Home Is Where The Heart(h) Is

Chapter 23: End Approaching

Turns out, their next Empowered showed himself before Percy and Nico even walked five minutes, or rather, his horses did.

Barely had Nico heard the distinct sound of clopping hooves that grew hair-raisingly close did he push Percy to the side, just as streaks of purple fire whipped the ground where they had just stepped on.

Instantly, the heat seared Nico's face, like someone had pressed a cattle brand against his skin. He gritted through the pain and hauled himself and Percy to his feet, who appropriately opted for action and lack of words. He could see Riptide already springing to full length as they got up. Nico had his blade out as well.

The beasts were nothing but black spots in the distance of the barren plain, but they seemed to be getting closer.

Nico was about to hold his sword out when the fiery equestrians, in the blink of an eye, disappeared into ultraspeed.

In the next instant, the horses reappeared, legs stretched, leaping over the two, which forced the two onto the ground, as though the sheer heat was repelling them.

Looking back, Nico made out a foggy shape of a man through the ashen smoke. He was holding his hands up like a priest, but he could see something slithering down his hands: long tendrils.

Just as the man pulled his hands backwards, Nico rolled out of the way. So did Percy, just as the whips lashed at them, tearing through the smoke like fangs ripping flesh, striking the ground and leaving searing marks.

They got on their feet. The smoke was rising upwards, revealing their attacker.

He was dressed in a toga, with a blood-red cloth draped around his right shoulder. His hair was close cropped, and he was cleanly shaved.

In both his hands, he held two whips that blazed with uncontrolled fury and engulfed a thin leather body, like those of a traditional whip used on cattle, and in this case, the equestrians.

Somehow, despite the unknown and generic face of a Greek king, a name flickered within Percy's brain. Maybe the whips gave it away, but it was more likely the horses, and the fact that there were 4 of them, all empowered with flames.

"Diomedes." He said without thinking. The horses reared as though they recognised their master's name , flaring their muscled legs, scattering minor sparks. The king's mouth widened into a smile.

"Apologies. I'm not good with conversations." As soon as he finished his sentence, he struck his whips forward, sending two blasts of fire which trailblazed the parched earth, and his horses launched forward with lightning speed, snorting flames, murderous intent in their lifeless, beastly eyes.

Another burst of adrenaline coursed through Percy's veins as he leapt to the side whilst registering these minor details of the horses. The animals shot past and were ready to turn around for another strike, but Percy was ready with a plan he'd formulated the minute he'd seen the fiery attacks.

His power came naturally to him, as it always had. It was a long shot, unlikely that there would be a source around here, but he had to try. He held out his hand and automatically, it searched for water nearby. Underground water, vapour in the air, damp soil, nothing.

It seemed almost ironic that he was surprised. Why should he be? He was in the underworld, not just the underworld, but one which had been reduced to rubble just two or so days ago. Hell was nothing but a barren, lawless, wasteland of ghosts and creatures.

"Percy! Look out!" Nico screamed. His vision grew blurry, and yellow and red danced in his eyes, as he saw the unfocused figures of the horses racing back as he stood there, motionless.