Chapter 31 Still dreaming
Luke's POV
My shock at his words was comparable to the feeling of jumping into frigid water, deathly silence fell over the room. Until Samantha asked,
"What's the proof?"
All eyes turned on Alabaster, waiting for an answer.
"I have three pieces of evidence to support my claim. The first came from an unknown monster who had a run in with an older Half-Blood that fit Luke's description perfectly. Even down to the scar and gray streak of hair."
At his words dread settled in the pit of my stomach, the monster he spoke of had to be the one from my previous dream. After I had been released from my metal prison I failed in tracking it down, since then I had worked hard to ensure something like that would never happen again. Though far too often it only takes one mistake to make everything come crashing down.
"I looked into the rumors for some time but found nothing, which brings me to my next piece of evidence. A couple days ago I sent a pack of seventy plus monsters after Luke, all of them servants of my mother. My theory being if he was still dead the pack leader would return and let me know. Or they would kill him and inform me of his death. Yet it has been about three days and none of them have returned or reported back."
The room exchanged uneasy glances while Alabaster took a drink of water. I studied the room trying to fight down my rising anger, I had spent many years angry and the only thing it got me was killed. Still, it's hard to take control over something which once controlled you. Alabaster replaced his glass on the coffee table before him then leaned back in his chair to continue talking.
"My third and final discovery provides the indisputable proof needed to call you all together. Friday afternoon I found an unfortunate legacy of Mars who had gotten lucky. My new friend's name is Sam Lamarcus, he managed to find himself at Luke's mercy late Thursday night."
My heart sank, is this how the Fates repay me for trying to put my past behind me? Is this really what I get for trying? Now I remember why I went down the path I did in the first place, because every time I try to do the right thing it comes back to bite me in the biggest way possible. I convinced an old man to stand up for himself and he died. I tried to protect some kid on the streets and Thalia died. I tried to win a quest or whatever, only to win a scar. I tried to train kids to fight, just to end up training my own worst enemy. I tried to be a hero only to die and be punished for it. What is the point of doing the right thing if you're only going to get hurt from it!? I should have killed Sam when I had the chance. I knew it was a mistake to let him go so easily, now the secret is out. Now it's only a matter of until Camp and Olympus hears the news as well. Only a matter of time before Sarah finds out. Then what? Will she stay by my side, forgive me for my past crimes and dishonesty? Or will she call me a monster? Mark broke the silence in the room voicing a question I was asking myself.
"Why would Luke just let him go? It doesn't make sense, what could he possibly gain? Not to mention it's out of character for him to leave loose ends untied."
Alabaster shrugged,
"Unfortunately I don't have an answer for you. But for the time being all I need to know now is who is up to the task of helping me bring Luke to justice..."
My dream started changing again, while people made their disons, their voices gradually getting farther away. Until I was left in the place between dreams, I tried again to force myself awake before a new dream could form. Unfortunately my body was tired from lack of sleep, I was in for a long night of dreams. The next one came into focus and all I could think was, why did it have to be this moment in time? I saw myself kneeling before a young Annabeth, making a promise that I couldn't keep. Sealing it with the gift of a weapon and with it my fate. Her stormy eyes were set with fierce determination and understanding far beyond her years as she took the knife as her own. The image melted into darkness, leaving my own words ringing in my ears.
"I promise."
Briefly I considered how much of a fool I had been to ever break that promise. Thankfully I didn't have to dwell on that vision of the past for long, the darkness had lightened just enough for me to see Annabeth. She was standing alone before the altar of some god, in a dark chamber strewn with human bones. Although she was surrounded, her eyes held the same look as they did that fateful night, even as she struck the capstone with her knife, bringing down the cavern with a single strike. She dove to escape the collapsing ceiling, then the scene changed again, leaving me to wonder why she was alone and what the purpose of that vision was. Now I was standing in nearly complete darkness on the edge of an abyss. The very air seemed to burn my lungs, the wounds on my back and shoulder throbbed. Thow what I witnessed next put that out of mind and made my blood run cold. Raged blood spotted clothes hung loosely on Percy and Annabeth's gont frames, their normally tan skin was now a deathly shade of gray. Even so, it was easier to look at them than it was to watch the scene that was unfolding. A goddess was on her knees before Percy, begging for mercy as he advanced on her. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood from her cheeks. Nearby a bronze shield with the sembl of Achlys started steaming and melting in an advancing pool of acid. Upon seeing the shield I understood that the immortal Percy had cornered was none other than the goddess of misery. The smile that had krept over Percy's face made him look hard and cruel. I shuddered at the sight as he stretched out his hand towards the goddess, whose tears first stopped then ran back the way they had come. She Choked and clawed at her throat which only opened new wounds, the puddle of acid surged forward making her garments size. My stomach churned as I realized exactly what I was witnessing. Something inside Percy had snapped, and with it came tariffing new power. He was about to kill a goddess with her own element, he was going to find out how much misery Misery could take, and he was going to enjoy every second of it. Thankfully my dream moved on before I had to witness any more. What I had seen terrified me more than I want to admit, though I also knew that it would haunt me for the rest of eternity. Next I saw Hestia standing in the flames of the Hearth at Camp. Her arms were out in a gesture of welcome, but her face and her tone conveyed a more urgent message.
"Luke, you must meet me here if you are to survive what is to come."
Before I could think on her warning, my dream changed one more time. I was standing by the river in the woods at camp. A capture the flag game had just been won, but the banners had fallen to the ground forgotten, as a girl who must have been the new Oracle Sam minchond spoke a line of Prophecy.
"...Truth and lies the travelers disguise
Though camp decides if he lives or dies..."
I woke up with a start, my lungs still burning from the acid air of my dream. I was covered in cold sweat, and blood. I probably made an undignified noise as I rushed to the bathroom. Pulling off my shirt I discovered that my wounds hadn't just reopened. They looked fresh even though they had been healing nicely. I took care of the wounds on my back and shoulder, wondering what gods-forsaken place Percy and Annabeth had been that had the power to do this in a mere dream. Then I remembered what Sam Lamarcus had said about a note from Annabeth, who was supposedly in Tartarus. Could it be possible that those two had actually been to the Abyss and back? Then again if any one could do it and live to tell the tale it would be them. I can believe Annabeth would survive; she's smart enough to figure her way out of pretty much anything. As for Jackson… well he's pretty much impossible to kill, so it's not totally inconceivable that it could have happened. I pushed those thoughts away to better concentrate on my task. Once I was done I poured my now cold coffee into a styrofoam cup, despite it being three A.M. I decided I was done sleeping for a while, mostly because that line of that Prophecy kept repeating itself in my head, which wasn't helping my nerves, leftover from that vision of Percy. Grabbing a pen I began to write in Halcyon's diary, everything I had dreamt. Hopefully that would allow me to make some sense out of it, or maybe Hal would have some advice for me hidden with all the things he had gleamed about the future.
AN
Sorry about the long wait. but the next chapter is almost done so it shouldn't be that long till the next one. if you're reading this thanks for sticking around :)