I HAVE DONE IT! I DID IT! I. HAVE. IDEAS! Here is a sneak preview of the 18th chapter for the Wrath of Earth and Shadows! Enjoy! Now, ON WITH THE STORY!:
The prophecy that Rachel had said at Percy's funeral kept echoing through Annabeth's head. The words couldn't have been more clearer. She knew exactly what they meant.
They were talking about the child growing inside of her.
She had only found out two days ago. Percy died without the knowledge that he was going to be a father. The rational part of her mind knew that she was too young to be a mother, and that she should get an abortion, however... The love sick part of her argued, and won, that this child was all that was left of Percy now.
Her heart-clenched painfully tight thinking about it. Her Percy, her stupid, idiotic, brave Seaweed Brain was gone. It almost couldn't register with her mind, the part that could register the thought broke down into hysterics. It felt as if a bit of herself had left. She had always had that annoying, endearing, presence that was Percy with her for nearly six years.
At the moment, Annabeth was laying down in her bunk, the thoughts just flowing freely from her mind. She absent-mindedly looked at the ring on her finger. Shortly after they came back to the Camp with Percy's... body, she went into the Poseidon cabin, where she found it. The promise ring that Percy had been talking about. It was a band of beautiful silver, with three diamonds, and the words: Always Together, engraved into it.
Out of nowhere, Annabeth felt tired. She realized, it's been nearly twnety-four hours since she last slept. Reluctantly, she closed her eyes, and the dream she had didn't help her very much...
A person around her age stood in the middle of an illuminated cave. On the opposite side of the wall, she recognized Tartarus. His flaming-green eyes seemed to be taunting the person.
"Come on," Tartarus taunted, "surely you aren't THAT desperate to ask for my help?" Annabeth watched the character in the shadows step forward, and she nearly had a heart-attack. The man who stepped from the shadows was nearly the exact replica of Percy. The only difference was his eyes, which were stormy gray.
"I wouldn't even be here if the situation wasn't desperate." The Percy-replica said.
"I know, I see who you are as well," the green-fire eyes gazed at the man with mock-respect, "Adras Jackson, son Perseus Jackson." Adras' glare hardened.
"I'm not here to listen to your pathetic taunts, Tartarus." Adras snapped.
"I had no idea!" Tartarus rumbled sarcastically, "Please, bore me with knowledge I already know the answer to." Adras' eye began twitching. "You damnable Olympus-Spawn should've known he would rise."
"Wait, who is the "he", who are you talking about?" Adras asked, he apparently inherited Percy's blunt apporach.
"Ah, that's not the question you should be asking," Tartarus sounded bemused, "you should be asking: How to defeat the only undefeated Primordial that few know of." Annabeth felt confused: Who was this undefeated Primordial?
"Who the Hades are you talking about?" Adras demanded.
"Ophion, primordial of Cunning and Trickery. Lord of Serpents." Tartarus said, and the room seemed to hiss.
"Why haven't we ever heard of this 'Ophion'?" Adras asked, curiosity edging into his voice.
"Unlike the rest of we Primordials, Ophion didn't start vying for power." Tartarus explained, a hint of jealousy entering his voice, "he has been saving up his power ever since the beginning." Adras then asked a very important question.
"Wait a sec', why are you telling me this?"
"Because, it doesn't help if I tell you anything!" Tartarus said, mock-surprise entering his voice, "You can't defeat him, I wouldn't even be able to stand up to him." Annabeth felt her eyes widen at this. Ophion was more pwerful than Tartarus? "Yes, it doesn't matter if you had all the primordials on your side, you'd still lose."
Annabeth felt her vision darken, signaling the end of the dream...
So, there you go, the sneak preview! Sorry to tease, but I don't want to reveal any more of the chapter yet! Anyway, hiatus over, I will probably post the 18th chapter on Thanksgiving day! As Always, Have a Nice Day!