(Unknown, Thalia POV)
I reflected on the series of events that led up to this moment, and never in a million years did I imagine myself where I am now. I thought back to the moment that started everything and grinned as the insanity of it all came rushing back to me.
Not long after my meeting with Pontus, I was whisked to all ends of the earth, searching for the lairs of monsters so powerful they needed to live in complete seclusion or risk drawing national attention from all the disasters they could cause. I spent several weeks performing odd rituals that required me to slay said monsters and sacrifice their spoils to a being that even Pontus calls 'The Ancient One'; The strangest part of the whole ordeal was the fact that I'd never heard these creatures mentioned in any one of the myriad of myths I knew, yet they outclassed some of the strongest monsters in Greek myths.
Just when I thought I could last no longer, that the next beast would tear me to shreds, I found myself back at the coliseum. This time, however, it was not crumbling. Rather, it was so new the cement was still drying, and it shimmered with an otherworldly aura. Not to mention dozens of Hydrocines littered the stands.
Pontus walked out from the staircase leading to the downstairs area with his arms outstretched and a wide grin splitting his face. It was evident the seal placed on him was weakening because he was no longer a blob of water and was much more defined, and was now fully capable of wearing real clothes. It wouldn't be long before he could fully materialize a body and regain his full power. He dressed in a smart light blue dress shirt and jeans, with sunglasses perched atop his surfer-dude hair.
"Thalia! Are you ready to reap the fruits of your labors?" He asked, stopping a foot away from me, his silver eyes catching mine. Not sure of exactly what was going to happen, I nodded. Eyes twinkling, he looked at me with barely concealed pride.
"You've fought and killed beasts very few others on this world could, all alone, and sacrificed them to the ancient one. Those beasts were placed on this world to give mortals with enough passion and strength the ability to rival immortals. With all the rituals complete, all that remains is to consume the essence of a primordial, and the ancient one will impart you with her power. My essence I will give freely, once you pass this last test," The watery primordial said with a sly smirk. He disappeared in a splash of water, reappearing in the podium, watching down with that same smirk.
Murmuring from behind me had me spin around just in time to see a Hydrocine rise and leap an impossible 50 feet to the center of the coliseum. She dressed in decorated Oceanic silver armor, with a helmet like that out of a fantasy movie. It had short curved spikes the length of my hand protruding from either side of her cheeks, with two larger versions on the top of her head forming a narrow U with the tips bent inwards. The helmet had an upside-down U shaped opening for her icy face. Her weapons were two Oceanic silver Kopides.
She stared me down, looking anxious to tear into me. After a few seconds of silence, a large horn blew, and the Hydrocine rushed at me, blades outstretched, thirsting for blood.
(Iowa, Percy POV)
I opened my dry lips and let out a moan. Pain. That was the only word in my mind. It was all I felt. I awoke to intense waves of pain throbbing through my body violently. I couldn't open my eyes for fear of what I'd find. I vaguely heard some shuffling, and a small, warm hand crept into mine.
"Hang on for just a second Percy, Artemis is getting the nectar!" a young feminine voice exclaimed.
"Madeline..." I rasped.
"Shhh, don't try to talk just yet, I'm right here," she soothed, gripping my hand tighter.
The sound of fabric flapping told me someone had arrived. The taps of small footsteps reached my ears, and a hand wrapped itself around the back of my head, lifting it gently.
"Open your mouth, stupid boy," a familiar voice commanded. The authority behind the command was so great that even if I hadn't wanted to, I would have complied. A spoon filled my mouth with the sweet-tasting nectar of the gods, and the effects were instantaneous. The dryness in my throat abated, and the many aches and sores across my body lessened. My left arm was throbbing, however, and the nectar did not do much to help in that regard.
I finally mustered the courage to open my eyes and was greeted with a painful sight. My shirt had been cut open at some point, and a large bandage wrapped around my stomach. The memory of the sword tip that made that wound almost caused me to groan in pain. The rest of my torso and arms were mottled black and blue with bruises from hits I don't even remember taking.
