𝐸𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝒽
"The Earth Shakes, Darkness Awakes"

"Percy, Percy!" Bursted Leo through the door of the cafe, causing Percy to look at the son of Hephaestus with a raised eyebrow.

The man in question turned to the panicked son of Hephaestus with a raised brow.

"Yes?"

"Jason is missing."

His usually stoic demeanor dropped for a second.

"What?! How?" Percy asked.

Leo shrugged. "I- I don't know. He was with Frank and Hazel. They just returned this morning and they said Jason went missing." 

"That's-" Percy's voice trailed off.

"There's been a quest to search for him but so far no luck," he managed to say in his panic-stricken daze.

As if on cue, Annabeth busted through the door, looking worse for wear.

"Have you heard?"

"Of course I did. I've been worried sick." Leo exclaimed.

"We should ask Frank and Hazel, they might know more information on-"

His voice was interrupted by a booming horn in the distance.

"What the..." Leo looked around in confusion

"That's the war horn," Percy stated, his voice stern.

"Is there an attack?"

Percy shook his head. "That's a different horn. This one is but a warning. A preparation for defenses."

"Everything is happening so fast, what the hell," Leo said in a panicked voice.

"Leo go help bolster up our defenses. I'll take Percy to go and search for Jason," Annabeth said, turning towards Leo. 

"What? I want to search for Jason too. I've been worried sick about him," he retaliated.

"I know, it's just," she sighed, "look, if there really is a war, they're gonna need you. I've already left hundreds of my battle diagrams with Malcolm in case they needed plans, so I'm in the clear. You, however, are very much needed. We need your inventions, like it or not."

He raised his hand, trying to come up with a response. Yet he came up short.

"I-"

"Don't worry. We'll find him and bring him back," Percy comforted, stepping out of the counter.

"Fine," he sighed.

Percy gave Leo a knowing pat on the back.

"We'll find him."

Percy turned to leave for the door with Leo and Annabeth.

He turned to lock the door of the cafe, almost forgetting to close up his shop.

"Where are we searching for him anyway?" Percy asked while locking the door and reaching his hand out to turn the open sign into a closed sign.

"Jason, Frank, and Hazel went on a quest near the mountain of Táfos, I figured we could start looking him for there," Annabeth replied.

His hand stopped, clutching the sign in his hand.

"Pardon?" Percy asked, flipping the sign, turning the sign from open to closed.

"Táfos?" Annabeth repeated, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Thought so," he sighed. "That is... interesting."

---{+}---

"Fuck," Annabeth cursed, looking around the area and trying to find clues.

"I have no idea where to even start," she groaned out, rubbing her temples in annoyance.

They were near the base of the mountain of Táfos, a mountain so ancient that it predated even the gods. The lands witnessed many a calamity, but even so, the mysterious past of this land has yet to be accurately deciphered.

The two walked around the area, trying to find any clues that may lead them to Jason's location.

"You think it's connected?" Annabeth asked, earning Percy's attention.

"Hm?"

"Jason's disappearance and the war horn, I mean."

"More than likely."

"What could they want with Jason though," she sighed worriedly.

"Jason is a powerful individual. A person with commendable feats and achievements and with the power to back it up. Not to mention that he has connections and is privy to a few secrets himself. Someone is bound to see the use in that," he responded.

"Yeah, I know I'm just... Worried."

"We all are. Which is why we need to find a lead as soon as possible," he knelt down, his gloved hand touching the bare soil beneath him.

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the memories. Now was not the time to nostalgic.

It had been years, centuries even since he last set foot on these lands. Months turned to years, years turned to decades, decades to centuries. But to Percy, it all passed like a blink of an eye.

"Why would the gods send a quest here?" Annabeth talked to herself absentmindedly.

"Although not much activity from the Titans or Giants occurred here, this place is still full of ancient mysteries," Percy replied.

"I remember reading about it," she added.

She clicked her tongue, racking her brain for answers. "It was said that this was where the king of monsters and demons was defeated. The final confrontation between the Five Ancients and the First Demon."

