FS2 Chapter 53
The darkness was suffocating and I started to hyperventilate. The green guy must've heard it and
stopped.
"The Chamber isn't far from here. It'll all be over soon." He says. He meant to reassure me but it
didn't help. It was like being in the cell in the Underworld all over again. But this time I'm not
stopping the world from ending. There was no saving me now. No Erebus to magically poof out of
nowhere or Nerth to carry me off or Madelyn to spar with. I cringed as I thought of the betrayel that I
had seen in her eyes, the rage that hid behind her green eyes.
"I'm so sorry Madelyn." I say and realize I had said it out loud. The green guy stopped and i almost
ran into him if not for the tiniest glance I took before taking another step. He turned to look at me, his
yellow eyes wide.
"Did you say, Madelyn?" He asks me quietly.
"Yeah, I didn't mean to... it's too painful now." I say and I do mean it. I had stabbed her in the back.
Not literally but it might have well as been. He stared at me and got that look again.
"where?" He asks me.
"Elysium." I say, very confused and a tiny bit creeped out. He gasped and took a step back. He
grabbed me up and I looked him directly in the eye. They had a wild craze to them.
"What did she look like?! Did she have blonde hair about medium length and brillant green eyes? Did
she have a tiny scar right under her chin?!" He asks me in rapid succession. I tried to wiggle free but
his grip was like steel. To be honest it was creepy how he knew what she looked like. I carefully
thought back to what she looked like: blonde hair, green eyes, right hair length... i didnt know about
the scar though. Then I remembered while we were sparring I had seen a tiny white line under her
cheek. how did he know her?! I ask myself. He didn't me go and his grip was starting to hurt and I
was too exhausted to fight back.
"How do you know her?" I ask him and he suddenly lets go of me. I fall to the ground with a thump
and the wind gets knocked out of me. I wheeze as I hear him mumbling.
"Can't be... She should've lived...Said she died of old age so... impossible to get in unless..." He
looks at me and helps me up.
"My bad. Sorry I just didn't think that she acheived Elysium or not. She deserved it but I wish I
could've seen her one last time before hand. I had so much to tell her..." He says, trailing off. I was
on high alert with this dude.
"How do you know her?" I ask him again. He sighs.
"She probably never mentioned me. My name is Saul Aetós, Son of Athena." He says and it clicks in
my mind. Of course. Thats how he knew her. She was his best friend before he died. She had said
something about being on patrol and being attacked i think?
"Your Saul?!" I ask him, wondering why he was...well...a monster. He gave me a fanged crooked
smile.
"So she did mention me. huh its good she hasn't forgotten me." He says then looks at me.
"I'm guessing you have a ton of questions." He says and looks at the ground. I nod. He gripped his
head and growled slightly. I took a step back. He finally stopped grimacing and looked at me again.
"Master again, he wants us to hurry up since your friends seem to be doing better then he thought."
He says with a hint of malice in his voice. My friends. Thier still alive. I think and thank all the gods. I
didn't want to go further into the dark chamber, I wanted to run and help my friends. But I had to
press on. We walked in silence for a while and I tried to come up with ideas as to why Saul was here.
"Madelyn's been looking for you." I whisper. He locks up but keeps walking.
"Really?" He asks me quietly. I nod. He looks ahead with that look in his eyes again. I finally was
puzzling it out. I saw a light up ahead and the numb feeling came over me again.
"You loved her didn't you." I ask him as we were a few feet away from the corner where the light was
coming from. I knew the answer. He didn't say anything immediatnly.
"Yes. I did." He says, almost to himself. I nod. I suddenly felt sympathy for the guy. We both were
very similiar. Both loved someone we could never be with. Him, his lover in the Underworld, mine
possibly about to join her. I looked at him.
"I think she loved you too." I tell him. He doesn't look at me but I see a tear on the side of his green
face. The light was right in front of us now, turning the corner would reveal it's source.
I sucked in a breath. He looks at me.
"Don't worry, I'll make it as painless as possible." He says.
"Thank you." I tell him.
"Saul." I say right as we're about to turn the corner. He looks back at me.