I winced. Wanting to take my mind off of my sorry state, I looked over at Madeline, who was standing next to my bed, worry filling her sea-green eyes. She smiled softly, relief washing over her exhausted face. She must have stayed by my side for however long I've been asleep. My heart swelled at the thought.
Some movement to the right of her caught my attention. Craning my neck to get a better look, Artemis filled my field of vision. In stark contrast to Madeline, a scowl twisted her face.
"I need to talk to you. Head to my tent as soon as your able to. Alone." As Artemis said that, her eyes flicked towards Madeline. With a huff, she spun around and walked out of the tent.
Madeline stifled a laugh. "Ooo you're in troublllle!" she cooed. I chuckled, which was a big mistake, as it launched me into a coughing fit. Madeline placed one hand on my shoulder, the other still squeezing my hand, concern etched in her features. After a minute, my fit subsided.
"Okay, no more laughing. Focus on resting. I'll be right here if you need anything." She took a few steps back and fell into a chair, planting her elbow on the hand rest and leaning her head onto her palm, her sea-green eyes boring into mine, a listless smile on her face.
"How long have I been out?" Thanks to the nectar, my voice was no longer raspy, but it still hurt to talk. Madeline's eyes flashed dangerously. Her smile turned to a slight frown.
"Three days, but that doesn't matter right now. No more talking, you need rest," She commanded with the same authority as Artemis.
I was more than a little bothered that three days had passed, but, complying once again, I closed my eyes and smiled, glad she was here with me.
(Camp Half-Blood, Nico POV)
Sitting on the edge of a couch in the Big House, I finished explaining my insane plan to the two people I trusted the most in the camp; Rachel and Grover. It would be a massive understatement to say they were shocked.
Rachel was the first to speak. "Are you sure? I mean... a Primordial goddess in your dreams told you the Labyrinth is slowly restoring, so now you want to go down there?" She asked, saying each word slowly. Grover was tensed up and was giving me a weird expression I couldn't quite read. I looked at both of them with a knowing expression, almost as if to say, "Yeah, I know how crazy this sounds, but bear with me here."
"Rachel, you're the only one who can guide us through there, and Grover, you've traveled through it before. I'm gonna need all the help I can get, and right now, you two are the only people I trust. Can I count on you guys for help?" I asked, looking them each in the eye with sincerity. The hesitation in Rachel's face crumbled at my look, and she rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Well, when you put it like that, OF COURSE I don't mind risking my life to go to the supernatural underground maze you almost died in in your dreams." She spat sarcastically, giving me a lopsided grin. One look told me, however, that she was earnest in the sense that she would help.
Grover blanched at her words, but after flicking his eyes back and forth between the two of us, he sighed in resignation and let his shoulders sag in defeat.
I nodded a grim thanks. Exhaling loudly, I pushed myself up and arched my back in a stretch, arms curled behind my head.
"It's decided then. Tomorrow we go to Zeus' fist and see if the entrance has reopened. Take tonight to pack everything you'll need down there because we don't know how long we'll be." I dropped my arms to my sides, turned around, and walked out the door onto the deck. Before I managed to reach the steps, the door behind me opened and closed.
I turned around and saw Rachel holding the handle, hesitation sprawled across her face. Her eyes were flitting to look at everything but me. I raised my eyebrow quizzically.
"Everything okay?"
Her cheeks took on the color of her hair as she finally looked at me, eyes filled with uncertainty.
"I, um... I was wondering if I could sleep in your cabin tonight? I mean... I'm kind of freaked out right now, and it would help me feel better. If you want, of course."
She blurted the first part out so fast it took me a second to register her words. When they finally did, my eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Oh. Yeah... yeah, of course. You kept me company when I needed it most, so of course you're welcome in my cabin," I said. A weird feeling I couldn't quite place bubbled up within me.
I don't know why I did it, but I held my hand out to her. She looked at it hesitantly for a few seconds, all the while my mind was racing, trying to figure out which malfunctioning part was responsible for keeping my hand held up. She flashed an unsure smile and tentatively grabbed my hand. After a few seconds of us awkwardly holding hands, she seemed to return to her usual self and almost dragged me to my cabin. The only word uttered between us for the rest of that night was 'goodnight'. As I drifted off, I felt my mind slipping back down into the Labyrinth.
