Chapter 30:
Khione
Elysium.
There was something deeply ironic about humanity's final stand being given that name. Heaven pulled up from the Underworld and placed somewhere on earth. A safe haven for those who were left alive, instead of the dead this time.
Now the world had turned into Hell, Elysium was supposedly the last place the gods held no power.
Percy still had no idea what exactly Elysium was, Nico and Khione had been painfully vague, but from the jagged pieces of information he gathered he couldn't help but to shiver at the news.
They had almost reached it. Their final stop.
A place where the gods weren't watching, where humanity's strongest had gathered. Elysium would save the world from the delusions of the gods.
Percy ecstatically turned to Kampê, his grin carved into his face. Maybe it were his mad disillusions, maybe he had grown more than sick of the broken outside world, or maybe it was just the vague hope, but something inside him told him that Elysium would lead him to the full truth.
"It's almost over," Percy in his excitement poked the dragoness in her side.
Kampê, still dazed from her sleep, gave Nico a scowl, demanding an explanation.
Nico leaned on his blade, even he could not help but to smile. "They saw the fires," hepointed at the Nameless City in the distance. Black smoke bled across the sky, long tendrils rose from the skyline etched onto the horizon and scattered in the winds.
Underneath the smoke trails that fanned out into the distance, the ashen wasteland remained as loveless as ever. The only signs of it ever being cared for was the destruction laid upon it, as even the street signs, the highways running across it and apartments had been flattened.
It was barren earth, no animals, no plant life and definitely nothing resembling humans could live here.
"Wow." Percy heard the sound of scales scraping against the rocks. Kampê's massive body shifted itself until the dragon part stood on 4 legs and her human half was facing the burning city. The orange glow was reflected in her eyes. She spoke, her voice raspy. "The fire is still raging."
"Doesn't seem like it will stop any time soon." Khione joined in on the conversation. The snow goddess brushed her fingers through her silky black hair. She still hadn't managed to clean herself of the ash that clung to her hair and dress.
The goddess looked less of a goddess than she had ever been, somehow she seemed prettier that way to Percy. "
There was enough Greek Fire in that city to burn Rome twice over." Khione said.
The fire in the distance continued to rage.
"Wait, Greek Fire doesn't look like that." Percy murmured. "It's green, not orange."
Percy pointed at the city on the horizon. Unsure whether his eyes were deceiving him, it was almost as if the flames collided like they had a will. The raging fires combined into a massive serpent-like being that flew and dove through the still standing skyscrapers before disappearing underneath the rubble.
It appeared not long after in the form of a column of fire that speared up into the sky. It bent itself in an impossible way, like a worm poking through the dirt.
"That's not Greek Fire." Kampê agreed. She hesitantly picked up the poison laced scimitar and wordlessly braced herself.
The fire combined and weaved itself into a large worm. It reared its head above the city.
Khione gave the worm a disgusted look before turning to Nico. "What's the plan?"
Nico didn't say anything. His eyes were fixed on the distant point in the horizon.
The snake. Worm. Wyvern, or whatever the fiery creature could be called turned its eyeless head into their direction. Through the same absurd machinations and reasons that the fire plaguing the city had come alive, so had it sensed the group.
It dove forward and crossed the deserted no man's land.
The sun smiled down upon the unlikely band of travelers with malice. And the snake followed in its wake. The air shifted around it like a Fata Morgana, the sand crystalized into glass with loud cracks.
Before the worm had crossed half the distance the earth underneath Percy started to shimmer from the heat.
Worried, Percy tried to say something, only to find his mouth had gone absolutely dry.
His skin started to bubble, as if his blood had turned acid. Breathing became impossible for him.
Worse, there was nothing he could do about it.
Snap. A cold wind blew past him.
Then, just as quick as the increase in temperature had come, it had dropped with the same speed.
Gone was the hot summer heatwave. Gone was the lifeless rock or the empty blue sky.
Percy was surrounded on all sides by a winter wonderland.
The hot shimmering air had turned a hazy blue. Snowflakes hung frozen in the air. Cold white snow blanketed the earth and a chilling freeze had set in.
Percy exhaled, his breath of relief turned into white mist.
In the middle of this bubble of winter the snow queen stood. Her hands folded together and her eyes closed shut. Khione was sweating, her ash streaked face was wrenched with effort.
But she was pulling together a winter snowland around her.
From far above the snow continued to hail upon her. Ice crystals crawled up her dress as she concentrated.
For a second Percy was too stunned to speak.
It was as if Khione had magically dragged an alternate world into this realm and forced it upon this place. Snow covered trees stood in the pale winter landscape, ice filled ponds with heaps of crispy snows lying on the sides.
