Alright - I took one look at the views, favorites, followers, and reviews on this story and I started squealing and skipping around my house, which SERIOUSLY creeped my parents out but who cares? YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! I seriously love you all, and (I know how cheesy this sounds but it's true) YOU GUYS are the inspiration that keeps me writing. So a big THANK YOU to all of you! (Oh my freaking god, 33 REVIEWS! Heeey, that's a double digit! Yay for me!)
Oh, and congratulations to Sandstorm3D for being my 30th reviewer! :D I feel ridiculously happy right now. Please hold for a minute while I squeal a bit more (and scare the pants off of my poor parents)
And in response to my guest reviewer a couple chapters back - yes, I know it's you, thanks for reviewing my story, and 你好杨婷雅！谢谢你读我的故事！曹操，刘备，和春卷！:)
Another quick warning - this chapter might be a bit more bloody and a tad darker than the other chapters so far...so yeah.
Final thing - The Magical Formula of FanFiction:
Reviews/Favorites/Followers = Happy Author = Faster Updates (This formula has been proven to be correct :D So try it out! *hint, hint*)
Ok, now enough of my mindless chatter, ON WITH THE STORY!
Percy POV
Pain.
Pain.
Pain.
He was in a world of pain...
He felt the bloody gashes across his arms and chest burn with pain. They stung like hell, and Percy realized firsthand just how effective Medieval torture methods were...
The long, metal, spiked ropes rose up from the floor, up his right thigh, across his torso and tightly around his neck, before winding back down his left leg. Both chains were bolted into the cold, concrete wall he was currently slumped against. The harsh metal spikes dug painfully into his skin, like a million giant mosquitos decided he was a tasty appetizer. And Percy had a feeling that spikes weren't supposed to sting this badly...poison-coated?
Greeaaaat.
So he was stuck in a lair full of malicious monsters in an unknown location, being tortured, bloody, hurt, and maybe poisoned...
CRACK! There went the whip...
He bit his lip in agony to keep from A) cussing up a storm or B) just full-out bawling.
I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry...
CRACK!
The metal whip met with his flesh again.
It sent his body into another wave of agony, and he felt a traitorous tear trickle down his cheek and disappear into his torn and bloodied shirt. The dracanae seemed to take a malicious pleasure in coating the whip with lemon juice before bringing it back down sharply onto his skin.
CRACK!
The dracanae hissed with a slightly maniacal edge to her voice. "Ssssee, young demigod? Everyone hasss a breaking point, we just need to find yourssss!" She cooed into his ear. "And don't worry, we'll heal you tonight and ssssstart all over again tomorrow!"
Call him crazy, but that didn't sound very appealing.
He mustered up his fiercest wolf-glare (as Lupa dubbed it) and looked her right in the eye. "You'll never break me. And my friends will-"
"Never find you." The dracanae interrupted. "We're in a remote location, where no one in their right MINDS would look. The only people that find this place are the people we WANT to find it." The dracanae dipped the whip in lemon juice again. The dracanae was standing in the middle of his cell, her torture equipment laid out in front of her. Percy himself was chained at her feet.
Percy tried to convince himself that no, she was lying and that his friends would find him in time. but he was feeling the hopelessness creeping into his heart. What if...what if this was it? No one knew where he was, himself included. There was no way he could escape on his own, not with these stupid Scythian Silver bars being in place. Heck, he couldn't even keep these snake-ladies from torturing him within an inch of his life!
He was powerless.
There wasn't a single soul that could help him here. The only dracanae he had seen was Tessa and some mysterious dracanae patrol group that wandered by periodically. And even if he HAD seen other dracanae, Percy was pretty sure that they'd be just as eager as Tessa to whip him.
He was alone.
And worst of all?
...He was afraid.
More afraid than during the Titan War, more afraid than in Tartarus, more afraid than during the Giant War.
Was he...was he really that weak? That without people at his back, he was helpless? Sure, he beat Kronos, but even then that wasn't really him. Annabeth and Luke were the real heroes. He only beat Polybotes with Terminus' help. The golden eagle standard was all thanks to Frank and Hazel. Heck, the only useful thing he did was help out Annabeth in Tartarus, and even then without her he never would've survived. Plus, defeating Gaea was a group effort. He didn't really take much credit for that.
