We stumbled along in the darkness, the air thick and cold, the ground alternating patches of pointy rocks and pools of muck. When we had left Damasen's hut, I was well rested, felt stronger and had a full belly. Now my legs were sore and every muscle ached. On top of that, my heart broke that Damasen wasn't coming with is.
I don't what it was that made me feel attached to the giant so quickly. Whether it was his kindness or him helping us, the idea of Damasen not joining us to help us close the Doors brought new tears to my eyes. I wiped my cheeks, trying not to be caught up on it. Percy reached over and slipped his hand into mine. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. I smiled softly at him.
My mind wandered to the idea of what happened after we left the hut. We hadn't heard our pursuers in hours, but their hatred could be sensed from miles away. They're back there somewhere, following, pushing us deeper into Tartarus.
I tried to think of good things to keep my spirits up. Memories of the fun times I spent with my brothers. The feeling of kissing Percy under water the first time made butterflies erupt in my stomach. Percy's plan for us to go to New Rome. That's if we actually got out of this wretched place alive. And by some miracle we do, we have to defeat Gaea and have a healed relationship with the Romans. The odds aren't in our favor.
"This place is worse than the River Cocytus." Percy muttered.
"Yes." Bob called back happily. "Much worse! It means we are close."
Percy frowned at his answer. He watched as Small Bob hid himself in Bob's overalls again. His frowned deepened, worry lines growing on his face. I gave his hand a small squeeze, rubbing my thumb over his hand.
"We're together." I reminded him. Percy glanced down at me. "We'll get through this."
"Yeah." Percy managed a small smile. "Piece of cake."
"But next time," I gave him a teasing smile, "I want to go somewhere different on a date."
"Paris was nice." Percy recalled.
My smile grew. Months ago, before Percy was Hera-napped and given amnesia, we had a dinner in Paris one night, compliments of Hermes. It was fun and lovely. That seemed like a lifetime ago.
"I'd settle for New Rome." I offered, trying to keep the spirits high. Any negative thought that arose from my mind was pushed to the back. "As long as you're there with me."
Percy's face lit up and my heart soared. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. A grin grew on my face and I actually felt happy in Tartarus. I haven't felt true happiness down here. Percy pecked my lips sweetly, his eyes twinkling.
Then it hit us suddenly. A deep sorrow and surrender. The darkness dispersed. In front of us was a clearing, a barren field of dust and stones. In the center, about twenty feet away, knelt a gruesome figure of a woman, her clothes tattered, her limbs emaciated, her skin leathery green. Her head was bent as she sobbed quietly, and the sound shattered all the hopes I had.
I realized life was pointless. My struggles were for nothing. Percy's hold on me slackened and the growing depression grew in me. This woman cried as if mourning the death of the entire world.
"We're here." Bob announced. "Akhlys can help."
Bob trudged forward. I felt obliged to follow, though something in me didn't was to go near this sobbing woman. Though, this area was less dark-not exactly light, but with more soupy white fog.
"Akhlys!" Bob called.
The creature raised her head, and my fight and flight was kicking in. I almost stopped in my tracks if it were for Percy walking with me. The woman had stick like limbs, swollen knees, knobby elbows, broken fingernails and toenails. Dust was caked on her skin and piled on her shoulders. Her face was utter desolation. Her eyes were sunken and rheumy, pouring out tears. Her nose dripped like a waterfall. Her gray stringy hair was matted to her head in greasy tufts, and cheeks were raked and bleeding as if she'd been clawing herself.
The pure misery in her eyes made me uncomfortable. I averted my gaze. Across her knees lay an ancient shield- a battered circle of wood and bronze, painted with the likeness Akhlys herself holding a shield. It looked familiar. That was a hero's shield from Ancient Greek story.
"That shield." I murmured. Then the hero popped into my mind. My eyes widened. "That's that jerk's shield. I thought it was just a story."
"Oh, no." The hag wailed. "The shield of Hercules. He painted me on the surface, so his enemies would see me in their final moments-the goddess of misery." She coughed so hard, I flinched at the ache in my chest that grew when I heard it. "As if Hercules knew true misery. It's not even a good likeness!"
"What's his shield doing here?" Percy asked.
"He doesn't need it anymore, does he?" The goddess stared at Percy with milky wet eyes. Her cheeks dripped with blood, making red dots on her dress. "It came here when his mortal body was burned. A reminder, I suppose, that no shield is sufficient. In the end, misery overtakes all of you. Even Hercules."
