Hey guys! So sorry for the delay in updating. I've had a lot going on for these past months in my personal and professional life, so it's been hectic. I'm going to try and update at least once a month (this chapter counts for March, don't worry). I know you're all excited to see how the beginning of Alex's story ends.
X
Alex stood outside the entrance to Aude's home, flanked by Peter and Sabrina.
"I heard it changes based on what you need," Peter stated.
Alex still didn't understand what Aude's abilities entailed. So, he did the only thing he could think of.
"Burger restaurant," Alex said. Sabrina and Peter both stared at the entrance before them as if willing it to change with him.
Nothing happened.
"Ice cream stand?" He asked, his prepu bescent voice cracking a bit.
Still, nothing.
"I think it only takes forms that match the environment," Sabrina said, clearly disappointed.
Alex sighed and turned to look at the Underworld beyond their abode. Despite the heat that hung thick in the air and carried the smell of smoke and dust, he wore his black training pants. He refused to wear his old training shirt after looking at the bloodstain and nearly passing out. Instead, a light sheet of chainmail covered his torso, along with a plain brown shirt that Aude had hand-sewn for him the night before. They fit him like a glove, leaving just enough room for him to maneuver his sword if needed.
Sabrina wore a similar outfit in purple, given that her training shirt had also been ruined. She had her satchel around her shoulders and her pocket watch around her neck. Having her celestial bronze sword and shield on display would only attract monsters, Aude had said.
Peter was the only one adorned in his full gear. His glasses were in a leather case tucked safely in a holster on his pants.
Alex had a similar holster for his flashlight. As Aude had affixed it to his pants before ushering them out the door, he couldn't help but think about how useful she would be to have around the camp.
They watched in awe as the former demigod waved her hands, and the entirety of the cave shrunk down to the size of a jewelry box. Aude scooped it up and placed it in her green-scaled satchel.
His stomach churned at the thought of eating another one of the Amphisbaena who'd given their lives to make that satchel possible. From the paleness of Sabrina's face, he knew that she felt the same way. Any thoughts of burgers and ice cream quickly displaced from their minds and stomachs.
"Shall we?" Aude flashed that unnerving smile of hers. She looked more like a feral animal with its teeth bared than his beloved camp leader's fair, long-lost love. He wondered if she'd always looked like that or if her years of isolation and fighting to survive changed her.
Alex studied the rough terrain that surrounded Aude's home. The red-dirt hills jutted up like spikes, threatening to impale them at the first misstep. The group was positioned high enough that he could make out the wall of Erebus in the distance. Seeing it still intact loosened some of the tightness in his chest.
Still, he wasn't looking forward to the trip back across the Underworld. To pass through the gate guarded by Cerberus and the terrifying goddess, Limos. To walk past the Judges Pavillion, knowing that Sabrina's soul would be sitting in place of King Minos one day. Everything they had encountered on their way to the Great Marsh was only a fraction of the true forces the Underworld held.
"Can't we just shadow-travel back to camp?" Peter asked, somehow reading Alex's mind.
Aude shook her head. "I fear that will draw too much attention to our position. The Titans can sense Alex's powers. Right now, they believe him to be dead. It needs to be kept that way for as long as possible."
Alex looked to Sabrina, who shrugged.
"My magic isn't fully back yet. I can't hide us if anything goes wrong."
The long way it was, then.
He was on high alert as they began walking over the rocky terrain. Aude and Sabrina took the lead, followed closely by Alex and Peter. He hoped that the lesser monsters would find Aude's presence unpleasant enough to leave them alone.
After ten nerve-wracking minutes of concentrating on every step downhill, Alex was thrown off by Peter leaning over to him and whispering, "who do you think will win the Summer Solstice?"
The question was so unexpected that Alex stumbled. Aude and Sabrina looked back at him, wearing identical withering expressions that had Alex ducking his head to hide the heat on his cheeks.
Peter snickered, and Alex shoved his arm. Despite his annoyance, he was glad for the break in the tension that threatened to suffocate him from the inside out.
"I hope Viviana wins. I don't think she's going to underestimate Carter this time." Alex couldn't imagine what Carter's half-in charge reign of terror had been like the past two months. He hated the possibility of her being fully in charge when Edmund went away on "business."
The smile faded from Peter's face as if he, too, remembered their punishment in the armory the night that everything changed. "Same here," was all he said.
Without thinking, Alex reached for Peter's hand. Peter gave him a surprised look but soon relaxed his hand into Alex's. "Whatever happens," he started. "We will always be a team. Us three. Forever." He said the last part loud enough for Sabrina to overhear.
She turned back to flash him a smile. The act lit up her entire face in a way that he hadn't seen for a long time. Even her violet and blue eyes had a spark of life, clearing the storm that clouded them.
"That is enough talking," Aude said sharply. "We need to keep focused. If there is an army threatening to siege the Underworld from Hades, they will not hesitate to destroy us all."
The threat lacing her voice was enough to shut them up for good.
