Sorry for the late update guys. I know it's lousy, but I've had to make some changes to avoid plot holes and I wanted to upload a chapter soon because it's been a long time. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 26

Annabeth's P.O.V.

"Remind me where you said we were going?"

Annabeth heard an exasperated Natalie ask Ben, both of whom were walking ahead of them, giving each other snippy remarks once in a while.

Ben shrugged off. "I didn't."

"Well, say it now."

"Wait for it," he said, waving his hand.

"You're horrible."

"Thanks."

Percy smirked. "But hey, on an actual serious note, you do know the way to wherever you're taking us, right? Because all we've been doing is walking from the last few, what is it, hours?"

Ben uncapped a bottle, and gulped down some Phlegathon lava from it. "Of course, I've been here for the last ten years, man. I know my way around better than anyone else here."

Annabeth still found it hard to believe someone could actually survive the ordeal Ben had, but she was learning now that in her life, weirdness is the only reality. Until a few days back, she was under the impression that a mortal cannot even survive a second in Tartarus. And now here she was, in Tartarus itself, for the past...she didn't remember. She didn't even know how much time had passed.

For Annabeth, it was like one of those ordeals you just want to get done with. Like an appointment with a dentist which is sure to be painful, but you just want it to get over. She had accepted that all that was in store for her was pain, either until she escaped Tartarus, or she died. It's funny how you accept the idea of death with open arms when it seems to hover so near and strike you down every second, she mused.

"Can you at least tell us how long until we get there?" Annabeth asked.

"Two minutes."

Annabeth looked around. There was nothing except darkness around them. She hadn't noticed when the red scenery had started turning dark. Was it her imagination, or did the darkness actually seem to thicken around them.

"Ben," Annabeth said. "I really hope you know where you're going, because I don't like the looks of the scenery around us."

"Don't worry, we're nearly there."

Annabeth took one step, and the next second, she felt like she'd plunged into cold ice. The temperature around her dropped at least 15 degrees. It was like they had suddenly crossed an invisible wall. The scenery around them melted into black marble walls of a pillared hall. There were only two torches illuminating the end of the hall, both beside a throne that seemed to have been built out of darkness.

Sitting on it was a lady that radiated such an aura of power that Annabeth could feel her hair erecting, her blood vibrating. The lady, though visible, seemed to be radiating darkness and power around her. The power of a primordial. Annabeth knew everyone had realized who the lady was, because they had all tensed.

"Ben…," Natalie carefully whispered.

"Trust me," he said. "Hey Nyx!"

The primordial goddess glared at him, and then at the four of them. Bob clutched his mop tightly. "Tartarus wants them. And he expects every being here to get these three to him."

"You don't have to be the one to do that. You're a primordial, like him, not his servant."

"And yet, my residence lies in his abode. I have been soft towards you, but that does not guarantee my softness towards your friends."

Ben tapped his feet impatiently. "Please. All I need is a bit of help to reach the doors of death. And you and Damasen can come with us, we'll all get out of this. Look, I've realized Gaea is not what she always appeared to be. She cheated me, she cheated you. It's time for revenge now."

"Oh yes, boy? Well, you are not putting a strong point in front of us," someone growled from the back.

Annabeth turned around. Standing behind them, holding a Greek fire torch was a giant. She immediately took a step back.

"Guys, chill. It's just Damasen." Ben waved his hands.

"You take your 'chill' back," Natalie grumbled at Ben, her sword disappearing from her hands. "It might be usual for you, but not for us. And he's a giant."

The giant looked at them strangely. "I have no business with my mother. We have separate ways, and I don't agree with her. But I agree with Nyx. It would be better to give these three demis to Tartarus."

Percy shuffled impatiently behind them. Annabeth could tell his ADHD was really kicking in here. Especially when they were surrounded by a primordial and a giant. So Annabeth decided to do the logical thing. Twist logic so that it appeared in their favour.

"And what will you get if you turn us in?" she asked, mustering all her courage.

"The question….is not what I will gain by helping Tartarus, Annabeth Chase. It is what I will lose by helping you."

Annabeth stared at her. She had just turned speechless. Annabeth had not been prepared for answering such a question, but determined not to lose, she pressed on.

"Your only hope. If you want revenge, we're your only hope. Because if we fail, Gaea wins. And if she wins then you're not getting anything ever again," she spoke boldly. Nyx twirled her finger absentmindedly, but her gaze was fixed at her.

"I do not want revenge. It is the fire that keeps burning inside a person, every moment he lives. I do not wish for a life of agony. I am at peace with what I have."

"Really, Nyx?" Ben asked.

Natalie and Percy took a few gulps of lava while Nyx continued to be silent. Damasen flipped the greek fire torch in his hands, and Annabeth had a mini heart attack every time he caught it, because if it even slipped from his hands…. Annabeth didn't want to die burning.

Finally, Nyx stood up. "I cannot help you."

"But Nyx–," Ben started.

"But I can provide you a passage to Tartarus without the threat of Polybotes."

