Chapter 12

There in front of me stood the two sons of Ares. Phobos was dressed in complete Greek armor that cover everything besides his head. And Deimos stood slightly behind him with good plates covering his vital points and a kilt with attachments that reached his ankles. Both looked like highly decorated soldiers.

And of course, both warriors branded the same weapons. Phobos with his sword and Deimos with his spear. Abs of course they had their signature shields.

But I didn't care about their shields right now. I didn't care about anything right now. All I knew was that I was mad.

"What did you do!" I yelled at the gods, while advancing on them.

"What do you mean?" Said Phobos with a smirk that made me even more angry.

I ran up to him and grabbed him by his collar. "Answer me, bastard! What did you do to my mom and my friends!"

Phobos seemed undisturbed by my attempt to threaten him. In fact, it seemed to give him more pleasure. "I simply did what you asked me to do, what's the problem?" He said.

"Cut the bull crap." I demanded to Phobos. I applied more pressure on my grip. This finally seemed to get a reaction out of Phobos, which brought some satisfaction.

I instantly regretted it though. Phobos grabbed both my hands and lifted me several inches off the ground. "Did you forget who your talking to, demigod? Wether or not your angry you should know your place." As he finished he threw me at least 3 feet away.

"Now, ill answer your question when you show some respect." He said.

"...I will, just please explain what's going on." I said trying to get up.

"I simply did what you wanted, like I said earlier. You wished to undergo a challenge, did you not! Well that was your challenge." He said.

"What kind of challenge is that!? It's just torture!" I said, getting angry again.

"What did you expect from us? We are fear and terror embodiments, did you forget? If you want to complete your quest you must get rid of the dread that hinders you." He explained.

"Does that mean, that none of that was real. Did no one actually die? I said.

"Yes of course. At least ", we didn't kill them. But that does matter anymore, because you have failed your trial, making your quest pointless." Said the god.

My heart dropped when he said that, I couldn't fail this quest, or else what I just saw could become a reality.

"No! I can fail this quest. I need to complete this challenge!" I pleaded.

Phobos face turned sour. "Did you not hear me? You have failed, now give up and leave before you anger me. "

"But-"

"Brother," Deimos apple for the first time. "I think we should give the demigod one more chance. If he truly has what it takes, then good. If not, he'll die in the process. It couldn't hurt." Said Deimos with a sly smile. Something about it made me feel like he wasn't doing this for me, but I wasn't going to pass up on this chance.

"Ugh- I don't understand your point here, Deimos, but fine. He then turned to me. "You have on more chance. If you die, not my problem, if you somehow survive than I'll help you. You ready?"

"Uhh yeah I guess. Thank you though...for uh, giving me a chance." I said with a slight bow. It seemed like the right thing.

"Whatever." Said Phobos with squinted eyes. "Just hurry up." And with that he snapped his fingers, and once again, I was consumed by the brightness.

And what felt like a second later, I was back in my seat in an empty classroom. I was disoriented for a second before remembering. I told myself it would be easier knowing none of this was real, but I couldn't get rid of the feeling that that wasn't the case.

"Hey Percy, hurry up, schools over!" Said Grover, startling new from my thoughts.

"Oh uh, yeah I'll catch up with you," I replied.

"Alright, I'll wait for you at the front. Hurry up!" Grover said while exiting my view. "Ok,". I said to myself. "You can do this, you know it's not real. Just face your fears and move on."

I grabbed my bags and got up. I was as mentally prepared as I could get. I made my ways down the hallway. I tried to stay as focused as possible.

I slowed down as I approached the door, attempting to prepare myself. I could already hear the familiar sounds.

I took a step forward and opened the doors. My stomach still dropped even though I had seen this before. And there, was Grover laid on the ground with blood surrounding him.

"Where are you!" I yelled. "Whoever did this, come out!"

I was answered with a familiar menacing laugh. Then in front of me appeared the same cloaked shadow figure.

"Hello there little demigod." It said. I could feel it's evil grin under the darkness. "Come to save your little friends? Well it's too late for that!" He said as he plunged a dark spear into the back of Grover.

