-Percy-
The Stone was exactly what it stated, a big massive stone.
Very clever, all these names for things.
Our trip took about two hours, and I carefully watched Addie the whole way there. She looked tired, and despite the enormous amount of nectar she had consumed, the bite on her arm still looked horrible. She was pale and clammy, and her eyes looked clouded. Her cheeks were tainted pink with fever, and every movement looked like it took everything she had. However, she did not fall behind. I wondered where she got her strength from.
We were currently crouched behind an enormous rock, looking down upon the Stone. It had hundreds of windows carved out, but the only sight to see in the cavern was the same enormous river of molten hot lava. There was nothing walking around, no sign of Gaia or any of her lackeys. It was almost too quiet for my taste. Usually, when things got too quiet, it was because they were. A monster had to be due to attack us any minute.
"Okay," Addie started with a shaky breath. "The entrance is on the riverside, but I think our best bet is to tunnel in on the backside. I should be able to find an empty cell to get into."
"Then how do we get out of the cell?" Annabeth questioned.
"Tunnel out of course," she muttered. "Or I could just smash it. It's not like I have been to Tartarus before, I have just talked to immortals that had. I am kind of…. Gods, what is the saying?"
"Going with the flow?" I suggested bewilderingly.
"That's it!"
She bounded towards the wall, and we followed. Her hand dragged along the wall, and she stopped, a huge grin on her face.
"Bingo," she said. "No cell, but this is a perimeter hallway. So no breaking out is needed," she added with a wink. She was going back to her old self, but something was off in her expression.
A square outlined itself on the wall, and it slid out, leaving just enough room for us to squeeze inside. After we got inside, she pulled the rock back in, sealing us inside of the prison.
It was dark, and it reminded me of the jail inside of Alcatraz, the one we stumbled into during the labyrinth. There were no sounds, and it seemed pretty empty. I looked into the cells next to us, and there was nothing there.
"Well, damn it all to Hades," Addie sighed.
"Why, isn't this good?" I asked.
"Yes, it is, but that means Gaia has more nastiness than I thought. The monsters that were locked down here were never meant to come back up to the mortal world. Some of them I put down here myself," she said offhandedly. "The Teumessian Fox, Python, some of the Giants and Titans. All of that was down here. I guess I would have felt better for the god's side if they were all still in here."
"Do you think Iapetus will have left?" Annabeth questioned breathlessly.
"No, there are some curses and spells that cannot be broken without causing chaos in the world. Gaia would not risk upsetting the balance by letting him free. Even if she did, she is terribly fond of Kronos, and he is the one that placed him in here. I doubt she would go behind her son's back," she added, walking down the hall. She paused and then turned to look at us. "Sorry, I forget you don't know any of this stuff. I know enough personal stuff about the gods and other immortals that I could talk for years and I still would not come close to telling you all I know."
"Like what?" I asked. I was extremely interested. I wondered if the gods had dirty laundry like normal people. We had made it down the hall, and we turned left, heading down another row of seemingly empty cells.
"What do you mean like what?"
"I want to know something, I bet I could use it-"
"No, you are not," she said rounding on me. "One, I would get in so much trouble. Plus, most of them gave me orders not to say anything. Let's just say the life of the Olympians is better than any TV soap opera."
I shrugged my shoulders, and Addie got a small smile on her face.
"You really enjoy standing up to them, don't you?" she said cheerfully as she continued walking.
"When they are being jerks, yes, I do," I responded defensively.
I heard Annabeth sigh, and I glanced at her to see her rolling her eyes.
"I had never laughed so hard when you sent Medusa's head," Addie laughed.
"You were there?"
"Oh yeah, I was there. They were in the middle of a war meeting, and one of Hermes's people walks up carrying the box. Some of them knew already because they had been watching you, the others had no clue. I'll never forget their faces!"
"What happened then?" Annabeth inquired.
"Well, Hermes opened the box, and it dropped on the floor. Athena looked like she was about to shit a brick, and your dad, Percy, starting glaring at her. They started going at it over that whole Medusa fiasco; they fight all the damn time! Hephaestus started laughing, Aphrodite was screaming at me to get it out, and everyone else was either angry or amused. I could not stop laughing; I had my hand over my mouth and everything," she said, shaking her head. We crossed into another hallway, this one just as empty and soundless as the others. "So Zeus sees me trying not to laugh, and he asks me what is so damned funny about someone opposing and giving cheek to the gods. Then, he told me to tell the truth, so I could not hide anything."
