Chapter 24: The Revelation
Nico's meeting with Walt was weird. How do you introduce a host for the God of Death to the son of the God of the Underworld?
"Remind me again." Percy said as he watched over Nico and Walt staring at each other. "How did you know him?"
"He's an initiate at the Twenty-First Nome. A friend of mine. And Sadie's boyfriend for a while. We lost contact with each other when the First Crusade happened." Carter said.
"And he's the God of Death."
"Among other things. He's also the God of Funerals, Mummifications, Embalming, Buria-"
"I believed you when you said he 's the God of Death." Percy shuddered. "Hey, Walt?"
Walt wasn't listening. He was too busy staring at Nico.
"Um, Walt?"
"I feel like I've met you before." Walt muttered as he looked at Nico.
"Yeah, same." Nico squinted his eyes. "I think you're just like me."
"And you're just like me."
"If they start reenacting the Spider-Man meme, I'm gonna knock them both out." Carter said.
"Walt!" Percy called.
"Huh? Yeah? What?" Walt looked over at Percy.
"What brings you here?" Percy asked. "And how did you get in?"
"Portals." Walt said, as if it should've been obvious. "I'd been wandering by myself for a few months now and I've recently picked up something when you made a lot of activity."
"Surprised you could survive alone out there." Nico said.
Walt shrugged. "People tend to leave you alone when you can turn them to dust with a touch."
"Really? Turn this into dust then." Nico tossed him a piece of stick out of nowhere. Walt was surprised, but he caught it with ease.
As he said, the stick crumbled to dust in his hand. "Don't."
"Cool." Nico grinned.
"So, you're looking to join the party?" Percy asked.
"Actually, I was trying to find Sadie." Walt said. "I figured if she's anywhere, she'd be somewhere safe."
Percy and Carter exchanged looks. "Let's talk somewhere." Carter said.
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Walt looked depressed after hearing about Sadie's disappearance and Isis hosting someone else.
"Do you have any leads?" Walt asked in a soft voice.
"Scarlet's our best lead. And we're gonna get to her." Carter said. "We have to."
"I'll help." Walt said. "I'll join your fight."
"Thanks." Percy said. "Why don't you - uh, go with Nico? I'm sure he has a lot to show you."
As the two left, Percy overheard Nico asking Walt if he could summon dog bones. Percy decided to let them discuss it.
"Where's Athena?" Percy asked Carter when the two left the room.
"She went back to Olympus, I think. She said she'll return soon." Carter explained.
"Well, I have no arguments against-" Percy stopped his sentence.
"Percy? What's wrong?" Carter called.
Percy couldn't explain it. A spine tingling chill ran along his back. He had a feeling of dread that he couldn't shake off. Percy felt his knees shake, as if someone had just stabbed his voodoo doll.
Something had happened. Something bad.
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Artemis hadn't been one to visit Tartarus. On any normal day, she'll happily roam the face of the Earth with her Hunters or even take a stroll on the streets of Olympus. Worst case scenario, she'll visit her Uncle Hades because Zeus was too stubborn to send him an invitation to Apollo's birthday party.
But Tartarus? Instant nope.
But this wasn't any normal day. There was something that she had to make sure of and she was the only Olympian that was available.
Given the situation, Tartarus was unusually tame for its nature. Maybe it's because the monsters felt the presence of a god and were hiding somewhere safe, or maybe they're just delaying their reincarnation.
Because the mortal world is too dangerous for them.
Artemis trudged through the environment with relative ease. Even if she's a goddess, the Tartarus air stung her nose. She'd heard tales about how Percy survived through these harsh conditions. As a mortal, no less. She'd given that boy less praise than he deserved.
It wasn't long before she reached her destination. The Edge of Creation. Literally. The chasm stretched in front of her as far as the eye could see and down below, nothing. Emptiness. Not even a gust of wind.
Down there is Chaos. The very first being in creation. The one who created everything that Artemis had ever cared to know or love. If she jumped down, it would be the end of her. Nothing could survive it. Her essence would be scattered into nothingness.
"Feeling suicidal?" A voice asked next to her. She didn't jump. Or more like, she couldn't.
As gods, Artemis didn't really fear death. But standing so close at the Edge of Creation where it would literally mean her death, she was terrified. So she's frozen to the spot, which is why she didn't jump when Lady Night herself was talking to her.
"Lady Night." Artemis gulped. "What an honor."
"Save the formalities." Nyx said. "The only reason I'm letting you live is because of my respect for your bravery."
"Good to know." Artemis said. "Would you happen to know if Ch-" Artemis stopped herself. "If your dad is available?"
"Not sure." Nyx said. "Haven't heard from in . . . what, three millennias now? He's stirring, but not sure if it means anything."
"Well, I kinda have to talk to him." Artemis said as she stared over the abyss.
"You could always just jump." Nyx tempted.
"And get scattered into oblivion? No thanks."
"I'm being serious." Nyx said. "Whoever told you that is insane."
"But . . . Won't I die from this?"
"Nah, you'll be fine. You're a goddess. That rule only applies to mortals." Nyx said. "He's got quite a lovely house down there. I'm sure he'll let you in."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Well, that's when you die." Nyx smiled. "But don't worry. Good luck!" Nyx said before vanishing in a pillar of darkness.
Artemis was about to lose her mind. She didn't know if Nyx was even telling the truth or not. She didn't know if she'd die from this. She didn't even know if she'd jump off this cliff.
Artemis took several deep breaths. "If it makes any difference." Artemis muttered to herself. "I think you're a wonderful great-great-great grandfather."