"Bob." Percy leaned closer to me. My grip tightened on his hand. "We shouldn't have come here."
From somewhere inside Bob's uniform, Small Bob mewled in agreement. The Titan shifted and winced as Small Bob was clawing his armpit.
"Akhlys controls the Death Mist." Bob insisted. "She can hide you."
"Hide them?" Akhlys made a gurgling sound. "Why would I do that?"
"They must reach the Doors of Death." Bob said. "To return to the mortal world."
"Impossible!" Akhlys told him. "The armies of Tartarus will find you. They will kill you."
An idea formed in my mind. If it was stupid or smart will be determined by the outcome of it. If I could just get under her skin to push her to help us.
"So I guess," I turned the dragon-bone blade sword, "your Death Mist is pretty useless, then. If you can't help us."
"Useless?" Akhlys bared her broken yellow teeth. "Who are you?"
"Daughter of Dionysus." I tried my best to sound confident and brave. My eyes made contact with the hag. The urge to submit to the misery and defeat was strong. I had to try my best to ignore it. "I didn't walk halfway through Tartarus to be told what's impossible by some minor goddess."
The dust quivered at our feet. Fog swirled around with a sound like agonized wailing. I bit back a smirk.
"Minor goddess?" Akhlys's gnarled fingernails dug into Hercules's shield, gouging the metal. "I was old before the Titans were born, you ignorant girl. I was old when Gaea first awoke. Misery is eternal. Existence is misery. I was born of the eldest ones- of Chaos and Night. I was-"
"Yeah, yeah." I said, rolling my eyes. "Sadness and misery, blah, blah, blah. But you still don't have enough power to hide two demigods with your Death Mist. Like I said: useless."
"Uh," Percy cleared his throat, "Ivy-"
I flashed him a warning look and silently begged him to work with me. This was our best shot to get this misery goddess into action.
"I mean...Ivy is right!" Percy helped. "Bob brought us all this way because he thought you could help. But I guess you're too busy staring at that shield and crying. I can't blame you. It looks just like you."
"Why did you inflict these annoying children on me?" Akhlys wailed and glared at the Titan.
Bob made a sound somewhere between a rumble a whimper.
"I thought-I thought-"
"The Death Mist is not for helping!" Akhlys shrieked. "It shrouds mortals in misery as their souls pass into the Underworld. It is the very breath of Tartarus, of death, of despair!"
"Awesome." Percy said. "Could we get two orders of that to go?"
"Ask me for a more sensible gift." Akhlys hissed. "I am also the goddess of poisons. I could give you death- thousands of ways to die less painful than the one you have chosen by marching into the heart of the pit."
Around the goddess, flowers bloomed in the dust-dark purple, orange, and red blossoms that smelled sickly sweet. The aroma made my head hurt.
"Nightshade." Akhlys offered. "Hemlock. Belladonna, henbane, or strychnine. I can dissolve your innards, boil your blood."
"That's very nice of you." Percy said. "But I've had enough poison for one trip. Now, can you hide us in your Death Mist, or not?"
"Yeah, it'll be fun." I shrugged.
"Fun?" The goddess's eyes narrowed.
"Sure." I promised. "If we fail, think how great it will be for you, gloating over our spirits when we die in agony. You'll get to say 'I told you so' for eternity."
"Or, if we succeed," Percy added, "think of all the suffering you'll bring to the monsters down here. We intend to deal the Doors of Death. That's going to cause a lot of wailing and moaning."
"I enjoy suffering." Akhlys considered. "Wailing is also good."
"Then it's settled." Percy said. "Make us invisible."
Akhlys struggled to her feet. The shield of Hercules rolled away and wobbled to a stop in a patch of poison.
"It is not so simple." She informed us. "The Death Mist comes at the moment you are closest to your end. Your eyes will be clouded only then. The world will fade."
"Okay." Percy said. My throat tightened. "But...we'll be shrouded from the monsters?"
"Oh, yes." Akhlys answered. "If you survive the process, you will be able to pass unnoticed among the armies of Tartarus. It is hopeless, of course, but if you are determined, then come. I will show you the way."
"The way to where, exactly?" I questioned.
The goddess was already shuffling into the gloom. Percy glanced over his shoulder and frowned. I turned to see that Bob and Small Bob were gone.
"Hey!" Percy yelled at Akhlys. "Where's our friend?"