Was he really that weak, that he needed support in order to do anything?
The little venomous voice in the back of his head whispered, Yes. You are. You can't even escape on your own!
CRACK!
He turned away and lowered his head. Yes, he was.
But suddenly, out of the blue, another voice started whispering in his head. He was hoping it wasn't because he was going insane...
C'mon, Seaweed Brain. You defeated Titans, Gods, and Giants for Hera's sake! You're the all-powerful Hero of Olympus! Don't give in. Keep fighting! They can't force you to give up. Only you can make yourself give up. So never, NEVER give up Seaweed Brain. We're coming for you. The mysterious voice was familiar, filled with warmth and encouragement. It almost seemed to radiate through him, coursing into his tired, wounded limbs and giving him strength.
...Yup. He was going insane.
But still...the voice did have a point...if he gave up, the dracanae would win. And under NO circumstances would Percy let them win. He would be strong, he would hold on...
Oh gods. He was listening to voices in his head.
CRACK!
He squeezed his eyes shut. Yes, he would hold on. Hold on for his friends, for his family, for Annabeth...
In a quiet, shadowy room, ten shadowy figures sat around a table. The lone, dim torch on the wall made way for an eerie setting, casting ghostly flickers along one of the walls.
"Let the council commence!"
"My queen, with all due respect, haven't we already given judgement on the demigod's punishment? What else must we discussss?"
"You idiot! The queen is ssspeaking! Watch your insolent tongue!"
"Sërpënsilis, I thank you for your loyalty, but that will not be necessary. And as for you, I have many things of uttermost importance to say, so watch your tongue. Or should the Tyss Clan have another prisoner to...entertain?"
"N-No, my queen, I take back my foolish words. Please, forgive me."
"Very well. But only because this meeting is of the greatest importance."
"Now, great queen, please continue..."
"Thank you Slytheriis. Now The Lord has contacted us once again. He has promised to appear in this very room himself!"
Gasps of shock rang through the room.
"My queen! Does thisss mean -"
"No, Sylvis. He has not escaped, only a small bit of his essence is roaming free. And he is not collecting our prizes yet. The other six must come so the set is complete. Until then, we may do what we like...but we cannot kill him."
"All the better, he cannot escape us through the route of death!"
"Yesss, indeed, Tysslëic. I presume your daughter Tyssëa is happy with our arrangementssss? Your family have been our expert interrogatorssss for generationsss."
"Yesss, my queen. That boy will be a broken spirit once my daughter is through with him. She is doing well, she honors our clan."
"Indeed, Tysslëic. Let it be noted once we have achieved the ultimate victory your daughter shall receive high honorssss for her great work."
"I thank you, my queen."
"Your majesty, what about my clan? It was US who captured the demigod in the first place! WE should be honored as well!"
"Slytheriis, calm yourself. The Slyther Clan shall receive high honors as well, there isssss no need to be so demanding."
"My apologies, oh Great Queen."
"Well, well, well, your majesty. You certainly have quite the evil group here."
More gasps filled the air.
"My Lord! Thank you for gracing us with your presence."
"Ahh, Sess. My favorite little snake. I hope the demigod is...enjoying your hospitality?"
"Yes, indeed, my Lord. Soon his spirit will be crushed. But are you sure you require ALL of them? My sisters here would be delighted to...entertain a couple here."
"My apologies, Sess, but I require all seven if the spell is to work. However, the other two I have no use for.."
"Very well, my lord. However, this plane MUST succeed. Us dracanae have been creeping in the shadows for too long. We are the wielders of magic, the snake women! The world will respect us, and we will rule! But you cannot blame me for doubt. Gaea was supposedly unbeatable, yet those blasted demigods managed to stop her."
"Of course, dear Sess. This is why we have made our little...trade. Do not doubt my abilities. Yes, my sister Gaea has failed. But I can succeed where she could not. She did not have an entire army as her allies. She also does not have the powers I have. Unlike her, I was not put to sleep, merely trapped by those blasted demigods ages ago. Gaea was too confident. That was her downfall. It was quite wise of you not to become involved in the Giant War."
