the new gods of olympus • percy jackson

Chapter 19: Welcome.

Chapter 19: Welcome.

Jason's POV

We were falling. That's simple to say. But to know we're falling into the actual hell, that's what terrifies me.

I held onto Piper as tight as I could as we fell in the darkness.

Annabeth told me about the Greek poet who said it would take nine days to fall from Earth to Tartarus. But even though we had a head start from the Underworld, it still felt like an eternity.

I had lost track of how long we were falling a long time ago. Has it been hours? Minutes? Days? Who knows.

Suddenly, the darkness merged with a dark grey, then opened into a dark red color. I looked down, seeing the ground maybe a few miles away.

I braced myself and held onto Piper just a tad tighter as we all braced ourself for impact.

A few seconds before we hit the ground we all tucked, rolling onto the ground to lessen the blow. Completely in sync, we stand back up in a defensive position, surveying the land around us.

"That was kinda cool," Leo mumbled, causing Piper to slap him on the upside of the head and tell him that this wasn't the time.

I surveyed the terrain around us, becoming more and more terrified each second.

The air around us was a dark murky red, a single beacon of red light, which we could only assume was the heart of Tartarus, emitted an eerie glow. From the landscape that I could see, Tartarus was covered in sharp, jagged black mountains, cliffs, and fiery hot chasms. The air was scorching, and the pungent smell of sulfur hung around every corner.

It's safe to say that after being here for less than a minute, I already hate it with every fiber of my being.

"Welcome back," Percy murmured under his breath, his grip on Annabeth's hand tightening significantly.

I readied my sword, awaiting any threat that would try to harm us. So far, nothing has come for us, but we have been here only for a few minutes.

"Let's get going guys, we have no time to spare." Percy said, and we began walking in the direction of the red light. We began walking to certain and utter doom.

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Annabeth's POV

We're back. To the place of my nightmares.

It's just as horrifying as it was before, let's just hope the monsters will go easier on us. Ha, like that'll ever happen.

We trekked through the barren, treacherous land, occasionally having a swift fight with an Empousa or Hellhound.

Soon the dark, rocky land began to have the odd little blister pods on the ground. Inside them were the bodies of reforming monsters, which made me nauseous.

"This is gross," Leo commented quietly, and we all nodded.

Then, a deep, booming voiced echoed through the chamber.

"DEAREST OLYMPIANS, IN ORDER TO SAVE YOUR PARENTS AND DEFEAT ME, YOU WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH A SERIES OF CHALLENGES AND TASKS TO GET TO MY HEART. PREPARE TO DIE." An evil laugh sent shivers down my spine. Holy schist.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor," Piper muttered.

It was in that moment, that we all realized that this would be much harder than we anticipated.

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HEY GUYS!!!

as you can see, this chapter is much much shorter than my previous chapters. this is because i am going to try and update more frequently, and having the chapters be shorter will help that a lot.

and... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 53K READS!!! this is absolutely insane, and like i always say, i'm so incredibly greatful for everyone who's ever decided to read this book. you guys are so amazing and i'm so thankful for each and every one of you.

thank you so much,

i love you all,

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xmaiax