~ floor twenty-nine ~
"Fears are nothing more than a state of mind."
Jason stood at the edge of the Argo II, leaning heavily on one of the balustrades. It had been a few days since Percy fell into the Pit, and the guilt of not being able to save his friend was slowly eating him whole. He should've flown there and carried him back up, that's what real son of Zeus would have done.
He sighed. Annabeth had told them about her recent dreams. Percy had appeared, looking nothing like he usually did, fighting or running away from some monstrosity. He'd chalked it up to her worried mind at first, but the dreams persisted, and knowing demigod dreams, it was likely that they weren't false at all.
It was the way she described him though; none of the relaxed, easy-going attitude was there. He fought like a demon, shot lightning out of his palms for Zeus' sake, and wielded blades that weren't Greek or Roman. Jason still had trouble believing the second part. He'd always thought lightning was his gig.
Feral. Another word Annabeth had used. He tried to picture the son of Poseidon as anything remotely feral, but he just couldn't. It went against everything that he stood for.
Shaking his head in confusion, he pushed away from the balustrade. They'd make it to the doors in time, and so would Percy. Jason believed that with all his heart.
But the problem was; what would they find at the Doors of Death? Would Percy be like Nico, all depressed and dark? He doubted it, but the thought still worried him. Jason walked back to the entrance of the ship; he'd worry about those things later. Besides, no matter how much the son of Poseidon changed, he'd still be Percy, right?
"Is there no end..." Percy grumbled, before raising his voice to a frustrated yell. "... to this fucking forest?!"
Three days had passed since they had entered the forest. Three whole days of fruitless wandering and wasting supplies, without anything to show for it. Nathaniel had been right, Percy realized, because the tower hadn't moved from its spot on the horizon, while they had been traveling for days. Their supplies were running thin, their water pouches were almost empty and Percy couldn't sense a body of water anywhere.
Another thing; they were being watched. Spirits resided in the trees, like the nymphs at camp, yet these spirits were different. They were female, dressed in pitch black dresses. They often appeared out of nowhere, phasing through the bark of their tree to take a look at the company. Percy and the others had been scared to death when the first one popped out of the tree.
The spirits never spoke, even when spoken to. They didn't even display emotion, really. Luckily they didn't seem to be hostile.
Yet.
On the fourth day when the sun was already high in the sky, something changed. The feeling of a small but powerful source of water entered Percy's sixth sense, hitting him like a slap in the face by Clarisse. He stopped dead in his tracks with a gasp, drawing the attention of the others.
"What's wrong?" Ember asked with a frown.
Percy didn't reply, instead he closed his eyes and focused on the feeling. Surely enough; a river seemed to be lying a few hundred yards in front of them. How had he not felt it earlier?
"Water." He said to the others. "I can feel it. A river."
He didn't waste time, rushing through the bushes and past the trees. The others followed him as fast as they could, but couldn't quite keep up. Percy's jog came to a stop just beyond the treeline, where he found a familiar sight.
It wasn't a river, no, more of a creek. The 'water' wasn't really water. It was liquid fire, and Percy could feel the heat from where he was standing. The ground around the creek was scorched and burnt. Not too far to his right, the creek took a sharp right and continued out of his line of sight.
"The Phlegethon." He said as his friends burst through the treeline behind him.
"Wow." Marco breathed in wonder, crouching down to get a closer look at the water. The rest stayed where they stood, but everyone was surprised to see the river of fire in a place like this.
"Maybe this is why the forest is dead?" Ember suggested. "The magic of the river?"
"Maybe." Percy replied, though he doubted it. The river didn't do anything of the sort when he last saw it. The thing that killed the trees was something different, something much darker. It lurked in the shadows unseen by his eye, but he knew it was there.
Percy crouched down next to Marco, and abruptly scooped a handful of liquid out of the river. The others yelled in alarm, but he signaled that he was fine. Again, the water was cold to the touch until he gulped it down; it still burned his throat like a ghost pepper times a hundred.
"Bleh." He spat, though he couldn't deny that he felt replenished already. He turned to the others. "Drink from it. It'll taste like garbage but it'll heal you."
"The fire will heal us?" Nathaniel asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Yes." Percy replied curtly.
