Chapter 41

[[Third Person's PoV]

"THALIA! NOOO!" Luke shouted.

Thalia was looking sickly pale with a tinge of green growing on her face, breathing heavily while lying on top of a shadow griffin. She had what appeared to be a long needle nestled on the back of her shoulder.

"What is that!" Luke shouted pointing towards the needle, he went up next to her and pulled it out tossing it to the side.

"Shit!" Lucian cursed, "IT'S A POISONOUS DART, FROM A MANTICORE!" he shouted as the wind, thunder, and rain were making it hard to hear each other.

"GROVER ARE WE THERE YET WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING FOR TWO DAYS STRAIGHT ALREADY" Annabeth shouted wanting to make it to camp already so Thalia could get proper treatment.

Grover didn't answer and just continued looking ahead as if he was trying to make out something over the distance,

"GROVER!!!" Annabeth shouted.

"OVER THERE!" Grover shouted excitedly, pointing ahead of him as a few hills a bit far away came into view.

"ONCE YOU MAKE IT PAST THOSE HILLS, YOU WOULD HAVE PASSED OVER THE PROPERTY LINE MEANING YOU HAVE REACHED CAMP!" Grover shouted with enthusiasm.

Just as the hills started coming Into view Hellhounds appeared and jumped over ahead of them using shadow travel forcing them to stop.

"Lucian can't you just shadow travel us to camp!" Luke asked without taking his eyes off Thalia.

Lucian gritted his teeth, "I can't, we will be vulnerable inside there which would give other beings and monsters a perfect opportunity to get us, especially when there's a large group. There are beings who are able to reach in and grab us out of there,"

"ROOOOAAAAARRRRRR"

Lucian turned around and saw the multiple types of different monsters gaining on them. Which angered Lucian beyond belief, He turned towards the Hellhound that blocked his way and looked at Thalia, who was looking more green than ever.

Then something with him snapped, without Lucian noticing his eyes gained a red glow as he yelled at the Hellhounds with all his might, "STAND DOWN! AND MAKE WAY, NOW!"

His voice reverberated throughout the entire field that even those at camp heard it.

The hellhounds all slowly bowed down and started whimpering before moving away… but it was too late as the monsters had already caught up to them.

Multiple Chimeras appeared, they had the head and body of a lion, with large bat wings, goat horns, and a snake for a tail.

They opened their mouths and breathed out a hot flame towards their direction,

"Shit" they all cursed as they tried to move out the way, seeing no other choice the shadow griffin knocked them off their bodies and stood in front of the flames, using their bodies to protect Lucian and his friends causing the shadow griffins to dissipate and turn back into shadows,

As the chimeras burned the shadow griffins they jumped towards Lucian and his friends who were on the floor. To protect them Lucian summoned his 5 giants and his recently captured cyclops from underneath them, uppercutting the six chimeras and throwing them back.

"LUKE, GROVER, TAKE ANNABETH AND THALIA WITH YOU OVER THE LINE"

"NO! LUCIAN YOU CAN'T!" Annabeth yelled.

Lucian just summoned his scythe as more monsters started coming.

"Luke, Grover… I trust you guys to do the right thing, you know why I'm doing this, you're the faster one here and have a better chance of taking them over the line" Lucian said without looking at Annabeth causing her cry and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Come with us, please!" She screamed.

Luke and Grover were crying as well, but they nodded their heads, Luke took a hold of Thalia while Grover took a hold of Annabeth,

"NOOOOOOOO!" Annabeth screamed at the top of her lungs reaching out for Lucian as Grover had grabbed her and put her on his shoulder, while Luke grabbed Thalia in a princess carry,

Even though she was poisoned and weak Thalia was still conscious enough to hear what was happening, she reached out her hand towards Lucian, "nooo" she called in a weakened voice.

Luke bit his lip as tears poured out of his eyes and looked at Lucian on more time before looking ahead and towards the hills, "Survive this" was all he managed to say

Lucian put his scythe on his shoulder as he smirked, "No doubt about it, I'm a survivor after all, remember"

Luke just nodded and turned into a blur with Grover following close behind him running with his goat leg.

"LUCIANNNNNN!" Annabeth shouted.

Just as they started running towards the hills the three Furies flew over Lucian and almost caught up to them, when they reached their claws to grab them three griffins jumped out from their shadow and tackled them away from them.

Which caused Furies to shriek in fright and annoyance.

Lucian smiled as he thought 'good thing I'm keeping them in there as insurance.'

Lucian looked in front and the horde of monsters and smirked, "Let's hope I survive"

"Arise" Lucian commanded, gaining a serious expression as all of his shadow soldiers started jumping out of his shadow.

Lucian then turned towards the Hellhounds unaware of his glowing red eyes and gave them a command

"Protect them and when you're done come assist me"

The hellhounds howled before nodding their heads in understanding and started escorting Luke and Grover, while Annabeth just kept punching Grover's back trying to get him to release her.