"Will you please spare my friends? Just until after the whole process? Their all I have left right now." I
ask him. He seems taken aback by the request but surprises me by nodding.
"You have my word." He says and it was my turn to hold back tears. We start around the corner.
There, sat on an incline of stairs, was a statue. It sat motionless on its throne, its blank eye fixated
striaght ahead. At me. Saul nodded me forward and I took hesitant steps forward. The lush purple
carpet felt strange under my feet, almost like it was rippling. Saul bowed to the statue.
"Master, I have brought you the Vessal." He says and nothing happens. Then the statue's mouth
draps open like on a hinge and it's head tilts to the side creepily.
"Ahhh Granddaughter of Athena and Apollo. We meet at last face to face. Welcome to my humble
home." EO's voice emits from the statue. The power of the voice echoed throughout the room. I
didn't say anything.
"You have done well servant. Is the Chamber ready?" He asks. Saul nods.
"Yes my lord." He says, still in a bow.
"Good, then lets not waste anymore time shall we? I'm ready to be rid of this stiff and useless body."
He says and I almost scream at the horrible grinding noise. The statue moves and slowly walks down
the stairs. I wanted to run out of the room and claw my ears out. The noise of that stone rubbing
against itself was almost unbearable. He slowly lead us behind the throne and into a hidden
passageway I hadn't noticed. Guess thats why its hidden. I think sarcastically to myself. The statue's
head turned to Saul.
"Stand guard here. My army is strong but demigods can be pesks when their determined." EO says
and Saul nods. I look at him one more time. I didn't see him much as a monster anymore. More of a
lost being, life taken from him too early and hes been forced into this fate. I could relate. He looks at
me and nods reassuringly. Go. He mouths and I take a deep breath. I walk down the hallway with
EO, alone.
ok side note, normally I would end the chapter here butttttttttttttttttt i rlly want to make this the
chapter with the emotional damage so I'll keep going 😁 . grab ur tissues and a pillow to rage
on bc ur about to be emotional wrecked.
I walk down the hallway and the first thing I notice is how cold it was. I was shivering within a few
seconds. Had it not been so dark, I probably would've been able to see my breath. EO was unfazed
and kept screeching along down the hallway which felt more like a tunnel. We finally reached the end
and he waved the door open. It magically moved and we walked in before it sealed shut behind us. I
surveyed the room. It was circular and massive, easily over a football field wide. There was two
'pedestals' in the middle of the room and the high brick walls meet in a dome formation at the top.
Torches lined the walls and gave the room a eerie feeling. Just being in there made shivers run up
and down my spine. EO turned to face me.
"I will congradulate you on making it this far. Maybe your not as pathetic as I thought originally." He
says but I don't respond.
"But your true test is now. This is the Chamber. The process you are about to experience was
invented thousands of years ago by a Titan. That titan passed it on to his apprentice before the gods
casted him down into Tartarus." He says and I could hear the layered bitter malice in his voice. "The
apprentice never forgot it. And now they finally have a use for the knowledge." He says and climbs
onto one of the pedestals. I just stand under mine, frozen in place. All my life, I had dreamed of
adventure and the thrill of glory and being known and here I was, wishing I hadn't even thought
about that. I wished to go back and enjoy those precious moments with my family instead of being
locked in my room or alone in the hollow training for hours at a time. But those made me strong
enough for this. I tell myself. In a sense I was right. I wouldn't have made it through everything if not
for those hours, if not for all that work. But I still longed for that time back, even for just a minute.
"I don't have all day!" EO says and I cringe. The steps leading up to it seemed to stretch for an
eternity as I climbed them. with each step, I felt the wieght crushing me. Each step, a piece of me I
had forgotten about showed itself in the front of my mind. I saw everything for what it was in a new
light. Even on the bad days there was something good, something that made it unique to me. With
one of the final steps, the drawing came to mind. I thought back to the day the image had first been
planted in my mind. It seemed crazy to think it had already been a year and yet so much had
changed. The image hadn't made sense but looking at it now, I saw the details I had not understood
in a new clarity. I understood them. As I reached the final step, it clicked. The final piece of a puzzle I
had been looking for. Grey had told me he unlocked his power from truly finding who he was. The
whole time I had been looking in the wrong place to find the key to my power. It wasn't adrenaline or
just by chance, it came from the moments where I found the intermost parts and feelings of myself
and channeled it. Seeing my life before me... I saw who I was. I was Audrey Jane Baxter, Daughter of
Lura and Devin Baxter, Granddaughter of Apollo and Athena, sister of Greyson Baxter and Erebus
Shan, leader, friend, lover, and fighter. These truths fueled that hidden part of me. I looked that
statue straight in the eye. I wasn't who I was before. A Baxter doesn't back down from a fight, and if
I'm going down, I'm gonna take him down with me. I tell myself and let my mind take control of the
sitaution and think it out. With my heightened abilities, I could think faster and harder. I was ruling out
things by the second.
