Ryan sneezed, almost dropping the sword in the bottomless cavern.
"Be careful with that!" Annebeth yelled, "we just got it!"
"I know," Ryan said. "It just that I don't have a lot of friends. Shouldn't be much trouble though. Let's keep moving."
They moved along the edge of a narrow pathway heading out of the cave they had been exploring. Apparently Gabriela had hid the sword after Magnus died. In a null void cave in the world. It was enchanted with celestial level magic that kept all magic away. So Ryan couldn't pop in then out. They had to explore the cavern in order to recover the sword. In an effort to keep it from trying to kill them Ryan wrapped the sword in a clothe then tied it to his back. He jumped another gap and caught himself on a ledge, then swung onto another pathway. Then he smelled something. Then sneezed again.
"I think I'm getting a cold," he snorted. "Wait, is it me or did it just dropped twenty degrees?"
Annebeth could suddenly see her breath as it drifted away from her mouth. "What is it?"
Ryan smiled. "Let's keep climbing and find out for ourselves shall we?"
He made the final leap and landed outside. He stretched and helped the others up. To their amazement, they were in the middle of a snowy forest, even though they were in north South American. The leaves were all frozen solid and the trees were covered in frost. The ground was covered in almost an inch of snow. They all shivered without warmth, except Ryan who sustained himself comfortably.
"This magic is familiar," Ryan said. "If I knew better I . . . "
Suddenly an ice shard came out of nowhere and nearly punctured Frank if Ryan hadn't thrown the sword and deflected it. He summoned the sword back and reattached it to his back strap.
"You're senses are as keen as ever," said a cold and familiar voice from the trees above them. "Although, it is sad you have forgotten my powers sir Ryan Pesmenos of the Tiger clan."
"You did this for me?" Ryan asked. "Who are you?"
A figure landed a few feet away. He wore glamorous white and light blue suit made of metal that covered his torso and legs. He wore brown boots and had the matching gloves. On his back was what looked like a parka hood he could use to cover his face. In his right hand he held a staff made of iron and blue bronze. On his chest there was what looked like a key hole. He had pale skin, like Ryan's. His eyes were a piercing blue that seemed to bore into Annebeth's soul in a familiar yet piercing way. His hair was a majestic white that framed his face. And the face itself was a dead give away to who this man was.
Annebeth turned to Ryan angrily. "What is the meaning of this?"
The man bowed respectfully to them all. "My name is Perseus. Or you would like to, call me Pagos if you would please. I may have slipped a lie to the godslayers that, in exchange for your capture, I will give them all of your secrets master. Also leave the universe."
Ryan laughed. "And they all bought that?"
Pagos smiled. "Like discount rotten fruit."
"You cheeky dick!" Ryan laughed. "So, what is one of my servants doing this universe?"
"We want you back Ryan. And we have come to bring you home."
"I am guessing you can't travel either?" Ryan asked.
"Afraid not sir," he said a little sad. "But, I bet you're brilliance has already made a plan for our escape."
"And you are 100% correct my friend. Perhaps you can accompany me the rest of the way."
"Of course," he said. "But, one problem sir."
"And what is that?"
The Alternate Perseus held his hand towards the three. "These humans have to go."
"Actually I have taken a liking to them. We can let them live," he said.
But Pagos did not put down his hand. He smiled a little. "I am sorry, Ryan, but I have orders to eliminate any human you may come in contact with."
"Who's orders come before mine?" Ryan asked.
"Lady Kym," he said simply.
Ryan cringed, then gulped. "You mean to tell me, that she is here, on this world now, looking for me?"
"Affirmative sir," he said without looking at him."
"I hate asking these questions," Frank said. "But what does that mean?"
"Run," Ryan said. "Run because you're life depends on it."
They all sprinted in the opposite direction, while the Percy kept firing large chunks of ice at them as he followed close behind. He chased after them flying through the treetops.
Annebeth turned to Ryan. "You, explain now. What the hell is he?"
