Consort to the Primordials

Chapter 28: Answers

But Earth wasn't everything.

The man moved one of his pawns forward, looking expectantly at the person across from him.

"Your turn."

The person across from him chuckled. "Is this really what you want to do with your last moments? Of all the things the great primordial Pontus could do, it's... chess?"

Pontus shrugged. "I also wanted some answers, and I figured you would give them to me. Won't you give them to me, oh great Perseus Jackson, God of mortality and other things as well as the primordial of bonds?" He asked in a patronizing voice.

Percy winced and moved one of his own pawns. "Fair enough. But first you have to answer my question."

"And that is?" Pontus asked, moving a knight.

"Why'd you work with Ourea and Gaia in the first place?" Percy asked, moving a second pawn forward.

"I figured it would give me the chance to see you," Pontus answered. "Although I'm starting to think this meeting would have happened regardless."

Percy nodded. "You would be correct in that statement, yes."

Pontus moved his knight again. "Now that I've answered your question, will you answer mine?"

Percy nodded and moved his bishop.

"First things first," Pontus said. "What happened to Ourea?"

"Well," Percy said. "That's complicated."

"We have time," Pontus said. "Tell me."

Percy took a deep breath. "Okay. You know how every primordial has their own realm?"

Pontus nodded. "The personification of their domain, yes. Why?"

"Well," Percy said. "When you primordials first came into existence, what happened?"

Pontus tapped his chin. "We... set up the universe?"

Percy shook his head. "Before that."

"Ah," Pontus said. "Chronos faded."

Percy moved his queen with a somber look on his face. "Yeah. He couldn't handle being stretched so far through time. But, that led him to fast-tracking to his own realm."

Pontus raised an eyebrow. "Chronos is still alive?"

Percy chuckled. "No, he's dead. Just like... yeah. He's dead. But, y'know, fading isn't really the end."

"Really?"

"Yeah. When you fade, you... for lack of a better word, teleport to Chronos's realm. I call it The Golden Sands, or just the end of time."

"What happens to mortals?"

"Well, when Hades eventually fades, the underworld will go with him. When time itself stops, all life in the universe dies, and Chaos fades, everything crumbles... and enters The Golden Sands."

"How do you know this?"

Percy winced. "I..."
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Percy walked into Nyx's mansions and then doubled over in pain. His lovers quickly rushed to his side, but they couldn't do anything as his vision went black.

He was not allowed any final words.
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"A long time ago, Medusa captured me," he said. "When I escaped, I asked mom- Chaos to get rid of the substance that had managed to chain me."

"And?"

"I didn't realize that the substance I wished to no longer exist was within my body, keeping all my organs and immortal bits in one place. Basically, my body fell apart."