The Second Legion

Opposites

 That night, Cora had the strangest dream about Carlos. Pia and Lucas were holding hands on a bench facing someone they didn't agree on something, but for the strangest reason, she couldn't hear anything. Well good for them, they finally saw that they both liked each other. Great. But then the view switched, and now, it was from Pia's perspective, and what she saw, was disgusting. Helena walked up and threw Carlos' arm over her shoulders. Carlos just raised an eyebrow and continued talking. As soon as Carlos' face came into view, Cora melted. She wanted to hate him, she wanted to be analyzing how to kill him, to make a plan... it just wasn't possible.

The dream carried on, despite Cora's wishes. The group headed to dinner, but Helena was sitting in Cora's spot! Fortunately for Helena, Carlos was weak when it came to 'admirers' and obliged, to whatever she wanted. Cora told herself that she was over Carlos, but still, this really bothered her. And that didn't make sense anyway. This couldn't have been real, because Pia was alive.

That wasn't true at all. Zarah had sworn up and down that Carlos had a plan to kill Pia for Hades, to start a war. This being said, she could forgive him for everything if Pia was alive. That's the only thing that she would ever, could ever, want.

Pia and Lucas slowly made their way underground. The black obsidian rock walls and ceiling was wet, like the deepest cave, unadorned by the glittering crystals that hung like chandeliers, where Pia's adventures had started of exploring caves back in Kentucky, where the mammoth cave was. The longest cave in the US. Instead of these, the only decorations were old skulls, which disintegrated, and flaked onto their heads like lice as cars from above rambled on. When they reached the bottom of a long snakey staircase, they paused for a breather.

"So..." Lucas started, "Do we know where to go?"

"Oh... I have no idea." Pia emerged from thought.

"Well, why not the deepest part? Besides Tartarus?" Lucas suggested.

"That sounds reasonable... Sounds like a good place to start."

As the two started going down, (the earth was visibly tilted) they came upon a visible problem. Cerberus. The giant three-headed dog that guarded the paths to the underworld. "What do we do?" "Wait... do you hear that?" As Lucas listened, a swoosh, gurgle, pop! The repetitive sound could be heard coming from their right. The two strained their eyes and ears to see what was making it.

A small boat could be seen, with a rickety driver to match. The driver had clear sinking skin, that melted off of the bone, sliding in slimy flakes, onto the rotten boat below. The eyes were pure white, yet hazy and the teeth black, which could be seen when he looked up, for his jaw was detached, and the skin at either side of it ripped, which made a vision that Pia was not soon to forget, without gagging or maybe throwing up.

The sound could now be matched with the up and down movement of the paddle as it pushed the boat forward, through the black, acid water. The water in itself was littered with trash and garbage of every type.

"Soluciones?" 'Payment?' The voice croaked. Pia handed over a small bag of dramachas, and he swung open the gate, so they could board the boat, which in turn was squeaky and rusted. "Tu vide quid fiet de flumine? Humanum quod factum est pollutio." Pia and Lucas translated easily, 'Do you see what has become of the river? Human pollution has done this.' "Haec est nimis ... fluxus flumen in mortale mundi?" Lucas questioned- 'That's very sad, does the river flow into the mortal world?' The boat driver nodded, and pointed to where the current started, a small slit of light scratched the horizon. The two questors looked at each other, and a plan formed in Pia's mind.

They had just reached the other side of the river and had barely stepped out when an arrow pierced through the dilapidated tree stump at Pia's feet, and she yelped, gripping Lucas' hand so tight it started to turn white at the knuckles. He tapped her hand, and she lessened her grip. "Sorry..." she mumbled. "Pia, look at this." "A note?" "Yup." "What does it say?"

"It says... I know what you are up to. You will never get her back into the light, nor will you see the light either. But by all means, come and get her! But when you come to your senses, let me know. We may be able to strike a bargain." "Why don't I just fly up to the general direction of the arrow! Then we can attack her from above!" "That's the issue, here is what it says next... if you want my help (Which is the only way to get to her) you may not fly up to me. Follow the red string." "Do we need his or her help?" "I mean, it does say that it is the only way to get her." "Hmm ok. I say that we just do as it says... but what string?" After looking for some time, they spotted it. A measly, beaten up looking thing, when held for too long, frayed and split.

The two hastily followed the red string to the summit of a mountain. The broken greyed slate slipping under their feet. Pia did not like the feel of this at all. Why would someone want to help them? Maybe there was some negotiating to do with the person.

When they were no further than twenty feet from the summit, another arrow was let loose. With almost no light in the cavern, Pia could not see the arrow protruding from Lucas's bicep. She didn't even see the arrow being shot.

So when there was an audible groan, she just assumed that he was tired of the climb. "C'mon Luc' almost there!" They climbed up in the cavern as the noise of Lucas groaned, ripping out the arrow. Bad choice. Every few seconds as he was losing lots of blood. "PIA!" Lucas shouted with the last of his energy. "What is it, Luke'... Luke'?" Pia turned around to see Lucas on the floor, with the arrow in his hands, blood up to the feathers. The arrow had gone completely through his arm and had pierced the first inch of the side of his chest.

Pia gasped and ran to him "Hold on, it may hurt a little, just a warning." She didn't have much time in the medical classes, but when she was in them, she paid attention. Out of her ponytail, she left a rubber band and took a scrunchie, a tactic that she always used, (after all, the prettiest ones were the ones that didn't stay in your hair) moving it up his arm slowly, a few inches above the wound, preventing most blood flow. Then she ripped off her sweatshirt and flipped it inside out, applying pressure to the wound, seeing as she had to go up to the top of the summit, and couldn't stay here, applying pressure, and obviously, neither could he, she used her other rubberband to keep the sweatshirt in place. She took out the rope that used to be used to tighten the hood and used it to pin his arm and sweatshirt to the other arrow wound. She fed him ambrosia and gave him a canteen of nectar.

"Lucas, I have to go to the top, when you have enough strength, get yourself out of here." She handed him another sack of dramachas. She now only had one left. Without looking for a reaction, and praying that her healing job would last, she hiked on. Yet again, Lucas's voice called her back. "Pia, one last thing." "She turned back. "What?" He showed her the arrowhead, with a small scroll attached to it. I will not be in the presence of men.

At the summit of the climb, a hunter stood definitely, with a hand on her hip, and the other on a silver jambiya and a bow and arrow on her shoulder. She wore a white shirt, silver jacket, silvery camo pants, and black combat boots. She had short, choppy black hair, and a silver band on her forehead with a blue diamond on it. Tied around her waist was a black leather jacket. A hunter of Artemis.

"You, with your worthless bow and arrow, shot my-" "Yatta yatta yatta, I shot your boyfriend through the arm and into his ribs. Blah blah blah." "He's not my boyfriend." "Oh?" "No, we're just friends." "Yu huh." "Who are you?" "I am Thalia. Daughter of Zeus, Lieutenant of Artemis. And you are Pia. You are looking for your sister, Cora. Believe it or not, I also am in need of her capabilities." "She's my sister. What do you need her for... Thalia." "My lady requires her. It is none of your concern." "Fine. What do you want? You said you wanted a bargain." " Well, here is my proposition. I help you get her back, and in return, she gets an audience with My Lady." "Umm... ok." "Great. Here's the plan."