Chapter 14: Limbo
Nico POV, Camp Half-Blood
Darkness—not of the usual sort. But much more archaic, primordial even. It shimmered around him as if it was a sea.
This place, it could be described perhaps as the complete antithesis to matter. Nothing existed here that could be rationalized with a human's brain. At least, that was what he thought until a shimmering icon emerged from the dark sea.
Before him, at a distance that seemed both close and far away was a large egg. In a way, it reminded him of pictures of earth from space, incredibly large but also so small.
He tried to walk toward it, but he couldn't. There was nothing for him to walk on. So instead he watched it with a unique curiosity. His heartbeat like a drum, creating a vibration that washed over his entire body like a wave.
After what felt like an eternity a crack finally appeared in the egg, then from it, the head of a large snake pushed through. Its scales were white, resembling the same light that began to shine from outside of the egg. In a way, it reminded him of the sun.
With a quickness, the snake surrounded the egg like a python about to strangle its prey. Nico watched in utter dumbfoundment as the snake destroyed the egg, and a blinding ray of light came over the surrounding darkness.
He had to look away. If he didn't he had a feeling the light would have washed him away along with the darkness.
After what could have been hours, even weeks. It was impossible to tell, time did not work here as he was used too.
He finally turned his gaze back toward the egg, being taken aback by the sight that awaited him. It was a man, adorned in a blue toga. Two white orbs, blazing like suns. Long white hair that gave off a shine like a moon.
"Who?" Nico choked out.
No answer came from the man's lips, but one did come from his gaze. It spoke more elegantly than any words human language could muster.
Light. Destruction. Creation.
The triad of words swirled around his mind, seducing his senses. Slowly his surroundings faded, he could feel his consciousness return to his body.
Before he even could grasp what had happened he awoke with a jerk of his body. Above him was a bunk, one he almost slammed into. Luckily he was not very tall, so he avoided it by only a few inches.
Rubbing his eyes he tried to compartmentalize what he had just seen. Darkness, an egg, a snake and a nobleman with suns for eyes. He was sure if he told anyone about this he'd be thrown into some hospital.
Rising from the bed he cupped his face in his hands, trying to remember what he just saw. But he couldn't, only vague recollections remained.
"Hey Nico, you okay?" Asked a voice from above him.
Turning his gaze toward it he saw Adam with a comic book in hand. He was a son of Hermes, one of the few that talked to him.
"I'm fine," Nico said somewhat coldly, waving him off.
Adam shrugged, "Whatever dude, just asking."
As usual, he found some way to offend those around him, intentional or not. Guess that's just part and parcel as a Son of Hades. If only there was a cabin for Hades, then he wouldn't have to always offend people.
With a deep exhale he rose from his bed, reaching under it for his sword and coat. That's when he felt it, a tremor. With his Geokinesis, he swore he could feel a loud movement below. It was faint, like an echo.
He could feel his eyes widen as he threw on his brown bomber jacket and strapped his sword to his hip. Sprinting outside of the cabin he caught many confused glances from Children of Hermes.
But he ignored them all, running with renewed fervor toward the Big House. With finesse, he avoided all the demigods and nymphs he would have otherwise run into.
With a heavy breath, he jogged up the hill that the Big House sat on. Chiron was on the deck next to an auburn-haired woman wearing a silver parka. His sudden arrival spurred both of them to look at him with confused glares.
He tried to speak to Chiron, but he was too exasperated, so his words came out jumbled.
"Ground...thing is...coming..."
Chiron's eyes went wide as he looked toward the woman next to him, "Lady Artemis, our conversation may need to wait."
The Goddess nodded, looking somewhat confused.
"My boy, what did you just say?" Chiron asked, stamping toward him.
Nico wished he didn't skip all the endurance training at the camp, he had become too accustomed to using shadow travel.
"Underground, I felt something," He finally said in an understandable tone.
His words cast a worried look over Artemis's face, "Underground? What do you mean?"
Somewhat intimidated by the Goddess of the Hunt, especially after the information unveiled to him by Hecate he quickly answered her question.
"As a Son of Hades, I have control over the earth. When I woke up I felt a tremor, not a natural one. It was as if it was caused by hundreds of moving feet."