And so they did. One by one, his friends drank from the river. Nathaniel had the expected reaction; coughing and groaning, but he kept it down. Oddly enough, the rest of them didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. They weren't human or demigod, so Percy chalked it up to that. As expected, a little bit of color returned to their faces and their eyes lit up ever so slightly.
"I thought the Phlegethon was supposed to be this huge river of lava?" Marco wondered. He'd taken a seat beside Percy, who was sitting with his back to a tree not too far away from the creek.
"It is." Percy assured him. "I've seen the real thing. I guess this is just a branch of it?"
Marco gave a shrug, and he sighed. To his left, Agis was pacing back and forth next to the creek, occasionally taking a sip from the burning water. The cat's head suddenly snapped up, his pupils narrowed into slits. He gave a low growl at the trees on the opposite side of the creek, causing the others to frown.
"What's wrong, boy?" Lohi asked. Percy had noticed that Agis and Lohi seemed to be particularly close, probably due to the fact that he'd followed her around while they looked for him.
Agis snarled, pressing his ears flat to his head. Usually that meant something wasn't quite right. On the other side, the bushes rustled, and Percy heard a soft thumping sound, as if something was making its way towards them.
"Something's coming." He grunted, tearing himself away from the tree, and strode towards the creek. "Stay here and be on guard."
In one swift motion, Lifedrinker's blade was freed from its sheath. He'd favored the onesided sword over Orenmir these past few days; the cursed sabre seemed to be having some issues. It started smoking black fog at random intervals, only for a few minutes at a time. Percy didn't know what it was, but it set him on edge.
The rustling stopped completely when he reached the creek, but Percy didn't stop, clearing the burning water in one large leap. He landed roughly on the ashy ground, before continuing.
"Whoever you are, show yourself now and no one has to get hurt." He said loudly. A flock of birdlike creatures fled from the canopy somewhere in the distance, he'd startled them with his yell. The creature hiding in the bushes didn't respond, so Percy took a step beyond the treeline.
A rustle to his left; a shadow raced from one tree to another, before disappearing again.
"I know you're there!" He growled. "Just come out!"
Another flash of movement in his peripheral, to the right this time, and he lashed out with his sword. It hit nothing but a tree, causing a large chunk of it to be smashed to splinters. Percy cursed internally, turning every which way to try and catch a glimpse of this creature.
Eventually, he did see it; a creature with a black dog's head and pointy ears, sharp teeth and claws. Its body was human enough, but it was pitch black. Percy recognized it as a Telekhine; the sea demons that made Kronos' scythe. When he thought about it, it made sense that one of them would be hanging around the Phlegethon due to their immunity to heat and all that.
It lunged at him, claws spread wide and aiming for his face, but Percy was faster. He sidestepped the attack completely and tripped the monster on its way past him. It fell with its snout in the ash, before it tried to scramble to its feet like a dog trying to get out of a bath.
In the blink of an eye, Percy had his boot pressed into its spine and his sword at its neck. It gave a frustrated growl.
"Perseus Jackson." It snarled. He rolled his eyes; he swore every monster in existence started the conversation that way.
"That would be me." He replied nonchalantly. "Have I threatened you before?" Usually, he'd have killed it by now, but he needed answers. A way to get out of this forest, preferably.
"The incident at Hephaestus' forges was mere luck, demigod." The telekhine growled, and Percy's eyebrows shot up.
"So we have met." He said with a hum. "Interesting. Never took you Telekhines for the spying type, what changed?"
Lifedrinker's edge hovered dangerously close to the monster's neck, and it eyed the blade warily from its peripheral. "I don't have to tell you anything, filth." It growled through its teeth.
Percy gave an exaggerated eye-roll. "If you tell me now, I'll allow you to go free. You have my word." He promised. "Also, what do you know about this forest? How can we leave it? And don't lie, I'm not fond of liars."
"Your first mistake" the telekhine grunted, "was assuming that I'm here alone."
He blinked, the hairs on the back of neck standing up as a chill ran down his spine. In the silver reflection of his sword, he saw movement to his right before he even heard anything; he pushed away from the Telekhine just in time to avoid an arrow that zoomed past his face. It sailed into the bushes to his right, but his focus was solely on the enemies in front of him.