"That's not your boyfriend if you think so. That's not even a son of Poseidon. That Perseus is a version of Khione in some version of Earth although he was born much later. His story is similar. He was sent to Camp Half Blood, became intimate with you. Khione was kind of a suspect so the gods didn't trust him and he had to clear his name about the bolt. He lost the titan world. You died, his father died and everyone he cared about died. So, naturally, I went to make sure he wasn't insane. Gave him a position in my army. Well, it's a little more complicated then that. But he is insanely powerful. For a mere demigod."
Suddenly, a wall of ice appeared ahead of them, then to their sides. They were cornered with Pagos looking down at them with piercing and almost unfeeling eyes. "The time has come master. These humans must die."
"I know what you're thinking Pagos," Ryan said. "'Should I kill them?' and the answer, might surprise you."
"Can't you stop him?" Hazel asked.
He looked at her as if she was crazy. "Are you nuts my lady? Do you know what my wife, my wife, would do to me if she found out I was resisting arrest? I may be powerful, but she is beyond scary. She's the stuff monsters have nightmares about, and I know. You guys are on your own."
"Frank, do it now," Annebeth said.
Frank got the picture and immediately turned to a giant dragon within moments. It threw Pagos off guard and allowed Frank the time to swat him into the ground as hard as he could. He began breathing fire on the target, but then, a figure emerged in the flame. Pagos began letting loose Ice from the palm of his hand.
"A shape-shifter? A very interesting character indeed. Wall of ice!" he shouted, and a giant wall of ice twenty meters high appeared between them. Then Pagos jumped straight up and held out both hands.
"Bliss from heaven!" suddenly, a meteor on unimaginable scale appeared above them made completely of ice. He smiled and moved out of the way as the giant meteor made of ice crashed down on them. He landed on top of it. "My ice magic is on par with a god. I study the ice arts, found in the aqua arts."
He looked down at the icy ball he created. "Now that couldn't of killed him. I shall retrieve the body then . . . "
His words falled short when he saw them a few yards away from the ice meteor.
He evaluated the situation. "So I see. Seems that the Levesque can manipulate layers of Myst at a time. A very unique weapon. But for a magic user such as myself it will not help much."
"I don't know if I can hold this guy for long," Hazel warned.
"Good point," Ryan said. "Run again!"
He held his hand out and a portal opened behind him. It seemed to only be opened to an infinite darkness. He jumped through to what looked like a dark cavern. "Sorry guys, but I cannot be caught now. So tell me how it goes. See ya."
The doorway closed and disappeared before them. Leaving them with Pagos.
"Ah, man," Frank muttered.
Annebeth unsheathed her knife. Pagos laughed. "Oh this will be fun."
He fired a shard at them, but Annebeth jumped over it and hid behind a tree. Before Pagos could attack, Frank launched more fire at him, which he deflected using another ice wall.
"Icyburst," he announced and Frank's flame immediately became solid ice, which he quickly dropped out of his mouth.
"Ice freeze?" Hazel asked him. "Really?"
"You want to try and name every attack you come up with?"
"Here's one," Annebeth said as she grabbed onto his shoulder and brought him down to Earth.
He smiled. "Nicely down Anny."
"Any universe where I allow you to call me that isn't a universe worth worrying for."
He forced her off him and she flew into a tree. "An attack that weak isn't nearly enough to take me down."
"Wasn't trying to," She said. Then he realized that she had stuck a vile of green liquid on hid hoodie. Before he could touch them they exploded onto him, covering him in greek fire. He yelp in pain and collapsed on the grown. His flesh didn't appear to burn but, he looked at Annebeth with a murderous glance.
"You will pay for this," he growled.
"I've heard that before." she said.
He screamed, then in a flash of light he disappeared. The snowing finally stopped and Frank turned back to his original form."
"We got lucky," Hazel said. "That guy was way more powerful than I thought."
"And if there are more of them out there hunting the rest, we need to worn them, quickly." Hazel said.
"Good thing we have plenty of ice and fire," Frank said as he morphed back into a dragon. "Who should we warn first?"
"Piper and Jason," she said. "I think Maya will be alright with Luke and Zoë. They are in the most trouble."