Chapter 22: Conquer
Smoke drifted upwards in lazy fumes as dawn broke over the horizon. The shrouds were burned, the burials completed.
The gods and demigods were gathered in the amphitheatre. The demigods sat around it as usual, but on this occasion, their godly parents had joined them. Even the demigods that had joined the Hunters were located with their half-siblings, with no signs of disgruntlement. Heavy silence choked the air as much as the smoke, perhaps even more so.
Demeter laid her hand around the shoulder of the Katie Gardner, whose tear stained face was hidden behind her olive hair. Hermes was consoling Connor Stoll, who seemed to be in equal despair. The father didn't do much good at holding back his emotions.
Artemis gazed at the remnants of her Hunters' shrouds emotionlessly, or so it would seem. Her once piercing blue eyes had lost their sharpness, and her hands were, for once, trembling.
Dionysus clutched the hand of his remaining son, Pollux, tightly. His eyes darted around like a jaguar, yet they were filled with sadness. He thrust out his free hand and a bottle of wine began to form, then he made a fist. The bottle disappeared.
And so on...
Thalia Grace picked at her bowstring, bags under her eyes from exhaustion. She looked to her right, at her father.
The lord of Olympus was faring no better than his relatives. His back was arched from the lack of a throne, his arms drummed the concrete seats of the amphitheatre dejectedly, his face spoke levels of emotions, none of which were positive.
But he knew, he was a leader. A king. And curse him to Tartarus if he hid when everyone needed him the most.
He rose up. Thalia jerked back abruptly in surprise. Everyone watched the Olympian king in his Bermuda shorts and t-shirt as he walked down the steps wordlessly.
He raised his hand. Lightning struck the shrouds, relentlessly, bolt after bolt, until it was reduced to cinders. He stepped onto the platform. His feet burned from the ashes, but he didn't care. It was time he experienced hardship again.
He could feel the eyes of everyone staring at him. His brother, his sister, his wife, his sons and daughters, his half-blooded relatives.
He cleared his throat, and spoke.
"I know, I have not been a good leader." He started. "I have made mistakes, and I have chosen pride over justice. I have failed in being a good father." He looked at Thalia.
"I have failed in my duties as king of Olympus, and one of those duties, was to protect the godly family, and all mortals, from those who seek to do us harm."
"And now, we stand before our fallen heroes. Those who have sacrificed themselves because of my arrogance. I failed to foresee this, and take the required actions to prevent the Giants' uprising."
"But I say we do not let their deaths be in vain. I will not let their ghosts be left eternally restless. They will enter Elysium as heroes, and know that we, that I, that all of us, have conquered the forces that wish to end our reign."
"If I or my brothers and sisters end up in oblivion, so be it. But I pray that you will join me in the final battle."
There was a moment of tense silence. One second passed. Two, three.
Then the amphitheatre erupted into a thunderous roar. Everyone jumped to their feet. The sound must have carried on over Long Island Sound, across New York City. The ground and heavens shook, and the Giants, wherever they were, heard their pain, heard their grief, but most clear of all...
They heard their rage.
~
"That sucked." Percy tried to sound humoured, but he could tell that did nothing to lighten the mood. The two had found themselves in the same room, falling from the ceiling.
He could barely see Nico's pale face with what little light they had. He looked visibly shaken, but he might as well be looking into a mirror.
The Labyrinth won that round. Percy wasn't sure whether he could handle another.
Nico didn't reply to the comment. Instead, he found interest in scrutinising his sword as the two sat on the cold floor.
"I'm curious to why they haven't killed us yet." Nico said bluntly.
"The Labyrinth is its own entity. It likes fun and games. Maybe it's not taking orders from Gaia to kill us on sight." Percy answered, though much of it was speculation.
"But once we step out beyond that door..."
"It begins again."
Percy stared at the door in question. It looked ordinary. A wooden body with steel hinges and brackets. A rusty handle.
He exhaled. He didn't want to go out, and he was pretty sure Nico didn't either. But sooner or later, they would have to. They were on a timer, weren't they? To finish this. Opening the Doors so souls could enter the Underworld again.
"Whenever you're ready." Was all Percy said. He looked down at the son of Hades.
