YEAR THREE: Seven Month Marker
PERCY
We ( Me, Thunder, Thalia, Aina, Nico, and Raven) were all called to the boss's office.
"You have told me that these demigods have completed their training and are ready to move along to the final exam," Al Capone said speaking to our mentors. I sifted in my seat. I was curious about what we would have to do, and I was excited I was so close to being a full member.
"The final exam is to make a weapon. Percy you are to make a sword, Thalia a bow and arrows, and Nico a sword. There are three separate forges you three have to figure out which one is the one you have to use because only one will make you weapon.
Once you find your forge you are you use the items you collected on your quests to create your weapons."
"I don't know how to make a sword," I said interrupting.
"I was getting to that. Somewhere in the forge in a spell that binds the materials together and forms them into the weapon of choice."
'That's a relief I would hate to mess up my exam. Now why make weapons?' I was about to ask but Thalia beat me to it.
"Why weapons? For the final exam."
"Demigods always make weapons for it. Everyone needs a weapon designed for them, besides the weapons made here have powers. Some more than others, but yours are the same."
"So all the other demigods here use the weapon they made?" Nico asked.
"Well not all the time, some people are afraid of it so they don't use it. Most of the time though people have other weapons with them and it's easier to use the other one," Raven explained. "Like if you had a sword and were in extremely close combat a knife would be easier."
"So where are these three forges?" Thalia asked. Al Capone pulled out a map.
"This is a estimate, but the first is high in the mountains fifty miles to the north, the second is seventy miles south in the woods where it's hotter, and the last one is twenty miles to the east following the river."
"When can we leave?" Nico asked emotionlessly.
"Once I give you your items." Al pulled out the items we had gathered over the last few months and out them in groups. Nico took his things and stood up.
"I'm leaving once I have a bag packed. You guys can cross off the forge farthest south," he said as he walked out the door. Raven watched him leave, then pushed herself up.
"I should probably give him a pep talk or somethin' 'fore he leaves."
"You know," I said , "As much as I like Raven I'm really glad she isn't my mentor." Thalia gave me a funny look, and rolled her eyes.
"So which one do you think your forge is?" Thalia asked.
"I don't know, Nico must have used his super deathiness powers to figure out which one's his." Thunder stared at me.
"Deathiness?"
"Wow you guys really are all ADD, seriously you get distracted by the smallest things," I commented.
"You're one to talk," Thalia muttered.
"Thalia I think you know which one you have to go to,' Aina said. Thalia sighed.
"The one way up high in the mountains. I'll see you later Percy." Thalia kissed one last time, then picked up her stuff. That of course left one last forge the one that followed the river.
I have a long walk ahead.
NICO
I knew that moment I saw the forge on the map that it was the one I had to go to. I've been down there. That's where I found the BEB, and some other death monsters. I felt and odd feeling of dread at the thought of going back there, but I also felt like I was going home. It was a strange mix, I did however know that I wanted to get this over.
The moment my items were available I took them and left.
There wasn't much I needed, a bag to put these things in, my sword, and some ambrosia. I had the bag packed quickly, I was about to leave when Raven showed up.
"Are you ready?" I nodded.
"Well be careful, it'd be bad rep for me if my trainee died or somethin'."
"I'm so glad you care."
"I do care, now I didn't you tell you this, but your forge had a couple of floors, and it's only on the top one that you can make the sword. It won't work on anyway else." I looked at her curiously.
"How do you know that?"
"I'll tell you later, for now just stay safe. Don't be stupid, and don't do something unless you're completely sure of it."
"Alright, I'm going to leave now." Raven gave me a quick hug, and then back away so I could shadow travel.
THALIA
Of course I had to get the forge way up in the mountains, where it's really high up, and I'm still afraid of heights. Oh the irony. Nico is lucky because he can shadow travel. Percy has the closest one, and he could just jump in the stream. They got it easy, but I was complaining that my quest were too easy. I guess the fates do have a sense of humor.
Aina was giving me last-minute tips that I didn't listen much to, I caught up thinking what I might need to bring, I was trying to figure out how long one hundred miles would take to travel, and how long I'd be at the forge.
Aina shoved a bag at me, and I peeked inside to see a bed roll, some food, my items, and some ambrosia.
"Thalia when you get to the front gate don't go in. Turn the left corner and walk fifty paces, you should see a stone with a lightning bolt. Shock the stone and hopefully you'll be in the right room. And the front gate is the one with the two giant angel statutes in front of it."
