Bab 5: Chapter 4
Most of the time, except for a few, we are not aware that we are dreaming. And that's the wonderful thing about dreams. Where we can forget about our earthly problems for a few minutes and live something more. Be someone else.
After all, only in our dreams can we be truly happy.
So, when Thalia, who was in one of her happy dreams, was almost painfully taken out, you will understand why she was upset and frowned even more than usual.
"Thalia," said a voice, severe and imposing.
She knew that voice very well. It had always been present for as long as she could remember, and it always sent a shiver down her spine.
"Father," Thalia said in an even voice, turning to look at who had snatched her from her dreams.
Standing tall, standing majestically, was the man Thalia had never seen beyond her dreams, but had always heard. Zeus had always adopted the image of a businessman. In an elegant custom-made dark blue suit with stripes. His long black hair reached his shoulders, and his beard featured shades of black and gray. He stood imposingly with his arms placed behind his back. His eyes, blue as the sky, shone with pure power as he scrutinized Thalia.
It was only because she was used to being looked at that way by her father that Thalia didn't cower before him.
"What do you want?" Thalia asked, deciding to grab the bull by the horns.
"Talk to you," Zeus responded, unfazed by his daughter's biting tone. "It's been a while since we last did that." Two months, to be exact.
Thalia looked at her father. She remembered their last visit and she would be lying if she said she wasn't happy about it, even if it was only in her dreams, it was her thirteenth birthday after all. He had even brought her a gift. He was completely shocked when he gave it to him. She never thought a god could give such a...human gift.
"And what exactly do you want to talk about?" Thalia asked, in a mocking tone. "About how I did at school?" If I did all my homework? About why I bleed down there?
While she was grateful that he had visited her on her birthday, it didn't make up for twelve years of neglect. Thalia expected her father to look upset, but he kept that stern expression she had always seen him with.
"Daughter, this is serious," said Zeus, with a slight tone of impatience in his voice.
Thalia just snorted in mockery.
"Things are always serious with you. It was when you told me who I was over a year ago. "It was when you sent Amalthea when I asked for your help… It was when they took Jason," Thalia finished, her voice no higher than a whisper.
If Zeus felt guilty in any way, his face didn't show it. Only his eyes seemed to narrow a little more.
"The life of a demigod is never easy, especially for a child of the Big Three," he said, his voice hard. "That's why I gave you that spear, so you can protect yourself."
Thalia put her hands in her pockets, where she expected to find her trusty spear turned into a spray can. Obviously, she didn't have it, because she was in a dream.
"But, unfortunately, that will not be enough"Zeus continued, confusing Thalia, "I will not question your decision on who you form an alliance with to guarantee your survival, even if I do not like who you have chosen. But you must accept the consequences of what that means.
"Is it about the fact that we are four demigods?" Thalia questioned. "And what the hell do you mean you don't like who I've chosen?"
It was the first time his father had said something like that. When she had first met Luke, her father had expressed no opinion of him whatsoever. The same thing happened when they found Annabeth. Her father had always stayed out of it when it came to who she associated with. Why was it different now? What was different about Percy or Sammy? The girl was just a mortal, and Percy was a great guy. Sometimes he got on her nerves, and she wanted to give him an electric shock in his butt, but she always found Percy's company enjoyable.
"You must recognize, my daughter, that the more demigods gather, the more dangers they will attract to themselves. Until now, you've been handling it without much trouble, but you should know that that won't be enough from now on.
Maybe it was the tone of voice, or the look she was receiving from her father, but Thalia couldn't stop a cold sweat from running down her back.
"What won't be enough?" Thalia asked, a little incredulous. "I've survived this last year very well." Plus, I'm not alone, Luke and Annabeth are with me and we've been able to get through things. And now, Percy is with us! He was able to take on a pack of hellhounds and, a month ago, he took on that strange creature with just his bare hands! That's what I call having your balls in the right place.
"Yes, I've seen it," Zeus acknowledged reluctantly, scratching his beard. "An impressive feat, being able to confront the Minotaur with nothing more than a simple knife."
"You see! I'm right!
"But it won't be enough," he said with a hard voice that gave no room for discussion. "The challenges they will face in the very near future will be too dangerous to leave to a demigod with only a knife, no matter how skilled he may be." Also, I know you don't like depending on someone else. After all, you are my daughter.
Thalia didn't know whether to feel flattered or insulted by that.
"So what do you expect us to do?" she asked with obvious bad humor.
"That's why I'm here," said Zeus, with an almost imperceptible smile. "You need equipment suitable for a demigod."
And the bad mood disappeared. Thalia looked at her father in surprise.
"Are you going to give me a weapon to fight or something?" Thalia asked, incredulous.
"Unfortunately, I cannot do it," said Zeus. "It is against the Old Laws for the gods to help their children directly."
"But you gave me a spear when I turned twelve," Thalia said, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "What's the difference this time?"
"That was a gift. A rite of passage, you could say. A weapon that I decided to give you to protect you from the world you decided to enter when you ran away from your home.
"That place wasn't my home!" Thalia snapped. "At least, it stopped being when Jason..."
Zeus looked impassive, and Thalia wanted to kick him in his divine balls for that. It was his fault that Jason was taken in the first place. His fault and that of his damn cuckolded wife being cheated on by him.
"Just tell me what you came to tell me, and then leave," Thalia said, her voice dejected.
Zeus looked like he wanted to say something else, or maybe it was just Thalia imagining things. With her father, it was difficult for her to see an expression that was not stern.
"As I said, I can't help you directly. Therefore, I can't just hand you a weapon to fight with, like I did when you turned twelve. Instead, you'll have to earn it.
This time, Thalia turned her full attention to her father, listening expectantly to what he might say.
"In ancient times, demigods earned the favor of the gods by performing feats that endured in history. In return, the gods gave him gifts as rewards for his bravery. I think you understand what I'm trying to say, Thalia.
Thalia nodded in understanding.
"To receive the help of the gods, I must do a great feat. What should I do? Kill a legendary monster? Percy killed the infamous Minotaur, which is one of the most well-known monsters in all of Greek mythology, and received nothing in return"Thalia ended up crossing her arms."How is that fair?
"Your companion's feats were, without a doubt, notable," Zeus admitted, his voice sour. "But he was not commissioned to perform such an act." As for your own feat, I would recommend doing it as soon as possible. If you succeed, your reward will not only help you, but also those you wish to protect.
That did catch Thalia's interest. If she could find a way to better protect her friends, then she would. In her mind, she was still tormented by memories of when they faced that pack of hellhounds. When they were injured fighting the Minotaur. She still imagined Luke, hanging in that dark cave when he had been captured by that strange beast. When Percy faced that same beast in fierce hand-to-hand combat, she couldn't help but worry for her friend. If she could find a way so that her friends wouldn't have to go through something similar, then she would do whatever stupid quest the gods gave her.
Directing a determined look at her father, Thalia spoke:
"What do I have to do?
This time, the small smile Thalia saw on her father's face was not a figment of her imagination.
"Follow Amalthea. She will guide you wisely, as she has done so far. Find the false oracle and... free him from his torment.
"Is he a prisoner or something?"
"You'll see it yourself when you get to it. You better get ready. The place where this false oracle lives is full of dangers, and will test you both physically and mentally.
She listened carefully to her father. If a god like him told her that she should be careful, she would not turn a deaf ear to his advice. Besides, she wanted to believe that, somewhere deep in his heart, her father was worried about her.
"I would recommend that you not take those two girls with you," Zeus advised. "The task is too dangerous for them." They are still very young. Furthermore, one of them is a mere mortal.
Thalia had to bite her tongue to avoid verbally lashing out at her father for talking about Sammy like that. She was the sweetest, most innocent, and tender mortal he had ever met. She was such a good girl that sometimes she found it difficult to associate her with other mortals. Sammy was like the flower in the swamp.
"Anything else you want to tell me, father?" Thalia asked, in an even voice, but she couldn't avoid the small slip of coldness when calling him "father."
Zeus didn't notice that, or ignored it.
-That's all. Now, it is time for you to wake up and prepare to carry out your mission. I will send Amalthea to your location in a couple of hours.
If she was honest with herself, Thalia just wanted to return to her dream where she was a student at the Konohagakure Ninja Academy and friends with a prankster blonde boy named Naruto Uzumaki, but she simply resigned herself to her fate of being a demigoddess daughter of Zeus.
"It was a good dream," Thalia thought, shrugging mentally.
Thalia saw her father look at her briefly for a few seconds before snapping his fingers. She immediately felt her mind and body being pulled by an invisible force. Before the darkness consumed her, she heard her father murmur a few last words.
"Stay safe, my daughter."
Slowly but steadily, Thalia's body began to wake up. Despite having her eyes closed, she felt the hard floor beneath her. The blanket she was lying on didn't do much to soften the uncomfortable surface on which she lay.
She remembered that they had camped on the outskirts of a city, on the side of the road on a small plain. If the mortals happened to pass by on the road, they would not pay much attention to them as they would think it was a family that had decided to camp. They even had a small tent to reinforce that belief.
Thalia began to open her eyes, her eyelids felt as if they were much heavier than normal, and when she opened them fully, a small, high-pitched cry of surprise escaped her throat.
