Note: People! I am soooo sorry I haven't updated recently! Just finished my majors! Yay! And two weeks vacation are on the way! Double Yay! :D I hope you enjoy this chapter! :) And...I finished reading The Mark of Athena! I want to kill someone! Any volunteers?
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson! :(
Chapter 5
Nico was not kidding. The Fields of Asphodel were huge! Annabeth felt her heart sinking a bit as she stared at the infinite dry, black land in front of her. Scattered trees covered it randomly. She shivered as a moist air slapped her cheeks. She tried to ignore them, but she could see spirits eyeing her hungrily, as if she was their ticket out of this living boredom of death.
But they dared not approach her with the son of Hades standing beside her. Annabeth could actually feel Nico radiating death all around him; it made her shiver.
He glanced at her. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." She took out her shield, the bronze surface dim, reflecting the mood of the Fields. "Show me Lord Hades' sword."
The bronze surface rippled with light and abruptly, displayed a scene that wasn't much different from the scene right in front of them. The picture slowly began to move to the side.
Nico frowned. "We could stay here for days!"
"Don't curse us," Annabeth admonished, frowning. "Look there, can you see that?"
Nico leaned forward. The black figure jumped around, waving a stick like thing—which Nico then recognized as his father's sword—around like a fairy wand. He frowned.
"What in Hades—?"
Annabeth cut him off. "I see it."
"What?"
She pointed forward. Nico frowned, watching the small dancing figure in the distance. He turned over to the daughter of Athena and grinned, "Our lucky day."
Annabeth frowned at him. She hated that word!
They advanced over to the figure, their feet crunching the dry grass underneath their feet. More than once, Annabeth felt a brush of coolness against her arms, but Nico almost always glared at one direction or the other. The ghosts flickered from visibility to invisibility and Annabeth shuddered.
The figure was a few feet away from them now, and Annabeth couldn't believe her eyes. A young girl's ghost jumped around, waving the sword around in circles, laughing. She couldn't be more than eight-years-old. Annabeth felt sadness creeping up at her; what had happened to have the girl die at a very young age and deserve the eternity of her stay in the Fields of Asphodel?
Nico stood, frowning at the girl. "Hey, who gave you that?"
The girl stopped twirling around and waving the sword. She turned to look at them, her amber eyes confused. She clutched the sword into her chest, tilting her head. "Who are you?"
"Nico di Angelo, son of Hades," Nico replied. "And she's Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."
The girl frowned in confusion. "You're not dead."
"No."
Her eyes sparkled. "Are you here to take me back to Mommy?"
Annabeth felt her heart break a bit. Nico raised an eyebrow, astonished. "No."
The girl scowled. "But she said that if I waved the sword around, the undead will take me back to my Mommy."
"She?"
Annabeth crouched down in front of the girl and reached a hand out, but then thought better of it and allowed it to hang on her side. "Who gave you that sword and told you that?"
"A very pretty lady," the girl answered, tilting her head. "She wasn't dead, though. She was very tall and had really pretty hair."
"Do you know who she is?" Annabeth asked.
The girl shook her head.
Nico cursed.
Annabeth extended her hand. "Give me the sword, sweetheart. It's very dangerous for you to have something this sharp."
The girl laughed sharply, surprising both Annabeth and Nico. It was full of bitterness and heartbreak; nothing that a child's laugh should sound like.
"I am dead," the girl told them, smiling almost cruelly. "Nothing hurts me anymore."
And just to prove her point, she drove the sword straight into her chest. Annabeth stifled a scream as Nico grimaced, eyes hardening. The girl laughed again and skipped away from them, waving the sword around once more.
Annabeth stood up shakily. "What should we do?"
"Grab the sword and leave." Nico started towards the girl, but the daughter of Athena held him back.
"I don't think that's wise. She seems convinced that we could get her back to her mother." Annabeth looked at Nico pointedly.
Nico grimaced. "I can't do that, Annabeth. I might be Hades' son, but I don't have that power. If I did—" he trailed off, his eyes gazing over to the girl with pain.
Annabeth bit her lip. She should have known not to bring the subject up. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head.
"Why do you think your father hasn't realized that the sword is in here?" Annabeth asked, just to change the subject.
