The Missing Sun
Chapter Nine
Rumbles echoed thought out the sky as streaks of lighting strike the earth around the dark temple. With the massive shield covering the temple. The hunters remained on the outskirts as The Seekers mixture in with Cassandra's guards making sure nothing gets in.
Some hunters would creep closer to the temple, hoping to get a reaction out of the guards for a fight. Claire would end up pulling them back to the camp, much to their dismay.
"Do you expect us to just stand here and do nothing?!" a hunter shouted.
"I expect you to follow orders," Claire replied in a calm but stern tone.
"We did and look what happen. The situation has gotten. Worse, we need to attack.
"No, we will follow orders and continue. We don't know what this shield could do and we are few in number," Claire said a few inches from the frustrated hunter's face. "So we follow orders."
"She's right," a familiar voice said.
Claire and all the hunters bowed as Artemis appeared, with Jessica and Percy behind her. Artemis looked at the temple with a sigh. "I figured she's do this."
"Looks like we got some reinforcements," Percy said, pointing behind us.
Turning around, Artemis smiled at the dozens upon dozens of librarians walking toward them. A woman with reddish brown hair and sea blue eyes stood at the front, bowing to Artemis as the other librarians follow suit.
"Greetings. I am Lena Taylor from the history department of the Golden Sun."
"Nice, so the old girl sent us help. How is she?"
Luna looked away. "Not too well, I am afraid."
"I see," Artemis said, looking at the black dome. "Tell me about the dark sun,"
"He is the polar opposite of Apollo. He has the same powers as him, just darker.
"His purpose?"
"To black out the sun and bring forth the first wave of darkness." Luna said.
"Waves?" Percy asked.
"Yes, the dark sun is the first wave and the dark lighting is the last.
"And Cassandra knew," Artemis said.
"Yes, but because of Apollo's curse, no one would believe her."
Artemis sighed loudly. "Typical."
"Anything else we need to know about this dark sun?" Percy asked.
"If the dark sun is revived Apollo will die, for they can't both exist." Luna finished.
"Okay, so we stop the ceremony, "Jessica said.
Artemis put her hands on her hips. "Now we just have to figure out how to get inside."
Meanwhile, inside the temple at the ceremony room, Helen continued to struggle against the guards as the dark aura from the coffin crawled closer to the chained up unconscious Apollo. Stamping on a guard's foot and elbowing him in the face. The guard bump into the other causing them to lose their grip.
Once she was free, Helen ran out of the room they were bout to run after her when Cassandra spoke.
"Stay and join using the ceremony. She can't get far."
Nodding, the guards joined the others, further strengthening the dark aura's power.
Running down the corridor, Helen glanced behind her. She bumps into two more guards. Kicking on in the face and punching the other in the gun, she took off running again. After turning down another corridor door she spotted an open door and slipped inside. She looked around the door and breathe a sigh of relief that it was empty.
"I need to save Apollo, but I can't do this by myself," Helen said to herself.
Slipping her hands in her pocket, Helen felt a familiar shape cross her fingers. Pulling it out, she smiled the moment she noticed her cell phone in her hand. But when she turned it on, she was glad the battery was full, but she couldn't get a signal.
Moving around the room, Helen stood in the center when three signal bars popped up. Scrolling through her contacts, she pressed Artemis's name.
"Please work." Helen whispered.
The moment the phone rang, Helen smiled.
Outside, Jessica and Percy stared at the black dome while Artemis talked with her hunters and librarians.
"How are ya handling all of this?" Percy asked.
"I'm still trying to take it all in," Jessica said, followed by a sigh. "Janet….I have to save Helen. I own it to her."
"She's a fighter. I know she will pull through this."
Jessica nodded. Just then, Artemis walked over to the both of them. She placed one hand on Percy's shoulder and the other on Jessica's. When they looked back at her, they noticed a green light line her body and it didn't take long for the line to move to them as well.
"Whats going on?"
"Its Helen. She called me,
Before another word could be said, the three of them disappeared.
Meanwhile, back in the empty room in the Temple, Helen paced the floor while her cellphone continued ringing. She stopped when she noticed a green light emulating from it. As it got right and brighter, she dropped her phone and back up. When the light diminished, there stood Percy, Artemis, and Jessica. While she was happy to see the two of them, she wasn't sure about Jessica. So when their eyes met, they simply nodded to each other.
Shaking his head and taking in a few gulps of air, Percy took a deep breath.
"These teleports are something else,"
Jessica also took a few deep breaths as well.
"Shake it off, you two. We have a ceremony to stop."