"Cute glow. Won't help you now. So you will feel a light tickle but that's normal, just let it happen.
The more you fight it, the worse it gets. I will be taking your form and making it my own. Shouldn't be
THAT painful but I've never experienced your side of things so. Hold still." He says and I feel
something lock my legs in place. I try not to let my sudden immobility panic me but it wasn't helping
me. I need a weapon but also need weakness... Saul help?... No... EO in control... Maybe if Lola and
Ben were here.... THATS IT!!! I think and realize what had to be done. It was risky, riskier then I
would've liked but it's the only one that had a chance. First I need Lola and Ben... If their still alive. I
think and remember Saul's promise. I have my backup plan on hold just in case but I prayed it didn't
come to that. I was about to yell to see if I could get Saul's attention when fire shot up my legs. I
screamed out in pain as it spread like a wildfire through the rest of me. Had not some invisible force
held me up I would've collapsed. EO laughed and the mouth of the statue started pouring out a
purple mist. It was like Code Green with Cypher but this was not that. It snaked its way to me. I let
out another scream of pain as the pain increased and tears ran down my cheek. Ever read Harry
Potter? Well theres a part where Bellatrix tortures Hermoine. Think that pain times 5 and thats what I
was feeling. I couldn't think straight. Still the purple mist crawled ever closer. I imagined all the
horrible things it could do. Another wave hit me and I let out a strangled scream and gasped as I got
lifted off the ground. I tried to move but I still could barely even move my fingers. The snake was so
close. I needed it too be close but not yet.
I need Lola and Ben. I think desperatly. The pain dug its claws deeper and I whimpered pitifully. EO
laughed again but it was interrupted by a loud banging. We both looked at the door and then it got
blown off it's hinges.
When the dust settled, a figure roared and two more followed it. Saul was glaring daggers at EO and
behind him were Lola and Ben. I would've yelled their names if my voice wasn't died. But both took
one look at me and yelled my name. I let the silent tears fall and I looked them over. Lola had
scratches and long jagged cuts all over her. One particularly on her arm that needed to be bandage
soon or it could be a real problem for her. I gulped when I looked at Ben. He looked barely alive, skin
pale white, even from here I could tell his breathing was bad, and he favored his unwounded side. He
looked up at me. So many unspoken words passed between us. I was so relieved and terrified at the
same time. He was on the brink of death but about to fight the world's evilest being. He whispered
my name and it clicked inside me again. I need to focus now. I think. For them. I think and channel
my power. It came roaring back to me and dimmed the pain to be more bareble to think. So that's
what I did. EO was cursing at Saul and Saul was about ready to pummel him. I prayed Saul could
keep him busy while I tried to talk to Ben and Lola and explain my plan. The snake had paused in
midair, waiting for EO's orders. I looked frantically at Lola and Ben. I could barely move but I pushed
through as much as I could and was able to move my hand ever so slightly. I moved it away. I need
them to stand back. I had to let EO complete this part then do it. But not fully complete it or I'll never
make it. I tell myself and make a noise in my throat to get EO's attention. I made the motion still and
Lola and Ben still hadn't seen it. I was starting to worry but I succeeded finally when Ben pointed and
held Lola back.