Less than half a meter away, she could see the calm expression of a sleeping Percy. He was lying with his body tilted to one side, so that Thalia could see his face in deep sleep. But what caught his attention the most was that his mouth was slightly open and a small thread of... saliva was dripping out.
¨So Percy drools in his sleep,¨ Thalia thought with a mischievous smile gracing her lips. ¨Oh, this will be perfect joke material for the future. If only I had a camera with me...¨
Her teasing thoughts began to fade as she studied Percy's sleeping face further. Thalia would have to be blind not to see how attractive Percy was, even with the dark circles under his eyes that were currently closed, denying her sight into his mesmerizing, beautiful green eyes. Her black hair cascaded over the side of Percy's face and over the arm he used as a pillow.
Ignoring the slight warmth in the pit of her stomach, she slowly raised herself until she was sitting up. Thalia yawned in a very unladylike manner and looked around while scratching the back of her head. She saw that Annabeth and Sammy were fast asleep, with Sammy in a strange pose that reminded her of a starfish. It was Luke's turn to watch, although she couldn't see him anywhere, perhaps he was answering the call of nature, urinating on some poor tree or bush. She just hoped it wasn't about a nymph. She still remembered the day where Luke had urinated on a nymph turned into a tree.
A laugh threatened to escape her throat as she remembered how Luke limped for hours with his hands on his crotch because the nymph kicked him hard enough to make even Thalia wince in pain.
She looked at Percy, who was still sleeping peacefully next to her. His face, so damn handsome, looked serene as he was deep in a deep sleep. Thalia noticed the small crumbs of chips adorning Percy's shirt, along with an empty bag of chips lying next to his head. Apparently, he had had a snack before going to sleep.
Little by little, his serene face took on a frown. His eyes began to move erratically behind his eyelids, and a light bead of sweat ran down his temple.
"No... I couldn't help it..." Percy murmured in his sleep.
Thalia started to get a little worried. Apparently, he was having a nightmare. His head began to move slightly from side to side as his breathing became increasingly heavy.
"No... I'm not... a murderer," he murmured, louder this time.
That really worried Thalia. He walked over to Percy, and started shaking his shoulders to try to wake him up.
"Percy, wake up! It's a nightmare!
"Get away from me!" Percy shouted, as he stood up from his lying position. Unfortunately, as he did so, he inevitably collided with Thalia's forehead, causing Percy to lay back down as he groaned slightly in pain.
"What a way to wake up," Thalia commented, as she gently rubbed the site of the impact.
"What the hell..." Percy muttered, his forehead red from the blow. "Thalia?" What are you doing here?
"What? Were you expecting Jennifer Aniston?" she asked, with a hint of mockery.
"Who is Jennifer Aniston?
Thalia looked at him with a blank expression, unable to believe what Percy was saying.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked in an even voice" Friends? One of the most popular and well-known series in history?
Percy slowly shook his head, not looking away from Thalia's poker face.
"How is it possible that you don't know the series Friends?... Oh, right. You didn't watch much television.
"Damn, what is your head made of?" Percy complained, when he finished rubbing his head.
Thalia simply shrugged.
"I've always had a bit of a hard head.
"Maybe that explains why you're such an idiot," Percy said, mockingly.
Thalia's left eye twitched in annoyance.
Pushing away the last vestiges of sleep, Percy sat up straight and his hand ended up resting on the empty bag of chips. He turned and grabbed the empty wrapper and scowled at it, as if he had insulted his mother.
"Hey, is something wrong? "Thalia asked.
Percy sighed, balling up the empty bag and putting it in his backpack.
"Just a strange dream," he said under his breath. "And a very strange one."
"Dreams of demigods are always strange.
"No, it wasn't a demigod dream. Believe me.
She raised her eyebrow in curiosity, but said nothing. Certainly, some dreams are always strange and meaningless, like the one she just had before she was rudely interrupted by her father.
¨Oh, right. The mission¨
"Percy, let's wake up the girls and go find Luke. I have something important to tell you.
"So this is Amalthea," Percy said, carefully observing the magical goat that had guided them.
Watching the goat, I wanted to grab it and put it on a stake and then cook it on a campfire. They had been chasing her for three fucking days all over Virginia.
He had trusted Thalia and Luke's judgment. For over a month, they had both proven to be trustworthy and if he was honest with himself, Percy would trust them for the simple fact that they were his best friends. It didn't help matters that they were the only friends he had ever made in his life. Gods, that's depressing.
In the wee hours of the morning, as Thalia drove through the deserted streets of the city of Richmond, they had passed a narrow bridge, wooded parks, and Civil War cemeteries.
Finally, they found the goat cursed. She was grazing at the base of a moment that was in a large circular park. Another time, Annabeth would have paid attention to the monument, trying to figure out the story behind it, but now, she could only stare at the goat with a frowning, tired expression.
"Okay, listen," Thalia said, as imposingly as a thirteen-year-old girl could. "Percy, Luke, and I are going to meet Amalthea." If it has stopped to graze, it means that it wants us to approach it. He will probably guide us to the place where this false oracle is.
"I'm not too sure about this, Thalia," Annabeth said, with a worried voice. "This is the first time your father has given you a task to complete." It is well known that, in ancient Greece, the gods gave very dangerous jobs to heroes to perform.
"Not to mention that some of them were very suicidal," Luke added.
"Hey, you're not helping," Sammy said, then looked at Thalia. "If your dad told you this will help us all, then I think you should do it." Besides, I don't think I would give you a task you couldn't accomplish.
"And you won't go alone," Percy said, smiling in Thalia's direction. "Luke and I will cover your back."
"Of course," Luke said, with a confident smile. "Just trust me and my golf club."
Everyone laughed lightly, lightening the previously gloomy mood. Percy could see that Thalia's expression lightened a little, although she still had a frown on her face. Once again, he felt like smacking his finger into that scowl, but he didn't want to walk around for the next few hours with his hands cupping his balls.
-Very good. "Percy, Luke, follow me," Thalia ordered. "I'll try to talk to Amalthea." Annabeth, Sammy, stay here. There are a lot of cars parked around here, so they will easily go unnoticed. Most likely it will take us a couple of hours. If we don't come by the next day at the latest...
"You will come back," Annabeth assured, with confidence in her voice. "I know you will." We have all been through a lot, this is just one more of them.
Sammy nodded, equally convinced.
"I know you can do it, Thalia," she said. "After all, Percy is with you."
Percy smiled amused and patted her head.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence.
"You better take this opportunity to sleep," Luke said. "I know you're tired after all this chasing." By the time they wake up, we'll be done.
His response was met with a nod, followed by a yawn from Annabeth.
The three demigods left the car and entered the large silent park in the darkness of the night, illuminated by the streetlights. The goat was still grazing peacefully at the foot of the monument. It had curved horns like a ram, but the swollen udders of a female. Percy had to blink a few times because he thought the goat was glowing, but it wasn't a streetlight effect. The goat was actually glowing, as if it were a Pokemon about to evolve.
Percy stood still for a few seconds because of that thought. Gods, I had to stop watching so much anime with Thalia.
Thalia hesitantly approached the goat. Hesitating slightly, she turned and looked at both boys, who nodded in support.
Firming her resolve, she knelt in front of the goat.
"Amalthea?" she asked.
The goat turned around. Her amber eyes looked sad as she looked at the demigods, as if she knew what was in store for them and felt sorry for them.
Involuntarily, Percy directed his gaze towards her udders, where on each nipple he could see the Greek letters on them, as if they were tattoos. Each nipple said; Nectar, Milk, Water, Pepsi, Ice. Maybe he read it wrong, since he wasn't used to reading ancient Greek yet, but he was a little disappointed that it didn't have Coca-Cola.
"I can't believe you were right," Percy murmured to Luke. "She can really squirt Pepsi down her udders." Honestly, I thought you were on drugs.
"I can't blame you. Anyone would think the same when told that a magical drink-dispensing goat had guided them.
The goat looked at both teenagers, as if they had offended her in some way.
"Amalthea," Thalia said, looking into the goat's sad eyes. "My father sent you, didn't he?" Where do you want me to go?
"Please tell me she doesn't talk," Percy said to Luke. "I don't want this to get even weirder."
"No, she doesn't speak... I think.
"You two, shut up!" Thalia snapped. "Or I'll electrocute your balls."
Needless to say, both teenagers closed their mouths, as if it were a zipper.
Thalia patted the goat on the head, the same way Percy did when he wanted to calm Sammy down.
"Everything is fine, Amalthea, they didn't want to insult you. Is this where you wanted to take me? Where is the false oracle?
The goat tapped its horns against the monument and pointed upward. When the demigods looked up, the bronze statue pointed across the street. Percy could have sworn the statue wasn't in that position before, and from the look he was getting from Luke, neither was he.
Percy looked to Thalia for guidance. This was, so to speak, her mission, so she was the one calling the shots.
Thalia nodded in the direction the statue was pointing.
Across the street, there was an old mansion made of red bricks. The windows were closed and covered on the outside with old pieces of wood. In front, twisted white columns supported a porch at the main door. For many people, that house had all the appearance of a haunted house, where at night you heard screams of people and moving objects. For Percy, it looked like a five-star hotel where he could live peacefully. When you spend years living on the streets, sleeping under bridges and in trash cans, a house like that was a blessing.
"She wants us to go to that mansion," Percy said, more stating than asking.