Nico frowned. "He hasn't been around here much lately. He spends most of his days on Olympus." He shrugged. "He might be too scared to face his wife. She'll ridicule him." He scowled at the mention of Hades' wife, Persephone.
A cold, dry gust of wind blew around them. Heavy footsteps crunched the black grass and, as they turned around, they were greeted by huge, black, growling hellhounds intent to kill.
-.-
Reyna could not understand.
In the very first four years she had spent in Camp Jupiter, she had gone to more than one quest with Jason Grace. She thought she knew his strategy. She thought she understood how he moved, how he fought, and how he thought in general. They were good partners, always looking out for each other and trying to establish the teamwork principle.
However, now, seeing him with Piper and Leo, she thought she did not know him at all—did not understand him at all.
It wasn't that he suddenly turned Greek and was fighting like them—he was still fighting like a Roman. But they moved fluidly like a unit—something she had never seen happen with her or other Romans while Jason was still with them. It astonished her.
Leo was distracting the huge crab with random fireballs bursting on its hard shell. Piper and Jason were running between the monster's legs trying to find a soft spot in the hard crust around the monster-they weaved back and forth fluidly, never intercepting each other, always reading each other's actions with ease. Frank morphed into an elephant and began hitting his trunk against the back of the crab. Hazel was trying to keep Fluff on her arm as she got her sword out.
"Crabby, my dear, over here!" Leo yelled, waving a fireball.
The enormous crab roared and swung its huge claw towards Leo. The son of Hephaestus ducked. "Not cool!"
Piper stabbed the crab's leg, but it was as hard as the rest of his body. "No use! It's too hard!"
"That's what she said!"
"Leo!"
"There has to be a place where it isn't hard!" Reyna pointed out, jumping out of the way from a huge claw.
Fluff gave out a cry, fluttering his wings, but it was lost over the crab's roar as it swung its claw wildly, trying to get elephant Frank's trunk away from it. Leo sent his last fireball and dashed over the crab's legs, running to reach Hazel and Reyna on the other side.
His eyes widened and he stopped under the crab. "Hey, this place is soft." Leo reached out and touched the crab's underside.
The crustacean paused. Its legs began to shake. Leo withdrew his hand. "Huh, it's sticky!"
"Leo! Get out of there!" Piper yelled.
Fluff gave a cry.
Just as he made it from under the crab, the monster collapsed on the ground, shaking and withering. Leo's eyes widened.
"Must be very sensitive there. Or ticklish."
Reyna had the urge to smack him. "Monsters can't be ticklish!"
"Well, that looks like it was just tickled!" Leo pointed to the crab, which was breathing heavily and trying to get up.
Fluff snorted, buffed its chest, and turned away as if to say: Stupid humans; can't see what's in front of them.
Jason's eyes lit up. "Frank, can you roll it on its back?"
Elephant Frank looked at him quizzically, before advancing over. Securing his trunk around one leg, he pulled. The crab gave a cry of surprise as it was turned to its back. Jason flew over the crab, and with one swift motion, sunk his sword into the sensitive skin of its belly.
The crustacean gave one last cry before it exploded into golden dust, showering the six demigods and the eagle with sparkling particles. Fluff huffed again, shaking itself clean.
Hazel coughed. "That was awful."
Frank, now human again, stumbled forward, rubbing his nose. "Man, that was not a pleasant experience."
"Who knew monsters can be ticklish, eh?" Leo grinned.
"Monsters are not ticklish. That was simply a weak spot." Reyna shot back.
"You're just jealous you didn't know where it was and I got to tickle the monster!"
"What? That is the most ridiculous—"
"Where's Piper?!" Jason asked, sharply, cutting Reyna's and Leo's argument.
"Here…" Piper answered, leaning against a tree a few paces away. She was breathing heavily, knees shaking. "Sorry. I think I inhaled or swallowed monster dust."
Jason rushed over towards her. "Are you okay?" Leo came over, producing a fireball in his palm. In the dim light, Jason could see that Piper was sweating heavily and she was very, very pale.
She cursed softly in Greek. "I am fine." She paused. "And I am hungry."
At that moment, Leo's stomach gave a huge rumble. He laughed nervously. "Yeah, food sounds great now."
Fluff gave a cry of approval.
"What are we going to give the eagle?" Hazel asked, eyeing the eagle that stood on her arm.
