The Obscured Truth

Tartarus 2.0

     Percy's POV

     The blinding light subsided, my surroundings transitioning from the elegant white marble throne room that smelled of Nectar and Ambrosia to a wasteland of dark mountains, dark valleys and ravines, the horizon tinted with a red and black mist, the air smelling of acid that burned my lungs in an oh so familiar way. I landed next to the Phlegethon river, which was close to where Annabeth and I landed once Arachne pulled us down.

     My eyes stung, one from the acid in the air and two from the pain of my friends and family turning there back on me with no mercy. I did nothing wrong, yet the Fates just have to mess up my life even more. My life was going by fine after the war, with Annabeth at my side I could tough through anything. But she turned her back on my like I was nothing to her. A piece of trash on the side of the highway, repeatedly being run over by the pain of betrayal. My heart stung from heartbreak, my head from me trying to process all that had just happened. Who had informed the Olympians that I was a traitor? Was it camper? A god or goddess? Titan? I have no idea.

     I didn't realize I had been crying until I ran my hands along my face. I wiped my tears away, wiping the salty liquid on my jeans. I bent down at the edge of Phlegethon onto my knees. I put my hands together and dipped them into the river, feeling the warm tingling sensation. I lifted my hands, which were now filled with liquid fire, and put it to my lips. My mouth burned with the flavor of a million ghost peppers combined into one and I pinched my eyes together to keep tears from leaking out. I stood back up, looking around. Last time I was here I had a purpose; to get to the doors of death. Now I was stuck here for eternity, no way out, not even a goal to achieve. What was I supposed to do?

     I took a shaky breath, looking around again. I decided on a direction and started to walk in it. I trudged along in a straight line for what seemed like hours with my ADHD, but was probably no more than half an hour, until I came across two monsters. Kelli and Tammi, her trainee. I guess they don't learn very quick. I drew Riptide, pulling of the cap. It turned into a three foot bronze sword with a quiet shink

     Kelli spun around and smiled a sickly sweet at me. "Oh look who we have here. How'd you end up down here again? Did your friends banish you?" She asked, her sickly sweet smile turning into a wicked one.

     I frowned at the mention on my banishment. How did she know? I didn't have time to think about it before Kelli began to talk again. "So, Perseus, how did it feel to have your girlfriend, the one you jumped into this wreck for, dump you over some false facts? None of them care about you anymore, and the others who believed you probably realized there mistake by now." She snarled.

     My sword drooped down a little bit. She was probably right. None of them believed in my anymore. I had no friends, no family. They sent me to hell, hoping to never have to see me again. I realized I had mourned for myself for too long as Kelli lunged. I brought my sword up just in time, but she dodged to the right, receiving only a small cut on her arm. She hissed in pain and lunged again, but I took a quick step back and held my sword out. The sword went right through her like water as she evaporated into a golden dust, leaving a fading screech of pain in the air.

     Tammi bared her sharp teeth at me and lunged as well, but I simply sidestepped and stepped behind her, stabbing her through the back. She turned into golden monster dust as well. I looked around, looking for more monsters. Upon seeing none I capped Riptide and put it back into my pocket. I dusted monster dust off of my shirt and jeans, which had a few holes, the edges singed from where the Phlegethon dripped onto them.

     I ignored it and looked around once more, then decided to continue in the direction that I had been heading before I had run into Kelli. I walked for about another twenty minutes of smooth ground, large black crystals jutting from the ground in tall spikes ever so often, before I stumbled upon a group of monsters. There were about thirty of them in total, mostly cyclops' and dracaena. I might be able to take them, but it was risky. I was about to draw my sword when I realized they were crowding around something. They were huddled so close together I couldn't see what it was. I looked at one of the closer black crystal spikes. It was about fifteen feet high, and I was only twenty feet from the monsters. Maybe if I climbed to the top I would be able to see the center. I glanced over at the monsters before grabbing onto a small handhold above my head. I looked down, finding a foothold and stepping up. The edges were narrow and I almost fell a few times, but I eventually made it to the top, which was thankfully flat.