Sorry for not posting last week! Finals stress and all XP Sadly I won't be posting for the next two weeks. Vacationing for the holidays. Hope you enjoy,
here's Chapter 12!
Tara Evander
"Wait, so you got some sun powers?" Damon asked, raising one eyebrow. "That'll come in handy down here, light is scarce."
Tara ignored his comment; she had a small ball of light in front of them to lead the way. "What is this dragon, and where?"
"Well, I can't remember at the moment… but it'll probably come to me, and she's in a cave near the Phlegethon River. It actually isn't that far ahead."
Tara asked the question that had been nagging at her almost the whole time. "How come we haven't run into any monsters or Tartarus deities?" she asked.
"Well, I'm able to sense when some are nearby, and cause of that I am able to lead us down easier paths," Damon explained. The whole time Tara was still never told exactly what he was. He knew she was a demigod, and by her Photokenisis, he probably knew she was a daughter of Apollo.
"So, the hard part on our little journey to see the wonderful dragon of Tartarus is coming up ahead, just follow my lead," Damon said, slowing down a little. "Extinguish your light," he whispered to Tara.
Tara complied and with a single thought, the light disappeared. It was dark, but not pitch black, with her eyes adjusting everything just felt grey.
"So, what is this big obstacle?" Tara asked quietly.
"The only way to the cave is through this Cyclops camp up ahead. We may be able to sneak by, but your scent will give us away," Damon replied.
"Well than, what's your plan?" Tara asked. The way Damon explained it all, it sounded as if it was an impossible task.
"We need something to mask your smell. You reek of demigod," Damon added with a scrunch of his nose.
"Thanks for that," Tara mumbled. "But, I know how to manipulate the mist, that may help," she offered.
"Same," Damon said, his facial features started to change, and became a little softer, looking more human, but that quickly reverted back to normal. "With the two of us together we may manage to make the mist strong enough to even cover you," he explained.
"So, we're just going to mask the demigodness of me and we'll be able to sneak through a camp full of Cyclops? I feel like it isn't going to be that simple," Tara replied.
"It'll be easy, let's get this done. It isn't exactly the most comfortable down here in Tartarus," Damon said. Tara nodded, and she started to manipulate the mist, and she felt a different aura around her, a little more menacing, feeling like she fit into Tartarus.
Damon looked at her approvingly, "okay, you're ready." Motioning to follow him Damon silently walked through the trees. He was extremely agile, and almost resembled a cat. Following suit, Tara tried to walk as quietly as possible. Tara smelt them before she heard or saw the Cyclops. It smelt like a mix between rotting flesh and rotten eggs, not at all an appealing scent. Damon opened up a clearing to reveal a large camp, full of ugly, smelly, and brutish Cyclopes.
Tara followed Damon as he crept along the edge, so far out of sight from the single eyes of the monsters just a few feet away.
A particular group of Cyclops nearby was being extremely rowdy.
"How come he gets the leg?" cried one, as he pushed another Cyclops right in front of Damon. He crouched down behind a barrel, ushering Tara to do the same. Just in the nick of time she rolled to the side as the Cyclops got back up.
"What was that for? I'm obviously the best one here. Stop whining and eat the arm," the Cyclops grumbled walking back. That must've just made the other one madder, as a full out fight broke out, and soon that brought in the other Cyclopes into one massive brawl.
"Come on, let's hurry before we get smushed," Damon hissed as he ran ahead, just below the view of the monsters. They finally cleared the camp, and Tara felt exhausted. She just then realized she hadn't eaten or drunk in what seemed like at least a day.
Tara didn't want to ask Damon, it would be a sign of weakness. So, sucking it up, Tara sat up straight. "Where to now?"
"The cave is just ahead. Do you have a weapon?" Damon asked, looking Tara up and down.
She cleared her throat, slightly uncomfortably and nodded. "I have a shield, and a hunting knife. I usually use a bow and arrow but I didn't have one when I woke up here."
"Uh, I don't see a shield," Damon said.
Tara held up her wrist to show the sundial watch. "This changes into a shield," she explained. She was thankful she still had her shield; she had a unique vulnerability, which she had up until then been successful at almost forgetting about. Tara had to resist the urge to reach up and touch the nape of her neck.