Chiron and Artemis exchanged worried glances. Both looked extremely troubled by the news as if it furthered already existing anxiety.
With a stern look crossing his face Chiron put a hand on Nico's shoulder, "You did good reporting this my boy. I am going to call a gathering of counselors."
The old centaur then galloped down the hill, toward the cabin center, leaving Nico and Artemis behind.
The Son of Death felt rigid, his anxiety flared being next to the Goddess, who was eyeing him cautiously. He avoided eye contact as she passed by him, following Chiron's trail and likely intending to call her huntresses together.
But he found himself doing something completely out of character, spurred by some deep residual emotion he called out to her.
"Art—Erm, Lady Artemis," Nico corrected himself, hoping she wouldn't notice his slip up and turn him into a jackalope.
She looked back, her silver eyes glaring daggers at the demigod.
"What do you need, boy?" She asked in a rather cold manner.
Nico almost found himself back down. Usually, he would shake his head and say 'nevermind' but there was a fiery rebellion that lingered inside him. One now beginning to erupt.
"My mother, Zeus killed her didn't he?" He asked, steeling his gaze.
The question took the Goddess obviously off guard. Her demeanor took a noticeable shift, and her body tensed.
"You…" She jabbered. "What are you saying?"
Nico did not give up, he knew based on her reaction she knew more.
"Zeus killed my mother. And I was never told, even though I've been working as Olympus's slave for the past three years!"
Tears erupted as his voice was raised, spurring a hard-eyed stare from Artemis who looked somewhat uncomfortable.
"Do not raise your voice at me boy, I am a Goddess. Know your place," The Goddess of the Hunt said, turning her back to Nico.
His teeth were grit as tears trailed across his pale cheeks. The dark tint in his eyes seemed to grow even darker. As if the faint light present in them was being sucked away by a black hole.
"Is that all you can say!" Nico spat. "I say your father killed my mother and all you can do is pull the Goddess card? Do you Olympians even care about us?!"
As his rant came to an end a silver tinted arrow whizzed past his face. The lodging itself into one of the Big Houses' wooden columns.
"Do not speak like that again, child," Artemis growled, as thunder roared in the distance.
He was frozen, perhaps by the aura of pure rage that licked off Artemis's skin. The way she stared at him, it was like a lion looking at an elk drinking from a lake. There was no warmth, no regret or even sympathy.
She didn't care. His mother was killed by her father and she did not even bat an eyelash. In fact, she shot an arrow at him.
This was who he was fighting for?
Tears stopped flowing, and he found laughter escaping from his lips. It was a maniacal sort of laughter, not spurred by anything that was actually humorous but instead by the cold irony of life.
"Or what?" He asked, clutching his stomach. "You'll kill me like your father killed my mother?"
He laughed like what he said was the greatest joke he ever had heard. But Artemis, on the other hand, was not entertained.
"You are lucky that you are still needed," Artemis said, spurring her bow to disappear mid-air before walking down the hill, leaving the Son of Death alone with his laughter.
After a while he could feel his hips become sore, some demigods had passed by but left when they saw him. He could only imagine what he looked like.
Finally, the laughter stopped, and he felt fury fill his body from head to toe. What Hecate told him atop the building, about abandoning the camp. He wasn't going to listen to her, he knew she just planned to use him.
But now he didn't care if that was her plan. He would rather jump off a building than continue to waste away in submissive servitude to the Gods. Rising from the ground he clutched the handle to his blade so tight that his knuckles became white.
He began to walk toward the camp entrance, finding himself muttering something along the way like a mental patient.
'Fuck Olympus. Fuck Olympus. Fuck Olympus!'
Percy POV
His heartbeat loudly from his chest as he held his blade's handle in anticipation. Passing through the winding halls of the Labyrinth with a small army of demigods behind him he could feel the adrenaline kicking in.
They were close to their target, he could feel it.
Soon he would be engaged in the most important conflict of his life yet. Camp Half-Blood, it was of innumerable importance to Olympus. If it was lost, they'd have nobody left to fight their wars.
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, he almost reacted violently until he saw it was Alabaster.
"Alabaster?" He asked.
The Son of Hecate smirked, "Yeah, that's my name."
