The Child Of Time

17

3rd Person-

Percy couldn't believe it. His mom was in Tartaurus.

He didn't know anything about her but he was sure she didn't deserve to go to Tartarus.

"Why?" Percy asked, his voice agonized.

"For reasons I am not allowed to say," Hades plastered a lazy grin on his face. "Now, off you go before I lock you three in a dungeon for eternity."

Annabeth and Grover started to back away, gently pointing Percy in their direction.

Percy eyes blazed, anger coursing through him like a wildfire. He was absolutely overwhelmed, here he was, close to finding out about his mother. And now, he was supposed to leave?

"No." Percy's jaw locked tight as he faced the god. "I have see her. Please."

The god of death loomed over Percy, his whole body a shadow.

"Leave." Hades snarled. "Now."

Percy's feet on its edge, ready to fight the god. The boy stood his ground, refusing to depart.

Suddenly, the throne room grew eerily quiet, the shadows bent at their masters' will, the smell of death consumed the air, chocking the three travelers.

Annabeth and Grover fell their knees, clawing at their throats for air.

Percy felt lightheaded and began to crumple to the floor, he was suffocating.

Skeletons began rising up out of the ground, bowing to Hades. Percy thought quickly and crawled over his suffering friends.

"Here," He could barely whisper, giving them a pearl each. "Crush them underneath your feet."

"Use your pearl, Percy." Annabeth rasped, her voice struggling to stay even.

"I will. Go."

Grover shot Percy a grateful glance and crushed the pearl. As if he had never been there, the satyr vanished.

Annabeth followed suit and also disappeared.

Percy was about to crush his pearl when he felt a sharp object press into his neck.

A knife.

Percy froze, his whole frozen in fear.

He could barely breathe, and the knife dug in his neck. Percy closed his eyes, accepting his fate, "Just do it. Now."

"Stop," Hades said and suddenly the knife retreated.

Percy sighed-relieved. The air became normal, the shadows faded into the background, and the skeleton warriors left.

Percy turned around and stared at Hades. His eyes were lost in a distant memory, his mouth in a tight line.

"Your mother is in Tartarus because I made a deal with Kronos. He'd somehow gather all the pieces Zeus had cut into and escaped to the mortal world. Then, just when I had been alerted about his absence, Sally's ghost appeared before me. She just said, "Keep him safe." Of course, she didn't tell me who that was. I sent her away, sending her in line for her judgement trial."

Hades paused, his voice monotone.

"I don't know what happened next but Kronos and Sally appeared in the very room you're standing in. Kronos was in the form a young child, he looked about eight and had an eye patch over one of his eyes. But his eyes were golden, like yours. He threatened to take Olympus apart if I didn't let Sally go with him to Tartarus."

"I thought of the first war. It was terrible, and I didn't want it to happen again so I let him take her. He never told me his reasons for keeping her but that's why she's there."