tartarus and back ⇩

32. I'm back, but I'm not happy

The elevator ride was a blur of pain, disbelief and exhaustion. It was all I could do to stay awake and keep the doors closed. Finally, when I thought I couldn't handle it anymore, The doors dinged and we tumbled out in a slew of black smoke.

My mind was fuzzy, my vision blurry. My body was achy and I was smiling in out of consiousness. I couldn't move, and it seemed like Percy and Annabeth couldn't either.

A cloud of black fell over us, and I blacked out.

When I came to, I still could hardly move. I stirred, whimpering.

People were talking, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. The room felt stuffy, smoky. I coughed roughly.

"Hazel..." Annabeth croaked from beside me. "The chains..."

More noises. Yelling, the chains breaking, roaring.

"Hazel!" There was a guy standing guard in front of us.

One moment the doors were there, and the next, they disappeared.

I watched as a dark skinned girl with beautiful curly hair collapsed to the ground in pain.

The dark shadow monster who I had thought were just spots in my vision roared.

"That was for my brother, Nico," The girl who Annabeth has called Hazel gasped. "And for destroying my father's altar."

You have forfeited your right to a quick death, the giant snarled. I will suffocate you in darkness,
slowly, painfully. Hecate cannot help you. NO ONE can help you!

The goddess, Hecate, raised her torches. "I would not be so certain, Clytius. Hazel's friends simply needed a little time to reach her – time you have given them with your boasting and bragging."

Clytius snorted. What friends? These weaklings? They are no challenge.

In front of Hazel, the air rippled. The Mist thickened, creating a doorway, and four people stepped through.

There was a tall, buff Asian boy with a bandaged arm. Next to him was a short, olive skinned kid with messy black hair and dark eyes. There was a white blonde boy with bright blue eyes and a fit build, and standing beside him was a cinnamon skinned girl with choppy brown hair. This must have been Frank, Jason, and Piper, though she wasn't sure who was who and where the fourth one came in.

"Sorry we're late," The blonde one said. "Is this the guy who needs killing?"

They attacked Clytius from every direction – The boy who has guarded me, Percy, and Annabeth, who I now realized was tiny, with curly brown hair and bronze complexion, was shooting fire at his legs. The buff one and the girl, who I assumed was Piper,  jabbing at his chest, The blondie flying into the air and kicking him in the face.

I couldn't lay here while the others fought, so I shakily stood and weakly held my sword in front of me.

Each time the giant's smoky veil started creeping around one of them, The little boy was there, slashing through it, drinking in the darkness with his black blade.

Percy and Annabeth also stood. Like me, they wanted to help, but there was simply no help needed. The giant was surrounded.

Clytius snarled, turning back and forth as if he couldn't decide which of them to kill first. Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!

The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armour. Ichor oozed from a dozen wounds. The damage healed almost as fast as it was inflicted, but I could tell the giant was tiring.