Iridescent~ Percy Jackson

Chapter Six

~Chapter Six~

The screen flickered to life. Dark shadows danced across its surface. Like a cloud in the night sky, the shadows swept away revealing the object they had surrounded. 

A crystal.

Even from the screen, Chaos could feel the raw power emitting from the shard. The crystal itself was like looking straight into the sun. "Aether." Chaos muttered, staring thoughtfully at the screen. 

The text at the bottom of the screen read:

'Aether's Soul Shard. Location: Alice Springs, Australia.'

"Chaos!" a familiar voice called out. Looking up he saw his door to his office beginning to open and with a snap of his fingers, the screen turned off. 

"Ahh Percy. It looks like a mission has popped up for you, so I am sending you out straight away." Chaos ordered.  

 Percy let out a groan. "Really? Okay then, where am I off to this time?" 

Chaos smirked. "Down Under."

        *~*~*~*~*

"So what I am meant to be looking for?" Percy spoke into his ear piece.

"You know, unusual disturbances. Fluctuations in power and natural energy levels." Chaos responded.

Percy gazed around the quite barren landscape. "Well, everything seems to be normal. There is nothing unusual... wait." Percy trailed off. "There is something or was something here. Something powerful. Chaos, I will send you my readings. If this is what I think it is, you have some explaining to do."

Percy received a sigh in response. 

"I was worried something like this would happen. You might want to come back to the Void. I guess I do have some explaining to do."

       *~*~*~*~*

"This, Percy, is a soul shard. Aether's, the Primordial of Light, to be exact. It is a piece of his soul, contained in a single shard. It is hidden away in Alice Springs, no one knows the exact location, but we do know the general area." Chaos explained to Percy.

They were both standing over Chaos' desk, a map of the world sprawled upon it. The same screen that Chaos had been looking at earlier was on display. 

"Okay... So all of the Primordials have these?" Percy asked.

Chaos nodded. "And if they fall into the wrong hands, that could mean the end of the world. If a Primordial is separated from their shard too long, their domain would crumble." Chaos had an edge on panic in his tone. Percy had never heard him like this before. It was unusual.

"So does that mean that Aether is somewhere hidden in Australia? How has no one discovered him yet? 'Oh honey, I am just going to dig a new garden, oh wait I can't, there is a powerful celestial being under our lawn.'" Percy asked sarcastically, hoping to lighten the ambience of the room. 

"The Primordials do not have a solid form, much like I don't. Aether's essence resides in that area that his soul shard is located. It might also not be underground." Chaos rubbed the bridge of his nose, which now was on the face of Robert Downey Jr.

"So someone, or something, is stealing all the soul shards of the Primordials, to what, destroy the world? Who would do that?" Percy asked.

Chaos let out a long sigh. "I can think of a few people who have a grudge against the world."

Percy groaned. "You don't mean...?"

"That is exactly who I mean."