AN: I'd like to apologize for not updating recently. I meant to update before now but my grandfather recently lost the battle with Cancer so my family and I have been doing a lot.

AN2: Now onto more joyous news my subjects! My mighty empire, defended by the noble Silver Legion, has finally been graced with an Empress! She is a writer on this site just as I and her first story has been published! It is for a fandom that is small but it can grow so go forth! Read her story and those that follow in its wake to grow the fandom of 'Darkest Dungeon', just as I will aide in both her story and its fellows. Go forth, aide your Empress in reading and reviewing her story. Read "A Bird and A Beast" by 'Antimeep'!

Son of the Moon

Chapter 43

-Thalia-

Rolling the butt of her spear on the ground, the daughter of Zeus gave a hard to look at the Empousai who stood in front of her, it was named Karen or Kristie or something. "What is your report?" she demands of the creature, she didn't trust these things but at least Percy wasn't around for one of those whores to try and seduce him away from her like that Hades spawn did.

"The Dissent among our lord's forces has been quieted…for now." Kelli, that was her name, stated "Lord Kronos' explanation of why the son of Poseidon isn't as big a threat as they imagined has calmed them for the time being."

"He is the son of Artemis." Thalia told the monster coldly, her spear hissing and crackling with lightning as she gave a cold blooded glare that didn't even face the monster before her. Her love hated being seen as the son of Poseidon and until he chose otherwise she would support that opinion.

"Oh? Was that not the deal the former King of Atlantis made with his father?" Kelli asked coyly "To have Perseus be made to accept his bloodline? And it is quite an impressive bloodline indeed." Kelli almost purred at the end as the temptress gave an exaggerated shiver of delight.

"Stay away from him you little harlot." She hissed, gripping her spear tightly as she pointed the crackling tip at the monster but she didn't kill Kelli like she wanted. As revolting as the Empousai were they still had their uses in this war.

"Oh, I won't approach him. Why he'll come to me I'm sure. I mean," Kelli ran her hands over her own figure with a sultry smirk "what man could resist an open invitation to this?"

"Finish…the…report." She growled out through gritted teeth, having to force herself to not turn the bitch to ash.

Shrugging with a lazy grin Kelli continued "Most of the invasion force is already in the labyrinth and prepared to move out. Right now we're just waiting for permission to pass through the arena as well as finding a way to get Ariadne's string either through a trade or just finding it and having it stolen."

"And Kronos?" she asked, the specifics of her question not needing to be said.

"He needs only a few more willing souls to pledge their allegiance before he may rise." Kelli gave a truly eager grin at that thought.

"And the ritual to allow the hosting process to be possible?" Thalia wanted this report finished and Kelli out of her sight.

"It was…difficult to find a stable entrance into Tartarus but lady Gaea has managed to awaken the spirit of the pit to an extent. She says he will be able to bring one person who is not bound to the pit into its depths and then send them out after the ritual as bathing in the part of the river that lies in Hades domain is too risky."

"Good. Now get out." Thalia spat at the vampire like wench.

"Oh you're much too uptight, you need to relax." Kelly grinned "Maybe you need to get laid? I'd recommend a certain green eyed hunter but we all know he doesn't want you when there are so many…better options available." With that Kelli laughed mockingly and left the room before Thalia's temper could break. It was a good thing too as less than a second after the Empousai passed through the door a lightning bolt charred its surface.

Panting angrily Thalia threw her spear at a wall, imbedding the weapon in the flagstone as she paced and thought about the best way to punish Kelli when the empousai's usefulness ceased to be. "Hmmm," she mused "King's often have concubines." She gave a truly dark smirk at where Kelli had once been "I'm sure if I asked him to be none too gentle she wouldn't enjoy herself. And this way I wouldn't have to worry about him wandering off if I'm unable to satisfy." Plan set she grinned and went to go find Pollux and Miranda, they were the only two in this hellhole who seemed to have any sense.

-Percy-

"Does this damn thing ever slow down?" Nico wheezed as they chased after the fast moving little spider-bot. The second they had activated the tiny automaton it had shot off at a speed they had barely been able to match, the machine having tireless energy and a fast engine.

"Less talk more run." Bianca barked as they slid around a tight corner the spider wasn't even fazed by. Looking up ahead he cursed.

"Of course there's a bloody chasm with monkey bars, why not." He hissed, taking several vials from his belt, which was running low, and throwing them, using the water inside to freeze and make an ice bridge over the hundred-foot-long chasm. The spider was getting ahead of them as they struggled to match its insane pace, their feet slipping on the ice he was barely able to hold up with his powers given how divided his attention was between it and the spider.

Following the spider down a tunnel he let out a sudden cry as he lost his footing on the new surface, slipping to the ground as whatever he stepped on rolled away. His friends let out similar cries of surprise as they followed suit, the spider scuttling easily over the objects on the ground. Groaning, and rubbing the soreness in his ass, he looked down and frowned at what he saw. "Pencils?" Amanda asked, the daughter of Hermes picking one up, confused and not really sure if she was hallucinating.

"And corpses." Nico pointed grimly at a skeleton crumpled against the wall.