Amalthea bleated audibly, bobbing her head up and down, as if she were nodding.
Internally, Percy was relieved that the goat dispensing Persi products through her udders wasn't talking.
Thalia gently patted the goat's head.
"Thank you, Amalthea. You have always guided me to what was best for me. And this time I know it won't be any different.
The goat's sad eyes softened and looked grateful. She walked over to Thalia's legs and groomed herself over them, like a cat. She laughed in a way that Percy found cute and tender. He then mentally slapped himself for having those thoughts.
Thalia began to advance in the direction of the old mansion, with Luke behind her. They walked for a few meters before the goat's bleat stopped them. They both turned and saw Percy kneeling in front of the goat, his back to it. His shoulders moved rhythmically up and down.
"Percy, what are you doing? "Luke questioned.
Percy looked over his shoulder, still doing what he was doing.
"Well... I was curious," Percy argued.
"Are you...milking Amalthea?" Thalia asked, incredulously.
"Ehhh... yeah?
Percy felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead as he looked into Thalia's bright blue eyes, although he didn't stop milking the goat.
"Let her go. "Now," Thalia ordered, with a tone of voice that did not lead to arguments.
"...Yes, ma'am," Percy said, swallowing audibly.
He turned to stop milking the goat, but he was not prepared for the goat's headbutt to his face. Percy groaned painfully as he fell onto the grass.
Amalthea glared at Percy before a mist began to surround her, forming a miniature tornado. When the fog cleared, the goat was gone.
Luke walked over to Percy and knelt down next to him. He grabbed a stick that was lying on the ground and started pushing Percy with it.
"Hey~, are you still alive?
"Unfortunately, yes," Percy complained, his voice muffled by pain.
"You deserved it, idiot," Thalia snapped.
"But it was worth it," he said, holding up a canteen.
"Please tell me you didn't fill that canteen with Pepsi.
"Please tell me you did it," Luke said.
"I didn't do it. "I filled it with Nectar," Percy said, still lying on the floor looking at the night sky. "You never know when we'll need it."
No one could argue with that logic.
If the house was creepy from afar, it was even more so up close. The simple fact that the brass knocker was shaped like Medusa's head gave them the signal that they were in the right place, as if it were a clue. Besides, who in their right mind puts up decoration like that? It would scare away visitors. Percy already felt uncomfortable and unwelcome before he even entered.
Beside him, he heard Luke swallow audibly.
"Hey, you don't think this is the lair of... you know," Luke said, pointing to the knocker.
"No, she's not here," Thalia said, with conviction. "My father said that a false oracle was locked up here." And he wants us to free him.
"And you're completely sure we can trust his word?" Percy asked.
Thalia shot her friend a withering look.
"It's my father.
"That's not what I asked," Percy said, returning his gaze with the same intensity.
Seeing the impending fight, Luke decided to intervene before things got too ugly.
"Hey, lower the foam on your chocolate a little, will you? We have a mission to fulfill. And fighting won't help us at all.
"I'm not the one picking a fight," Thalia said, grumpily and pointed at Percy. "He does it by not trusting me."
"I trusted you with my life, Thalia," Percy said. "It's your father I didn't trust."
Thalia opened her eyes in surprise, and turned around quickly. To Percy and Luke, it seemed like she was upset and didn't want to talk about it anymore, but the truth was that she didn't want them both to see the blush that had graced her cheeks.
Percy, scratching his head in discomfort, decided to end this matter.
"Hey, sorry if I offended you in any way, but I won't take back what I said. If you're still upset when we finish the mission, then we'll get into a fistfight and I'll kick your ass again.
Percy had a unique way of fixing things. With Thalia, it usually took a few words of apology, a couple of bruises, and a little electricity.
Thalia sighed in resignation. She knew she was acting like a child, and Percy's distrust was well-founded.
-Alright. "This is no time for childish fights," Thalia said, turning to look at him. "My father told me this place was dangerous." And we must stick together if we want to get through this. Percy, I'm not asking you to trust my father, but trust my judgment.
"I can live with that," Percy said.
"So, let's do this," Luke said, with a confident smile as he extended his fist. "Together."
Percy and Thalia smiled back and mimicked the gesture, giving the three of them a fist bump.
-Together.
The wooden planks creaked under their feet as they moved toward the door. The windows, as old as your grandmother, were blackened with grime, although they were not broken and Percy found that fact strange.
When Thalia called, no one answered. She tried to pry the door handle open, but it didn't budge a single millimeter.
"Great, it's closed. Any ideas? "she asked.
"I say we ring the knocker and say it's a pizza," Percy said. "No one is going to deny entry to someone with a pizza with lots of cheese and pepperoni."
"Or a ham sandwich, with fries and sausage," Thalia suggested.
"I like the way you think. Bacon and double cheeseburgers also sound tempting.
"Also an extra-large size soft drink.
"And ice cream for dessert.
Both of their mouths watered at the thought of eating all that. And in Thalia's case, she almost drooled.
"If you both finished coming up with your brilliant plan, I've already opened the door," Luke reported.
"What?" they both said in unison.
"You know. Son of the god of thieves. Ability to open locks with the mind. "I'm a very cool person," Luke said, shrugging his shoulders with a confident smile. "If they want to rob a bank or break into a house, I'm their man."
"Or a porn magazine," Percy said.
Luke had the decency to look embarrassed by that.
"Let's do this," Thalia said, entering the house.
Percy and Luke had no choice but to follow her, she was the leader of the team, but they weren't going to tell her because it would go to her head.
The first thing Percy noticed when they entered was the enormous chandelier hanging several feet above his head. It seemed to be made of a shiny copper, as it cast a light glow all over the place. Heavenly Bronze, Percy deduced. To his left and right, there was a hallway that was in chaos, with wooden chairs and tables smashed. The floor, made of black and white tiles that gave the appearance of a chessboard, was dirty and full of mold. The windows were covered with heavy black curtains that did not filter any light. In front of them, there was a staircase that gave access to the second floor, it looked old and neglected.
The inside of the place didn't look as habitable as Percy initially thought. Maybe it's because of the human bones that were at the foot of the stairs. Or the dried blood stains on the floor. Yes, maybe that's why.
"Don't you have a feeling that something bad is about to happen?" Luke asked.
The door slammed shut behind them, causing everyone to jump. Luke tried to open it by turning the knob, but it didn't work. He even tried to open it with his powers, but the door wouldn't budge.
"It doesn't work," Luke said. "It's some kind of magic."
Thalia quickly ran to the windows and tried to push aside the curtains, but the black fabric came to life and grabbed Thalia's wrists firmly. The curtains began to wrap around her arms like tentacles.
"Percy! Luke!" she screamed, as she struggled to free herself. "Get this thing off of me!" I'm not going to be part of a disturbed and repulsive tentacle rape scene!
"You're the only one upset for thinking about those things at a time like this!" Percy shouted.
In a magnificent display of marksmanship, Percy grabbed his knife by the tip of the blade, and swung it hard. It spun in the air, and in less than a second, the blade stabbed halfway into the black curtain. The tentacles writhed ferociously for a few seconds, as if in pain, until they fell uselessly and became curtains again.
Thalia stepped back in shock with her face pale. She held up her hands and watched as smoke came out of them, as if she had dipped them in acid, and blisters appeared on them.
"Easy, Thalia," Percy said, softly as he put a hand on her shoulder and guided her to the steps of the staircase, moving the bones out of the way. "Here, sit down." I'll take care of it.
He rummaged in his backpack and took out the canteen that he had previously filled with nectar from Amalthea's (Stupid Magic Goat) udders. He poured it over Thalia's hands and they watched as the smoke cleared and the blisters disappeared.
-Ready. That's it. They look like new.
Thalia flexed her fingers a few times to check that she was okay and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you" She stood up and looked at the curtains with hatred and disgust. "If all the windows are like that thing and the door is closed...
"We'll find another way out," Luke said, with confidence in his voice. "Maybe if we go up to the second floor..."
They both looked over the stairs, considering their options.
As they both thought about their next plan of action, Percy walked over to the curtains to retrieve his knife, which had fallen to the floor as the tentacles writhed. Not seeing any damage to his knife, he put it back in the back of his jeans and looked out into the darkness of the hallway.
"Hey... guys..." Percy said, not looking away from the dark hallway.
Thalia and Luke didn't seem to hear him, as they were still debating among themselves what they should do.
"Hey, idiots!
"What!?" they asked in unison.
Seeing Percy staring into the darkness, they followed the direction of his gaze, and what they saw almost made them both scream.
In the darkness of the hall, several pairs of red eyes looked at them. Observing and analyzing their movements. A growl came from the same direction and put everyone on alert.
"What do we do?" Luke said, holding his trusty golf club.
In response to his doubt, once again, a voice was heard throughout the place.
-Above.
The voice was different from the one they heard in that dark cave more than a month ago. That voice was imposing and full of power. This voice, despite also sounding masculine, was sad and distressing, it did not give much confidence.
"Who are you!?" Luke shouted, as he looked around.
"To the second floor," said the voice. He didn't sound too enthusiastic, "Come up. Fast.
The sound of what seemed like hooves could be heard echoing on the tiles. They became louder and louder. They were getting closer.
-Fast.