"NO! I'm not leaving without you Audrey!" She yells and I was torn in half. I didn't want them to leave
this time. Ben didn't saying anything. Maybe he hates me. I think and I try not to dwell on it. I focus
on the snake who was moving toward me now. I tried not to let the fear take over. I repeat to myself
what I was and I feel the power return. I ran more calculations in my head and waited for just the
right moment. He has to be in 4.3 inches before release. Must build it up then be ready. I think and
let the pain rock me back in forth. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced, even worse then
Nerth, even worse then my leg. My healing power helped a little but not enough to keep me from
screaming one more time as the snake touched me. It was like someone was drilling hot metal
through me very slowly and at the same time my whole body seemed to be breaking down into tiny
pieces. I yelled again and couldn't focus. I looked toward my friends again and I met Ben's eyes
again. They were an anchor for me. I kept locked on them as I steadied myself. I looked back at the
snake and gritted my teeth and counted the tiny measurements.
"NOW!" I yell and used all the power I had been storing to expel it straight out of me with a powerful
blast. Everything stop and I heard EO yell in rage. I dropped to the ground and caught myself before I
hit the metal floor. Being free instantly changed everything and my power was unrestrained now.
Sure I used a ton of it up of it and I felt like passing out but I took one look at Ben and Lola and I saw
not only them but the ghostly images of my family and friends. Not just them, the whole world
depended on me. I stuffed down the urge to succumb to the darkness and let myself charge again.
EO was furious now. The statue he had been using as a host had been blasted into oblivion and for
that I was thankful. A small victory. I had forgotten about my sword until now and unsheathed it just
in time. A dark form rushed me and pushed me all the way back. I pushed with all my might and
called on some of my power to break free and get a good luck at my new opponent. EO was now a
humanoid shape of pure deep purple but its was tipped with green along the edges. He wielded his
signature crude sword which was made of the same matter as him. I braced myself and continued to
store tiny bits of my power away for the next big hit.
"FOOLISH MORTAL! YOU HAVE ONLY DELAYED THE INEVITABLE! PREPARE TO DIE!" EO yells
and rushes me again. I run at him as well and find I could levitate a little and let it drive me forward.
When our weapons met, sparks flew from the metals. I pressed hard but he pressed harder. I was
forced back and gasped as his blade grazed my arm. I cringed and bit down on my lip to keep from
screaming.
"Ok, now I'm done." I say and let the full force of my power take over. It was like an ocean coming
over me and the room lit up completly from it. We stared each other down. He growled and pounded
his fists together. Shades dripped off him and formed to look near identical to him. I grimaced but
stayed strong. They charged me and I was about to hit the first one when a blur of red took it down. I
watched as Panic ripped the things dark throat out. I turned and looked to see Ben holding his hand
out and straining with concentration. he was controlling the wolves. Son of war’s curse will decide
their fate in the end. I think. It meant the wolves, his ablilty to control them to help or harm us. I
nodded to him gratefully and went back to the fight. Famine ran past me to tackle another and I let
myself have a small smile as I slash at one of the shadows. It melts out of the world after touching
my blade. I cut down two more before they started to swarm me. For being total shadows, their nicks
packed a punch. I bit back a yelp of pain at the newest one on my leg. My magic went straight to
work and healed it the best it could. I could feel the power dwindling though. I needed all I had for
my plan. I backed away and saw Lola fighting two in the other corner. I ran over to help her and
quickly got rid of them. She was breathing heavily.
"Nice of you to join." She says. I don't respond and focus on killing the fighters. When we reached a
dead period where EO was making more, I looked at my friend. She was bruised and battered and
that cut on her arm looked horrible but she was alive. Before I could react she gave me a bone
crushing hug. I hugged her back and felt tears ready to fall.
"gods you scared me so bad. Don't ever do that to me again." She says and I hug her tighter.
"I promise." I tell her. She pulls away.
"So boss, whats the plan?" She asks me, serious and joking at the same time.
"I need to get him alone. I have a plan but I need to wear him down enough. If not, plan B isn't the
best but it'll work." I explain. She nods and looks at EO.
