Chapter 20
As soon as the dagger made contact with the mother, she immediately unfroze.
She immediately gasped and darted her head around, as if she had just woken up in a strange place, which she just technically did.
It seemed to take her a second to react to the pain, and as soon as she did, she dropped down like a fly, blood leaking profusely.
"NOOO!" I screamed out and ran towards Orcus, ignoring the pain.
With my scythe in hand I jumped with all my power, aiming straight for the death gods head. The god narrowly moved to the side of my attack, his arm forearm slightly grazed.
"You truly are foo-" the god could finish his sentence as I lunged for a second time, this time slicing the gods leg clean through.
A gold liquid started to drip like a waterfall as the god dropped to his knees, his head held down.
I advanced on the god, and swung my scythe down full power. Instead of dodging the god simply glimmered to a new spot.
"Stay Still!" I commanded and immediately four chains shot out from the ground and wrapped themselves around the god.
With a shaky but deep voice he replied. "You think these puny chains will be able to hold me down?" He grunted, breaking the chains and slowly getting up, leaning on his axe.
Despite my anger, I knew he was right. My chains were barely containing the god for a second. But I knew that only mean one thing.
More chains.
Immediately the chains came forth from the underworld, yet again wrapping themselves around the god.
"Did you know here what I said?!" He said loudly, breaking the chains as fast as I could summon them.
But I continued to entangle the god, and after what seemed like forever, he slowly started to break fewer and fewer, the blood loss catching up.
And eventually, after a hard fought battle, the god stood immobilized, hundreds of trains wrapped around his entire body.
"You puny demigod!" Yelled the god. "Get Back!" He yelled as more bone daggers flew towards me.
The first two pierced my leg and arm but I easily parried the rest, their speed greatly reduced.
"Stay back, demigod!" Growled Orcus.
"Shut up!" I demanded and two more chains shot from the ground, but these two had wicked looking spear head points, both piercing the death gods throat.
Orcus tried to speak but all that came out was gargled blood. Even with gold blood flooding his mouth, the god was able to spit out some final words.
"All of this...all of this happened...because you..were...weak."
I didn't hesitate to slice my weapon straight down through the animal skull and the gods cranium.
As soon as I did all the chains disappeared, causing the body to go limp, and the skulls eyes had gone out.
And slowly but surely, the god faded into red ashes.
I stared at the spot where I had just witnessed the death of a god, by my hands no less.
I didn't know what I should have felt, but my heart was filled with the worst dread, knowing what was behind me.
I slowly turned around and approached the limp looking body of my own mother.
I knelt down and waited a second before I slowly turned around my mother's body. Despite what I had expected, my mother's face was quite peaceful, but that didn't change the fact that there was an immense pull of blood flowing from her body.
"Mom...?" I sobbed out, my voice croaking. I felt my tears roll down my face, and watched them drop onto my mother's soft face.
I didn't even get my final words, she was just taken from me so quickly.
I continued to hold my mother's body, doing my best to clean the blood. But despite my efforts, my mind couldn't process the sights in front of me.
I laid my head down on her should and cried for what must have been half an hour, but what felt like an eternity.
I was only brought back to the real world when I heard a screech in the distance from outside the cave.
After I heard it a second time, I was able to confirm the noise as a fury.
No matter how powerful I may have been in the underworld, with my arms and legs leaking blood and my energy depleted, there was no way I would be able to even touch a fury.
And assuming the monster didn't kill me, I would definitely be brought to Hades, or worse my father. And they were the last people I needed to see. Though I would definitely have to come back on day to bash their skills in.
But despite that, I had to leave soon, or else my mom would have passed for nothing.
Even though they hadn't done anything for me yet, I hopefully prayed for my mother's soul to make it to Elysium safely.
I was surprised when I opened my eyes to see my moms body completely gone, and the caver now filled with 100s of beautiful butterflies.
I looked in awe, thinking of each butterfly as a part of my mother's soul. And despite myself, my tears started to flood back again.
I knew I would have to have a proper funeral for my mother, but I still couldn't just move on so quickly after her passing.
But my mourning was cut short by another screech, this one much closer. Knowing i didn't have much give, I stood up and dusted myself off.
I made my way over to the satchel I had gotten from Deimos, my legs still wobbly. I shakily pick up the bag and put it over my head.
I was getting ready to make my way out when I I noticed something laying on the floor. Where o had killed Orcus, laid his double sided battle axe and his deer skull head. I walked over to the remains and picked it up. Immediately the axe had shrunk down to a solid three feet and lost one side.
I put the deadly weapon along with the skull in my bag, as some sort of war spoils.
With my ring on my finger and bag on my back, I made my way out of the cavern and into the clearing where I had fought the massive guard dog.
I was thinking of ways to escape when I had remembered Deimos's gift, the mount whistle.
I immediately took my bag off and grabbed the blazing whistle, but after that fight, I was numb to pain.
As soon as I was getting ready to bow the whistle a blood curdling screech pierces the air and Alecto along with the other furies appeared in front of me, whips blazing.
"Perseus Jackson!" She screeched.
"We meet-" I cut her off before she could finish.
"Do not mess with me, Alecto, I am not in the mood." I said angrily. Though I was angry, I knew I wasn't in a good position, and so did the furies.