Then she jumped into the abyss.
Since she was immortal, keeping track of time was not something she was good at. One time Artemis had been too busy hunting animals to increase her collection, but she didn't realize that she'd been hunting through the entire medieval era.
But it felt like a long time when Artemis fell. After the first ten seconds of falling, she looked up to see the cliff where she'd been standing was rapidly shrinking out of existence. There were no winds blowing on her face from falling or anything. Just a weird sensation of her insides being left behind as she descended with terminal velocity.
Artemis had managed to recount her full experience with Thalia in a water balloon fight before she landed on . . . something.
The floor was solid, but it didn't feel like anything. Not cold, nor warm. In the darkness, Artemis could clearly see herself. Her hands, her feet, everything. But aside from that, she was blanketed in total darkness. When she took a step forward, her footsteps made no noise.
It was a really weird feeling. It felt discerning, unusual, and bizzare. Most importantly, it felt . . .
Lonely.
Artemis wondered if this was how Chaos felt all this time. Living in loneliness. Artemis wondered why he couldn't have just visited the mortal realm. Surely, being the creator of all things he should have some leeway over the Ancient Laws, right?
"It's been a while since I've had any visitors." A voice said from all around Artemis. It was like the whole area was speaking to her. It felt weird as well, because it almost sounds like the person was talking straight into Artemis' brain.
"Uh, hi?" Artemis managed. Artemis did not prepare well for this. In her defence, nothing in the world could have prepared her for this.
Chaos chuckled. "Don't be nervous." He said.
Artemis turned around to see Chaos, in the flesh for the first time in her life. You'd think, as an almighty being, Chaos would appear in some unfathomable and incomprehensible form that would melt the minds of mortals to showcase his powers.
Imagine Artemis' surprise when Chaos appeared to her in the form of a little boy. Probably no older than ten. His hair was snowy white, which matches his eyes. He had a normal shirt on with shorts and was barefoot. Similar to Artemis, despite the darkness that surrounds them, she could see Chaos as clear as day.
"Oh. Uh, hi. Mister. I mean, um, lord." Artemis stammered. It felt weird calling a little boy 'lord', but the aura of power that is exuding from him is unquestionable. Standing in front of her, was the manifestation of Chaos.
"Please, spare the formalities. Call me . . . C."
"C. As in the letter."
"As in the letter." Chaos repeated. "I know why you're here, Artemis." Chaos said he sat down cross-legged in front of her.
"Do you?" Artemis asked. "So is it true?"
Chaos clasped his hands together. When he stretched them out, a miniature globe was in his palms. "The human race are very interesting creatures." Chaos said. "There have been three different generations of humans that have already existed throughout their creation. Those from the Bronze Age, those from the Silver Age, and those who are in the Golden Age, the ones who are alive right now. You know of this, right?"
Artemis nodded. There have been three separate generations of humans, so to speak. The Bronze Age generation, the first of humankind, were the ones who have received fire from Prometheus. The second generation, the Silver Age generation, were those who lived under Kronos' rule.
The Golden Age generation started when Zeus overthrew Kronos and became the King of Gods. And it lasted up until now.
"With each period, humans evolved further and further beyond my expectations." Chaos continued as he stared into his miniature globe. "I daresay, despite their imperfections and lack of power, they progress further and faster than you Olympians. Since, of course, they needed to progress in order to survive."
Chaos stood up. The miniature globe had disappeared from his hands. "The same can't be said for you Olympians."
Artemis was taken aback. "I'm sorry?"
"You guys have been found lacking." Chaos said. "You have relied upon these mortals for far too long that it has made you weak and pathetic."
Artemis was getting confused. Gods are perfect beings. They are powerful. And Chaos says that they are weaker than humans?
"You let them deal with your problems. You use them as tools to be disposed of." Chaos said. "You send them to deal with things that you can handle by yourself."
"B-But the Ancient Law says that we can't-"
"You spoke of the Ancient Law, and yet your king breaks it on a daily basis. He breaks the Ancient Law time and time again while you just sit there and watch as your children suffer." Chaos growled. "You know who hears their suffering? In this lonely realm?"
Chaos stepped a little closer. "Me." He whispered. "Everyone has limits. Even me."
"Aren't you inciting the destruction of demigods as we speak?" Artemis argued. "You stopped the Mist. You let them be killed. You talk about how we let those demigods die and yet you're the one who causes their deaths right now."
"A necessary sacrifice." Chaos said. "For the destruction of Olympus."
"You plan on destroying us?" Artemis said. "By killing the demigods. Do you realize how dumb you sound right now?"
Calling the Lord of Creation 'dumb' probably wasn't the best move, but Artemis has had enough.
"You know what I think? I think you have something else in mind. You have another plan." Artemis said.
Chaos smirked. "Nothing gets past you, eh?" Chaos said. "Would you like to hear about it?"
Artemis braced herself.
"Like I said, Artemis. The human race is overdue for an extinction event. And I love chaos."
"You never said that."
"Hm? Haven't I?" Chaos asked with a raised eyebrow. Artemis' eyes widened in realization. "You can go and tell them. It will make no difference." Chaos said. "Well, assuming you leave here alive."
Chaos snapped his fingers and the scene shifted into a familiar environment. The Edge of Creation, but Artemis wasn't alone this time.
She was now staring at the face of thousands of monsters, all eager to kill her. If she'd been at full power, this would've been nothing. But something about Tartarus just limits her powers. Maybe it's because she's in the realm of another being? Artemis didn't know.
What she did know is she has a tough battle in front of her.