Agent Flame Wave

The Deaths

Percy was excited. Last night was a total mess. His mom was angry after hearing what happened but he and Paul calmed her down. They decided they could enroll him in a school soon and start a normal life, or as normal as it can be. But first they needed to get rid of the pressure and just relax, so they decided to go on an outing. That is how Percy found himself sitting in the back of Paul's Prius, which now no longer had Blackjack's hoof marks since he repaired it. Sally was in the passenger seat. And despite everything that happened, Percy was happy. He had never been anywhere with his family while being so care-free because there was always a high chance of monster attacks. Today, however, was different and Percy felt like jumping in his seat like a five-year old.

'I know you are excited, dear, but would you please sit still?' Sally chuckled while Percy looked sheepish.

'Seriously, who would've you thought you'd be this cheerful after what happened', Paul said amused.

'We should not dwell on the past, what is more important is the future and most important is the present. Right, Percy?'

'Yep, mom.' He looked out of the window and frowned. As much as he remembered, they should be going on a road with meadows on either side and not in a forest among dense trees. And why is the sky suddenly so dark?

'Mom... where are we?'

His mom frowned. 'I don't know. We were going in the right direction. Paul?'

'Uh...' Paul seemed to be too shocked to process anything and too busy not to bump into a tree.

A tremendous roar shook the forest. The ground beneath them shook and rose and hitting the car from its right side causing it to flip and fly over a few meters before finally crashing into a tree and halting; upside down. The last thing was his mom's screams before everything came to a deadly silence.

'Mom?' his voice cracked, fearing the obvious. 'Paul?' He stared at the lifeless, bleeding bodies in front of him, with their fixed stare in their lifeless eyes. The only two people in the world that he had left - now gone. The side of his head had cracked against the window and was bleeding, and his left shoulder was oddly misplaced and broken, he had glass splinters all over his body. But none of that hurt. All he felt was the inner pain, starting from his heart, consuming his whole body and burning through his veins at the loss of the only, only two people he had left.

There was another roar, but more like a howl this time, and the creature that caused all this havoc came into view. Percy could not recognize this from any of the Greek or Roman myths he knew or from his experience in Tartarus. It was different. It was just a hunched backbone with appendages in the form limbs coming out every spot in every angle. What should have been its head was just a glob full of exposed, sharp-lined, yellow stained teeth. It felt ancient, powerful and not friendly.

Percy got out of the wrecked car. Just being near it made him want to cry. It made him feel weak and his knees shook. It came closer to it; Percy slashed at it when it was within range but to his horror, the sword went right through it. It was not a mortal, he was sure of it, but then what was it? A thick mist seemed to settle over the place. The shadows over his right collected together and out stepped - a man? At least that is what he looked like. He looked to be about twenty-seven. He could have been handsome, the type girls find attractive; with sleeked black hair and slightly tanned skin except his eyes ruined the image. They were bright red, like blood.

'Ah my, my... if it isn't the famous Percy Jackson!' he said in a cold, mocking voice which sent goose bumps along his spine. And the freaky black thing was not helping matters either. It was making the trees within ten metres radius all dry up. Grover could not be pleased. Percy exhaled vapour as the temperature seemed to suddenly drop.

'Now Jackson, I don't see your puny Olympian friends. Where are they? Finally got tired and left you to rot?' he asked like he knew exactly what happened. 'Oh and where are my manners. I don't believe I have introduced myself. I am Tartarus, The Primordial of the Pit'. He grinned to show a perfect set of white teeth. 'And I see you have already meet my friend Crapis the Draetherm', he pointed towards the cloaked thing.

The thing now identified as a... "Draetherm" as he said, advanced closer. Percy raised his sword even though he has never felt this vulnerable in his entire life.

'I wouldn't', Tartarus said matter-of-factly, 'they are immune to all kinds of metals and weapons and this one is the most powerful of them all. Draethi give the sense of cold and despair. They can make you remember your worst memories and secrets. One touch from them is enough to make some weak people die. They can make you live your worst nightmare. Sadly, you won't find them in any of the myths because my Oh-so-good-hearted-father-Chaos killed them when - even I was rather young back then - with the only metal in the universe that can actually harm them; Chaotic Silver. They were barely known by the time of the Titan's rule and by the time the gods came all traces of them were gone. But like all the other monsters; they reform; through they take quite a long time. But the main thing is they listen to me, they are powerful and they are here', he concluded, not caring if Percy actually caught up with his rant. 'And, by the way, I hope you like my gift', he jerked his head towards the broken car, 'you caused trouble to my wife, Gaea, so I killed your family.'

Percy was hit by another wave of sadness. He was having a hard time enough to process all the rubbish Tartarus was talking about, but now his parents were dead because he helped some jerks who abandoned him. He was refusing the tears to fall which have already pooled in his eyes. He kept quiet, knowing his voice could quiver and he could seem weaker.

'Now Percy Jackson,' Tartarus began circling him as if observing a specimen, 'I would have killed you but I have a few surprises and what is the fun in instant-killing?' He flicked his fingers and the ground opened and swallowed Percy and Crapris; and they began falling to the home of the monsters.