Chapter 13:
Mya's POV:
Have you ever taken a swim in lava? No? Well, me either, but I imagine it feeling sort of like swimming in the River Styx.
After Achilles left me alone I allowed myself a few minutes to think about where I wanted my anchor to be. I thought about somewhere like my belly button, but I figured that wasn't too 'heroic.' I rolled my shoulders back and took a deep breath, and that's when my spot came to me.
I was going to use the place right between my shoulder blades where my neck connects to my shoulders. It might not be the best-guarded spots while you were wearing armor, but it was somewhere almost no one would even possibly fathom about aiming for.
"Ok," I whispered to myself. "Just like swimming anywhere else."
Oh was I wrong.
I dove into the river head first and my body froze. I tried to force myself to the surface but I was in shock. My lungs screamed for air and I was choking on water.
"You need to calm down!" I looked to my left and saw Luke. Sometimes his eyes would shift into Cronus's. "You need to remain focused on your anchor!"
I looked sound me and noticed I was in the same scene as I had been in when I was Icarus. I felt the wings on my back and they seemed to be connected to my body right where my anchor was. I calmed my racing heart down and looked above me. The shadows of my friends were closer than they had been before. I watched as they circle and finally splashed into the water above me.
A pair of wings sunk underwater towards me. The owner quickly dove towards me. I saw Luke's face shimmer in the rays that were reflected off of the feathers. He smiled at me and grabbed my hand. I was pulled towards the surface by him.
When my head broke free from the water I screamed in pain. I was shot onto dry land. My breath was ragged and uncontrollable for a few minutes. Finally, I was able to lift my head and scan my surroundings. I was in a dark cavern that made It looked like a playdate compared to Tartarus and immediately I knew where I was.
"The Underworld," I said shakily with a laugh. I slowly raised myself to my feet. My head spun and blood roared in my ears. I screamed in pain while I fell to my knees and the River of Styx exploded behind me. My blood was boiling itself and I was soaked in sweat. Golden light flashed in my eyes blinding me, but quickly all of my pain disappeared. I was able to open my eyes again and raise myself so I was standing. Nothing further happened. I shook my arms a few times and ran down the banks of the Styx.
Annabeth's POV:
I held Percy until my lungs screamed for air. I struggled a little bit but didn't pull away from him. He understood and pulled together a giant bubble. Together we sat in it holding each other. I thought back to the times that we have done this before. The first time was under the Siren's Island. I remember how he pulled me underwater to protect me from being eaten. That was one of the first times that I realized that I had a crush on him. The next time was our underwater kiss. That wasn't anything like Seren's Island or right now. That was a happy moment that I would hold with me forever.
"Percy," I whispered. He removed his head from my shoulder and looked at me with his bloodshot eyes. "We need to go."
"How long have we been here?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know," he pulled me closer to him and put his head back on my shoulder. I rubbed his back and I felt his tears hit my already soaked shirt.
"We need to burn her shroud," he said shakily. I nodded and just held him. "Then we have to go to Olympus."
I paused for a moment and thought about what he just said.
"What about New Rome?" I asked.
"I just lost my sister, Annabeth," he cried into my shoulder. "I don't care anymore! The gods should have to suffer through this just like us!"
"Percy," I whispered the warning.
"I don't care what Chiron said about not telling anyone!" his voice held so much anger in it. "If they wouldn't have abandoned her when she was about to fall she wouldn't have given up and died!"
"Ok, Percy," I tried to calm him down and it seemed to work.
"We should go burn her shroud," Percy said. "I don't want to do it at camp though. It deserves to be done in front of the gods. Maybe they'll finally see how far they are in the wrong."
Mya's POV:
My legs filled with lactic acid and my lungs screamed for me to stop running, but I ignored that seemingly harmless amount of pain.
"Where is it!" I huffed. I was looking for an entrance to the Overworld and I knew they would be located along the edge of the River of Styx.
Ahead of me, I began to see an opening in the large cavern walls. I hoped it was what I was looking for. As I got closer I saw jagged cutout stairs.
"Yes!" I shouted. As fast as I could I sprinted towards the stairs. I looked up the long tunnel and saw a tiny speck of light shining at the end of it. I shot up the stairs but quickly slowed down. My body couldn't take the stress of sprinting up these stairs, so I slowed my pace a little.
…
The end of the tunnel was a few steps away. The light blinded my eyes. I stepped out of the ground and waited for my eyes to adjust. Finally, I was able to see where I was. I was in some back alley. I looked back at the tunnel, but it was gone. There was a wall of bricks behind me.
