Deepest Darkest Secrets

Chapter 20 Kai's test : Kill Echidna

I am dedicating this chapter to  @WulfBlud.  As a thanks for voting.

For Kai, a thousand years had passed since they arrived in Tartarus. But what seemed like yesterday Tartarus assured him that it had only been a month, and three months since they had left the mortal world.

Tartarus have been training them mercilessly since they had arrived, as Cupid had warned them. They also discovered that Tartarus loved to boast about himself and his area.

Kai was pretty sure that even Zeus wouldn't be able to match his level of arrogance.

Tartarus had a passion for giving detail description of his favorite residents.

River Cocytus flows into the river Acheron, across which is the underworld, the mythological abode of the dead. Like every river, it had its own mind. Cocytus' water is freezing cold, filled with millions of heartbroken voices as if the river were made of distilled sadness. If dipped in, the person's thoughts will become sad and miserable, having no purpose to live.

River Lethe is the river of forgetfulness and is one of several rivers in the Underworld. A mere drop from the river can make someone begin to forget their whole identity. Spirits who wish to be reborn bathe in it to completely forget who their former selves are, allowing them to be reincarnated into another life. Dayna told them Percy had barely escaped its waves during his battle with the Titans. Sometimes, Kai would feel bad for his best friend not because of the prophecy, but for having a sister who was untrustworthy and loved to make his life even more miserable.

River Phlegethon or some legends say River of Healing, The Phlegethon is the River of Fire that flows from Hades' realm down into Tartarus; it keeps the wicked alive so they can endure the torments of the Fields of Punishment. Interestingly enough though it heals mortals, its fire can kill Cyclopes despite their immunity to fire. When Jayden had asked why Tartarus said that the river always favored mortals and hated gods for their arrogance.

River Acheron. It is also called the River of Pain as it is the ultimate punishment for many souls of the damned, especially murderers. This is the point where Charon, ferries the souls of the dead to the Underworld. From what Kai had heard from Dayna he wasn't a pleasant guy. If you cross this river you will hear thousands of voices crying out, shrieking in agony and pleading for mercy. The Acheron also has a malevolent and mesmerizing effect on whoever comes too close to it, blaming them for egregious sins they never committed and showing them their worst memories, trying to convince them to jump into the river.

River Styx is the most sacred river that separates the land of the living from the realm of the dead located in the Underworld. Oaths made by this river brings something which worse than death to the Oath Bearer if not fulfilled. If anyone bathes in the River Styx and survives, that person will bear The Curse of Achilles and thus, he/she becomes invulnerable to most physical attacks, excluding a small spot on their body that if struck will instantly kill them. The river is very polluted, being filled with pretty much anything you could imagine: broken toys, ripped up diplomas, etc. – the scrapheap of human miseries. The river is filled with lost hopes and dreams, as well as wishes that never came true. Tartarus also mentioned to Percy that his Curse of Achilles is no longer there as Annabeth had betrayed him, Percy accepted that fact without causing too much havoc.

Kai sighed for the umpteenth time, Tartarus had commanded him to hunt down Echidna, wife of Typhoon, as a test of what he have learned in the duration of a month. After aimless wandering and cursing, he had finally found his target, sharping her claws with the help of a bone, or it was the opposite, Kai thought.

The only weapon Tartarus had allowed Kai was a small dagger made of celestial bronze. Tartarus had entrusted him with the mission of taking her slit eyes and bringing them to him.

Deep in his heart, Kai wished that no women get this type of father in law.

He observed his victim, racking his brain on how to kill her. His height was nothing compared to Echidna's 6'4 height. Her brown hair was caked with dust and pieces of black shards, her forked tongue was repeatedly sliding on her sharp fangs. Her skin and eyes also resemble a reptile's, her eyes were sideways slits and her skin was bright green and scaly it didn't contrast well with the Tartarus environment. The Tail was swishing in the air. Kai wondered once again what in the name of hades Typhoon saw in her.

In Tartarus, monsters were the strongest so Kai had practically zero chance of winning.

Her red slit-like eyes found his.

No one in the Tartarus knew that they were demi-primordial, but when Dayna had pointed out that they could sense their essence, her father had chuckled to himself, no one would as he had covered their essence and they were still weak and pathetic.

For Echidna, he was just her next meal. She gave out a menacing sneer and charged at him with a battle cry that almost blasted Kai's eardrums.

Faqeera.

Sorry for the short chapter, I promise the next one will be long hope so. And sorry I could not find a quote to match this chapter.

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I am putting an author's note here as I don't want to make it next chapter. Please read.

Hey guys, I know that you are surprised as in last chapter, I promised that next one will be a long chapter.

I had an intention of giving weekly updates and I am doing it even... but I don't think that it would be possible.

I am not an emotional person, but ... just say I am going through something in which no one can help. and It will take much time to heal.

I see if I can update after three weeks.

Sorry

Faqeera.