Percy POV:
As I touched the wall of the giant fortress, a runic word glowed underneath my hand and all around us, the ground started to shake.
"What did you do?!" Artemis yelled while glaring at me.
"I have no idea. I just touched the wall and it started glowing and shaking. How was I supposed to know that it would do this."
I felt an immense power coming from inside the walls of the building. There was a flash and the shaking stopped, replaced by a figure standing outside the walls, floating in the air above us.
"WHO DARES COME NEAR MY HOUSE?!" The figure bellowed. It was obviously a feminine voice, but it sounded just as scary as Ares in full rage mode. I could tell you from personal experience that it's scary as hell. She was holding two swords up and ready to slice anything in her path. She obviously very beautiful with wavy black hair flowing down her back and black eyes that sucked you in.
The woman had an extremely strong aura emanating from her. The shadows bent and warped around her, making her look even more mystical and terrifying. I realized with a jolt, that this was not somebody that I had ever hoped to meet in my entire existence. The Primordial of Night, Nyx. Artemis looked at her with a defiant look in her eyes, before I laid a hand on her arm, trying to cool that glare before she got us killed. She looked over at me and saw the fear in my eyes. She got the warning and backed down, but still looking a little confused about it.
I bowed to the Primordial, not wanting to disrespect her and make her mad.
"I'm sorry Lady Nyx. We did not mean to venture into your domain." Artemis recoiled at her name. Nyx's eyes narrowed in suspicion. I could tell that she didn't believe a word I had just said.
"And why are you and that goddess in Tartarus in the first place?" She growled.
"Lady Nyx," Artemis said bowing, finally realizing the importance to do so,"We are on a quest. You see, a man visited me in my dreams claiming that we had only 2 months of peace left before he attacks. By the way he looked and the amount of power he had, we are almost certain that this man is someone named Apollyon. I'm sure you were one of the Primordials who fought against him before he was trapped."
Nyx looked shocked by this news.
"You're telling me that the Angel of the Abyss has managed to escape his prison in the Void? You had better not be joking. Even I know that if this is true, then it would mean something terrible for every single being in the universe."
"I swear on the Styx that what I have said is true," I said. Thunder rumbled in the clouds above and when nothing happened to me, Nyx looked at us with a new seriousness in her eyes.
"While I do not like you two, I think it would be unwise to kill you here. I will escort you into the castle, but I will warn you. Do not do anything out of line or I will not hesitate to end both of you."
We both nodded so hard that I thought one of our heads was bound to pop off. She led us into the enormous palace. The inside was just like you would expect off the Primordial of Night: dark, very dark. Did she not know any other color than black. I mean who needs black blinds in the middle of Tartarus?
She stopped us once we reached a room and pushed the door open. We found ourselves in a room that looked like somewhere that you would plan a war in. Maps with detailed battle plans one them were scattered about the room.
"Tell me everything that you know about Apollyon's goal when he came to you," She demanded, whirling around to face us once the door was closed.
I told her about Artemis' dream and about the attack from Nico. She did not seem surprised when I mentioned this. She had a thoughtful look on her face, before something dawned on her.
"I think I know why your friend attacked you. There is one goddess that I would suspect who has turned you friend over to their side. Peitho is the greek goddess of persuasion, having the power to influence people's thoughts and manipulate their feelings. I have not heard or seen her for many many years, so not unlikely that she has been hiding out until Apollyon escaped from his entrapment. She was said to have betrayed many of the gods and joined his side from the desire for power. This is probably her doing," Nyx said.
"If this is the case, then is there any way to break him out from under her control?" I asked," And if she can do this to anybody, why stop at just him? Why not take control of me?"
"There may be a way to break her control over him. In order to do so, he must realize that he is under her control and fight her mentally. It would be very hard, but possible. As for your other question, you Perseus Jackson are very hard to manipulate. Your fatal flaw is loyalty, making it next to impossible to force you to betray your family. Not to mention, you have very strong mental strength, even I could not read you thoughts if I tried."
I let this information sink in. I wonder why this is. I'm just a demigod. Right?
"Anyways, I assume that you have come here to seek the location of the key that will lock him in the Void forever?"
"How did you know?" I asked shocked.
"It does not take a genius to figure out that you wouldn't jump into Tartarus because you wanted to. The key is really the only way to stop him. I know that your fatal flaw would make you do a lot of foolish things to help your family." She explained.
I nodded my head in understanding.
"So, do you have any idea where this key may be hidden?" Artemis asked a little impatiently.
"Watch your tone goddess, you will not get answers from me by speaking so disrespectfully," Nyx said with warning in her voice,"I do not know the exact location, but I do have a pretty good idea of where it may be hidden. In the exact center of Tartarus, there is a symbol on the ground of a circle and a man in the middle holding a sword with galaxy-like eyes. He is said to be the first being and the creator of the universe, Chaos"
"And is this where the key is hidden?" I asked.
"Maybe. This symbol is very special. No being has ever managed to step into the circle without burning up and dying an extremely painful death. If you can somehow manage get into the circle, then this may lead to where the key is," She explained.
