Horizon's Point: The Rise of the Lyre (Jason Grace)

Chapter 18: Into the Kingdom

We slept by the pegasi and Tempest that night, under the stars. Percy passed out almost instantly, leaving Jason and I stargazing. I made out Zoë Nightshade, Annabeth had told me about the great hunter. How she went on that quest in the knowledge that she was going to be one of the ones to die, I wanted to be just like her: so brave.

Jason wrapped his arm around my shoulders, "I've been thinking," He started

"Oh, no." I replied jokingly, he punched my arm playfully and it felt like we were back at camp, not caring about deadlines or anything. "About what?"

"Us; me, you. Abi, don't feel it?" He gazed at me, and I stared deep into his electric blue eyes. I did think that I felt something between us, but I needed to speak to Piper about it first because I didn't understand. Is this what love feels like or was I just feeling like we were super close, as friends?

"I'm not sure." I admitted after a long pause, tearing my eyes away from his, "I'm just really confused at the moment. I'll tell you when we save Thalia."

I heard him sigh before allowing me to rest my head on his chest. "I'll wait for you." He uttered before I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

˜"*°•.˜"*°.•°*"˜.•°*"˜

Getting up before the sun had risen, I packed my things into my bag. Packed the boys' things, then woke them up.

"Come on. We need to go." I urged Percy while Jason was stretching.

My annoying brother opened one eye before mumbling something along the lines of "Wake me up tomorrow."

"Well, there won't be a tomorrow for Thalia if you don't get um now!" I argued, honestly, couldn't he just get up to go and fight so we could 'witness painful death'?

He closed his eye again and started snoring. The audacity of this demigod, I swear! 'That's it.' I thought before picking him up and tossing Seaweed brain into the sea. Jason was thrown into hysterics as one person on an early-morning run stared at me like I had just committed murder.

Percy shot back up from the water and slapped me. "WHAT IN HADES WAS THAT FOR?!" He screeched.

I simply smirked and turned around to face Jason, "He's up." I pointed out, which seemed obvious, but was still funny.

"Let's go." Jason was clearly eager to save his sister, so we mounted our rides and flew over.

Percy quickly recovered and spotted three Anemoi which Leo famously associated with evil espresso drinks. Jason caught it and stuffed all three of them into a golden bag, he was going to need them for air later.

Finally, we arrived at our destination, it didn't look like much, just ocean. Never the less, we told the horses to go off wherever as long as they came back when we called.

Good luck, dear. Ember called as I jumped off her back like the boys had done. Then it hit me- or I hit it.

I was fully submerged, light was visible just above, I could get to it. But my mum was a phenomenal swimmer and she couldn't, what if I couldn't? Wouldn't I drown like her? Would dad drown me too? If he didn't care about the mother of his daughter, then he wouldn't care about that daughter. Was it because I wasn't good enough, I would never be the strong child he wanted me to be, did he see me bringing same to his name?

I kicked my way up and gasped for air, I may have only been under for a few seconds but it felt like hours. How was I supposed to go through dad's Kingdom like this?

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, trying to ease my breathing. Jason placed his hand on my arm, I opened my eyes and Percy took my hand.

"On three, I've got you. Jason's got you. It's going to be ok." My brother assured me, and Gods I was thankful to be doing this with them. I feel like I was always thinking that, but it's true and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Ok." I replied in such a small, terrified squeak that I doubted they heard it, but Jason smiled encouragingly and got out on of the ventus and went under with it firmly under control. Percy didn't let go of my hand, counted to three and under we went.

Out of instinct I held my breath, and suddenly the fleeting panic washed over my body and I struggled against his grip. I needed to get back up I needed to be in the air again, I couldn't stay under. Percy pulled me down a little bit further before saying, "It's ok. Just breathe, Pup. You can, I'm not letting you drown, ok? But you have to breathe for us."

I shook my head, starting to feel dizzy. 'This is the stage before passing out' I remembered unhelpfully, I had roughly one minute to reach air or else I'll pass out and drown like my mum did. I can't, desperately trying to free myself from his hold, everything started to turn upside-down, I was losing my position in cortisones.

"Abi, look at me. Just breathe." Jason urged, a look of worry escaped onto his face as I had stopped struggling and my eyes started to close. Was this really it? I couldn't hold it any longer, I took one deep breath and realised that they were right, I was going to be fine.

"I- sorry." I forced out, finally accepting my brother's hand and letting him lead me deeper. There was nothing to worry about, if dad wanted to kill me, he wouldn't then because he needed me to save him. It was all alright. Although, I didn't dare say that out loud, knowing what the Fates are like.

The journey down was terrifying. It was like someone had stolen every light in the world and hid them away from us, promising to never return it. Their cruel laughter as we try to find footing and pathways to see the sun, telling us that it's all in vain and we'll never get out, we'll never see that light again. It would be enough to drive me insane if it weren't for Percy and Jason's comforting, solid presence beside me.

I wondered how Thalia was doing; her and Triton's glum, helpless faces kept on creeping into my mind. How had they done it, all alone with only the echoes and raw iron chains to keep them company.

'They aren't helpless.' I firmly reminded myself, 'We are going to save them.' And that remained my motivation for the entirety of the darkening, lung-compressing and pressuring journey into further blackness and gloom.

How Jason didn't use up all of his air on the way down, I do not know. But I was relieved at the eventual sight of light. We had made it. Now, we had the fun task of finding and saving Thalia Grace, should be easy, right?

Wrong. It was most defiantly not easy.

"Where do we begin?" I wondered aloud in a hushed and awed tone. It was a magnificent, breathtaking place, all bustling with life. However, I reminded myself that the life I saw down there were the ones that had supressed those three Gods and the original inhabitants and locked them all up along with Thalia. I could never see this place in a golden light until they were all free and safe.

"I say the place." Jason replied, starting to swim that way, but Percy caught his arm and snaped at my friend.

"No. Let me lead, I've been here before. I remember seeing some steps leading down deep underground just west of the plaza a few meters in front of the castle." He let Jason's arm go and looked down at his feet glumly, "Sorry. For being so harsh and not always myself on this quest."

We nodded, Percy had come to camp this half-term break so that he could see Annabeth and so that they could plan for collage the following year. They had missed each other so much and all of a suddenly he had been dragged into another quest, away from her. Jason and I exchanged a glance: what if we were separated? What if Annabeth or Leo came instead of him? I would find it living hell; the moment that we met, we became inseparable. I needed Jason in my life, by my side.

"It's alright." I assured my brother, he was doing everything that he could for us, when all he needed was a break, "Let's go there, get Thalia and get out."

So off we went, with high spirits and hopes. We were going to save Thalia no matter what, Jason's eyes lit up at the thought of her, I could tell. They were close despite being separated by Hera for a painful amount of time. Percy, too was close to the strong Hunter, nothing was going to stop them, I could tell. But what we were faced with was something that I hadn't expected. How could any of us have? Fighting them was defiantly not on my to-do list.