Percy rolled his eyes, "I know, it's not like I've ever called you anything else. What did you need?"
"Just wanted to chat, you know, ease tensions," Alabaster mused.
"Oh yeah, and what was it you wanted to chat about while we're on our way to a damned battlefield?"
"Cats, rainbows, unicorns," Alabaster shrugged. "You know, anything to take my mind off the tens of thousands of ways I could die violently."
Percy snickered, "Better yet you can spend your time thinking of ways to avoid a violent death. You know, instead of rainbows and unicorns."
"Who knows man, maybe a unicorn will come down on a rainbow to save me when I'm injured. I've heard it has happened before."
Their conversation stopped as the large monster horde in front of them paused. As much as Percy would like to delve deeper into the unicorn question, duty moved him to action. He could hear a loud voice echo from the front lines.
"Make a path for the demigods!" Luke yelled.
Loud huffs and grunts of discontent came from many of the monsters, but knowing Apollyon was there they followed the orders given to them.
Percy motioned the demigods behind him forward, leading them through the thin route created by the monsters. The smell of the monsters was disgusting, it reminded him of his time on the streets.
Shoving past an empousai he made it to the end of the line, where Luke was standing. He had in his hand the sword Backbiter, the incomplete part of Kronos's scythe.
"What are we doing?" Percy asked.
Luke pointed to his right, unveiling a large staircase that rose maybe ten or so feet high.
"Up there and we enter Camp Half-Blood. Are you ready?"
Percy eyed the staircase with certain anxiety but eventually nodded.
"Yeah, what's the plan?"
"Make ourselves known, give them a chance to surrender. Demigods joining us help with Kronos's revival more than killing them does. You and I go first."
With that Luke began to walk up the stairs, his eyes grew serious. On the other side of that stairway laid one of two things. Death, or Victory.
Percy motioned the demigods to follow him as he trailed behind Luke, a solemn look on his face. Alabaster was right next to him, sharing in the uncertainty the situation presented.
Near the top Luke pressed down on a crevice in the wall, resulting in the sealed entrance opening itself with a slight tremor. Light flooded into the underground chamber, and the smell of trees came in with a gust of wind.
As they exited the entrance they found themselves amid a large clearing, surrounded by trees. Next to them was a large rock formation that looked to be a fist reaching into the heavens.
"Zeus's Fist…" Luke muttered, noticing Percy stare at it.
Immediately Percy could hear the sound of an arrow whizzing past the sky. With his superhuman reaction time, he sidestepped it with ease.
Suddenly, from the treeline, he could see the color silver, behind it a large dense line of teens wearing armor. It looked like the campers were prepared for their attack.
"This why you order the monsters to stay back?" Percy asked, eyeing the army emerging from the treeline.
Luke nodded, "Yeah, figured it is best for diplomacy."
"Diplomacy won't mean much if they turn you into a porcupine before you even have a chance to get a word in," Alabaster murmured as he cast a large green barrier around them to protect them from arrow fire.
Then from the approaching army emerged a trio of girls and a centaur, carrying an aura of authority. At the forefront was a long-haired girl with auburn hair, trailing behind her were two dark haired girls. One had long hair and the other's was short and choppy.
Luke's face twisted into a scowl as if he recognized one of them.
"Who are you?!" Yelled out the auburn-haired girl, her bow drawn.
Percy's eyes hardened like steel as he recognized her aura. It wasn't one that belonged to a demigod, it was extremely powerful. Judging from her appearance he would have to guess she was Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.
"I am Apollyon, the leader of the demigods and avatar of vengeance. Perhaps you can help me out with the second part by pointing me to where your father and brother Ares are."
A look of surprise crossed the Goddesses' face. She exchanged a look with the brown-haired centaur next to her.
"Traitor!" Roared the short-haired girl to Artemis's side.
Luke's scowl turned into a smirk, "And what did I betray? Being a slave for sociopaths and murderers?"
"Cut the shit Luke, the Titans are killing people and burning citi—"
"Thalia, that is enough," Artemis snapped, her bow still drawn on Percy.
"We know you have brought an army, what is it you want from us? Battle? Because we are more than ready to deliver."
