A/N So... Hi. *peeks out from under a rock* I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for not updating for so unbelievably long! I'm sorry. I'm just lazy, I guess. Except I just couldn't summon the enthusiasm or the motivation. I was going to put this up for adoption, but then I decide to persevere, and here I am! This chapter is a little longer than normal, I think, and it took me quite a while, so I would really, really appreciate it if you wonderful people could review. If you don't then I never know if I should still carry on, but if you do it motivates me to update more frequently! So if you would like more frequent updates, please, please review and tell me what you think. Be it constructive criticism, stuff you liked, ways I could make it better... I would love to hear what you think! I'm also going to try and update more, I promise I will try but I'm not going to promise anything big in case I don't. Also, I will try to individually respond to every review I get, as I really want you to know how much I love it when you do review and tell me your thoughts and questions.
Now, without further ado, let us finally proceed to chapter 3. (I've made a lot of it up, so it's not supposed to be perfectly in sync with PJO and Greek mythology and stuff explained in the books)
Percy's POV
I'm drifting away, higher and higher, lower and lower. I have no feeling, just the sensation of being very much there. I have no thought or emotion. My mere existence is enough. I don't need to think, I don't need to worry. I just know that I'm here, exactly where I'm supposed to be, and this very thought fills me an overwhelming sense of relief. Being here is all that matters. While I'm here, no one can hurt me, and I can't hurt them. Here, everything is right.
Quite content with this thought, I continue floating. I look around at this place, so beautifully vivid and vibrant, yet entirely colourless and dull. There is nothing here, nothing to be seen. But just as this thought enters my head, I see something materialise out of the corner of my eye. I catch a glimpse of deep green leaves, rough brown bark, and I turn my head to get a better look. But… there is nothing there. This leaves me slightly unsettled, but then I remember that there is no need to worry. The disappearing tree has disappeared, as disappearing things do.
I then look down at myself. I still have my Camp Half-Blood t-shirt on, and I seem to be lying on some water. I can feel it swishing around me; see its clear blue waves, its soft whoosh as it passes me. But I can also feel it touch me, feel the wetness and the damp touch my skin, my clothes. I watch with childlike fascination it seeps through my jeans, as it darkens my bright orange t-shirt. I feel my clothes clinging to me – and suddenly I don't like it. Suddenly, I know that this is wrong, that this shouldn't be happening. The water is mine to control, and the water has never done this before.
"I would get out of the water, if I were you," a deep voice echoes.
I jump out of the water in shock, landing just feet from this ethereal being now stood before me. He is huge, towering over me, a large mass not quite used to being in this form. He is wearing black – a deep, pitch black, like a starless sky seen from the depths of a bottomless ocean – and his clothes seem to be a part of him, swirling and rippling all around. His skin is a brilliant white, and his hair, if possible, is even whiter. He gives off an aura of extreme age, yet at the same time, managing to seem full of a raging, almost restless energy. His face looks like it could be carved out of marble – flat planes of hard, chiselled jaw, and cheekbones that could cut through stone. His eyes are like black holes – bottomless, like looking into the pits of Tartarus – and his thin lips are curled up in a smirk.
In other words, he is totally terrifying, and he seems to have made me forget how 'wonderful' this place is.
"Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Bow down before Chaos, First Ruler of the Cosmos, First Primordial Deity of the Universe, and Creator of the Earth, Air and Seas!"
I get down on one knee, head bowed, full of awe and terror. What had I done to get Chaos to come after me?
"You may get up and speak. Ask me anything. Where we are, what you're doing here… I know you're just dying to ask."
What an abrupt change of character. I suppose all gods just can't resist being show-offs, even prim-whatever deities. I decide to ask the most logical question first.
"Where are we, sir?"
"Don't call me sir, fool. I shall only be called by my magnificent, godly name. I do not answer to such meaningless and inane mortal talk. And to answer your question, Jackson, we are in the Land of Lost Souls." With a strangely graceful turn, he sweeps his arm out, gesturing for me to look.
I stare at him, confused – and then I see the tiny portal-like window appear out of nowhere. It gets bigger and closer, until it engulfs us both and we are cast into the true reality of where I really ended up when that hand grabbed me in the river.
At first glance, I am reminded of the forest down at camp. There are trees everywhere, and the ground is a rucked up mess of dirt. But when I look closer, I see that in fact, it couldn't be more different. The sky is overcast and grey, eternally miserable and dark, but far away, I can see blue sky and sun. The trees look half dead, and there is smoke spiralling upwards somewhere in the distance. Down the forest path, I can see a sort of clearing. In it, there are tables and chairs, filled with food and drink, and even further away, I can see people milling about pointlessly. The whole place gives off a sort of dejected and gloomy feel. I look at Chaos questioningly.
"This, Percy, is the Land of the Lost Souls. Demigods and mortals alike may end up here. It is for those who chose the path of evil, those who had the potential to do good in the world, yet did not. It is for those who could not find a way back when they died – they had nowhere to turn, nowhere to be accepted. Elysium is too good for them – they do not deserve it. The Fields of Punishment, too brutal, as they had done good, but turned evil along the way. And the Fields of Asphodel – still not right. This place is, in a sense, quite similar to the Fields of Asphodel, except it is run by me. For we are not in the Underworld, my dear Percy. We are high in the heavens, the skies, up in the clouds and the stars, floating in the infinite eternity of space."
