~ floor thirty, one week later ~

"A soul as black as hell."

The thirtieth floor was different than he had expected. Vast, snowy mountains and fields with the occasional frozen river or creek. They'd wandered around the valley for a few days, figuring out just where the hell the door had taken them, when they finally saw it.

In the distance, just beyond a frozen, barren wasteland stood a mountain. It stood alone, poking out of the horizon like a strange tumor. At first, Percy had thought nothing of it, until they found the bodies. Frozen bodies of monsters, animals and other organisms alike. They had died because of the sheer cold, probably caught up in one of the terrifying snow storms that ravaged these lands at night.

Something was hiding at the mountain, he thought. The storms didn't feel natural, they had that signature gleam that always came with magic. Something didn't want them to reach the mountain, and Percy had a damn good clue what it might be. The floor boss.

They were currently in a different part of the floor; a thick evergreen forest located about an hour away from the frozen plains. They'd set up camp at a small enclave of dry land, at the bottom of a valley.

"It's bloody freezing out here." said Nathaniel, holding his gloved hands up to the fire. "I should've stayed with the Fey."

"I should've handed you over to Alvar." Percy said, scoffing. Agis was curled up around his feet, not bothered by the cold. Percy himself didn't feel too cold either, just a bit chilly. He chalked it up to Sanak or Aruli's powers. Now that he thought of it; Ember had also mentioned his hands felt warmer to the touch than other beings', almost too warm. Whenever he got cut, his wound steamed and hissed too.

Maybe his spiked body temperature was a side effect of his healing factor?

"Rydel said the next few floors are rumored to be cold and barren." said Percy. "Apparently, it has something to do with Arnan."

"Arnan?" Ember asked. "Who's that?"

Percy casually dragged his dagger across the piece of wood he was holding, cutting away another chunk. He shrugged. "The next lieutenant. I don't think we'll see him for another few dozen floors."

"Next?" Nathaniel asked with wide eyes. "Next? What do you mean, next?"

"We're going to have to face him eventually." said Percy. "The same goes for Alvar, and whoever the first lieutenant is."

Nathaniel sunk back down in his seat, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You know, most people would be grateful to survive the wrath of one lieutenant."

"Not me." Percy scoffed. "They'll die."

"You know, when Kronos' guys talked about you, they didn't mention the whole 'thirsty for revenge' thing." The son of Athena muttered.

Percy forcefully carved through another piece of wood. "I'm not thirsty for revenge, Bleeze." He said. "It's determination. You could use some of that yourself."

Before he could respond, Agis growled out a warning at Percy's feet. The cat's lip was curled back, ears laid flat as he growled at the trees behind him. Percy frowned, taking a look himself as he stood up from his log.

"What is it?" Lohi asked. Percy shook his head, he didn't know either. Agis' snarls intensified, which usually meant something wasn't quite alright. He turned to the others.

"Pack up, douse the fire." He commanded. "We're leaving. I'll go take a look."

"Be careful." Ember urged, so he gave her a reassuring smile and a soft touch on the shoulder. He turned to the trees once more, wading through the thick snow. Technically, he was at an advantage here. He couldn't quite control snow as easily as he controlled water, but he could still vaguely feel when someone stepped into the snow surrounding him.

Like a worse version of a radar.

The bad news was; his movement was limited in this thick snow. His legs sunk in up to a few inches under his knee.

He heard a strange sound to his right, where a thin layer of ice slowly crawled up the bark of a tree. It was unnaturally fast, and why would it-

His thought process was rudely interrupted when an object shot out from behind the tree, heading straight for his head.

Percy was fast though. He'd drawn Orenmir and slashed through the object in the blink of an eye, before leaping towards the tree. He rocketed through the air, his foot smashing clean through the log.

The tree fell with a lot of loud creaking and groaning, but nothing was behind it.

Percy frowned, looking back at the broken object. It was a poorly crafted arrow made of ice, with barbs along the tip. Whoever had shot it must've been a mage.

He wasn't sensing anything though, which meant they were either gone or had the ability to mask their presence somehow.

He decided it was the second one, when a thick wave of snow rose up behind him, before smashing him in the back. Percy stumbled, flicking his hand to launch the snow off him.

Percy turned around, only to see nothing once more.

"Keep hiding and I might have to get serious." He taunted. "Where are you?"

The creature didn't respond, instead he heard the same crackling sound as before. Ice had expanded up the side of several trees, freezing entire boulders in seconds.

Lightning sparked at his feet, melting the snow and ice that were slowly surrounding him. He stood on dry ground once more.