With a grunt, he slashed through the back of the downed Telekhine's knees to keep it immobile; he'd need at least one survivor to interrogate. Another arrow flew towards him; he turned it to splinters with a swing of his sword.
The archer hidden in the bushes was a Telekhine as well; it wielded a small bow made of dark wood. It notched another arrow, aimed it right between his eyes, and spoke.
"If you want your friends to live, demigod, then I suggest you stop." It growled, causing Percy to freeze. In his anger, he'd forgotten all about his friends back at the creek. He'd been careless. His mind moved a mile a minutes, trying to find a way out of this situation.
"Fine then." He said. "Let's all move back to the creek, and we'll work something out there. No sudden moves. Deal?"
The monster's eyes narrowed slightly; it knew that Percy could kill it in the blink of an eye, if not faster. The only power they had in this situation was the fact that his friends might be held hostage. It loosened the string of the bow, but kept the arrow in place, before nodding in the direction of the river.
"No sudden moves." It repeated his swords, and Percy nodded. He kept his silver blade in his hand, but lowered it just enough for it to seem unthreatening.
They left the wounded and groaning Telekhine behind in favor of walking back to the creek. When they reached it, Percy's suspicions were confirmed when he saw the entire place crawling with Telekhines and Vrykolakas. In the distance, he heard the howl of a direwolf, meaning that there were more monsters on their way here. He cursed internally.
His friends were tied up to the trees with vines or rope, with Agis being tied up and held down by several of the vampire creatures. When the monsters saw him, they snarled and grinned in anticipation. The archer turned to him.
"Do you see now, Jackson?" It asked. "It's hopeless. Surrender, and your friends go free. If not..."
It continued talking, but Percy zoned out. For a minute, it felt like time slowed down as he could hear his own heartbeat drumming in his ears. Surrender. He hated that word. His brain told him that surrendering would be the safest option, but something kept him from doing it. He didn't want to surrender, he wanted to kill every monster in this forest and cleanse it of their filth.
His metal hand nonchalantly grasped Orenmir's hilt; he didn't notice the wisp of black smoke escaping the scabbard. The unintelligible whisper was back, it bounced around in his skull, compelling him to fight, even though he couldn't understand what it said. He just knew.
The whisper vanished and he zoned back in. Orenmir slid free in one smooth motion and hummed.
Percy reappeared behind two of the Vrykolakas who stood guard next to his friends; he spun around with both blades in his hand. One head was sent sailing into the forest, the other's neck was slashed open. They both turned to golden dust.
He sent a supercharged bolt of electricity across the river, not waiting to see it hit the archer right in the chest as he marched on. He slashed both Marco and Lohi free of their bonds, before turning towards the vampires, who were charging him.
"Get them free." He barked, referring to his other friends who were still tied.
The first monster couldn't even attack, Lifedrinker cleaved it clean in half. The next one swiped its claws, but Percy saw it coming. He dodged, before grabbing it by the hem of its shirt. It tried to claw at his arm, but they harmlessly bounced off the Zullite steel. He tossed it straight into the oncoming group of Vrykolakas, who were more than surprised at the sudden attack.
He heard the sound of a horn being blown, and cursed. That had to be a signal. Telekhines were wading through the creek towards him, and the vampires were regaining their bearings. His friends had backed up, watching as he cut through the monsters with ease.
He sliced through a Telekhine who had gotten a bit too close, before dashing towards his friends. He ignored the way the monster's golden dust was seemingly sucked into Lifedrinker's blade. "Run!" He demanded. "Into the forest! The wolves will outrun us otherwise!"
Behind him, the Telekhines visibly recoiled at the sight of their companion being absorbed by the silver sword. "He wields the blade that drinks our blood!" One of them hissed. "Kill it! Kill all of them!"
Percy and the others dove into the forest, running past trees and leaping over rocks and logs as they raced downhill. Percy made up the rear, making sure no one was left behind.
"Agis!" He yelled. "With me!"
On cue, the sabertooth burst into his larger, more feral form before Percy leapt onto his back. At top of the hill, a pair of Vrykolakas appeared. He heard the howl of a wolf in the distance.
