#2 Daughter of Hera: Legend Incarnate

Chapter 6 - Clovis: The Ultimate Dreamer. I Mean Literally

I continued climbing down, carefully watching my footing, until I reached the shrine. I cautiously entered the circle of stone columns, looking for any signs of danger, before approaching the altar, hoping for something. Empty. I groaned in exasperation. "Really? Is this a sick joke?" I'm in Tartarus, for Olympus' sake! I have no time for jokes!

Exhausted and agitated, I settled down by the side of the altar. I sighed. I can't walk any farther. I need to rest. With that, I closed my eyes and wished for a dreamless sleep.

Very wishful as I may say.

All I see was pure darkness. Nothing. Soon, a soupy mist materialized in front of me. It swirled and churned. Its matter spreading out all over the inky blackness. Slowly, the matter collected and formed a beautiful sphere of blue and green. Over it, a layer dotted of white clouds came into existence. Stars and other celestial objects began to form out of the mist. I inhaled sharply. I must be seeing how everything started.

As everything came into shape, a figure floated toward me from the mist. A man. His figure blended with the surroundings, almost invisible, but his eyes were bright gold. I stared at his eyes. For a moment, I saw everything that was bound to happen. The birth of the Titans. The fall of Ouranos. The Golden Age. The birth of the Olympians. The fall of Kronos. The reign of the Olympians and the next events in the coming millennia.

I gasped. He must be Chronos! I tried to speak but no voice came out. I struggled to break my gaze. From his hands, a silver egg, almost as big as a small barrel, appeared. He offered it to me and I took it. As I took hold of it, the egg cracked and bright light burst out. I let go of it. From the light, a handsome, fully grown man appeared. He wore a bronze helmet and held a long bronze staff on one hand. He has wings made of bronze. A serpent of glinting green and brown scales was entwined around him. He was radiating light and goodness. Warmth seeped through me, bringing the life back to my limbs and the voice in my throat. He raised his staff and bright light flared up.

The light died down and the dream shifted. I was in a room. A cabin, perhaps. I looked around. Not far next to me, a fireplace stood with a crackling fire. Above the mantel hangs a tree branch dripping some kind of water into tin bowls. At the background, soft violin music was playing. There were plenty of empty beds with feather pillows, fresh sheets and fluffy quilts. The cabin was cozy and comfortable, not too dramatic unlike the others. Beside me, a blonde stocky camper was snoring. I immediately recognized him, the head counselor of Hypnos cabin, Clovis.

"Clovis?" I reached out to him, surprised that I was able to touch him. "Clovis?" I called again.

His eyes fluttered open suddenly that I jumped back in surprise. He shifted, yawned, and turned to me."Christine...?" He rubbed his eyes and stared at me with wide eyes. "Christine Galliardo?"

I hesitated. "Uh...yeah. That's me."

"You're alive?"

I shrugged casually. ''The last time I checked, I am."

"We thought you're gone. Nico told us so."

I shifted on my feet. I'm starting to feel uneasy. "No...not really. I was the one that told him to say that." I looked at my surroundings again, anxious to change the topic. "Hey. You're a Hypnos' kid. How did I get here?"

He yawned. "My fault, sorry. I dream too powerfully. Maybe, I got pulled you off course to what you should be dreaming now. I am just an astral projection. The real me's still sleeping."

"I see." I nodded in understanding . "Not bad at all. I need some break from weird dreams sometimes."

"If you want to know how the camps were fairing..." He shook his head. "It's not good. I heard Camp Jupiter got attacked by Tartarus. Chances are Camp Half-Blood will be the next."

I cursed under my breath.

"The thing is," Clovis continued. "Tartarus attacked twelve days after your supposed death, even though he could attack anytime. Weird, isn't? Did you delay him?"

My eyes went wide. "Twelve days? That long already?"

He tilted his head. "Yeah. Why so surprised?"

I took a shaky breath. "Clovis...I'm in Tartarus," Clovis was about to say something but I continued. "and as far as I'm concerned, I may have already stayed here, including my fall to this stupid place, for a few days no longer than twelve."

He looked down on his palms. "Well, that's no surprise. Time flows differently in Tartarus. Hours may already be days here. Your few days stay there in Tartarus is already twelve days here aboveground."

I ran my hand through my hair. Frustration began building up in me. I was about to speak when the surroundings began ripple. Clovis looked at me but his appearance began to turn indistinct.

"You're already waking up. There's no more time left." He said.

"What?" I bit my lip. "Listen carefully Clovis. Tell the others I'm alive, where I am, everything. See if you can send supplies here. I'm staying at Hermes' shrine here in Tartarus. Percy and Annabeth know what I'm talking about. If you could, try pulling me off course next time and tell me everything happening up there. I will also update you if something happened down here. You got all of that?"

Clovis nodded. He spoke up but this time, it's a different yet familiar voice.

"It's finally here."

I woke up with a headache. I massaged my temples and waited for the pain to subside. My eyes have became accustomed to the darkness of the pit. I watched the distant storm front. A red lightning cut through the sky. I slowly stood up and stretched a bit. At the corner of my eye, I saw a parcel on the altar. I picked up the small card and read.

"Sent to: Christine Galliardo
Address: Hermes' shrine, Tartarus
Sent by: Your awesome friend, Apollo"

There was a haiku attached but I didn't dare read it. I already got the general idea what it contained. I picked up a small rock with a sharp edge and cut through the duct tape. Inside were a silver arrow and a piece of paper. I picked up the arrow and gingerly studied it. Etched on its length were the words: I am the faint light that cuts through the bonds of the dark past. My eyes lingered on the arrow for another moment before turning to the piece of paper. I placed the arrow back on the box and picked the paper. I unfolded it and read the writings in gold.

Twenty-one days, the gods' demise,In life's hand, the fallen shall rise.Darkness housed the chained,The earth's half whose fate shared.

At that moment, I felt that the world has finally been thrown out of complete balance.