"PLEASE GROVER! LET ME GO! I CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE HIM" she cried but Grover just kept holding her tight enduring her punches with tears streaming down his eyes as well.

Lucian then ran towards the 5 giants that were holding the chimera and swung his scythe towards the one closest to him splitting it in half. Which freed up one of the giants, who then went and helped the other giants team up against the chimeras.

A Manticore then came from the sky and tried to use his stinger against Lucian who blocked it with the side of his scythe's blade.

As Lucian blocked it, he summoned an earth spike from the ground and shot it towards the manticore impaling its stomach, turning it into dust.

The chimeras started breathing fire on the shadow giants which destroyed some of them.

Seeing that Lucian turned his scythe into a bow and conjured explosive arrows using his trace on magic.

He constructed the shadow giants back and had them grapple the chimera when it stopped breathing fire.

As they grappled it, the snake part of the chimera tried to bite them and poison them but it wasn't doing much damage to them.

Lucian shot all of his arrows right in chimeras exploding their insides turning them to dust.

The storm spirits then started to get more aggressive and shot their lightning towards Lucian who had to dive out of the way to dodge them.

As Lucian dove he turned his bow into a sword and wrapped it around his shadow before sending slashes of shadows towards the storm spirits cutting them apart. Which made the rain lighter and stopped the sound of thunder and howling wind, even if only slightly.

Lucian then looked up and saw more manticores flying towards his direction, he turned his sword back into a scythe but before he could do anything a cyclops wielding a wooden club appeared running towards him, Lucian tried and put an earth wall between them but the cyclops just destroyed it with the back of it's fist which ended up hitting Lucian sending him flying towards hill.

Lucian was launched across the ground making him release a hold of his weapon and land at the bottom of the hill with blood following down his head and face, Lucian stood up and spit blood to the side,

'Maybe I could use this chance to run towards the property line and make it' Lucian thought to himself but as those thoughts came to mind numerous Manticores and Chimeras landed on top of the hills stopping him advancing.

'Oh fates… why do you hate me so' he thought with a weary smile causing him to sigh before his expression turned into a bloody grin.

"Well if it was so easy it wouldn't have been fun"

Lucian felt his magic take a drastic decline as his shadows were constantly being killed and had to reconstruct themselves, but they weren't going down without a fight, everytime they were about to be heavily injured, where Lucian would have to use his magic to heal them, they would throw caution to the wind and do everything to take down their opponents.

"ROOOOAAAAARRR"

Lucian turned towards the sound and saw Nemean Lions strutting towards his direction.

'It looks like I'll need to reserve my magic and use it towards my advantage, constantly wasting isn't going to help me' Lucian thought to himself as he un-summoned his shadow soldiers as currently they were doing more far than good.

Lucian stretched out his hand and called for his scythe using his blood bond, the scythe came flying straight towards his hands, which he started twirling around before getting into a fighting stance.

He charged towards the Manticores and Chimeras, while the Nemean Lions came towards Lucian running behind him.

Lucian swung his scythe towards the manticore who tried to block it with its scorpion tail but Lucian just ended up cutting it off causing it to roar in pain.

The chimera opened its mouth and started to breathe fire which Lucian dodged with a shadow blink.

Lucian reappeared to the side of the fire breathing chimera and swung his scythe across its neck decapitating it.

Lucian shadow-blinked again and as he did a needle flew right where he was standing, Lucian reappeared in front of the tailless Manticore and stabbed his now transformed spear into its forehead killing it.

A Nemean Lion swiftly approached, swiping its claws across Lucian's back, while a Chimera unleashed its flames, narrowly avoiding burning him.

Lucian shadow-blinked a few feet away, and he grunted in pain. He noticed that his shirt was on fire, so with one hand, he ripped it off, leaving him shirtless, revealing a body marked with scars. Despite his small stature, he displayed remarkably defined muscles—an unusual sight for someone of his age, a testament to his unwavering dedication.

More monsters then started running towards him making him grimace slightly but the smile on his face never went away, even though his back felt as if it was on fire, he kept smiling.

He took a deep breathe and made a taunting gesture telling them 'to bring it on',

…

"Get off of me!" Luke yelled on the floor with one of the campers pressing his knee on his back.

"Sorry I can't do that, you would just try to run towards him" The camper said reluctantly as if he really didn't want to do what he was doing but had no choice.

"Of course I would! My friend is there fighting for his life and you want me to just stand here and wait! Release me this instance!" Luke yelled.

"Look man, I wish I could! I really do, but this is direct orders from the gods themselves"

A centaur appeared right next to Luke as everyone all watched the fighting happening on the hills with fascination and wonder.

'How could he be so young but so strong' was a thought that kept recurring throughout all the campers' heads.

"I want to go up there and fight myself, and protect him and bring him here, but it's a direct order from the GodKing of Olympus himself and… the boy's very own father"

Luke snapped his head towards Chiron, the centaur, who had long curly hair and a bow and quiver strapped on his back, and looked at him in shock, "I could understand Zeus wanting him dead, but his own father!!!"

