Percy Jackson: The Knight of Chaos

Dreams and Explanations

Muffled voices echoed around me, but it was like I was underwater.

"Percy? ..... Anyone? Hello?"

"Help help help help help"

"Where......Where am I?"

"Omega?"

"It hurts so much....."

"Please, someone, get me out of here..."

It felt as though I were floating in water, drifting aimlessly. However, I could tell that whatever it was, it definitely wasn't water. I tried to open my eyes, but other forces had different plans. I couldn't open them, and found that I couldn't move either. Panic began to build up in me at the lack of control, but almost instantly, I forgot about that as a booming voice jarred me from my thoughts.

"Hello, Alpha Force!" It chuckled. "I see you received my special little present. I'm sure you've realized by now that I have complete control over all of you. Where are you, you may ask? Why, you're in between the two realms, Order and Chaos. A sort of limbo, you see. The only thing keeping all of you from tearing apart molecule by molecule and dissolving into nothing, with not even a scrap of soul leftover to go to the Underworld, is me. So I'd suggest you do as I say."

"Who are you?" I demanded. While my senses remained mute, I found I could speak.

"I'd say I'm your worst nightmare, but that's a bit of a cliche, don't you agree? Rather, I'm the brother of your favorite primordial Chaos."

"Order?" I realized.

"What do you want with us, Order?" Another voice called. It seemed to be coming from miles away, yet echoing right beside my ear. Luke, I recognized.

"'What do I want with you?'" Order mused, "I want back what's rightfully mine. You see, not long ago, something of great importance to me was taken -- stolen, not unlike that childish Zeus's masterbolt. And, also like Zeus, I believe that young Perseus here is the one who took it. Although, I am much, much, more patient than that petty god. So I have waited for years, until the time was right and I could strike. I started with a young boy, only twelve years of age. He was from a broken home -- daddy, when he was actually home, was drunk and packed quite a punch and mummy didn't care. It was simple to wipe his and the ocean god's memories, convincing them both that he was the rightful heir to Poseidon's realm. Four years later: Jackson has just defeated Gaea, and now it's my time to shine. I let Troy into your camp, and it only takes a simple perspective altering on the minds of demigods and gods alike to allow everyone to see your despicable true colours shine through. They hate you, you feel all alone and sad, boo hoo. The hatred builds and builds until it reaches the breaking point -- couple of knife stabs later, you're dead and I'm happy.

"Until," He continued, "my good brother Chaos decides that you're too precious to leave this world and then bam! You're alive again, and the years I spent waiting for my revenge is all wasted. So, after a couple of years of planning and biding my time once more, I'm back. And now I want you to pay for what you stole from me, in an even worse way than before."

"What did I take from you? I didn't take anything!" I insisted.

"When could he possibly have time to steal anything from you anyway?" Hazel rose to my defense. "He's either been on quests or had amnesia almost his entire half-blood career!"

In response, everything around me became suffocating, like I was being forced under huge amounts of pressure. Gagging and gasping, I couldn't breathe, as it felt like a plastic bag over my head. As black dots danced in front of my vision and I threatened to pass out, the suffocating feeling stopped just as quickly.

"He stole it the minute he waltzed into Camp Half-Blood!" Order roared.

"What. Is. It?" I hissed.

"You're the private knight of Chaos, yes?" He began, suddenly calmer. "Well, just as we both have our own realms, we both are supposed to have our own knights. A protege who would replace us in times of great need. Every hundred years, as an homage to the First War waged before your puny world was even created, each brother presents their knight in a battle of wits, strength, and power. The winner's patron is bestowed ultimate control over one thing: the Scepter of Mortality, the only thing that exists in either realm that can bring back the dead with no consequences. The next battle is in only two weeks' time."

"Lord Chaos has control over the Scepter, and that's how he was able to save us from death!" Silena realized aloud.

My mind was hanging on other things. "I have to fight your knight?"

"My knight was stolen by you when you were twelve years old. Because of you, all of my work and dedication into carving a worthy knight out of her were tossed aside, as she forsake her training and chose instead to assimilate to the Olympian world. I was left without a knight only six years before the battle, and I need the Scepter. So I had no choice but to dispose of my brother's knight at the time as well. I believe you know him well: he is, after all, your second-in-command." Order laughed.

My blood ran cold. "L-Luke?"

"What?!" He exclaimed, anger and surprise raging rampant through his voice. Through our connection, I could feel his mind racing.

"Yes. It was I who convinced Kronos to rise in the first place. The entire Titan War was all a play, a story, written and directed by me, all to get rid of Chaos's original knight. Perseus, you're not the only one who's experienced amnesia here."

"I was Lord Chaos's knight?" Luke wondered, hurt clear in his straining voice. "Why didn't he bring me back to life with the Scepter before?

"Because," Order explained, "once your knight is dead, that's it. You cannot reverse it and get your knight back -- you must find a new trainee. Chaos did that with you, Perseus, but I plan to get my knight, who's still alive, back once and for all. And, in two weeks, you two will fight each other, and the Scepter of Mortality will fall to its proper hands!"

"Well, who was your knight that I 'stole' from you?" I demanded.

Order laughed once more, but an eerily sinister undertone lay underneath. "You know her quite well, in fact. Too bad for you. Her name? Why, it's none other than Annabeth Chase."

He spoke one more time. "And did I mention it was a battle to the death?"