Now, Percy had faced a lot of strange things throughout his life on the streets. Hellhounds, deformed men over six feet tall who would put a professional American football player to shame. He had killed many cyclops, it was impossible not to identify them when he had only one eye. And, in one instance of incredible feat, he slew a drakon, though it required the aid of his powers to do so. Now even some violating black curtains had been added to the list. And something told him that this wouldn't be the worst thing he would face.
But, watching the red eyes strut around in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to attack, his instincts told him to grab his friends and run like a bitch.
So that's what he did.
She grabbed Thalia and Luke's arms and they ran down the stairs.
"Percy...!" said Luke.
-Let's go!
"But it's another trap..." Thalia said, somewhat doubtful.
"We have no choice! We don't know what we're facing!
Thalia and Luke seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation, so they started running as fast as they could. Behind them, they could hear the growls of the approaching creatures. Their blows resonated on the tiles, as if they were horses' hooves. Percy swore that if he heard a neigh, he would turn around just to check that it wasn't a stampede of horses chasing them.
As they ran through the old hallways on the second floor, the male voice called again.
"This way! The last door on the left! Hurry up!
His voice sounded lonely and miserable, like a prisoner. Maybe it was the false oracle they had come to free and it was leading them right to it. That only increased the demigods' desire to continue running even more.
"Maybe it's..." Luke began.
"The false oracle," Thalia finished.
The hallway they ran through was old and even more dilapidated than what was in the lobby. It looked dark and dreary, but light filtered in from under a single door on the left.
Without missing a beat, Percy ran towards the door with the intention of knocking it down, but it wasn't necessary as the door opened on its own before he could touch it. He fell face first onto the carpet floor with a groan of pain. When Thalia and Luke entered, the door closed quickly.
¨How uncool,¨ thought Percy. ¨First a goat and now the floor. This is not my day.
On the other side, the creature's frustrated growls could be heard as it clawed at the walls.
"Hello," said the same male voice, "And I'm very sorry."
Percy's head was spinning. He could almost swear he saw little stars and a little blue bird saying, "Idiot." Idiot¨ Maybe it was because of that that he thought he heard the voice of the man to his left, when the man was clearly standing in front of him.
The man was wearing snakeskin boots and a green and brown suit that was also made of the same material. He had spiky gray hair, like Thalia. He looked like a twisted version of Albert Einstein. His shoulders were slumped and his green eyes looked sad and dull, with bags under them. He was old, the skin hanging off his face was evidence of that.
Percy was a little scared when he saw her eyes. They reminded him of himself years ago, before he had met Sammy.
His room, unlike the rest of the house, looked in good condition, obviously the man had been living there. A bed on one side of the wall, a desk with a computer, and a window covered with the same black curtains. On the other side of the room, there was a bookcase, a small kitchen, and two doors, one to a small bathroom and the other to a large closet.
But what caught the demigods' attention the most was that, on the left side of the room, there were rows of steel bars, like those in a prison. Inside it, it was filled with bones and pieces of armor, swords, and shields. Pacing inside the cage, there was a monster whose head was a mix between a horse and a wolf, with pointed ears and red fur. Instead of claws, it had hooves like a horse, and a long tail that moved like a whip.
The monster growled at those present, and fixed its glowing red eyes on Percy, as if it were eyeing its next prey. Saliva dripped down his jaw as he moved forward to be right in front of the steel bars.
Luke moved as far away from the beast as possible and looked at the old man.
"Who are you?" he asked. "What is that thing in the cage?"
The old man grimaced. His expression was so full of misery and pain. He opened his mouth, but when he spoke, the words came not from him, but from the monster in the cage, like some kind of ventriloquism out of a Stephen King book.
"My name is Halcyon Green," the same voice that had guided them here was heard. Sad and miserable."I'm very sorry, but you are in a prison. And your destiny is to die here.
In a move Percy had seen many times, Thalia grabbed her spray can and transformed it into her spear. She pointed it threateningly at the old man, who didn't flinch in the slightest.
"You better explain yourself, old man," she snapped at him. "Why?"
Behind the bars, the monster snapped its bony jaws.
"I understand your confusion," said the old man's voice. "The creature behind bars is a leucrota." He has the ability to imitate human voices. This is how it attracts its prey.
Percy and Luke looked at the monster, but Thalia didn't look away from the man and didn't lower her spear either.
"But... is the voice yours? "Luke asked, looking at the man and then at the monster. "I mean, the guy in the snake suit, are we hearing what you mean?"
"That's right," said the monster with the voice of an old man, then he sighed sadly. "My name is Halcyon Green, son of Apollo." This is my curse. And you three are in my prison.
Thalia opened her eyes in surprise and took a step back.
"Are you a demigod?
A sour expression graced his face, as if he remembered something that wasn't particularly pleasant. No one blamed him. The life of a demigod is never very good, and judging by where Halcyon lived, his has been no different.
Halcyon looked at his hands, old and wrinkled.
"Yes, I am," said the leucrota with a voice full of misery, as if he regretted admitting it out loud.
"You said this place was your prison," Percy said, scanning the room. "How long have you been here?"
Halcyon shrugged indifferently.
"I've lost count. Years? Decades? As the days go by, I have realized that the time I spend in this place does not matter. I am destined to die here.
"What? Why?" Luke asked.
Luke slightly regretted asking, because Halcyon's expression was filled with so much misery that he looked like he might cry.
"I have to assume that you are also demigods," said the old man's voice, receiving the agreement of the three. "Then you must have inherited some of your parents' powers."
Hearing that, Percy wrinkled his face in annoyance. He hated his powers. Maybe other people would think it was cool, but to him, it just reminded him of who he was. And everything he had lost.
"Being the son of Apollo, I was born with the curse of seeing the future," the old man continued. "My father warned me to keep quiet. He told me to never share what I saw because it would make the gods angry, and could upset the order established by The Sisters of Destiny. But many years ago... I had to speak up. I knew a little girl who was destined to die in an accident. I couldn't stand by when I could save her. And that's what I did. I saved her life by revealing her future to that girl.
The three of them looked at the old man, completely surprised. The power to see the future. To change things before they happen. Percy couldn't help but think about the things he would have done differently if he had had that ability. Being able to save Sammy and her father from that tragedy.
Being able to save his mother that fateful night when he turned twelve.
Percy looked at Thalia and they both shared a revelation as their eyes met; this man was the false oracle they were looking for. Although Percy didn't understand why Thalia's father referred to him as "fake."
Apparently, Luke had not yet realized that fact, because he was immersed in the old man's story.
"I don't understand," Luke said, shaking his head. "You did a good thing." Why would that anger the gods?
"They don't like mortals to play with destiny," said the leucrota. "Because I dared to defy the established order, my father cursed me." He forced me to wear these clothes, the skin of Python, which the oracle of Delphi kept long ago, as a reminder that I was not an oracle.
He opened his arms so that the clothes he was wearing could be seen.
"He left me without a voice and locked me in this mansion, the home when I was a child, and turned it into my prison. Then the gods sent the leucrota to watch over me. Normally, they only imitate human speech, but the one there, and the numerous ones throughout the house, are linked to my thoughts. It was Apollo's way of reminding me, forever, until the day death finally claims me, that my voice would only lead others to perdition.
The three demigods frowned as Halcyon related his curse to them. They knew that the gods could be cruel. For fifteen years, Percy's father had ignored him and left him to his fate when he started living on the streets at twelve.
And the fact that Thalia and Luke had seen their father at twelve only added to their annoyance. Percy didn't hate him though. As strange as it may seem, he did not hate his father. At first, he had done it, with every cell in his body, but he stopped a year after living on the streets because it was of no use. There was no use hating someone you had never met.
Now, thinking about his father, it only caused him indifference.
"Well, not anymore," said Thalia, with a firm voice. "You've been locked up in this place for too long." It's time for you to be free.
"She's right," Luke supported. "She's Thalia, by the way." This is Percy, and I'm Luke. We have fought many monsters before, and much more numerous. We can escape from here, Halcyon. We can help you.
The old man shook his head sadly.
"Call me Hal," said the leucrota. "You don't understand." As you may have noticed, you are not the first to come here. All the demigods who come believe they have hope of getting out. I try to help them as much as I can, but it never works. The windows are protected by lethal curtains...
"You mean rape curtains," Thalia growled. "The god who came up with that idea is mentally ill."
"...and the doors are strongly enchanted. They let you in, but not out.
"We've noticed that too," Luke said, frustrated that his powers weren't working.
"Fighting is also impossible. Monsters cannot be hurt by any metal known to man or gods.
To prove his point, Hal showed a dagger that was sheathed in his belt. He unsheathed it, showing that it was made of Heavenly Bronze, and approached the cage where the monster was.
The young demigods watched in amazement as Hal inserted his knife between the steel bars, heading towards the monster's head. They waited impatiently for the monster to disintegrate, like everyone else, but the blade pierced its head. The leucrota slammed its hooves against the bars, and Hal backed away.
"I have tried everything," the monster spoke for Hal, while he sheathed his dagger, "For so many years I have been looking for a way to escape from this place, but the monsters prevent me." I can't open the doors and neither can the curtains. The leucrotae do not attack me, but they do attack those who come to this place.
"Then why did you guide us to this place?" Thalia asked. "Why did you save us down there when you could have let us die?"
"Maybe I have given up trying to escape, but I always give others the opportunity to try to do so, no matter how useless the effort may be.