I found myself back in the same place my previous dream had taken me. A cursory glance around me told me nothing had changed scenery wise, but that beautiful goddess was nowhere to be seen this time around.
A loud 'whoosh' behind me drew my attention. Turning around left me face to face with someone I thought I'd never see again, Clarisse. I gasped, a pang of sorrow reverberating through me. I'd never been close with Clarisse, but she was still a demigod, just like me. She'd been through as much pain and suffering as the rest of us.
"Clarisse! Why are you here? I don't feel you in Hades, and Grover says your soul is gone somehow? Are you-"
"Shut up!" She barked. I suddenly remembered why exactly we weren't close.
"I'm not gone! I'm stuck here! I need you to find your way to the Labyrinth and get me out of here!" Her eyes reflected an unsettling amount of pain.
Before I could respond, something began pulling me up, back towards the surface. Clarisse looked at me frantically.
"Hurry! Please!"
With the haunting image of her pleading eyes seared into my mind, I jumped awake, covered in sweat. The first rays of sunshine of the day poked through the window, giving the room some dim light. I looked over to the cot on the other side of the room where Rachel was sleeping and saw her stretched out all over the small bed, lightly snoring. A small smile crept up my face as I watched her. I decided I'd keep my dream to myself; no need to worry her and Grover over something out of my control. Shaking my head, I got up as quietly as I could and walked over to the small nightstand I used to put my backpack and weapon on. I grabbed my trusty Falcata, whose aura seemed to darken the area immediately around it, and slung my backpack onto my shoulder.
I kept my backpack light, filled with a spare change of clothes, the always needed nectar and ambrosia, some water, and some filling snacks should I ever find myself stuck in a place with no food, which I did often.
Having finished all my preparations, I walked over to the still sleeping Rachel and gently shook her awake. She groaned, eyes fluttering open.
"Damn, is it time to go already?" She croaked, rubbing her eyes. I chuckled.
"Yeah, the sooner we leave the better."
"Alright, give me like twenty minutes to get ready," She sighed.
Continuing to chuckle, I walked out of the cabin and started over to the Big House to see Grover. No sooner had I opened the door than I heard a nervous bleat.
"I'll be out there soon Nico, just give me a second to convince myself to go back down there."
"Will do. I'll be waiting at Zeus' fist while you guys get ready." Closing the door, I stepped off the deck and walked to the forest.
Exactly twenty minutes later, Rachel showed up at the clearing, with Grover in tow.
She gave me a grim and determined look.
"Alright, let's do this."
I nodded and walked over to the fist. After a second of fumbling around, I managed to open the door. Giving my companions behind me one last glance, I walked in.
The door slowly closed behind Grover, the last to enter. The pitch darkness of the Labyrinth enveloped us. I shivered involuntarily.
"Crap, I probably should have lit the torch before we walked in," Rachel muttered, as the sound of a match striking its box reached my ears. The sound seemed dampened by the silence of the Labyrinth.
After a few seconds of fumbling, a small flame burst into existence. The shadows seemed to rush around it, seeming desperate to quench the little spark of light. The flame momentarily disappeared from view, covered by some other object. After a few seconds, the torch caught fire, illuminating the immediate area around us. Finally, we were able to see several feet in front of us. Grover let out an audible sigh of relief.
We made our way forward, not knowing exactly where we were supposed to go.
We traveled for roughly an hour without interruption. All the while, Rachel led us through every fork and intersection. Several monsters popped up randomly, but they were completely normal, not a speck of ice on them. I dealt with them quickly, and even Grover pitched in, using his reed pipes to incapacitate several of them.
A room at the end of a tunnel finally broke the monotony of the Labyrinth. The room was circular, and the walls shimmered with inky darkness. Small points of light floated across the walls like little stars, yet they were bright enough to illuminate the room for us to be able to see every detail. The floor was pure obsidian, adding to the dark aesthetic. Sticking out like a sore thumb, however, was a white doorway so bright it almost hurt to look at. The door was closed, concealing whatever lay behind it.