Percy laughed slightly at the Goddess's words, causing an ired look to cross her face.
"You would like that, wouldn't you? Demigods being slaughtered in defense of Olympus. You see them as pawns, don't you?"
His words were met with a silver arrow lodging itself into Alabaster's barrier, right where it would have hit Percy's head. But he was unphased and stared down the Goddess.
He tilted his head toward Alabaster, "Do you have any spells to make my voice louder?"
Alabaster grinned, "You're talking to a Son of Hecate here who's read Harry Potter page to page ten times over. Hades yeah I do."
Causing confused glares by Artemis and her party Alabaster reached into his pocket and pulled out a white piece of paper with a rune inscribed on it.
"Sonorus!"
He whispered, causing the rune to glow bright green before bursting into a ball of energy that went toward Percy. Alabaster gave him a thumbs up with a toothy grin.
Percy could feel an energy in his vocal cords, it was like they had been buffed.
"Demigods!" Percy said, his voice sounding like it was being broadcasted off a large speaker. "The Titans do not seek your deaths, only the destruction of Olympus! Therefore, I as the leader of the demigods who have sworn allegiance to Kronos challenge Artemis to a duel to decide this battle. That way no unnecessary blood will be spilled."
Everyone went wide-eyed at the proposal, especially Artemis and her clique. They exchanged worried glances.
Luke put a hand to Percy's shoulder and whispered something.
"Uh, you sure you can take her on? She's a Goddess you know."
Percy nodded reassuringly, "Make sure the monsters don't get antsy, I can take care of her. The Olympians are weakened by what is happening across the West."
Then from the other side of Artemis gripped her bow tightly, her gaze twisted into a scowl aimed at Percy. Her teeth were grit as she looked at the line of demigods behind her, staring toward her with expectant glares.
"So, what do you say Artemis?" Percy chided, holding up Bloodtide.
Her eyes glared daggers at the Son of Poseidon, "You cocky ape, do you think we'll fall for your tricks so easily? All you have done is tell us lies, there is no way you intend to resolve this with a duel."
Percy shook his head, "Unlike the Olympians, I am not one to fall short on my word. I swear it on the River Styx that if you win we will put down our weapons and surrender. Now you make the promise unless you'd rather have the Camp be painted red."
Thunder boomed in the distance, causing the campers to go wide-eyed. Chiron looked at the situation with a downcast gaze.
"Fine, I will duel you. And I swear on the River Styx that if you beat me in a duel then the Camp will surrender."
Percy then pointed his blade toward the centaur, "Chiron right? You make the pledge next."
The old centaur looked troubled as the campers' attention turned toward him. He looked somewhat uncomfortable at the notion of putting the fate of the entire camp in the result of one duel.
"Fine, I too swear on the River Styx to surrender on the cosmically impossible chance that Lady Artemis is defeated."
Percy nodded, a slight smirk on his face.
"Then we will fight on the clearing, get the campers to make room," Percy ordered.
"Don't you dare tell our lady what to do, boy," Spat out one of the huntresses next to Artemis.
But the Goddess rose her hand toward the outspoken girl and shook her head, "Zoë do not worry. He will learn his lesson soon enough."
The girl stepped back, but the look on her face that promised destruction stayed. Chiron next to her stampede toward the demigod line and bellowed out an order.
"Make room! Line yourselves up across the tree line, we will respect the Ancient Laws about one on one combat!"
Following his command that demigods backed up, breaking their light combat formation. On their faces were painted a broad spectrum of emotion. Anxiety, fear, annoyance. Some, like the children of Ares, would likely rather just fight.
With a cautious stride, Percy exited the barrier put up by Alabaster. His gaze was turned toward Artemis, who mirrored his movements a few feet away. The look in her eyes reminded him of a full moon on a winter's night.
Silence took over the clearing next to Zeus's fist, the faint sound of rustling leaves. The space between Percy and Artemis seemed as if it was filled purely with animosity. Nobody dared move in as a strong aura of bloodlust filled the air.
"You two are in position, yes? On the count of three, this duel will begin. First to surrender or be inflicted with a fatal blow will lose, thereby those they fight on behalf of will lose as well."
Both Percy and Artemis nodded, accepting the rules of the duel. With their consent, Chiron rose his right hand into the air and began counting.