Percy coughed. "With all due respect, lady, why would we want to go anywhere near Tartarus?"

"Because that is where the Doors are."

Natalie choked on the lava. "What?"

"Yes. And that is the only help I can give you."

Annabeth was, in a way, furious. "But you're turning us in to Tartarus either way."

Nyx sighed, as if irritated already. "And you would have to face him one way or the other. I am just taking off the hurdle named Polybotes from your path. Do not expect any more help from me."

Annabeth wanted to retort, but Percy put a hand on his shoulder. He gestured to her not to say anything else. She nodded.

Nyx averted her gaze from her to the giant, "Damasen, lead them to the doors of the maze of Nyx. Good luck, demigods. For your sake, I hope you make it out alive."

Nyx disappeared, and the temperature of the room must have risen at least 10 degrees.

Percy looked at Ben, "So, what's the maze of Nyx?"

"It's a maze."

"That clears things up."

"No, it's not an ordinary maze. It's Nyx's maze."

"Like the labyrinth?" Annabeth asked him.

Ben thought for a moment. "Well, I can't say because I haven't been inside it, but from what I know, labyrinth tricks a person from reaching where they're headed for. It confuses them, and leads them into traps. But I can assure you the maze of Nyx is not tricky, it's sinister."

Percy snorted. "That makes me feel a lot better about it."

Natalie scratched her cheek. "What could be worse than Tartarus, though. Better in the maze safe from Polybotes than walking across the wasteland trying to reach the doors before him."

"Are you all coming?" Damasen grumbled. He had already reached the other side of the room.

Ben beckoned them forward, but even he looked uncertain. This worried Annabeth. All the time, she had seen him strutting about the place like it was his granny's house. It was the first time she was seeing him... confused about going somewhere down here.

They followed Damasen through a set of corridors, until they reached a staircase. Bob lumbered behind, looking extremely grim. They went downwards, the air becoming colder. Finally, a set of carved stygian iron doors stood closed at the bottom. Damasen ran his hand through them. The doors opened with a spooky creak that made the hair on Annabeth's neck stand up. Up ahead, she could only see the darkness.

"Go, you'll find your way once the doors close. And remember, once they do, they won't open unless someone opens them from this side. And I won't stand guard here in case you change your mind, so if you go, either you emerge in the heart of Tartarus, or you're stuck."

"Thanks, Damasen," Ben said.

They started to walk when Damasen called from behind.

"Hey, kid. Ben!"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you do get out alive. Stay safe out there."

Ben stared at him for two seconds, as though not being able to figure out what he had just said. Then he grinned. "Sure. See you soon!"

Damasen gave him a weak grin, and then closed the door. They immediately disappeared and all they could sense was solid stone. A faint light now appeared inside the maze. Annabeth could see things around. She took a step forward, and a torch lit just beside her on the wall automatically.

Everyone jumped.

"Relax, it's just a torch. Maybe more will light up as we go on."

She moved a bit more. As she had gone about five steps ahead, another torch lit up automatically. "See? Come on."

Now that they could see things, it looked even more horrible. Red splashes at the walls that looked like blood adorned the stones.

Annabeth had just gone a few steps ahead when she heard a crunch. She looked below to see she had stepped on a skeleton. It was a human skeleton. She flinched and grabbed Percy's hand, who held it reassuringly.

"How long do you think it's been here?" Percy asked.

Natalie bent down and touched a bone. "Feels old, maybe about a century or two."

"This place is dark," Bob muttered.

Ben grimaced. "Let's move ahead, we shouldn't spend much time here. So the main thing is, we stick together, whatever happens."

As soon as Ben finished and they started moving, Annabeth heard a strange whisper. It was the whisper of wind. Wind whistling.

"How can wind–,"

Before she could finish herself, the wall from which they had come in started moving towards them at a great speed.

"Run!" Percy shouted, pulling Annabeth away. They ran and turned, trying to escape the wall rushing towards them. The corridors twisted and turned, but they didn't dare look behind. The wall was still moving towards them, and it was catching up. Left, right, right, left, right and then Annabeth swore loudly. They had reached a dead end. The wall was rushing towards them.

"Search for a sign. Must be Nyx written in Greek. Search, search, quick!" Ben yelled. The wall was gaining up.

Annabeth and Percy looked on the right of the corridor, and the other two on the left. Just then, Annabeth saw it. The wall was coming faster than ever.

"Found it!" Natalie and Annabeth yelled in unison.

The wall was coming. Annabeth, panicking, ran her hand through the Greek letters and pulled Percy towards her. The wall was coming - ten meters - five meters. She pulled Percy as a doorway opened, and they fell on the other side as the wall crashed with the dead end. Debris and stone rained from above in the corridor, and the doorway covered up again.

"No, no, no," Percy whispered, getting up. "Natalie? Ben? Bob! Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

He banged his fist against the wall, calling out again and again. Annabeth's heart caught up in her neck. Had Natalie and Ben been crushed by the debris?

Just then, a voice rang out distantly. "Percy?"