"What the," I whispered. I shook my head and walked towards the sounds of traffic. I knew I was in New York and it was definitely rush hour when I got a look at all of the cars the crowded the streets. The building that I just appeared behind was Tisch Hospital. "I probably look like I need to be in a hospital."
I took off down the sidewalk then I looked at the sky. I saw a few large black shapes flying through the air. I put my fingers to my mouth and let out a long low whistle. One of the shapes drifted away from the others and flew towards me. I looked up and down the sidewalk seeing that I was surrounded by people I cursed in Ancient Greek. Taking off again I made sure that the pegasi was following me. I turned down the next empty alleyway I could find, and the pure white pegasi landed right in front of me. After almost falling down while trying to stop myself from colliding with the winged horse I regained my senses. I didn't have time to marvel at the horse's beauty.
"My Lady," the pegasi said in my head.
"Yeah yeah," I told the horse while climbing on it's back. "Get me to Olympus as quick as possible."
"Of course," the pegasi said while shooting off into the sky. I rode comfortably through the sky. My hair was whipped back and I felt amazing for the first time in a very long time. It was a quick trip just like it needed it to be.
As soon as the pegasi's hoofs touched the sidewalk I was off of it's back, and running into the Empire State Building. I almost ran straight to the elevator doors but the guard stopped me.
"Do you need something?" he asked putting down his book and staring at me from behind his sunglasses.
"I just got back from an unexpected trip to Tartarus," I told him. I flicked my wrist a smile, my sword appeared. "Do not test me."
"Make sure no one is in the elevator with you and put this in the key card slot," he said in a whimper while handing me a small plastic key card.
I ran towards the elevator and did exactly what he told me to do. When I put the key card in it's spot a golden button with the number 600 appeared. Quickly pressing it the door shut with a soft ding. No music played on my long ride to Olympus.
Not a signal thought raced through my mind. I stood completely still in the middle of the small elevator and watched the numbers slowly go up. Finally, the elevator made one final ding and the doors slowly opened. Before me laid the kingdom of the gods.
…
I wasted no time just trying to pick apart what was happening in the city above the clouds. Instead, I ran straight through the empty city towards the largest building hoping that it was the throne room. I had only seen the large room once before in a dream. It didn't prepare me at all for the real thing.
The enormous golden doors were already open and the gods were in their full size in their respected thrones. Nobody paid me any attention all eyes were instead fixed on the hearth in the middle of the room. The flames did not glow very bright and they didn't rise very high. The lack of light cast shadows across the room, and mostly covered the faces of the gods. Four tiny figures stood near the hearth holding what looked like a sheet. I stepped to the far side of the room and watched to see what was happening.
"Why have you called us here once again?" Zeus's voice rumbled like thunder.
"We have come to burn the shroud of an important fallen hero," when I heard Percy's voice my heart broke a little. Pain rippled through his voice, but it didn't cross my mind why he might be in pain.
"Which hero might that be?" Hades asked solemnly.
Percy turned towards a god that sat to the side of Zeus. When their eyes met the god stared at his feet, and Percy followed his lead.
"Mya Gethern," Luke's voice rang through the silence of the throne room. Nobody said anything for a few moments.
"I didn't-" Hades started to say. All eyes turned to the god of the Underworld. "I didn't feel her death."
"All four of us saw it happen," Reyna told the gods. "Camper's have heard whispers from unknown forces about her death also."
When Reyna said that an uneasy murmur rose up. Zeus held up his hand and all of the gods silenced themselves.
"None of the gods have heard anything of her death," Zeus began to say. "How do we really know that she is dead?"
"Are you-are you serious?" Percy scoffed. He snapped his head towards the king of the gods. "You know you have some real nerve! I just lost my sister and you decide to say that she didn't die! I watched her die, and what did any of you do! You sat up here all high and mighty, and didn't even notice her death because you're too 'busy!'"
"Perseus Jackson," the queen of the gods warned.
"Am I wrong?" Percy shouted.
"Yes," I allowed my voice to carry across the room. Every head turned away from Percy and towards me. I smiled at my friends and they just stared at me with wide eyes. I turned back towards the king of the gods right as a ball of energy was hurled at me.
Ooooh, cliffhanger! Guess you'll just have to wait to see what happens in the next chapter. Please review, follow, or favorite.
~Emily