Third POV
Maya took the golden fleece from the limb of Thalia's tree. The defending serpent was fast asleep. She had taken care of it since she was small. And the serpent had taken a liking to her. So she could climb on it's body with little worry. Zoë and Luke on the other hand, kept their distance. The serpent kept it's eyes on the both of them with a villainous glare.
Once Maya climbed off the dragon, she handed the golden sheep's fleece to Luke.
"You knew my dad before he . . . became a chaos plithos?"
Zoë and Luke looked at each other. A little hesitant to say anything. He had definitely changed since they had been a live. But it was not just that. Every time he would bring up the past, he always got bitter. Talking to her daughter felt awkward to them.
"He was an idiot," Zoë said unsurely. "Arrogant and a little selfish. But, he was super kind I guess. He was . . . you know. A hero."
"If you want to know what Percy is liken your asking the womrong people," Luke told her. "I tried to kill him, and she spent less than a month with him on their quest. If you are really curious, you can try and ask him yourself."
"Okay," she said in a low voice. She sighed heavily. "Step one is complete. Now, we must get to the under-"
She suddenly collapsed. Her entire body began to ache. She felt like her very essence was being pulled away from her body in the most painful way possible. She got on her knees and spat out what she thought was blood. But instead she spat out some golden liquid. It glowed faintly, and then dull just a yellow paste.
"Did you feel that?" she managed in a struggling voice.
Luke and Zoë looked at her, puzzled. Luke helped her up and draped the fleece over her to let it's magic affect her. After a while, the pain subsided, but she still couldn't stand. Her nerves felt shot.
"It felt . . . like my soul was being ripped from my body. Like someone was tugging on my being."
"That can not be good," Zoë said. "We will need to keep moving though. Time is of the essence. I will be able to create a doorway, just like Thanatos. But, it won't be able to last for long and it will take some time."
Maya nodded in agreement.
She sat down in front of her, in a meditative state. She focused on the place in front of her, and poured her own magic into it. Ryan had modified her body to control deathly energy as well as chaotic magic. It takes a lot of magic though. Beads of sweat rolled their way down her face as she concentrated. Turning plants to dust. Turning the soil darker. Dark storm clouds surrounded the camp, making the campers look on uneasily.
"Dark art: doors of death."
Easily one of the most complex circles she has ever memorized. Containing over a hundred words of power that she had to chant. It took her a minute, but then, the earth opened up. Green fired spewed up as a new door opened up. Grand and golden, resembling elevator doors. She held out her hand where a golden magical circle was drawn in black, and a bronze key materialized. She stuck it into the lock on it's side and the doors of death opened. Luke carried Maya on his back in as Zoë closed the doors. The began descending.
"It's getting worse," Luke whispered. From a viewing platform, they could see the underworld in chaos. The ghost shined brightly, even taking physical forms as they rushed around, raiding the posts and Elyseum along with the isle of the blessed. The very few of the furies and others from Hades army gathered and protecting the main castle of Hades. Confused just as much as the spirits.
"What's happening?" Maya asked perring over Luke's shoulder to see the disarray.
"Chaos," Luke said. "When I was brought down here by my dad, it was already chaotic and the dead were restless from the wars in the living. But now, Hades control over them has been broken, they will try and escape to the living now."
"What caused all of this?" Maya asked looking down at the dead.
"Like I said, chaos. Chaos caused chaos. And the source. Most likely Ryan and/or Percy."
The elevator stopped. The doors opened, and immediately the dead bomb rushed them to get in the elevator. But before they got close, Zoë got a Bow and arrow of pure darkness and warded them away. In seconds, the door disappeared. Zoë commanded the dead to part way in greek, and they did.
They stared at them with angry and muttering faces that was taking on figures. They were able to get a mile before finally, something blocked their path. It was a monster. A dragon. It seemed to of been made of bones. Then, the ground shook. Behind them, another dragon appeared from the ground.
Zoë shot an arrow at one. But the arrow did exactly nothing. The dragon roared, then pawed down at her. Luke jumped away before it hit.
