Before they had left the arena, Alvie had grabbed Percy's wrist. His fingers were bloody and it took a few seconds for Percy to realise Alvie was drawing something on his inner forearm.
It was a rough drawing of an owl next to a crude trident. It made no sense to Percy other than being the symbols for his father and Annabeth's mother.
"Alvie-?" Percy started, but Alvie stumbled away. He was unsteady on his feet and his armour only toppled his balance further. His shoulder smacked into the door frame. Percy hurried forward and grabbed Alvie's elbow, steadying him and helping him walk back to the Poseidon cabin. Alvie tripped over his own feet, but Percy held him up.
Alvie hadn't just drawn on the wall, but in the ground around the Poseidon cabin as well. None of it made sense to Percy, just small pictures in small circles of their own with criss-crossing, bold lines connecting them to the next circle with a different picture. Percy asked Alvie about them, but Alvie just staggered up the steps and disappeared into the cabin. Percy cast a final look at the pictures in the dirt before following his son.
He found Alvie sitting on the floor and staring at the wall as if he was watching paint dry. Percy noticed a muddy knife flecked with wood splinters, plaster and paint discarded on the floor, the handle covered in a light crust of dried blood.
Panic flared in Percy's chest as he recognised the scene Alvie had carved into the wall.
The Argo II hovered over a dark pit, ropes extending from the ship and looping around a large object- the Athena Parthenos. Small figures were scattered here and there, one at the edge of the pit, leaning over and reaching down for something in the pit.
Percy hadn't thought about that in years and he and Annabeth had said very little to their children about Tartarus. But seeing this, the beginning of it all- it bought all those old nightmares, that paralysing fear and icy panic fresh to the surface.
Percy stumbled, his back striking one of the bunks. Alvie stared at him with those scarlet eyes, but Percy barely registered it, sinking to the floor and trying to breathe.
Crystal was wandering back to the Hades cabin when she saw a tide of demigods flooding in one direction. Curious, she followed, darting through the gaps in the crowd and pushing herself to the front.
The crowds finished in a semi-circle around the Poseidon cabin. Large spikes of ice protruded five feet from the ground at intervals. They glowed a pale blue colour. Crystal saw grooves in the floor, interlocking lines that finished at the base of the ice spires.
"What is going on?" Crystal looked round and saw the crowds parting for Chiron. Nobody answered him and he moved forward to go into the Poseidon cabin, but the ice spikes suddenly flared navy blue and a dome of similar colour encased the Poseidon cabin. Chiron stumbled back, frowning.
"Chiron, what is it?" Crystal asked. The watching crowds had fallen silent, awaiting Chiron's reply.
"Crystal, fetch Annabeth for me. I believe she is in Cabin Six still." Crystal nodded and ran for the Athena cabin.
Annabeth bought Sage, the triplets and some of her half-siblings with her, easily outdistancing Crystal. She got past the shield fine, as did her children, but her siblings were shut out. Crystal couldn't get through either.
Sage reappeared a few minutes later, her face ashen and her hands trembling. Sage was known for being as steely and stubborn as her mother. It was a surprise to see her so shaky.
She stumbled to a halt in front of Chiron, looking up at him. "What is wrong, my dear?"
"Alvie drew on the wall, but it freaks Mom and Dad out."
"What did he draw?" Sage glanced around, chewing her lip.
"It… it was some big hole and there… there was this massive ship and a statue…" Sage looked back up, recognising Chiron's frown. "What is it?" Sage had heard snippets of demigod tales from other people about her parents, but nothing about a big, dark pit that frightened her parents into panic attacks.
"Sage and Crystal, find the other Jackson children and the Valdezs." Crystal took Sage's hand and they ran off.
"Is it a good idea to bring them all back?" Malcolm questioned. Chiron looked at him.
"Their children kept them going and gave them something else to focus on than Tartarus. They should help now." Malcolm just nodded.
