Chương 63: Finding a grave

Author Note: Sorry for being gone for so long but hey I'm back. I'll probably continue going for now since I have ton of stashed chapters just in case I go into hibernation again lol.

Either way I'll stop bothering you guys now and enjoy the chapter.

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{New York, April 30th 2005}

Scratching Lailaps' chin I started thinking on how to find Ajax's grave, I mean sure I could simply use the compass to lead me to it but honestly I wanted to finish this quest as soon as possible. I wanted to go back home, to camp sure I could go for a few days but leaving a quest unfinished is always a bad idea, so it was time to speedrun the last two, at least I was going to try.

So thinking over Ajax's story I started to recall, if nothing had happened over the last three millennia his grave should be in the Isle of Salamis an island next to a gulf in Greece. At least that should be the case if I could remember dad's classes about geography well enough.

"Lailpas, Swiper shadow." I mumbled my companions nodded at my words jumping into my shadow, where I soon followed.

{Island of Salamis, April 31st 2005}

Emerging from a shadow into the beating greek sun, a tendril of shadows emerged from my own placing a familiar object into my hand, a compass.

"Let's do a few more surrounding jumps, just to make sure this is the place."

A few jumps later I confirmed that Ajax the Great's grave, was indeed in this place.

"Swiper come out."

Swiper jumped from my shadow growing from the size of a house cat to a rhinoceros, after which I swiftly jumped onto its back.

"Master where to."

"Forward Swiper, I'll direct you as we move."

— —

"Looks like this is the place." I whispered looking upon a rock structure, moss covered, built into a small hill. Using the shadows and darkness of the tomb I looked inside, there I could see a small pyre rotten yet standing, with a skeleton inside, decayed until only its bones were left, two golden drachmas on its eye sockets signaling the payment for Charon.

We were about to head in when..

—BOOM—

The ground quaked something, no someone had come for me.

"Swiper get inside."

He simply nodded at my words jumping into my shadow once more.

"Ha,Ha,Ha!!"

A booming male voice echoed throughout the entire island, shaking it.

"Finally, that wretched woman let me off that stupid island! You have my gratitude young demigod but the only reason I got out is because I must kill you after your trespassing. So thanks but you need to die now!"

The dust settled and I could finally see who was responsible though I already had a slight idea. Still his slicked backed hair, robes, a huge club bigger than even himself and the same eyes I had seen on Thalia, it was Heracles the god of strength.

"So pick up your weapon show me what the demigod that even Hera herself hates so much that she allowed me to come and kill you!"

Raising his club, over his head a fiendish, battle like grin graving his face. I responded in kind summoning my spear into my hand. His eyes widened seeing my weapon, his grin widening even more "The pelian spear, huh. OUR BATTLE WILL BE LEGENDARY!!"

I knew this would be a tough battle ahead so I recited those few special words "Οπάλιον σβέσον τὸ φῶς σου (Opal dim your light)"

My sclera and pupils went as black as a starless sky, I could feel my attunement to the shadows growing, a feeling I had gotten used to over the last few months.

Summoning a tendril from Heracles' shadow, I ordered it to entangle him barbs growing around him trying to pierce his skin yet only a screeching sound resounded like metal on metal. The tendril didn't seem to be doing much, ass Heracles flexed his muscles the tendril shattering.

"Huh, interesting!" His voice continued to boom, slamming his back foot on the earth shattering the ground under him and before I could even register it the god was in front of me, his club a hair's breath away from slamming into my face, and then it did.

-CARCK-

I was sent flying across the air, shadowy threads appearing around my face fixing my displaced nose.

"Goddam, I put up a shield and it still went through, I couldn't even teleport fast enough." I grumbled under my breath, a shadow spreading across my face, cleaning up the blood that was dripping from my now fixed nose.

Still the god didn't give me any breathing room once again appearing in front of me slamming his maximized baseball bat into me, which I blocked by raising my spear still I was went flying once more summoning two tendrils which planted me back to the floor.

Looking up to the god who was putting me almost on the run, my face paled. The club had turned into a bow, an arrow already knocked on it, and then he fired.

Shadows rose from the ground, creating walls upon walls, still the arrow shattered each one, I continued creating more before sinking into the floor, reappearing at Heracles' back. My own shadow entered my body strengthening me and then I lunged.

The god seemed to notice my lunge as he sidestepped with an almost prepared swiftness, still I knew this could happen, so using my momentum I threw myself at his face, my palm clenching around his eyes before slamming him into the ground, a shadow escaping his sockets and entering my palm.

Heracles didn't seemed to be bothered as he punched my gut a cracking sound resonating in my ears, as I flew upwards into the sky. Still midair I sunk into my shadow reappearing in a shadow of a nearby tree.

Black threads spread through my torso fixing a few of my cracked ribs.

"Shit the powers are already fading." I said between sighs repeating the magic words over and over in my head. I didn't get it, I had beaten Janus and Akhlys with almost no difficulty why was it so hard to beat Heracles.

"Come on demigod try harder." Heracles' voice echoed my ears, swinging his club around almost hypnotically.

I gritted my teeth at his words, raising up from the floor, two shadows at my side one of a dog the other of a fox.

"Master we are here to help you."

"Thanks guys but I don't think this is a good idea."

Lailpas and Swiper didn't hear my words, Swiper grew even larger than a garbage truck and they both lunged themselves at him.

[Greek Myth Fact: Ajax, in Greek legend, son of Telamon, king of Salamis, described in the Iliad as being of great stature and colossal frame, second only to the Greek hero Achilles in strength and bravery. He engaged Hector (the chief Trojan warrior) in single combat and later, with the aid of the goddess Athena, rescued the body of Achilles from the hands of the Trojans. He competed with the Greek hero Odysseus for the armor of Achilles but lost, which so enraged him that it caused his death. According to a later story, Ajax's disappointment drove him mad. On coming to his senses, he slew himself with the sword that he had received as a present from Hector. The legend has it that from his blood sprang a red flower that bore on its leaves the initial letters of his name, AI, letters that are also expressive of lament. Ajax was the tutelary hero of the island of Salamis, where he had a temple and an image and where a festival called Aianteia was celebrated in his honor.]

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