He turned around. The rest had stopped to see what Percy was doing, but he made a gesture to keep them moving. "Go! Get to a hiding place! I'll hold them off!"
"No!" Ember yelled back, but Marco grabbed her by the shoulder and began pulling her along. Percy gave him one grateful look, before turning back to the monsters. "Agis can track you by scent, I'll find you. Stay put until I'm back!"
With that being said, Percy waved his sword around to get the attention of the monsters. It worked, seeing as they all zoned in on him. If they had seen his friends run the other way, they didn't care. "Hey, you mosquito rejects!" He yelled. "Come and get it!"
He took off in the opposite direction, leaping over a large fallen tree before racing further downhill. When they ran into the Phlegethon again, Percy heard another howl. The wolves were getting closer, but he was confident Agis could outrun them. The sabretooth cleared the creek with one leap and continued running.
"Come on!" He urged, talking to no one in particular. Agis finally broke through the treeline, only to skid to a stop when they saw what was in front of them.
A cliff. Below them -below the sixty foot drop- was a lake. It didn't go very far; Percy could see a field just beyond it, with a another forest somewhere in the distance. The good news was that he'd found the exit to the forest, the bad news was that he couldn't exactly jump off the cliff.
The lake wasn't full of regular water; it was the liquid fire of the Phlegethon, and Percy didn't want to find out what happened when he came in full-body contact with it. The Acheron had messed with his mind, the Styx had almost dissolved him... Yeah, no thanks.
To his left, the cliffside slowly curved downwards until it leveled with the field below, creating a cove of sorts. He could make his way alongside the cliff and escape via the field, but that would put him in an awkward position. He'd give the enemy the high ground that way.
The leaves rustled somewhere behind him; he whirled around just in time to see a Telekhine leap through the fern behind him. He met the attack with a wide swing of his sword; the head of the beast was sent flying over the edge of the cliff while its body turned to dust. Again, the dust magically clung to the silver metal before disappearing completely.
A few yards to his right, a blood-red direwolf appeared from the forest. Its beady eyes zoned in on him as it beared its fangs. He saw even more of them through the bushes and leaves.
"Cliff-side it is." Percy muttered, steering Agis towards the field far below them. Agis ran alongside the cliff with the wolves hot on their heels, dodging rocks and jumping over cracks in the floor. They neared a thick, overhanging branch that hung relatively low to the ground, and an idea popped into Percy's head. He raised Lifedrinker overhead, and with one mighty swing he cleaved through the branch as they passed it.
He looked over his shoulder; the branch had nailed one of the wolves in the snout, sending it tumbling into one of its brothers. They both fell over the edge, howling all the way down. Percy snickered, patting Agis on the back. "That's what I'm talking about!"
His cheers were cut off as an arrow whizzed right by his face. "Or not." He muttered. Despite their small victory, there was still a large number of wolves on their tail. Some of them had riders, some didn't.
Percy swung his legs around so he was sitting backwards on Agis' back, before raising his metal palm at the group of monsters behind them. Lightning crackled, before it shot straight at them with a dark flash. Two wolves in the front fell, sinking to dust immediately, and their rides were left spazzing on the ground. An arrow came soaring right at him, hitting him in the shoulder. Luckily, it bounced right off the metal plate that was positioned there.
As he turned around, Agis came to a screeching halt. A large group of monsters had cut them off on their way down; a wall of direwolves, Vrykolakas and armed Telekhines blocked their path. He heard the tensing of bowstrings and the sound of weapons being brandished. Agis paced nervously; they were surrounded.
"Hey there, fellas." Percy said casually. "Fancy seeing you here."
He gave Agis a nudge. As if the cat could read his mind, Agis transformed into his small form immediately, before crawling onto Percy's shoulder. One of the armored Telekhines stepped forward.
"You've grown arrogant." It snarled. "You didn't think you could escape us, all of us, did you?" The crowd gave a short laugh at this, but Percy didn't share the sentiment. His focus was oriented at a particular vampire, standing at the very back of the group.
"Well." He said, placing a hand on Orenmir's hilt. "Maybe I already have."
The Telekhine's eyes wandered down to his sword and its eyes widened in recognition. "Fire!" It yelled. "Fire, you idiots!"