"He cannot take this path." The goddess called back. "He is not mortal. Come, little fools. Come experience the Death Mist."
I bit back a comment about her calling us fools. But I knew it would make matters worse. I deeply exhale, glancing at Percy.
"Well..." I took his hand. "How bad can it be?"
"Yeah." Percy laughed. "Next date, though-dinner in New Rome."
We followed the goddess's dusty footprints through the poison flowers, deeper into the fog. Weariness grew in my chest knowing that Akhlys gave in easier than I had expected which meant we were most likely heading into a trap. Percy must've thought the same thing, because his grip on my hand tightened slightly. We struggled across the dusty plain, fog becoming thicker as we traveled. It was hard to see in front of us, but luckily Akhlys's path had poisonous flowers springing wherever she walked.
We finally arrived to our destination. The fog dissipated, and we found ourselves on a peninsula that jutted out over a pitch-black void.
"Here we are." Akhlys turned and leered at us.
Blood ran down her cheeks and dripped on her dress. Her sickly eyes looked moist and swollen. There was a gleam of excitement in her eyes. Faint alarms were blaring in my mind.
"Uh...great. Where is here?" Percy asked.
"The verge of death." Akhlys said. "Where Night meets the void below Tartarus."
"I thought there was nothing below Tartarus." I curiously inched forward and peered over the edge to see a pitch black abyss.
"Oh, certainly there is..." Akhlys coughed. "Even Tartarus had to rise from somewhere. This is the edge of the earliest darkness, which was my mother. Below lies the realm of Chaos, my father. Here you are closer to nothingness than any mortal has ever been. Can you not feel it?"
The void seemed to be pulling at me, leaching the breath from my lungs and the oxygen from my blood. It was harder to breathe as every inhale was shorter. I took a few steps away from the edge.
"We can't stay here." Percy glanced at me, his lips tinted blue.
"No, indeed!" Akhlys said. "Don't you feel the Death Mist? Even now, you pass between. Look!"
I glanced down to see white smoke gathered around my feet. As it coiled up my legs, I realized the smoke was coming from me. My whole body was dissolving. My hands were fuzzy and indistinct. Percy stifled a yelp.
"You're-uh-"
I turned to see him and my heart froze. He looked dead. His dark sunken eyes were wide as he stared at me. Percy's skin was sallow and his black hair had dried into a skein of cobwebs. He looked like a desiccated husk.
I've always worried about Percy dying. When you're a demigod, that went with the territory. Most demigods don't live long. You always knew that the next monster you fought could be your last. But seeing Percy like this was too painful. My heart strings tugged sharply. Seeing him slowly die from gorgon's blood was bad enough, this...this was agony.
"Oh gods." I breathed out a sob. "Percy, the way you look..."
Percy glanced at his arms. He took a few slow steps closer to me. All I wanted to do was hold him, but I wasn't sure if we could like this.
"I've looked better." Percy decided. "I can't move very well. But I'm all right."
"Oh," Akhlys chuckled, "you're definitely not all right."
"But we'll pass unseen now?" Percy frowned. "We can get to the Doors of Death?"
"Well, perhaps you could, if you lived that long, which you won't." The goddess spoke. She spread her fingers. More plants bloomed along the edge of the pit- hemlock, nightshade, and oleander spreading toward our feet like a deadly carpet. "The Death Mist is not simply a disguise, you see. It is a state of being. I could not being you this gift unless death followed-true death."
"It's a trap." I glared at her, although I already knew that.
"Didn't you expect me to betray you?" Akhlys cackled.
"Yes." Percy and I said together.
"Well, then, it was hardly a trap! More of an inevitability. Misery is inevitable. Pain is-"
"Yeah, yeah." Percy growled. "Let's get to the fighting."
Percy drew Riptide, but the blade was made of smoke. I lifted the drakon-born sword to see it was in the same state as Percy's weapon. I cursed under my breath. Percy slashed Riptide at Akhlys, the sword just floated across her like a gentle breeze.
"Did I forget to mention?" The goddess's ruined mouth split into a grin. "You're only mist now- a shadow before death. Perhaps if you had time, you could control your new form. But you do not have time. Since you cannot touch me, I fear any fight with Misery will be quite one-sided."
Her fingernails grew into talons. Her jaw unhinged, and her yellow teeth elongated into fangs. Akhlys lunged at Percy first. Her claws raked across his chest. Percy slowly stumbled backwards. In desperation, he threw his backpack at her. It fell with a soft thud.
