Percy Jackson and The Powers of Chaos

Chapter 17: The Pit of Darkness II

Artemis' PoV

As I walked towards the Black palace in the distance followed by Nico, Thalia and Mrs'O'Leary, A shudder suddenly went through me. It was a could feeling lingering in my heart and mind. I couldn't shake off this feeling of dread... Something terrible must've happened right now and I had a feeling Perseus had something to do with it.

Nevertheless I walked on. I looked back for the others and found it pretty amusing when I saw a giant hell hound whimpering and hiding behind Nico, who himself took each step with caution. Thalia was a bit more confident but not much.

"You two... I think it is better if I go on alone. I am immortal after all."

"We won't leave you alone, my Lady! Percy is our friend,too!" She looked back to Nico who grimaced as if he had just wanted to run away but was forced to stay.

"Right..." I smiled lightly at them and then began to move again.

"Alright, do as you wish..." We walked and walked but the palace seemed to mover farther away.

Slowly our way was covered by mist. I could only see a few meters barely enough to see the rest of my group.

"Stay together!" I shouted to them. Walking through the thick mist we heard some creepy noises. I was always at the ready, but luckily nothing happened and we reached a sea... It seemed to be black contrasting the white mist. There was a bridge with a lone ferry.

"We have to get across... Hurry." I stepped onto the ferry followed by the other , Mrs O'Leary in her small cute form and we began to float across the quiet sea. I saw Thalia leaning over the edge looking closer at the water and reached out with her hand but stopped before she touched it... I saw her eyes widen in shock.

"That is..." Of course I already knew what it was...

"Blood." Suddenly I heard a scream and water splashing. I whirled around and saw a skeleton hand grabbing Thalia's wrist and pulling itself onto the boat. It was pure black soaked in blood and had flames of hell in their eyes. We fought the skeletons off kicking them from the boat. The ferry began to sway dangerously creating waves on the surface of the sea of blood.

"I can't control them are they really dead?" I sighed.

"No these poor souls aren't dead, sentenced to wander between life and death for eternity in endless pain. Most of them have been here since ancient times... They will never leave this pit of darkness."

"Well it would be good if the'd stay away from us."

The damned finally stopped their attempts so we floated on in silence until the mist faded. In front of us was now a giant waterfall of blood divided in the middle and behind them a giant gate of bronze. Behind the divided waterfall the path got more narrow just big enough to pass through the gate. The blood fell down to both sides into the depth.

The gate began to open slowly creating waves making our boat sway dangerously again, but we made it through coming to another bridge. Thalia, Nico and small Mrs O'Leary immediately jumped. We were now in a canyon of some kind. The doors behind us were closed now and our only way out was in front of us, a narrow path. The walls to both sides reached several dozens of meters high and I couldn't see the ceiling anymore.

"What the hell...? Where did that door and the canyons come from? I didn't see them before..."

"Tartarus is a mystery to even me... so just move..." Nico just sighed and we just walked on.

Percy's PoV

Once again I just waded through the darkness... I still couldn't believe what happened. Nyx, the primordial goddess of the night just kissed me. Well it was alright I didn't have a girlfriend so who cares, right? In that moment I thought back to the time I died, when Artemis sat over me crying openly. I couldn't finish my last sentence... but what did I want to say...? Was it possible that I...