"Right this way," Helen said, running out of the room.
Artemis and Percy followed behind Helen, with Jessica bringing up the rear. Jessica kept silent as they sneaked by many of the people she once called friend. She looked away for a moment and forced herself to contain following them. It was when they reached the outside the ceremony room that her ears picked up on footsteps. Percy and Artemis stood in front of Helen as they looked past Jessica. When she turned around, Jessica starred into the eyes of her confused fellow shadows guards. They looked at her, then back at Artemis and Percy.
There it was, the confusion she once had now flashed behind her. This is what Janet saw when she looked at her. Nodding to herself, Jessica knew what she had to do.
"Thomas?" Jessica said.
The young man looked back at her and stood at attention before bowing to Jessica.
"Yes madam Jessica?"
This caused a small smile to tickle her lips. She still had some pull among them.
"We need to talk, come one everyone, let go."
Thomas looked down or a moment, then nodded as she turned around. Soon, the other guards did the same as they walked away. Jessica followed them, raising her hand in the air waving for the others to go on ahead.
Artemis nodded as she, Percy, and Helene turned around. They charged into the room ceremony room. Artemis pulled out her bow, Percy pulled out his sword. Helen reached for her bow and forgot it wasn't there.
Cassandra continued mumbling as she held the goblet while her followers were circled around the table, chanting. The dark aura had reached Apollo's shoes. It had steadily begun crawling up his legs when Artemis shot off an arrow only for it to dissolve the moment it hit a black shield like dome.
"Not good…"
Cassandra smile as she turned and looked at the goddesses she continued chanting. The guards looked in her direction, their eyes giving off a red glow. Percy stood in front of Artemis and Helen with his sword ready. His eyes gave off a cerulean blue glow. Helen's eyes gave off a yellow-orange glow. But this wasn't good, for the dark aura still held a strong power between them.
What Artemis called for came to pass as the whole temple shook. The dome over Cassandra and the guards disappeared, hissing the guard and charged toward them only for another set of guard stop running out from behind Artemis and charged at the guards with Percy helping them.
Thomas stood beside Artemis, motion for even more guards to enter. At first, the goddess was about to ask Thomas a question when a word came to mine.
"Jessica…" Artemis said.
"Yes, she explained everything to us and we spread the world," Thomas said.
"Even outside?"
"Yep," Thomas said, pointing to his walkies talkie.
Artemis smiles. "Good, keep up the distraction. We might actually win this."
"You got it!" Jessica said, jump into the fray, knocking to guards down to the ground.
Pulling out an arrow of her quiver, she aimed the glowing blue tip arrow at her brother's chains and let go.
Cassandra looked up from the chalice, watching the guard grew close to the coffin. Cassandra's eyes glowed and the dark aura smacked the guard into a wall. Glaring at Jessica, she glance to Helen and lifted a dagger off the table and threw it at Helen. Jessica tosses a sword in that direction and deflects the dagger. Cassandra turned to Jessica, who smiled.
In the door frame Artemis continued shooting thereof blue tip arrows at her brother chains. She smiled the moment she heard them snap. Aiming the last arrow, she fired it and all the chains shattered.
Wake up, brother.
Apollo his eyes as his brother gave off a yellow-orange glow combating the dark aura.
"No," Casandra screamed.
"Oh yeah," Apollo said, struggling against the darkness.
Pushing a follower to the side, Helen made it to the table. She pulled Apollo, trying to get him away from the darkness, but with their combined effort, they couldn't break him away from the dark aura.
Noticing the aura crept up her arm. Helen stared at her father.
"Don't do it," Apollo whispered.
Helen forced a smile on her lips. "I have to. I can't let this thing take you."
Helen jumped on the table as the dark aura gravitate more towards her. Bit her lip as pain rack her body she opened her mouth.
"Hit the chalice!" Helen yelled.
Artemis looked at the table and pulled back her bow as she pulled aiming at the chalice she let her arrow go. Jessica ran toward the table as Artemis released the arrow. The moment it hit the chalice, a white light engulf the area.
When the light diminished, Jessica and Percy stood together with Artemis and Apollo, joining them along with the rest of the shadows behind them.
Cassandra walked away from the table, smiling as Helen jumped off the table and stood beside her.
"Well, this was unexpected," Cassandra said.
"Helen?" Apollo asked.
This only made Cassandra's smile grow even more.
"I'm afraid she can't hear you." Cassandra said.
Helen raised her head, looking at Apollo with black eyes as the dark aura circled around her. Cassandra sighed contently as she laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Beware...beware, the dark sun is here."