House of Hades: Percy Alone.

Chapter 5

When Percy heard them - feminine voices, having a sort of argument - He instantly tensed up. 

Percy dodged behind a boulder, wedging himself so close against the riverbank that his shoes almost touched the river's fire. on the other side, voices snarled, getting louder as they approached from upstream.

Percy tried to steady his breathing. the voices sounded vaguely human, but that meant nothing. He assumed that anything in Tartarus was his enemy. He didn't know how the monsters had failed to spot them already. Besides, monsters could smell demigods - especially powerful ones like Percy, being a son of Poseidon. Percy doubted that hiding behind a rock would do any good when the monsters caught their scent. 

still, as the monsters got nearer, their voices didn't change in tone. their uneven footsteps -  scrap, clump, scrap, clump - didn't get any faster. 

"Soon?" one of them asked in a raspy voice, as if she'd been gargling in the fire river behind Percy. 

"Oh my gods!" said another voice. This one sounded much younger and much more human, like a teenage mortal girl getting irked by her friends at a mall. "You guys are totally annoying! I told you, it's like three days from here." 

Percy tensed, he knew this voice. 

There was a chorus of groaning and grumbling. The creatures - half a dozen, Percy guessed - had passed just on the other side of the boulder, but still gave no indication that they'd caught the demigod's scent. Percy wondered if demigod's didn't smell the same in Tartarus, or if there were other scents so powerful they could mask a demigod's aura.

"I wonder," said a third voice, gravelly, and ancient like the first, "if perhaps you don't know the way, young one"

"Oh, shut your fang hole, Serephone," said the mall girl. "Whens the last time you escaped to the mortal world? I was there a couple of years ago. I know the way! Besides, I understand what we're facing up there. You don't have a clue!"

"The Earth Mother did not make you boss!" shrieked a fourth voice.

More hissing, scuffling and feral moans - like giant alley cats fighting. a last the one called Serephone yelled, "Enough!"

the scuffling died down

"We will follow you for now," Serephone said. "But if you turn do not lead us well, if we find out you have lied about the summons of Gaia-"

"I don't lie!" snapped the mall girl. "Believe me, I've got good reason to get into this battle. I have some enemies to devour, and you'll feast on the blood of heroes, just leave one special morsel for me - the one named Percy Jackson"

Percy almost sneered. it was almost comical how every monster seemed to have a personal vendetta against him.

"Believe me," said the mall girl. "Gaia has called us, and we're going to have so much fun. Before this war is over, mortals and demigods will tremble at the sound of my name - Kelli!"

Percy actually sneered this time. it was the empousai, the vampires

He remembered Kelli. Two years ago, at his Freshmen orientation, Percy and his friend Rachel Dare had been attacked by empousai disguised at cheerleaders. one of them had been Kelli. Later, the same empousa had attacked them in Daedalus's workshop. Annabeth had stabbed Kelli in the back, sending her... here. Into Tartarus.

The creatures shuffled off, their voices getting fainter. Percy crept along the edge of the boulder and risked a glimpse. Sure enough, five women staggered along on mismatched legs - Mechanical bronze on the left, shaggy hair and cloven hooves on the right. Their hair was made of fire, and their skin was as white as bone. Most of them were in tattered ancient Greek dresses, except for the one in the lead, Kelli, who wore a burnt and torn blouse with a short pleated skirt... her cheerleader outfit.

Percy gritted his teeth. He had faced many monsters over the years, but he hated empousai more than most.

In addition to their sharp claws and fangs, they had the ability to manipulate the Mist. They could change shape and charmspeak, tricking mortals into letting their guard down. Men were especialy susceptible. The empousa's favorite tactic was to make a guy fall in love with her, then drink his blod and devour his flesh. Not a great first date.

Kelli had almost killed Percy. She had manipulated Luke, Annabeth's oldest friend, urging him to commit darker and darker deeds in the name of Kronos

Percy almost wished he had his sword.

Percy looked back at the fiery river behind him, then back at the empousa as they trudged forward. They were headed to the Doors of death. As much as Percy hated it, they were probably Percy's best stroke of luck so far.

He needed to follow them all the way to the doors

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Here's another chapter guys^-^

sorry I was supposed to get this up a few days ago but I had a ton of Christmas parties that I had to attend

hopefully the next one will be up soon