Hal went and sat on his bed. His posture reflected his surrender. Shoulders drooping and eyes cold and full of defeat.
"The leucrota like to eat at dusk," Hal reported, without looking at them. "When the sun sets on the horizon, the bars will rise." The monsters will drag you somewhere and kill you. There is no escape.
"No," Luke said, "I won't give up." And I will not die in this forgotten place.
"We agree on that," Percy said.
Without any fear, he approached the cage and looked at the leucrota. His green eyes met the red eyes of the beast, where he could only see a basic instinct that every living being possesses; hunger. The leucrota slammed its hooves against the fence bars and Percy took that opportunity, grabbing one of the monster's legs and reaching for it. The leucrota growled in surprise, but any action it might have taken as a result died when Percy pulled out his knife and stabbed it into the beast's head.
Everyone watched in surprise as the beast disappeared in an explosion of golden dust.
Hal's eyes were open when he witnessed the act. He opened his mouth quickly trying to speak, but no voice came from him. That's when he realized there was no leucrota to convey his thoughts.
"Percy, how did you...?" Thalia murmured.
"I had a hunch," he answered, looking at his knife. "Hal said that no metal known to man or the gods could hurt them." So I thought maybe a weapon made from a monster could do it. To kill a monster, you need another monster.
The silence among those present was broken by Thalia's cry of euphoria, who quickly approached Percy and hugged him.
"Percy, that was great!" she shouted.
Percy went completely still, as if Thalia had given him an electric shock, which was very likely since Thalia lost control of her powers when her emotions overwhelmed her. He tried very hard to avoid blushing, which he failed miserably.
"Dude, that was definitely a lot cooler than getting punched in the face by a magical goat," Luke said, smiling, as he put a hand on his shoulder.
"I have my moments," he said, when Thalia separated from him.
Hal still looked at them stunned, unable to say anything, because he couldn't. He quickly looked around for a way to communicate until his eyes fell on the computer, where he quickly left and began typing.
"Do you have any more of those weapons?" Hal typed into his computer.
"Unfortunately, no," Percy answered. "I'm the only one who has a weapon obtained from a monster." Thalia has a spear, but it is made of Heavenly Bronze. And Luke... well, he has a trusty golf club.
"Hey, he's saved us a couple of times," he defended himself.
"That's a shame," Hal wrote. "I don't have anything in this place that can help kill the leucrotae, and I don't think you can take on all of them alone."
"I've done it before," Percy said. "I've spent years living alone on the streets facing off against monsters with nothing but this knife."
"Oh, no. "Not that," Thalia said, scowling at Percy. "If you think I'm going to let you fight a pack of those things on your own, you're very wrong."
"We have no choice, Thalia. My weapon is the only one that can kill them.
"Well, I'm not very sure. My father wouldn't have sent me here knowing that I couldn't face those monsters. There has to be some other way.
"Your father sent you here? Aren't they here for the treasure?" Hal asked, typing rapidly on his computer.
"Yes, he did. I'm on a mission. And what do you mean by treasure?
Hal got up and opened his closet. It was filled with supplies of various kinds: coats that were too small for Hal, pieces of dented armor, and some bronze swords that were bent and broken.
Among all those things, some more useless than others, he began to move them and showed that behind, at the back of the closet, there was a square metal safe.
"Can you open it?" Luke asked.
Hal shook his head.
"Do you know what's inside?" Thalia asked.
Again, Hal shook his head.
"Then it's closed," Percy stated.
Hal nodded, then crossed his thumb horizontally across his neck. Universal sign that meant "death"
"Can you do something?" Thalia asked, looking at Luke.
"I'll see what I can do," he said, kneeling in front of the safe.
He put his hands near the bolt, closed his eyes, and concentrated.
"Okay, that's not good," Luke said. "There's a curse on the handle." I guess anyone who touches it will get a free spontaneous combustion.
Hal nodded grimly. Maybe that had already happened to some poor unfortunate bastard.
"If you have to touch it to be cursed, can you open it without touching it?" Percy asked.
"I can do that," Luke said. "But that's not all." There is a second trap that is more worrying.
"A second trap? Do you know what it does?
"Poison," he replied grimly, "There is a small vial inside that is ready to break when you press the third number, regardless of whether the number is correct or not." And, judging from the fact that it is still there, it has never been activated. I can try to disable it, but if I'm wrong, the whole place will fill with gas and we'll die.
"Great," Thalia said, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance. "Our best chance of surviving is probably in there and if we're wrong we'll all die." How nice it is to be a demigod.
Percy couldn't help but agree with Thalia. Sometimes being a demigod really sucked. Wait, sometimes? Delete that. Being a demigod always sucks.
He walked over to the safe and knelt next to Luke.
"Luke," Percy said, putting a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. He looked scared and very nervous. Percy couldn't blame him. One wrong move and everyone would be dead."This last month with you I have learned not only to trust others, but also myself. So, trust yourself, the same way we trust you.
Thalia imitated Percy's gesture and knelt next to Luke and placed a hand on his shoulders.
"We trust you, Luke," she said, conveying her support. Remember, we are in this together.
Luke watched the trusting looks both Percy and Thalia gave him and was touched by their faith in him. There was no way he could let them down when they believed in him so much.
He nodded and smiled at them both.
-Together.
Hal stood behind them and gave him a nod. His eyes stopped looking sad and there was a little spark that he didn't have before. Apparently, the old demigod still retained a bit of fighting spirit.
Luke closed his eyes and focused on the safe. He touched the lock and got to work. For the next few seconds, you could almost hear the hearts of those present beating. Percy felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead, but he didn't look away from the safe.
After what seemed like the most tense seconds of her entire life, the switch made an audible click, causing Thalia to flinch slightly. When nothing happened, everyone breathed an audible sigh of relief.
"I think I just lost a few years of life," Percy muttered.
Slowly, avoiding touching the handlebar, Luke opened the door with his fingertips and took out a bottle of green liquid.
"Is that all?" Thalia asked, the disappointment in her voice almost palpable.
She reached in and pulled out a bracelet, made from a row of polished silver loops. Despite not looking like much, it looked like something Thalia would wear.
"It looks good on you," Percy commented.
"Do you think?" she asked, making a pose.
"Complement your punk outfit.
"I don't see how that can help us deal with the leucrotae," Luke said.
Hal clapped his hands, drawing the three's attention. He began gesturing with his hands, but when he realized he couldn't communicate, he became frustrated and went to his desk, where he quickly began typing.
"It's you! You've found the treasure! I can't believe it! That safe has been locked since before I was born! Apollo told me that my curse would end when the owner of the treasure claimed it! If you are the ones owners...
The three of them quickly read what he wrote. It helped a little that the size of the letters was large to be able to read them better, because dyslexia made it a little difficult for them to read them.
"But I didn't come to this place to claim any treasure," said Thalia, looking at her new bracelet. "I came to fulfill a mission that my father entrusted to me."
"And what was your mission?" Hal asked from his computer.
"He was supposed to free the false oracle from his torment.
Hal opened his eyes in surprise.
"The false oracle? You mean...?
-Exact. We have come to free you.
Hal looked at the three of them in utter disbelief, unable to believe their words. He looked at his wrinkled hands that were shaking. Whether it was from excitement or fear, Percy didn't know.
"Wait," Percy interrupted. "Thalia's father wanted us to come and free the false oracle." And Hal, who I assume is the false oracle, was told that his curse would end when the owner claimed what was in that safe... does that mean we've accomplished the mission?
The sound of hooves hitting the hallway floor could be heard. Causing everyone to go on alert.
Luke frowned at the door and then looked at Hal.
"Have you recovered your voice?" he asked.
Hal opened his mouth, but made no sound. His shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"Maybe our parents said we should rescue you from this place," Thalia said. She looked closely at the bracelet on her wrist. "This bracelet has to be the solution." It's too strange that he's so well protected if he doesn't do anything.
"It's made of silver," Hal wrote, "Even if it's turned into some kind of weapon, leucrotae can't be hurt by any metal." Only your friend's knife can hurt them.
"Then we'll have to look for something else," Luke said, without losing hope. "There has to be something else." Hal, lend me your computer.
Hal seemed to have doubts, but gave him the seat. Percy had his doubts about whether he could find something on the Internet that could help them kill mythological monsters, but he didn't want to crush the little hope they already had.
Luke began typing into Google, and Thalia studied her new bracelet further. She had tried everything from hitting him, groping him, and making stupid poses while screaming her father's name. If it were any other time, where their lives weren't in danger, Percy would have mocked her.
Percy needed to relax a little, maybe so he could see things from a different point of view. He went to the bathroom, where he turned the knob so that the water ran into the sink. He filled some water between his hands and washed his face. He massaged between his eyes and the back of his neck. Water had always relaxed and revitalized him. Considering what he could do with the water, he wondered if he could do anything. Maybe he could flood the place and kill all the monsters, but his friends would be affected too.
As he looked through the open bathroom door at Luke impatiently typing on the computer, and Thalia looking at the bracelet with annoyance, he wondered if this was the place where they would die. Being eaten by monsters while Sammy and Annabeth waited for them in their car.
That thought made him extremely angry. Why the hell was he in this place, to begin with? Because of Thalia's stupid mission to prove to her father that she was worthy? To prove herself to the gods? What stupidity. The gods had not helped him at any point in his miserable life, why should he do anything to prove himself to them?