A sanctuary of snow.
Khione opened her eyes and a furious blue glow erupted from them. She pushed her hands forward.
The winter wonderland was violently displaced and the bubble of sheer cold surged forward, passing the other heroes before speeding towards the snake.
Immediately Percy felt the temperature rise again as the protection of Khione's cold fell away.
An area of absolute zero sped through the desert and collided with the snake. It didn't stop, instead it ran straight through it.
The snake had stopped moving. Parts of its body had turned blue and frozen rigid, others were flashing in and out of existence.
"It's not enough," Nico said.
The frozen blocks of fire had started to fall but the remaining substance started to mend and bend together, pulling itself together into a smaller but cohesive collective.
The snake reared its head and turned its eyes on the band of heroes. It opened its mouth.
"No you don't!" Khione snapped.
A spear of ice burst from the ground and penetrated through its fiery exterior, freezing the scales and pinning the snake down.
Next to him Khione hit the ground. Percy knelt down next to her and laid her carefully down.
The ice goddess's skin was showing veins, muddy ichor streamed down from her nose.
Behind them, copying Khione, the snake collapsed on the ground. Frozen parts of its skin crashed down with a loud noise.
"I'm fine," Khione whispered, though Percy thought she looked far from fine.
She crawled up to her feet, using Percy's arm to lift herself up. She was still bleeding from her nose. The ichor dripping down looked like it was deceased.
"Guys," Nico cried out.
"What?!" Percy cried as he turned around. His heart stopped in his throat.
From the horizon rose the sun. But it was already daylight. And it wasn't even close to sunset, and it was on the wrong side of the sky.
"No! Impossible! Not him!" Percy stepped back as the sun higher and higher, its shine increasing and becoming ever more brighter. "NO FUCK NO! Not him!"
"Ha!" Kampê said dryly, staring at the second sunrise. "The stories are true, the gods really do hate you Percy."
In complete silence the four heroes stared up at the second sun coming down.
"I'm out of ideas," Nico admitted after half a minute.
"I'll fight him," Kampê said with resolve. She tried to sound brave but Percy could hear her voice waver. The last fight hadn't gone exactly well.
Khione hadn't spoken up yet. Her eyes remained focused on the horizon "You know, I like this sight," she finally said.
"What?"
The snow goddess shrugged.
"It's beautiful in it's own way,"
"You lost it," Kampê growled.
Khione kept looking forward.
The sun kept creeping closer. It's presence casting both shadows and lighting up the desert. The destruction caused by the snake was being destroyed again.
Then, as if the Fates wanted to add onto the canvas of destruction and beauty, a third orb appeared up high in the sky. This one was more akin to a marble than a glowing orb. It shone in a quiet and pleasant way.
"That's the moon," Percy thought out loud, the absurdity of it all was almost getting to him. He let out a short laugh.
A sphere of dark clouds and night sky came with the moon's arrival.
This one, just as the sun was surging towards them, was falling down.
The sun and the moon were fighting for dominance in the sky as they came closer.
If the world ever broke, this is what it would look like, Percy thought.
Colors on all sides of the spectrum danced across the sky, the sun kept surging forward.
The sun came closer. Blinding and scorching the desert around him.
With a small voice Percy said. "It's the twins."
Khione leaned on Percy, her sense of balance was still frail. "This is really happening huh?"
Nico turned to her. "Don't."
Khione smiled lightly.
Lights blinked and the sky burst out in all the colors that were possible. Colors that Percy had never seen exploded in the sky as the sun and moon both brought down their own heavens and tried to impose it onto the world.
For the first time, Percy could see all the constellations during the day time.
It was a breathtaking look.
"See," Khione looked at Percy. "I told you, things always shine the brightest before they end."
The sun came to a halt first. Stopping a small distance away from the group, the light dissipated and its horizon was pulled away.
Contrary to Khione's statement, Apollo was far from shining.
The god looked horribly disfigured. His skin was pale and covered with open wounds, his rib cages poked through the skin, his blond hair was half burned to the skull. The charming smile had been eaten away until a permanent scar and sneer remained.
Percy knew it had been a faint hope to think the last fight would have killed him. Now he started to wonder if he had managed to finish him off, and was fighting a living corpse.
Maybe the divine died in a different way.
He stepped out of the chariot and faced the heroes.
"Apollo," Kampê took a step forward and put herself between the god and the group, "I believe you owe me a rematch."
The second light also came down from the sky.
It was like a missile hit the ground. Dust and plumes of sand were stirred up and blew past.
Percy put his hand in front of his face to shield his eyes from the sand scraping his eyes out.