I stare up at him uncomprehendingly, although I understood perfectly well what he just said. Chiron never taught me this.
"Wha-What about the water. Why did it make me all wet? It's never done that before."
"Percy, Percy, Percy. You still don't understand? This place is mine. The gods have no interference here. They cannot use their powers here – and neither can you."
Well, that sure is worrying.
"Just… Can you just explain everything? Why am I here? I'm not dead am I? So why am I here? I didn't even get to be judged. And what's up with Nick? There's no way he is my brother, I'm sorry. And… how do I get out of here? How do I get back to Earth?"
Chaos sighs, looking at me sadly.
"There is plenty you do not know, young hero. Let me start from the beginning. You defeated Kronos, and you thought you defeated Gaia. But the war with Gaia is not over. She is rising again, and only you can stop her."
I stare at him in shock. All that loss, all that pain, for nothing?
"I know what you are thinking Percy. And I am sorry. But I cannot stop her – she is far out of my reach. And she has a brand new plan, a new pawn to play. Nick Sading. Handsome hero extraordinaire. Ever wondered where he might have come from? He is made to be the perfect demigod, but he is anything but. He is no son of Poseidon. He is a twist of nature, born from Earth itself, and it is unknown who his true parents are. He is only one trick of Gaia's, a mind-controlling evil who knows no bounds. When the time comes, you must fight him, to get to Gaia. He is taking control of your camp, and he will help Gaia conquer all."
I knew it. I knew Nick was evil, that there was something about him; like that night he kissed Annabeth. He had an unnatural way of making me nervous, of making me feel like I was wrong. I clench my fists, and grit my teeth, vowing that I will never let him take her away from me again, never let him control anyone like that again. He will die for what he has done.
Chaos seems to notice the change in me.
"For now, young hero, rest. I do not know the next time you may ever be truly at peace. Go forwards, eat, drink, sleep. You will find your way out. Trust me. You will find your way."
He was beginning to fade, and he turned and walked away from me, but not before turning around and calling out one last time before he disappeared completely.
"And Percy. When you return, you must not tell them who you are. They believe you to be dead. Preserve your identity, until the moment at which you are ready. Do not reveal your true identity until you are absolutely certain there is no other choice. And... to answer your question of why you came here," he smiles at me, a smile of triumph and loss. "I sent you. Sometimes one only needs to come to the Land of the Lost to truly be found." He looks like he wants to exit at that, but then he seems to think better of it and says, "One last thing. A word of warning. Time passes differently here. You may get back to a very different Earth, so do not take too long."
And with that lingering in the air between us, he fades away completely.
I sit and stare at the dirt on the ground beneath me for quite some time after that. After what feels like hours, I venture forwards, through the trees and the undergrowth, which doesn't look nearly as bad as it is, and emerge into the clearing. Taking Chaos' word of warning, I grab a plate which suddenly appears out of nowhere, and pile it high. The only disappointing thing? No blue food.
I cautiously wind my way around the meandering souls who are forever lost, looking for a place to rest before I am ready to go back. I settle under a tree which doesn't look too badly… dead. I've just gotten comfy (well, as comfy as you can get in this place), when I see a hauntingly familiar face materialise in front of me.
"Luke?"
I reach out, horror-struck, yet also strangely happy. Luke was here?
He doesn't seem to notice me, however, and when I come into contact with his arm, my hand passes straight through. I try again.
"What the…" I whisper to myself. It seems that lost souls can neither see, nor hear me.
But Luke had ended up here? I feel glad that at least, he escaped the Fields of Punishment. I don't feel afraid of him, so I carry on eating. But that's when he looks up.
I sense, rather than see this, but I know he has, and that he recognises me. I can't believe Chaos didn't tell me that Luke was here
I slowly raise my head to look at him. His eyes are full of a sadness I can't place and he reaches forward, as if to touch my shoulder. I nod at him, indicating that I'm alright with it. I realise he's trying to say something. He keeps opening his mouth then closing it again, unable to form the words. Finally, he manages.
"Sorry," he whispers, hoarse and almost too quiet to hear.
I nod my head once more, lost for words, and give him a small, sad smile. It seems to be enough for him, as something in his eyes seems to brighten. Our eyes meet once more, sea green meeting crystal blue, and a shot of something passes between us.
A rushing noise is in my ears, everywhere. Luke is looking at me, understanding dawning on his face, and he moves back. What's happening? I see him start to fade, everything slowly disappearing. And suddenly, all of it is gone. I am back by the river bed, the clothes I left here gone, Riptide – in pen form – nestled among the piles of orange leaves.
I look around, suddenly remembering what Chaos said. Time passes differently here. My heart thuds painfully inside my chest. Exactly how long has it been?
Thank you, thank you and thank youuuuu for reading! Please review, I would love it if you did, and the first few people who review will get a special shoutout in my next update for being so awesome and lovely. I would like to know who's POV you would like next - I'm leaning towards Annabeth, but you tell me! Goodbye my amazing readers, until the next update... which should hopefully be soon. :)