"That won't work." said Percy. "You can't hide forever."

He felt something move, even before he saw the flash of movement in his peripheral. Percy dashed through the trees like a demon, zigzagging towards the creature.

He saw it standing with its back pressed to a tree, hiding, but it seemed to have realized that it was seen. The monster moved away right as Orenmir slashed clean through the tree, causing it to fall down.

Percy followed up by kicking the creature's legs and smashing the pommel of his sword into its back. It slammed into the ground, wheezing and coughing.

He got a better look at it; a slender humanoid figure with light blue skin, but it's eyes were red. Sclera, irises and all. The monster's chest was bare, and it only wore pants made of fuzzy animal pelt.

"What the hell are you?" Percy muttered, nudging it with his foot. It futilely tried to claw at his leg, but he simply stepped out of the way.

"Wanna tell me where the floor boss is, or...?" He asked. It didn't reply, so he sighed and raised his sword, the tip aimed down at its neck. "Well, it's been nice."

He saw the monster's eyes widen, and it sputtered while waving its arms like a lunatic. "Wait!" It yelled. "Hold on, I'll speak!"

Percy made a curt 'go on' gesture.

"No one knows where the boss is." It said after shifting into a better sitting position. When it saw the warning glint in Percy's eyes, it shook its head frantically. "It's true! I'm not lying. Our tribe lives in the abandoned fortress, but we are disconnected from the current boss."

Percy frowned. "Disconnected?"

The blue creature nodded. "Yes, yes. We don't know where or who it is. All we know is that it lives in the mountains." It explained.

He slowly nodded along, glancing at the mountain through the canopy of the trees. The tip was just barely visible on the misty horizon. "And where is this abandoned fortress? What is it?"

The monster shrugged. "It used to be Arnan's base of operations, but it has long since been left empty. Now my kind resides there."

"Your kind." Percy repeated. "What are you exactly?"

"I am a Chenoo." It said with an unsettling grin, giving him a better look at its unnaturally sharp teeth. "Ice giants."

"You don't seem very giant to me." Percy scoffed. It was true, the monster was quite tall, but nothing compared to the gigantes from Greek mythology. The blue skin, red eyes and pulsing veins on the side of the Chenoo's head were unsettling though. "Hm. You didn't answer my first question; where is the fortress?"

The Chenoo's heavy breaths came out in visible puffs of smoke as he got to one knee. Percy saw a layer of ice beginning to form on its clawed fingers, and raised an eyebrow. "It's a day's journey south of here, but it doesn't matter." It said.

"And why not?" Percy asked.

A beat of silence passed, until he saw its forearm tense. "Because you'll never make it there alive!" The Chenoo yelled as its arm snapped upwards; a spike of ice erupted from its palm, shooting towards Percy's face.

He leaned back, causing the spike to soar past his face and into the sky, before he twisted around and sliced through its neck in one smooth motion. The Chenoo's head barely touched the ground before it turned to dust, and was swept away by the wind.

Percy flicked the blueish blood off his blade and sheathed it. "Well, that was something." He muttered to the wind, before turning towards the camp again.

When he returned, the others had already packed their stuff and put the fire out. There wasn't a single trace of them there, except some lightly scorched grass where the fire had been. Ember walked up to him.

"Find anything?" She asked.

He nodded. "Something called a Chenoo. He said there's an abandoned fortress somewhere south." He explained.

"So, is that where we're headed?" Nathaniel asked. Percy nodded again.

"Let's be careful. If one of these Chenoo weirdoes could sneak up on us, others can too." He turned towards the direction he thought was south, frowning at the trees that obstructed his view. He wondered what he'd find in Arnan's abandoned fortress, apart from a pack of bloodthirsty ice creatures. Whatever it may be, he doubted it'd be good.

They left the campsite shortly after, heading southbound as Percy had said before. They didn't speak much, most of them were preoccupied with trying not to freeze to death, and the others were lost in thought. It was an exhausting task, climbing out of the valley again. Percy always kept half of his mind focused on his 'radar', trying to sense any nearby presence in their vicinity. He had felt nothing thus far.

A few hours passed as they walked, until they caught sight of something; a plume of smoke rising up in the distance. It couldn't possibly be the old fortress, since the Chenoo had said it was about a day's journey away, but what else could it be? They edged closer to the source, until they stopped at the top of a hill.

Beneath their small incline was a town; several houses made of wood, straw and rocks. They were quite spacious, but seemed old, like the village had existed for a long time now. From his hiding place behind a bush, Percy could see light in the houses, and the shadows of people moving around inside.

