Chapter Thirty-One
"Here it is." Mephistopheles said as he, Percy, and Artemis approached Mount Tchort. They had left the city a few miles back, and now they had finally reached the mountain. It towered above them, the peak only an inch from the rocky ceiling. The mountain was made of a blood red rock, much like the rock that surrounded the city. There were a lot of reds in Hell, the rock, the dirt of the Hanged Forest, the sand of the Sinner's Dunes, the cloudy haze that permeated the air, all red.
True to Mephistopheles' word, at the base of the mountain was a large brass door. The Royal Advisor produced a key from his jacket pocket and unlocked the door. "May I have permission to leave, Lord? I don't like it in there. While Scoria was, as I said, a brilliant inventor, he was also very… eccentric."
"Of course. We'll meet you back at the castle."
He handed the key to Percy, who pocketed it. "Thank you. Good luck, Lord, Lady." He bowed to both of them, before turning and starting the long trek back to the city.
Percy and Artemis looked at the door, before Percy took the lead and opened it. He was immediately hit with the stench of death and rot. Past the door was a tunnel that slowly descended. Immediately in the tunnel was Scoria's rotting corpse. Half of his flesh was gone, revealing his black bones. The other half was covered in maggots, who writhed as they munched on the skin.
"Oh god." Percy asked, feeling puke starting to come up his throat. He pushed it down, and looked away. Artemis looked over his shoulder.
"Mmmm." She said. She made her way past Percy and picked up the corpse. She took it out of the tunnel and threw it a couple of feet away. "There, you can look now."
"Thank you."
"I must say, I am surprised. I would have assumed you would be used to rotting bodies? What is your kill count again?"
"I have not seen a single one. Monsters turn into dust, and we burn demigods in shrouds. So yeah, I have not seen a rotting corpse."
"Mmm. Come on, let us see what we can find."
They entered the tunnel and followed it down, finding the large room at the bottom. There was a table in the center, with a dead demon rotting on it. There were bands of metal around the demon's wrists and ankles.
"Do you want me to remove that one too?"
"No, I can handle a skeleton."
There was a door on the far end of the room. Along the walls were desks covered in papers, gizmos, and weapons. Artemis walked over to a stack of paper and quickly scanned a couple of pages, before deeming them useless. Percy rummaged through the drawers of a desk, not finding anything. He moved onto the next desk, where a bound journal sat, collecting dust.
He wiped the dust off the cover. Written on the cover was 'Omniscient' in very clear print. He was thankful, it was easier to read a font like that. He opened it and started to read. The first page was an introduction, covering what the book was meant for—notes for an experiment, one to become all knowing. That sounded promising, so Percy turned the page and began to skim the notebook. He skipped ahead a few pages and skimmed some more. Finally, he got to a page that noted success. It was also the last page.
I believe I have finally succeeded. I have broken through the metaphysical barrier and have brought forth knowledge in its purest form. Through the well, I am now able to freely venture into the mind of God. The knowledge this process grants me places me well above others of my standing, and above those above me. With this wealth of knowledge at my fingertips, I am second to only God himself, and even then, that lead he has on me will surely shrink as I continue to refine my other inventions.
It is time for all of creation to know my name, Scoria, the All Knowing, the Slayer of Lucifer. Scoria, the King of Hell.
The entry ended there. Percy looked up and turned to Artemis. "I think I found something."
Artemis came over to him. "What did you find?"
Percy held up the journal. "He wrote about the process of drilling into the Mind of God, and apparently had success." He handed it to Artemis. She skimmed the journal, taking in all the information. She read it quicker than he had. Oh, to not be afflicted with dyslexia. In another life…
"Fascinating…" Artemis mumbled.
"What?"
"This… I mean, Percy, this is unprecedented. He actually figured out a way to read God's mind. The kind of power this gives someone, in the wrong hands…"
"Are we the right hands?"
"I am… unsure, to be perfectly honest."
Percy let out a breath. "Only one way to find out, I guess. Does it say where the well is?'
She nodded. "Below us, deep below us. He had to drill to the bottom of the bedrock."
Percy looked around. "I guess it's through there." He said, pointing at the other doorway. "It's the only other way to go."
Artemis closed the journal. It disappeared from her hands. She followed behind Percy as he entered the doorway. It led to a spiral staircase. He began to walk down it. They must have descended for about half an hour, as the staircase just kept going, and going, further and further.
