Chapter 7: The Past Provides an Assist

Chapter 6

Considering we still had to figure out a way to cross the Styx, I figured that it was a bad idea to make a mad dash for it, so I followed Alex. Steve gasped, apparently seeing the same thing she had and took off headlong down the hill following us. Otus yelled after us, wondering if we were going to get the bloody chains off of him.

I was about to catch up to Alex and stop her when she ran headlong...onto a bridge? A bridge, which had not been there when I stared my examination of what we were up against moments before, spanned across the River Styx, allowing us to get across it with no risk to ourselves. Seemed a little convenient.

Alex reached the other side and tackled someone who was apparently waiting for us under the wall. Steve stopped nearby gasping and staring in shock at the kid that Alex had knocked to the ground. When he got up I was able to take a good look at him.

He was about my height, athletic, blond haired and blue eyed. He had a scar running from the bottom of his eye to his chin, but otherwise appeared to be unharmed, then he turned to Steve and I saw what appeared to be a fresh wound in his side, just under the armpit.

“Hey Alex, Steve. You guys got back from that crazy quest they sent you on?” He said, his voice was deep, but also pained - as if he was carrying a heavy burden.

“My Gods. Luke, I heard what happened and all but...I mean...” Steve started.

“It’s okay Steve. I lost my way, listened to the wrong folks, caused a lot of pain. More than I can make up for.” Then he looked at me.

“I don’t know you. New to camp?” I remembered someone mentioning a Luke, and I racked my brain to remember what they had said. He was a son of Hermes who fell under the sway of Kronos and single handed nearly destroyed us all. He even became the host of Kronos. At the last moment he came to his senses and killed himself, sending the essence of Kronos back to Tarterus in such a way that he may never return. If we were lucky.

This man had betrayed his family. Betrayed his friends. Betrayed his blood. Ignus came out as a Gladius as I walked toward him. Slowly, calmly I rose my weapon, and before Alex or Steve could react I pushed him back into the wall and slammed the blade into the stone right next to his ear. He didn’t even blink.

“Ah, a Golden Blade. You must be one of those Romans I have been hearing about. Considering who your with, you must be one of two Romans in particular. Jason, or Mark?”

“Mark, stop. Luke is on our side. I think...” Alex was saying.

“Ah, Mark. Ive heard about you from Kevin.” My mind exploded in pain as emotions rushed back to me without memories attached. That name held a lot of weight. And a lot of pain. I pulled the blade out and was about to strike again when Alex grabbed my arm. I could not move it.

“I understand your rage. Ke-” Luke seemed to realize that the name caused me pain and I didn’t know why so he changed what he was going to say. “He told me how much friends and family mean to you, and what you would do to protect them. He also told me how you think of people who betray those who are family or friends. Let me tell you this. it may have taken horrible lengths, but I finally learned the same thing you did. In the end, I died to protect them.”

My mind processed this without thinking about it. It was something that was at the core of me, that I could not actively remember with my mind, but I knew with every fiber of my being. I returned the sword to my bracer and stepped back.

“I know why your here.” Luke said once it was clear I had calmed down. “So we cannot talk for long, the person you are following took the long way around, but he is already entering the fields of punishment. This rope will drop you off yards from the entrance to that place, and I made sure that the guard patrols have left this spot of the wall open for the next hour or so.”

“But...how?” Steve asked suspiciously.

“After everything I did, they could not send me to Elysium. But they also could not drop me into the fields of punishment, and I cannot get a quick pass over to the Lethe. Hades figured a good punishment that would not overly upset my father was to make me a guard captain for a few hundred years. I keep my killing wound to remind me of all I have done, but I also get to work on keeping the worst humanity has to offer from returning to the world to cause havoc. Gaia hasn’t gotten too many out because of the new guard patrols I have set up.

“But enough about me, get moving you three. If Caligula accomplishes his goal he will become invincible.” We sent Steve up first, I waited for Alex to go next. Alex grabbed the rope and was about to climb when Luke rested his hand on her shoulder.

“Alex, I talked to Stephenie. She says that your not to blame for what happened. She went into that fight knowing she probably wouldn’t survive. And I wanted to thank you for undertaking that quest. Even though you did not find what you were sent to, your presence there stopped me from exploring that region while Kronos had control of me. There was a Drakon there that only a Son of Zeus could destroy. By being there we had to take the drakon that was destined to die at the hands of a child of Ares. In a way, Olympus would have lost the war without your help.”

Tears streamed from Alex eyes as Luke told her all this.

“Thank you Luke.” Was all she said, then she climbed up. I looked at Luke, and he looked back. It was quiet for a little longer, then I heard Alex get off the rope on the other side of the wall. I grabbed the rope and was about to start up when Luke stepped in my path.

“I don’t pretend to know what its been like for you. Nor do I know what it will be like. Caligula was mad as a mortal, driven even crazier down here in the fields of punishment. Now that he can return with no problem, and has some control over the Mist, he is a dangerous opponent. More dangerous than the Titans in some ways. I left a lot of people I care about at Camp, and I want your word that you will do your best to stop Caligula from destroying our homes.”

He looked me in the eyes as he said all this. I could tell from his eyes that he was a good person, that all he did to assist Kronos he had honestly thought was for the right reasons. He had been manipulated, listened to the wrong people who used the anger that he had, the anger that all Demigods have at some point in their lives, against him. This person, this fellow warrior, he could have been me in a different set of circumstances.

“I swear I will do everything within my power to stop Caligula.” I said. He nodded and moved aside, and I climbed the rope. Rope climbing is easy, its all about putting one hand in front of the other and leveraging yourself up one hand at a time. The hard part? That’s getting down.

I reached the top of the wall and, foolishly, looked down at my friends. At first the sheer height I was at made me dizzy and I nearly fell over. Then what I saw made my blood run cold. I looked to see if the handholds would make the trip down a little easier. They would not, if I went down to fast I could end up slicing myself to bits on the blades that were embedded into the walls - probably to prevent any escape attempts. I rubbed my jacket collar while my mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. Then I felt the loop. My mind supplied identification for what the loop did.

I had an idea. A crazy idea. But an Idea that may just save my friends.

I jumped.

Chapter 8