"Make it quick." She says and I nod. Before I charge back in, I run my hand over her arm and watch
the skin magically stitch itself back together. She inspected it and she didn't get a chance to thank
me before I ran back into the fray. I readjusted my strategy and ran at them full charge and plowed
through the cuts and bruises to reach EO. He stood over it and snickered. I jumped up and met his
blade in midair. We exchanged more blows and I slowly noticed that he was stronger then I had
calculated for. Running the math in my head, I would run dry faster then him. I just need him to a
point where I can blast him one last time before I run out. I think and fight on. The shadow warriors
seemed to be dwindling as we got further into the fight. But so was my speed and healing. Cuts and
gashes took longer to heal and one on my arm wasn't at all. I grimaced. I need to before I can't. I
think and trade two more blows before stepping back slightly. I pulled everything from every tiny part
of my body and packed into a tight concentrated ball inside my chest and prepared to launch it. I
was determined and despreate. If this didn't work, plan B was the only thing that would keep us from
world destruction. I clumped all of my anger, hurt and pain in there too. I looked EO dead in his white
eyes.
"Adios." I say and blast him with the full might of my power. It was like a flaming silver and gold sun
pulsing toward him. He yelled and raised his arms futilely trying to protect himself. I let it go and
hadn't realized I was floating and landed on the hard steel and bit down on my cheek. so hard
drawing hot blood in my mouth. I looked at my leg and saw my ankle bending at a weird angle. I
tentatively touched it and sucked in breath through my teeth. It was definitly broken. I looked up and
saw the remenants of my power in wispy trails and didn't see EO. I let out a tiny laugh and relief
spread through me. I turned to see Lola and Ben looking at me in awe and joy. WE HAD DONE IT!!!
WE HAD BEATEN THE IMPOSSIBLE!! I was about to stand up and run to them when something told
me to duck. I did and not a moment too soon. A shadow dagger whipped millimeters past my head
and I went back on high alert. I turned around and all the color drained from my face. Before me
stood EO, alive. He shook off some of the rubble that had fallen from the ceiling and laughed at me.
"You think a tiny flame is gonna destroy me?! Well surprise! Your wrong!" He says and laughs more.
I started to hyperventilate. No... no no I killed him. I think to myself but I dove to the side as another
dagger whipped toward me. I gasped for breath and kept dodging the incoming blades. Ben yelled
something and one of the wolves rushed EO. He casually picked it up with his magic and tossed it
against the wall where to fell, motionless. One by one, Ben's wolves attacked and met the same fate
as the first one. Finally, he was left with one. This one I had never seen before. Midnight black with
white eyes it uttered a low growl and stood infront of, almost as if he was protecting him. Oblivion.
Ben muttered something to it and it nodded to him. I howled and morphed bigger then before. It
shook itself and fixed EO with a death glare. Ben shoved Lola aside from helping him and he climbed
on top of Oblivion and they charged together. I watched EO raise both hands and I let out a
strangled yell as I braced for the worst. Ben yelled and Oblivion growled with him and they didn't
stop.
"BEN!" I yelled but he didn't stop. EO laughed and glowed green. I tried with everything I had I try to
crawl over to them and I stretched out my hand and willed any power I had left toward it. All that
came out was a tiny ball of light that shot only a couple feet before fizzling out. Ben and Oblivion
stepsided and were about to ram EO when the green light enveloped them. I thought they for sure
were goners but something strange happened. The green was replaced by maroon red and they
broke free of it and Ben sliced with his sword. Direct hit. It stabbed EO through the side. EO doubled
over and looked at the sword. I waited for him to go down. Oblivion and Ben yelled in triumph but
didn't notice that he wasn't down yet. But it was too late. EO ripped out the sword and plunged it
into Oblivion's massive flank. Oblivion howled in pain and Ben was flung from his back and lay in a
crumpled heap on the ground. EO's laugh got more malicious.
"BEN!!" I yelled and crawled over to him. Lola rushed over to and helped me. I muttered his name
over and over as I inspected the damage. He was breathing too hard and too shallow at the same
time. I carefully felt around and found at least 3 cracked ribs and a broken arm. I then sucked in a
breath when I looked at his side. The bandages were doing nothing. Blood coated it and dark black
poison veins spread out of it and all over his chest. No wonder he couldn't breath. I sobbed. Lola
held me.
"It's not your fault." She says. I break free from her grasp. I stand up and look at her.