Rachel and I stood at the entrance, with Grover behind Rachel. We shared a wary glance before turning back to the room.
"Okay... creepy," Rachel whispered, standing at the entrance, not willing to step inside.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Grover murmured, peering over Rachel's shoulder.
A dark pit was gnawing at my stomach, every nerve screaming at me to run. I wanted to obey, but much to my dismay, I stayed put.
Rachel began to sway, her closed eyes faintly glowing with a green tint. The glow faded as abruptly as it had started. Rachel opened her eyes with a sharp gasp. She looked at me with pure terror and spoke with great urgency.
"We need to leave now! NOW!" She screamed, grabbing me frantically and pushing me back towards the pitch-black tunnel behind us. We ran, Grover and I urged on by the blood-curling reaction Rachel had, Rachel urged on by whatever she had seen.
We made it about ten feet before a sharp pain erupted from my stomach. I was hurled several feet backwards by the force of the blow that came out of nowhere. Rachel screamed, and Grover bleated as I groaned. I picked myself up and found myself face to face for the second time with the snarling visage of Clarisse La Rue.
She had unkempt hair and wore a black leather jacket, leather pants, boots, and gloves that left her fingers exposed. The jacket had silver studs embedded in it, lining her shoulders.
"Clarisse! You're alive! H-How?" Grover whispered, astonishment plastering his face.
Upon hearing his voice, her eyes filled with rage. She growled menacingly.
"Grover, shut up before I ram my sword through you." No sooner had he heard those words, Grover slunk away.
"Clarisse, what are you doing? Why are you acting li-"
"Rachel, you shut up too! I'm not here to listen to your crap! You!" She barked, glaring at me.
"Come with me," She growled. She grabbed my arm and started dragging me towards the room.
I struggled, and after a second, managed to wrench my arm from her grip before she could force me over the threshold. I stood up, drawing my blade. She looked at me for a second, then erupted in mirthless, cold laughter.
"Good. I was hoping I'd get some action out of you chumps." She licked her lips, eyes shining with excitement.
Her hand snaked towards a black ring on her finger. It seemed crafted from pure shadows. She twisted the band of darkness, and the ring faded, replaced by a three-foot-long blade of the same material. It had little white spots moving across the length of the blade. The hilt looked fashioned from familiar-looking black metal. With a start, I realized it was Stygian Iron. Whatever happened to her, for her to be able to use Stygian Iron was enough evidence for me to know she was far too gone to listen to reason. No amount of words would dissuade her from whatever she planned to do.
She lunged, sword pointed at my stomach. My sparring session with Percy suddenly came to mind, and following the movements I saw him make helped me avoid getting skewered like a shish-kebab. I brought my blade down on hers, trying to knock her off balance. As soon as the two dark metals touched, the shadows around them distorted, and a strange resonation echoed through the corridor.
The resonation startled me but did not seem to affect Clarisse. She grinned while swirling around and swinging her blade horizontally, aimed at the hand that held my sword. I just barely managed to jump out of the way, a grunt issuing from my throat. Clarisse didn't seem fazed and continued her attack. She thrust, jabbed, slashed, swung, her inky black sword at me, always keeping me on the defensive. I parried and dodged as best I could, but I could feel the fatigue of my efforts catching up with me. I knew if I didn't change the course of the fight soon, I'd end up with a sword tip lodged in my chest.
Grover and Rachel hung back, unable to do anything except watch. Deciding the moment was right, I thrust my Falcata where I knew Clarisse would end up to follow through with her attack and was rewarded when she yelped in surprise. She faltered, and I took the opportunity to launch my own flurry of attacks. My body moved through the air with a grace I rarely feel, my blade guiding my movements. I slashed left, right, upwards, diagonally, downwards, and when I felt like I had Clarisse trapped, I thrust my dark blade at her leg.
That's when Clarisse did the impossible. She crouched low, and, like a coil that had been under pressure and was released, vaulted over me, twisted in midair, and landed behind me, her starry sword held at my neck.