"One…"
Percy clinched his sword tightly, while opposite to him Artemis held her duel hunting knives with a newfound stupor.
"Two…"
Adrenaline began to pump through his veins. He could feel his body began to shift, the sensation of his eyes becoming red clicked in his brain.
"Three,"
In a flash resembling thunder, Artemis dashed forward, her silver hunting knives created a light show in the air as she brought them down onto Percy. But he was ready and met her attack with a stern block, using the side of his blade.
Her silver aura intermingled with his red, it was a sight only seen in battles that took place between immortal beings.
Yet here he was, a demigod, competing with an Olympian.
Focusing on slowing down the flow of her Godly Ichor to slow her attacks down, he planned a counter-attack. He knew that the level of water in Ichor was miniscule, likely making up only half of it, but overall it was still his best option.
He threw himself forward, using all of his weight to push back against her with his sword. To counteract his attempt at gaining momentum Artemis ducked down with the speed of a cougar, bringing her knives up in a diagonal strike as if they were in claws.
Time went in slow motion as he jerked his torso backward, using his acute spatial awareness to dodge their edge.
Catching her out with that strike he brought down Bloodtide, confident in it finding its mark. But his eyes went wide as Artemis dodged out the attack that was sure to hit her with little effort. She regrouped herself a foot away, her breath somewhat heavy.
"You—Titan, God? What are you?" She asked.
Percy smirked, "Demigod."
Looks of awe filled the eyes of the Campers present, likely not expecting Percy to be a demigod based on how he was able to keep up with Artemis.
Not allowing her to fully regain her bearings Percy moved dashed again, bringing down his blade onto her in quick succession.
It became a tug of war after that, with both of them fighting for dominance. Both tried desperately to find holes in the other's fighting style before their opponent did. One strike after another, creating sparks in the air that was as red hot as any of Vulcan's constructs.
"Who is your Godly Parent?" Artemis huffed out as their strikes met each other in a symphony.
"Wouldn't you—" Percy murmured in between strikes, "Like to know?"
Finally, a strike was thrown that disrupted the fragile balance of the fight, Artemis went for a right kick to his temple, likely believing him to be too enthralled in the sword fighting to counter. But his rich senses that acted more akin to that of a wild beast while in battle caught her intention a mile away.
He dodged under her attack, causing her to kick into the air. With her bodily equilibrium put into imbalance, he brought his blade down in a quick strike. Her eyes went wide as she realized that dodging was not an option.
In a last-ditch effort, she twisted her body away from the strike, being caught in the shoulder by Bloodtide, opening a shallow wound. Eyes went wide as they saw Golden Ichor fall from her right shoulder, coating her silver parka.
"My lady!" Yelled the long-haired huntress from earlier, running toward the two.
"No Zoë, do not interfere!" Artemis growled, her eyes trained on Percy.
Zoë stopped, a look of surprise crossing her face. This was not how Artemis normally acted, anyone could tell. The wound she was inflicted with was a sight so incredibly rare that even her oldest companion, Zoë, had only seen a similar scene once or twice in her long life.
"Do you think you can defeat a Goddess, boy?" Artemis said, her eyes promising death.
Percy chuckled slightly, moving past the tired feeling setting in over him.
"Can I? You are weakened by the turmoil across the west, aren't you? If anything that just puts us on an equal playing field."
Artemis grit her teeth as she dashed forward at a speed not able to be seen by the layman's eye. Percy luckily enough was not a mere layman. The year of training he spent with Pallas had refined his battle sense to a level far above a normal demigod.
He met her attack with a swing of his blade, almost catching her across the torso. But she came back with a vengeance, sweeping his feet out from under him.
Barely having time to react he tried to regain himself, but he soon realized such an act would be in vain. So instead he went to minimize any potential damage that could be inflicted on him.
He saw a flash of silver pass by his face and when it was gone a sharp sensation came in its aftermath. As he kicked himself backward and put a hand to his cheek he felt a liquid cover his fingertips.
Red and sticky, with a stench of iron. Blood.
Barely able to mentalize what had happened Artemis met him again with her knives, his instincts kept him from being ripped apart. Loud clashes of blades meeting each other echoed through the forest.
