, you lost me."
"Think of it like a hose with electricity as the water. You need to make it so the water comes out with such force that it can knock down a wall. At the same time, you can only use a bucket full of water."
"Wonderful." She needs to focus. "Alright. Thanks. Whatever. Now, shut up."
Arcs fly from her fingertips. More and more fly until her hand buzzes like a thousand bees. Her eyes open and lock onto Shinobu's location. On top of shooting out a nonlethal wave of electricity, she must control it and avoid hitting Shinobu.
"Just in case I hit her, carry her to safety."
Despite her exhaustion, this is easier than powering the digger to clear a path. As she stares down on her electric hands, she realizes the hard part is committing. With the digger, failure was a setback. With this, failure means death to her and to her friends.
"Now or never." Her hands part, and she forces the electricity from her hands to shoot forth in a wave.
Time slows. A half-domed wall of sparks surges forth. The first three arai it hits falls. Before she can celebrate her success, she notices holes in her wall where it hit the arai. She focuses on closing the gaps. The wall hits more arai and creates more holes for her to fix.
Five more. Twelve more. Twenty?
Then Shinobu. She creates a hole for Shinobu to pass through. Thalia errs on the side of caution and makes it larger than necessary. She trusts Shinobu survive the few her "mega taser wall of doom" misses.
If they survive, she'll work on better naming her cool moves. Even if she only speaks them in her head.
The wave continues farther than she can see. She keeps at it until she can no longer feel holes appearing on her wall.
Thalia slumps in relief and exhaustion, her work done. Her hands numb and immobile. Her legs wobble, and she drops to her knees.
A sudden arai's shriek startles her. She turns her head. Behind her two arai pin Zoe, and a third leaps at her. Claws dig into her shoulder before the monster throws her to the ground.
She hears Zoe scream, "No!" In her periphery, Zoe headbutts one of the two monsters above her. The attack stuns the creature, but Zoe's arms remain held down.
The third monster leaps at Thalia, claws first. Thalia forces her eyes open. If she dies, she'll do it with her eyes on her attacker. Her final act of defiance.
Claws touch the side of her throat before turning into golden dust. A silver dagger clatters to the ground. Not Shinobu's. Zoe's. The two other monsters are gone. Gold glimmers on Zoe's fur.
The hunter falls.