I'm not even a little bit sorry about how anime-like this has all been.
I realized, belatedly, that I would have to retcon some things from PJO, specifically the battle of the labyrinth, but I have an idea for it don't you worry.
Hundreds upon thousands, gathered in one place but not together. A mass of greed and spite, bodies pushing and shoving, mouths snarling, body-parts thrashing.
It's awe spiring in that it is terrifying.
The sight of certain death.
And pass all of the monstrous forces standing at Tartarus' heart, held into place by titanic chains, is a set of massive black doors.
Χέιζουλ
The entrance to the Necromanteion looks like ruins, even to their mist-free sight, but the energy there is nothing less than mythical. After discussing things over, Reyna and Coach Hedge both decide to stay behind on the Argo II, in case they take too long to return.
Her brother's wielding the staff of Diocletian with a surprisingly relaxed expression, he even leans into the staff as he hands them the barley cakes they have to eat in order to survive this trip. Everyone else has their weapons on hand, but the mood isn't as tense as it could be.
The descend in silence, and the mist wraps and coils around them as they go, revealing an entrance to the lower floors that had been just a wall a second before. Each path of the catacomb seems to incline just slightly, taking them lower and lower into the earth.
On a particularly wide passage, they find the old chalice, the one they must drink from in order to access the even lower levels, and the room where the door of death await them. Nico walks to the chalice, and they all watch him take a sip, then he turns towards Jason.
She can't help but think that it's premeditated, even if Jason is the closest to him, and she swears there's some sort of challenge on her brother's gaze. Jason takes the drink, and passes the cup to Frank, this is also planned.
Frank hesitates, and she watches Leo pat him on the back, swipe the chalice and take a drink, then he presses it back into his hands. The two stare at each other for a moment, but then Frank finally drinks.
Piper and her are the last to take the chalice, and the contents of it are overly sweet and just a bit like something rotten. There's nothing to the drink other than that, but as the last drop is taken the entire room shakes.
They all jump into action, gathering close, but it's useless, the ground snarls, the roof caves, and then there's darkness.
Περσι
Since their fall, Tartarus had thrown every possible roadblock in its arsenal at them, drained them, haunted them, and almost destroyed them in the most irreparable of ways. But here they were.
The heart of the beast is filled to the brim, uncountable monstrosities clambering for the limited space. Many had already been pushed into the black abyss, to be swallowed up in Chaos, never to return.
They make their way through slowly, taking advantage of the death mist to slip through whatever tiny cracks they can find, until the moment they can.
Now, he's said many times that no one has as bad of a track record with luck than him, and never has he meant it more than right now. They are a breath away from the leftmost chain, at the foot of one of the two titans guarding it, when the mist stops working.
Part of him has a sudden, and very clear, understanding of the Arai, and thinks privately that he would've feed them himself, had Akhlys been anything other than a goddess. The rest of him, though, goes immediately into battle mode.
It's a hopeless thing, that is, until it isn't.
He sees the mass of monsters be forced apart by the Maeonian Drakon, with Damasen astride on his back. He sees hundreds of monsters being swept into the unforgiving Chaos by Bob's broom.
He sees hope.
And so, he fights.
Annabeth is right at his side, sharp and deadly like always, but there's an almost ferocity there that can only be a side-effect of the pit. Right now, he can't afford to keep her from it.
Somehow, impossibly, he manages to use the titans to destroy one of the chains, before they send them back into their revival. With them gone, whatever monsters left behind scatter, sure to come back once they recuperate.
He can't afford to chase after either.
Instead, Bob, Damasen, Annabeth and him rush to the remaining set of chains, and start working on them. Time is not on their side, and when they're just about to get it the doors start to close.
One moment, he's airborne and weightless, the next he's crashing inside what looks like an elevator.
"Wait!" he hears Annabeth at his right.
She's making for the doors, back to where Damasen and Bob are.
"The doors must be closed on both ends" Damasen tells them
Annabeth lets out a chocked-out sound, and then heaves.
"What do you want? I'll ask it for you" she begs.
The two exchange looks, then swing their weapons once more, the metal of the chain snaps with a loud crack, then Bob turns to them with a smile.
"Tell the stars Bob said hello" he says.
And the doors close.
YOU ARE READING
Book 2: Oaths and Victories.
FanfictionSequel to "Book 1: The four tainted minds" What if Leo never fell, what if the promise was the one made on Tartarus edge? Or the one made after? What if "dying breath" wasn't as literal as they thought?