He splashed water on his face again, calming his rising anger. No. This wasn't about him, it was about Thalia and he had decided to help her. She and Luke had been with him on many occasions of life and death. They didn't abandon him then and he wouldn't do it now.
But what could they do? Percy was the only one who had a weapon to face the monsters. Thalia's spear was useless, as was Luke's golf club. Thalia could summon lightning from the sky, but they were inside a house. It could burn the whole place down. Luke didn't have any kind of offensive power, just like Percy. And Hal...
"Wait a second," Percy said, looking at his tired reflection in the bathroom mirror. His eyes opened and the green in his eyes shone"That's it!
His scream caught the attention of his friends and the old man. He left the room and went to the old man and put his arms on his shoulder.
"You can see the future, right?" Percy asked, excited. "It means you can find a way to escape from this place."
Realization came to Thalia and Luke's eyes and they looked at Hal expectantly.
Hal slowly got out of Percy's arms and headed to his computer, where he began to type.
"It's too dangerous. You know what happened the last time I used my gift. The gods might get even more upset.
"And what's the worst they could do to you? You've lived in this place for too many years. Lamenting, suffering, and falling into misery. That time, you ignored the warning of the gods and saved that girl because you knew it was the right thing to do. You knew she didn't deserve that fate. Now, you have the opportunity to once again do the right thing and show the gods that they are not the ones who control your life.
Hal looked into Percy's eyes. And there, he could see an unwavering determination. His green eyes shone with life and showed no sign of defeat or surrender.
"The power of believing in yourself can be the power to change your destiny. That's what someone told me once. If you don't like your future, then change it! Do not let those superior to you subjugate you. And if they want to kill you for that, then die proudly and with your head held high. If today is the day I die, I will fight until my last breath!
Hal looked at the clock, the time of sunset was approaching. There were only a couple of hours left. Percy could see the internal debate the old demigod was having. He had lived too many years in despair. Now, the young demigods only hoped that the old demigod had not given up, that he still retained that battle spirit that all demigods possessed. The old man clenched his wrinkled hands, coming to a decision.
"You're right," Hal wrote. "I've been a cowardly old man." For years I lived in fear of what the gods would do, but they can't punish me worse than this. If I have to die, I will do so with honor, doing what I believe is right. Maybe this curse that I have can be a blessing for others. Thalia, give me your hands.
"Why me?" Thalia asked, somewhat doubtful. "Why not Percy?" It was his idea.
"It is you whom Zeus sent. This is your search. Your success is everyone's success.
A little more convinced, Thalia placed her hands on Hal's. The old man closed his eyes and concentrated. He frowned and shuddered. After a few seconds, he heaved a long sigh. When he opened his eyes, everyone saw how his eyes glowed for a second, as if he had green lights. He looked at Thalia and smiled at her in a comforting way. He turned to his computer and began to type slowly while the others were watching.
"Thalia Grace, your destiny is to survive this night," Hal wrote.
Thalia opened her eyes in surprise, as did Percy. It was the first time he knew her last name, Thalia had never told him. He knew Luke's last name was Castellan, Annabeth's last name was Chase, and Sammy's last name was Walker, but Thalia had never told him her last name. Maybe because she didn't like him. Or because she didn't want to remember what it represented. Percy understood that last bit very well. Since he hadn't told anyone his real name either, not even Sammy.
"How do you know my..." Thalia asked, but her surprise quickly turned into annoyance. "You know what?" Forget it, I don't want to know. The important thing is that I won't die tonight, but... Why do you look so sad?
"What awaits you from now on is not pretty, my dear," Hal wrote. "Your name will be recognized, both in the Greek World and in the Mortal World." You will be hailed as the most powerful demigoddess and your name will live on in history, but... your suffering will be as great as your deeds. You will live years of loneliness, pain, regret, and guilt. Your path will be sad, and very lonely. But, one day, you will recover that precious thing that you thought you had lost and you will find happiness.
Percy could see the obvious conflict on Thalia's face. Surprise, anguish, fear. And, as he read the last part, he saw a bit of hope in her eyes. She clenched her fists tightly and gave a long sigh.
"Is that... good?" Thalia asked, confused.
"I'm sorry, I can't control what I see," Hal wrote. "I only see what stands out most in your future."
Judging by the sour expression on Thalia's face, she didn't like it at all that her future looked so bleak, even though she told her that she will find happiness one day.
"Hal, there has to be something more," Luke said, hopefully. "You told us that Thalia will survive." Do you know how he will do it? Does it have something to do with the bracelet?
Hal slowly shook his head. Sadly, he returned to his computer to write.
"I haven't seen anything about the bracelet. I'm sorry.
Percy tried not to feel discouraged about it, but he didn't have time for that as Hal held out his hands in Luke's direction. It was his turn and judging by his scared expression, he didn't look very excited about it. But he put aside his doubts and gave her his hands.
Hal took a deep breath and closed his eyes. In the same way, as when he did it with Thalia, he visibly flinched and his brow furrowed again. When she opened her eyes, she looked at Luke with sadness and pity. It almost seemed like she felt sorry for him.
When he turned back to his computer, he hesitated to type, but after a few seconds, he did.
"Luke Castellan, you too are destined to survive this night, and for years to come. You will have a long life, longer than any demigod I have seen so far. Your life will be that of a true hero, and the meaning of what that entails. You will be a guardian, a protector of that which represents hope for all demigods; You will be an eternal protector. And your life will inspire others.
Luke looked at him in shock. He had turned quite pale while reading about his future.
"Wow, finally some good news," Luke said, somewhat relieved. "Anything about how we survived tonight?"
Hal nodded.
" seen fire.
Luke looked deep in thought, even adopting the same pensive pose as Percy, having his hand cup his chin and staring at the ceiling. After about a minute of thinking, a smile spread across his face.
"I know that look," Thalia said. "You have an idea."
Luke smiled knowingly at him. Then, he turned to Hal.
"Leave the computer to me," Luke said. He sat down at the computer and opened a new browser window, typed in what he wanted to search for, and his article quickly appeared immediately.
Thalia and Percy looked over Luke's shoulder, one on each side.
"Luke, that would be perfect! "Thalia said.
"But how can we make something like that?" Percy asked. "I don't think we'll find the recipe on the Internet."
"Maybe on Yahoo answers?
"I don't know," Luke admitted. "I don't know of any way we can make it happen."
Hal's face seemed to perk up as he looked at what was on the computer screen. He rapped his knuckles on the desk to get the young demigods' attention and pointed to his bookshelves.
"Ancient history books"Thalia deduced"Hal is right. They are very old books. There is a possibility of finding the formula we are looking for.
The four demigods quickly searched the books on the shelves. Percy swore he had never read a book so quickly and enthusiastically before. Maybe it was because his life and the lives of his friends depended on it. Hal seemed just as excited, his eyes had a very youthful gleam, very different from the dead eyes he had when they met him. In fact, it was thanks to the old demigod that they found what they were looking for. When he found the book page, the old man would have shouted for joy if he could have. Instead, he did a triumph dance that resembled the rain dance.
"This is it! "said Luke, excited as he looked at the ingredients written in the book. "The recipe to make Greek fire. We have everything we need in this room, all we need is... a catalyst. We need lightning!
The three men looked at Thalia at the same time, who shifted somewhat uncomfortably under their watchful gaze. She even looked a little embarrassed. Percy found that cute, and again mentally slapped himself for thinking about it again.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked, "Last time I did it..."
"You saved my life," Percy said. "You saved us all."
"And you'll do it again," Luke stated. "I'll prepare the mixture." When ready, there is a satellite dish connection under the computer. You have to summon lightning right above the house and have it run through the wires to here.
"I could burn the whole house down," Thalia said.
"That will happen anyway if they succeed in making the Greek fire," Hal wrote. "Are you sure about this?"
"It's not like we have many other options," Percy said. "Let's do this."
While Thalia and Luke prepared the mixture in the kitchen, Hal, who sat in front of the computer, looked at Percy and extended his hands. Percy got the message. Hal wanted to see his future.
"Why?" he asked. "We already have a way to fight and get out of here." I don't think there will be anything more relevant in my future.
"It's best to be cautious in these situations," Hal wrote. "Perhaps I can see a safer way for everyone to survive tonight."
Percy looked at Hal's wrinkled hands. He was reluctant to try this prediction thing. The demigod dreams they had were already causing him enough stress, he didn't need a prophecy about his future. Although maybe the old demigod was right. Maybe there was another way to do things, in a way that wasn't so dangerous. And he would curse himself if he hadn't followed a different path that was better for all of them simply because he didn't care to know about their future.
Pushing aside his doubts, Percy took Hal's hands. The old man closed his eyes and concentrated. He began to take long breaths and his hands began to sweat and shake. Percy had to resist the urge to push them away when they tightened his grip in an iron grip. Finally, her eyes snapped open and she looked at Percy with obvious surprise.
"What? What did you see?
Hal turned to the computer and typed.
"Perseus Jackmnbbbbbbbb...
Hal looked curiously at Percy, because he slammed his hand against the keyboard and prevented him from continuing to type.
"I've given up that name," Percy said, his voice cold and hard. He frowned at Hal. "Now, I'm just "Percy." That's my name. Now, what did you see?