"No. thats just it. It IS my fault. All of it. From the moment we left camp. Well I'm sick of making
things worse. I know what I have to do." I tell her and summon all of the energy I could spare. I
forced anything I had left power wise into my hands and they glowed a faint golden and silver.
Before she could say anything I placed my hands on Ben's side. I pushed all I had into him. I
watched through blurry vision as the viens slowly receded back towards the bandage. But i knew it
wasn't enough.
"Get him to my dad. He'll know how to help him. Or at least manage it." I tell her as I shakily got up. I
stumbled and Lola was the only thing that stopped me from hitting my head. She helped me to my
feet.
"Audrey its not your fault. You didn't mean to make him like this. It was EO's fault not yours. I've
known you too long. You would never do this to him." She says. I sigh.
"Maybe not but I still have to do this. I need you to trust me one last time." I tell her and dread the ext
steps I have to take.
"Ok, but you have to promise me that this won't involve you dying. Because I can't lose someone
else. Especially you." She says and I hug her and thank the gods she can't see my face. I hated the
bile in my throat.
"Thank you. I promise." I tell her and feel my heart wrench. "I need you to help me fight him. Just
enough so I can put plan B into motion." I tell her. She nods and smiles her wicked smile.
"Easy enough. Whats plan B?" she asks.
"You'll see." I tell her and try to force enthusiasm into my voice. She nods and smiles bigger. If only
the blast would've worked. I think and choke back all the tears and regret for this final moment.
"Lets do this." I say and we run together. Well her running and I limping. I didn't have any magic left
to heal my leg so I was forced with excurtiating hops. My sword felt a million pounds heavier and I
could only see through blurry vision. Lola just ran straight up to him and hacked at all decoys he sent
at her. I eventually got to the place I need to be. The pedestal. I sighed and realized my problem. I
clicked my sword into my bow and took a look. I had one arrow. One shot to make it count. But I
couldn't with all the decoys surrounding him. I cursed.
"LOLA!! Draw the decoys away!" I yell at her and I didn't think she heard me till she started running
backwards and the figures followed. Perfect. I think and take one last look at Ben. He had somehow
gotten to his feet, or what he could and a smaller version of Oblivion supported him. He looked even
worse despite the healing. His leg hung limply as Oblivion pretty much dragged him toward the edge
of the arena.
"Thank you." I whispered quietly to Oblivion. I knew he wouldn't hear me but I just wanted to say it.
"LOLA! Get out of the way and wait for my signal!" I yell to her and she nods with her face scrunched
in concentration. She backs up even further and I focus. I pull back my bowstring and flick the arrow
into place. It took everything I had to stop shaking and hold the bow steady enough to aim. I couldn't
though. Cue more curses and me banging my hands against my good leg to snap them out of it. I
pulled up my bow just in time and had milliseconds to process what was happening.
"Tut tut. We can't have you getting any ideas now can we?" EO says and hurls dark energy at me. I
tried to jump away but my leg protested and shot more fire up my leg. I ended up flopping on the
ground and I felt a crack inside me. I couldn't breath. The fall had knocked all the wind out of me. As
i wheeze and try to get air back in my raging lungs, I don't notice the pedestal collapsing right on me.
a stone falls right next to my head and I look up to see it come tumbling down right on top of me. I
braced for the on coming bricks and knew this was it. Being crushed by bricks was the least
impressive possible death I've been through but I knew it would be awful. And i was so close to
defeating EO. I futilely reached out to pull myself out of harms way but it was no use. I say shapes
running my way and urged them to stay away. But just before the first stone hit me, something
landed on top of me and covered me from harm. I looked to Ben holding me close.
"Ben... no..." I said weakly but held him closer and felt him grunt every time a brick hit him. It's killing
him. I thought with a sickening horror and I tried to get us out of all the bricks but we were trapped.
The pain was slowly dragging me under. No, I have to stay with Ben. I think desperatly but it was too
late. The relief powered my subconcious and left me trapped in the inky darkness. I don't know long I
was there but it felt like an eternity. I was able to think a bit but not enough to wake me up. But that
didn't matter because the only thought I had was about getting back to Ben. I thought I was going to
be stuck in there forever until something shook my entire conciousness and I was brutally sent back
to the present. Lola's tear and bloodstreaked face looked straight at me and relief spread over her
face.