"Who do you think you are?!" She screeched. "If I had my wa-" I interrupted her yet again, but this time with my mount whistle.
I expected it to be much louder, but there was almost no sound. Before any of the monsters could react, a massive red hound appeared from seemingly nowhere.
"Uhhh?" The dog barked at me, beckoning me to get on. Considering my predicament, I didn't hesitate to get on.
The creatures yelled at me to come back, but me and my mount were sprinting at unimaginable speeds. We raced through the fields of punishment, the spirits of the damned nothing but a blur.
And in what seemed like a second, we were on the shore of the Styx, running along the black sand. The hellhound continued running until we came across a massive black cliff.
Instead of finding a different path, the beat continued to run straight.
"Wait...WAIT!" I yelled out as the beast ran full speed into the cliff side. I closed my eyes and braces for impact but instead we had ran through the wall and were now in a dark corridor.
We continued to ride until the corridor turned into an uphill path, and in less then a second, we were in the outside world.
Before I could even comprehend our surroundings, the dog continue to run full speed, causing the scene around to blur.
Now that we were in the over world, I could see how fast we were actually going, and... it was amazing that we hadn't crashed and burned already.
I was starting to wonder we were going to stop when the hellhound started to slow down.
After a second of deceleration, the dog came to a stop in clearing surrounded by trees, that gave me weird deja vu.
I hopped off the dog and checked out my surroundings. As soon as I did, the beast dashed away, chairing the grass beneath it.
"Where have you brought me, Deimos." I thought to myself.
"Don't worry, demigod. Your safe here. It's time for you to rest though."
I immediately turned around to see Deimos as he waved his hand across my face, causing my legs to wobble, but I stayed on my feet.
"Resistance till the very end, huh?" Said the god. "Guess that's expected for one such as yourself." He said as he snapped his fingers.
Despite my efforts my legs immediately gave out, and I fell into a deep sleep.
And contrasting my very eventful day, my dreams were completely lackluster, my mind at rest.
"You really are something, demigod." Said the god Deimos, as he ripped of the two misty chains that had shot out from the ground as soon as the demigod has dropped.
"Truly fighting till the very end." He said with a chuckle.
The god then snapped his fingers, teleporting himself and the unconscious demigod away, leaving behind green flames.
*TEN MINUTES BEFORE*
-The Underworld-
"My lord, Alecto and the furies have returned." Said a large man in a dark, long gown. The man would seem quite normal, if there weren't massive wings protruding from his back.
Despite him looking quite strong, the being was bowed down before another man, this one just as big, maybe bigger, but much more scarier looking.
The man sat on a massive black throne that matched the all black throne room. The man on the throne was looking at the other being, a stern look on his face.
"And there report." Replied the man in the throne.
"The boy, he has... escaped the underworld." At this the man in the throne raised an eye.
"And the death god orcus... was found dead."
The man on the throne was quiet for the next five minutes.
"What do you think, Thanatos? What are your thoughts?" Said the man, breaking the silence.
The man, Thanatos, replied after thinking for a moment.
"I do not believe, no matter the circumstances, that a god would lose to a demigod. Even if Orcus had been improsined, he is not so weak as to not only lose, but be struck down by a mere demigod."
"So what do you suggest?" Replied the larger man.
"I believe, Lord Hades, as I think you could agree with, that the only way the boy could have defeated the god is with the stone of souls." Said Thanatos.
After a minute, Hades responded.
"So you mean to say that as of right now, the stone of souls, one of the most powerful relics in the underworld, belongs to a mere demigod?"
"Yes my lord." Replied Thanatos, swiftly.
"So tell me, Thanatos, what should we do with this demigod, your son, no less, that has the stone."
That is hesitated for the first time before replying.
"I believe...I believe that we should do what we need to in order to retrieve the stone from the boy."
"You say that, Thantos, knowing that retrieving the stone could very well mean the death of your child." Said Hades with a tinge in his voice.
Thanatos hesitated again.
"Yes my lord, I am aware." He replied without filtering.
The room was silent for the next five minutes.
"Very well then, Thanatos. Call of the furies and let the boy be. No forces are to attack the boy." Said Hades, surprising the lesser god.
"My lord?" Said the god, taken back. "But what about the stone?"
Hades raised his eyes before replying. "Is there a problem? I am letting your son live. Do you not wish-" Thanatos cut the god off.
"That is not what I mean, my lord." Thanatos said backtracking. "I simply wish for the safety of the underworld."
Hades seemed shook that he was cut off, but quickly recovered.
"I see your reasons to worry, Thanatos, but you sad hours have a little more faith in that son of yours."
"What do you mean?" Asked Thanatos.
"I simply believe, Thanatos, that the stone is safest in that child's hands. You saw an ancient god attempt to take it, and fail, causing them there life. With a little training, I believe there will be few who can stand to the boy." Explained the god.
Thanatos was silent before responding.
"Thank you my lord, for sparring him. I will make sure that you do not regret this."
"I hope your right, or else there will be a monster on the loose. But that is another days problem." Said the god.
"Now you are dismissed, my friend, go and mourn your loss."
"Thank you, Hades" Said the death god as he bowed and disappeared into thin air.
Hades looked at the point where the god had disappeared, a look of longing on his face.
"It's time for you to fulfill your end of the deal, Deimos."