Happy Easter everyone! Well, not everyone, technically, but to anyone who celebrates Easter, there it is.
I'm off to church, so no time to respond to reviews, but thanks everyone for all the wonderful compliments and support, it's appreciated! Also, to any who had questions, I will try and respond to reviews tomorrow, I promise.
Here's Frank's POV, I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter LVIII
Frank
Frank takes another step into the building and almost dies-there's a staircase leading downwards that he couldn't see in the dark.
Great. He thinks. Two steps in and I've already had one near death experience. He hates to think what that means about the rest of the building.
He takes another deep breath, resists the urge to pull his bow off his shoulder, and instead tightens his grip on the hilt of the sword belted at his waist-a precautionary measure, insisted upon by Hazel. Then he steps cautiously onto the first stair, putting his left hand on the wall for balance.
The darkness is so complete that he might as well be blind. He has to feel his way down the stairs, hoping that he's not unwittingly approaching his death. Of course, with his luck, there'll be some monster waiting to eat him when he finally gets to the bottom of the staircase.
Frank didn't want to admit it, but he was scared as Hades of meeting his ancestor. Of whatever was waiting for him down in the darkness. Of hearing what Periclymenus had to say. Of discovering his past...Of everything, really, that had to do with this damp, musty, pitch black tunnel and where it led.
He'd almost mentioned it to Hazel before he left. His fears. But she was already so reluctant to let him go, or at least to go without her...so worried for him, that he couldn't bring himself to tell her.
And then when he told Percy and Jason to stay outside...that was partially to protect them. He knows they wouldn't have taken too kindly to it if that's what he'd told them, but he was pretty sure they weren't going to like what Periclymenus had to say, and even though he was going to tell them anyway, he knew that the firsthand experience was probably going to be a lot worse. And he wanted to at least keep his friends from that.
But he hadn't been lieing, he also knew that Periclymenus was less likely to talk if Percy and Jason were with him. Although if it was just Percy, that might be different, since he's the son of Poseidon and all, and Periclymenus is Poseidon's grandson.
Frank shudders, thinking of their complicated relationship. Honestly, one of the first things you learn about the gods is not to think too much about who's related to who, and how they're related...
For example, Athena is Zeus' daughter, which technically would make Percy her cousin. That would then make him and Annabeth...what, second cousins? Which is really just gross. And Jason is technically Athena's half-brother, which makes him Annabeth's uncle...
Frank shudders again. He really does not want to think about it.
His foot slips on one of the stairs and he almost falls again, catching himself just in time by grabbing onto the wall, which is rough stone, with plenty of ledges and crevices that make good handholds. He's a little afraid of putting his hands anywhere near them, wondering what could be lurking within...Snakes, maybe, or some sort of poisonous Ancient Greek monster bug.
He feels for the next step with his foot, searching farther and farther away until he realizes that he's finally reached the bottom of the staircase. Sighing in relief, he takes a step forward in what he assumes is a tunnel, only to freeze when light suddenly flares in the darkness, blinding him and causing him to stumble backward and trip on the bottom stair.
He falls with an umpf as the breath is knocked out of him, smacking his spine on the edge of one of the stairs. It smarts, and he knows he's going to have a major bruise, but he's more concerned about his bow, and he swings it forward over his shoulder to check that it wasn't broken in the fall.
It's still perfectly fine, without a single scratch, and he sighs in relief for the second time in less than a minute before finally looking up to inspect where the sudden light came from.
Three tunnels stretch out, one each to his left, right, and directly in front of him. Torches burn in Imperial golden brackets on the walls-the source of the light that flickers across the black walls.
Frank looks down and gets a second surprise-the floor is gold. Imperial gold, like the torch brackets, and detailed designs are carved into it. Some are faded, or scuffed away, but most are still legible, and Frank inspects a few out of curiosity.
Some of them appear to be scenes, kind of like cave drawings or hieroglyphics, that tell a story. Others just seem to be symbolic, like the carving of a giant honeybee bigger than Frank's foot. He wonders if that might have something to do with how his mother said they had an ancestor who fought like a swarm of bees. He actually used that, once, to his advantage, when Chrysaor tried to take over their ship and capture them. Chrysaor's mutant dolphin crew definitely hadn't liked it very much.
Frank looks back up and wonders which tunnel he's supposed to take, but no sooner does he think it then he gets a feeling that makes him turn to the left. As soon as he does, a breeze wafts up the tunnel, ruffling his hair, a breeze that definitely doesn't belong underground-a salty ocean breeze. The way it always smells when Percy is around.
No longer unsure, or even all that fearful, Frank sets off down the tunnel, occasionally pausing to study the more interesting carvings.