"Nothing good, I'm afraid," Hal wrote, regretfully. "Your future is the bleakest and most painful of the three of you." Soon enough, you'll sacrifice yourself to save your friends. It's hard to describe, as all I saw was endless darkness. Although you will not die, you will not be completely alive, and your soul will not find peace. On your shoulders, my boy, rests the future of those who are like you. You will lose what you consider important. And in the end, you will be able to forgive yourself.
Percy frowned deeply as he finished reading. I felt like punching the computer screen, or maybe at Hal for being so cryptic about his future. What the hell was that thing about how he will sacrifice himself, he won't die, but he won't be alive either? Will his soul not find peace? Could he be some kind of ghost in pain? But what caught his attention the most was the fact that he will sacrifice himself to save his friends. Is this how he will die? But Hal said he wouldn't be completely dead.
"Damn!" Percy exclaimed, hitting the desk and getting his friends' attention.
Thalia slowly approached him.
"Percy, are you okay?" she asked, concern in her eyes. She looked at the computer and then at Hal. "He told you about your future, right? What was it?"
Before Thalia could read what was written, she hit the delete button.
"It's nothing," he said, then looked at Hal, daring him to say otherwise. "You just told me you didn't find any other solution besides Greek fire, right?"
Hal just nodded slowly.
"Percy will survive tonight too," he wrote. "But I didn't see anything that could help them."
Thalia looked at them both, not believing their words. Percy just hoped she didn't ask him anything about his future, because even he didn't know how to explain it properly since it was too confusing.
"Guys, I finished it," Luke said, approaching them, but stopped when he felt the tense atmosphere. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing," Percy said quickly. "Is that Greek fire?"
Luke had what looked like a jam jar containing some sort of thick, dark liquid. It seemed to be some kind of hellhound vomit, or something the Minotaur would shit when he had diarrhea.
"Are you sure it will work?" Thalia asked, analyzing the bottle.
"There's only one way to find out," Luke said, handing the vial to Thalia. "It needs a little spark." The glass will prevent it from exploding before breaking the jar.
Thalia didn't seem very excited.
"I'll try it," she said, not very convinced with the idea. "I'll have to take some cables out of the wall." And to summon the lightning, I have to concentrate for a few moments. You should move away a little. Just in case... you know, in case it explodes.
While Thalia began fiddling with the cables under the desk where the computer was, Hal grabbed an old green bound book and gestured for the two boys to follow him.
In front of the door through which they had entered, Hal opened the book and began to write with a pen that he took out of his jacket.
"Now I am sure that you are the ones who will end my curse. I think I finally understand why I'm cursed. Apollo was right. Sometimes it is better for the future to remain a mystery.
He gave Percy a compassionate look, as if the last few lines were specifically for him.
He pulled out the celestial bronze dagger from his belt and held it out to Luke.
"I can't," Luke said. "I mean, I appreciate it, but Percy is the one with the knives." I prefer swords. Besides, you will come with us. You need a weapon.
Hal shook his head and put the dagger in Luke's hands.
"It was a gift from the girl I saved," he wrote in his book. "She promised me that the dagger would always protect its owner."
Percy didn't want to say how ironic that sounded, given Hal's curse.
"Keep it," he continued writing. "It will be much more useful to you than to me." I'll feel better knowing you have it.
Hal looked at both teens, resolution in his old green eyes. And they understood what he meant by that.
"No," Luke said, his voice a little torn. "We'll all get out of here."
"Exactly," Percy supported. "That's what we're supposed to come for." To free you.
Hal looked at Percy with a sad smile.
"Believe me, my boy. You have freed me from my suffering. Besides, the three of us know that it is impossible to escape without someone distracting you. I can communicate with leukrotes. When the bars open, a panel will open where more of those monsters will enter. I'll lure you into the bathroom while you hide in the closet. Those seconds will be crucial before the explosion.
"No...I can't let you sacrifice yourself for us," Luke said, weakly.
A compassionate expression appeared on Hal's face. As if he found Luke's words moving.
"Today will be the day I do the right thing again," Hal wrote. "The day I redeem myself." The day when my curse will finally end.
Before Luke or Percy could object, thunder shook the walls of the house. From beneath the desk, an audible sound of sparking electricity was heard, followed by a small explosion on the computer screen, where the glass shattered into pieces. Black smoke came out of the CPU and a burning smell filled the room.
Thalia stood up with a smug smile, as if to say "It was a piece of cake." The wall behind her was destroyed and blackened. In Thalia's hands, the flask of Greek fire glowed a greenish hue.
"Greek fire home delivery," she said. "Please keep away from children."
"Thalia, among us, you are the youngest," Percy said.
"S-shut up!
Just then, the clock struck seven in the afternoon and the fence bars began to rise and, at the bottom of the cage, a rear panel began to rise. The monsters were coming.
The old prophet extended his hand.
"Thalia," Luke said, "Give the fire to Hal."
She looked at them both carefully.
-But...
"He's decided to do it," Percy said, with a hoarse voice. "He'll help us escape."
She looked at Percy and seeing the anguish on his face, she understood his words, and her face contorted in sadness.
"Percy, no...
The fence bars creaked because of how rusty they were, they were already raised halfway. And beneath the raised rear panel, red hooves were visible. In the hallway, the leucrotas growled and scratched at the door.
"There's no time," Percy urged, as he took Thalia's hand. "Come on!"
Hal snatched the vial from her hands and smiled feistily. He looked at Luke and Percy, and nodded at them both.
When the three were inside the closet, the leucrotas burst into the room. From the sound of their hooves hitting the floor, there had to be more than three.
"This way!" Hal's voice was heard. One of the leucrotas must have spoken for him, but her voice sounded braver and full of confidence. "I caught them in the bathroom!"
When the creatures entered the bathroom. Percy grabbed Luke and Thalia's hands.
"It's now or never.
He opened the closet with a spartan kick and they ran out in the direction of the cage. The panel was beginning to close, but they didn't stop. One of the leucrotas growled at them, as if she realized she was tricked. Running, Percy slid under the panel, followed by Thalia and Luke.
From the bathroom, Hal's voice shouted:
"Do you know what this is, damn disgusting waste from Tartarus!? It will be the last thing they see before they return from the disgusting hole they came from!
Before the panel closed completely, the last thing they saw was the leucrota lunging at them with its jaws open and Hal's voice shouting for the last time:
"BY APOLLO!
The panel closed completely and the mansion shook down to its hinges from the explosion. When they came out into the hallway where they had come, the place was already completely in flames. The fire spread impressively across the walls and carpet. The door to Hal's room flew out of its frame and fire emerged from it like a flamethrower, reducing everything it touched to ashes.
They ran to climb the stairs they had climbed, but as they were about to go down them, a group of about six leucrotae growled at them menacingly as they went up the stairs.
"Damn it!" Thalia growled. "We have to find another way out!"
"This way!" Luke shouted.
The three demigods ran down the other side of the hallway, which looked like a tunnel of fire from the flames of the Greek fire that spread rapidly throughout the place. Behind them, the leucrotas were quickly chasing them, hot on their heels.
At the end of the hallway, they saw a window covered by the same black curtains that was twisting from the fire that was burning them.
"Luke, go and pull back the curtains! We'll jump out the window!" Percy shouted. "Thalia and I will keep the leucrotas busy!"
"Okay!
As Luke ran towards the heavy curtain and began stabbing it with the dagger Hal had given him, Thalia and Percy stood in front of the approaching Leucrotae. Percy wielded his knife and Thalia her spear. They did what they could to keep the monsters at bay, but there were too many of them and they were beginning to overwhelm them. It was difficult to fight in such a tight place, but Percy tried his best. He killed every monster that came close, but for every one he killed another took its place. While Thalia kept them all as far away as possible thanks to the length of her spear.
In a moment of carelessness on Percy's part, a leucrota pounced on him and knocked him to the ground. He put his forearm on the monster's neck to prevent its bony jaws from tearing off his face.
"Percy!" Thalia shouted.
She grabbed her spear and tried to stab the leucrota with it, but it only went through her like a mirage. The leucrota turned to her and growled at her. Percy used that moment to grab his knife with his other hand and stab the monster in the head, turning it into a cloud of golden dust.
Thalia helped him up, while Percy breathed heavily.
"There are too many," said Percy, as he looked at the other leucrotas that were approaching.
"Damn it! If only I also had a weapon to fight with!
There were eight leucrotas that were slowly approaching, savoring their prey. Maybe they liked to play with their food. Although due to the narrow hallway, they could not approach in large numbers due to the flames corroding the walls.
"The bracelet"
"What?" Percy said, looking at the leucrotas in case one of them said something.
"This voice..." Thalia said.
¨Wear the bracelet. Shout his name! ¨
Realization hit Thalia. She tapped her bracelet and screamed as she extended it upwards.
-AEGIS!
Instantly, the bracelet expanded, becoming a bronze disc that Percy recognized as a shield. It had intricate designs on the edge, and in the center, plated in metal, was a face so hideous that it would be etched in the memory of anyone who saw it until the day they died. Percy had to hold back the urge to scream like a little girl when he saw the image of Medusa sculpted on the shield. He looked away, but the memory seemed to have been burned behind his eyelids.