"We had made a huge mistake being involved with the Titans. That blasted Kronos got what he deserved."
"Indeed."
Soon, you shall be free again."
"That's what I'm counting on. Goodbye, Sess dear. We shall meet again soon."
Silence.
"M-my queen, my sincerest apologies, but this god is terrifying."
"Of course he is, Hysstönia. It's practically in his job description."
"Y-yes, my queen."
"For now, this Council is adjourned!"
The ten shadowy figures swiftly and silently made their way to the single, dark exit.
Annabeth POV
Annabeth was anxious. And not just about Percy.
She was going to see her parents for the first time in...almost a year. A YEAR! Were they to to be mad? Worried? Unwelcoming?
That's not the real reason, her conscious told her. You know, you shouldn't lie to yourself.
Ok, fine. She was afraid they had moved on, that they didn't care anymore.
She was never a part of a real family. Her father didn't even WANT her when she was born. She ran away at the tender age of five. When most kids were being dropped off at preschool by their parents, she was on the run from monsters. Her parents never even cared.
Until Percy came along.
He seemed to fill that void in her heart, with his loyal, goofy, sarcastic personality. He stayed with her, when everyone in her life left her: her parents, Luke, Thalia, even Chiron. He was there for her. He even encouraged her to repair the bonds with her family.
Honestly, even when she was on the run, she just wanted to be accepted, to have someone that would always be there, someone you could always count on. That was supposed to be what family does.
And now, she knew she wasn't the ideal daughter. She was smart, proud, and a demigod. She went on dangerous missions, and hung around camp more that she stayed at home.
But she still valued her family. The question was: Did they still value her?
Ananbeth was snapped out of her thoughts as the BART train came to a screeching halt. Annabeth was almost thrown out of her seat at the sudden stop.
An automated voice came over the speaker, telling them to be careful as they exit the vehicle.
Annabeth joined the other 5 demigods as the steel doors slid open with a hissing sound. They all stepped out onto the platform, and started to make their way up the stairs, when Annabeth noticed something odd.
Two figures seemed to be following them. They both wore dark trench coats, large black hats that covered almost all of their faces, and dark sunglasses. One of the figures seemed considerably shorter then the other.
Annabeth nudged Jason, who happened to be next to her. His blue eyes focused on her worried face. "What is it?" He muttered.
She pointed her head towards the figures behind them. "I think we're being followed."
He glanced behind him. "Monsters?"
"I don't know." She muttered in reply.
Jason turned to the others and cleared his throat as un-obviously as possible. When four pairs of eyes focused on him, he nodded towards their stalkers. Luckily, the other demigods caught on immediately.
"Ok, creepy stalker peeps following us, what do we do?" Leo whispered as the demigods made it to the surface. "Do we confront them or something?"
However, any confrontation proven to be unnecessary. As the two mysterious figures made it to the top of the stairs as well, a young girl with dark hair walked towards them, totally engrossed with her iPhone. She seemed to be about high school age, maybe fifteen. Not noticing the two figures, she rammed straight into them.
BAM! The there of them went tumbling down to the floor. In all the commotion, the two mysterious figures' coats and sunglasses came off.
Annabeth and the others, eager to see just who was following them, ran towards the three. The girl with the black hair was apologizing profusely.
The taller figure reached for the sunglasses that were lying on the ground, but when looking up, all she saw were a pair of suspicious grey eyes.
Annabeth took one look at the person's face and gasped.
One of the figures had bright blue eyes.
Very familiar bright blue eyes.
The figure, realizing they were found out, lowered their head sheepishly.
Annabeth looked at Jason for confirmation, and his shocked face proved it.
"What - Thalia!?"
Alright! I love adding layers to the story and adding intrigue :3 Hope you guys didn't think it was too dark, writing the torture scenes with Percy was just plain painful. But don't worry! There is NO WAY IN HELL I am going to kill off my favorite character!
Anyways, hope y'all liked this chappie, and hope you guys have (had) a Merry Christmas, and have a happy New Year! And remember the FanFiction Magical Formula! :)