A door to one of the houses opened and out came a young woman, carrying a pile of wood. The girl was dressed in wide, fluffy robes and a scarf was wrapped around her neck. She dropped the branches in the snow, next to a larger pile of wood, before entering the house again.

Percy was stumped. "Humans?" He muttered. "The hell are humans doing here?"

"We don't know for sure that they're humans." said Nathaniel. "Maybe they're disguised."

He was right, that could be the case, but Percy doubted it. He trusted his senses the most, and they weren't giving him any signs that these people were monsters. They just seemed like... regular people. Severely outdated and old-fashioned people.

"We should pay them a visit." He said.

"Why?" asked Nathaniel, frowning. "We'd just be wasting precious time."

"I want to know why there's a village here, so close to a tribe of monsters." He replied. "There's no way they can live peacefully while that fortress is mere miles away from here. That Chenoo I found must've had to pass through here to get to us."

Nathaniel seemed to ponder his words for a second, staring at the wooden houses through narrowed eyes. "Fine, but if we get abducted and fed to the ice monsters, it's on you." He reached into his backpack, before handing Percy something; it was Chrysaor's golden mask. "And put this on."

The mask was dented in some places and one of the tusks had snapped off, but it was still clearly a Gorgon. "Why?" he asked.

"Don't you remember what Taroth said?" Nathaniel replied. "There's a massive target on your back because of what you did to Alvar. Your identity could quite literally get us all killed."

Percy clicked his tongue in frustration, but put the mask on anyways. Nathaniel was right; if he masked his identity, surely their trip would be easier. He fastened the leather straps on the back, before turning to his friends. "How does it look?"

"Shiny." said Lohi. Percy rolled his eyes, before nodding at the village.

They descended the small hill, leaving a trail of snowy footsteps behind as they entered the village. A group of playing children spotted them in the distance, whispering to each other before dashing away. He caught an old man watching them from behind a curtain, but he quickly closed it to hide from Percy's gaze.

Percy had concealed Lifedrinker on his back again, only the handle was poking out from under the layers of animal pelts, while Orenmir kept its place at his waist. He must've looked quite intimidating in the eyes of the humans; a masked swordsman clad in thick pelts and armor.

They came across a small plaza of sorts; in the middle stood a fountain filled with ice, as if the water had frozen mid-stream long ago. Inside of the ice, he saw pennies and coins, most of which he couldn't recognize. He did see some drachma though, which made him think. There had been Greeks here?

The wind howled, brushing his neck, and he shivered. Suddenly the warm aura of the village didn't feel so welcoming anymore. It felt cold, unnaturally cold. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon some time ago, casting the village in darkness.

Percy's fingers brushed against the stone of the fountain, leaving trails in the snowy dust. His senses were tingling; something wasn't quite right. He looked to the west, past the snowed rooftops. The village was surrounded by trees, obviously, since they were in a forest, but the trees directly surrounding the village were different.

He hadn't noticed it before, but in the darkness of night, the leaves gave off a blueish glow. It was enchanting, very beautiful and definitely magical. Why? Was it some sort of protective barrier against the monsters of the forest, like at camp? That would explain why the people could live here so peacefully.

"I see you've noticed the Clacia trees." said a voice, coming from behind them. Percy turned, seeing a middle aged woman dressed in the same robes he'd seen before, standing in the snow behind them. She had dark brown hair and pale skin, and she wore a kind smile. She reminded him of his mom, Sally, in a way.

"Are they magical?" He asked, subtly giving his friends a nod. They could relax; she wasn't a threat.

The woman nodded, giving the trees a wistful look. "Yes." she replied. "They protect us from the monsters that wander the forest, mostly at night. They can't pass through here."

Percy nodded thoughtfully; it was the same as camp. Combined with the moonlight, the trees cast a silvery glow on the village. It must've looked great from high in the sky.

"Who are you, child?" The woman asked. "You seem troubled."

He raised an eyebrow under the mask. This woman was very observant. "I can't tell you my name." He replied. "For your own safety. We're just looking for the abandoned fortress."

"The fort? That's not a very nice place to be, stranger."

"I know, that's exactly why we have to find it." replied Percy. "What of the mountain? Do you know who resides there?"

The woman shook her head. "No one can cross the plains without freezing to death. My son tried."

His expression softened. "Oh."

"The Clacia trees protect us from the snow storms as well, if only slightly. However, that foolish boy wanted to slay whatever is causing them. It was a mistake to let him go in the first place." She said. "How have you survived in the wild, boy?"

