I Am Given A Deadline - Chapter 8
The door of the Hermes cabin opened soundlessly. Nico stirred slightly in his sleep and rolled over. The various inhabitants of cabin 11 were sleeping peacefully. I had my swords visible and attached to my back; they glinted slightly in the barely existent light. Shadows rolled across the valley floor as the clouds scattered above. The shadows gravitated to me, inviting me into their folds, making me one with the shadows. It was completely silent inside the cabins.
Voices came from the direction of the mess hall. I glided in the shadows, completely silent. Zoë, Annabeth and Thalia were talking.
"-cannot be cured. I am sorry Zoë; I will alert Chiron to find another hunter or camper, maybe Percy." Annabeth was saying.
"No! We will go ourselves. I will not risk the lives of any more people. Besides, this is the land without rain and we have lost Phoebe like the prophecy said." Zoe snapped. Annabeth looked taken aback. "I am sorry. But I do not think it would be a good idea to bring another camper or Hunter along."
"But -" Thalia started.
"Listen to me girls, I have a sense that we should not pick someone else. They would meet an end worse than Phoebe's."
"Of course Zoë," Annabeth nodded, "The sun is rising. We should go." She turned and made her way out of the pavilion, Zoë and Thalia following behind. I waited until I was sure they were gone before making my way into the edge of the forest. I whistled sharply twice, the sound cutting through the forest. The ground rumbled slightly and bones emerged forming a Pegasus. Fire stretched and knitted the bones together I smiled and stroked my Pegasus' nose.
"Hey Kólasi̱, think you can take me somewhere?" Kólasi neighed softly.
I waited as the white van drove away from camp half-blood, Kólasi shifted beneath me, Now? "Yes boy. Fly, follow that van!" The stallion broke into a fast gallop and flapped his wings; we quickly lifted into the sky. Flying a flaming Pegasus is not a very good idea in daytime. As I watched the van from the clouds, which were thankfully pretty low, many cars stopped, some crashed. I faintly heard mortals screaming about the end of the world and meteorites.
The white van was easy to keep in sight. Zoë drove until she was in Maryland before she finally pulled over at a service station. Kólasi's wings were straining to keep him on course as we glided down to the ground. "Sorry." I murmured as I jumped off. Not your fault. I smiled and patted his neck. "Could you wait here? I'm going to check the area." I tapped the floor and the ground frothed an orb of gold rose onto the surface. I picked it up and fed it to the Pegasus. Kólasi snorted and bobbed his head. I turned into the shadows and pulled them to me, shadow travelling into the convenience store. The quest members were crowded round a table and speaking in low voices, if I strained I could just here their words.
"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia asked.
"Yes. Well, pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent - okay - eighty-five percent."
"Are you sure?" Zoë said.
"It's a time-honoured tracking spell!"
"D.C. is about sixty miles from here. If we want to be quick we need to hurry." Annabeth interjected.
"I dislike this. We should go west. Follow the prophecy's directions." argued Zoë. I shifted slightly to get closer, being careful to stay in the shadows.
"If you think you're tracking skills are any better, you're welcome to try." Thalia snorted.
"You are challenging my skills?" Zoë's voice rose and some people looked at their table, "You know nothing of being a Hunter!"
"You can only challenge skills if you have them." Thalia growled.
"Stop it! You two have been arguing the whole time, cut it out." Annabeth ordered. "Grover is right. D.C is our best bet."
Zoe sighed and nodded, "We will go to D.C." Thalia grumbled something unintelligible and Zoë turned back, murmuring something to her.
I grinned as Kólasi rose above the clouds and turned south. If coming out here to see Zoë knocked down a peg was all I was doing, it was worth it. We were nearing Washington, Kólasi panting slightly. The van crossed into central Washington. I didn't want Zoë and the quest to see me yet. So I asked Kólasi to set me down near the Washington monument. Quickly forming a golden nugget I gave it to the Pegasus. "You can go now. When you see Hades, tell him I left Nico at camp and am following a lead on Bianca." I thanked Kólasi and he galloped into the wall, disappearing once he hit the shadows. I followed him and shadow travelled to the white van, appearing in the shadows of a building. I stuck to the shadows as I tailed the group. The door of a black Sedan opened a block away. A man in a black overcoat climbed out, I caught a glimpse of his face and my blood boiled. It was Dr Thorn.
I followed Thorn in the shadows, tempted to attack him and not caring about the mortals around and what they would think. Thorn didn't follow the quest members into a big building that said 'Air and Space Museum'. Instead he headed across the mall. I followed him, trusting that the quest could protect itself for a while. He walked inside the Museum of Natural History. On the door was a sign saying, 'Closed for Private Event', I was thankful that whatever I was I didn't have dyslexia. Thorn stalked through a door which was held open for him. I closed my eyes and shadow travelled inside the room. I hugged the pillar I reappeared behind, and slowly crept round, keeping in the shadows. A balcony ran round the edge of the room, standing at regular intervals around it were a dozen or so mortal guards. Two Scythian dracaenae stood, between them was Luke Castellan. I thought of his offer for a moment before turning my attention elsewhere. There was a throne beside him and sitting in it was a man. My vision easily pierced the shadows surrounding him. He had a regal expression, a cold, proud calculating look to his eyes, The General, sometimes known as Atlas.
"Well?"
"They are here General." Thorn bowed.
"Of course they are, fool. Where are they?"
"In the rocket museum, General."
"Air and Space Museum." Luke corrected.
"As you say, sir." Thorn replied icily.