That's odd I thought as Aina pushed out the door. It's like she's been there before, I wonder if this happened to the others?
It took fifteen hours to walk to the forge. I refused to stop though, I could sleep when I got there. When I arrived at the front gates, sure enough there were two angel statues next to the door. I followed Aina's instructions and turned left.
The lightning bolt took awhile to find, it was old and the stone was crumbling, but I gave it a shock and the wall moved. It moved just enough for me to get it.
One of the first things I did after I woke up was make a more thorough search of the room I was in. There was a door in front of me that I suppose led out to the rest of the building, and then there was an old sort of furnace fireplace thing that I can't recall the name of. In front of that was a stone table.
Aina said that I would hopefully turn up in the right room, so I better try to make this weapon.
I laid the items out on the table. I had wood, golden leaves, diamonds, a jar filled with lightning, a magic duplicator, clouds in a jar, and all the types of arrows . I stood back and looked at the pile, I couldn't help but wonder how this was going to make a magical bow and arrows.
I'll just have to wait and see. It's time to find that spell now. I walked around the room very slowly, trying to spot writing on the walls. I spotted it by pure luck. My shoes came untied and I tripped. I fell backwards and spotted something in the corner of the ceiling. The only problem was the room was fifteen feet tall.
I used my 'Flying Ability' to get it down. I hate doing it, but Aina and I have practiced it enough times. It turned out to be a scroll, and I unrolled it once I landed on the ground. The scroll seemed more like a set of instructions than a spell.
The scroll told me to line up the items( which I did), and then say this.
Combine these item into one
To make a weapon with great power
A Bow and Arrows with powers of the sky
From these items shall be made
It will be used for protection
And to defeat thy enemies
Bind these items into one
Yeah weird, I even felt weird saying it. But then the thing said to tossed the items into the furnace and repeat the 'spell'. The spell just seemed so unspell-like that I didn't think anything would happen, but after I said the spell for the second time a fire started up and consumed the things. The oddest thing about the fire was that it was blue, and it wasn't hot at all. When I got closer it seemed strangely breezy.
The fire burned for at least an hour. I ate some of the food Aina gave me, and I found somewhere to pee, and I took a short nap. I woke up just before the fire went out, it didn't die down though, it was just gone. In its place though was dark blue bow, and a sheath of arrows.
I hurried over and picked up the bow, inscribed in the wood was the word Fate with a ring around it. I pushed it and suddenly the bow and arrows was gone, in its place was a silver ring again with the word Fate. I suppose that's what it's called, fate.
I arrived back at the factory the next day.
NICO
The temple was dark, gloomy, and dusty. I found the staircase and headed up to the top floor. I don't know what I'm looking for though, when I was at camp I never really spent anytime in the forge.
I come across a room with something that looks like an old-fashioned stove that you cook bread in, with a stone table in front of it, and I just feel that this is the right place. I set my bag down, and begin looking for the spell.
I find the spell of course in a skeleton that was chained to the wall. I briefly wondered why he chained there, and what he had done but my curiosity died once I read the spell. I hurried back to the room and laid the items out on the table.
The things I had gotten were: the king Hell Hound's fang, Wraith scythe, the essence of a Basilisk, BEB, Cockatrice, Demon, Gorgon, Ogre, and a Wendigo, Celestial Bronze, and diamonds. They were all laid out nicely on the table, and I was ready to say the spell.
Combine these item into one
To make a weapon with great power
A Sword with powers of death
From these items shall be made
It will be used for protection
And to defeat thy enemies
Bind these items into one
Who even wrote that spell? Maybe it was written by Apollo, it doesn't sound too good. I followed the instructions though, and tossed the things into the thingamajiger and said the spell again. It was interesting to watch as a black fire erupted, I had gone closer to look at it, and a horrible pain started in my chest. It felt as if something was sucking the life out of me. I jumped back and sat at a wary distance from the fire.
It took quite awhile to die. I sat on the hard stone floor for a good three hours. It went out in a big ball of black smoke which hovered on the ceiling for another fifteen minutes.
The sword though was perfect, it sat gleaming in the stove thing. It was just begging me to come get it, but I didn't move until the black smoke was gone.
The sword looked like the one I have. It's pure black except for the handle which is sliver looking, and of the name engraved in the metal. Death. What a suiting name, quite ironic. I run my finger over the name and the sword shifts into a silver chain with again the name inscribed in the metal. I put the chain through my belt loops and headed back to the factory, where I was certain I would arrive first.