Magic, he wanted to say, but decided not to. He shrugged. "We're very resilient."

She barked out a laugh. "That I can believe." said the woman. "If you need a place to stay for the night, feel free to stay in my home. I have plenty of room."

Percy blinked, seeing that his friends were equally as surprised as he was. "Uh, that would be great." He said. "If we're not bothering you, that is."

The woman waved her hand, dismissing his worries. "Nonsense, nonsense." She assured him. "We haven't had visitors in such a long time, it'd be a shame to leave a bad impression." She turned, beckoning them to follow.

The group walked further into the town, leaving the plaza behind as they turned corner after corner. The streets were mostly vacant, probably because the temperature was steadily dropping, though he did see some people cleaning their porch or shutting their doors as he passed. Eventually, the woman stopped in front of a relatively big house. Unlike the others, it was of brick. It had two floors too, making it a lot bigger than the other houses.

She entered the house via the heavy wooden door; they quickly followed her inside. The interior was cozy; a flaming hearth warmed up the room with a few sofas in front of it. To their right was a door that probably lead to a kitchen, or so he presumed. Paintings of people hung on the walls, though he couldn't recognize any of them.

"We have visitors!" the woman said, followed shortly by the sound of racing footsteps. At the top of the staircase to their left, a younger girl emerged from the first floor. She more or less looked like a copy of the woman, but younger, and her hair was tied into a ponytail.

"Who are these people, ma?" She asked, arms crossed and a serious frown on her face. She didn't seem very happy to see them, he thought.

"Visitors, dear." The mother repeated. "Show them to the guest rooms, we can chat by the fire later."

The girl huffed, before shooting them a curt nod towards the stairs. They followed her in silence, with Percy leading the group to the first floor. The girl stopped in front of a door and pushed it open, revealing a smallish room with a bunkbed placed in the corner.

"Three of you can sleep here." said the girl. Her expression didn't betray any emotion. "There's a futon in the closet, just roll it out."

She pointed at another door on the opposite side of the hall. "There's another bunkbed in that room, just decide amongst yourselves who sleeps where." She turned to leave, but Percy stopped her.

"Thank you." He said, feeling a bit awkward. "What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?"

She seemed to contemplate it for a second, but giving a deep sigh. "Sasha." She said.

Percy nodded, committing the name to memory. He did catch Ember giving her something akin to a dirty look, but decided to ignore it for now. As Sasha left, he turned to the two rooms.

"Girls, you take this one." He said, nodding to the room next to them. "We'll take the other one."

"So polite." Ember teased, causing him to roll his eyes.

They split up, getting settled in the rooms. The beds -he took top bunk, obviously- were more comfortable than he'd anticipated, which was a pleasant surprise. Beneath him, he heard Nathaniel sink into his bed with a sigh. They had both stashed their stuff in one corner, though Percy kept his swords next to him. He really didn't think they would be ambushed in this house, especially with the protective layer around the village, but you never know.

He kept the mask under his pillow too, just in case.

"Is it just me," said Nathaniel, breaking the silence. "or are you getting that feeling of impending doom too?"

Percy snorted. "It's Tartarus, Nate." He replied. "We eat impending doom for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

"Nate?" asked the boy. "Is that a nickname?"

"Yeah, Nathaniel's too long."

"I don't do nicknames."

"Well, get used to it." He said. "Besides, you use my nickname, don't you?"

He heard Nathaniel huff, though he didn't argue further. "You're right though." Percy said. "Something's not right with this floor. It's like there's something... I don't know, lurking around."

"Exactly." Nate replied. "I'd say we could avoid it, but knowing you we'll face it head on."

"Damn right." Percy grinned.

"That attitude will get you killed someday."

"I'd rather die in battle than be sacrificed to Gaea like a lamb." He said, burning holes in the ceiling with his gaze. "She's the real monster."

Silence reigned over the room for a time, before Nate sighed. "Maybe you're right." he said. "But this place... the odds are stacked against you, you know?"

"Hasn't stopped me before."

"Maybe, but you're facing Arnan, and Alvar after that, and we don't even know what the first lieutenant's capable of." said Nate. "Their power rivals that of gods or titans. And you're in their domain."

"I know." Percy sighed. "Better than anyone, I know. But I can't stop fighting now that I've come so far. With my sword and these powers, I've been given the means to escape from this place, and I will."

He then thought of something. It was foolish, incredibly so, but he couldn't resist adding the words that sealed his fate.

