008.














✦ ༉‧₊˚⋆˚( ᵖᵉʳᶠᵉᶜᵗ ʷᵒʳˡᵈ )˚⁺✧₊˚.*♡

🍦— 008. rising of the death.
























VIVI REALLY WISHES PERCY could hurry up with cleaning those stables. Her wrists were starting to hurt from the rope that kept digging into her skin as she couldn't sit still for more then a full minute. They all were struggling against the ropes as it had been tied tighter with more intricate knots; Vivi managed to escape them, but was caught even with her supernatural speed ( curse that dog! ).

"Let them go!" a voice yelled. Vivi's head snapped at the direction from where the voice came, to see Percy running and glaring at Geryon, "I cleaned the stables!"

Geryon turned. He wore an apron on each chest, with one word on each, so together they spelled out: KISS ─ THE ─ CHEF. "Did you, now? How'd you manage it?"

With an impatient look on his face, he told them what happened. Percy met a Naida at the river who told him that there were seashells in dirt. Using the seashells, Percy managed to produce water and that way cleaned the stables.

"Very ingenious. It would've been better if you'd poisoned that pesky naiad, but no matter."

"Let my friends go," Percy said. "We had a deal."

"Ah, I've been thinking about that. The problem is, if I let them go, I don't get paid."

"You promised!"

Geryon made a tsk-tsk noise. "But did you make me swear on the River Styx? No you didn't. So it's not binding. When you're conducting business, sonny, you should always get a binding oath."

Percy drew his sword. Orthus growled. One head leaned down next to Grover's ear and bared its fangs.

"Eurytion," Geryon said, "the boy is starting to annoy me. Kill him."

"Kill him yourself," Eurytion said.

Geryon raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Eurytion grumbled. "You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason, and I'm tired of dying for you. You want to fight the kid, do it yourself."

Vivi would have applauded to Eurytion if her hands weren't tied up.

Geryon threw down his spatula. "You dare defy me? I should fire you right now!"

"And who'd take care of your cattle? Orthus, heel."

The dog immediately stopped growling at Grover and came to sit by the cowherd's feet.

"Fine!" Geryon snarled. "I'll deal with you later, after the boy is dead!"

He picked up two carving knives and threw them at Percy. The boy deflected one with his sword. The other impaled itself in the picnic table an inch from Eurytion's hand. Percy went on the attack. Geryon parried his first strike with a pair of red-hottongs and lunged at his face with a barbecue fork. Percy got inside his next thrust and stabbed him right through the middle chest. 

"Aghhh!"

Geryon crumpled to his knees. Okay, why didn't he disintegrate, like the way monsters usually do? He grimaced and began to stand up. The wound in his chef 's apron started to heal.

"Nice try, sonny," he said. "Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system."

He tipped over the barbecue, and coals spilled everywhere. One landed next to Annabeth's face, and she let out a muffled scream, whilst one landed on Vivi's leg. She let out a shrink of pain and throw it off of her. Tyson strained against his bonds, but even his strength wasn't enough to break them. Percy stabbed Geryon in left chest, but he only laughed. Three hearts. The perfect backup system. Stabbing one at a time was no good. . .

Percy ran into the house. 

What the fuck?

"Coward!" Geryon cried. "Come back and die right!"

Ignoring the severe pain that the coal caused on her leg ( she was sure it had been a second degree burn by now ), Vivi craned her neck to see what was happening in the living room. The living room walls were decorated with a bunch of gruesome hunting trophies ─ stuffed deer and dragon heads, a gun case, a sword display, and a bow with a quiver.

Geryon threw his barbecue fork and Percy, and it thudded into the wall right next to his head. He drew two swords from the wall display. "Your head's gonna go right there, Jackson! Next to the grizzly bear!"

Now, what did Percy do after that statement? He dropped Riptide and grabbed the bow off the wall. From what she heard from her brothers and Will Solace, Percy was the worst one at archery. He couldn't hit the targets at camp, much less a bull's-eye. Vivi prides herself she learned it in less then a week, making Travis lose in the bet he and Connor had if she would hit bull's-eye.