PERCY
I rode the stream down, which was nice because it was quicker and I was full of energy when I arrived at the forge. The forge was big and crumbly. There was a gaping hole in the side of the building, I ducked through that and started looking for the furnace thing I would need to use to make the sword. There were a lot, but I wanted to find a spot where the I was convinced the roof wouldn't collapse on me.
I found a place away from the others, it had a stone table in front of it and off to the side was a wall of ice. I placed my bag on the table and started looking around for the spell, but I couldn't seem to find it anywhere. I was searching for more than an hour, and then in anger I hit the wall of ice. That's when I spotted the roll of paper in the middle of the ice. I grinned and had the ice melt in a path to the paper.
Once I had the scroll out I laid my items out. I gathered imperial gold, diamonds, seaweed, blood of a Wendigo, and some sponges. This will obviously make a brilliant sword. The spell was the worst part, I felt like someone was pulling a prank on me.
Combine these item into one
To make a weapon with great power
A sword with powers of the ocean
From these items shall be made
It will be used for protection
And to defeat thy enemies
Bind these items into one
I didn't think it was a good idea to just ignore the instructions though, so I tossed my items in the furnace or whatever it's called, and said the stupid spell again. Immediately a blue fire jumped up, the fire seemed wet somehow though. I went closer and sparks of fire came from it, but it wasn't sparks it was water. I stuck my hand in the fire then, and it burned me. I jumped back and stared at the fire. Then I took care of my burned hand with some nectar.
An hour and a half later the fire disappeared, and in its place was a golden sword. I grabbed it carefully, not wanting to burn myself again, but it was cool. I pulled it out and written on it was its name, Order. Mesmerized I traced the name and in my hands it shifted into a chain. I grinned and clasped it onto one of my pant loops.
THALIA
Al Capone looked at us proudly.
"Today I announce to you three new members. Percy Jackson son of Poseidon, Thalia Grace daughter of Zeus, and Nico di Angelo son of Hades!" Percy, Nico and I smiled awkwardly and waved. The assembled group clapped for us.
It was yesterday that I came back and showed my weapon to Al Capone. He congratulated me and told me to come to the game room today, and I did. The other people were most of the contents of the factory. All the demigods were here, and many monsters. The monsters though were doing the jobs tonight so not all were here.
Music started to play and the people started talking to each other. Al Capone had disappeared into the crowd.
"What do we do now?" I asked Aina.
"Have fun, it's a party for you guys. Enjoy it because tomorrow you got to work." Then she walked off with Thunder, and standing there.
"Where'd Raven go?" I asked Nico. He shrugged.
"She walked off with Raff. I'll leave you guys alone though." Percy glanced at the group of people dancing.
"Hey Thalia would you like to dance with me?"
"Yes, yes I would."
Dancing with Percy was fun, and amazing for the first few minutes. Then this happened.
"Hello people, the uh DJ was mysteriously knocked out so I'll be in charge for now!" exclaimed a voice over the speakers which I instantly recognized as Raff, weird I thought he was with Raven. Then a horrible rap song came on, and I started looking for where Raff could possible be. I didn't find him, but someone else did.
I heard a soft thump over the speaker, and a new voice started talking.
"Sorry about that, he's gone now, I'll just put the regular music back on."
"Nico," Percy said, "How did he find Raff?" I shrugged.
"I bet he shadow traveled his way to him."
"Who really cares? Good music is playing again." Percy pulled me back onto the dance floor, and the first slow song of the night came on. Percy and I swayed in place, neither of us really knew how to slow dance, but we had fun. I looked over to the side and saw Nico and Raven having the same results as us.
"Percy look to the right."
"I'm gonna have to tease him about that."
"Oh leave him alone, he was nice enough to not tease you."
"Are you sure he was being nice? I think my awesomeness scared him away." I rolled my eyes.
"A bit egotistical aren't you?"
"You know you love it," Percy replied as he leaned down and pecked me on the lips.
NICO
As soon as Al made his announcement Raff came up to Raven and pulled her away to dance. I gritted my teeth, I was going to ask her to dance. Thalia said something to me, but I'm not quite sure what it was. I wandered off to a spot in the corner of the room and watched Raven and Raff. I know that seems creepy, but what else was I suppose to do? There's nothing else interesting for me here.
Then Raff left, I don't know why but he did. I walked over to Raven.
"It appears that your partner left," I observed.
"Yeah he did, I'm not sure why though." Then we found out when Raff came over the speakers and started playing the rap music that Raven hates.
"Ugh, I'm not dancing to this," Raven said as she looked at the other groups of people who were still happily dancing.