"And you said?"
Addie got a gleam in her eye, and I knew right then, even though she was cursed, she was brave enough to never back down. "Well, I got a super serious face and said, 'I'm not laughing at all his impertinence at all, Lord Zeus. I'm simply laughing at the fact that a god could be scared or bothered by a twelve-year-old boy.'" There was a pause, and I started roaring in laughter.
"Oh my gods, no, you didn't, Addie!" Annabeth gasped.
"I sure as Hades did! He asked for the truth, and he got it. Ever heard that saying? Don't ask for the truth if you are not ready to hear it? It was okay, I did not get into any real trouble. Artemis even snorted into her drink. Your dad asked for the head, and I left to do something for Hera after that. No big deal," she added shrugging her shoulders.
It was quiet for a few minutes, and my thoughts started shifting. Addie seemed to get along decently well with most of the gods, and the thought of why she was cursed still pulsed through my head. I got a bad feeling in my stomach like a weight had been dropped in it. Do you know how they talk about the feeling you get right before you die? That's what this felt like. It was regret and sorrow, mixed in with pain and fear. I looked at Annabeth, and she had a weird look on her face.
"Do you feel that?" she questioned me.
I nodded my head. Addie stopped suddenly, turning towards the cell on her right. It was a deep cell, but at the very back corner was a dark heap. A dry, rusty sounding laugh filled my ears, and the feeling in my stomach worsened.
"If it isn't the Thýella, come to see me at last."
The word tickled at the back of my mind, but I was not sure of its meaning. I glanced at Annabeth, but she was staring into the depths of the cell. I followed her gaze, and the being came into view. He looked old and decrepit, his skin withered with a grey tint to it. He looked ashy, but his eyes were cold and intelligent. He was wrapped in a traditional Greek toga. It was absolutely filthy, covered in dirt, grime, and ash. His teeth were super straight and white, contrasting sharply with his disheveled appearance.
"Do not refer to me by that name, Iapetus. We need information."
He reached out of the bars, and Addie took a step back, pushing Annabeth and me behind her. His fingertips darted feebly for her, just touching her shirt.
"So much life in you, Thýella. In the three of you," he muttered darkly. He looked hungrily at me and Annabeth, and I put an arm around her protectively. He smiled sinisterly, the hunger apparent on his face. "Love does wonderful things to the soul."
"How do we get to the House of Hades? We need to reach the Doors of Death."
He looked at Addie carefully, assessing her regally. His look was appreciative, but dark nonetheless. She stood bravely in front of him, not moving an inch. His fingertips rested on her chest, her cloak keeping him from contact with her body.
"And why should I give you such information, daughter of Poseidon?"
"Because I have my orders, and I will chop you to pieces and scatter your remains like your brother's if that is what I must do to fulfill them."
Iapetus let out a harsh, dry laugh, his eyes gleaming in mirth. Addie's face was blank, firm in its resolve. Addie struck me as an immortal then. I think she could be just as strong, just as intimidating, as any of the gods.
"They were right about you, Thýella Euadne Aurelius Maximus. Your life survives on its sacrifices, your soul now tethered to their immortal ones. What a clever way to bind a soul so capable. Such a strong will, such a strong life, to be so chained and helpless…"
Addie paled, even more than she already was, and Iapetus grinned in satisfaction. He seemed to get a little brighter, a little less ashy. His fingers gripped into her cloak, getting a little more purchase.
"What are you talking about?" I snapped at him. He did not look at me. Instead, his eyes bore into Addie's, his gaze never leaving hers.
"Did she not tell you? All of those lives on her shoulders… she gave up the light of her life to save theirs."
"Shut up," Addie said quietly. Iapetus was getting brighter, and Addie was losing color. Dark shadows appeared underneath her eyes, and I wanted to help, to do something, but my curiosity was standing in the way. I could not move.
"After your lover died in your arms, saving your brother was the only thing you had left. Defending him for opposing the gods, I bet they did not like that, Thýella, not at all."