Akhlys snarled, crouched to spring. My mind raced as I thought over her words: Perhaps if you had time, you could control your new form. So we are able to move better, we just have to control it. Anger grew in my stomach.
"HEY!" I thought about control and charged at Akhlys.
I was able to move regularly with no struggle. The misery goddess flinched, turning toward me. She lashed out at me, and I dove straight between her legs. I somersaulted to my feet, my hands clenched into fists. Akhlys turned and attacked, but I dodged her yet again.
Akhlys clawed hands tried to reach for me. I tried to veer away, but she grabbed my wrist. She pulled me hard, causing me to go sprawling onto the ground. Pain momentarily enveloped my body. Her other hand started to raise. Gritting my teeth, I focused on trying to angle my body to kick her knobby knee in. However, my legs felt heavy.
"Hey, Happy!" Percy yelled.
"Happy?" Akhlys spun, dropping my wrist.
"Yeah!" Percy ducked as she swiped at his head. "You're downright cheerful!"
"Argh!" Akhlys lunged again, but she was off balance.
I tried to get to my feet, but my movements were slow and foggy. Percy sidestepped and backed way, leading the goddess further from me.
"Pleasant!" Percy continued to taunt. "Delightful!"
The goddess snarled and winced. She stumbled after Percy. Each compliment seemed to hit her like sand in the face. I grumbled curses under my breath as I tried to concentrate on standing up.
"I will kill you slowly!" She growled, her eyes and nose watering, blood dripping from her cheeks. "I will cut you into pieces as a sacrifice to Night!"
I managed to stumble to my feet. My mind raced as I glanced up at saw Percy looking at me. I quickly surveyed around to see what I could use to defend us. Weapons wouldn't work because they were in us. Would something else work?
"Cuddly!" Percy yelled, focusing back on the goddess. "Fuzzy, warm, and huggable!"
"A slow death!" Akhlys screamed. "A death from a thousand poisons!"
All around her, poisonous plants grew and burst like overfilled balloons. Green-white-sap trickled out, collecting into pools, and began flowing across the ground toward Percy. Fear crawled into my throat when I saw him start to look a little woozy.
"Percy!" I called out. Either he didn't hear me or the poisonous fumes were already getting to him. "Uh, hey, Miss Wonderful! Cheerful! Grins! Over here!"
No matter what I did to try and get the goddess's attention wasn't working. She was fixated on my boyfriend. Percy was surrounded by poisonous liquid. He fell to one knee as he struggled against the fumes. I had to save Percy. If he could get out alive, then so be it. Desperation flooded my veins. There was a tug in my stomach and my jaw set.
"Miss Sunshine!" I snarled. Vines broke through the ground with such a force, the ground shook. Akhlys turned to face me with her haunting eyes. My eyes narrowed as the vines rushed toward her. "Joy. Light. Peace."
Vines wrapped around her ankles and wrists. They tightened her hold on her and forced her to fall to her knees. She winced. The misery goddess looked at me in shock. I willed some vines to go towards Percy to get him out of the poison. More vines started to grow around Akhlys and slithered around her body.
"I don't think so." Akhlys growled out, flicking her hands. Her talons cut through the vines easily. Poison ate away at the vines. The vines that tried to rescue Percy fell to the ground as the poison corroded it away. Poisonous flowers bloomed toward me making a crescent around me and forcing me back. "You will not get the upper hand, demigod. Not against me."
I took a few steps back before I caught myself from falling. My foot touched the edge of the cliff. Looking over my shoulder, I stared into the dark abyss.
Dread pooled in my stomach. Poisonous liquid started to leak from the flowers, spilling on to the ground toward me.
I turned my attention back to the goddess and darkly glared. Something tugged and twisted in my gut. Anger and desperation washed over me like a tsunami. If she wanted misery, she'll get misery. My hands clenched into fists as I felt my eyes burn.
Akhlys titled her head at me cautiously. Her eyes glazed over as she whimpered. She stumbled to her feet and took a few steps back. She blinked rapidly and shook her head. Blood flew from her cheeks and splattered onto the ground. Her eyes drifted back to me with unease and fear.