"Hmm… that's good than, but I don't think a knife will be enough against the dragon. There should be some weapons outside the mouth of the cave," Damon said in thought.
"Let me guess, from other attempts to slay this monster?" Tara said, less of a question and more of a comment.
"Pretty much, let's go now," Damon said as he led the way. Tara followed as Damon wearily walked into the mouth of the cave, and on the way she picked up a sturdy looking celestial bronze sword.
"Well I should probably tell you who we're up against," Damon whispered as he walked deeper into the cave. It was pitch black, so Tara opened up the palm of her hand and an orb of light appeared, illuminating a few feet in front of them, and the face of an angry golden dragon. Well, it looked more like a Chinese dragon, being long and skinny.
"It's the python," Damon finished as he ducked a swipe of a clawed hand with talons like machetes.
"You mean the one Apollo killed?" Tara asked. Python must've not appreciated the mention of her old foe as she ran at Tara and a mouth full of rows of sharp teeth wide open.
Tara opened her shield and braced for the impact, she didn't have enough information on Python's fighting techniques, making dodging too risky. She felt the full force of the dragon hitting the shield, and Tara barely managed to hold her ground. There were probably going to be some nasty dents in the bronze. Tara moved the momentum of the force to the side, causing Python to slide off.
Tara was shocked to see the head of the dragon morph into the upper half of a woman. "What is your business here," she snarled. Her skin was still golden scales and she wore golden armor covering her chest. Her hair looked like strands of gold and her eyes matched the rest of her as being piercing gold.
"We have a plan to get out of here," Damon responded swiping a stygian iron sword at her side. To his surprise it just bounced off of her scales.
"Don't let the gold appearance fool you, I'm not as moldable and weak as that soft mineral," Python cackled as she returned to a dragon appearance and with an astonishing speed turned and snapped at Damon.
Tara expected him to be done for, but somehow he threw up his sword fast enough to slide Python's teeth right past him.
She racked her brain to remember how her dad beat this monster. It was revenge for her trying to prevent Leto from giving birth to him and Artemis.
Tara quickly blocked Python's claws with her sword, and continued to try and remember exactly how she died the first time as both her and Damon tried to block the flurry of quick attacks. That's it! Tara made her way over to Damon, a plan formulating in her head.
"Last time, Apollo shot an arrow through her forehead, that may be her only weak spot," Tara whispered.
"So, I'll distract her and you go for the shot?" Damon offered. Tara nodded; she didn't at all think it was going to be that easy. Python seemed to be defending her head extremely well, but at the same time she was better at offense than defense… Tara could use that.
Damon jumped over her midsection and cut at her stomach as if he thought that was her weak spot. Distracted, Python turned and snapped at him. Tara jumped from the side and struck right to her forehead, the closer she was she could see a small spot in the middle and a little above her eyes that was duller than the rest. It was a perfect strike with accuracy… the only problem was that her reach wasn't far enough. Tara's blade stopped only inches away from the spot.
The Python turned to Tara and a sadistic grin curled on her lips. Bracing for an attack Tara got her shield ready, but to her surprise, Python switched her course of attack and turned to the unsuspecting Damon. She bit his shoulder and flung him against the cave walls.
"Damon!" Tara yelled shocked. Without thinking she grabbed her knife and flung it at Python, dead set on her weak spot, she knew it was going to be futile. Tara couldn't throw a knife so far away with such accuracy on such a small target. But, to her surprise, the knife glowed gold, and an image of the sun wrapped with a laurel glowed above it as it hit Python straight in the forehead, and through the dull flaw.
Tara stood there for a few seconds, as her damaged shield sloppily retracted back into a watch, and the monster disintegrated into a pile of gold, leaving behind quite a few spoils of war. Before Tara looked she ran over to Damon, who was barely conscious and was paled, with blood coating his shoulder in the shape of bite marks.
"I think it went all the way through my shoulder… that bitch," Damon grumbled as he struggled to sit up.
"Woah, let me heal that, you don't want to hurt yourself anymore," Tara said putting her hands up to block him from moving. She gingerly put her hands on the wound and closed her eyes as she started to sing a hymn to Apollo. She felt her hands heat up as Damon's wound was being healed. It took a few minutes and Tara's strength, but she finally finished.
