Modern Myths

Book 2 - The Sea of Monsters: Chapter 12: Death to the King

6/20/07, Wednesday

Tilden Park, San Francisco Bay Area, Northern California, 5:00am

Jason POV

I march with my cohort, as our Praetors leads all 7 Legions, now 1400 strong in total, here.

We met up with the current Amazon Queen & their new member, Hylla.

The 3 in question typed in the code & led us into the tomb of the evilest ruler in the history of Rome before the rise of the Empire.

The steps leading to the tomb end in a long corridor, its long limestone walls decorated with rows of plaster death masks. The masks' expressions are frozen in panic, agony, rage and terror.

The tunnel opens to a circular room like a large cistern, the floor is nothing but a narrow stone path across a deep dark pool.

Hooked on a far wall were half a dozen wicker boxes like lobster traps, each with a circular opening at the bottom just the right size for a person's head.

The floor of the chamber is littered with old human bones.

As we marched in rows of 7, I felt my spine crawl.

We are taught that silence is the greatest weapon as a soldier.

It allows us to strike undetected. It allows us to follow orders without doubt.

These are all lies.

It allows us to doubt & question our superiors.

It encourages our minds to wander, not just from the task at hand & being aware of our surroundings, but towards what could possibly go wrong & what horrible things await us.

Silence is the mother of unfocusedness & fear.

Tyranny too. Nobody spoke out against Tarquin until people reached a point where they felt they had nothing to lose.

The greatest of war crimes had been committed in complete silence.

???: "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

We turned & saw several of our members, both Amazons & Legionnaires, had disappeared.

Male Praetor, whose name I don't remember: "It seems Tarquin's undead are picking us off from the shadows."

Female: "He has Eurynomoi, Zombies, Skeletons & Spartoi. If a Zombie bites you, you turn."

We finally saw them charging at us, with some attacking from the roofs.

This chamber is a straight tunnel. There're only 3 places they could attack from: Infront, above & underground.

We finally reached the end & found the entrance to the next chamber.

There are two skeleton guards at the far side of the room, flanking an elaborately carved stone archway. The guards faced each other and wore full war helmets.

As we killed them & entered, we saw that it was crawling with Eurynomoi, Zombies, Skeletons & Spartoi.

One look up & we saw nothing but Eurynomoi, Zombies etc.. We couldn't see the ceiling at all.

???: "Welcome! Come in. Come in."

In the center was a Zombie, or maybe a skeleton. It was at the point of decay that it was hard to tell.

It was a Black skeleton. Patches of moss grew around his jawbone and cranium, giving the resemblance to a beard and hairdo.

Tendrils of glowing purple gas were slithering through his rib cage and around his joints, coiling up his neck and lighting his eye sockets with a fiery violet.