The archers were clearly confused, but did as they were told, letting the arrows fly towards the demigod standing in the center of the circle. Percy's grin widened, he activated Orenmir's ability. The sword hummed in its sheath, before Percy promptly switched locations with the monster who had been standing in the back. The storm of arrows rained down on the poor soul who'd taken his place, but he didn't have time to look. He didn't feel sorry either.
Agis transformed yet again and Percy hopped onto his back; they were off once again, racing down the hill. They had a huge lead, the monsters were left in a confused and startled heap. They reached the bottom in no time, sprinting out into the open field below.
Percy took a deep, slow breath. The air felt different, more clear. As clear as Tartarus' air could feel, at least. The forest really had messed with his mind. He guessed the fire water had somewhat helped with the illusions. When he took a look over his shoulder, he noticed that the tower was gone. It had been an illusion, just like Nathaniel had said.
Speaking of his friends; he'd have to find them. If his sense of direction wasn't completely screwed, they should be somewhere to his left. "Agis, can you track the others?" He asked, to which the sabretooth gave an approving huff. He took a sharp left just as expected, occasionally sniffing the air.
"Good." He breathed. "Good. Let's go."
It didn't take more than a few minutes for them to find the rest; they were crouched low in a patch of tall grass, slowly making their way through the field. Percy hopped off Agis' back, and the monster turned back into its smaller form.
"Good to see you in one piece." Marco greeted him with a pat on the back.
"Again." Ember grumbled, though she offered him a tired smile. They all looked a bit winded, actually.
"Did you lose them?" Lohi asked with a frown. Percy shook his head in return.
"Not yet. They're far behind though." He replied, before taking a look at their surroundings. He didn't have a clue where he should go, there was no sign of a boss anywhere.
"Did the monsters say anything while I was gone? Anything relating to a boss?"
Marco hummed, scratching his chin. "They sent one away to 'report back to the master' whatever that meant."
"That's something." Percy muttered, before nodding at the forest on the other side of the large field. It reminded him of the place where the mother dragon's nest had been. It wasn't dead like the previous one, and it didn't exude the malicious aura either. "Let's go there for cover, we can discuss our plans when we put some distance between us and that troop."
"I wonder who the 'master' is." Ember said thoughtfully. "I doubt a single Telekhine or vampire has enough authority to control that whole bunch."
Percy nodded. "You're right. I doubt they're on the same level as Aruli though, so there isn't anything to worry about."
"For you." Nathaniel grumbled. "For the rest of us... debatable."
"You're free to find a different group to travel with, Bleeze." Percy replied with a raise of his eyebrow, before turning, and began marching towards their destination. The others quickly followed, including Nathaniel, who did so with a deep sigh.
A man shrouded in darkness stepped through the swirling portal of purple energy, his hand placed idly on the pommel of his sword. His walk was regal, demanding the respect of everyone who stood by as he stepped onto the dirt. His yellow eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance as he took a brief look at the forest around him. He didn't enjoy leaving his castle, especially not to enter a measly floor like this.
A Telekhine scurried up to him, bowing deeply despite already being dwarfed by the man's towering form. "Lord Alvar." It said. "The boy. He escaped again. He is entering Taroth's territory."
Alvar tuned out the monster's voice as it was annoying him greatly. He briefly pinched the bridge of his nose between his sharp nails. "Follow him then." He said sternly.
The Telekhine seemed at a loss for words. "But, my lord, if we enter Taroth's lands, we are sure to die! It would be best if you-"
Its words were cut off as Alvar raised a single finger; the monster was lifted a few inches off the ground by some magical force. Alvar's eyes shone with powerful rage as he locked eyes with the fearful Telekhine. "Are you telling me what I should do?" He snapped. "A lowly demon of the sea giving me orders? Me?"
"It was a mere suggestion, Lord Alvar-"
Alvar simply flicked the finger outwards and the Telekhine was sent flying into a tree, its neck gave a loud snap as it was bent at an odd angle. The rest of the monster troop, wolves and vampires alike took a step back in fear.
"I do not need your mindless suggestions." The lieutenant said, leaving no room for argument. "Find the boy, consequences be damned. I will have the son of that damned sea deity's head on a stake, even if I have to clear the entire Black Castle to do it!"
