Chapter 22: Travels and News
I'm not quitting this story just had a bit of a writer's block and I couldn't focus on this story, so I am sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out.
Percy's POV
Tarturus wasn't actually that bad after a while, with Nico's fun little blessing the air wasn't quite as poisonous it also wasn't quite as dark in the pit. I couldn't see far but I could make out shapes and sorts.
Nico explained to me all of what he had been doing after the Second Titan War. He told me how he searched for Bianca in the underworld only to find out that she had chosen rebirth, and as he wandered through the underworld he felt a presence similar to his own but slightly different. And that was how he found Hazel and brought her back to the realm of the living.
There wasn't much to tell him about Camp Half Blood that he didn't already know.
"You know how you can talk to horses?" Nico asked me "Yeah" i answered He turned and looked at me with a look of enjoyment on his face "I can do the same thing with hellhounds"
My jaw dropped "And you didn't tell me this before?" I asked him
He let out a chuckle "you never asked"
Just as I was about to question him about it more I looked down the cliff we had reached and only one word came to mind "Oh"
"Always one with words aren't ya Perce" Nico commented "Shut up death breath" I said while lightly slapping him on the back of the head.
I continued looking down at all the monsters I saw every monster I knew and a lot more i didn't know.
Towering over the army of monsters i recognized a few of the giants namely polybotes. They were walking to a crest that all the monsters had gathered around and sitting on top of it was… elevator doors?
I shook my head "why does everything have to be so weird" i mused to myself.
"Are you ready for this?"Nico asked "no" I answered "too bad" he said before making his way down a path towards the army. "Stupid death breath" I grumbled.
Piper's POV
We were two hours away from epirus… two hours away from saving our friends.
I was on guard duty while the others changed into their gear, I currently had on my armor and had Katoptris in my sheath on my waist. I looked at the wheel were Leo was standing he had a faraway look on his face along with a sad smile.
Ever since he had gotten back after getting blasted off to who knows where he had been acting differently. He was more mature. He still joked some but it was half heartedly, and much to Franks relief he had stopped giving Hazel the looks he was at first.
Him and Annabeth would sometimes talk in hushed whispers and during these talks Annabeth always had her problem solving look on her face.
I could sense something had changed in him similar sometimes to how it felt when Annabeth was looking for Percy at first. She loved him but couldn't find him it seemed very similar to the aura surrounding Leo.
I started making my way over to him as I got closer his head snapped in my direction after a second he seemed to recognise me. "Sorry just a bit lost in thought" he said
"It's all right, although I was wanting to talk to you about that" I said. He seemed to pale a bit and his fidgeting increased a lot. "What happened to you out there. Who did you meet?" I questioned.
He sighed "Annabeth already knows I guess I can tell you as well. Khione blasted me to an island called Ogygia its a prison for a titaness named Calypso she's stuck there. While I was on her island I fell in love with her."
Leo was shuffling his feet this whole time and never looking at me "Im glad you found someone" I said
He gave me a glum smile before saying "Yeah, Annabeth has been helping me come up with ideas to free her or return to her from her prison"
I think with her brains and your skills as a repair boy you've got it" he gave me a real laugh before saying "Yeah I hope so, now let's get ready to save our friends"
Reyna's POV
I sat on the beach overlooking long island sound with my feet in the water just watching the waves come and go, even if we were on the brink of war it was beautiful and peaceful. If i closed my eyes I could imagine Percy sitting right here beside me with his arm wrapped around me.
It was roughly 5:30 in the morning so I was the only one awake and it was surprisingly peaceful. I still remember when they first told me that Percy and Nico fell into Tarturous.
Flashback Same POV
Thalia and I were walking around the camp making sure everything was going how it was supposed to, you know making sure everyone was training, checking on the guard duty making sure they were awake and alert one of them was not awake (a Greek no surprise surprise).
As we were walking by the woods the air in front of us shimmered and once the image cleared I saw none other than Annabeth Chase and Piper Mcclean. I didn't know how to feel about the daughter of Athena during their quest Percy used a cloud nymph to send a letter saying
"Hey I talked to Annabeth and I made it clear that I was off the table. I am hoping this may ease your worries and take a little weight off your shoulders."
Love,
Percy
I trusted Percy but to me Annabeth was still a possible threat but as long as she didnt make a move on Percy all was good.
"Hey Annabeth, Piper what up?" Thalia asked
"Hey, when we were getting the Athena partenos percy and Nico kinda fell into tartarus" Annabeth said getting quieter at the end.
"Wait, can you repeat that last part again?" I asked
"They fell into tartarus" Piper said still quietly but loud enough we could here it.
"WHAT" Thalia and I said at the same time "How did that happen"
"I went on my quest to save the parthenos by myself while the rest of the group had their own jobs, Percy, Jason, and Piper went to save Nico which they did successfully. After that they made their way to where they figured out I was, and as we were loading the parthenos into the boat i started getting drug into a hole that led to the pit Nico cut the web pulling me in but his momentum carried him to far and he fell in Percy dove after him catching Nico while also grabbing a small crevice but he was to far down for us to reach. So they fell in order to reach the doors of death" Annabeth finished while silent tears streamed down her face.
I was frozen. Percy was tartarus literal hell. "Only kelp head and death breath are stupid enough to fall in there" Thalia joked half heartedly while she was sniffling .
End Of Flashback
I continued to watch the sea before I smelled ozone I turned and saw Thalia.
We had been hanging out a lot she was also one of the only people who could and would spar with me, We about the same level she was a bit better than me though which helped I had tried to train with Clarrise but she was insufferable none of the children of Mars were that bad.
"Your up early" Thalia said "Yeah had a lot on my mind couldnt sleep" I answered
Thalia sat down beside me and said "Yeah I get that, theres a lot going on and we are about to be in another war"
I flopped backwards "Why cant we ever get a break" I groaned Thalia chuckled before answering "Y'know Percy said something after the titan war when a new camper asked why he did all of it he had answered the kid by saying If not us then Who and ever since thats been stuck with me"
"Who knew he was a scholar" I asked "Yeah I guess he has his moments when hes not being an idiot, but thats very rare" Thalia said
Finally finished this chapter and got it published, I am sorry it took me forever to post i don't even have an excuse but i'm hoping I can work on my writing schedule and do it more often. Thanks for reading also if anyone got that Imperator reference then i am proud of you
Sincerely,
Toxin1316