Chapter 17: The task

Her name was Ashlyn. I had heard about her, she was a good friend of Jake's. Many believed Jake and her were more. If I knew Jake the way I thought I did...I would say he wished they had been more. He talked about her a lot that was certain. I had never seen her before but I imagined her different. Jake told me about her smile and how funny she was. How she was too kind for this world. That was not the girl I saw standing beside me. She looked sad...and cold. Her eyes stared into nothingness. It seemed as if she was locked inside herself.
"What did you dream of?" She asked me. I wondered if she knew that I had been dreaming about something or if it was just a wild guess.
"Jake's death..." I said. She knew Jake well. Together with Sophie Brighton and Darius Nikolas they saved the world.
"So you know who killed him?" She asked. My voice turned from kindness into hate. Even thinking about him made my blood boil.
"Phthonos." The god of Malice, ill-will and jealousy. He would pay for what he did to Jake. The worst thing was that Colt had met this guy, was helping this guy. Which meant that I was helping this guy. It made me sick.
"He deserved better don't you think?"
"Yeah...yeah he did." I still couldn't believe that I just watched him die. What Luke had told me about dreams was true though. It shows the past, present and the future. I had just seen the past. "What do you know about Messor?" I asked her. She looked at me with wide eyes. She was surprised that I knew about that.
"I know that only two living mortals are supposed to know about that. Did Jake tell you?"
"No. I think it's why Phthonos killed Jake. Jake kept on saying Phthonos would never have it. What does that mean?"
"So that's what he's after..." Ashlyn didn't seem to know everything about what happened that night...it made me wonder about something.
"How do you know Phthonos killed Jake?" I asked her. Tears seemed to swell up in her eyes. She didn't want to tell me...but she did.
"Me and Sophie...we were out in town. You know just hanging around pretty much. Phthonos showed up with his body...what was left of it. After that monster left we took his gloves as reminders and we brought him here to be burned. I still can't believe he's gone sometimes. Me and him had been friends since we were thirteen. He was always so kind. He had his doubts sometimes but he was so strong..." Then she broke into tears. I didn't know what to do. I had only just met her and here she was crying her eyes out.
"He used to say things like that about you. He cared about you very much." I said. It didn't help very much. I wasn't much of a talker. I jumped into things without thinking twice about it...and that wasn't good when you're trying to cheer someone up or give a motivational speech.
"Yeah, I know that. I just wish his last year had been different. Ever he found out he was going to die..." I cut her off right there.
"What? He knew he was going to die?" I couldn't believe that. I didn't know anything about that. He never told me. He always talked about meeting me at camp. Introducing me to everyone he talked about. But he always knew...
"He knew for a long time. He tried to stop it but he couldn't. He only lightened up after he met you...I don't know why." I didn't understand that either. I didn't understand anything of this. "You know it was hard enough to lose Jake...but then Sophie. I wonder where Jake send her."
"Sophie has been missing for months right? You said Jake send her somewhere?" The more Ashlyn said the more confused I got. One thing I did know. Once this was all done. I had to find her. She knew what Jake had planned. I needed to know what she knew.
"Ashlyn...when I was living with Jake I overheard a conversation between Sophie and him...they were talking about me. Jake had some plans and she wasn't sure if she could agree with them, but she did. Do you know anything about that?" She doubted for second. As if she wanted to tell me but didn't. That's how I was sure she was lying.
"I'm sorry Angel. I don't know anything about that. Jake got kind of secretive after a while. He barely told me anything. Except for one thing." She pulled something out her pocket. This tiny bronze cube, it didn't seem of much importance. "Not long before he died and you had already left he told me that if I could I had to give you these. I have kept them...they reminded me of him. But it was his wish." She held the cube tightly in her hand and it changed. It changed into two bronze gloves. Jake's gloves. "I remember when he got these. They pretty much halved his hand movement. His dad changed them to a bit more easy to wear. Jake said they would fit you." I was afraid to put them on at first. They weren't mine...they were Jake's. Could I really wear them as my own? I doubted that I could ever look at them and believe that I earned them. But they were Jake's to give, and he had given them to me. I put them on awkwardly. They were a perfect fit...as if they had been made for my hands not Jake's. I clenched my fists and spikes came out of the gloves. They were deadly weapons indeed.
"Thanks Ashlyn. Thank you so much."
"Thank Jake." I started to walk off. I wanted to see Ashlyn again but now I needed some time alone. Some time to think. Luke and Max were waiting in the big house I knew that but I had to let them wait a little longer. Before I walked off I asked turned around to ask my final question.
"Ashlyn...Phthonos having Messor is bad isn't it." She looked at me with a troubled expression...and simply nodded.