With that, he marched on as his sheer power broke through any curses that the forest possessed. He had a demigod to hunt.
"Through here." Percy said. They had reached the edge of the forest rather quickly, a sheer contrast to their endless wandering in the previous woods. His magic sense didn't blare, didn't give a single hint that this forest had some sort of magic influence on them, so he assumed it was safe.
Speaking of safe; they'd need a place to rest up soon. Percy was doing fine, with Marco not far behind, but the others seriously needed a break. They were more than winded, and looked like they might just die of exhaustion.
"Just a little bit more." He assured them. "We'll find a place to rest soon. Maybe a water source."
Speaking of water source, he'd forgotten to check for one in the forest. He briefly closed his eyes and began to expand his sixth sense, when the sudden blare of a horn made them snap back open. It echoed throughout the field somehow, accompanied by the sound of a galloping horde. The others had heard it too and were looking around frantically.
To his left, something appeared from the forest. It was a horse, multiple horses actually. They wore black armor, just like the soldiers who rode them. The soldiers themselves wielded spears and had swords sheathed at their sides.
He frowned. Their equipment seemed so well made, it reminded him of the Fey in Rosehallow. When he looked to his right, he saw an identical group appearing there too, which meant that they were effectively surrounded.
"Stay together!" He commanded. "Get in a circle!"
The rest obeyed, forming a closed circle with their weapons drawn and pointed at the incoming horsemen. Said horsemen soon closed in on them, before splitting up into smaller groups.
They surrounded Percy and his friends, forming a wall of armoured horses and silver spears. He couldn't see the faces behind the helmets, which freaked him out just a tiny bit.
As they were closed in, an unnerving silence settled, leaving room for the heavy breathing horses and shuttering armor. Percy cleared his throat.
"What do you want?" He said, deciding not to beat around the bush. Nothing like a potential spear to the chest to kill a man's nerves.
The soldier in front of Percy smoothly slid off his horse, before tugging his helmet off and hanging it on the saddle of his horse.
It was a man with brown hair identical to Marco's, though much longer. It fell down to his shoulders. He had striking green eyes, much lighter than Percy's own, and... pointy ears?
He realized with a start that the man must be Fey, like Marco and Ember. That meant that the Fey didn't just exist on the twenty-eighth floor like he'd previously thought.
"A very peculiar group to wander onto our lands. Who are you?" The man asked, his neutral expression not wavering in the slightest.
Percy decided to take the lead, since it looked like the question was meant for him. "I'm Percy. This is Marco, Ember, Nathaniel and Lohi." He replied. "We're just passing through."
"No one passes through Lord Taroth's land without permission, Percy." He said, pronouncing his name with a dangerous edge to his tone. "Especially not... a demigod."
He must've seen the hardening of Percy's features, because the man hummed thoughtfully. He gave his fellow soldiers a look.
"Search them. You're our prisoner until we've confirmed your intentions." He said.
The soldiers began searching them immediately, stripping them of their baggage and weapons. He let them take his weapons, since he couldn't possibly fend off this many trained soldiers while also protecting his friends. He'd pulled it off back at the creek, but this was way different. Eventually though, he had enough.
Percy grunted, slapping away a hand before he turned to the leader once more.
"Intentions?" He bit. "We're just trying to get out of this place."
He was ignored, again, as the leader's focus on a certain weapon he'd received from his colleague. The man delicately held Lifedrinker up to the light, inspecting the words carved into the blade.
"The blade that drains blessed sword of the Fey." He said, his voice full of wonder. "Medicuil."
"War-forged by my kind." He turned to Percy, eyes ablaze as he held Lifedrinker to his chest. "Where did you get this?"
"I found it." Percy answered honestly. The man stared into his eyes for a long time, probably looking for any semblance of a lie, before lowering the sword.
"Take them." He said to his soldiers, who obeyed without question.
Percy and the others were promptly grabbed by the collar and shoved into the forest, trying to keep up with the marching soldiers as they progressed deeper into the woods. The horses were left behind for now, probably to be collected later.
The forest had a paved, stone path wide enough for the horses, and definitely wide enough to guide a group of newly acquired prisoners.
