The Daughter Of Night

Chapter Twenty-Four - I Sign Up To Be A Tour Guide (In Hell)

Chapter Twenty-Four - I Sign Up To Be A Tour Guide (In Hell)
Posted: Tuesday 20th May 2024

"So what can't you talk about? Why can't you talk about it?" Annabeth asked as we began to walk through the camp. It became clear to me that the offer of the walk was an excuse to question me further.

"I physically can't tell you Annabeth," I said, "I wish I could but I can't."

"Why? Who said you can't?"

"I can't even tell you that," I said in an apologetic tone, "believe me, I've tried to talk about it, it didn't go well for me."

"Nyx?" Annabeth asked, "your mum?"

When I didn't say anything Annabeth took that as confirmation.

"Is she involved somehow?" Annabeth pressed me, "What side is she taking in the war?"

"I-." I couldn't answer, the headache formed and I rubbed my temples again.

Annabeth frowned at me, "how does it work exactly, you pledged yourself to her right? Does that mean she could control you if she wanted to?"

I sighed, "my loyalties lie with Nyx." As ever the words tasted sour on my tongue.

We walked in silence for a bit and I was confused when Annabeth led me into the woods, but soon I found myself in a hidden workshop where a boat was under construction. Hephaestus campers were using power tools and blow torches, wielding bronze plates into the hull. The clanging of hammers rung through the room.

"Jason! Piper!" Annabeth caught the attention of the two who were stood to one side watching as Leo Valdez sat at the bow of the ship securing what looked like the head of a metal dragon to the prow of the ship.

"Annabeth," Piper grinned when she saw us approaching.

"Ariadne?" Jason's face was unreadable.

"She just got back from Olympus," Annabeth said, "wanted to join me to check on the progress."

"Another set back," Leo said, "can't get Festus' control disk to sync with the ship, also we can't get the stabilisers working so currently we have a hunk off very high tech bronze that would probably sink if we tried to float it. But we're working on it!"

Annabeth's face sank, "we need to get on the road soon."

"We will!" Leo insisted, "we'll be there for the feast of tuna like Jason said we need to be!"

"It's the feast of Fortuna," Jason said, "and we have to be, if what my dreams are telling me is right then Camp Jupiter will be attacked then."

"Have any of the search parties caught any scent from Percy?" Piper asked Annabeth as Leo and Jason continued bickering about the feast of Fortuna's name.

Annabeth frowned, "Yeah Grover thinks he's on the move. We think Tyson is closest, but he's leaving a slight path of carnage in his wake across California."

"Sounds just like Percy," I said, "they'll catch up to him soon."

Then, Jason, Piper and Leo's eyes settled on me.

"You were on Olympus?" Piper asked, "why?"

"Oh, I uh… I was with Apollo," I said, feeling suddenly self conscious for some reason.

"Apollo? Like the god?" Leo asked. He had dropped down from the ship and was standing beside us now.

"She's married to him," Annabeth told them, "I told you guys that Ri was an interesting case."

"No kidding," said Jason, "married to a god huh? So what's going on up there?"

"Not much," I said, "just the usual Olympian drama. They quite easily forget that there is war happening in the mortal world when they're all cooped up together."

*

The days whiled themselves away at camp and I wasn't sure what my place was anymore. I felt like I should be preparing for something, but I wasn't sure what. I was not one of the seven, but I knew that I was a part of the prophecy.

Unfortunately I was unable to discuss this with anyone, so I whittled the days away trying to fall back into my role as a sword instructor for the camp, teaching younger demigods how to defend themselves.

That was until one afternoon in late June, just a few days before the feast of Fortuna and the departure of the Argo II when Nico Di Angelo appeared in the middle of a class I was teaching.

The young Hermes campers freaked out, but I told them to go for a break and turned to the son of Hades.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Looking for you," he said, "I need your help."

"My help?" I repeated, "what with?"

"Tartarus."

"Tartarus," I said, "what about it."

"The doors of death are chained, so is Thanatos."

"I know, what does that have to do with- oh. They're chained in Tartarus aren't they."

"Yes," Nico's face darkened, "if we are going to stand a chance in this war then two things need to happen; Thanatos needs to be freed and we need to unchain the doors of death. Camp Jupiter is sending a quest to free Thanatos, Percy will take care of it-"

"You've seen Percy?"

"Yeah he turned up at Camp Jupiter yesterday," said Nico, "no memories. But that's not the point. There isn't anyone else who knows Tartarus like you do. I need your help, we need to go and free the doors from the Tartarus side. I don't think there is anyone else who could do this."

I sighed, "the doors need to be freed from the mortal side too I assume?"

"I think that the Seven will take care of that," Nico said, "but we'll need to meet them in the middle."

"There is no other way is there?" I asked tentatively.

"You know there isn't," said Nico. I didn't know the boy well, but the look in his eyes told me that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He was set on this course as the correct one, and honestly I believed that he was right too. There was no one else who could do this.

But I didn't like it, I would have to go back to the place I had spent my entire life trying to escape from and this time if my mother asked me not to leave then I was certain I would have no choice but to stay.

The joy of the sun will delve the depths,
And discover what she least expects.

The first line began to make sense to me. I had to go back. I had to, but Nico definitely did not.

"Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?" I asked him, "Tartarus, I - I can't even explain what it's like. It's everything you've heard and worse. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"I have to do this," Nico said, determined.

I saw that there was no way to deter him and I sighed again.

"Well in that case we should get stocked up, food, ambrosia, nectar, clothes-"

"We should leave now," Nico said, "there isn't any time to waste."

"Trust me, you're going to want one last night's sleep."