"Come with me, I know a place where the music isn't as loud." I pulled Raven away to one of the corners. I wasn't lying when I said the music wasn't as loud over here, it's not my fault it happened to be in corner.
We talked for a while and then a particularly loud song started.
"This really sucks for you Nico," Raven said.
"How so?"
"Well I imagine at your membership party you'd want to have fun."
"I am having fun, talking to you." I think I saw Raven blush, but with these lights it was hard to tell.
"Oh thanks, I was thinking about the dancing part…" Raven trailed off.
"I'm not much of a party person."
"If Theo heard you say that he might get a heart attack."
"Who?"
"Oh, Son of Dionysus back in 1990, major partier," Raven explained. I wasn't listening though, I had an idea.
"Raven wait here. I'll be back in a flash."
I shadow traveled to where Raff was. He didn't notice me and I hit him in the back of the head with a….frying pan? I don't know how that got here, but I announced that the regular music was back. Then I went back to Raven.
"I hope you don't mind but I hit Raff in the back of the head with a frying pan."
"That's okay, some people just need to get hit with a frying pan. Now you have to dance with me, because you got the good music back." I grinned, it looks like my plan worked.
When the slow song came dancing was awkward, but we did it and had fun. I think Percy was laughing at us though, he wasn't doing better with Thalia.
YEAR THREE
PERCY
I had the boring job of hall monitor when I ran into Al.
"Percy Jackson I would like to speak with you."
I walked away from my spot and followed Al Capone to his office.
"A rare chance has arisen. There is a hole, opening very soon it will be big enough for someone to fit through."
"You mean we could escape?"
"Yes, but only a few. I want you leading the group out of there. You can pick whoever you want but keep the numbers small."
"How small exactly?"
"Pick with you three or four. Only three people go on greek demigod missions."
"Actually recently there was one with four demigods."
"Fine then, pick four others and be back here in three hours packed and ready to go."
I walked back down the hall. Obviously I would pick Nico and Thalia, but who else. I came to my room and sat down on my bed. What else would we need? A healer, I thought. So Raff should come, but the last person. It should be someone who people down here respect so they don't get all mad and stuff, and it should be someone who's been done here for a while. Raven, she's very high up, she's been here a while, and I actually know her.
Now I have to find these people. I found Thalia in the training room, Raff was in the infirmary, and Nico and Raven were in the cafeteria. When I told them about it they all looked at me excitedly.
When I was back in my room, it finally sunk in. We were going to be free, and I want revenge.
THRID PERSON
AT CAMP
The rebel demigods were having a meeting, like they did every Tuesday and Thursday.
"I'm telling you I really think we should have a name," Jake said. Connor nodded.
"He makes a fair point, we can't go around calling ourselves the rebellion. That might ring some alarm bells."
"But what would be call ourselves?" another demigod asked.
"The rising?" another suggested.
"You so got that from the Hunger Games." The first voice shot back. The second person was obviously about to retort, when a letter appeared on the table the demigods were crowded around. Clarisse picked it up.
"It says 'Meet tomorrow at eight a clock and send a IM to Percy Jackson in Hell'," Clarisse read aloud.
IN TARTARUS
The five demigods gathered in Al Capone's office.
"So what do you want us to do when we're up there?" Raven asked.
"Stop the gods, there's something corrupt going on. Bring the gods down if you have to."
"So anything that we have to do to stop this evil?" Percy asked. Al Capone nodded.
"Yes, you can get revenge too, but be careful some gods may be on your side. Now are you all sure you want to go?"
All the demigods nodded.
"I can tell you that when you step through that portal you'll be in Hell," Al Capone warned them. The demigods all looked at Nico.
"It won't be too hard to escape from the underworld. I can guide us," he said confidently. Al Capone smiled as if that amused him.
"Follow me then." Al led them through Tartarus to a rock wall, on that wall a door was forming. Then it was complete.
"Well then," Percy said cheerily, "To hell we go."
Al wished them good luck. He stepped back as the demigods opened the door and entered the portal.
They woke up on the hard ground. They were in a city, but no one seemed to notice them.
"Nico correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this is the underworld," Raff noted.
"It's not," Nico said confused.
"Then where are we if this isn't hell?" Thalia wondered.
"Maybe it was one last test from him, to throw us off or something," Percy speculated.
"No that doesn't seem like something he would do," Nico argued.
"Guys we are in Hell," Raven said. They all stared at her, and she turned around and pointed at something.
"We're in Hell….Hell, Michigan that is."