Hey guys! Sorry for the little mess up there with stuffing up the chapter order and putting Piper before Percy, but it's all fixed up now. Hope you all enjoy! Sorry for any typos, Errors or any OOCness
12 - Annabeth
Annabeth was scared. Deep down it felt all like a trap. And how could Percy be sure it wasn't a trap and Khione was just playing them. The truth was no-one knew.
Percy and Annabeth had searched the woods for what she judged to be hours trying to find the goddess of snow Khione, yet there wasn't a single living soul in it. Percy had said that she would be there. Somehow Annabeth knew that Percy had been duped.
Annabeth had read up on Khione at camp. Khione was the goddess of snow and even though she wasn't in many stories, the ones she was in weren't good. She was also sometimes referred to the seductress because Khione used to seduce men, to get what she wanted. Plus on top of that was she had a power kind of like charmspeak. She could whisper into people's ears confirming their deepest and darkest fears, using them against her enemies, turning friends into foes. She was not a nice goddess to meet.
Right then Annabeth could almost hear the seductive and enticing voice of Khione.
"Annabeth chase, Is that true? Me, not a nice goddess?" the same voice said. Annabeth spun around and saw a flurry of snow materializing into a human figure. As the snow dispersed an absolutely stunning girl walked up to her. Her main of black hair swayed around her in a nice smooth, velvety curtain swaying in the wind. Her white silk dress billowed around her in the cold breeze. What caught her eye was a silver tiara sitting on her head. Annabeth finally understood what Iris had meant. Khione was fit for the title of 'The Ice Princess'.
"Khione", Annabeth spoke. "We come here seeking your help. We were instructed to seek the ice princess confined by chains" Annabeth said confidently, secretly preying that Khione wouldn't sense the fear inside of her that was growing by the second. "Indeed, you were. And to answer your question, yes I am the Ice Princess" Khione said bitterly. How did she know that? Annabeth thought to herself.
"Well, I see your stuck in the wretched prison of Tartarus, just like I" Khione began speaking before Percy cut in "Why are you locked in Tartarus anyway?"
"Because, I simply failed in destroying Hera, the queen of the gods and stopping your friends. Gaea was mad and I took her rage. You see I'm a goddess so I can't be killed, not even by her majesty herself. If she could she would have, but instead she banished me down to Tartarus and locked me in this forest. Now come with me, you two. I need to show you something."
Khione began walking slowly while Percy and Annabeth followed behind her.
Judging from there footprints in the snow, they had obviously walked quite a distance. In front of them stood a pedestal. On top of this pedestal sat one iron shackle bolted in place.
"See this" Khione said, pointing to the pedestal. "This marks the edge of these woods. Beyond here lie even worse terrors that Tartarus has to behold. This shackle is what is keeping me here. Watch what happens the second I try to leave the boundaries of these woods" Khione said bitter sweetly.
The second Khione put one foot in front of pedestal a ghostly transparent silvery, blue chain materialized around her right ankle and connected to the shackle. "But can't you break it?" Percy asked, staring in disbelief. "I have tried many times, and failed each and every time I have tried. I know this because this is my own magic that I made to use on my enemies, but now that scheming goddess has the nerve to use my own magic against me!" Khione said angrily.
Khione's form flickered in front of them. "Quickly, cover your eyes" Annabeth instructed. The divine form of a god is enough to kill demi-gods, yet alone incinerate mortals.
Annabeth heard a blast and felt a very cold aura radiate through the surroundings. It felt just like a nuclear blast. Once it was over, Annabeth opened her eyes.
Annabeth would have thought that the energy of a goddesses divine form would have been enough to break the iron shackles, but obviously it wasn't. It had taken out the surrounding trees and totally permafrosted everything in the forest even more then what it was previously. After all Iron was a metal right? And where does metal come from? The earth and who has domain over the earth? Gaea, Annabeth thought to herself.
"I want to help you defeat that dirt bag" Khione said defiantly emphasizing the d on dirt bag. "However I am trapped here, but I do know Tartarus very well. There is supposedly an ancient relic that was used to put the earth mother to sleep in the first giant war hidden down here. If you find it, it might just tip the scales enough for you to win this fight and from what I know, It is hidden in the volcanic region of Tartarus. I will be very dangerous getting it, but if you do, it will be worth your while, trust me.
Before Khione could say another word, the voice of Gaea rang out "You traitor!" and Khione dropped to the ground screaming in agony before violently bursting into a pile of snowflakes that then began melting into the earth below. "As for you two, you had better hurry along my little pawns, before you meet the same fate too!"
The earth underneath them began shaking violently, fissures opened up underneath them and trees were collapsing on top of them. All they could do to try and avoid dying was to run. This was the doings of Gaea. Obviously she didn't want Khione to tell them anymore then what she had, obviously what she had said had been more than Gaea wanted her to say.
Percy and Annabeth ran for their lives, trying to escape the forest and not be crushed by falling trees. They were almost at where they entered the forest when Percy slipped on the ice and a fur tree fell on top of him and crushed him.
The last thing Annabeth heard was Percy yelling "Save yourself!" Annabeth had to go back, but she couldn't. It wasn't because she didn't want to but because she couldn't. She was no longer in control of herself. She was watching everything from the third person as if she were watching a movie but she kept running towards the edge of the woods, while screaming as she saw more trees fall on top of Percy.
Sorry but I had to include something evil in this chapter as the book has been far to peaceful for my likings. This is just for all the Percy fans, Please don't kill me because the ending of this chapter, Please don't! Review Challenge: What is your favorite dessert?
Reviews and comments as well as any ideas are loved!