Geryon laughed. "You fool! One arrow is no better than one sword."

He raised his swords and charged. Percy dove sideways. Before Geryon could turn, Percy shot the arrow into the side of his right chest. Vivi heard THUMP, THUMP,THUMP, as the arrow passed clean through each of his chests and flew out his left side, embedding itself in the forehead of the grizzly bear trophy.

Geryon dropped his swords. He turned and stared at Percy. "You can't shoot. They told me you couldn't. . ."

His face turned a sickly shade of green. He collapsed to his knees and began crumbling into sand, until all that was left were three cooking aprons and an oversized pair of cowboy boots. Percy ran out of the house and untied them. Eurytion didn't try to stop him.

"You okay?" Percy asked Vivi, looking at the burn mark coal left on he skin.

"Fine," she muttered, rubbing her wrists from where the rope as tied, "I'll just pour some nectar on it and it'll go away."

Percy stoked up the barbecue and threw the food into the flames as a burnt offering for Artemis and Apollo. The sky thundered in the distance. Annabeth poured nectar down Vivi's leg, making her hiss slightly, until the pain slowly went away. However, the coal did leave the mark on her leg, but she didn't mind it.

"Yay for Percy!" Tyson said.

"Can we tie up this cowherd now?" Nico asked.

"Yeah!" Grover agreed. "And that dog almost killed me!"

Vivi stood up. She looked at Eurytion, who still was sitting relaxed at the picnic table. Orthus had both his heads on the cowherd's knees.

"How long will it take Geryon to re-form?" Percy asked him.

Eurytion shrugged. "Hundred years? He's not one of those fast reformers, thank the gods. You've done me a favor."

"You said you'd died for him before," Vivi remembered. "How?"

"I've worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as a regular half-blood, but I chose immortality when my dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. Now I'm stuck here at this ranch. I can't leave. I can't quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon's fights. We're kinda tied together."

"Maybe you can change things," Percy said.

Eurytion narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"Be nice to the animals. Take care of them. Stop selling them for food. And stop dealing with the Titans."

Eurytion thought about that. "That'd be all right."

"Get the animals on your side, and they'll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he'll be working for you this time."

Eurytion grinned. "Now, that I could live with."

"You won't try to stop us leaving?"

"Shoot, no."

Annabeth rubbed her bruised wrists. She was still looking at Eurytion suspiciously. "Your boss said that somebody paid for our safe passage. Who?"

The cowherd shrugged. "Maybe he was just saying that to fool you."

"What about the Titans?" Percy asked. "Did you Iris-message them about Nico yet?"

"Nope. Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue. They don't know anything about him."

Nico was glaring at Percy. Vivi wasn't sure what to do about him. She doubted he would agree to come with them. On the other hand, they couldn't just let him roam around on his own. He, also, kept stealing glances at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking. She saw him, but didn't want to comment on anything.

"You could stay here until we're done with our quest," Percy told Nico. "It would be safe."

"Safe?" Nico said. "What do you care if I'm safe? You got my sister killed!"

Vivi frowned.

"Nico," Annabeth said, "that wasn't Percy's fault. And Geryon wasn't lying about Kronos wanting to capture you. If he knew who you were, he'd do anything to get you on his side."

"I'm not on anyone's side. And I'm not afraid!"

"You should be," Annabeth said. "Your sister wouldn't want ─ "

"If you cared for my sister, you'd help me bring her back!"

"A soul for a soul?" Percy said.

"Yes!"

"But if you didn't want my soul ─ "

"I'm not explaining anything to you!" Nico blinked tears out of his eyes. "And I will bring her back."

"Wouldn't that be breaking the law," Vivi said. Nico's eyes snapped at her, boring into her soul. She held her hands up, "Just saying. Bringing people back from the death would be breaking the ancient laws or something. And think for a moment. Would she want to come back?"

"You didn't know her! You've never met her before! You're new to this. I lost my sister." Nico shouted.

