ATN 3: THE JAR IN THE MAZE

REACHING THE FATES

I had travelled through the Labyrinth for about an hour. I felt hungry alright. Luckily, right before leaving Zaanse Schans through the way behind Wevershuis, I had bought myself some Bitterballen, and some Dutch chocolate cookies, on my way to the museum. Now, after the fight (one sided) against Lamia, I had totally forgotten about it. And hence, like a horrible person, I didn't give the twins some of my food, when they were clearly hungry. I had only offered them some water. I really wished the boys would be fine, and my Caspers would have sent them home with full care, and they would have eaten something at home.

I got into another room. The room seemed to have been different from outside. There was a door leading me out. I walked straight through the door, and found myself back in the same room. I tried going out the same way again. Again, I was returned back into the same room. So, I did what I thought I should do. I turned, and went through the door I had come in. This time, I found myself outside the room. Well done, me.

I looked at the string, which pointed towards right. I turned right and moved forward. I felt hungry, and despite having food inside my bag, there wasn't a good place to sit and eat. As soon as I walked into the tunnel, I found holes on the ground, all through the tunnel. This wasn't normal. There were no pipe or ducts down there. So why the holes?

I conjured up a rock, and threw it on the ground inside the tunnel. It landed, took a bounce, and landed again. As soon as it did, blades came out of the holes, and disappeared. They disappeared as fast they had appeared. But, not all the holes attacked the rock, only the one on which the rock fell, and the ones to it's left and right. I knew what I had to do to get past.

The string was asking me to go straight. I could even see the end to this tunnel. So I ran, with all the energy I had left. I skipped the blades one by one, and thought I would escape this easily. But sadly, I was having a bad day, or a bad week, depending on what measure of time it was in the world above. I stepped on my foot, and slowed down. And the last blade rammed through my right foot, making a whole in my Nikes. Blood gushed out, and I groaned in pain.

I had made it out of that tunnel. I was alive, so the hopes of the demigods to win this war was still on. I realized then, that if I didn't succeed, we would lose the war due to ghostly intervention (caused by me). So, I had to succeed. Suddenly, I started to feel pressure. Thoughts attacked my mind. What would happen if I failed? So, I sat down. I closed my eyes, and calmed myself. I pulled out the bottle of nectar, and drank a sip. Within seconds, I stopped feeling the pain in my leg, which was still bleeding. I drank another sip, and put the bottle back. Then, I thought that I should eat. So, I ate some Bitterballens, which were fried balls made of sausages. I had one Dutch chocolate cookie. The meal was short, but it was delicious. 

After the meal, I took a pill of ambrosia. I needed time to let my foot heal. It would need an hour in a world outside these tunnels and chambers. Here, it would need a minute, I suppose. So, I kept sitting, and tried communicating my girlfriend, and then, my sisters. 

I tapped on the Iris-ring's stone and remembered Tina. She immediately appeared in a small communicating portal. "Jay?" She asked, "Jay, where are you?"

"Why? Have the gigantes attacked?"

"No. It's just..." Her voice broke, "I haven't seen you for long."

"I know, Tina. I miss you too. How's the preparation of battle?"

"The traps are all set. We are ready for war. It's just, it has been five days, without any contact from your side."

"I am fine, honey. I just had a cut on my foot, due to some stupid blade trap. Otherwise, I am fine. I was in Netherlands."

"What?"

I told her all about the incidents in Zaanse Schans. She looked at me and smiled at me in a way that made her look like she might cry. I gave her a flying kiss, and asked, "How are the others taking the news?"

"Mixed. Urwa, Gerard and Del are not blaming you at all. The Atlanteans also think the same. Just the Amazons are the ones who have been talking behind our backs."

"Abhro?"

"He is fine. He is happy, helping again."

"How is Iris taking it, Tina?"

"Iris. Well, she loves you, Jay. She isn't angry at you at all. But she says that you did make a mistake. And it was upto you to correct it."

"Honey, I need to talk to my sisters. Send my regards to Dadai and Abhro, and all the others. I gotta go."

"Take care. Bye, Jay."

"Bye." I waved my hand, and pressed the stone again, cutting the call. Then, I pressed the stone again, and remembered Riya. The portal window opened, and I saw Riya, and Hiya, both their heads on the lap of Triton, who was shirtless, as always. "I see you are busy." I said.

"JAY!" Riya jumped up, "BOI!!!"

"How are you two?"

"Jay da, I'm here!" Hiya screamed.

"I can see." I said.

"I'm here too, you know." Triton said, putting his head down, and placing it right in between my sisters, "How is the Fate visit going?"

"I still searching for their house." I said, "Lord Triton, I am so sorry."

"It doesn't matter now. The thing is, you realized, and your are embarking on a journey to correct it. That's what heroes do."

"I am...a...hero?"

"Not yet. But if you succeed."

"Okay, Dad, let us talk to him." Riya jumped in front again.

"Hold on, how did you know about the ghostly interventions? What ghosts intervened there?"

"None." Riya said, "Lady Amphitrite told us."

"How's everything coming along?" I asked, "Pontus?"

"Still asleep. We are still looking for his divine home." Hiya said, "We are pretty close. We needed a place to sleep the night. Dad found us a hotel."

"What's the plan?"

"Pontus likes children. Whichever race they may be." Triton said, "Humans, gods, animals, monsters, you name it. If that's a baby, that needs protecting, according to him. The last time he woke up angry, I was a baby. I had to calm him down, since, I was the only one he would listen to. So, the plan is to take my daughters, who are still babies, and get Lord Pontus to wake up."

"Then what?"

"Pontus has a certain aura in the sea. He was the primordial sea. So, when he speaks, everyone under the seas listens. If he wanted, he would have thrown Polybotes into Chaos. But he is a person of peace. He wants peace, he wants to be left alone, unless he is absolutely needed."

"Where is your family?"

"Upwards. I was tasked with taking my girls down here. They are fighting a lost war, if Pontus isn't woken up. Anyway, talk to these two. I need some water." Triton disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.

I looked at the two, understood what they wanted to ask, and said, "I couldn't let him die."

"And you were right. Don't worry, you'll get there." Riya said, "If you ever feel lost, remember one thing."

"What?"

"All four of us love you. We love you so much, that none of us will separate from each other easily. So, if you feel lost, remember that. The way ahead will be very very clear." Hiya grinned at me. I had tears in my eyes. I was lucky, way luckier than some of the other demigods on a dangerous mission. We talked for a while, and then, I signed off. My foot was completely healed. Now was the time to move ahead.

The string showed me a spiraling path ahead. I walked on it for about half hour, and when I saw the end, I found myself getting out of the Labyrinth again. "Oh great, which beautiful place am I being led now?"

I stepped out, and saw a palace. It was huge, sky touching. The walls were white, and made of marbles. It was the shape of an Olympian palace, but had a scary sense to it. There was no life around it. I looked at the screen of the string, which said, 'Destination reached'. I had reached the home to the Moirai, the three sisters of Fate.