"I swear it on the Styx."

The town looked beautiful in the morning, Percy thought. The sun had risen once again and he found himself taking a surprisingly peaceful walk through the paved streets of the village. People were out and about, getting wood for the fire or trading items with each other, and so on.

He'd left the house early with only a single piece of bread for breakfast, because he felt uneasy. Jumpy. He decided to take a morning walk and explore the town a little to settle his nerves, and it was working. He'd walked all the way back to the middle of the town, where the fountain stood.

Someone had cleared most of the snow and ice off of it the sides. It looked like a proper fountain now, though the water inside was still frozen solid. The coins and drachmas were still there, though they didn't invoke the creepy feeling he'd gotten yesterday.

Strange.

He could see artwork carved into the stone; several depictions of the same warrior, fighting different monsters. Some he recognized, some he didn't.

There was text, though he couldn't read it. That was seriously starting to get annoying.

He decided to give up trying to decipher the text, and started his walk back to the house. Percy entered the home as quietly as possible, though it didn't matter because he was immediately spotted by the mother.

She had just exited the kitchen area with two plates of bread in hand.

"Ah, you!" she said. "Come, sit. Breakfast is ready."

He didn't mention the fact that he'd already snatched some bread on the way out, instead he quietly took a seat at the large wooden table, where the rest was already eating their food.

Ember shot him a questioning look, but he shook his head. She didn't need to worry.

The woman put the plates down, telling them to eat up, before disappearing back into the kitchen. That's when Percy noticed that her daughter, Sasha, was also seated at their table. Her hair was a mess and she still had the frown on her face, but she was there.

"Ow!" He yelped when Ember elbowed him in the ribs. "What was that for?"

"You're staring at our host." She said, not looking up from her plate.

Percy frowned. "I wasn't."

"You definitely were."

"It was a brief look."

Ember's eyebrows rose in indignation. "So you're admitting it?" She asked.

Okay, he was seriously confused now. "Wh-" He sputtered. "I'm not admitting anything."

She huffed, taking another very aggressive bite of her sandwich. He looked at the others for help, but they simply shrugged and returned to their meals. It was an awkward atmosphere, all of them eating in silence as if it was their last meal before the gallows. Percy decided that now would be a good time to share his plan, the one head thought about while he was in bed.

"I'm heading off to check out the fortress after this." He said, breaking the silence.

"Alone?" Ember said incredulously.

He nodded. "I won't be fighting them, don't worry. Not yet at least. I'll just do some scouting." Percy said. "See what's going on, you know?"

Ember gave a slow nod in response, it seems that he'd settled her worries for now. Nathaniel leaned forward, now ignoring his plate completely, as if the prospect of exploring the abandoned fortress excited him.

"What do you think you'll find?" asked the son of Athena.

Percy shrugged, ripping another chunk out of his bread piece. "Those Chenoos, probably. A whole bunch of them."

"Chenook." Sasha interrupted. Noticing the questioning looks that the others were giving her, she explained further. "Chenook is the plural." She said, shrugging as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Chenook." Percy repeated slowly. "I'll probably find some Chenook. That's that, then." He took a sip of the tea he'd been given, before clearing his throat. "If not back by tomorrow's nightfall, don't go to the fortress." He turned to Ember. "And don't try to follow me."

The girl rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner, looking away. He huffed, sliding his chair back to stand up. "I'll go get ready."

Percy briefly thanked the woman for the food, before heading upstairs to his room. He realized he didn't even know her name yet, only her daughter's. He'd have to ask that when he was back. In the room, he took the time to get suited up properly. He'd taken his walk without any armor on after all, which was a refreshing experience to say the least.

Even in Rosehallow, he always kept his chainmail on underneath his layers of clothes. He had to admit though; having Aruli's healing factor did settle his nerves a great deal. Maybe a little too much, but oh well.

He slipped into his chainmail, putting his shirt and vest above it before tying his swords to their respective areas. Speaking of swords; Orenmir had stopped doing the smoking thing a while ago. He still didn't know what that was about.

Percy got up to leave the room, having finished dressing up, when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." He called, and the door swung open ever so slowly to reveal Ember, standing there with a strange object in her arms. "Hi." She said awkwardly, taking a few steps into the room before closing the door behind her.

"Hi." He replied, amused. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I finished the thing you asked for." She said, holding up the object. Percy got closer to admire it; a vambrace for his exposed arm. It was made of zullite steal for the most part, though it did have a nice wood finish at the edges and middle. It stretched into a sharp point that would cover his rune tattoo on his hand, while also functioning as a gauntlet-like knife, perhaps when he lost his weapons.

