Ransom

Chapter 32: Luke Jackson

Nico's sword embedded itself into the goddess's heart. She screamed in outrage as she pulled the sword out. It was dripping with blood, but the blood was black.

She screamed louder than Luke had ever heard. Everyone covered their ears in pain. She sounded like a banshee or a siren or something.

Once she stopped screaming, everyone removed their hands from their ears. The seven, their courageous children, Nico Di Angelo, Castor Winehouse, and Allie White stood in a line together, weapons drawn and stances ready.

Nyx looked at all of them and laughed.

While she laughed, Nico made his sword float to him.

"You are all so foolish." She mused.

"Here, how about I make this fight fair on all of us? I think that it is unjust for a battle to occur if the odds are not even." Nyx said.

She let her mist surround the group of them and they all disappeared in the blink of an eye.

They reappeared in a dark place. Where were they? Luke's father gasped and said in a deadly tone "Why have you brought us here?"

"This is my fair fight. You have the River Phelgethon to heal you, and I have my children to help me." Nyx mused.

"You wouldn't dare make us fight the arai." Allie White asked in a deadly tone. Allie Grace grabbed his arm in fear. Luke held her hand. He had to stay strong, for her.

Their parents had all told them about the arai, children of Nyx.

Luke never ever wanted to have to fight them, but now, here he is, his worst nightmare coming to life.

"Children!" Nyx called. Out from the forest came her wretched children. They smiled their evil smiles.

From behind them came Nyx's favorite daughter, Eris. "Hello, Silena." She mused.

Leo stepped protectively in front of his daughter.

Eris looked to her mother and asked a question that Luke dreaded the answer to. It was such a simple question, it was only one word, yet it was poisonous.

"Now?" Eris asked. Nyx smiled down to her daughter triumphantly and whispered "Now."

The arai charged towards the group. How were they going to do this? The numbers were unfair.

"FOLLOW ME!" Annabeth yelled. She ran to the river and everyone followed suit. "LINE UP ALONG THE COAST!" Allie yelled to everyone.

They did as they were told. The arai followed them to the coast. There was one arai that was slightly ahead of all of them.

She started to run towards Luke. Luke charged forward and stabbed the arai in the heart.

She smiled and turned to dust. Luke tilted his head to the side in confusion. Everyone on the battle field, even the arai, watched him.

Awkward...

He didn't feel any different. Was it a delayed reaction?

"Luke?" Percy asked. Luke turned towards his father and had his eyebrow raised. "Are you okay?" Allie Grace asked him.

Luke nodded his head and walked backwards slowly towards the river.

He didn't feel any different. Why didn't he feel any-oh gods.

Luke fell over his own feet. He stared at the sky above. Luke felt an unbearable pain in his chest. His hand could reach the river. He clawed his way towards it. Allie Grace pulled him closer to the river.

He stuck his hands in the river and took the fire in his hands. He took a sip out of his hands and instantly felt better. Luke stood and faced the arai.

He was now determined to defeat them all. Eris floated down to the river. She stood before the arai, her sisters.

"We do not need so much bloodshed. I have talked it over with my mother, and she has agreed to my terms. We can have a duel. One verse another. You may choose anyone on my side to fight the person from your side whom I will choose." Eris said.

Everyone looked to each other. Luke didn't see what was so bad about it. He would rather have one person get hurt than all of them die. "It sounds fair enough, but we have one condition of our own." Allie White said.

"And what would that be?" Eris said through gritted teeth. "The person from our side whom you choose cannot be under fifteen years old." Allie said.

She was trying to protect Luke, Allie Grace, Silena, and Sammy. The parents looked at Allie with gratitude. "Fine." Eris smiled. "Swear it upon the River Styx." Allie demanded. Eris smiled sarcastically and said "I swear it upon the River Styx that I shan't choose a member of your team under fifteen years of age."

"Alright." Allie said. She continued with "Pick your poison."

Eris smiled and scanned all of the adults. She looked at all of the adults slowly. Her eyes stopped at one spot, but Luke couldn't see who she was looking at.

"You." Eris said. She strode forward and pulled forward a very unhappy looking Castor Winehouse. "N-" Allie White started to say, but she stopped herself.

She was aggravated to say the very least. Her cheeks became tinted with crimson and her fists balled up around her sword handle.

Castor faced his girlfriend whose teeth were clenched so much that Luke was afraid that she would break her jaw. "Fine." Allie said through a fire some snarl.

"Good, now boy, pick your poison." Eris said.

Without missing a beat, Castor said "You. I want to fight you."

"Ha, are you crazy? I am a goddess. I am immortal. You cannot beat me." Eris said.

"Why not make it a fair fight? Take away your immortality for this fight so that it may be this 'fair fight' as you have asked for." Castor asked, his voice laced with mischievousness and his hands formed air quotes around the words 'fair fight'.

"You are smarter than you look." Eris said. She snapped her fingers and she seemed to grow a shade darker, if that were possible.

"My immortality had been stripped for the moment. Our fight will be even." Eris said.

Castor smirked lightly and said "Good."

He pulled out his sword that he had sheathed and stabbed at her hip.

UH OH UH OH UH OH UH OHHHH
WERENT EXPEXTING THAT?!?
Oh well!
5 votes for the next chapter 😋
~camp_hero