He finds one of a snarling grizzly bear battling a giant eagle that stretches on for several steps and holds his interest for even longer. They're so incredibly lifelike, it feels like they could come alive at any second.
Another one depicts a group of giant ants the size of cars fighting an enormous monster similar in size and shape to a dragon. There are plenty of differences, though, like the curved fangs like Frank has seen in drawings of saber-toothed tigers that curve down from its upper lip, and the glowing red eyes the size of dinner plates, somehow immortalized using only yellow gold. Or the spiked ball at the end of its tail.
When Frank finally looks up from that one, he's facing another choice-the tunnel splits ahead. He stands quietly directly in front of both of them, waiting for a sign like the last time. And, just like last time, a fresh ocean breeze wafts from the left tunnel.
But, unlike last time, as soon as he takes a step into that tunnel, the torches on the walls flare white-hot, and then flames fill the tunnel, blocking his way.
Frank stumbles back in terror, his hand automatically going to his shirt pocket. His heart pounds in his chest, and his breath comes fast, as if he'd just ran a marathon.
Get it together, Frank. He chides himself, taking a deep breath to try and calm his racing pulse. You're safe, remember? Leo gave you a fireproof pouch to put it in. It isn't going to burn unless you want it to.
He manages to calm himself down after a few more minutes, although his hands have started shaking uncontrollably and won't stop. But he steps up to the very edge of the tunnel, regarding the flames swirling within it warily. Something feels wrong about it, off, and Frank thinks about it hard until the answer finally dawns on him.
There's no heat. He thinks wonderingly. How can there be so much fire and no heat? Is it real?
Cautiously, he puts out his hand, but as soon as his fingertips touch the flames, he yanks his arm back, cursing, and sticks his burning fingers into his mouth.
After the pain lessens, he looks at his fingertips to find that they're all a bright, shiny, red.
Yeah, that fire's definitely real. He thinks. He looks towards the other tunnel, wondering if he's supposed to go that way-after all, how can he get through a tunnel when it's filled with fire-but he can feel that it's not right. It's...hostile-sort of-just...wrong.
Okay, now what? He asks himself. He looks around, at the floor, the walls, and then notices something he'd missed before-an inscription on the floor, right before the flames start. It's in Ancient Greek, so it takes him a while to translate, but finally the meaning of the words clicks inside his head, and he's able to read it.
To pass, one must master one's greatest fear.
"Okay, then." Frank mutters. "That makes absolutely no sense." At any other time, Frank might have been worried that he'd started talking to himself, but it didn't really bother him now.
Well, fire's definitely my greatest fear-it always has been, ever since I learned the truth about my lifeline. The only other thing that comes anywhere close to it is the thought of losing Hazel-or any of my friends. Frank thinks. But how do I become the master of fire? He smiles wryly, thinking of Leo. Leo's already got that covered. If he was here, he'd probably be able to control it. Or at least he'd be able to walk through it without getting burned to a crisp.
Frank sighs in frustration and looks back into the tunnel. Hundreds of shades of red, orange, and gold twist over each other, burning brightly, swirling in mesmerizing patterns, hypnotizing...
As Frank stares at him, the inkling of an idea starts to come to him...Mastering something basically meant controlling it, right? And he's heard about how you have to control your fear, instead of letting your fear control you. Learning to face your fears, instead of letting yourself always be afraid.
And just like that, an answer arrives in Frank's mind. He recoils in surprise at the ridiculousness of it, and then looks from the flames to the inscription and back again, appalled.
Oh, come on! He protests. You've got to be kidding me!
But he knows he's right, just like he knows what way he has to go.
His hands, which had finally stopped shaking during his thoughts, start again, and Frank's mouth is as dry as sandpaper.
No way. He thinks. Not gonna happen. Just, no.
But he knows there's no other way, and he forces himself to take a step forward, and another, until he's standing at the very edge of the flames once more. He tenses his shuddering muscles to keep himself from cringing away, and takes a deep breath as an attempt to calm himself.
I need to know what Periclymenus has to say. It's important to the quest. It could mean the difference between winning and losing. He reminds himself. It could mean the difference between life and death.
Unbidden, an image of Hazel comes to his mind, of her smile, and her slightly sad gold eyes. It strengthens Frank's resolve, and he straightens his spine. His muscles stop trembling, and he holds the picture of her fixed in his head, forcing his fear to the back.
For Hazel. He thinks. And then he walks directly into the swirling flames, staring determinedly straight ahead.
Wonderful ending, isn't it?
I love you all, and watch out for the Easter bunny! He's dangerous...;)