"Why Would-Oh shit the spider!" Bianca shot to her feet as his own eyes widen, the momentary lapse in attention could be let the blasted little thing get away. Running forward, using a sliver of air control to push the pencils in front of them away as they ran, they charged after the faint sound of scuttling mechanical feet. Seeing the end of the tunnel he sped up, the pencils bursting forth and flying about the room as he saw mechanical spider run through a gate and disappear.

Sliding to a halt he looked around for a way to open the gate but instead was met with a pair of hungry yellow eyes. Slowly, Percy reached for the rod that turned into his kanabo as the others slid in behind him, a second gate slamming down behind them once they were inside. Slowly, with catlike grace, the monster rose up and gave a dark and gleeful smirk that seemed more dangerous than a snarl.

In an instant though the smirk turned into a beaming smile, "Welcome lucky contestants!" the sphinx exclaimed, throwing her arms wide as she stalked forward, letting him notice the blue ribbon with the words 'THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN RATED EXEMPLARY!' "Get Ready to play…ANSWER THAT RIDDLE!"

"Answer that riddle?" he asked, wanting to make sure he heard right.

"That's what I said yes," the sphinx gave him an eager smile "I'm here to test you. I'll ask twenty questions and if you pass you live! If you die I get dinner! Everybody wins!"

Getting an idea, he held up a hand "How do I know you're qualified to test me?" he asked, hoping his plan worked. Monsters often adopted personas or quirks and this one seemed to think she was a teacher.

"I…what?!" the sphinx looked torn between shock and outrage "I am a fully qualified instructor!"

"When were you last certified or tested?" he pressed on "Is it up to date?"

"I…I…" the sphinx stammered as she struggled to give a response.

Recognizing that she might just attack if he broke her quirk Percy pressed on. "I offer this challenge. We take turns giving riddles. You give one to me, then I one to you, and so on until one of us loses. I win, you die and we go free. You win and I die as well as you having proven your qualification."

"Deal." The monster nodded as her beaming smile was back "What…is the capital of Bulgaria?"

"Sofia." He rattled off without pause, having been forced to learn world geography by his mother for when they travelled to hunt monsters. He chose not to question the fact that she asked a trivia question and not a riddle, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth as the sphinx nodded at him with a half-breed cross between a pout and a scowl.

"Here's mine." Percy grinned, having taken up learning riddles whenever he got sick and wanted to keep his mind occupied "Echoes from the shadow realm, whispers of things yet to come. Thought's strange sister dwells in the night, is swept away by dawning light. Of what do I speak?"

The sphinx frowned as she puzzled it out before giving a firm nod, "Dreams." His wince was sign enough that she was right. "What…is the square root of sixteen?"

"Four." He grinned, it looked like the Sphinx had forgotten what riddles were. "I'd neither a guest nor a trespasser be; in this place I belong, that belongs also to me. Of what do I speak?"

"Home." The sphinx said after a couple minutes of contemplation. "Which United States President signed the emancipation proclamation?"

"Abraham Lincoln." He said with a grin, not at all bothered by the Sphinx's angry scowl. "A poison of the soul, passion's cruel counterpart; from love she grows till love lies slain. Of what do I speak?"

"Jealousy." The Sphinx hissed "I know that one. No man has seen it but all men know it. lighter than air, sharper than any sword. Comes from nothing, but will fell the strongest armies. Of what do I speak?"

At that he gave a mental groan, of course she would have to remember what a real riddle was. Thinking for a moment he decided "Hunger."

"Correct." The Sphinx is both angry at the fact he got the question right but seems livelier than before, perhaps because she was using real riddles again?

"The bones of the world stretch towards the sky's embrace. Veiled in white, like a bride greeting her groom. Of what do I speak?"

"Mountains. The smallest lark could carry it, while a strong man might not. Of what do I speak?"

"A tune. I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand, towns without people, mountains without land. What am I?"

"A map! I am rarely touched, but often held. If you have wit, you will use me well. What am I?"

"My tongue."

"You will always find me in the past. I can be created in the present, But the future can never taint me. What am I?"

"History." Percy said, his brain starting to ache at the rapid pace he and the sphinx had been going at. His friends look decidedly dizzy from the flurry of riddles. Getting an idea, he grinned and asked "What…lies in my pocket?"

"What is in your pocket?" the Sphinx asked, likely thinking she misheard him "How is that a riddle?!"

"Oh like the square root of sixteen as any better." Bianca grumbled as he was forced to stifle a snicker.

"It is a fair riddle. Now, what is in my pocket?" he asked as his hand entered his pocket and closed around Riptide's pen form.

"I…I've heard this one." The Sphinx mutters before her eyes light up and she points at him "A golden ring!"

"Nope," he grinned viciously as he brought out Riptide "it's a sword."

"But that's not a-" the confused monster began only for her words to get cut off when he uncapped the pen and cut off her head, the two pieces disintegrating as the gates vanished.

"Percy." Nico began seriously "I'm never making fun of your sickbed hobby again."

"Thanks Nico," he grinned as they turned to the once more open tunnel "now let's find that spider."