Percy Jackson, honored and betrayed savior of Olympus

Chapter 23, I'm back

Unknown POV (weren't expecting that, were ya?)

I was constantly fighting a battle in my mind. However, instead of being able to out think and outmatch my opponent, I was losing every time. It's not like I'm gonna stop trying though, like I always tell my recruits, when you fail at something, and your still alive to attempt it again, and if it's important to you, go for it. In this case, I was doing just that.

I was kicked in the stomach, my mind half registering the pain and the other half finding a way to get out of this. Currently, I was quite scared of my own shadow. Literally. My enemy seemed like a manifestation of my deepest fears. Crawling towards me in an animalistic way. All of my power seemed just able to keep him from killing me. 

Just barely...

The creature had long talons where fingers might have been, it had the fearsome fangs of a sabertooth, and apparently had the strength of a mammoth.

I dodged a swipe from it's claws, only to be knocked upon the wall. I managed to get my sword up to deflect another swipe from it's flesh-ripping claws, and gasped in pain as it retracted it's claws and hit me in the stomach, effectively knocking the breath out of me. 

I was getting angrier and more frustrated, unable to think straight. Not that I had the time, all I had time to now was to parry and dodge it's attacks, only to be hit again. 

However, one thought did register. It started as a tiny wisp of hope in the back of my mind, growing into a full fire. I was certain this was going to work.

Well, half certain. Hey! No one can be 100% certain at any time.

I simply stopped trying. Instead of thinking and timing my attacks, I gave into my habits, allowing them to control my body without thinking. The shadow faltered, and then seemed to want to run, but as it seemed, this was as much his prison as it was mine. Soon, there was nothing left of it except a pile of dust, slowly getting blown away. 

Then, I was in my own mind, yes, literally. I was literally looking through my eye holes, watching myself carry out the primalordial's bidding. I realized, I might be able to fight it!

As Erebus brought a defenseless mortal girl before me, kneeling, he said.

"Kill her, and I will know that you are not the weak person that defended the gods so intently, SHOW ME YOUR WILL TO FIGHT!"

I wanted to yell no, to kill him so badly, and yet, my outer body nodded, and the little flash of hope in the girl's eyes died away as I brought my sword to bear. 

I recoiled in disgust at the thought of killing this mortal girl, and yelled mentally, as loud as possible.

"NO! HE IS YOUR ENEMY, NOT HER! FIGHT HIM!"

My body flinched with uncertainty, however, I swung my sword. But not at the girl, at Erebus.

Now, in retrospect, it wasn't the best idea, but, you can surprise even primalordials sometimes. As my sword cleaved down, Erebus howled in pain, but didn't really seem to have any actual wounds from the strike. Well, none lethal, anyway, but that should leave a mark for a few centuries. When Erebus recovered, he towered over me, but I knew that he dared not to attack me.

In his mind, I was his path to victory, his chance at being glorified, even among the primalordials, for winning this war. He would not let this opportunity slip through his fingers, not through a sword wound, and definitely not through some opponent. Then, Erebus did something unexpected, he smirked.

"It looks like the device needs some fine tuning, but once it's done, it will be able to overcome even the strongest of your emotions." 

He looked like he was about to continue his rant about how he would use me to take over the world, but he never had a chance, because the door was kicked open, and soldiers of Chaos poured into the room, an completely surrounded Erebus and his forces. My body instinctively raised it's sword for combat. However, I willed the sword down. Trying my very hardest to reach back into my neck and grab the device.

Before I had the chance however, the soldiers of Chaos attacked. The mowed down the monsters in their attempts to reach me and Erebus. However, this time, my body refused to move, just standing there. I knew that Erebus was trying to keep his control over me, but it was slowly, but surely draining his power away. I knew that he would not be able to fight back at full power should he be attacked. Just as one of my lieutenants was about to lunge at him. I brought my sword in a deadly arc and knocked the sword out of his hands. Some of my best men were in this attack, and I was not in the mood to let them die. I seemed to be able to convince my body not to kill them, but that didn't stop it from knocking them unconscious. Eventually, it was Percy's turn to attack. I matched his strike with my own, and parried as he swung again. He jabbed experimentally at me, only to be blocked. I counterstruck, launching into a flurry of blows. This was my fighting style, and I knew, from training, that there was no good way to counter this. He could parry all of my blows, but I knew that lying in my sword, was another surprise for him. He struck from my left, thinking that I was unprepared. Then, a second blade sprung from the other side of the hilt, and the hilt itself grew larger. I spun around in a whirlwind. creating literally a spinning wall of death. Just for the shock effect. I spun it a few times, and then switched hands behind my back. It was a skill in combat, that few of my troops could manage. Percy was slowly being backed into a wall, but he surprised me, drawing another sword and slicing off the control device off my neck with a precise jab. Suddenly, I was myself again, and boy, was I out for revenge. I took my sword and whirlwinded Erebus back. The shadows were approaching me, but, as I am an assassin, shadows are my ally as well, they could not, and would not harm me. I raised my palm and flames began to swirl around Erebus, but did not destroy him. Then I remembered the first line of the prophecy.  (I don't remember if I said another line of the prophecy, but this is going to be the first. Disregard any other lines of the prophecy. Thank you.) 

"Darkness shall be vanquished by light."

This time, my eyes glowed yellow, and a flash of light shined into the room, destroying and vaporizing Erebus.

Yup, it was good to be back.