He was still on edge, peering through the bushes and past trees, thinking a direwolf might just catch them off guard. No such thing happened though, and the leader seemed to be very sure that it wouldn't.
The man walked in front, leading the group, without a care in the world. Was he so sure that his territory was safe?
Eventually, a large wooden gate entered his field of vision. It was huge, intertwined into the trees and plants around it like it was part of the forest itself. It probably was.
The leader stopped next to the two guards who stood watch at the gate, and greeted them. He also informed them that they had acquired some prisoners along the way, how nice.
During this short interaction though, Percy managed to catch the leaders name, spoken by one of the guards.
Rydel. His name was Rydel, Lord Rydel, which meant he must've been a pretty big deal in this place.
Two narrow doors opened, still leaving more than enough room for them to pass through, and they entered the... what could he even call the place?
It looked like mix between a palace and a stronghold on the inside; swords and shields were framed side by side while a carpet was rolled out on the floor, as if everyone who entered was an A-list celebrity.
At a section where the hall split off into two smaller hallways, they stopped. Rydel spoke.
"Take the others to the cells, provide them with food and water." He said, before looking at Percy. "I'm taking this one. Lord Taroth will want to meet him."
Percy wanted to protest, but his friends were separated from him nonetheless. He
puffed in frustration as Rydel began pulling him along.
"I can walk, prick." He grunted, tearing his arm away from the man's grip. Rydel didn't comment. Percy eyed Lifedrinker; it was still clutched tightly in the man's palm, sheath and all. Rydel had recognized it somehow, despite the Fey in Rosehallow having little to no knowledge about the sword. And who was this 'Taroth' character anyway?
The two turned a corner into a much larger area, with a heavily decorated, regal looking door at the end of the hall. Again, two guards stood guard at the entrance. These guards had golden accessories on their chest-plates and helmets though. Rydel simply walked past them, not even acknowledging their presence, and pushed the door open.
Percy quickly realized they had just entered a throne room, and the guards outside must have been the royal guard of some sort. Not too far in front of them stood a large table, littered with maps and drawings. A compass-like device laid next to a quill, stuck upright in a pot of ink. A man dressed in dark blue robes stood behind the table, arms crossed behind his back as he thoughtfully looked down at the maps.
"Father." Rydel spoke. Percy's eyebrows shot up. This guy was Rydel's dad? Then again, they did look somewhat alike. Though the father's hair was darker, and his eyes were brown.
The man looked up at them for a brief moment, his eyes locking onto Percy. "A visitor?" He asked, raising a single eyebrow as he eyed weapon in Rydel's hand. "No, an intruder. Who is this?"
The words sounded eerily similar in Percy's ears, and he tried to recollect where he'd heard them before. And why did the man seem to familiar to him? It was as if he'd met him before somewhere.
"His name is Percy, apparently." Rydel replied. "We found him and his friends crossing the border, trying to enter the forest."
The man hummed, stepping around the table, and walked up to them. He locked eyes with Percy, before they widened every so slightly. "You reek of my brother's magic, boy." He spoke. "Who are you really?"
His brother? What is he talking about?
"Percy Jackson." He replied, his features hardening. "I don't know who the hell your brother is, and I'm not inclined to care."
"Show some respect." Rydel snapped, giving him a smack over the back of the head, but his father held up a hand. Rydel froze.
"I think you do know him." He said. "Sanak, son of Aran. You fought him, didn't you?"
Percy struggled to keep his surprise contained. This guy was Sanak's brother? If that was the case, then this wasn't good. No, this was very bad. Percy swallowed the lump in his throat, and spoke.
"I did."
The man hummed. "You killed him?" He asked.
"Yes."
Then it hit him; this must be the Taroth guy. The one who ruled this area. That didn't make any sense though, how could a son of Aran be a Fey? The Fey specifically made Lifedrinker to get rid of the sons of Tartarus! It didn't add up, not even a little.
Speaking of the sword, Rydel held it up to his father along with Orenmir. "He wielded these blades, father. They are both made by the Fey, right?" He asked.
Taroth didn't answer, opting to take Lifedrinker from his son. He weighed it with both hands, before expertly flipping it over by the handle. "Medicuil, the drinker of life." He spoke, eyeing the sword with something akin to disdain. "That answers one question; my brother hasn't reformed because of the sword. I doubt he ever will."