"But for a place where primordials battled, I would expect the place to be more...." She gestured around the area, "ruinous."

"In olden times, it used to be."

"Where did they fight? Atop the mountain?" She asked.

He shook his head. "The mountain wasn't always here, Annabeth."

"They say that the battle took place in the center of a massive crater that spanned hundreds of miles. The battle shook the earth and sundered the seas. A violent clash between the epitomes of power."

"After the battle, it was said that the mountain emerged as a sort of sign. A reminder. A warning to those who got too close. A gravestone. The tomb for First Demon."

"An old wives tale sprung up. That if you get close and put your ear to the earth, you could hear the cries of anger. The hatred of the demon, buried under the confines of the cold unfeeling earth."

"Do you think..." She started to say.

He already knew what she was going to ask.

"D'you think it's his doing?" Annabeth asked.

"The King of Monsters. Do you think he's rising again?" She asked, finally stepping down from the tree.

He was silent, his eyes befalling onto a nearby tree.

"It seems more and more likely."

The tree was withered and decayed. A stark contrast to the lush greenery that surrounded it. Its leaves were dark and decayed, falling off from the branch and onto the ground beside it. Its bark looked no better, sporting a sinister color not suiting that of a healthy tree.

But what was the most concerning was the area beside it.

The soil that the tree was rooted in was dark and pale. Showing a clear divide from the normal color of dirt, and the sickly look of the dirt it was rooted on.

"What the hell happened here?"

"Corruption. The tree is dead. What's left is a husk of its former glory. Used as nothing but a tool to spread its disease."

"I've never seen anything like this," she was shocked, looking at the state of the tree.

"That's because it was eradicated," Percy said grimly, "or at least, it was."

"What do you think is the cause?"

Percy was silent for a second.

"I believe you already know the answer to that, Miss Chase."

He pried his eyes away from the tree and continued walking. They were getting close. The tree was a sign that something was awry.

The more and more he thought about it, the more and more likely it was that he was rising again

"More and more corruption," she noted, seeing more and more of the same sickly-colored trees the more they ventured deeper.

The ground that they stepped on soon turned from the normal brown of the soil to the cracked black and grey. From the cracks, if you looked closely, you could see the faint light of a dark crimson red.

"Watch your step," he warned, staring at the ground below him as if it was about to give out.

He knelt down, placing his gloved hand above the corrupted earth.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" She asked worried.

He closed his eyes, channeling a bit of his power to the earth. His senses extending far beyond that of any normal human. 

Small vibrations resonated throughout the earth, too small for anyone to hear or sense, but just right that it could locate any underground caverns or crevices around the area.

He opened his eyes, turning back to her.

"I have a lead.."

"What?" She did a double take. 

"Just from touching the ground?" She asked incredulously.

Percy gave a low chuckle. "I'm a man of miracles."

He motioned for her to follow. She nodded and followed right behind him as they navigated through the area around the mountain.

He walked through the area, the corrupted soil becoming more and more prevalent. 

His senses were sharp, and his guard was up. It had been years upon years since he had last seen this phenomenon. A relic from a time long gone.

"I see some glinting," Annabeth called out, causing him to look towards her.

Her eyes were locked on a spike of rock that protruded from the earth. The spike extended far beyond the ground, reaching the height of a small tree. 

Engraved onto the earth spike were small symbols that occasionally pulsed a faint but weak golden glow.

"What do you think it is?"

Percy stared at the spike with a cautious glance.

"A seal."

"For?" 

Percy didn't answer and merely pointed at a nearby cave.

"Think that's where he's kept?" Annabeth turned to him.

"We'll see."

The two walked towards the entrance of the cave, their guards up in case anything happened. They were venturing into unknown territory. It would be best for them not to fall for any surprise attacks any time soon.

Percy headed first with Annabeth right beside him.

The cave was dark and gloomy. It had faint traces of corruption with black ooze and sludge littering the ground. A reminder that they were in unfamiliar territory.