Grover groaned in pain, somehow still alive.

"Stop it! Your problem is with me, he did nothing." I told him.

"But you see, it is because of you that this happens. It is your doing, not mine." Replied the figure. With that he lofted his weapon and made a move to stab Grover again.

Whether or not this was a challenge, I couldn't just let Grover suffer, real or not. I lunged forward, summoning forth my sword. I reached out with and blocked the cloaked figures weapon.

"Protecting your little friends? How cute." He said. Instead of responding I partied his weapon and dislodged it from his hand. I advanced on the figure and pressed my sword where his neck would be.

"Wh-what is this?! If you attack me, I will come back! So back off or your friends will die by my monstrous army!" Said the figure.

"Shut up." I growled at him. "You know what, I'm tired of you." I kicked the figure onto his back and summoned my weapon in spear form. "You will suffer the same way you made Grover suffer." I lifted my spear up, and plunged it with all my force in the middle of the figures chest.

The figure growled out in pain. "I will be back, scum! Don't think I gone. I will always be apart of you!" The figure slowly dissipated into nothings.

I bent down to Grovers level to check his pulse. Gone. I tried to hold back my tears. I reminded myself i wasn't real but it didn't change the fact that this was still Grover.

But I had to move on. I got up and noticed Phobos standing in the middle of the bodies again. I made my way over to him, spear in hand.

"I completed your challenge, Phobos. Just like you said." I told him, unfazed by his appearance.

"I suppose you did, in an unorthodox way, but completed nonetheless." He said in an echoey voice.

"But did you already forget? Your only hazard way there." He said.

I gave a distasteful look but held my tongue.

"So I suppose your ready? Very well then." He raise his hand and a familiar light emitted from.

"Good luck demigod" and a booming voice was the last thing I heard before fading into darkness.

I woke up to find myself standing at the bottom of my stairs to my apartment, instead of Central Park. "Guess we ain't wasting time this time." I said to myself.

I made my way up the stairs. I knew this would be much harder than the previous challenge. As much as I loved Grover, my mom was on a whole other level. But I was ready.

I prepared myself as I approached the door. I knocked before awaiting an answer. "Percy?" I heard my name called. I was slightly disturbed, knowing that voice was a horrifying monster sharing my moms body. "It's unlocked, come in" she said. "I'm in my room."

I summoned my sword, knowing what was coming. I knew what I was going to do different but was scared that my terror would overtake me. Nonetheless I went into my moms room.

"Percy, I missed you!" Said my mom, running forward to hug me.

"Stay back!" I yelled. Branding my sword. "I know what you are, cut the crap."

"Percy?" She asked innocently. But all traces of it disappeared as she transformed.

"Percy," she said in her normal voice. "How could you do this?" She said, her voice changing halfway through.

"Shut up, and get out of my mothers body." I demanded.

"Oh? And what if I don't? What can you'd do. Don't forget that it's your fault. You couldn't protect your mother in the first place!" She screech.

"That's not true, I couldn't do anything. But now that I can, I will save her!" I stated.

"Do not lie to yourself, you are terrified of me. Terrified of failing. And terrified of loosing your mother!" It said as it lunged.

I quickly raised my sword to parry the attack, but no following up. The monster seemed to realize I wouldn't be easy so it started to look for an opening.

"Yessss, fear me, for I am terror." Hissed the monster.

"I will not give in to fear, so leave my moms body." I said confidently.

"So funny how you demigods will do anything to save yourselves. Dispose of me then, get rid of me and kill your self in the process." It said.

I stood still, contemplating. What could I do? The monster didn't give me time to think, quickly moving in for the attack. I rolled away, backing myself into the corner.

"What will you do now, demigod? Will you sacrifice yourself toaster your mother? Or kill me to protect yourself?" Said the creature.

I stood in still, cornered with no escape. I contemplated my options. I knew what I had to do, but didn't know exactly how to do it. The monster didn't give me much time to think though.

"Decide, or die!" Screeched the monser, making a move to finish me. I kicked the monster onto the bed frame without thinking. I then place the tip of my sword over the heart of the creature.