"I lost my mother," Vivi said calmly, "She died right in front of me, in the hospital bed. I watched those doctors turn the machine that was keeping her alive off. But, I know she wouldn't like to be brought back. She already experienced death, why would she want that second time."

"Bianca would want to be brought back!"

"Then, let's ask her." Percy said, putting his hand on the small of Vivi's back.

The sky seemed to grow darker all of the sudden.

"I've tried," Nico's said miserably. "She won't answer."

"Try again. I've got a feeling she'll answer with me here."

"Why would she?"

"Because she's been sending me Iris-messages. She's been trying to warn me what you're up to, so I can protect you."

Nico shook his head. "That's impossible."

"One way to find out. You said you're not afraid." Percy turned to Eurytion. "We're going to need a pit, like a grave. And food and drinks."

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "I don't think this is a good ─ "

"All right," Nico said. "I'll try."

Eurytion scratched his beard. "There's a hole dug out back for a septic tank. We could use that. Cyclops boy, fetch my ice chest from the kitchen. I hope the dead like root beer."












































Right, this looked like a fucking cult. With full moon and silver clouds drifted across the sky, Vivi really felt like she was joining a cult.

"Minos should be here by now," Nico said, frowning. "It's full dark."

"Maybe he got lost," Percy said hopefully.

Nico poured root beer and tossed barbecue into the pit, then began chanting in Ancient Greek; yes, chant. Cult alert! Immediately the bugs in the woods stopped chirping. 

"Make him stop," Tyson whispered.

Part of Vivi agreed. This was unnatural. The night air felt cold and menacing. But she also wanted to see what will happen. The first spirits appeared. Sulfurous mist seeped out of the ground. Shadows thickened into human forms. One blue shade drifted to the edge of the pit and knelt to drink.

"Stop him!" Nico said, momentarily breaking his chant. "Only Bianca may drink!"

Percy drew Riptide, while Vivi flicked her silver bracelet off and her dagger appeared in her hand. The ghosts retreated with a collective hiss at the sight of celestial bronze blades. But it was too late to stop the first spirit. He had already solidified into the shape of a bearded man in white robes. A circlet of gold wreathed his head, and even in death his eyes were alive with malice. 

"Minos!" Nico said. "What are you doing?"

"My apologies, master," the ghost said, though he didn't sound very sorry. "The sacrifice smelled so good, I couldn't resist." he examined his own hands and smiled. "It is good to see myself again. Almost in solid form ─ "

"You are disrupting the ritual!" Nico protested. "Get ─ "

The spirits of the dead began shimmering dangerously bright, and Nico had to take up the chant again to keep them at bay.

"Yes, quite right, master," Minos said with amusement. "You keep chanting. I've only come to protect you from these liars who would deceive you."

He turned to Percy with disgusted look set upon his face. "Percy Jackson. . . my, my. The sons of Poseidon haven't improved over the centuries, have they?"

"We're looking for Bianca di Angelo," Percy said. "Get lost."

The ghost chuckled. "I understand you once killed my Minotaur with your bare hands. But worse things await you in the maze. Do you really believe Daedalus will help you?"

The other spirits stirred in agitation. Vivi stepped forward; her dagger clenched in her hand. Annabeth drew her knife and helped Vivi and Percy keep them away from the pit. Grover got so nervous he clung to Tyson's shoulder.

"Daedalus cares nothing for you, half-bloods," Minos warned. "You can't trust him. He is old beyond counting, and crafty. He is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods."

"The guilt of murder?" Percy asked. "Who did he kill?"

"Do not change the subject!" the ghost growled. "You are hindering Nico. You try to persuade him to give up his goal. I would make him a lord!"

"Enough, Minos," Nico commanded.

The ghost sneered. "Master, these are your enemies. You must not listen to them! Let me protect you. I will turn their minds to madness, as I did the others."

Vivi glared at the ghost, "It was you who turned my brother mad!"

The ghost looked at her, "Another child of Hermes I see. Thieves all you are. Not the ones you should trust."

