Percy Jackson: Tides of Darkness

Chapter 4 ~ Meteors in Hell

As quickly as it had come, the bright golden light disappeared. The young man with the face covered by dark rags was gone.

But more importantly, the large golden sarcophagus was also gone. The golden glow emanating from the remains of Kronos had been the only source of light in the cave.

The interior was now as black as the rough cave walls.

Percy saw nothing at first, not even his hand in front of his eyes, then blinked and suddenly his eyes could take in everything again. As a child of the night, darkness was no reason to be afraid.

Nyx had killed him, after all. Erebus, the murderer of his father.

Percy shook his head to banish the thought from his mind and looked around.

As a child of Nyx, he could see perfectly in the dark, or more precisely, at night.

The room was round and the walls were bare and dark. There were no paintings or carved images. "How boring," Percy thought.

From the ceiling hung long stalactites, thousands of years old and pointed like spears. Like the mouth of a gigantic monster that was filled with 2 meter long, black and pointed teeth.

In the middle was a slight elevation of stone, like a kind of altar, where until just now the Sarcophagus had stood.

Kronos.

Percy frowned.

He had spoken. For being a pile of minced meat that Lyssa would have served Eris in form of a burger as a prank, the Titan King seemed disturbingly alive.

Of course, he hadn't been able to die when Zeus decided to carry on the family tradition and chopped his father into a thousand little pieces with a scythe, which would certainly have made a good appetizer.

"Hmmm. Bacon wrapped prunes. That would be nice. Or cheese cubes with olives or pieces of sausage on little wooden skewers." Percy's stomach growled loudly.

Percy shook his head for the second time, cursing his ADHD.

"I just saw Kronos freed from his prison and all I can think about is food? What is wrong with me?"

If Kronos had really returned, he would probably start a war with the Olympians. Percy knew that the gods of Olympus were anything but good people or rulers.

Addicted to power and influence, Zeus was corrupt. His arrogance was reflected in most of the other Olympians. They thought they were all-powerful and untouchable.

Kronos would catch them off guard and spread chaos in the world. But Percy was about to go there because the atmosphere in Tartarus became a bit oppressive after a while. The Olympians weren't good but Kronos was definitely the worse option.

Percy looked around the small cave one last time and then headed towards the exit.

"Seriously?" he muttered softly "Not even a locked door that closes the entrance?"

Sure, why would you not leave the still living pile of shredded Titan of Time pieces, one of the worst enemies of Olympus, lying around open in a cave, so that every idiot who just walks by could see him?

The Olympians were truly foolish.

While he continued to walk, Percy thought. His black eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"I have often walked along the caves. How come I've never seen the golden light? I should tell Mom. Maybe she can find out more."

He stepped out of the cave and was greeted by the red light and sand swirling around the black rocks in the harsh winds that would slowly scour the flesh from your bones.