End of the Line

#25 - The Three Furies

Chapter 25 - The Three Furies
published: Wednesday, 29 May 2019

"You've got to be kidding me."

Percy stared at the spot where Hemera had disappeared. Moments of silence had passed, allowing him to digest that their entire journey had been for absolutely nothing.

Jumping into Tartarus; fighting the arai; making it past Nyx...

Annabeth let out a frustrated yell, and Percy couldn't help but think that she had mirrored his feelings exactly.

"No," she whispered in defeat as she slumped onto the ground in a cross-legged position, holding her face in her hands.

"So, Pontus, our enemy, has the spell — our only hope at beating Tartarus," Percy swallowed. "And we're stuck in Nyx's palace."

"I think you got it all."

"Cool, just checking."

Percy glanced down warily at where Annabeth was curled up in a foetal position at his feet. He knelt down, against his better judgement. "Hey, it'll be okay."

Annabeth let out a humourless laugh that made him wince. "Yeah, no, this is just amazing. We don't have the spell, and we're in the same building as a vengeance-crazed primordial."

Percy shifted into a sitting position beside her. "We've faced worse odds."

They shared a smile that made Percy's heart skip a beat. It reminded him of old times.

"It just doesn't make any sense," Annabeth sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through her tangled hair. "Hemera's one of the good guys. She's the goddess of light — of all things good. She represents everything good — why would she leave us here?"

"She mentioned the primordial of the sea," Percy said slowly. "She was trying to help us. Give us a clue—"

"But Pontus is the primordial of the sea," Annabeth finished. "It's a dead end."

Images flashed through Percy's mind.

A woman with teal hair and a mermaid tail, Annabeth had said. The woman who'd appeared in her dream.

"Except he isn't," Percy said suddenly. "Pontus isn't the primordial of the sea."

Percy heard Annabeth's sharp intake of breath at the same time the realisation hit him.

"The woman from the dream," Annabeth said softly, echoing his thought. "It was Thalassa."

Percy stared blankly at her. He'd made the first connection, but not the second. "This is the part where you explain it to me."

She rolled her eyes. "Thalassa was the original primordial of the sea. Pontus married her — he became primordial consort by default." Annabeth smacked her forehead. "I should've realised sooner! Of course, Hemera was trying to help us. Thalassa is her daughter!"

Percy scrambled to his feet. "So, we find Thalassa, and we find the spell."

Annabeth nodded. "We'll figure out how to get out after that."

Percy reached out a hand — a silent olive branch.

Annabeth took it, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Thalassa's old prison," Percy said. "Where would it be?"

"No idea," Annabeth shrugged. "But think about it. Pontus might have her chained up in his stronghold now, but when he first took power, he would've sent her away. And where do the gods send threats?"