But aside from that, the cave remained relatively intact.

Percy's walking slowed to a halt, a dead end.

"Look, it's that symbol again," Annabeth pointed out.

The same symbol on the spike was engraved onto the wall of the cave, causing Annabeth to scratch her head, trying to rack her brain for answers.

Like the one on the spike, the symbol glowed faintly. A weak pulse every now and again.

"Another one of those seals," she commented, staring at the wall in front of her.

A snarl could be heard right behind them, causing them to turn around immediately.

Right at the entrance of the cave were a pack of hellhounds, all looking bloodthirsty and ravenous. But unlike normal hellhounds, their eyes had a deep crimson color. 

Their bodies were tougher. Their claws were sharper. Their teeth more jagged. The saliva that gathered in their mouth was the same color as the sludge in the cave.

The hellhounds approached, inching closer and closer.

Annabeth unsheathed her dagger, readying herself for a fight.

"Don't get too close. Those aren't normal hellhounds," Percy warned.

"Oh, what gave it away? Was it the sharper claws? Or the fact that black sludge drips from their mouth?!" She said sarcastically.

The hellhounds approached ready to pounce.

"Get behind me," Percy commanded.

"What? You don't even have a weapon!" She protested.

"Just listen to me," Percy said, the two locking eyes.

Annabeth could see the seriousness in his golden eyes.

She gave a solemn nod and did as she was told.

The hellhounds pounced, aiming to bite Percy straight to the throat.

Percy swiped his hand through the air, bars of stone and earth erupting from the ground and acting as a barricade that protected the two from the ferocious monsters.

The hellhounds gnawed and clawed at the bars of stone, yet nothing seemed to scratch or even dent the defense.

Claws and teeth were nothing if not an annoyance to the unyielding earth.

Annabeth was dumbstruck.

"I didn't know you could do that," she whistled, impressed.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Miss Chase."

She nodded. "Fair."

He approached the stone bars, looking at the feral hellhounds and observing them. 

It was obvious that they were affected by the corruption. A monster being corrupted by miasma. A first in centuries.

As he observed the relentless hellhounds, the faint glow of the seal behind them stopped.

The glow faded.

"Uh, is it supposed to do that?" Annabeth asked, tapping Percy's shoulder.

Percy turned around, his eyes locking onto the golden engraving.

He could feel his heart stop.

He went in front of Annabeth, placing a hand in front of them right as the wall of stone collapsed in a pile of ash and rubble.

A barrier of golden light materialized in front of them, right as tendrils of shadow and miasma emerged from the wall and lashed at the golden barrier violently.

The black tendrils lashed at the golden barrier, the attacks bouncing off harmlessly. But that didn't stop them from trying as the tendrils tried harder and harder to break the golden defense. 

The barrier absorbed the attack, dispersing the energy through the whole of its length.

The tendrils were but the first of their problems, however.

The mountain itself seemed to shake and quake, causing Annabeth to look around in shock and panic.

The stone bars started to weaken and crumble due to the earthquake giving the hellhounds just the right opportunity to lunge through the stone bars and break through them.

Percy turned around, swiping his hand as another barrier of golden erupted between them, separating them from the hellhound.

"What do we do?!" She asked panicked, both sides being attacked by either hellhounds or tendrils of black miasma.

Percy thought for a bit, trying to figure out what to do. Both of their sides were being attacked, he had to think of something quick.

As Percy was about to make his move, the ground beneath them shook again.

Percy struggled to gain his bearings, trying his hardest to remain upright.

The ground beneath them cracked under the pressure of the earthquake, but even the earth had its limits.

The ground collapsed sending the two of them crashing down into the dark abyss below.

He grunted, balling his fist as the two barriers combined and formed a ball of golden light that surrounded them, protecting them from the debris of falling stones and boulders.

The sphere collided with the ground, causing the two to grunt from the impact

Debris ranging from sharp spikes to large boulders came crashing down onto them, colliding with the barrier and bouncing off harmlessly, landing beside them.