"So the plan is to step into the circle and hope that I don't die. That doesn't sound like much of a plan," I said.
"This is the only way that you might have a chance. It is very unlikely that this will work though. Once long ago, one of the original titans tried to step into the middle of the circle to prove that he was the strongest being, but he didn't get more than two steps in before he faded. It was like he disappeared without a trace except for the fact that his screams of pain were still resonating throughout the pit."
"I don't know why you felt that it was necessary to share that with us before we are going to attempt to step in ourselves."
"I think that it is necessary that you know what you are getting into. It will be very dangerous and almost definitely fatal," Nyx said," I would tell you that you do not have to do this, but I don't think that there is anybody else that is capable of it. You are by far the most powerful and brave mortal that has ever walked that planet of yours. I do not like you, but I am not foolish enough to think that you are not a hero."
I bowed to her,"Thank you, Lady Nyx. I know the dangers of this mission already and I am ready to take anything that may befall upon me." I was more than a little shocked. Less than fifteen minutes ago, she was ready to beat me into a bloody mess, but now, she was actually complementing me and telling me that I am a hero.
"I will provide provisions for you on your journey to the center of The Pit. I sense that you already have the blessing of Hestia so food and water will not be a problem. I will give you a tent that you can sleep and the ability to see in the dark as I understand that Hades' blessing does not give you this power."
"How did you know that they had blessed me?"
"I can feel each different power that is coming from you. I sense that you have received the blessing of all the Olympian gods and are powerful enough to defeat many of the Minor gods," She said.
I nodded my understanding. Nyx turned to Artemis, regarding her with a slightly calculating gaze.
"Artemis, I thank you as well. From my experience with the Olympians, not many of them would risk fading to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. You are truly one of the best goddess out there." Nyx complimented.
Artemis bowed," Thank you."
Nyx nodded and snapped her fingers. A small box like shape appeared in her hand.
"This tent will be able to shrink enough for you to be able to fit it in you pocket. Don't worry, it is bigger on the inside and has multiple bedrooms so you will not have to sleep together," She said with a mischievous smirk. I blushed a little at the thought of sharing a bed with Arty and looked over, seeing that Artemis' face was a little red as well. Why would she be blushing at this. She must be angry just at the thought. I took the tent from her outstretched hand and placed it in my pocket.
Nyx then placed her hand on my shoulder, whispering a couple words before I suddenly, I could see more clearly in the dark than in the light.
"You will now be able to see in the dark, which will be especially useful here in The Pit," She said,"I think it is time for you two to leave. If you should ever need something, then all you have to do is pray to me. I would gladly help if it meant saving everybody else. I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you so much for your kindness, Lady Nyx. You will forever be known as the Primordial that helped save the universe," Artemis said as we both bowed.
"I do not need recognition for this. Only the knowledge that everybody is safe once again. That is good enough for me," She answered.
"Well, thank you nonetheless," I said.
She nodded and led us back out of her palace and out onto the plains of Tartarus once again. She wished us farewell and good luck one last time, before we were off again on our little adventure to save the world.
(Line Break)
It had been three hours of walking in the direction of the center of this Chaos forsaken pit. Luckily I could see in the dark now, but the air was still hard to breath and my lungs burned with each breath I took. Artemis seemed to be faring far better than I, probably because she was a god. She was still walking, or jogging more like it, briskly without any sign of pause.
My legs felt like they were made of jelly. My knees wobbled and my body shook as we continued on. It took all of my strength to walk ten feet and I was struggling to keep up with Artemis.
Apparently my body couldn't handle all the strain and I promptly collapsed onto the ground in a heap behind Artemis. She heard a sound behind her and turned around, her eyes widening at the sight of me. The last thing I saw before Tartarus faded around me, was Artemis rushing over to my side with a concerned look in her eyes as she looked down at me.
(Line Break)
I woke up in a room with plain white walls and a chair beside the bed. Looking around, I noticed that there was somebody seated next to me with her head on the bed next to me. Auburn hair. Forest scent. Artemis.
Why was Artemis sitting next to my bed? Then, I remembered where we were and what we were doing and my mood took a complete 180 degree turn. Wow, even in Tartarus, Arty looks beautiful. Wait, what? Did I really think that? I guess there's really no denying that Arty really is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. These thoughts are so wrong, but I can't stop myself from thinking the truth. Why am I even thinking this? Remember Percy, Maiden Goddess, Man Hater. MAIDEN goddess, MAN hater. You're a MAN and there's no way she would like you.
Looking back on it, this was really the moment that I had truly fallen in love with Artemis, the goddess of the Moon.
Artemis woke up a moment later, looking drearily around the room, before her eyes set on me and she jumped back into the chair behind her. Maybe I was imagining things, but I thought I saw a tinge of red on those cheeks before her eyes hardened and she glared at me fiercely.
"Why didn't you tell me that you needed to rest?!" She yelled at me.
