Warriors of Wisdom

Chapter Eighteen

I can't even explain the pain I went through. Imagine jumping into water, then immediately after being submerged into acid, then having to run through a raging hot fire. Well, the pain was probably a hundred times worse. I lost sight of where the boys were. My only hope was that they were alive and somewhere behind me. I felt lightheaded and my thoughts were fuzzy. My entire body felt paralyzed.

Come on, I thought to myself. Think. Think!

Veronica told me to think of something that keeps me mortal. I thought as hard as I could, and images started to appear before my eyes in the water, like it was showing me a movie. The first one was of me and my dad visiting Central Park in New York when I was five. I laughed as my dad carried me on his shoulders. Another showed my dad and I again, this time roaming the streets of Los Angeles when I was seven. I missed our days of traveling. Most of the other images were with me and my dad. The memories we had together eased the pain a little bit.

The next images were more recent. I saw myself last year, winning the school spelling bee. The next was of my victorious win at Capture the Flag. After that, an image showed Jordan, Zach, Sean, Asher and I sitting around the campfire. I laughed along as my siblings sung the ridiculous camp songs.

I felt a tug at the back of my neck. I had to remember part of me to keep vulnerable. I kept thinking about the little spot behind my neck, and soon I felt it tug again. I was floating upward, and after a few more seconds of pain, I broke the surface of the river.

...

I gasped heavily for breath as I tread through the ghostly water. Veronica and Cecilia were still there. Veronica reached a hand out to me, while Cecilia was trying to get Hayden out of the river. Alex already sat on land, coughing and shivering badly.

I grabbed Veronica's hand and she hauled me on land. I coughed so loudly it could have scared the hellhounds away.

"Are you alright?" Cecilia asked us.

"No," The three of us mumbled in unison.

Veronica stood there in shock. "I can't believe that actually worked."

"You had no faith in us?" Hayden asked sarcastically.

"Of course I did! It's just, going through the River Styx is usually an unsuccessful process. Like I said, it burns people to ashes. I'm just glad you're all alive."

"Me too." Cecilia said as she tried to get Alex to stop shivering. "Do you think it worked?"

"I hope so," Veronica replied. "But I'd rather not find out-" We heard a shriek nearby, like the sound of a car screeching to a halt. "Oh no."

"What was that?" Alex asked. "I don't think I've heard something like that before."

"This is bad," Veronica mumbled to herself. "Very, very, bad."

I was getting confused. "What's happening? What's very bad?" Another shriek rumbled, and I could've sworn I felt the ground shake. In the distance, I saw a few figures that seemed to be flying toward us. Their wings were leathery like bats, but their faces were definitely human, except for their glowing eyes and pointy fangs.

"Furies?" Alex asked.

Veronica shook her head. "No. They're Keres, the spirits of battles and violent death in the Underworld."

"Oh, how fun." I said sarcastically. "How do we stop them?"

Cecilia shrugged as she pulled out some arrows from her quiver and unslung her bow from her shoulder. "How we fight every monster. Just keep fighting until they're gone."

"Great." Hayden said as he got his own sword. Alex pulled off his pendant and transformed it into his dagger. Veronica, however, pulled out a black beanie from her backpack. "What's with the hat?"

"You guys go ahead. I have my own plan." The Keres were getting closer, and we clearly got the message the Veronica had it taken care of. We rushed toward the monsters.
One of the monsters snarled when we were a few feet away from them. "Puny half-bloods! You dare enter the realm of Hades without peril!" All of the demons landed in front of us.

Another Keres hissed in amusement. "How ironic would it be if we killed them here, in the land of the dead?" The others hissed like her. Perhaps that was their way of laughing.