Percy Jackson: The Light Bringer

I Knew He Was A Phil

   It's was...horrifying, at the very least.

   As the pendant touched Danwer's skin, he screamed in pain. His veins popped out, slowly turning from blue to green. Long strands of energy emerged from the pendant, slithering up Danwer's arm like a million termites.

   I watched in horror as  the web-like strands enveloped parts of him, like an incomplete cocoon.  After a tense moment, Danwer's screams gradually became subdued, as did his breathing. It may have been my eyes playing tricks on me, but I noticed his skin getting more...grey.

   Turns out, my eyes are fine...damn you eyes.

   [[{ Sorry bout the 'dam' joke but it's starting to get weird }]]

   Danwer, from what I can tell, was turning into a...statue? He slowly turned towards me, his eyes almost hollow and his skin almost cement. I watched his mouth move but what he spoke was little more than a whisper. I listened closer, hoping to hear his last words.

   "My name..." he said, in a voice that resembled rocks grinding against each other, "Is Cartaphilus"

   "Most Loved...Rest in peace, Phil" I said in a sad tone, my brain translating the ancient language. The corners of Danwer, sorry Phil's, lip curved upward, forming, what I could only imagine was, a smile.

   I saw the light leave from his eyes and the soul drain from his body. The latter was quite literal. I saw a mist leave Phil's body. It wasn't white, it wasn't ghostly, it was just...transparent. The mist was completely transparent. I couldn't describe it and how I saw it, but it was just...there. 

   Cartaphilus's body crumbled into dust, a blend of grey and sparkling gold. The pendant dropped out of his hand...well his hand dropped out of the pendant, and fell to the ground. The mist hovered over it, and as I watched, it split into two. 

   I can't say by how much it split, whether it was fifty-fifty or not, because the very aspect of the soul and the soul itself was unquantifiable. I don't suppose you could understand until you see it. One part of the mist gradually rose upwards and outward. I looked on, as it became more and more invisible, until I couldn't see it anymore.

   The other part still hovered over the pendant but gradually lowered itself onto it. It merged with it and all of a sudden, I felt a huge pulse of energy from it. The pendant started giving off a soft green glow and I bent forward to pick it up from the ground. 

   The green artefact pulsed in my hand, it's vibrations reminding me of a beating heart. I felt a familiar feeling pass through my body...the feeling of death. I closed my eyes and reached out to the presence.

   "Death, can you hear me?" I asked, eyes still closed. For a few seconds, there was no answer. However, I soon got a reply. "You will need her" I heard Death's voice say. I nodded, knowing that Death probably couldn't see me. I felt the presence leave and I opened my eyes. 

   "I will grant her safe passage, but I need the amulet" said the guardian in the room, putting forth his opened palm. I thanked him softly and placed the pendant in his hand. I was not unmindful of the fact that his thumb was bigger than me. I failed to see how a tiny amulet could help the metal giant.

   But then again, when do things ever make sense?

   The giant curled up his fingers, securing the amulet, and lifted it upto his chest. Then I saw him clench his fist harder and a green light slowly filled the room. I had to cover my eyes to avoid being temporarily blinded. When the light cleared, the giant looked a few millennia younger. His once dented metal was now without fault. The light in his eyes was now much brighter and his anatomy looked better than ever.

   He looked down at me, the creaking sound of his mechanical parts no more, and nodded his head in thanks. He then turned and faced the door. He placed his enormous palm on the crease between the doors. Whatever was behind the doors started glowing brighter, as indicated by the increase in luminosity of the small rays of light that passed through the gaps.

   I knew something was happening as soon as I saw a huge strange symbol appear on the doors. I had never seen it before but I knew what it meant; protection, guarding, safekeeping and eternity. It was one of those symbols that didn't have a beginning or an end and kept going in a loop. It was relatively simple and had four parts of it. Kinda reminded me of a pizza cut into four equal pieces.

< it's Celtic... a shield knot.

>

   I watched as the symbol burnt itself off, beginning from the edges and moving inwards, until it disappeared into ashes. As the symbol disappeared, I heard a rumbling noise. Then followed other noises like latches opened. I guess that meant that the door was open. Wait...wasn't that bad?

   "These aren't the Doors of Carnage. They are merely...a checkpoint of sorts. What you seek lies ahead, across the barren landscape of The Expanse." He said, probably reading my mind. Lots of new terms there. Doors of Carnage is what I seek huh? Well, that doesn't sound pretty. 

   "Wait...I need to know. If worst comes to worst, how do I stop War." I asked. It was always good to have a backup plan. And considering that the guardian could supposedly 'see-all', he was a pretty good person to ask. But what he replied made me freeze up.

        "Oh but you can't stop War" he said, a deep laugh escaping from his throat.

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