Nico looked down at his feet, his hair blocking his expression. He got up and held his blade tightly.
"Don't be a coward and ditch me like the last time." The edges of his face curled into a smile.
Percy readied Riptide, grinning. Then it morphed back into a serious expression. He opened the door, and the two charged into the Labyrinth once again.
~
Cold fear hit them like a gale the second they stepped out.
Nico heard voices in his head. He drove them back whilst pushing on. Percy was evidently having trouble as well, his face twisted into a mix of fear and anger.
The voices were many, some familiar, some unidentifiable.
You are no prince of darkness, or the underworld, one hissed. Nothing but a shadow of your father.
You will remain an outcast from your demigod brethren, another whispered.
You should have saved your sister, the last lamented.
Nico's knees suddenly felt weak. Suddenly that voice became much more clear, all others slowly faded. He heard it with such terrifying clarity.
I can give you Bianca again.
His legs gave way. He fell to the ground. He hit his head repeatedly, shouting hoarsely, "Go away. She's gone. She's gone!"
He shut his eyes as tears spilled from them. He saw her. Alive. Vigour and soul flowed endlessly in her cheeks. She was wearing her cap, not yet a Hunter. She waved at him, smiling. She beckoned him, closer.
"No!" He screamed, his eyes flying open. Then he saw what lay ahead in front of him.
Ghosts. They were unfamiliar to him, grey and voided of expression. Their lifeless eyes gazed through him, to his very soul. They had no mouth. They stretched their arms to him.
A howling sound of the spirits filled his ears in an unholy cacophony. He could feel their anguish and the pure terror they radiated.
Join us, they seemed to say.
Then, out of nowhere, he felt his blade snatched up. A flash of dark grey, and the spirits dissolved with a enraged hiss. At the same time, the howling and the voices dissipated.
He looked up. It was Percy, holding Nico's sword. He was breathing hard. His face was stained with tears, but his eyes were blazing with fury. He was staring at where the ghosts had been with raw anger. Nico was almost scared of him. He'd never seen Percy this angry before.
Then Percy looked at him. The expression melted into concern. "You alright?" He asked, extending a hand.
Nico took it and lifted himself to his feet. "Yeah." He managed to say.
"Let's keep going." Percy said.
He nodded. "But first, my sword."
"Oh, right, sorry." He handed the weapon over. Nico took it in silence.
"What did you hear?" He asked.
Percy remained expressionless. "Things I would rather never hear again."
And the two kept walking.
~
It wasn't even an hour, or what felt like an hour, when the second attack emerged.
Percy thought he was prepared, but it was sort of like taking a test, you think you studied enough, and then you see the first question and you're already saying your prayers.
When the ghosts appeared; pale, translucent beings, howling with no mouth, fixating with no eyes, the next instant, they attacked like frostbite.
Whispers trailed quickly, pounding in Percy's mind, and just like the rest, brought him to his knees.
Your quest is meaningless.
Gaia will consume all.
You cannot save the ones you love.
He yelled in pain, grasping at his head. Images flashed through his mind. Pictures of people. His mom, Grover, Chiron, Poseidon, Annabeth, Hestia.
In a daze, through blurry vision, he saw Nico in a similar state: keeled over, covering his ears violently, eyes shut.
"Nico! Your - your sword!" He gasped.
He didn't seem to have heard it, but abruptly, the pain stopped, and Nico flopped on the ground like a rag doll.
"Nico? What happened?" Percy clawed at the ground. His head still throbbed.
He didn't respond. His body lay still. Then it shivered, and Percy didn't think it was the cold.
One moment passed. Then two. Then three. And all of a sudden, Nico slowly got to his feet. He still wasn't facing him. In silence, he drew his sword in unnerving calmness.
"Nico?" His voice trembled.
"Sorry, Percy. I made a deal." Nico spoke hollowly, with no trace of emotion.
He pointed the blade at Percy's head.
"What are you talking about?"
"They'll give me Bianca." He responded.
"No, they won't. Nico, don't do this."
"Hush, we have an audience." He gestured to something behind Percy. He turned.