"The finest rats you have." Leo answered, looking suggestively at Frank.
The son of Mars rolled his eyes.
-.-
Being the son of Poseidon surely had its quirks. High above him, Percy could see the water's hue thinning and light was finally shining. It was dawn. He had been swimming for the whole night, and yet, he was still fresh and ready. The water molded against him, making way and aiding him in his journey. He loved his father's territory.
In the distance, he could see the fort standing proudly on the reef. Percy made his way towards it. He wondered how his father never sensed the three pearls in his old battle headquarter. The fort wasn't that far from Poseidon's castle and was considerably smaller, but it was still huge enough that it might take half a day to search thoroughly.
That's why Percy was ecstatic when he saw Tyson, his Cyclopes half-brother, waving at him from the main entrance.
"Brother!" Tyson shouted, hugging Percy tightly.
Percy gasped. "Tyson, can't…"
"Oh." Tyson let him go, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry. I just missed you, brother."
"I missed you, too, big man," Percy clapped his shoulder. "So, have you seen anything suspicious here?"
"No," Tyson shook his head. "Searched around the fort, nothing. Waiting for brother to come for inside." Tyson gestured to the main entrance.
Percy sighed. "Yeah. Let's go check it out."
The place from inside looked lonely. Percy could see battle plans and seaweed scattered all around. The walls were full of scratches and broken windows. The furniture was overturned. However, one thing caught Percy's attention: the water inside these walls seemed thicker somehow.
Tyson looked around. "Dark place."
"Yup." Percy knelt down and took a blueprint that looked like a battle plan. His eyes softened. Annabeth…
He hoped she was okay. He hoped Nico was doing his job in protecting her well. He wanted to find those three pearls quickly so that he can go back to the ship and see her again.
"Brother, look," Tyson gestured towards one of the many open doors. "Light."
Abandoning the blueprint, Percy swam towards Tyson. Sure enough, through the door, light was surging from inside, changing alternately between green, blue and white.
The son of Poseidon glanced at his brother. "You think it's the pearls?"
Tyson nodded gleefully. "Maybe." And he swam through the door. Percy followed him.
The room they entered was huge and oval-shaped. It was disheveled with broken marble columns, debris, and large chunks of rocks thrown everywhere. In the middle of the cracked floor, a wide pit was engraved. Percy swam over and looked down. The pit seemed bottomless. Tyson stayed away from it.
"Bad hole." He cautioned.
Percy agreed. Abruptly, he was aware of the colors bathing the room's walls—blue, green, and white. The lights seemed brighter now; stronger. Percy looked around until he spotted the source. Beyond the pit, a small podium rose. Resting on a silky pillow, the three pearls sparkled brightly. Percy was mesmerized. He swam towards them, leaving Tyson at the edge of the pit.
The son of Poseidon stared at the three majestic pearls, frowning. He could feel the warmth of them. The water was warmer and thicker here. How could his dad not feel them? How could his dad not know that they were so close to his castle? Were the gods enjoying flinging them around like chess pieces? Was it for their entertainment?
Percy shook his head. He'll ask Poseidon about it once he sees him. He reached out to take the pearls.
Tyson cried in alarm. The water rushed behind Percy, pushing against his back and slamming him forward towards the podium. He gasped, his chest burning.
"Brother, get away!" Tyson yelled.
Percy just had the sense of mind to roll to his left and away from the podium as much as possible, before he blinked, registering what he was seeing.
The serpent was at least twelve feet tall with greenish-blue skin and yellow, dark eyes. It glared hatefully at Percy as it curled its long tall around the podium, hissing in anger. Percy uncapped Riptide.
Tyson joined him. "It came out of the pit!" he said, looking fearfully at the serpent. "It happened so fast."
Percy grunted. "Should have known it wouldn't be that easy."
The sea serpent hissed at them, curling protectively around the three pearls, which seemed to shine brighter, as if delighted by this sudden change of events.
Percy moved forward. The serpent hissed and lashed out with its tail quickly. Percy dodged.
"Overprotective much?"
He watched as the serpent's head bent down and its scaly cheek began stroking the pearls tenderly. His eyes widened.
Tyson clapped his hands. "Mother!"