Finally, they reached the bottom, where the stairs opened up into a large, very well lit room. The domed ceiling stretched far above them. Stalactites dotted the ceiling, threatening to crash down. The stairs continued in the room, down to meet a sky blue flooring. As Percy got closer he realized that the blue floor was not in fact, floor, but rather, a liquid. It was so perfectly still that it almost looked solid.
"The thoughts of God." Percy whispered breathlessly.
"It is… strangely beautiful." Artemis said. "How do you want to do this? The journal said he put his face in it."
"Then I guess that's how. Can you make sure I don't fall in? I don't know how deep it goes, and I don't know if I'll be able to swim in it."
"You are a Son of Poseidon, you cannot swim?"
"I can, but some liquids are harder to swim in, if at all. Anything denser than water is practically impossible to swim in."
"I will make sure you are safe."
"If I start convulsing, or it looks like I'm drowning, pull me out, okay?"
She nodded. "Yes. I will make sure you are safe." She repeated once more.
Percy approached the pool and knelt down. He took a deep breath, and plunged his head into the mind of God.
The liquid was clear. Nothing seemed to happen. He looked around. Suddenly his vision went white as he was thrown into the mind of God.
"Percy!" He heard Artemis yell, but it was too late, he was gone, disappeared into the well.
Percy flailed as he sank deeper into the well. Pressure swelled around him. His head began to pound, feeling like a bowling ball was rolling around and smacking into the walls of his skull. He tried to swim back to the surface, but true to his worries, he couldn't swim in it. And then he realized he was running out of breath. He closed his eyes, was this his end?
Ever since he learned he was a demigod, he knew he would die one day, probably painfully. No matter how how skilled he became, one day, there would be a monster he just couldn't beat. But he never envisioned he would die drowning in the thoughts of God. He was grateful though, that he got to his twenties. It was farther than most demigods made it, longer than a lot of his friends. He opened his eyes. Would he see them again? Or would God bid on his soul to make sure he was forever separated from them?
Suddenly, he felt a chill run through his body as the pressure disappeared. A cold wind was blowing. His vision suddenly went dark. It took a couple of blinks before he realized he was in fact seeing, his eyes were working, it was just dark. The night sky was above, but there was no moon. Not even an outline as if it was a new moon, no, it was just gone. There were no stars in the night sky either. He looked around.
He was standing in the middle of a snowy plain. At one end of the field was a massive army made of giants which seemed to glow with flame. Behind them, a large longship was offloading an uncountable amount of monsters. Behind them, a massive serpent rose, towering over the army and longship. A large wolf made his way to the front, standing by a man who stood before the entire army. He was tall and thin. He had a pointy face, and red hair. He almost reminded Percy of Mephistopheles. His face was scarred over, like acid had eaten at his flesh. He had a crooked grin.
The wind stopped. They were all staring at him. Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out Riptide. He uncapped the pen, the sound of the metal springing forth rolling over the silent field. He didn't know who they were, or where he was, but if they were to fight him, he would go down swinging his sword.
The sound of a horn came from behind him. Percy turned back to see another army gathering. This one made mainly of humans. In the lead were a couple of humans. The one in the lead rode an eight legged horse. He was dressed in chainmail, and held a spear. Beneath his helmet, Percy could see that he had an eyepatch over his right eye. He had a long white beard. To his right was a tall, fat man, with loose, ragged red hair. He had a red beard, shorter than the other man's, and just as ragged as his own hair. A massive hammer hung from his belt. He wore no armor save for a pair of gauntlets. His body was covered in runic tattoos.
On his other side was a woman who rode a chariot pulled by two large cats. At her side was a large boar that seemed to glow with magic. The woman had fair skin and long golden hair. She rode into battle wearing a cloak of feathers. She, like the man to her right, wielded a spear. Behind this army, growing high into the night sky was an ash tree, who's branches stretched out across the night sky. He wondered how he had missed it before.
It was at this point Percy realized, these were Gods. He had spent so long not fearing his own Gods, going as far as to even antagonize them, he had forgotten just how powerful they were. Power emanated from each one of them, the air around them seemed to sizzle and pop. And they were about to fight. Two army's about to clash. Tension was building as clouds began to gather. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed.
And suddenly, without warning, as if a cork had been popped off of a wine bottle, the battle began. The two sides charged at each other. Percy contemplated what to do, whether to get involved. It appeared that his decision was made for him when he was run over by a chariot. Except instead of throwing him to the ground and leaving him a bloody smear, it went right through him, as if he wasn't there. He didn't have a choice, but to watch the battle unfold.
And what a battle it was. There were so many things happening, his adhd could barely keep up. The God on the eight legged horse took the lead. He slayed monster after monster, piercing them with his spear and shaking it to rid the body off the point. He met the giant wolf in combat, joined by many mortals who wore armor and brandished weapons.