The ghosts were still there, radiating cold, making noises like teeth chattering in a blizzard.
"Take us to Minos. If he will not serve Gaia, he is at your disposal." He said.
Percy looked up at Nico's face. They were devoid of any emotion, but it was the void of feelings that horrified Percy.
He heard a rumbling sound. He turned back to see what looked like a tunnel, it looked darker than the walls that were already pitch black, however that made sense.
"Nico-" he started weakly.
The next second, Nico had vaulted over Percy, his blade flashing. There was a symphonic wail of agony as the ghosts faded.
"Percy! Now!" Nico shouted, dragging Percy's arm. They ran into the tunnel.
Darkness reigned as even Nico's sword gave no illumination, and he could not hear footsteps, or anything for that matter. It was as though they were traveling in a vacuum.
The lack of sound was not for long when a sudden roar shook their surroundings. It was rage. Pure rage.
A light at the end appeared, but it was closing fast. Behind them, he heard sounds comparable to chomping. Something behind them was eating the matter, and Percy didn't want to be in its jaws.
The light grew thinner as Minos closed the tunnel, and thicker as they neared it.
A last leap, and the two landed in a room decorated with crystals that blasted sapphire light. And in the centre lay a stone altar, held up by a single pillar, and a platform above it, on which lay the heart of Minos.
It was a cube made of metal and rock, with cerulean lines carving around until it formed an intricate pattern. The Labyrinth. It expanded and contracted intermittently.
Percy didn't have much time to scan every inch of it, since Nico immediately lunged forward with his blade and stabbed it with ferocity. The Stygian iron cut through the rock like a knife through warm butter, and around them, there was a scream of agony. The ceiling above them began to shake. Rocks started to fall. Crystals smashed themselves to dust.
Before Percy could react, Nico grabbed his hand and shadows dissolved around them.
~
They reappeared over cracked, stony ground. The air was burning hot, but Percy didn't care. The ground was solid and coloured a maroon brown. He no longer shivered from the cold. Light from the magma seeping through the cracks was, for once, inviting and vigourous.
He looked around. In the distance, he saw the crumbling ruins of the Labyrinth, feeling a moment of satisfaction.
"Nice." He panted. "How'd you know it would work?"
Nico shrugged casually, but his expression was fatigued. "There were shadows, so it worked."
Percy briefly tried to recall whether shadows were cast by the light from Nico's blade, but then decided against it. Better to forget everything about that place.
"Listen, about earlier..." Nico said, looking down.
"You did what you had to do, and it worked." Percy affirmed.
Nico shuffled uncomfortably. "Sorry if I scared you."
"Well, you're a good actor. That's all we'll say about that, alright?"
He grinned. "Three down, two to go."
~
Ampurias, Spain...
Asterius took another chomp of fresh seagull as he eyed the Mediterranean coast with zero regard. He retched and spat out the beak.
"Better roasted." He muttered at no one in particular.
Then he heard a loud boom coming from beneath him. He turned around to see Porphyrion rising from the earth.
"My lord." He bowed. "What brings you here to the shrine?"
"Mother has ordered me to inform the Guardians to ready yourselves." He sounded bitter. Asterius resisted a grin of satisfaction at seeing his leader carrying out such a low task.
"Of course." He bowed again, though not as deep.
He turned to face the horizon again, and he raised his hands. He started to murmur an ancient chant. The ground started to shake.
The sand scattered as something rose out of the ground. It looked like a pillar. Then the sand cleared, and he grinned.
It was a cage, constructed of steel with vines entwined around. Its prisoners were shivering from the cold, with little to protect them but their body heat. Their eyes were shut and tears stained their camp clothing.
"Greetings once again, spawn of Ares." He said. "Your time of use has come."
~
Hi, I'm back. I have a pretty important thing to say regarding the story. In chapter 6, there was a prophecy. After much consideration and the deviation I have made, I have decided to remove and ignore the prophecy since I can no longer follow it. As I've said before, this story was not exactly well planned out, and I've been going with my gut and the flow. Sorry.
I'm planning to give a new version following the plot of this one (when it's finished), fixing all plot holes.
Thanks for reading, feedback is appreciated.
-Ignatius