"I didn't want to drag you down and seem weak. I guess in the end, I ended up dragging you down anyways," I said dejectedly. Her face softened as I said this.
"Percy, you don't need to try to stay strong for me. If you need to rest, then just tell me and I won't have a problem with stopping for a while. Just please don't do that again, ok?"
I nodded, relieved that she wasn't going to kill me. Wait a minute...
"Hey, did I hear you call me Percy? And are you worried for me?"
"N-no! I am not worried for you! I just need you to test the circle for me. I don't want to fade," She stammered
"Uh-huh"
"S-shut up!"
"Fine, but only if you start calling me Percy" I said.
"Never!" she replied adamantly.
"Then you'll never hear the end of this. This will be marked as the day when Artemis, the biggest hater of men, was worried for a BOY," I said. Her face became red at the thought of Apollo laughing at her and teasing her about it.
"Fine! I'll call you Percy from now on, Perseus." I raised my eyebrow. "I mean P-P-Percy." She managed to say. She exerted a lot of strength just saying that one word.
"*Huff!* Get up and let's eat something. We haven't had a meal since we fell into this stupid pit and I'm hungry," She said, going back to her usual ill-tempered attitude. Well, it was good while it lasted.
She left the room to give me some privacy. After using the bathroom, I walked down the hall, finding the stairs which lead into a neat kitchen. Artemis was already there sitting at the dining table, looking at me impatiently.
"Summon a meal. I'm tired of waiting for you to get your ass down here."
I sighed and clapped my hands. Orange smoke erupted out of the center of the table and in it's place lay a feast of various dishes. Artemis summoned a plate and piled some mashed potatoes and a slab of steak to go along with it onto her plate. I summoned myself and her each a glass that would fill with our desired drinks. I sat down and scooped some spaghetti onto a plate and forked some into my mouth, before swallowing. Man, when you're in Tartarus, home cooked meals taste so much better. I would never take spaghetti for granted again.
After finishing my plate, I looked to Artemis who was just finishing with her fifth plate. Geez, how fast can she eat.
"Like the food, Arty?" I asked amusingly
"What? No. It tastes terrible. I'm just really hungry and I would rather not starve to death before we reach the key." She hastily replied, slowing down her bites.
"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, where is this place?" I asked her, gesturing around us.
She finished her bite and responded,"This is the tent that Lady Nyx gave us. It's pretty nice if you ask me."
I hummed in agreement through another huge forkful of noodles.
"By the way, thanks for putting me into that bed and waiting for me to wake up."
"Don't worry about, but don't you go around getting hurt again, because I don't want to be saving your butt all the time."
We finished eating and cleaned up the table. I brought the left over food over to the fire place and sacrificed a bit to each of the Olympians, making sure to give extra to Artemis, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia, and Athena.
"I don't really know what time it is, but I think we should rest a little before starting back up again. You need to regain all of your strength for tomorrow," Artemis said.
"Okay."
I walked back up the stairs with Artemis behind me. I walked down the hall and slipped into the room that I had been asleep in. Artemis had split off and opened the door to a room across the hall. Before she stepped in however, she turned around walked forward, wrapping her arms around me. "Good night, Percy. Thank you for being here with me. I don't think I could handle this alone," She whispered. I was too shocked to move and by the time I had realized what happened, she had rushed into the room and shut the door behind her.
I was still shocked. Artemis had hugged me. I could still feel her warm arms wrapped around my waist and the sound of her soft voice murmuring into my ear. It took me a good couple minutes until I finally strode back into the room and changed into my pajamas for bed.
As I fell asleep that night, I could envision her scent in my nostrils and her slender arms around me, like a lullaby of no words.
Tartarus is not the most pleasant place to be in, but at least I have Arty with me, I thought, just before I fell into a dreamless sleep.
(End of Chapter 15)
jontybhardwaj13gmail: Thanks! :)
the guy that loves all gunpla: I have not read the demigod files and so I wasn't sure what you guys were talking about. I thought you meant 'The House of Hades'. Anyways, thanks for the complements. You've been one of my most dedicated readers from the start so thanks for that as well.
dragonoid9810: Yeah, sorry, I realized that you guys weren't actually talking about 'The House of Hades'. No, I haven't read 'The Demigod Files' so I didn't know that Iapetus was Bob before 'The House of Hades'.
sidaqlotay07: House of Nyx, but you were close enough!
ghostchilli666: Hey! I would be happy to help you with your story, but sadly, I don't use social media very much. Is there any other way that I could help you? And I am definitely evil! :)
Wulfkin17: Thank you! Yeah, that was a mistake on my part, glad you caught it!
A.N: Here's chapter 15! A little Pertemis fluff for you guys. I hope you like how their relationship is developing.
P.S: We hit 10,000 views! I wanted to thank you guys so much for everything you have said and done for this story. I know I say it too much, but I just can't thank you enough. I'm really having a great time writing for you guys and I hope you're having just as great of a time reading my story. Next goal, 15,000! My goal for this story is 50 reviews, 100 favorites, and 100 follows. We're already half way there!