"How many?" Luke asked. Thorn ignored him.
"How many?" Atlas backed up Luke.
"Four." Thorn said, "The satyr. The daughter of Zeus. The daughter of Athena and one Hunter, she wears a silver circlet."
"Grover, Thalia and Annabeth." Luke nodded.
"The Hunter I know." Atlas scowled. I smiled; Zoë didn't know what she was facing.
"Let me have them. We have many more than enough monsters and half-bloods." Luke said.
"No. They will not be going anywhere for a while. Besides, you are too important to risk."
"Yes. Let me finish them." Thorn smirked.
"No." Atlas said his voice held a note of command. He rose from his throne, "You have already failed me manticore."
"But -"
"No!" Atlas roared, "I should throw you into Tartarus for your failure. I sent you to lure Jackson or the daughter of Zeus to the Hall and take them. Instead you bring me a scrawny unclaimed demigod."
I felt relief flood through me, they didn't know who Bianca's parent was yet.
"But you promised me a command of my own, revenge!"
"I will only choose lieutenants who are useful. It is thanks to Luke our plan didn't fail completely. Get out of my sight, Thorn." Thorn scowled but bowed stiffly and stalked out of the room, passing me on the way out.
"Now, we must separate Thalia from the others. The monster will then go to her."
"The Hunter will be almost impossible to dispose of."
"Leave that to me." Atlas smiled and pointed to a guard, "Do you have the teeth?" Teeth? What did they need teeth for? I shifted and tried to get closer to see more.
"Yes, General sir." The guard stammered.
"Then plant them."
The guard walked into the centre of the room where there was a big circle of dirt. He took the teeth out of a pot and planted them in the soil. A watering can sat beside the circle, he picked it up and poured a dark red liquid out. The soil started bubbling.
"Watch, Luke, soldiers that will make your small army seem insignificant."
"My forces are well trained; I have spent a year training them!"
"You may have. And your warriors will make an excellent guard for Kronos. But, with the forces of Kronos under our leadership, we will be unstoppable. When he rises from under Olympus's very noses, the army will do what we say without question." The soil exploded. Where each tooth had been planted an animal was crawling out of the hole. It was a kitten, an orange tabby with black stripes like a tiger.
"What, Kittens? Where were those teeth?" Atlas roared the room trembled.
"From the exhibit, sir, the sabre-toothed tiger -"
"No, you blathering idiot! I said the tyrannosaurus. Take those cats outside, and never let me see your face again!" The guard gathered up the kittens and retreated from the room. "You, get me the tyrannosaurus teeth, now!" The general pointed to a new guard, "Imbeciles."
"This is why I use half-bloods and monsters. Mortals are too unreliable." Luke scowled.
"They are weak-minded, easily bought and violent, I love them." Atlas chuckled. I felt the blood rush from my face; that was my view on mortals. A few minutes later the door opened and the guard ran into the room, clutching to his chest huge teeth. "Excellent." Atlas said, jumping down from the balcony, six metres. The marble floor cracked where he landed. He stood and rubbed his shoulders.
"Another hot pad, sir?" a guard called down.
"No. It will not last long." He snatched the teeth, "I will do this myself." He planted the teeth, a dozen in total and watered them, "Rise!" A skeletal hand grabbed at the side of the hole. "Do you have the scent?"
"Yessss lord." One of the Scythian dracaenae hissed.
"Good. Hand it to me." Atlas ordered. Twelve full skeletons erupted from the ground, their eye sockets glowed yellow. The dracaenae released the scarf. I hesitated; if I took the scarf the skeletons would hunt me, if I didn't they would hunt Zoë but I could protect them. I cursed and ran from the pillar, out of the shadows and into open sight. I jumped over the warriors and reached for the scarf as it fell, landing in a roll. I turned to the shadows and was about to dive into them when I heard a twang, an arrow buried itself in my right leg. Howling in pain I turned to face Atlas. His face twisted into a sneer.
"And who are you, little half-blood."
"I am not a half-blood. I am immortal!" I yelled through clenched teeth as I slid down a pillar onto the floor.
"Who is your godly parent?"
"I am the adopted son of Hades." I growled. Atlas smiled slightly. Luke shifted slightly and came forward.
"Seth?"
"You know this child, Luke?" Atlas asked, his face twitching.
"Yes. Tell me, Seth. Have you considered our offer?" Luke asked curiously. I shook my head slightly.
"I haven't decided." I could feel my blood start to puddle on the floor.
"How did you meet him, Luke?" Atlas asked, he was studying me with sharp eyes, the scarf held in his hand.
"When I went to the Underworld, he told me how he lost his memories." Luke said, avoiding my eye. Atlas's eyes widened slightly and inspected me; his mouth broke out into a small smile.
"Go, immortal. Go to your little half-breed friends and consider our offer." A skeleton warrior grabbed the silver scarf and held it up to its nose. Atlas turned away, a small smile still on his lips. My mouth opened in surprise, he was letting me go. I stood up, swaying slightly on my feet and watched Atlas as he walked to the middle of the room. The skeleton warriors marched out of the room. I grabbed the arrow in my leg and pulled it out, gritting my teeth. Bits of flesh hung off the arrowhead. Turning to the shadows I shadow travelled, somehow knowing I wouldn't be hurt, barely hearing the parting words from the Titan.
"I am sure me will meet again soon. I will expect your answer then."
Here the next chapter is
I would love some feedback on what I could improve
Now so far for my poll:
Joint 1st-Adonis, Aigeus, Evander and Xylon