Thalia pointed the shield at the Leucrotas, who squealed in fear like a puppy and began to back away. Some were not so lucky and went straight into the flames on the walls, who howled in pain as they began to burn.
But some were smarter. There were three of them who closed their eyes and slowly approached them. Thalia cursed beside her as she saw that, but Percy was too focused on the fire that had reached the ceiling and was beginning to crumble.
"Luke! Not yet!?" Thalia shouted, as she turned to see her friend who had grabbed a flaming stick and spread it all over the wildly writhing curtain.
Seeing that, Percy knew he needed a few more seconds, seconds they didn't have seeing the leucrotae that were just a few meters away from them. The situation was desperate, and they needed a desperate move.
"I have no choice," Percy thought.
"Thalia! "Luke!" he shouted. "Hold on!"
Percy looked at the leucrotae. He raised his right foot and strongly lowered it to the floor. The entire place began to shake violently, and from the place where Percy stomped, a crack began to spread rapidly in the direction of the monsters. The floor opened and the leucrotae fell towards the flames that had spread to the first floor.
"Percy...what the hell..." Thalia began.
"There is no time! We must jump!
It was at that moment that Luke pulled back the curtains and broke the windows. It was a jump of seven meters, but he did not hesitate at any of them. The three of them jumped and it was at that moment that the entire mansion exploded.
They landed roughly on the overgrown grass with an audible groan of pain. Percy felt like his eyes and throat were burning as if he had taken a bottle of acid. He coughed violently as he tried to stand up, but a little girl's scream caught his attention. He had initially thought it was Thalia and that worried him. But it only turned out to be Luke who had seen Medusa's face directly on Thalia's new shield. He quickly crawled behind Percy and used him as his shield.
"What the hell is that thing?" he shouted, behind Percy.
Thalia stood up and rubbed her head. She looked at her shield and then at Luke.
"It's the weapon my father promised me," she explained.
"A shield?" Percy asked, doubtful.
"He told me he would give me something to protect my friends.
Percy nodded, accepting that fact. That shield could be very useful if the monsters fled in terror at the sight of it.
The three walked away from the burning mansion and stopped at the monument where they had met Amalthea. Thalia turned her spear back into a spray can and her shield into the same bracelet. The three watched the mansion burn. The bricks collapsed. The grass began to burn. The roof collapsed and smoke rose into the dark night sky.
Percy was surprised when Thalia, who was next to him, hugged her tightly, burying her face in his chest, and began to sob. Percy felt tears soak his shirt, but he didn't care. He began to caress Thalia's back in a comforting motion.
"He sacrificed himself," she said, her voice muffled. "Why has he saved us?"
"Because he felt it was right," Percy said, quietly. "Just like he felt it was right to save that girl."
Beside him, Luke looked at the dagger Hal had given him. The dagger that girl had given him. He looked back at the burning mansion, tears welling in his eyes.
"He chose to be a hero," Luke said, his voice hoarse. "The best I've ever met."
Percy didn't know how long they were like this. Thalia crying into his chest as he comforted her and Luke looking at the burning mansion in silence, tears falling down his cheeks.
"Percy" Luke began"What you did at the mansion... when the leucrotas were cornering us...
"I don't want to talk about that," Percy said, with no room for arguments.
He was being selfish by saying that, he knew it. But he didn't want to say it, not even Sammy knew, and he planned to keep it that way.
Luke looked at him in a way that Percy couldn't identify.
Was he upset about hiding what he was capable of?
Happy that they could survive because of what he was capable of?
Sad because they couldn't save Hal?
Percy also wondered if they would have all made it out alive if he showed them what he was really capable of.
"We all have secrets," Luke said. "But even with some secrets, a friend is a friend." Is friendship forcing him to tell a secret? I think not. I'll wait until you're ready to tell me. Isn't that what a friend would do?
"We're your friends, Percy," Thalia said, her head still resting on Percy's chest.
"Guys..." Percy felt a warm feeling in his chest. It was comforting and very pleasant."Thank you.
The sound of sirens brought everyone back to reality. None of them wanted to stay here and be questioned by the police or any authority. None of them were in the best mood to deal with mortals.
"It's time to go," Percy said, gently pushing Thalia aside.
Before leaving, he took one last look at the burning mansion. Promising himself that he would never forget Halcyon Green, the son of Apollo who had sacrificed his life to save them. Luke was right. He was a hero, and deserved to be remembered as such.
...
..
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I must say that writing this chapter was difficult. I wanted to follow the original story of The Diary of Luke Castellan in The Diaries of the Demigod, but I also wanted to make it different in some important points, which will make more sense later.
The story is little by little taking shape and the adventures have only just begun for our beloved group of demigods.
And, in equally important news, I want to give the opening of what I call the "Specials" of the story, which will be short comedy stories about the story.
Special No. 1"Percy's Nightmare
Percy didn't know where he was, the darkness that surrounded him didn't give him any clue, but there was something that was known very well; I had to run, and fast.
And so he did. He ran without looking back, because he knew they were chasing him. I could hear their screams and protests.
"There it is!
"Don't let him escape!
"Catch him!
Doing everything demigodly possible, Percy kept running until he saw a wooden door in the distance and knew he was in a long hallway. When he reached the door, he turned the knob trying to open it, but it didn't budge. With the screaming that was getting closer, Percy was getting more and more nervous.
"There!" he heard someone shout. "He's trying to escape through the door!"
When his pursuers were only a few meters away from him, Percy kicked the door hard, opening it roughly. He quickly entered without looking back and closed the door. As he leaned against the door, he allowed himself to take a long, tired sigh. The knocking and shouting from the other side of the door made him even more nervous.
"Open the door this instant!
"Don't think we'll let you escape after what you did to us!
"No... I couldn't help it..." Percy murmured, while covering his ears with his hands.
-Killer!
"No!" Percy shouted, while covering his ears with his hands. "Leave me alone!"
But they didn't, the sound of banging on the door increased even more and, with a loud bang, the door was ripped from its frame, knocking Percy to the floor. He stood up painfully, pushing the door that fell on him, and turned around. Looking face to face with those who had been pursuing him with such fervor these past few minutes.
There were many. They entered through the collapsed door like a stampede of wild animals. Percy could only watch as they surrounded him and left him around a circle formed by them.
With the darkness slightly dissipating, Percy could see who they were. Its rounded shape was the most notable thing. Others had a more ovoid shape, while others had a more elongated and thinner shape. There were even those who had a slight deformation on their bulky bodies. But they all shared a common characteristic, which was their yellowish color and they had small grooves on their bodies that represented their facial expressions. And each and every one of them was angry as they looked at Percy.
He couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. He was surrounded by potatoes who were very angry with him.
"How could you do this to us!?" a potato demanded in a feminine voice"We haven't done anything wrong to you!
"I haven't done anything to them!" Percy defended himself. "I don't understand why you're so angry with me!"
"Don't you dare lie to us!" another potato shouted, with an old, masculine voice. "You murdered my son!"
-No! I'm not a murderer!
"You are!" another potato shouted. "You... you... you ate them!"
Percy opened his eyes in surprise. He felt a strange coldness in his chest upon hearing that. He...had he murdered all those fries when he ate them?
"You ate my dad and my mom!
¨Potatoes reproduce?!¨ Percy asked, astonished.
"You ate all of them!
"You ate my brother!
"You ate my husband!
"And the worst of all is... that you ate them without ketchup!
"Now we will eat you so that you know the pain of what you put our people through!
The potatoes began to slowly approach Percy, who was in the middle of them all with nowhere to run. No matter where he looked, he only found the potatoes' expression of anger, anger, and fury.
"No... stay away!" Percy said, while trying to push the potatoes away.
"You will feel our pain!
-No...
-Killer!
-No!
"We'll eat you without ketchup!
"Get away from me!" Percy shouted, as he stood up from the floor where he was lying.
Unfortunately, as he did so, Percy felt a sharp pain in his forehead as he hit something hard, causing him to lie down again while groaning slightly in pain.
"What a way to wake up," Thalia commented, as she gently rubbed the site of the impact.
Pushing away the last vestiges of sleep, Percy sat up and his hand ended up resting on the empty bag of chips he ate before going to sleep. He turned and grabbed the empty wrapper and scowled at it, remembering the events of his recent nightmare filled with angry potatoes thirsting for revenge.
"Hey, is something wrong?" Thalia asked.
Percy sighed, balling up the empty bag and putting it in his backpack.
"Just a strange dream," he said under his breath. "And a very strange one."
"Dreams of demigods are always strange.
"No, it wasn't a demigod dream. Believe me.
"Hey, Thalia, do you know why Percy looks so closely at that French fry?" "Luke asked, looking curiously at his friend.
"I don't know," Thalia said, just as curious. "He's been doing it for over a minute."
"Maybe he doesn't like it?" Annabeth asked, joining the conversation.
"A French fry that Percy doesn't like?" said Sammy, in a funny way. "I'd like to see that."
The four of them looked at Percy, who was still staring at the fry with obvious intensity. A few seconds later, he shrugged. He put the fry in his mouth and ate it.
...
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[T/N: If you see any mistakes don't hesitate to comment on them, I don't trust this new editing style all that much so if there are too many mistakes I may just switch back to my old style. If you like this chapter then leave a comment, drop some stones, and write a review! If you want to read some advanced chapters then check out my Patreon!]
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