"Your alive!" She says in a shakey voice. I groaned and wished that the relief would come back. The
pain was like a raging sea with waves tearing me up on the inside. I looked to my side and let out a
choked sob. Ben lay against some of the rocks, his head to one side and a tiny trail of blood coming
from his mouth.
"BEN NO!" I sobbed and crawled over to him. His breathing was almost nonexistent. His pulse was
so weak that I almost didn't find it.
"Ben... Ben look at me... You can't die." I say and his lips twitched. Lola cried behind me.
"Yeah Wolf Boy." She says. Ben's lips twitched even more. I felt something warm cover my hand and
saw his holding it. His once strong grip was gone. I looked up at his face again. His eyes looked back
into mine. I was so close I could see myself reflected in them. A noise came from his throat. He
shifted ever so slightly and the noise came again, but different this time.
"I love you." He said softly. I choked up and carefully rested my head on his chest. His heart beat
faintly.
"I love you too." I told him back and I felt his breathing stop.
"Ben? BEN?! BEN NO!!" I yelled and tried to do CPR. I looked desperatly at Lola and all I saw was a
grief stricken face. No this can't be happening. Not again. I think and try to find any healing power I
had left and try to save him. I kept cursing at myself for not trying it sooner and kept coming up with
nothing. My power was all gone. Not a speck of it left. I screamed and held him tight and Lola had
pry me off him. I fought against her and screamed his name over and over. She made me look at her
and I saw the same deep sadness reflected in my own eyes.
"Audrey look at me!" She said and I calmed down a bit. I was acting like a child. "Look I know this is
hard, believe me I feel it to, but we have to keep going. It's what he would've wanted." She says in a
strangled voice. I didn't respond.
"Look your all I have left. First Nerth and now Ben..." She trails off.
"Their deaths, everything they fought for, won't matter if we give up now. So, are you gonna help me
destroy this guy before he takes more from us or are we gonna let all the sacrifices, not just theirs,
go to waste and become meaningless?!" She asks me and shakes me. Everything became clear. I
saw how I was so focused on my pain that I didn't realize she had lost them and felt it just as much
as I did. I nod and we embrace.
"Come on, let's go kill this guy once and for all." She says and helps me stand. I use her as a brace
and my bow as another crutch. Every step was incredibly painful but it didn't match the new passion
and determinaton in my heart. I had one goal, nothing else on my mind. I was going to kill this guy,
no matter what it took. He had taken everything from me, so I would take everything from him. I saw
him smile and laugh.
"I warned you. The boy didn't have to die. You should've come peacefully and this would've already
been over." He says and I wanted to scream awful things at him for dismissing Ben's death just like
that. I stopped and looked at the ceiling.
Athena, Apollo, I need your strength. I have to defeat this guy, avenge all those who have come
before me. I have a plan but it won't succeed without your help. Please, if I ever needed something
from you, now is the time. Please. I plead them silently. Nothing. I sighed and winced as everything
flared up at the single breath. This was going to take everything I had. I looked at Lola and see
looked at me.
"All for one." I start and raise my bow up even though it sent tsunamis of pain through me. She
chuckled a little.
"And one for all." She says and we clink blades. Something changed in the air. It was all of a sudden
electric. I looked around and saw a blinding light rocketing to me from the ceiling. It took the form of
two animals. An owl in silver and a hawk in gold. I laughed and grateful tears slipped from my eyes.
the two forms merged and flew right into me. Everything shimmered and I felt a gazillion times better.
I felt both of them, Athena and Apollo. I felt their faith in my plan and my abilities.
"Thank you." I said softly and looked at Lola. She looked shocked and happy at the same time. I
looked at my bow and saw it glowing bright like my arm. I chuckled and flipped it back into a sword.
"Let's do this." I told her and prayed that this plan wouldn't fail.
SO SORRY IM SO CRUEL BUT IM WRITING THE NEXT CHAPTER AS FAST AS I CAN!!!!!!!
PROMISE!!!!!! PLS DON'T KILL ME!! especially u @hogwartsavenger