Percy sighed with relief. It was Natalie's voice, and it sounded pretty much alright.

"Hey, are you three okay?" he called.

"Yeah we're fine," Ben replied. "We managed to get to the other side but now the door is closed and the corridor is blocked with debris."

Percy took a deep breath. "Looks like we won't be able to stick together after all. Look, you guys go your way and we'll go our way. There's no other choice. Hopefully, we'll meet together at the exit to the maze."

"Okay. Good luck. Stay safe," Natalie's voice called out.

"Yeah, same to you."

They heard the distant footsteps of Natalie and Ben, and finally, when they couldn't be heard, Percy beckoned her.

"We better find the exit quickly. Any ideas, wise girl?"

"Maybe we should keep going straight. And keep taking right at forks."

Percy grinned at her. "After you."

They walked for a while silently.

"Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"What if–,"

"No, don't think like that, wise girl. We'll be out of here soon. We all will."

They walked for some time silently. No one said anything. Then Annabeth heard a faint cackle.

"Percy," she whispered, stopping abruptly.

Percy looked at her, his face contorted. "What?"

She gestured around her. "There was a voice."

Percy looked alarmed. Annabeth had thought he wouldn't believe him, that perhaps she was going mad, but Percy grasped her hand. He nodded reassuringly and they started walking.

Annabeth heard the cackle again, and by the looks of it, this time Percy did too. There was a faint flapping around them. The voice echoed in the silent corridor, and then Annabeth saw them.

Numerous winged hag-like creatures were surrounding them from all the sides, flapping their wings madly.

"We are the Arai," whispered one. "We have come to bestow your curses upon you."

It lunged at them. Percy slashed with his sword, and the monster turned into dust. As soon as the dust touched the ground, Percy gasped. He was clutching his sword hand. A huge burn had appeared on the skin, blistering red. She knew it would be hurting a lot, but they were surrounded.

"Don't kill them Percy," she said. "They are arai. If you kill them, they'll give you a curse."

Percy cursed. "What do we do?"

The arai were closing in on them, pointed talons out and mouths bloodthirsty. Annabeth stanced herself. But it was no good. It was either die by the arai's hands, or their curses. The arai were swarming them. Just as they would have lunged at them to tear them into pieces, there was a loud thump.

"Leave them!" someone growled. The arai, with fear, backed. Annabeth looked behind.

Damasen was standing there, his spear clutched tightly into his hand.

"You," one of the arai growled.

"Me," Damasen replied back. "Now leave!" The arai looked hesitant to do either of the choices they have. They weren't attacking Percy and Annabeth, but they also weren't leaving. Damasen walked up to the two of them.

"Do you want to experience my wrath?" Damasen shouted at them.

The arai at the front leaped to attack him. Damasen swung one hand at it, and it disappeared into dust. The other arai looked around nervously, some of them fled.

Damasen gave them a harsh stare. All of them started fleeing the other way.

Annabeth looked at the giant, "How?"

"I have a blessing from my dear mother," he said miserably. "Come on, we should move."

"How are you here?" Percy asked amused.

"Well, I decided maybe you kids would be needing a hand, wouldn't you. And look how right I was."

They kept walking in silence. "Where are the others? Ben, the girl and Bob?"

"A moving wall was trying to ram into us. We had to split up."

"Bad decision, kid," Damasen muttered. "Bad decision. In here, you don't do that. It's lucky you got till here, the ending is just two minutes away, and lucky you got me. But if you are so close and you can't hear your friends, then they've gone the wrong way, more likely to the more dangerous parts of the maze."

"What?" Percy stopped. "More dangerous?"

"There it is," Damasen said, pointing to a wall. Nyx in Greek was scribbled on it. It looked worn out.

"You said more dangerous?" Percy repeated.

"Nothing you can do right now," Damasen said, sitting near a wall. "All you can is wait ."

Annabeth looked at Percy. He was thinking. Then, as if he'd made up his mind, he clutched his sword tightly.

"I'm going to find them."

"I said it's no good, kid."

Percy waved his hand impatiently. "I can't sit here with them in danger. I'm going."

Annabeth knew there was no stopping him. "I'm coming with you," she said.

"No, wise girl, stay here with Damasen. You'll be safe here."

Annabeth looked at him angrily. "I don't want to be safe, I want to be with you!"

"Please, Annabeth. Stay here. I can't get you in danger."

"Percy–,"

"Please, I'll come back, I promise."

"Seaweed Brain, no–,"

"Please, wise girl. Stay here."

Annabeth looked at him. His pleading eyes seemed to bore into hers. Finally, and very hesitantly, she nodded, "Okay."

"If we don't turn up, then try to get out with Damasen."

"Don't say that–,"

"Don't I get a kiss for luck?" he muttered.

Annabeth smiled. She remembered the time at the Battle of Manhattan, when Percy had said those words. She leaned in and kissed him, then whispered, "good luck."

Percy set off in the darkness, and Annabeth watched him disappear, hoping that he turned up with the others soon.