Opening her eyes she stood up. "Okay, done."
"Thanks," Damon mumbled, obviously not happy he depended on Tara for help. He stood up a little shakily and glared at the pile of what was left of Python, "you even managed to kill her…" he mumbled.
Tara raised an eyebrow entertained, "yep, now, what did we need?"
Damon walked over and looked at all the objects. There was Tara's knife, a gold leather belt full of even more throwing knives that looked eerily like claws, a few golden scales, and Python's chest plate.
"Well, this is what I need, "Damon said pocketing the scales, "here, take your knife and the other knives, they could come in handy… you want this armor? I'm not sure if it's built to fit guys," Damon said holding up the rest of the items.
"I'll just take the knives, thanks though," Tara said reaching over and tying the belt around her waist.
"Well, okay," Damon shrugged, throwing the breastplate behind him. He stood up and walked back over to Tara. "I guess I owe you at least an explanation of everything now… There's a door out of Tartarus, but there are some sacrifices and requirements needed to open it. First off, two people need to open it together, than we need a scale from Python, a vial of death mist, the eye of a hellhound, and the blessing of Tartarus."
"Well, that's quite the list," Tara said with shaky confidence.
Damon nodded, "well, I'm starving, let's go eat," he said walking out of the cave.
Quinn Peterson
The train was actually a lot better than driving. It was roomier, and they got to walk around.
"Okay, well, I got a picture of the map, but I'm not sure exactly which dot we should go for… I mean we need to find the major gods, how will we know which are major and which are minor?" Nata asked looked at the phone.
"We'll just have to guess," Drey replied coolly as he leaned back.
Nata jumped when the phone started to ring. "Sorry, just a little wound up…" Nata said before answering the phone. "Mhmm, wait so what? Oh, okay thanks, see ya," Leonata conversed before hanging up.
"Well, that was just Will. Apparently three silver dots appeared on the map exactly where we and the other two groups are," Nata explained.
"And… what does that mean exactly," Chase said boredly.
"I wasn't done, we are being tracked on the map as well as silver dots," Nata continued glaring at Chase, "and exactly twelve dots turned blue as well,"
"So that must be the major gods," Quinn added.
"Yep, and the closest one to us is in Colorado Springs."
"How far away is that?" Drey asked.
"Well, we've been riding this train for a day, and it'll take another ten hours to get to Colorado," Quinn computed in his head.
"Ugh! That is sooo long! Imma go get some food, anyone want anything?" Chase asked as he got up. No one said anything. "More for me!" he chirped as he ran out.
Quinn found himself staring out the window at the passing scenery and slowly doze off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.
"Wake up Quinn, dang, you've been sleeping the whole time, even longer than me," he heard someone saying, and he could only guess it was Nata. Quinn drowsily opened his eyes and woke up with a stretch.
"We're here," Drey said neutrally.
"Have a good beauty sleep," Chase joked. Ignoring him Quinn stood up.
"Now, the only problem is where exactly is here," Nata grimaced as she started to walk off the train. The four of them walked to a café just outside of the train station. Sitting down and ordering cups of coffee they started to discuss what they needed to do.
"Okay, well, we know it isn't Zeus, Hera, and Apollo," Quinn started.
"That leaves nine other gods, and thousands of places they could be," Chase grumbled. Quinn saw him start to tap the table with a silver whistle, which Quinn had seen him mess around with often.
"Could you please stop," Nata said, glaring disdainfully at the whistle.
"What is that?" Quinn inquired.
"He got it from a huntress earlier in the quest," Nata replied rolling her eyes.
"Of Artemis?" Quinn asked, pretty surprised. They usually tended to stay away from guys.
"Well yeah… but not all huntresses of Artemis-" Chase abruptly stopped as he dropped the whistle in shock. "Guys… it just got like super cold, like ice or something," he said a little freaked out.
"Maybe it's a sign," Drey said sarcastically, but everyone else, Quinn included realized his sarcasm wasn't too far off.
"What were to happen if you used the whistle?" Quinn asked Chase.
"Well, Bryanna said to use it whenever I need the help of the huntresses," Chase replied timidly picking the whistle back up.