He turned to Percy. "As far as I know, this sword was sealed away with Aran in his tomb." Taroth said. "You killed him too?"
The demigod cursed internally, before nodding in defeat. "Yeah." He sighed. Taroth gave a hum -was he impressed?- before sheathing the sword again, and gave it back to his son. He took hold of the other blade; the silver sabre called Orenmir.
This time, Taroth kept the blade sheathed. "The cursed blade of Wistari, said to be lost after its last wielder went mad with rage." He gave it back to Rydel. "You have a track record with malicious weapons, Percy Jackson."
"You're telling me." Percy huffed. "What do you want with us? Revenge for Sanak?"
Taroth shook his head. "I have no desire for revenge, that's more my brother's trick. What I would like to know though; why is Alvar hunting you?" He asked.
"Alvar is hunting me?"
"Yes." The son of Aran nodded. "I felt his presence enter my floor, it won't be long before he storms my palace to get to you. But why are you so valuable?"
Percy swallowed. "I've escaped him once before, about a month or two ago."
"Ahhh." Said Taroth. "I understand. Alvar is a very vindictive man. You're likely the first to escape his wrath even once. I pity your soul when he finds you."
"He won't." Percy said sternly. "Not now, not ever."
"Who says I won't hand you over on a silver platter, boy?" Taroth said calmly.
"Will you?"
They maintained eye contact for a moment, brown clashing with green, before Taroth sighed. "No, I will not." He said. "As much as I dislike demigods... Alvar, I dislike more. He's a foul beast of a man. I do not support Gaea's war, so an invasion was unavoidable anyway. It just came sooner than we expected."
He turned his focus to Rydel. "My son, I want our defenses doubled. Call back all scouting parties. No one goes into the forest without my consent, it'll be crawling with Alvar's pawns soon." He commanded. "And release Percy and his friends, have someone prepare them a meal and a bed to sleep in. They probably need it."
Rydel seemed a little startled by the sudden change of pace, but he nodded nonetheless. He let go of Percy's arm and handed him his weapons. Taroth turned to Percy once more.
"I'll lend you my aid, demigod." He said. "In return, I expect you help us in the upcoming fight, because we'll need it. Do we have a deal?"
Percy was stumped, almost as much a Rydel was, but he clenched his jaw and looked the lord in the eyes. "Yes, I will." He said. "But when all is said and done, you'll let us go free, correct?"
"Of course." Taroth said. "You'll be free to go wherever you please, assuming we survive this ordeal."
"Is Alvar really that powerful?" He asked.
Taroth sighed deeply. "I'm afraid so. He is one of the strongest men in Tartarus, bar the deity himself. Don't worry about that yet, boy. Eat. Sleep. You'll need your strength."
Percy gave him a nod of thanks, before following Rydel out of the room. They walked through the halls in silence for a while, before Percy spoke up. "Have you ever seen Alvar?" He asked.
"No." Rydel replied. "And I prayed I'd never have to. That man... you don't want to know the stories that surround him. He's a monster, a true monster."
Percy frowned. "But... we have a chance, right?"
He couldn't see Rydel's facial expression from his position, but he could guess the emotion that was currently visible. "Di Immortales, I hope so."
He was reunited with his friends at a sort of dinner hall, where he could see many soldiers seated at the long, wooden tables, either eating and drinking or simply conversing. They were all Fey, he realized. Rydel had left when Percy spotted his friends, likely headed to follow his father's orders. His friends were seated at a table, somewhat isolated from the soldiers, digging into the food like their life depended on it.
"Hey guys." He said casually. Their heads snapped up towards him; they looked at him as if he was a ghost. His face must've been white as a sheet.
"What happened?" Ember asked with a worried frown. Percy sunk into the seat next to her, taking a deep breath. The others looked at him with confused, curious expressions.
"It's Alvar." He said, and the others were immediately on high alert. "He's on this floor, and he's coming for us."
Silence reigned over the table. A few tense seconds passed, until Marco swallowed his food and said the one thing that seemed appropriate in this situation.
"Oh, shit."
A/N: longer chapter, wooo! Alvar rematch soon? More sword lore? Another son of Aran?
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