Percy face-palmed. Seriously? Did the serpent actually think that those pearls are its eggs? Well, he knew for a fact that those pearls would never hatch to become cute little sea serpents.
"Tyson, do you think you can distract it?"
Tyson grinned. He took out his club. "Sure. With my stick."
Percy smiled lightly. "Yeah, with your stick."
Tyson charged. The serpent coiled around itself once before it bounced at him. Tyson slammed his club on its head. The snake howled in pain, recoiling back. Percy took the opportunity to stab Riptide to its tail, semi-anchoring it to the ground. The monster howled in pain.
The son of Poseidon swam over to the pearls and scooped them up, quickly placing them inside his pocket.
"Brother!"
Percy moved to the side. The serpent's tail slammed into the podium, breaking it into chunks of rock. However, in a move that he did not expect, Percy found himself upside down. The serpent's tail was curled around his ankle. He quickly shoved his hand into his pocket maintaining his hold on the pearls.
"Let him go, monster!" Tyson yelled and swung his club. He hit the serpent on the side of ots head. The monster howled, but did not let go of Percy's leg. It swung him around.
"Hey! Head rush in here!" Percy yelled. And then, he wondered if head rushes could even happen underwater!
The snake head-butted Tyson. Percy tried to cut through the skin with Riptide but he was too far away. The snake flicked its tail. Percy slammed into the wall. For just a moment, his world blacked out and he saw something in the distance. A figure walked over, her blonde-silver hair shimmering in the dark.
She smiled at him.
Come back to me, Seaweed Brain…
Annabeth, Percy thought, his head pounding. He opened his blurry eyes. Tyson was still swinging his club, but the snake seemed to be toying with him. Percy closed his eyes again.
He won't allow this snake to have its way. No! He had to go back to Annabeth. He had to see her again.
The water started to whirl.
-.-
Annabeth stabbed the hellhound. The monster howled in agony before disintegrating.
Nico scowled as he killed another. "Father is going to be so angry."
"Well, they aren't exactly on your father's side anymore."
Nico's scowl deepened. The hellhounds have bounced on them although Nico had ordered them stay back. It irritated him that someone was manipulating his father's servants to their own needs.
Annabeth jumped out of the way, and watched as the small girl kept dancing around the field, swinging the sword back and forth. She gritted her teeth. She wanted to get out of here already. She wanted to see Percy again.
After stabbing the monster, Annabeth ran towards the girl. Startled, the girl swung the sword at Annabeth. The latter's knife slammed into it, halting its advance.
"Stop!" Annabeth ordered. "Give the sword, please!"
"No! Take me to my mommy first!"
"I can't! You're already dead. I can't take you back to your mom!"
"Then why are you alive?!" the girl yelled, tears streaming down her face as Annabeth's words sunk into her mind. "Why are you allowed to live and I am not?"
Annabeth eyes widened.
"Annabeth! Look out!" Nico screamed.
Still shocked, Annabeth wasn't quick enough to dodge the attack. The hellhound sunk its teeth into her flesh. She cried out. Nico stabbed the monster, before kneeling down in front of her. His eyes widened.
The cut was deep and it was gushing blood.
"Come on, we're going!" he announced, gritting his teeth. "I can't shadow travel with you like this."
Annabeth's face was beaded with sweat. The girl's eyes widened. "I…I…"
"Give the sword!" Nico ordered, his eyes burning. "Now!"
The girl handed it without a word, still looking at the blood-covered cut on Annabeth's leg.
Annabeth exhaled raggedly. "So much for taking care of myself."
"Percy is going to kill me," Nico murmured, helping her up. "Come on. We should hurry."
"Shadow travel. I'll be fine." Annabeth muttered.
"You're in no condition to shadow travel."
A hellhound bounced on them, but Nico slashed his sword. Annabeth was getting nauseous. Her calf was hurting her and she wished she could reach to her backpack and eat a square of ambrosia.
Nico was killing some more hellhounds, she was sure, but her vision was going dark. Her leg was shaking—she was sure it's going to fail her. Nico was panting as he walked forward.
The ground tilted. Annabeth's eyes drooped. Her body was too light, which she was sure wasn't good. She was tilting now. She heard Nico screaming something but he seemed to far away. Why was he far away? Why wasn't Percy here?
Percy…
Everything went blank as she freefell into nothing.
-.-
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