The Invisible Demigod

Nico - XXXII

If I wasn't about to die, I would have laughed a the dumbstruck look on Morphis' face.

"You-you-" he struggled, trying to think of a bad enough word to call me. He muttered something in Greek that I didn't hear. "You will pay for that."

Morphis stormed over to the table. He calmed down a little, the red draining from his face. He looked almost peaceful as he lifted up a golden bowl. Seriously, what is it with this buy and gold? Everything in here and the entryway was either golden or white. He swirled around the contents like a gold miner would sift for gold. He reached in a scooped up a ball of the stuff.

It was sand. Dark as night, black sand that swirled in his hand like it was liquid. Morphis smiled a devious smile.

"Like it?" he asked, coming towards Claire. He held the bowl in one hand and the handful of sand in the other. "It was a gift from mother." he stared down at Claire in an almost hungry manner that made me struggle against my chains again. I had to make sure he never looked at her in that way again, actually I'd be happy if he never looked at anything ever again.

"What is it?" Claire asked, the fear slowly returning. I hated Morphis more than I'd ever hated before. He scared Claire. Wonderful, brave, Claire. I'd gladly face her greatest fears to make her smile and feel safe. I'd protecter her with everything I had, but Morphis was forcing me back. I was helpless, something I hate feeling.

"It goes along with my powers." he states simply. "I'm a giant, the giant who controls form and shape. I can change anything, make illusions or actually change things." To demonstrate, the black sand seeped out from the cracks of his fingers and formed a shape. Sitting by his feet was a white animal. The same white animal form the woods. "This is my little pet," he cooed, scooping it up. "Isn't he beautiful? My little demon."

It purred and nuzzled Morphis before changing back into black sand.

"That's one of the monsters that attacked us!" Claire said. Morphis nodded. "So you do want to kill us."

"Yes," Morphis admitted. "But not you, only your pitiful friends that abandoned you." I grit my teeth, they didn't abandon us! I told them to leave! They had to get everyone to safety!

"No," Claire said. "They'd never do that."

"Then where are they?" Morphis demanded. "Why aren't they here with you?"

"They were saving the campers from you, you vile dirtbag!" Claire spat. Morphis laughed, an evil sound that sent shivers down my spine. "I've heard of people who fought giants, they won! I know I can defeat you too!" Morphis snorted.

"They fought giants," he said. "But not purebred giants." He smirked. "I am a direct descendant of Nyx, the dark mother. I was birthed not too long ago to overthrow the gods. That's the whole reason I'm here. When Gaea was created, she had Titans, the Titans had lesser siblings that are Gigantes, then the Titans had gods. Those were the four stages, but now Nyx has new plans from Gaea herself."

Nyx was trying to overthrow the gods? I thought Gaea was defeated! Maybe Nyx was in charge now that Gaea was gone.

"She gave birth to a new race, giants. We aren't like the tiny things you speak of, we are much greater. Mother gave us each specific powers that will help us dietary the gods and their disgusting children." Morphis had a look of pure disgust on his face. "Mine is shape changing, very useful."

"All gods can do that," Claire said, trying to shake his confidence. I was starting to believe that we could take him. He didn't seem like that bad compared to the Gigantes we fought. Morphis laughed.

"I am much mightier than a god," he said. "Like those pitiful gods, I cannot die. I can continue to survive, but I can be withered away into almost nothing. I am also like those Gigantes, I cannot be deafened unless a god and demigod work together." Great, I thought, it was hard enough to get them to help the first time.

Suddenly, something clicked in my brain. "It was you." I whispered, looking up at him. "You chained down Echidna's monsters in Tartarus! You were trying to get her to kill me, Sam, and Marry!" Morphis laughed.

"You're not as thick as I originally thought, son of Hades." he said.

"Still," I said. "The gods will stand up to you, they got rid of all the others." Morphis glared at me.

"I like to see you stand up to this." Morphis threw his handful of sand on the ground and it shattered like glass. The darkness filled the room and suddenly there was a piercing quite, like the darkness was a blanket that muffled everything.

Out of the gloom, Claire walked up to me. She checked over my chains.

"Claire," I was confused. "How'd you get out of Morphis' chains?" She shook her head, then continued to try and loosen my binds. She sighed, then shrugged.

"Looks like I can't free you," she said in a bored tone. "Oh well." She turned and left.

"What?" I called after her. "Wha-? Claire! Wait! Come back!" She didn't turn, but the darkness cleared a little so Morphis was revealed. Claire walked up to Morphis and kissed him right on the lips. "No!" I cried, the anger disappearing and turning into despair and hurt. "No," I whispered, tears filling my eyes. "No! This isn't happening!" I shook my head and strained against my chains as hard as possible. "This is an illusion!"

The darkness cleared and the Claire and Morphis that were kissing faded into nothing. The throne room came back into focus and I gasped in a shuddering breath, the pain and heartbreak still threatening to overpower me. Claire's eyes met mine, filled with concern. I looked down, letting my hair cover my eyes. The image of her and Morphis' lips locked together seemed to be burned permanently into my eyes.

"What was that?" Claire asked, her voice shaking. I bit my lip, I knew it was fake but it still hurt. Morphis smirked and dropped another handful of sand.

It didn't fill up the room, it just swirled around Claire. Maybe it had also been an illusion when it filled up the room.

"Stop!" I shouted, not wanting her to go through something similar to what I did. "No! Claire, don't listen to what it's saying!"

Claire didn't seem to know I was talking. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open. She shook her head in disbelief.

"N-Nico," she said in a broken voice. "You don't mean that." I saw a tear run down her cheek.

"Claire!" I shouted as loud as I could. "It's not real, don't listen! It's just an illusion! Listen to my voice, I'm real!" Claire's head turned towards me, but she didn't seem to be able to focus on me. "Don't listen to what it's saying! It's not true!"

Morphis glared at me. "Silence, boy." he snarled, then turned to Claire. "Join me Claire," he purred. "I'll never do anything like this to you. I'll love you like he never did." Claire rose and started to walk towards his outstretched hand.

"No!" I shouted. "Claire, I don't what you think I said, it's not true. Morphis is trying to trick you!"

Claire sucked in a sharp breath and the sand around her disappeared. Morphis shot me a look filled with venom. If looks could kill...I thought without humor. Claire's whole body is shaking and I wished for the thousandth time that I was free. Then I could run to her side, kiss her, scoop her into my arms and escape from this shapeshifting jerk. "Idiot," Morphis spat. "You meddle too much." He rose and walked towards me, a sword somehow appearing in his hand. "This will be enjoyable."

He raised the sword high above his head and was bringing it down. The world seemed to slow down, I watched the blade plunge downward in slow motion.

"No!" Claire screams.

Then the room exploded.