Percy and Artemis fought each other as two wild beasts would, there was barely any form. Both fought for dominance over another, and finally, Percy began to push her back. Knives could only do so much against a blade, after a while their nuance falls apart.
He pushed back the moon goddess, both breathing heavily. With newfound confidence he went for a strike against her midsection, in a last-ditch effort, she clumsily blocked his strike with a knife. As the two met the knife was ripped from Artemis's hand, sent flying a few feet away.
The Goddess was left with only half her originally fighting power as Percy continued his attack. With every strike he grew more primal, the redness in his eyes seemed to glow after a while. Even when he was caught with shallow strikes he did not react.
In an attempt at striking his temple, Artemis brought up the elbow of her free hand in a horizontal arc. Percy saw it coming and dashed to the side, allowing the momentum she built to carry her away.
Using those precious few seconds he had gathered he went for a killing blow. Moving Riptide forward with aggressive speed. Artemis's eyes went wide as she saw avoiding the attack was not possible.
Silence took over everyone present as golden ichor flew through the air.
Across the left arm of Artemis was a long wound, one that looked to go deep. The Olympian just looked in utter shock at the wound, as a foot away from her Percy watched with sweat glossing his face.
"Who…" Artemis said with a trembling lip. "Who is your godly parent, tell me now!"
Percy wiped away the sweat from his temple with his left hand, watching the wounded goddess with a smug look on his face. There would be no better time to unveil it, the fact that he is the Child of Prophecy.
"I was born as a Son of Poseidon, and thereby I am the one meant to bring ruin to Olympus."
Eyes went wide and bodies tensed as an unlikely truth was spread to the campers, who had all believed in Nico being the Child of Prophecy. Chiron looked utterly flabbergasted, holding his forehead in shock.
Artemis's mouth was agape and her eyes bulged out slightly.
"You… That is not possible, you were killed!"
Suddenly a dark look crossed Percy's face, his red eyes stared at the Goddess with a burning hatred.
"Killed?" He asked as he stalked forward. "The little boy I once was, who I was supposed to become. That was the person who died. I am not that person any longer, I am his ghost, Apollyon."
Anger fueling his newfound resolve he dashed forward, bringing his blade down on the injured goddess. As it stood she was much too weak to compete with him, her arm was almost completely useless.
It did not take long for him to dominate her now meager defense, with a feint chambered into a diagonal slash he could her off guard. With his left hand, he grabbed her wrist, twisting it as he brought his blade across the other side.
Fear filled her eyes as she realized there was no escape, thousands of years of fighting experience conditioned her for normal duels. But the way Percy fought was far from normal, it was as if he was controlled by nothing but primal aggression.
He threw the Goddess down onto the ground, using his grip on her wrist to twist her arm behind her back. The sharp end of his blade was aimed at her throat.
"My Lady!" yelled a huntress as Percy barely dodged an arrow aimed at his head.
"Stay back!" Grunted Artemis. "I have lost…"
Silence once again filled the entire clearing, pure awe filled the eyes of demigods all over. Dismay and fear came across the face of the huntresses and Chiron.
Then a loud cheer erupted, the demigods fighting for Kronos chanted Percy's 'name'.
"Apollyon! Apollyon! Apollyon!"
The silence that had taken over was thereby cut through and cast away. Percy still with his blade aimed at Artemis's throat looked toward Chiron, his eyes demanding subversion.
"It seems to be a historic turn of events…. Lady Artemis has been bested," Sighed the centaur with an uncertain look in his eyes.
His gaze turned toward the demigod forces that had been meagerly equipped for battle.
"Put down your weapons, we have lost."
Spears and shields made a harmony as they fell onto the ground. Uncertainty, fear, shock, it filled the eyes of every camper. Noticing the melancholy Luke spoke up.
"Those who wish to join us pledge yourselves to Kronos now!"
At his proposal, tens of demigods eagerly walked forward. After what they had just witnessed it was unlikely any of them would have not switched sides, either compelled by fear or by the miraculous feat Percy accomplished.
Only four remained on the camp's side out of the near eighty demigods.
The Titans had defeated Camp Half-Blood without the cost of a single life.