The God took on the wolf head on, dodging a couple of bites. He jabbed his spear into the beast's nose. Blood spurt forth from the wolf's nose, spilling onto the snow. The wolf howled and took a bite at one of the mortals swallowing him whole, armor, sword, and all.
Percy watched as the God fought the wolf. He dodged attack after attack, whether bite or claw. The God was able to make a couple of cuts in the beast's gray coat, the fur matting with blood. The God jumped over a swipe of the wolf's paw, and thrust his spear into its leg, pinning the wolf to the ground.
The wolf growled and used its other paw to swipe at the spear, breaking its handle. The wolf pulled his paw free, howling. It leaped forward, towards the God. It swiped at the other mortals, knocking them away. The mortals slid, leaving a trail in the snow.
The wolf bit rapidly at the God, feigning a couple of them to throw him off his rhythm. It succeeded, and managed to bite the arm off the God. He ran forward, sliding underneath the wolf. He grabbed his broken spear, wretching it free from the ground. He brandished his broken spear and slashed at the beast's hind legs.
The beast sat, its hind legs giving out. It turned around, using its front legs. He brought his mouth down, trying to swallow the God, but he kept sidestepping and slashing at the beast's face. Blood was leaking from the wounds. The wolf snarled and leapt forward, not as far as it had earlier, but just enough to bring his mouth down on the God fully, and swallow him.
A cry of anger rang out over the sound of battle. "FATHER!" A young man, also a God, charged at the wolf. He held a sword, and wore one shoe. He leapt at the wolf. The wolf opened his mouth, aiming for another godly meal. The son landed in the wolf's mouth, and stabbed his sword through the wolf's throat.
The wolf froze and fell forward. The Boy stepped out of the wolf's mouth and joined the other mortals who were fighting the horde of monsters.
On the other side of the field was a fight between the fat, red haired God, and the giant snake. The God was flying, lightning flickering around his body. The Snake was spewing venom at the God, occasionally hitting him. The God swung his hammer and smashed the serpent in the head. The snake flew back, before reorienting itself and spewing more venom.
The God blocked the stream of venom with his hammer as he flew closer to the serpent. He flew above the snake's head and brought his hammer down. The snake's head crashed onto the ground. The serpent raised its head and spat more venom at the God, the venom burning his skin.
The God came down, smashing into the serpent with his hammer. He flew through the snake's head, smashing through its brain. Blood poured like rain as the God emerged from the snake's head. He took nine steps forward, his skin burning and sizzling like bacon, before collapsing, dead, his own blood joining the serpents on the blood soaked plain.
More Gods and monsters killed each other. The God that reminded Percy of Mephistopheles fought a blond bearded God. The two fell each other, their blood joining countless others.
Death and destruction surrounded Percy, but it finally looked like it was calming down, with most of both armies dead. What was once a beautiful snowy plain was now an ocean of blood an inch thick.
Another horn sounded and a bright light lit up the night sky. Percy looked up and saw a third army entering the fray. An army of winged men—angels, led by an angel with white wings and a flaming sword—Michael.
Percy watched as the angels swept down and slaughtered the rest of the Gods. The Gods, tired from battle already, stood no chance against the absolute assault. Percy could do naught but watch.
Suddenly, everything froze.
I thought I felt someone poking around back here.
The voice shook Percy's very bones. He looked around for the voice. It seemed to come from everywhere around him, all at once.
You should not be here, Perseus Jackson. You now bear witness to my plans. You have refused them, refused me. But it is of no consequence. My glorious vision will come to fruition soon enough.
Would you like to see how your story ends?
Percy's vision blurred. When his vision cleared, he was standing on Olympus. It was night time, and the rain was pouring. The throne room was standing before him, fallen into disrepair. Before him stood himself. He was wearing broken black plate armor. On his back were two large gashes, blood soaking through the shirt he wore underneath the armor. Riptide was in his hand, gripped tightly. However, the sword looked kind of different. It had more grey metal inlaid in the blade.
His eyes were red and wet. It looked like he had been crying. He was breathing heavily. He took a step forward and started to walk towards the throne room door. He pushed open the doors and entered the room. Percy followed behind himself.
All of the thrones in the room were destroyed, nothing but a pile of rubble with only a few defining features to recognize who the piles belonged to. In the center of the room, Yahweh stood, Zeus laying before him, dead.
"Welcome, Perseus Jackson. What brings you here?"
"I am going to kill you. Slowly."