"I'm going off a limb, but I think that Artemis is the person we're supposed to find here," Nata said.
"Well use the whistle then," Drey stated.
"But I was gonna wait till the right moment," Chase pouted.
"When the moon was shining in the starry night sky and soft rose petals fell from some unknown source and the quartet played music to set the mood," Nata mocked as she batted her eyelashes overdramatically.
"Fine, I'll do it," Chase said exasperatedly as he blew into the whistle. It made no noise, and seemed to have almost no effect.
"Looks like someone gave you a fake number," Nata said. She looked like she was relishing in this moment a little too much.
"It probably isn't going to happen immediately, gods have some patience," Chase said as he anxiously rolled the whistle around. A few minutes later howling was heard in the distance, and Chase immediately stood up. "That's them!" he exclaimed. From around the corner walked none other than a huntress with a giant wolf.
"Hey Chase," said the huntress that Quinn could only guess was Bryanna. "How can we help? I'm assuming you wouldn't just summon us for any reason."
"We were sent by Zeus to find the other gods to bring them together to fight," Chase explained.
"And how am I supposed to help?" Byranna asked.
"Could you please take us to Artemis? We need to get her to help in order to win," Nata asked.
Bryanna looked around at everyone before nodding with a sigh. "I guess, I'm not so sure Lady Artemis will be pleased very much with this group though, Leonata excluded," she said.
"Just Nata," She corrected through gritted teeth.
Bryanna turned back to the way she came from. "Just follow me," she said. As they were walking Bryanna asked, "Where is everyone else?"
"We had to split up, it was the only way to finish finding the gods in time," Quinn responded.
"Oh my! I forgot to introduce myself," Bryanna said turning to look back at Quinn as she walked. "I'm Bryanna."
Quinn nodded, "I'm Quinn," he introduced. He was shocked at her energy and having no problem with guys, unlike all the other huntresses.
She led them to a forest that was just outside the town. As they walked in deeper the foliage became thicker, and any sign of human life became thinner. Between a hole in the trees Quinn could see a circle of silver tents bustling with huntresses and wolves alike.
"Okay here," Bryanna said as she held back a branch for everyone to pass. Quinn got death glares from almost everyone as the group walked through the camp to the largest tent in the back. Sitting on a silver cushion on the floor was a thirteen year-old girl who was none other than Artemis.
"Hello Bryanna, I was expecting you to come, but not this soon," Artemis said in a voice matured beyond her appearance.
"So you know why we're here?" Nata asked.
Artemis nodded, "unlike my brother I won't wait for the approval of another before joining. You have my allegiance."
"Great! So uh… what happens now?" Chase asked.
"You'll have to get me to swear on the River Styx if you want it to count," Artemis said with disdain.
"So will ya?" Chase asked. Artemis looked at Chase as if he were an egg that had been sitting out in the desert for a year.
"I, Artemis swear upon the River Styx my allegiance to fight against the titans," She said, holding up her left hand.
"Thank you so much," Quinn said respectfully.
Artemis gave him nod of approval. "Now, please, go find your next god. You'll find them in none other than Las Vegas," she explained.
"Would you like me to escort them back?" Bryanna asked.
Artemis sighed, "I'm sorry, but I can't have you go, I need to talk to you. Monique can take them back." Bryanna nodded looking a little hurt. Turning to face them all she waved bye and a Hispanic girl standing at a shocking five feet led them out. She made not a single noise as they walked in an uncomfortable silence back to the train station.
"Well, that went pretty well," Chase said with a cheesy grin plastered on his face.
The familiar ring tone of the phone rang as Nata picked it up. "I guess the dot must've changed or something and they are gonna congratulate us," she joked.
Nata grinned excitedly as she put the cell on speakerphone. "Hey guys guess what," she said in a pompous tone.
Quinn recognized the speaker to be Cleo as she spoke in an urgent tone. "Problem- Orcus- Tartarus- army- dead," the phone was cutting off in all the worst places as she tried to explain something that was obviously important.
"Wait what? Cleo, what is going on?" Nata asked in a steady tone. Some noise could be heard from the other side sounding a little like swords but it abruptly hung up.