"Zoë!" he yelled.
When the dust cleared, the dragon was struggling against something. Zoë was still under it's paw, struggling against the strength of the dragon with her bow. She gathered strength and pushed it back, making it stumble on it's back.
"Very good," said a booming female voice. There was a figure behind the two dragons. She held a staff and held a hood over her head. "Impressive even."
Zoë shot an arrow at her. But a dragon sat it's paw on the way then blocked the attack. They seemed intelligent. They had dragon skulls for heads and red glowing eyes. Zoë jumped and then swatted a dragon with her bow. It fell to the ground in a heap. She shot the other in the head with her strongest arrow. But it shrugged it off like it was nothing. Before she could react, the dragon swatted her and she fell hard into the ground.
The figure held out a hand, and a green glow flowed to the dragon she had smacked. The cracking pieces that fell off suddenly repaired itself. Soon, it was as if nothing happened.
"Nice try," she said. "But these are purely magical. They are designed to be immune to magic in total. And I can heal them as many times as I please."
Maya looked at Luke who still carried her. "Why won't you help her? She's in trouble."
Luke gave her a nervous look. Almost smiled. "Well, the thing is, she doesn't' really like it when we save her. She has a lot of pride, you see. This is her fight."
Zoë rose from the crater. A murderous expression on her face as most of her cloak was torn . "Such a filthy creature. I will enjoy killing you."
Both dragons opened their mouths agape. Two fireballs developed in their throats, and they willingly shot it at her. Before they contacted, she shot up and into the air, hovering above them.
"Time to quit playing around," she said. "Witness chaos."
She held out both of her hands. She let what remain of her cloak fall off. Leaving a torn black shirt and leather pants.
"Rejoice human," she told the magician. "You have the honor to face a former hunter of Artemis, and a servant of Ryan; godslayer of death. As a servant of disorder, I shall be your opponent."
Her hair glowed white, along with her eyes. A new cloak appeared around her neck. Black with white trims. She had on a hood over her head, and her bow and arrows were now solid gold. The two dragons swiped at her simultaneously.
She moved just before they were able to make contact. She was too fast to see where she went. The figure looked for her, till there was something that pierced her shoulder from behind. Zoë was there, holding a black arrow now bloodied from the figures wound. The figure swiped at her with a staff, but Zoë teleport back above them.
"So this was your plan." the figure said. "You hid your chaotic magic so you could attack me while my guard was down."
She wiped the blood from the arrow. "Of course not. I just wanted you no know that I can kill you at any time I feel like it. You are no challenge to me."
"No, not possible!" the figure shouted in frustration. "Go ahead and try, they are both still immune to magic."
"If you truly believe that they are immune to magic," she said. "Then you have a lot to learn about being a magic caster. Yes, they may be immune, but thanks to Ryan I am now in possession of chaotic power beyond your imagination."
"Impossible," she said. "Godslayer Ryan? It can not be!"
Zoë just gave her a pitiful look. "Your death shall serve him. Now begone."
She dropped her bow and arrows, letting them vanish into light. She held out her hands. The fire began cascading from underneath her robes, flowing around her body. She held out her hands towards the dragons.
"Flame art: chain incineration. Greater ability burst," she chanted.
A fireball engulfed the two dragons. Tuning them into nothing more but charred remains. Then, the fire engulfed the mysterious figure, who did not shout or scream pathetically in pain. But her body was consumed and she too became ashes like the dragons.
Zoë alighted down and then let the energy leave her body.
"Who was that?" Luke asked. "Circe perhaps?"
"No," Zoë said. "I met Circe. Her aura had a different feel to it. This one. Her magic didn't feel exactly greek or roman. Could she be from Ryan's home?"
"She did seem to know him. But if that's so, then we are in trouble," Maya told them. "Ryan is being hunted by someone. And by the looks of them some are pretty powerful. You can put me down Luke Castellan."
He did so as told. She was able to stand without collapsing. The fleece was done and now had stopped glowing.
"Let's continue," she said. "I want him gone before our world becomes even more in peril than it currently is."