Yaweh smiled widely. "Which one of them did it? Pushed you over the edge."
Percy brandished his sword. "Take your pick."
The two charged at each other. They moved fast, their blades clashing rapidly. Unfortunately, Percy was starting to slow. One strike got past his guard, then a second. Then a third, a stab through the chest. Percy's eyes widened as he watched God kill him.
"Or maybe, this will be your end. After all, fate is gone, nothing is set in stone, right? Take your pick."
Percy's vision blurred once more. When it cleared once more, he was standing on top of a hill. It was once again night time. Storm clouds were gathering. Looks like it was going to rain again. Standing in front of him was a man in a cloak and he was holding a black corinthian helmet against his side. He was a little taller than Percy. Someone walked past Percy and approached the man. Percy recognized him. Mephistopheles.
"Lord." Mephistopheles said. "The troops are ready."
"Thank you, Mephistopheles." The man turned around, causing Percy to take a step backward out of shock. The man was him, only older. He looked to be in his thirties. He was sporting a black beard that made him look eerily like his father. Scars marred his face. Time had left deep lines on his face. Now that he was facing Percy, he could see that he was wearing black plate armor, the same kind he was wearing in the other scenario, this time unbroken.
"Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Tonight, one way or another, it will end." The older Percy turned back to the direction he was facing before. He sighed, before putting the helmet on his head.
He whistled, and a dark shape landed next to him. It took Percy a second to realize it was Blackjack, his pegasus. The winged horse was noticeably older, and now sported a couple of white scars that contrasted with his black coat. Mephistopheles grew black, leathery wings from his back.
Old Percy uncapped Riptide as Blackjack took off into the air. As he did, the sky split open and a horn sounded. The same horn from his first vision, the one on the snowy field. And just like the first vision, angels flew from the light, led by Michael.
Old Percy met them in battle, slashing at one with his sword, decapitating it, before stabbing at another. Blackjack flew between angels as Old Percy fought them. Behind him, winged demons flew, also clashing with the angels. Angels and demons fell to the ground, dead, dropping like flies.
Michael flew at Old Percy while he was distracted with another angel, and ran through Blackjack with his flaming sword. The pegasus screeched before instinctively bucking Old Percy off. He fell through the air. Michael flew towards him, sword pointed, ready to skewer him. Old Percy reached out and with his gloved hand grasped the flaming blade. He pulled himself up and dropped Riptide so he could grab onto Michael's other arm. He climbed over the angel, gripping onto his wings. Michael tried to stab at him, but Old Percy evaded the strikes.
Old Percy ripped a wing off of Michael, tearing the limb from his back, white blood exploding from the dismemberment. The blood landed on Old Percy's armor. Michael, missing a wing, was unable to stay aloft and started to crash towards the ground. They both braced for impact, which sent Old Percy flying off of Michael. He landed on the ground with the wind knocked out of him.
He laid for a second, before regaining his breath and standing up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Riptide, uncapping it. Michael was rising a few feet here. He used his sword to cut off his other wing, fixing his balance. The wing fell to the ground, leaking white blood onto the mud.
Thunder rumbled as lightning flashed in the clouds. Michael faced Old Percy, brandishing his flaming sword. They charged at each other, their blades clashing. Sparks flew from Riptide. Michael landed a hit on old Percy's helmet, denting it. He took the helmet off. Blood was leaking from his forehead. His hair was matted to his forehead from sweat.
Their blades clashed once more, moving fast. The clangs of metal rang out over the plain. As they fought, angels and demons fell to the ground around them. White and black blood mixed below them, creating a slippery surface. Old Percy and Michael were able to keep their footing as they continued their fight.
Old Percy was starting to slow down. Michael got in one strike, then another. The demigod's armor started to crack and break, pieces falling off and onto the ground. Old Percy needed to end the fight, and quickly.
Michael aimed straight at a section of his chest that was now unprotected. Old Percy recognized this and got an idea. He let his guard down. He felt the sword pierce him as pain flared. He grit his teeth before grabbing onto the hilt and pushing it deeper into him. This surprised Michael. Old Percy used the moment to raise Riptide and stab it into Michael's neck at an angel, the sword reaching deep into Michael's body. Michael choked and gurgled as his blood filled his throat.
Old Percy pulled Riptide free. Michael fell to the ground dead. Old Percy took a step forward and grasped the sword in his gut. He pulled the sword out. Blood leaked from his wound. He trudged forward, dropping the sword on the ground.
