Chapter 5: We Rattle Some Chains

Chapter 4

I like to think Dark Tunnels and I have an agreement. I agree not to blow them to pieces, they agree not to throw random crazy monsters at me. Every single Dark Tunnel I have ever met has broken this agreement with me, but I have never broken my side of the agreement. I have hope that one day they will honor their side.

Take this tunnel of Orpheus for example. First few minutes in, and the tunnel seemed to be keeping up its side of the bargain. Then all hell broke loose.

It started with a skittering sound in the dark, which really never indicates anything good. Then we heard the sound of claws snapping. Another few minutes and we saw what was making those sounds. Spiders that were as tall as I was and giant scorpions were walking around in the tunnels. When Alex saw them, she froze, and let me pass her before starting to walk again. I guess she has a problem with creepy crawlies. To be honest, I have a problem with them too. Instead of pulling out Ignus and Glacius, I grabbed my pencils.

They worked on the first set of insects, I took out ten of them with my pencils as they rushed us. Unfortunately I only had ten and they like to take their sweet time returning to me. At this point I wanted to turn around and run for my life, but Alex and Steve were blocking the way. So I brought out Glacius as a shield, Ignus as a gladius, and hoped to god my shaking did not screw up my form.

Steve saved the day this time. His knives, glowing with purple flames, flew in front of me and started cutting the insects to pieces. He wormed his way to the front, put up a shield, and walked calmly forward. Alex forced herself in front of me so that she was in the middle again, probably so that if any of the insects returned Alex or I would get them first. I grabbed Growlz out of my pocket so hard he squawked and put him on my shoulder facing backwards and told him to warn me if anything was coming down the tunnel after us. He wrapped his tail around my neck a littler tighter than usual.

We continued in this fashion for a few more minutes, exactly six that seemed like ages (but who’s counting?), when the horde of insects stopped. Steve started to use his daggers as torches, floating them so that they lit the tunnels ahead of us. The disappearance worried me a little. I didn’t want them to come back, but something worse must have made them go away. A little while later (two minutes to be precise) we found our path blocked.

“According to information I got from Percy and Nico, by now we should be seeing the Underworld.” Steve said.

“Isn’t Percy missing?” Alex asked nervously.

“I got it from him before he disappeared, when we were trying to map the magical places of the world. The point is, this shouldn’t be here, cave ins cannot happen in the Underworld.”

“Its not rock,” I replied automatically, still looking nervously behind me.

“What do you mean?” Steve asked.

“Are there any back there?” Alex demanded, hiding behind my shoulder and taking a peek.

“Oh grow up you two. It’s just some bugs that I burned to a crisp on the way down here, if there are anymore the flame shield I have behind us should take care of them. Bunch of babies.” I turned back to Steve.

“It’s a metal. I can’t tell what kind, I have never seen its like before. It was designed to withstand a great deal of pull though.” I muttered as I examined our wall. Then I realized.

“It’s part of a chain!”

“Impossible, no chain is so big.” Steve replied automatically.

“Wouldn’t it have to be to imprison a giant like one of the Aloadae?” Alex asked. We looked at her.

“It would,” Steve whispered.

“From the mouth of babes...” I replied, then blushed. Steve looked a little surprised, and Alex also blushed. I quickly spun back to the chain and gave it an experimental push. The dirt must have been loose, because the chain link moved. Not much because it was heavy, but it moved. I pushed harder, Steve and Alex came to help. The link slid and then fell off and went down the hill we were at, slamming into River Styx at the bottom. Then I got my first look at the Underworld.

There was a lake with some islands far off in the distance, must be the Isles of the Blessed. Near the shores of the lake was a gated community with houses of all different kinds. Near that was a tent with a sea of faded blue surrounding it, with a giant black fortress behind that. I also saw four rivers floating around, one on fire. Then to our left, I saw an area removed from the rest by barbed wire and fires. At the end farthest from us was another giant.

“Well, there is one.” Alex said.

“Aye,” I replied. “Where is his brother?”

“I’m over here Gods damn it.” Replied a voice raspy from screaming. We turned, and crushed under some of the links of the chain was an old man who was bleeding from various wounds.

“I am that big oafs brother. Otus, Son of Poseidon, crushed under his own cage.”

Chapter 6