"You put up a good fight, Nico. But not good enough. I've grown bored of this. You're all going to follow me obediently. and if you don't, you'll get a taste of my blade for yourselves," she commanded, sneering.
Keeping her sword at my neck, Clarisse grabbed my arm once more and shoved me towards the entrance. Rachel and Grover followed behind her, warily.
With each step towards the entrance to the strange room, my trepidation increased drastically. I ground my heels into the ground, trying to stop myself from getting any closer. Clarisse snarled and shoved me forwards once again.
My foot crossed the threshold, and immediately a cold, dark feeling snaked around my leg and up to my chest, stopping at my heart. I gasped at the foreign sensation, and several seconds later, Grover and Rachel had similar reactions. Clarisse snickered.
Our attention got pulled to the center of the room, where a floating dark vortex had appeared. After a few seconds, the vortex assumed the shape of a man. The darkness faded from the humanoid form, revealing one of the most beautiful men I had ever seen. He had flowing golden hair that stopped at his shoulders, a chiseled jawline, and a body fit for an Olympian. A black band circled his golden hair, a golden infinity sign at the front. His eyes were unnatural yet beautiful, being as starry and black as the walls around us. Light stubble covered his immaculate jaw, only adding to his attractiveness. He sported a traditional chiton, revealing his toned arms and chest.
He flashed a smile and almost blinded us with its radiance.
"Nico! My, you've no idea how long I've waited to see you in person." His voice boomed, an unbridled power echoing through the room long after his voice had stopped. Seeing my blank stare, he frowned.
"You do know who I am, right? I would be hurt if, after all this, you didn't know my name." His tone was lighthearted, yet fear curled through me nonetheless.
"Aion," I uttered. There was no doubt in my mind that standing before me was the forgotten Primordial of Eternity.
Upon hearing his name, Aion flashed his brilliant smile and bowed at the waist. As he did, the air in the room seemed to shift with him.
"Primordial of Eternity at your service! For all eternity!" His boisterous voice bounced off the walls as he straightened out, chuckling at his own joke. His mirthful eyes roved over the three of us, searching for something.
As sudden as lightning, the light in his eyes shifted to a cold, calculating look. His eyes bored into mine; He seemed intent on pulverizing me with a single stare, which I didn't doubt he could do. The three of us stood in front of him, not moving a muscle as silence deafened the room.
"Well!" He barked, breaking the trance he had settled into.
"Let's get down to business. Grover, you can leave. You have done me a great service, and a Primordial of Eternity always pays his debts."
Despite the situation, I deadpanned. There was no way a being thousands of years old had just quoted "Game of Thrones".
Grover looked like a deer in headlights. He backed away, shooting Rachel and me an apologetic look, before turning and running out of the room. Clarisse cursed, spitting on the ground Grover had just been standing on. My mind was reeling. What kind of service did Grover do for Aion?
The immortal turned his eyes to Rachel, who shriveled up under his gaze.
"I don't know who you are, and quite frankly I have no need for you. You shall die now," he said slowly. His eyes flicked to Clarisse. She trembled for a second, almost as if trying to resist, before twisting the ring on her finger and taking a step towards Rachel.
"No! I'm sorry! We'll leave, we won't come back here, and we'll forget everything we've seen here!" Rachel shouted desperately, backing away slowly.
Aion laughed coldly.
"We? You misunderstand. I don't need you. Nico has great value to me, so there's no way in Tartarus I'd let him walk through that doorway home free."
Horror slammed into me as I heard those words leave Aion's mouth. I dropped to my knees, clasping my hands in front of me.
"NO! Aion, I beg you, spare her! Clearly, you want something from me. I'll do anything you want! I swear upon the Styx, I'll do anything you ask of me, just spare her!" As I pleaded, my eyes watered, and when they could hold no more water, hot tears fell from my eyes, sliding down my cheeks.
The sound of Clarisse facepalming from behind me reached my ears.
Aion was taken aback by my outburst. He turned his eyes to me as his eyebrows shot up in surprise. He thought it over a second, then flashed his teeth in a triumphant smile.