With a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder, rain started to pour. In front of him, dropped the last demon. Black blood exploded from the impact. Two angels landed in front of him. Percy held up Riptide and got ready to fight them. They both lunged. The rain filled him with temporary strength, allowing him to parry the first blade with his sword, and block the second with his gauntlet. The blow put a dent in his armor.
He countered the first angel's attack with a strike to his arm, cutting the muscle and rendering the arm useless. He used the angel's shock to attack the other one, aiming to disarm him. He succeeded, using the move Luke had taught him oh so long ago. The sword fell into the bloody mud. He ran through the second angel, before retching Riptide free and slashing at the first angel.
With his attention no longer divided, and the angel wielding his sword in his other hand, Old Percy made short work of him. Just in time too, as the rain's effects wore off, leaving him tired. His gut wound ached, sapping more strength.
Old Percy let out a shaky breath as his arms fell to his side. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized he was going to die. The sword wound in his gut was fatal. He fell to a knee. He plunged Riptide into the ground, using it to prop himself up. He could feel his little remaining strength leaving him.
At last, he fell over, and faced the sky. The rain fell onto his face as he stilled, his eyes open, unblinking.
"It doesn't have to end this way." Yahweh said. "Look at what you could have."
The scene shifted once more. This time, he was in a wooden cabin. He was standing in front of a stove, meat cooking in a pan. He looked around and realized he was just an observer. It was his body, yes, but he wasn't in control.
The cabin was well furnished. There was a couch and a coffee table. Pictures hung on the walls. A fire was slowly going in the brick fireplace. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled to the brim with hardcovers.
The door opened. Percy turned to see Artemis walking into the cabin. Outside, snow was starting to fall. Artemis closed the door behind her and walked over to the fireplace. She was wearing a coat made of a grizzly bear's pelt that had a little bit of snow dusting it. Her bow and quiver were slung over her back.
She took off her gloves and tossed them onto the coffee table. She put her hands towards the fire, warming herself. "The blizzard is starting. I can not track in it. Luckily, I was able to find a couple of rabbits. Hung them up in the meat storage. We should not go hungry during it."
When Percy didn't say anything, she turned around. "Percy?" She raised an eyebrow. "You good? You look like you have seen a ghost."
"No, no. I'm fine."
"Hmm." She approached him and put the back of her hand to his forehead. "Feverish." She murmured. "You should lay down. I can cook supper while you rest."
"I'm fine, Artemis. I'm just… far away."
"Sit down. Tell me." She led him to the couch. "What is on your mind?" She took his hand and began rubbing his palm slowly.
"It wasn't really anything. I was just wondering, how did I end up with such a good girlfriend?"
"Wife, Percy."
"Wife. Even better." He said lowly.
Artemis rolled her eyes fondly. "I do not know. You must have been someone great in another life. Maybe King Arthur or someone like that." She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder as she watched the fire crackle. Outside, the blizzard picked up, snow smacking against the cabin.
Suddenly, Percy jerked up. "Dinner!" He got up and jumped over the couch to get back to the stove. He flipped the meat and let out a breath. It wasn't burned. "That could've been bad. We'd have no dinner. Go to bed hungry."
Artemis smiled. She got up and came to him. She wrapped her arms around him as she hugged him from behind, before placing a kiss on the back of his neck. They stayed like that, as best they could, as Percy finished cooking the meat. He put it on plates and brought it to the small table next to the kitchen.
She and Percy ate silently, at least, until Artemis spoke up. "This is really good. What did you do differently?"
Percy shrugged. "Some different spices. A couple of those herbs you found a couple of days ago. They finally dried out, so I decided to put them to use. Glad to know you like it."
She nodded. "Shame it might be a while before you can use them again. Maybe when Spring rolls back around."
"You said we have enough meat?"
"To wait out the blizzard. The entire winter, probably not. If the blizzard does not end, and we run out, I will simply hunt for more."
"Out in that?"
"I am a goddess, Percy."
"Only technically. We're in Alaska. You're not as powerful as you were."
"I will be fine. Besides, I might not even need to go out. Like I said, only if the blizzard lasts longer than the radio says."
Percy stood up and picked up the plates before taking them over to sink. He started to wash them, as Artemis made her way over to a bookshelf and picked one out. She sat down on the couch and began to read. Percy finished washing the plates and sat down as well. Artemis moved her legs and placed them on his lap, stretching out.
The scene froze.
"Isn't it nice? A quiet, peaceful life with your wife. I could give that to you. All you have to do is wait. Do not stand against me. Do not raise your sword. You could have the happy ending your mother wanted for you."
Percy didn't say anything.
"Well, you've made your choice."