"I didn't—"
"But of course you did not! You were only saving your Praetor, your brother. Your legion! Offering your life in exchange for theirs, agreeing to whatever the gods desire. You offered your soul to take the usurper's punishment yourself, in exchange for mercy on their souls and lives," he scoffed. He now looked like he might be in his sixties, where Addie looked deathly ill.
"He's draining the life out of her, Iapetus is the titan of mortality, Percy," Annabeth said quickly as she took my arm.
I snapped out of it, and Annabeth and I grabbed her shoulders, snatching her away from the now wheezing Titan.
"My mother was right about the three of you. You will all do wonderfully. I'll tell you what you want to know, but first, give me some of your life."
"Some of our life?" Annabeth protested.
"Yes, daughter of Athena. Your memories, your love, your sacrifices- it is what makes mortals so alive and bright. Give me a small taste, and I will direct you to the doors."
Addie held out her hand, but I snatched it back.
"Not Addie or Annabeth," I snarled back at Iapetus. "I'll give you some of mine, but you will not take any from them." I had to protect them both.
"Fine, son of Poseidon," he reached out his hand towards me, holding it open. "I will not take from your sister or your love. But you will have to give more in exchange." I nodded my head, moving closer to the Titan.
"No, Percy, I can-"
"No, Addie. I will do this, and I do not want to hear another word about it. Just don't let him kill me."
My heart ached for Addie, for what was just revealed. No wonder she did not like talking about it, why she was so sad. She really was being punished for doing absolutely nothing. I imagined if I could do the same thing, give up my free will to protect the ones I loved. I would do it for Annabeth in a heartbeat, for any of my friends. But at what cost? What awful things she had to do, had to watch, in exchange for the protection of her loved ones… it was the ultimate sacrifice. I could not see how she made it through the day. She was a good hero, a good person.
Euadne was a person who deserved to have to same done for her. She had sacrificed enough. I quickly kissed Annabeth on the cheek and turned to face Iapetus.
I held out my hand, and Iapetus grasped it. It felt like I was shaking hands with a cactus. Sharp stabbing pains reached all over my body, and I saw memories flash through my head. The first time Annabeth and I kissed, holding up the world in Atlas's place, spending that night with Annabeth in the cargo hold, playing capture the flag with the rest of the campers, seeing my dad smile in approval, my mother with a blue cake in her hands, all of my friend's faces: Frank, Hazel, Tyson, Piper, Leo, Thalia, and even Jason…..with each memory, I could feel myself fading. I was literally seeing my life flash before my eyes, and all I could see was Iapetus grin in satisfaction.
A flash of bright light filled my eyes, and I was thrown back slightly. Annabeth caught me, her hands steadying me. Iapetus was thrown to the back of his cell, and Addie stood in front of me, rage in her eyes. She was slightly glowing, a gold aura around her.
"Fulfill your part of the bargain, Iapetus," she commanded.
He came back into the faint light, and he looked like a strong healthy, thirty-something-year-old. He was no longer the old decrepit man we saw before.
"Follow the river, and it will lead you to my Nephew's house. The only way to open the doors is to breathe the words that created them. You will never make it out though," he said sadly. But the sadness did not reach his eyes. The only thing in his gaze was triumph. "My dear mother will see to that."
"Don't get your hopes up," Addie retorted.
Iapetus cocked his head, staring at her. "They were right to be frightened of you. You hold more power than you know," he said smugly.
"If you are talking about Gaia, then she should be."
Iapetus just laughed, and he turned his back on us, disappearing into the depths of his cell.
Addie stomped away, and we followed. Annabeth helped hold me up, her arm wrapped around my waist.
"Percy," she whispered suspiciously. It was the same tone she always got when she had an idea when something important was forming in her mind.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know what he called Addie? Thýella? Do you know what that means?"
Addie was far enough in front of us that I was sure she could not hear us. I looked at Annabeth and shook my head.
"I know she has a part to play in all of this, Percy. I've had that same feeling since we met her."
I nodded my head, urging Annabeth to get to the point. I felt tired, but having her here was helping out enormously.
"Thýella means the tempest in Greek, Percy. He called Addie the Storm."