"Just because my father if the god of thieves, doesn't mean we all are." Vivi grolwed.

"Tell that to the one that came inside the maze," the ghost said, "to my property, not Daedalus's! Those who intrude deserve madness."

"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demanded. "I want to see my sister!"

The ghost bit back his rage. "As you wish, master. But I warn you. You cannot trust these heroes."

With that, he faded into mist.Other spirits rushed forward, but Vivi, Annabeth and Percy kept them back.

"Bianca, appear!" Nico intoned. He started chanting faster, and the spirits shifted restlessly.

"Any time now," Grover muttered.

Then a silvery light flickered in the trees ─ a spirit that seemed brighterand stronger than the others. It came closer, and Percy lowered his sword, lowering Vivi's weapon too. It knelt to drink at the pit. When it arose, it was the ghostly form of a teenage girl.

Nico's chanting faltered. The other spirits started to crowd forward, but the teenage girl raised her arms and they retreated into the woods.

"Hello, Percy," she greeted.

Vivi studied her. A green cap set sideways on her thick black hair, dark eyes and olive skin like her brother. She wore jeans anda silvery jacket. A bow was slung over her shoulder. She smiled faintly, and her whole form flickered.

"Bianca," Percy said. His voice was thick, full of emotions, "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Percy. I made my own choice. I don't regret it."

"Bianca!" Nico stumbled forward like he was just coming out of a daze.

She turned toward her brother. Her expression was sad, as if she'd been dreading this moment. "Hello, Nico. You've gotten so tall."

"Why didn't you answer me sooner?" he cried. "I've been trying for months!"

"I was hoping you would give up."

"Give up?" he sounded heartbroken. "How can you say that? I'm trying to save you!"

"You can't, Nico. Don't do this. The girl is right." Bianca smiled at Vivi, "It's nice to meet you, daughter of Hermes."

Vivi nodded as a greeting.

"No, she's not!" Nico yelled, "Percy let you die! He's not your friend. And she doesn't even know what happened!"

Bianca stretched out a hand as if to touch her brother's face, but she was made of mist. Her hand evaporated as it got close to living skin.

"You must listen to me," she said. "Holding grudges is dangerous for a child of Hades. It is our fatal flaw. You have to forgive. You have to promise me this."

"I can't. Never."

"Percy has been worried about you, Nico. He can help. I let him see what you were up to, hoping he would find you."

"So it was you," Percy said. "You sent those Iris-messages."

Bianca nodded.

"Why are you helping him and not me?" Nico screamed. "It's not fair!"

"You are close to the truth now," Bianca told him. "It's not Percy you're mad at, Nico. It's me."

"No."

"You're mad because I left you to become a Hunter of Artemis. You're mad because I died and left you alone. I'm sorry for that, Nico. I truly am. But you must overcome the anger. And stop blaming Percy for my choices. It will be your doom."

"She's right," Annabeth broke in. "Kronos is rising, Nico. He'll twist anyone he can to his cause."

"I don't care about Kronos," Nico said. "I just want my sister back."

"You can't have that, Nico," Bianca told him gently.

"I'm the son of Hades! I can."

"Don't try," she said. "If you love me, don't. . ." her voice trailed off. Spirits had started to gather around the group again, and they seemed agitated. Their shadows shifted. Their voices whispered, Danger!

"Tartarus stirs," Bianca said. "Your power draws the attention of Kronos. The dead must return to the Underworld. It is not safe for us to remain."

"Wait," Nico said. "Please ─ "

"Good-bye, Nico," Bianca said. "I love you. Remember what I said."

Bianca di Angelo's form shivered and the ghosts disappeared, leaving them alone with apit, a Happy Flush septic tank, and a cold full moon. 
















niki speaks!

sorry the update is a bit late
this (last) week has been chaotic.
things are starting to get messy. . .
and i'm loving it!

i've started reading (and don't judge me)
ever after high books cuz why not.
i watched the series last thursday
when i didn't go to school
and been obsessed over it!
(cerise hood has my heart)

have a nice day/night!
bye!

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