He gave a shocked huff. "How did you do this? We've been out in the wild for like a week."

Ember shoulder-shrugged, clearly pleased with herself. "I finished the metal base in Taroth's forges, but the wood part I did yesterday." She explained.

He frowned, taking a closer look at her face. Ember's eyes were slightly puffy, as if she hadn't slept in a while. "You ran an all-nighter again, didn't you?" He asked, raising one eyebrow in annoyance.

"Maybe." said Ember, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. He sighed, giving her forehead a flick.

"Ow!" She said, swatting away his hand.

"That was for not sleeping. You should go to bed." said Percy. He'd slipped his arm into the vambrace, tightening the leather straps on the back. He had to admit, it looked badass.

Ember huffed and waved off his worries, instead she focused on her creation again. She lifted his arm, tapping the wood. "I took the wood from the trees around the village." She said. "Heard it was magical, or somethin'."

"The Clacia trees." He said, impressed. "Not sure if the town's people would be happy about that."

She shrugged. "Who cares? You're the guy who's going to free them, anyway."

"I guess you're right." He said, smiling.

Her expression suddenly dropped to a worried one, she took a step closer to him. "You gotta be safe, alright?" She pleaded in a low tone. "If you don't, I'm stuck here with Lohi and Nathaniel." She said his name in a way that made one thing clear; she wasn't fond of Nathaniel Bleeze.

Percy chuckled, before surprising her by pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry about it, I'll be as safe as I can." said Percy. "Probably won't even run into anything at all."

"Don't jinx it, please." Ember said, rolling her eyes. She pulled back, opening the door again. As she walked through, she threw him a brief wave before disappearing behind the corner with a distant 'bye'.

He looked down at his the addition to his armor, giving the wood a few taps with his knuckles. "Good to go." He muttered. The truth was; he didn't have a clue what he'd find beyond this village, let alone at the fortress itself, but worrying would get them nowhere. With a sigh, he put the golden mask back on his face. Having to wear it everytime someone other than his friends was around, it was annoying, but he supposed it was necessary.

He left the house shortly after that, and began heading in the direction of (what he thought) was south. He'd asked around a bit, and everyone pointed him towards the same direction, though they seemed reluctant to speak to a strange, masked individual.

Percy reached the borders of the town, the thick row of Clacia trees, rather quickly. He took a deep breath, tightened Lifedrinker's strap along his torso once more, and stepped into the wild.

Unbeknown to the town's folk and Percy himself, something rather strange happened the moment the demigod stepped beyond the protective barrier.

The fountain, engraved with what the demigod thought were heroic tales, lit up in the same blue hue as the trees did at night. The unreadable text shone the brightest, though six lines stood out from the rest clear as day.

The Usurper under floors of stone

Five knights of wretched evil, he will beat

Before he claims his cursed throne

However his victory will be bittersweet

For he will be reigning alone

With his soul left incomplete

After a moment had passed, the light faded completely, as if it had never been there at all. The town's folk continued their activities, not having noticed it in the slightest, and Percy Jackson marched on towards his goal.

Hours passed as he continued his trek through the forest. Percy hadn't seen a single Chenoo so far. Hell, he hadn't seen anything. Maybe catching the Chenoo yesterday had been pure luck? His magic sense wasn't picking anything up either.

He dodged a low hanging branch, halting in his step for a moment. He'd just realized something; he couldn't sense anything at all.

Usually, his senses picked up minor things, like a rock falling over or a bunch of snow sliding due to the wind. That's why the snow sensor thing was such a hassle to use; it wasn't very efficient in a climate like this.

Now, however, he sensed nothing. As if something was completely blocking his senses, preventing him from using them. That either meant he was on the right track, or the very, very wrong track.

He caught a glimpse of something through the canopy of the snowy trees, something that made his heart jump for a second. He jogged a few more yards until he reached a more open area, with a more open sky, and there it was; perched on a hill, half of it submerged inside said hill, stood a fortress.

A former fortress, that is. Most towers were broken and the black brick was cracked and stained along the walls. But it was undeniably it; the old fortress of Arnan, a lieutenant of Tartarus.

Percy took a deep breath. This was either going to be bad, or very bad. Oh, he forgot to mention; he had lied to the others. He was taking a look inside, no matter what he found.

Oops.

Arc II begins! New floor, new boss, new everything! A prophecy of sorts appears, though no one knows about it yet... what can it mean? Review, review, review!