Andrew Bailey & The Eternal Maze

Chapter - 23

The ground quaked and the mansion shook wildly. The creaking sounds filled the halls and it was as if the mansion was going to collapse. The crawlies that were living and nesting above the ceiling made their way down to the very much surprised group who were looking at them in horror.

Ethena was completely fine with seeing insects however even she had to admit with those falling from the ceiling , it did creep her out quite abit. Snow on the other hand was completely gone from Ethena's sight. The moment she saw those crawlies dropping, she made a beeline probably for the exit. 

"Just great, now I have to go find that problem child. Especially at a time like this." Ethena sighed. She was exhausted, especially mentally. Ethena pressed her hand against the wall, intending to take a small break before finding Snow but something a little unexpected happened. Metallic sounds were coming from the walls, it sounded like gears and chains moving. From the floor a hidden passage began to emerge.

Ethena thought to herself. "You could tell it was used often from the dust marks made from the stairs leading below. It was puzzling to find something like this in the underworld. The underworld was currently manned by the servants of Hades, they wouldn't have any reason to build something like this. Was this used by Hades himself? "

Ethena decided that this mystery was worth the risk of angering Hades. Something fishy was going on and she wasn't about to let this chance go by. 

As Ethena reached the bottom of the stairs, she was doubting her eyes at what she saw. The beasts that were in the forest were there, locked up in thick iron cages. Just what was this place she wondered. There were many different types that she did not even see in the jungle, the further she walked the more ferocious looking the beasts were. Ethena shuddered at the thought of fighting one of those. The ones that she met in the forests were like children compared to the ones she was witnessing. 

"Bigger, stronger and many times more ferocious. Aren't they beautiful?" 

"Who's there!?" Ethena yelled out. 

"Oh my, what's a participant doing here? Were you called by Hades?"

Ethena turned around to find the being that accompanied Hades a little while back staring right at her. 

"Strange, I don't recall Hades telling me about any guests but since you found your way here, you must have been told how to get here. Oh well, little miss don't bother me while I'm working. Other than that feel free to do what you want till Hades gets here." 

"Oh crap, Hades is coming soon? Should I run for it? But I've already been seen and there's just so much I want to ask.... Should I risk asking this weird guy? He doesn't look very strong, it shouldn't be a problem even if he gets suspicious." Ethena muttered to herself.

"Mr. What exactly do you do here? What is this place?"

"Little miss, didn't Hades explain anything when he sent you here?"

Ethena shook her head.

"What do you know about the current status of Olympus?"

"What do you mean current status?"

"Right, the ones from the institutes are the sheltered ones. Just head into that room over there. It's happening right now."

Ethena saw a door where he pointed, she was a little hesitant to head in at first but she gave in to her curiosity and headed in. In that room, all around her were images that were displaying images of a battle going on. She recongized some from other institutes and some from her own institue fighting against a group she'd never seen. 

"Just what the heck is going on here!? Wait is that Snow?"

Ethena had never seen or heard of a video recording before, The institutes at the time did not have the technology nor the information of such a feat so she was pretty amazed at what she was looking at.

"That little miss is what's going on outside. Olympus is at war."