X
Aude descended the jagged slope first. She moved slowly and precisely and was at the bottom in minutes. Sabrina followed her with almost as much grace, then Peter, then Alex. He followed the same path the others had by placing his feet on the same grooves and keeping a firm grip on the rock as he moved. He forced himself not to look behind him to see how far above the ground he was.
Halfway through, he nudged his right foot into a groove and was in the middle of shifting his weight onto it when he felt the dirt beneath it give way. His foothold completely broke apart before he had time to react, leaving him hanging on the cliff with nothing to stand on.
"Alex!" Peter shouted from down below.
The worry in his voice elicited a primal fear within Alex. All rational thought left his mind, leaving nothing but the threat of impending doom. He squeezed his eyes shut as his mind clouded over and forced himself to breathe.
His thin fingers cramped within seconds, followed closely by a violent burning pain through his arms, shoulders, and back. He scrambled to find something to stand on, but his feet only slipped over the flat edge as they dislodged rocks. From how far away Peter's voice had sounded, he knew that he would hit the ground hard enough to break some valuable bones if he fell now.
He heard vague shouting from below him. He couldn't understand what they were saying, other than the occasional "calm," "shadows," and "let go."
He couldn't let go, and he didn't know how to shadow-travel on purpose. He wished at that moment that his mind wasn't completely closed off to Peter since he knew exactly how to calm him down.
Something cold brushed against Alex's leg. Without even opening his eyes, he knew it was Aude's magic. He could hear it speaking to him, though it uttered no words. You are safe, it hissed, caressing his leg. Let go of the cliff.
The invisible force tightened around his legs as he followed its instructions. He kept his eyes shut as Aude lowered him to the ground below. As soon as his feet touched the dirt, Peter embraced him in a hug so tight it knocked the wind out of him.
"Maybe we should have spent more time training before you left the camp," Sabrina said.
"We can start as soon as we get back," Alex replied, his voice muffled by Peter's shoulder.
"We need to continue," Aude's sharp voice cut through their banter. "And do try to be more careful in the future, son of Erebus," she added a shade gentler.
Peter pulled away from Alex, who gave him a weak smile to show that he was, in fact, okay.
None of them said anything else as they continued forward.
Aude led them around a trail that gave the Great Marsh a wide berth. They didn't want to be spotted if the dead from Kronos's army were indeed invading the Underworld.
They crossed the plain in less than half the time it had taken them before. Alex soon found himself staring up at the cliff that held the wall of Erebus. By then, the group had traveled for hours, and he felt ready to collapse.
"There's no way we'll climb this without being seen," Sabrina pointed out.
"Do you think I did not plan for this?" Aude asked.
Alex exchanged glances with Peter and Sabrina.
Aude continued without an answer. "There is a cave that will take you to the other side. Only the living is allowed to pass through."
Alex pinched his eyebrows together. "You're not coming with us?"
"I cannot pass the barrier. My human half was destroyed when I was granted immortality. I am no longer considered among the living." Darkness settled over Aude's face. Whether it was anger at Chronos for cursing her or something else, Alex wasn't sure.
Aude brought them to the mouth of the cave that they'd slept in the first night. Alex vaguely recalled waking up with his head in Peter's lap. He felt heat creeping up his cheeks, but it quickly dissipated when he recognized the fear on Aude's face.
Sabrina narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "How do we know this isn't a trap?"
"Have I not provided everything you needed these past two months? Did I not risk my immortal life by bringing the son of Erebus into my home? I am doing this for my Edmund, child. Unless my intentions have not been perfectly clear."
Sabrina's eyes dropped to the ground in shame. She didn't argue any further.
"You must leave now. Charon is returning with his ferry. I will meet you on the other side." Aude waved them into the cave one by one. Alex went first since his primordial heritage allowed him to see even in the shadows. Sabrina and Peter followed close behind. As soon as Peter stepped through the barrier, a dark shroud fell over the entrance.
Alex's eyes adjusted to the now pitch darkness immediately. He watched as Peter and Sabrina spun, trying to pick up any hint of light from where they'd just come from.
"Alex?" Sabrina asked.
"I'm here." He gently touched her hand and felt her flinch beneath his fingers. "Grab onto Peter so you two can follow right behind me," he ordered as he led her hand to Peter's.
He turned around to face the length of the cave. "Go ahead and grab the back of my shirt now, Sabrina."
Alex felt the fabric of his shirt crease as she took a fistful of it. He glanced back to see the pair again, looking around the cave to pick up a visual. He knew it wasn't likely since it was still somewhat dim even to his eyes.
He led the group slowly through the cave. It was barely bigger than the width of their shoulders and the tops of their heads. Rather than the jagged terrain of the rest of the Underworld, the rock was smooth all over, like the cave had been carved by running water.
The stagnant air around them was cool enough to evaporate the sweat soaking Alex's torso. Without the suffocating blanket of heat to distract him, he realized how dry his mouth was.