"I command you evil sport, leave this body and do not return!" I yelled. "What did I just say?" It seemed to come out without control.

"What?!" Screamed the beast with a blood curdling screech. As if from an exorcism the spirit seemed to be forced out the body. The beast face changed between its own and my mothers.

"Leave!" I commanded. And with that final push the spirit separated from my moms body.

"NOOOOOooooo..." it's voice faded, until it was no more.

I check my unconscious mothers pulse to see if she was alive. Thankfully she was. I moved her till she was safely tucked her in bed.

I was just wondering what to do when a voice boomed from all around me.

"Impressive, demigod. I have to say I dint expect that from you." Said the godly voice of Deimos.

I looked around for him, but somehow as I blinked I teleported back to the black void.

"Deimos?l I called out.

"Here." I turned around and their , in front of me was Deimos in his Greek armor. But his face was changing between his godly features and the monstrous face of the demon.

"That was you." I said, gripping my weapon.

"An aspect of me, not me exactly. Now put that away, I'm not as forgiving as my brother." He said.

I decided to obey, for some reason I was much more wary of Deimos than Phobos. I think it was because I hadn't seen seen him interested enough to say more than a sentence, and the fact that he was made me fear him, in a way.

"But I guess I gotta give you props, kid. I'm curios how you completed the challenge. Somehow you made it through but I can still clearly sense your fears." He said.

"Perhaps you learned to harness it to overcome your challenge. I guess you can never truly be fearless." He said. "I don't care either way cuz you passed the test."

"Thank..you?" I said. I didn't quite know how he felt about me.

"Y'know, I kinda like you kid. Try not to die on this quest, and maybe if you survive this quest we could meet again. And you never know, maybe you'll be powerful enough to face me head on." As he the last part his eyes glowed of green flames.

"But it's time for you to continue your quest, and I won't stop ya." He said. He reached his hand out and a bright light circled around me.

"It's time for me to go, don't forget, if you don't get strong you don't stand a , death spawn." He said. He then was consumed by green flames, and disappeared.

And as soon as he was gone I too was teleported somewhere else.

I opened my eyes to find myself in the clearing that I had first encountered the gods at. I looked to the middle of the clearing to see Phobos standing there in his Greek armor instead of his godly lion form.

"I see you survived Deimos's challenge, impressive. Not many live past it." He said.

"Thanks" I said without much enthusiasm.

"Cmon don't blame me, I was just doing my job." He replied, picking up on my energy.

"I don't," I said. "Just a little shaken, that's all." And I wasn't lying. Even though none of it was real, I was still scared with those images.

"Well I guess it's time for me to hold up my end of the deal." Said Phobos. "Since I feel kinda bad and I admire your heart, imma do you a favor. Last I heard from my dad he was going to mess with some demigod in Denver, it may be his kid or something, ion know. But hell he there for a while, so your best chance is to catch him there." He said. "And if anyone ask, you didn't hear this from me, aight?"

"Yeah, I gotchya. Don't worry I won't say nothing bout you. Thanks for the help, Lord Phobos."

"Just Phobos for you, kid. And I don't understand your quest but for some reason I want to see you succeed. So imma help you at a little bit he said."

"But that's the most I can do for you now, good luck kid. Try not to die." He said. He instantly turned into bright red flames and disappeared.

I stood there for a second, taking everything in. After that whole episode I felt truly introduced to the Greek world. I now saw everything in a new light. And now I was even more to determined to not fail and to save my mom.

I decided I had to go find Ares as quickly as possible. "How am I supposed to get to Denver in time" I wondered. Ares wasn't gonna stay their forever.

That's when I heard a "ka-kaw" from above Circling above me in the night sky I could see the outline of a massive eagle. But as if descended I noticed something odd.

This was no eagle, because from its midsection back it had the legs and tail of a horse.

"A hippogriff" I whispered to myself.

Then I remembered what Phobos has said. "I'll help you as much as I can"

Thank you, Phobos. I said aloud.

I then looked at the beautiful creature in front of me. Something told me traveling was a bout to get a whole lot easier!