I narrowed my eyes at her and the madness worsened. Akhlys flinched, bringing her hands to her head. Her body trembled like a leaf as she tried her best to stay in her feet. There were a few times where her knees buckled and she forced her to get up. She wailed and screeched as she gave into the madness. More tears started to stream down her cheeks, mixing with the blood and making light red streaks. Akhlys blinked rapidly, and stared at me with wide teary eyes. She took a step back and flicked her hand out toward me.
The flowers' poison spilled faster to the ground, creating a white-green stream. I tried my best to fight against the poisonous fumes that were shaking me dizzy. They grew closer to my feet, forcing me to lose my concentration of the madness. I blinked hazily as the fumes stung my eyes. I let out a small shriek as I avoided touching the poison with my shoe. A grin grew on Akhlys's chapped lips.
"You will feed the eternal darkness. You both will die in the arms of Night!"
There was nothing I could think of. The fumes were making my head swim. It was hard to concentrate. My eyes drifted to Percy as I tried to maintain balance on the edge. His eyes stared into mine as I looked at him hopelessly. We couldn't get out of this. Percy opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
Percy glanced at the poisonous stream growing closer to me. He croaked out a laugh as something unfamiliar gleamed in his eyes. The look in his eyes resembled broken glass. It was like something inside him had broken. His eyes narrowed at the poisonous liquid and suddenly the poison stopped a few centimeters from my feet.
The fumes blew away from both Percy and I- back toward the goddess. The white-green poison rolled toward Akhlys in waves. I stared at Percy as I realized he was the one controlling the poison. My jaw hung open as I saw fear creep onto Akhlys's face.
"What is this?" She shrieked.
"Poison." Percy told her. "That's your specialty, right?"
Percy stood to his feet, anger evident on his face. As the flood of venom rolled toward the goddess, the fumes began to make her cough. Her eyes watered even more. I crept away from the poisonous flowers and tried to grow closer to Percy. The dark look on his face looked haunting. It was a look I've never seen him wear. Akhlys gagged.
"I-"
The tide of venom reached Akhlys's feet, sizzling like droplets on a hot iron. She wailed and stumbled back. Was Percy planning on killing her with her own poison?
"Percy!" I called, trying to get his attention. I had to stop him. This wasn't him. Percy wouldn't do this. I had to bring him back. "Percy, stop."
Percy glanced at me momentarily. His eyes were set darkly, his hands clenched into fists. You could practically see the anger swirling in his eyes. My heart ached knowing something inside of him must have broke to do this.
"Percy, you've got to stop. Please." I pleaded.
Percy stared at me, making eye contact. I silently begged him to stop. The anger melted away and the brokenness in his eyes started to piece back together. Percy turned back to the goddess. He willed the poison to recede, creating a small path of retreat along the edge of the cliff. I made sure I was far away from it.
"Leave!" Percy bellowed at Akhlys.
For an emaciated ghoul, she ran pretty fast. She scrambled along the path, fell on her face, and got back up, wailing as she sped into the darkness. As soon as she was gone, the pools of poison evaporated. The plants withered to dust and blew away. I stumbled toward Percy. Focusing and maintaining control of my body, I wrapped my arms around him and brought him into a hug.
"Gods, you had me so worried." I buried my face into his neck. Percy tightened his hold on me, some of the tension easing from his body. "Percy, some things aren't meant to be controlled...please don't do that again unless it's a last resort. I know you had to today, but..."
"Yeah." Percy responded, placing his forehead on top of my head. "Yeah, okay."
"You okay?" I pulled away slightly, checking his body for any wounds.
"I'm okay, Vine Girl." Percy cupped my face, making me look up at him. He gave me a faint smile. "You okay? I've never seen you-what you did-"
"Yeah." I swallowed, not too proud of my darkest moment. "I'm okay, Shark Boy."
We stood in silence, enjoying each other's company as we embraced. My thoughts were trying to wrap around what the both of us had to do to protect one another and to stay alive. My eyes drifted to the cliff.
"We have to get away from this cliff." I stated, pulling away from Percy. We stood beside each other, staring at the void. "Akhlys brought us here as some kind of sacrifice."
"She said something about feeding us to the night." Percy remembered. "What was that about?"
The temperature dropped. The abyss seemed to exhale. Percy grabbed me and backed away from the edge as a presence emerged from the void- a form so vast and shadowy, I felt like I understood the concept of dark for the first time.
"I imagine," said the darkness, in a soft feminine voice, "that she meant Night, with a capital N. After all, I am the only one."
Super long chapter!!!