House of Hades: Percy Alone.

Chapter 13

Percy was relieved when the demon grandmothers closed in for the kill.Sure, he was terrified. He didn't like the odds of two against who knows how many. But at least he understood fighting. Wandering through the darkness, waiting to be attacked – that had been driving him crazy.

Besides, he had a titan on his side too, right? 

About half a dozen more of the not-Mrs-Dodds had dropped from the air above them. They stood roughly encircling Percy and Bob. Up close he could tell, they were not in fact, Furies, there were only three of those. Plus they didn't carry whips. 

Curses. None of the demon ladies moved their mouths. the raspy thin voice appeared to just be manifesting from the air around him, like a second rate horror podcast. 

A couple more of them descended from the gloom

we are the arai, the voice called. we serve the ones you slay, the ones who cursed you in their last breath.

Percy was kind of tired of all the talking. monsters always seemed to want to give him an introduction before the 'big fight.'

"the ones i slayed?" Percy let out a light chuckle "I guess I'll just add you to the list of things I've slayed"

we are curses, the voiced rasped. you cannot kill us.

 "Yeah." Percy cracked his knuckles. "that's what they all say."

The first of the lot made the mistake of attacking. It lashed out its whip. Percy caught it, but the loose leather spun around his hand, striking his palm. A jolt of pain rocketed up his arm. Percy ignored it.

He yanked the whip, pulling demon granma no.1 straight towards him. as it flew towards him, he balled his free hand.

Percy felt it. He felt his hand go through its face. Skin. Tissue. bone. 

Crunch. 

It dissolved to dust. 

Percy barred his teeth. "Who wants some more!"

Then he felt it. a piercing through his chest, from left to right. he felt his shirt soak, warm liquid pooling at the sides of his rib-cage. Like he had been impaled by a javelin.

Or an arrow. 

the voice-over cackled. how will you choose to die, Percy Jackson?

Percy clutched his sides. "what?"

Vengeance, We are the curses. 

A second one lunged at him, claws extending from its bony fingers. Percy didn't have time to think. He ducked, and grabbed at the creatures feet. it lost its balance, and Percy tugged it to the ground with him. He planted a foot on its chest, and forced himself up. He brought his other foot straight through its skull. He felt a little bit of whatever was in its head seep into his foot. Gross.

Almost immediately, he felt a splitting pain in his temple. Percy suspected this is probably what getting his horns ripped off, if he had a pair. 

This time, the arai let out a cold, high laugh. don't you see. you can't kill us. when you do, you only bring upon more curses upon yourself.

 Percy double over. The pain had spread across his whole head now. 

Geryon you slayed by shooting an arrow though his side. The Minotaur, you snapped his horn. Tell us, Perseus Jackson. How will you die. Choose, or we will tear you apart! 

Up until this point, Bob had been keeping his side of the field clean. "SWEEP" He would yell, swinging his broom spear around. the arai backed away from him. they didn't seem particularly interested in him. 

More of the arai had showed up, clustering around the two of them. One more attacked Percy. The claw of the curse, boy! they cried. Percy leapt towards it, grabbing its wrists. He wrestled it to the ground. Two more dived in, claws bared and aimed at His back.

Bob twisted, swinging his broom in a wide arc above Percy. it caught the arai  in their chest, and they burst into dust. 

Percy waited for a horrible curse to come over Bob. Maybe his head would explode. or maybe his leg would get mysteriously sliced open. But nothing happened. Bob remained, a massive silvery bodyguard keeping death at bay with the world's most terrifyingcleaning implement.

"Bob, you okay?" Percy asked. "No curses?"

"No curses for Bob!" Bob agreed. 

The arai snarled and circled, eying the broom. The Titan is already cursed. Why should wetorture him further? You, Percy Jackson, have already destroyed his memory. 

Bob's spearhead dipped.  

Time slowed. Percy wondered if the spirit of Kronos was somewhere nearby, swirling in thedarkness, enjoying this moment so much that he wanted it to last forever. Percy felt exactly like he hadat twelve years old, battling Ares on that beach in Los Angeles, when the shadow of the Titan lordhad first passed over him. 

Bob turned. His wild white hair looked like an exploded halo. 

"My memory ... It was you?" 

Curse him, Titan! the arai urged, their red eyes gleaming. Add to our numbers! 

Percy clenched his jaw. He knew this moment was coming. "I was trying to do the right thing Bob. I was trying to make you my friend!"

By stealing your life, the arai said. Leaving you in the palace of Hades to scrub floors! 

The bitter taste in his mouth had returned. He'd left Bob in the Underworld and hadn't given him athought since. Now Percy needed him, But it seemed obvious that Bob wasnt going to help

You see his face? the arai growled. The boy cannot even convince himself. Did he visit you, afterhe stole your memory? 

"No," Bob murmured. His lower lip quivered. "The other one did."

Percy's thoughts moved sluggishly. "The other one?" 

"Nico." Bob scowled at him, his eyes full of hurt. "Nico visited. Told me about Percy. Said Percywas good. Said he was a friend. He told me to help." 

and was the other one right? is Perseus a friend?

"no"

Silence. Percy could hear nothing but the beating of the arai's wings and his own heart. the arai hovered patiently, like a pack of hounds waiting for their owners go-sign.

"you're going to let them kill me aren't you?"

Bob's eyes were clouded. he gave no answer.

The arai attacked, and this time Bob did not stop them.