Thread: LoD 4: Camp Pheonix ((Late Teens to Mature))

"That was the opening course. Hades' burned me and now I'm returning the favor. Jericho is so blind he'll charge right in, and my battalion will come up behind. I'll take Hades then I'll get the credit I deserve. Try not to get in my way."

A bolt of lightning struck where Jason was as he vanished into the sky.

((Okay, work with me here.))

I shrieked in frustration. Dammit! Now how do I save J's ass again? I couldn't just let him be ambushed. But how could I get to him? Suddenly, I thought of something I'd never really considered. Jericho had once told me that, for some reasons, his dogs seemed to think of me as just as important as him. And they always came when he called. I just hoped it would work for me.

"Specter!"

The silver hellhound burst from the shadows and tackled Ellie. The massive hound was as big as Zariant was, but still acted like a pup all the time, where as Zariant was just that way often. There was a full saddle on him as he was temporarily owned by Derek. Sticking out of one of the pockets was a final note from the old man.

"Hades has played us all, and will tear you apart if you do not heed my words. keep calm and show no anger. He shall fall in the silence."

"Specter! Specter, you're squishing me!" I wriggled out from under him. Sadly, neither of the hellhounds seemed to realize that they were bigger than me. "Okay, boy, I'm glad to see you, too. Can you take me to the Underworld?"

Specter sniffed around the crag then nodded to Ellie. He wasn't too akin to the underworld, but he knew his real home was there despite being born up here on the surface.

Jericho was far ahead Zariant wanted Ellie back just as much and had taken Jericho to the gates in mere seconds. There Cerebrus was in a rage and attacking anything that moved. Zariant took ont he three headed dog while Jericho cared on into the fields and towards Hades' palace.

Jason had mustered his forsaken and was leading them in through the passage in NYC after Xeriac dropped them off there.

"Alright," I said, climbing carefully into the saddle. "Find Jericho."

You could hear the explosion from across the underworld as I blew open the gates to my father's palace. I found him pacing his throne room, but when I entered he stopped and grinned at me.

I flinched badly, knowing that was not a good sign. "Hurry, boy."

Specter dashed across the fields running right past his "brother" Zariant. The elder hellhound was doing an excellent job at dueling Cerberus.

Jason and his forsaken (Orion, an ares kid, an athena kid, A random hooded kid, and Seph [he just tagged along]) we'rent too far ahead of specter, and all headed to the palace as well. Specter over took them, and arrived at the palace gates just in time for the sphere of darkness to hit Jericho in the chest and send him sprawling limp and lifeless.

((had to happen eventually))

I jumped off Specter and headed into the palace. After a minute, I realized I was taking the same path from my nightmare. I started walking faster, praying it wasn't going to happen this time. Then I reached the throne-room and saw Jericho sprawled unconscious on the floor, like a rag-doll.

"Jericho!" I screamed, running towards him. When I was almost to him, I tripped -damn my clumsiness- and fell to my knees beside him. On instinct, I grabbed his hand and held-on tight.

As angry as I'd been with him, that didn't matter now. From the day we'd met, I'd never been able to deal with seeing him hurt.

((I think now would be a good time to bring-in Ellie's fatal flaw- Jericho. She would do anything for him. If someone wanted her to do something, all they would have to do is threaten Jericho, and Ellie would comply. And I think Fake Hades would love to use that against her.))

A spectral cage sprung up around Specter, and skeletal guards came to drag my body and Ellie off. They threw the both of us into one of the dungeon cells intended for spirits. If we didn't get help soon Ellie would be just as dead as me. Being dead was a rather odd experience. Pretty much everything the dead said it was. bright light before you enter Hades with Chiron. It all felt very anti-climactic as I was already in hell. Zariant was still going at it with Cerberus when I got to the gates. This is where I began to think. The gates were wide open now. Hades never would make such a mistake. He knows how resurrection works. With the gates open I sprinted off towards Hades palace to reclaim my body. I wasn't going to stay dead long.

Meanwhile in hades courtyard the forsaken arrived.

"Hades you backstabing son of swine." Jason roared.

"Thank you." Hades replied mockingly.

"You're going to pay for you're treachery."

"No, but you will suffer for yours."

Hades glared at Jason before dawning his helm and drawing his sword.

"I also brought along a guest." Hades said as Palex the Drakon lord stepped out from darkness.

"Behind my back the entire way Palex? Why am I not surprised?" Said the cloaked figure in a familiar british accent, "I should have known the Fated would be corrupted by your twisted plans."

The cloaked demigod pulled back his hood to reveal his identity as Markus Dellin.

I was shaking in cold and fear. This cell had been made for spirits, not people, and it was colder than ice. I could already feel myself getting sick. The healer in me noted I was probably going to get pneumonia if I didn't get out of there. And being from California, I had no immunity to cold weather diseases, as proven when I got a bad cold after the Shadow War (product of my jump into freezing water in Maine) and scared Jericho out of his wits.

Heaving nothing else I could do, I simply curled close to Jericho's side, still clinging to his hand. And I accepted the fact that -either from hypothermia or being somehow executed- I was probably going to die.

The thought didn't bother me as much as it should have. After-all, for a long time now, I'd only been holding-on for Jericho. And now he was dead. I didn't have to worry about leaving him behind. Sure, some people might miss me -Devon, Logan, maybe even Chiron-but they had others to help them get over it. For a long time, I was all Jericho had. And he was all I had.

And yeah, Jericho had been an asshole lately. But that didn't mean I stopped loving him. It was breaking my heart to see him like this. And that wasn't an expression. There was a burning, ripping sensation in my chest that was so fierce and demanding, it seemed like death would be the only thing to get rid of it.

I coughed, automatically covering my mouth. Although there wasn't really a point. How could I get someone sick, my only companion was dead. For some reason -onsetting insanity, perhaps?- that errant thought seemed astoundingly funny to me. Hand still against my mouth, I gave a high-pitched, hysterical-sounding giggle.

When I brought my hand away from my lips, my fingers were speckled with blood.

"I hope you... realize I wo.... ouldn't be laughing..." My faint words were cut off when I couldn't breath as my lungs tried to get used to breathing again.

I had just returned to my pale body, and it was not a pleasant experience it was like dying in reverse with the pain going from mortal to just back breaking.

"laughing if you're dad... shot you down."

"Huh?" I was suddenly tired, and having trouble focusing. Probably not a good sign. "What do you.....?" I coughed again, and more droplets of blood hit my hand. "Hey! Dead people don't talk. But I saw you, and-" Another cough. "-You were dead. How are you suddenly-" I was really getting sick of coughing in the middle of a sentence. "-Not dead? Are we in some sort-of-" Oh, yuck. Coughing blood would never be listed as Most Fun Ever. "-Special cell in the Dungeon Of Creepyness?"

((Poor Ellie. She just wants to sleep. And the sickness is messing with her head a little.))

I half smiled knowing I was back in the living hell. I tried to roll over and push myself up, but I still was in extreme pain.

"Ellie... I can't move... I need you to drag me over to that wall" I pointed to the wall that would open and shut to the hallway, "Otherwise we'll both be dead. its hard enough guiding one spirit back to its body. Then again maybe that'd finally solve all the issues between us."

*meanwhile*

Jason was locked in combat with hades. For a demigod he was astounding, but versuses a god he had no chance. He only barely kept up his only equalizer being the master bolt in his sword. Dellin and the other demigods were dealing with Palex who was now towering over them at thirty feet tall.