The triplets toddled into view, tearful. Annabeth's half-siblings swarmed forward as soon as they were past the barrier and scooped them up to comfort them. Lilly stammered something about her parents, but dissolved into tears and they didn't get another word out of her. Theo and Callum were unusually quiet, looking at each other worriedly.
Louisa was first on the scene, darting past Chiron and the others and into her cabin. She reappeared a few seconds later with Annabeth, who had her arm around Louisa's shoulders. Malcolm stepped toward them, halting at the barrier. Louisa passed Annabeth to him and returned inside. Annabeth was pale and shaky, but the triplets squirmed in their holder's arms and she held her hands out to them.
Charlie appeared out of nowhere and ran in, calling for his mama. His sisters were close behind him with Leo a few feet behind them, talking to Crystal and Sage. The rest of the Jacksons were running after them, catching up and overtaking in seconds.
It took nearly fifteen minutes for the barrier to be taken down. Alokia managed it, but no-one knew how as she didn't say.
Percy, Annabeth and Alvie had been taken to the infirmary, the other Jackson children with them. Louisa and Leo were supervising the Hecate cabin inspecting the picture and the markings in the ground. The ice spires had disappeared seconds after the barrier had been taken down.
"Monday needs ta get here quick." Louisa told Leo, who nodded in agreement. It was Saturday and if Alvie was having a psychic attack every day after organising the quest and actually leaving to go on the quest, Louisa had a sneaking suspicion that there was one more tomorrow, but that wasn't good. Especially if this one rendered her brother and his wife mentally unstable from a nearly two decade old nightmare.
"I don't really like Elsie and Alokia going." Leo grumbled. Louisa took his hand.
"I know. I don't either, but…" She shrugged. "You wanna get on the wrong side of the Fates?" Leo shook his head. "Personally, I would. But not with Elsie 'n' Kia involved."
"You're a trouble magnet, aren't you?"
"Mm-hm." She said, smiling proudly. She spotted two figures running towards them over Leo's shoulder. "Speak of the devils." She pointed. Leo turned as Elsie and Alokia stumbled to a stop.
"Percy and Annabeth have calmed down." Elsie told them.
"And Alvie's sleeping, but he seems OK."
"Have they said anything?" Leo asked.
"Percy and Annabeth? Not to us, no. They're talking to each other though, but it's Ancient Greek and we can't really follow." Alokia explained quietly.
"And Alvie? Has he said anything?"
"No." Elsie replied. "Crystal's sitting with him, but he's quiet."
"Thank gods…" Louisa muttered. Elsie and Alokia smiled weakly. Sighing, Louisa rolled her shoulders and glanced back at the Hecate cabin working. "How's it goin'?" She asked.
"We're getting there, Lou, but not much yet." Louisa shot a confused look at the Hecate cabin counsellor's back. Leo snickered.
"They're getting there, but not much yet…" She repeated quietly. Leo grinned.
"That's magic for you."
Crystal was keeping herself awake with coffee Nico bought up and the bundle of biscuits Madam often flew up to her. Alvie slept for three hours before waking up and looking around blearily.
"What happened?" He asked. Crystal recounted the story, but he barely reacted, just blinking at her. Crystal studied him, frowning. "Percy and Annabeth are next door and they've calmed down a lot. They told me a bit about that drawing, but I haven't seen it 'cos I couldn't get in the cabin. You had put up some shield thingy and no-one except your family could get in. What was that about?"
"I don't know…"
"The Hecate cabin kids are looking it over, but I don't know how they're doing." He nodded, closing his eyes. "My first boyfriend is a psychic nutjob." He opened her eyes and looked at her quizzically. "Alvie, you're adorable, but these psychic things are… creepy. I mean, crying blood, for example." Something flickered through his eyes and he looked down. Crystal realised her tone was harsher than she had wanted and got up, hugging him. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "I'm still getting used to this and-"
"You're tired. You're cranky when you're tired." He looked at her as she sat next to him. "I love you to pieces, but this demigod stuff is tiring."
"You'll get used to it." He smiled.
That's all I've got. Sorry, but hopefully I can start the quest on the next update. Any ideas? (AND NO CHICKENS!)