"Sold! Rachel will live, and you will serve me in the same way Clarisse does!" Aion was ecstatic, rubbing his hands together quickly. He snapped his fingers, and a dark vortex appeared behind Rachel. Before either of us could say anything, the vortex consumed her. She shot me one last haunting look before disappearing.
I turned to Aion, shaking from rage.
"The deal was she would LIVE!"
Aion looked at me, flashing that gods-forsaken smile.
"And live she shall. However, I can't let her just walk away. I need something to keep you in check, and she seems as good an insurance policy as any. Do as you're told, and I won't touch a single fiery hair on her head. Deal?"
Reigning in my anger, I nodded my head in defeat.
Aion smiled and rubbed his hands together again.
"Good. Good. Now, it's time to get down to business. I need you, Nico. Over the eons, I have had only one servant who was a child of Hades, and the effects have left me desiring more."
He waved his hand at Clarisse, who narrowed her eyes at the Primordial.
"My servants are blessed with my power, and it merges with their current strengths to make a unique individual. That's why no two Agents of mine are exactly alike. Clarisse, the daughter of Ares, has been blessed with my power. Since then, she has learned all the skills and techniques involving swordsmanship that have developed over the ages. She is now the Ultimate Swordswoman. You, however, are unique. As the son of the dead, should you be blessed with my power, well... Any wound you would inflict to an immortal being would carry over even if that creature reforms. Any wound inflicted by you would never heal for the rest of eternity. Your strength as a demigod will determine what caliber of beings you could affect, of course. Your distant half-sibling was far weaker than you, and the strongest beings he could effect were minor gods. You, however, could permanently maim even Olympians. That is why I need you. That kind of skill would help me greatly in this coming war."
His revelation left me with eyes so wide they probably looked like two giant orbs. I shivered, wanting more than anything to be free of this accursed Labyrinth. I should never have come here. I should never have dragged Rachel and Grover here with me on this suicide mission. Now, because of me, Rachel was captured, and her life depended on whether I kept a volatile thousands-year-old being happy.
"So? Are you ready for your blessing?" The handsome god asked, the corners of his mouth turning upwards as excitement gleamed in his starry eyes.
I bowed my head, staring at the obsidian ground beneath me, hate surging within me so powerfully I almost gasped.
"Do what you must."
"Hah! Music to my ears! Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit!"
As soon as he finished talking, a circle made of pure shadows wrapped itself around my chest. It tightened, leaving me gasping for air as it squeezed the life out of me.
As suddenly as it constricted, the band loosened. It grew hazy and dissolved into a swarm of shadows that enveloped my whole body. All at once, the shadows surged into me, dissolving into my skin as softly as acid. Which is to say, not softly at all. I screamed at the top of my lungs as the shadows burrowed into every nerve and muscle. My voice grew hoarse, but I didn't even feel it, my mind focused on the foreign object melding itself to my body.
After several agonizing minutes, the pain finally subsided, leaving me with a dull ache across my body. By now, I was on my hands and knees, panting for air.
"Excellent!" Aion exclaimed, taking a step forward.
"See? Painless!" Aion raised his arms innocently, shooting me a smile.
He walked over to me and grabbed my shoulder. With impossible strength, he pulled me upright, leaving me staring at his grinning face. Every instinct in me wanted to ram his face in with my sword.
"Rise, Nico di Angelo, Agent of Aion, The Shadow of Death."
AN: Man, this chapter was fun to write. Nico is my favorite character, so expect to see more of him in future chapters. Thalia is also going to see a lot more screen time. Don't worry though, Percy and Artemis will have the center stage before long. To be completely honest, however, I have multiple endings planned for this story, with the main contenders for winning this escalating conflict being Pontus, Aion, Ananke, and the mysterious statue in the ocean (Bonus points to whoever can guess what it is). Oh, and the Olympians. That being said, the motivation of each of the three primordial baddies will slowly start being revealed. With that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and have a great day :)
(Also, leave reviews, I love reading them. Feel free to say literally anything, I love to hear of ways I can improve my writing).