Smoke and ash gathered around the golden barrier, blocking their vision.

"This isn't good," he said in a low voice.

The tremors stopped, causing the two to breathe a sigh of relief.

Percy dissipated the barrier, looking around the area.

Deathly silence filled their surroundings, giving them a cold and uneasy feeling.

"This isn't right. Something is awry," he said. He could sense it. Something was wrong.

The smoke cleared, finally giving them some view of their surroundings.

They were inside a huge cavern that spanned the whole mountain. A whole cavern hidden deep below the mountain.

He recognized the cavern.

For it was no cavern.

It was the crater.

The tough ground was a sickly grey with cracks and fissures littered all over the deep cavern. The area radiated that of danger. The walls were covered in a black goo with concentrated miasma splattered all over the entirety of the cavern.

This was the most concentrated it had been.

The corruption on the surface paled in comparison to the infection that spread beneath the mountain.

The aged vines that hung from the stone ceiling were a shade of deep red and black. Everything looked unhealthy.

And in the center of the cavern was a floating figure. A figure with blonde hair and a recognizable purple shirt.

Dark and red energy seemed to flow from the walls and onto Jason's unconscious body, seemingly absorbing the energy as his own. His eyes which were normally electric blue were a deep red and black. A sign of taking too much of the substance.

"Is that-"

"Yes."

"We got to help him!" She tried to reach out her hand

"Don't" he warned, his voice low and placing a hand between her, "don't take one step further,"

"He's not dead. Just unconscious. Take one more step, and you'll be the one waiting for him in the afterlife," he warned. He was deathly serious.

A deep demonic chuckle echoed throughout the caverns.

"Nice of you to join us," Jason's mouth moved, yet the voice came from all directions. "Hide in whatever form you see fit. I see right through you Midas."

"To arrive at my doorstep on your own accord. To come to me on your own. Such a blessing. All the more easier to kill you," his voice echoed throughout the massive caverns.

An uncharacteristic snide smirk was seen on his face. A look both of them knew Jason wouldn't give.

He turned back to Annabeth, his golden eyes locking onto hers.

"You need to leave," his voice was commanding and serious

"You can't be here. You need to warn the Olympians of what has happened here."

"But I can't just leave both of you here," she tried to reason, "if we die, then we die together."

"Have you been listening?!" Percy turned towards her.

"I'll take care of Jason, I'll bring him back. That I can promise you," he reassured.

Tendrils of darkness shot out from Jason's unconscious body, bolting towards the duo at frightening speeds. A small glint appeared in his hands.

And in an instant, the tendrils were cut down seamlessly.

The tentacles slithered onto the ground like vile snakes, eventually dissolving into black goo.

The gilded spear of legends appeared in Percy's hand in an instant, cutting down the tendrils like they were nothing. The previously daunting and fear-inducing tendrils were nothing but short work of the divine weapon.

Annabeth's eyes locked onto the golden spear. Her eyes widened at the realization. She recognized the weapon.

He turned his head towards her, his gaze like an immovable mountain.

"Go. Now!"

The ground beneath her moved on its own, moving her farther and farther away from Percy.

It carried her right above the opening. Right below the entrance of the massive cavern.

She could feel her hands turn tingly. Her whole body started to feel weird.

Her form turned to a streak of golden light that floated high into the cavern. She tried to go back, tried to fight.

But it was useless as her form turned to a streak of golden light and was zipped away, leaving through the hole and whisking herself to the winds.

Percy steeled his gaze, sending Annabeth away to safety.

Annabeth was safe. 

Now he had to focus.

"Such an honor. The last demon-purger. Come to commemorate my rebirth," he spoke. His voice was daunting, and mocking. Like a thousand different souls speaking into one.

He clutched his spear, readying it at his side.

Then he placed one foot after the other.

It was time.

Word Count
3016
Words

A/N

To think it's already been eight weeks since I started this book. The end is right around the corner!