I walked around camp to ease my mind. There was so much I didn't understand. I didn't understand what Phthonos wanted with Messor. I didn't understand what Jake had planned for me. Everything was so confusing. I tried to think but my thoughts wouldn't line up. I couldn't concentrate on anything. Thoughts overlapped, I was thinking a billion things at the same time. Until...I felt focused. I felt as if I could figure this out. My brain just went from p sized to Einstein. That's when I saw her. A woman in a white dress, blonde hair and intense gray eyes. I had no idea who it was. But there was no doubt as to what she was.
"Hello Angel." This thing about people knowing my name when I had no idea who they were got kinda scary. But I already figured out this was a goddess and she probably knew a whole lot more about me other than my name.
"Hi..." I said. I wasn't sure what to do. As far as I knew I never met a god or goddess before. She could probably zap me into the abyss whenever she wanted to...but she hadn't yet so I had my hopes up.
"Do you know who I am?" I still don't know how I figured it out. My thoughts were still going lightning quick but they were clear. I knew when I was at the right end and when I wasn't. I knew this had to do with Phthonos, Messor and possibly me. Messor was given to Jake by Athena. Phthonos wanted Messor for some devilish plan and I was about to stop Phthonos. The only god other than Phthonos that was mentioned was Athena so that was my guess.
"Athena?" She smiled.
"Don't make an answer a question boy. Especially when you're right. Another one...do you know why I'm here?"
"Phthonos, Messor...end of the world. Among those lines?" I asked. I was pretty sure about this one. It was the only reason why I could see a goddess as important as Athena to visit a bloke like me.
"Indeed. Jake never told you about Messor did he?" I shook my head. "Good. He promised me he wouldn't. I gave it to him when he went on his quest to defeat Hyperion. I was his patron you see."
"Why's that?" I wondered what was so important about this dagger. I had absolutely no idea but Phthonos wanted it and apparently Jake was forbidden to talk about it.
"I met him once, not long after Hyperion first attacked camp and killed a friend of his. He was confused, afraid and grieving. But he was wise. So I agreed to guide and protect him if he fought Hyperion. And as you know he did."
"He locked him in Tartarus right?" I asked. "That's what Grace told me."
"That's the official story Jake and the others made up. Very few know what really happened. And you'll be one of them." She lay her hand on my head and I started seeing things.

I wasn't at camp any more...I was on some kind of mountain...no idea where exactly but I was there. I saw four kids in their early teens fighting a tall, light emitting, golden armoured, sun eyed dude who I guessed was Hyperion. He wore a giant golden sword which looked heavy but the titan handled it without a problem. The kids were attacking the guy with everything they had but they stood no chance. Eventually they all charged at once. The titan just stood their laughing. One second to the next the four kids were blown away. Jake landed not far from Hyperion, Sophie landed close to the edge but not over it. Ashlyn got knocked into a rock and was knocked out. And the only one of the four I didn't get a good look of was Darius Nikolas. I saw him go over the edge, only then I got a good look of his face. I thought I recognized him. I didn't know how but I did. But it couldn't be. Because he fell off the side of the mountain.
"Dean!" Jake screamed. He got up and turned to Hyperion. "You'll pay for that Hyperion!" He screamed. That's when Hyperion charged Jake. He was lighting quick but Jake just side stepped. I figured he saw Hyperion's move before it happened. But Jake didn't just dodge, he countered. Hyperion went past Jake but Jake grabbed the titan and stabbed him in the neck with Messor. They stood their both screaming. Their was an extreme light. So bright it nearly burned my eyes out and I wasn't even really there. That's when Athena appeared next to Jake. Both Hyperion and Jake seemed in pain.
"Jake let go!" I heard Sophie scream. "This is killing you!"
"Don't listen to her Jake." Athena protested. You can't let go of him. This place will be his cage...and the dagger will be the only key." Jake still screamed...but he understood. He pushed the dagger even further in Hyperion's neck and then Hyperion got smaller. When I looked closely...he wasn't getting smaller. He was being sucked in...the ground itself was sucking Hyperion in through one tiny hole. And when Hyperion had been completely sucked in The dagger was a perfect fit. Jake twisted it counter clockwise and the lock closed.

And then I was back. Athena had shown me the fight that made Jake famous hero. And I understood why for once.
"Phthonos wants to free Hyperion?" I asked. If so that was a major threat. It took four very strong heroes to take him on last time. Who at camp was that strong now? Luke maybe, Max if he was willing to join the good cause. I myself lacked the strength to do this. Or so I believed.
"Not exactly. Right now Hyperion is barely anything to be set free. Jake truly beat him and like a monster he needs to reform. Very few titans get destroyed to such a point but it takes a long time to recover. But Phthonos realized something that Jake and I realized not long after he defeated Hyperion. You see part of Hyperion's being passed into Jake as he stabbed Hyperion. The dagger served as a sort of wire between them making a part of Hyperion's power go into Jake. Just a tiny part...if Jake had taken double of the tiny bit of power he got he would have been destroyed. What it did for Jake was that it improved his ability to see into the future. He saw his own future until the day he died, and the future of people he knew, and then of complete strangers. It took him a while before he controlled it. But anyway, Phthonos wants someone to take much more in. And whoever does becomes a pretty powerful weapon for someone like Phthonos."
"So what? Me, Max, Samael, we're all candidates or something?" I asked her.
"In a way...yes. Phthonos has taken a liking in Colt as far as I know. If he opens this lock and turns someone into a power like that...It'll be horrible. We can't let that happen." Especially if that person was someone like Colt. If Colt got that juiced up Phthonos had to be prepared to be betrayed. Colt answered to no one especially not if he had power enough to destroy cities.
"So what do we do?"
"You defeat Phthonos." She said that as if it was the easiest task out there.
"How!" I had spoken bravely against Max but the truth was that I had no idea if there even was a way I could defeat Phthonos. He was a god and I was just...me. More so...if Jake couldn't defeat what chance did I have?
"Go to my uncle in the underworld. He'll help you." She wanted me to go see Hades? That was madness. I doubted I was his favourite demigod, more probable he wanted to kill me in the most horrible way you can think of.
"The god of death is going to help me? Colt killed his daughter."
"Colt didn't...Phthonos did." This might sound harsh...but I was actually really happy about that. That meant that the lord of the death might actually not hate me as much as I thought. "Oh yeah, before you go speak to Colin."
"Who's Colin?" My question wasn't answered. Athena was gone. And I had been given a task to do...I had been given a quest.