Their trail through the cave was on a gentle incline that made Alex's legs scream for relief after the first five minutes. His entire boy felt the ever-increasing weight of exhaustion dragging him down like an anchor.
But for now, he needed to keep going. With Sabrina's magic not working and Aude vanishing, he was the only way they would get through the cave alive.
Alex wasn't sure how long it was before he came to a cave section that split in two directions. He had no idea which way to go. Not even Psyche's prophecy had a line about a fork in the metaphorical road. If he chose wrong, they could all die.
"Why are we stopped?" Peter asked, his quiet voice carrying easily through the tight space.
"The cave is split," Alex answered. His voice came out winded, and he hated himself for being so out of shape.
A quiet whimper fell from Sabrina's lips. Alex could feel her tremble through her grip on his shirt. "Which way do we go?"
Alex closed his eyes. He could feel the shadows hidden deep in the pores of the stone wake as he commanded them to come to him. Slowly, wispy tendrils seeped through the walls, manifesting a physical form amongst the blanket of darkness. He let them stay in their desired appearance, afraid that he would run out of energy if he tried to force them into something else.
Find the exit.
The tendrils slithered down to the ground and shot off in two groups without hesitation. Sabrina squealed as they brushed against her ankles. Alex might have found it funny in a different circumstance, but it felt wrong to laugh in their current predicament.
It didn't take long for him to feel a slight tug toward the right mouth of the fork. He'd never had the shadows do that before, but he'd never commanded them to perform a sweep, either. He assumed that his darkness had found the other side of the wall and had given the signal that it was okay to follow.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief before starting in that direction.
"We're almost there," he said in his most comforting tone. "Just a little bit longer."
True to his word, the farther they went, the more the Underworld's eerie red glow began to pierce through the cave's veil of darkness. Alex felt the unseen barrier of his father's wall relax at his presence to allow them through. A cold chill ran up his spine, and goosebumps formed on his arms as they exited on the other side.
Sabrina must have been able to see now because she let go of Alex's shirt and impatiently nudged him to move faster with the toe of her boot.
Alex shielded his eyes as they squeezed through the mouth of the cave. Compared to what he'd been seeing for the past thirty minutes, the dim firelight felt like staring straight into the sun.
"Where are we?" Peter asked as soon as he joined Alex and Sabrina on the outside.
"We should be to the left of the Judges Pavilion. Look, there it is." Alex pointed in the direction of the sizable black tent that stood nearly camouflaged in the distance.
Sabrina scanned their surroundings before asking, "where is Aude?"
Alex felt his anxiety stir and threatened to hook his chest with its icy claws. He forced himself to take in a deep, slow breath, which edged off some of the sensation. "She said she would be here. For Edmund."
"Let's hope she gets here soon," said Peter. "I want to go home."
Alex fought the urge to wince at Peter's statement. Guilt formed a lump in his throat. Not once had he given thought to how Peter and Sabrina felt about being forced away from their home on a life-threatening journey through the Underworld. They had lived at the camp most of their lives and had dropped everything to come with him. Their friendship was real even if the quest was fake, and he'd only truly known them less than a month. It was at that moment he realized he hadn't been the kind of friend to them that they had been to him.
"I will make sure you get home, Peter, if it's the last thing I do." Alex attempted a comforting smile, but he found only pain on Peter's face.
"You still have to fix the wall," Sabrina said for him.
How close had she and Peter gotten since their encounter with Kronos that she could read Peter's mind from the look on his face? Hadn't they been fighting about that before the attack?
And why was he more worried about Sabrina and Peter getting along without him than the fact that he'd forgotten that he needed to fix the wall? Alex pulled one of his cheeks between his teeth and clamped down hard enough to make himself focus.
He looked between them and couldn't stand to see the despair on their faces. "Isn't Kronos just going to keep breaking it down after I fix it? What's the point?"
Sabrina and Peter looked at each other again. Alex couldn't help the twinge of pain at being left out of the silent conversation the two were having.
It was Peter who broke the silence. "We were thinking… Even though your father is being held captive, if you fix the wall, they can only break it again if they have you, too."
"Since Aude will help us back to camp, now is the best time to do it. The wall will be fixed, and the Titan King won't be able to send his armies through," Sabrina finished their combined thought.
They're right, Alex realized. As much as he didn't want them to be, what they were saying made sense.
"Even though I have to give up a part of my soul?" Alex whispered.
The two didn't answer. Instead, they stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight hug. Alex slung an arm over their shoulders and touched his forehead against theirs. Their scents drifted into his senses as they held each other. The fresh meadow and sunshine that was Peter, and the thunderstorms and rain that were distinctly Sabrina. He didn't know what would happen once he gave up a piece of himself. If he would ever be able to enjoy food again, or smells, or even be able to laugh at stupid jokes.
Sabrina was the first to step back. She reached down into her boot and pulled out a small piece of something wrapped in paper. "This is the last of the ambrosia." She pushed it into Alex's free hand. "You need it more than I do."