When it was finally safe to look he opened his eyes.
Standing next to Apollo was his sister.
She was in a slightly better shape than his brother. She had surface level wounds, her hair was wild. Most notable was that the Hunteress was covered in blood. Some of the blood was brown and stained, other spots were bright red.
Evanholy had detonated the God Killer, but for some reason, it had failed her. She must have been able to escape before the God Killer fully detonated.
Artemis' eyes were cold and predatory like. However, like Apollo, a spark was missing. Despite her lacking the wounds, she looked more like a living dead than a god.
"Artemis," Nico addressed the goddess with a mock bow. "I see you had a good time enjoying the mortal world."
Artemis didn't bother answering. Her eyes were scanning the arena.
"Let's make it quick," Apollo spoke up.
"Hold it," Artemis spoke. Her voice, despite her appearance, was strong and firm.
"What?"
"Look at him," Artemis pointed at Percy.
Underneath her gaze Percy felt like he was burning away, his mortal flesh rendered to dust by just her glare.
Apollo joined Artemis.
The sun god remained quiet for a few dreadful seconds.
"Ha!" he said. "Of course it has to be him," he cackled. One of his vocal cords must have snapped halfway through. He craned his neck and turned it to the heavens. "Out of everyone it's him."
"Let's end it right here," Artemis said coldly.
"I agree," Apollo drew a sword from thin air.
Kampê put both her scimitars in front of her. Nico drew his own blade reluctantly.
What are they talking about? Percy wondered. What did Artemis mean?
"Don't listen to them," Khione said, as if she could read his thoughts. "Whatever they're saying, their words can poison thoughts."
Artemis turned her gaze on Khione, as if she had just noticed she was there. "You are going to die here with them."
The way she said it, the coldness of her voice. Percy fully believed her.
There was no way out of this.
Slowly the 2 gods approached.
"Well, it was an honor and all that," Nico said as he raised his sword.
"I swear, being on this side is so much more fun. Khione suddenly said with an utmost cheerful voice.
The sheer absurdity of her statement made everyone pause.
Khione turned to Nico and Percy with the same nearly insane smile, she was ignoring the Olympians completely.
"I wish I had known sooner." She confessed.
Nico shared a disturbed look with Percy. Was she having a breakdown? At this moment? When Percy wordlessly communicated he too had no idea what she was going on about, Nico asked. "What are you talking about?"
She shook her head. "I am afraid I can't explain, but I just feel so alive." She let out a sigh of relief. "We immortals never really live, but seeing those two," she nodded her head towards the twins. "I can finally see it."
"You're making no sense," Nico said.
"No, she has a point." Kampê growled, "Though I am afraid you're a little late with that realization."
Khione shook her head. "I am right on time," she pointed skyward.
Confused, Percy turned around.
Black helicopters had appeared on the horizon. How had he not noticed them before?
Mist. His gut told him. Khione had been folding mist around the horizon.
"The Extraction team," Nico winced. "They're too late."
"Not yet," Khione said. She stepped forward, breaking away from the group.
A blizzard was forming around them. It started to snow.
"W-what are you doing!?"
"Come on, let me have my moment." Khione said with a saddened smile.
It was as if time slowed down around Percy.
Snowflakes hung motionless in the air. In the distance 2 Olympians struggled against the howling wind.
"No, hold on!" Percy stepped forward. "We can find another solution."
Khione shook her head. "It's the end of the road for me."
She turned around to face the two Olympians and strode forward. Her body began to glow and shine. The temperature was dropping rapidly, the storm grew in size.
"Stop it!" Percy cried, "Let's try to fight them together!" He tried to yell again but the snowstorm was drowning out his words.
Khione was shining brighter and brighter. He could feel her divine essence waiting to burst through her skin.
Khione looked back one more time.
"Come on, save the world Percy Jackson. Next time, let's try being friends."
She snapped her fingers.
The storm that swirled around the group now flew towards them.
Before Percy could scream he was picked up and flung away, like a mere toy.
No! He thought. He tried to ground himself but it was useless. The winds were too strong.
In the distance, the entire land had turned into a frozen heaven.
"Let's go!" A pair of dragon wings furled around him.
Behind him he heard the blades of a chopper. From the corner of the eyes he saw people wearing various kinds of armor hopping out of the vehicle.
He heard Nico and someone else talking, exchanging words while the roar of the engine and the howling wind competed for his ears.
The people in armor were shouting questions and orders.
It was all too chaotic for him to understand. His eyes remained fixed on Khione who was left behind.
He tried reaching out for her.
The horizon exploded.
She was right, Percy realized.
Khione shone brighter than ever.