(Chiron)

"Don't get it wrong, it's true that Zeus wants him dead as he is a forbidden child but Hades wants him to fight for himself and survive to show that he can stand on his own without any help"

"How could you possibly know that!?" Luke asked, still being held down.

"Let's just say the lord of dead has very weird messengers" Chiron said awkwardly

A tired and bored looking man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts walked up next to them with a diet coke in his hands.

(Dionysus)

"Nah, he doesn't care, he wants his own son dead, I'm calling it," Dionysus said, taking a sip of drink.

Chiron just sigh and shook his head, "As a I was saying young man, I can't go against the wishes of the Gods,"

Luke bit his lip and nodded his head, "Alright, Alright I understand now release me"

The camper holding him down looked at Chiron, to which Chiron nodded his head allowing him to release him.

The camper looked at Lucian fighting shirtless with a wicked grin on his face teleporting all over the place.

"Why doesn't he just come and cross the line? Doesn't he know he'll be safe is he does that"

To which Luke side at that and rubbed his wrist, "No, he himself knows it but he doesn't want to"

"What?" The camper asked as everyone else that was watching looked at Luke in confusion.

Luke started rubbing his forehead a bit as he then explained, "He doesn't know it himself but he is a complete battle junkie, he doesn't realize he smiles like crazy when he fights. He would sometimes unconsciously limit himself to be at a disadvantage"

"Is he stupid?" Dionysus asked while taking a sip

Luke narrowed his eyes at him, "Watch it, and no he's not stupid, it took a while for us to notice it but there were times he would be inconsistent with power, we found it weird at first but as we spent more time with him we started to notice."

Luke then looked at Chiron and asked, "How's Thalia? Is she safe? Can you cure her? Is she going to be alright?

… and can you untie Annabeth now"

"Do not worry young man, your friend is being taken care of and is in the hands of the Apollo cabin getting treated as we speak. As for your other friend, is she going to keep biting the campers that come close to her?" Chiron asked

"She only bit them since they were stopping her from reaching Lucian… I'll go do it myself and try to calm her down"

Luke walked towards where he saw Annabeth being held with gritted teeth and his fist clenched, to the point his knuckles turned white and blood started pouring down his fingers

'Lucian is one of the strongest people I know he will survive… he just has to'

…

Lucian used his Trace on magic and created multiple swords and dagger, he controlled them to fly towards all the monsters surrounding, while it does nothing towards the Nemean Lions, it impaled some of the Manticores and Chimeras, while the others that didn't used their abilities to stop it.

When he noticed that Manticores and Chimeras were dwindling he decided to focus on the Nemean Lions.

Lucian ran towards them with a chain scythe and started spinning it around, turning it into a saw blade.

Lucian shot the blade towards a Lion closest to him, when it saw it coming it let out a roar before swiping its claws at the blade making them clash, which created sparks as if two indestructible metal were grinding against each other.

Lucian used his ability to control metal and control his blade to move and wrap itself around the lion's neck. Lucian made a choking motion with his hand towards the Lion making the chain tighten itself around its neck.

The Lion started gagging while using claws to try and take the chains off but it wasn't working. While choking it Lucian was running around dodging all the monsters still trying to get him.

Luckily the Hellhounds were keeping some of the monsters at bay helping him deal with the weaker ones so he wouldn't be overwhelmed.

The cyclops, having dealt with the hellhounds, charged at Lucian, swinging its club down. Lucian agilely dodged to the side, causing the club to smash into the ground with enough force to create a sizable cavity where he had been standing.

And while he was dodging his eyes never left the Lion, he dodged the manticore that swooped down from the sky with it's claws extended out to try and grab him but Lucian simply rolled out under it to get away.

Lucian willed his shadow to turn into a tendril and impaled the manticore, one he ducked Lucian rolled once more as another Nemean Lion tried and surprise attacked him.

Lucian turned his head and saw the previous Lion that he was choking with his chain soon disintegrate.

Lucian turned towards the lion that just attacked and turned his shadows into hands, and wrapped it around the lion, it tried to move but the hands were holding in place.

Lucian then made the hands go towards the Lion's mouth and pry it's mouth open where Lucian sent a flying sword right down its throat and into its heart.

Lucian then noticed a Manticore was about to shoot one of his stingers and dodged from where it was aiming at but the Manticore instead smirked and let out a poisonous breath where Lucian rolled to, hitting him right on the face.

'Well shit' he thought as he accidentally inhaled the poisonous air as he wasn't expecting it.

Causing Lucian to stumble which the monsters took as a perfect opportunity to all jump him.

The manticore and Chimera each started clawing at Lucian causing him to scream out in pain.

"AAAAAARGGHHHHHHH"

The chimera charged its goat horns into Lucian, breaking some of his ribs and sending him flying and landing perfectly on top of the tallest hill.

Lucian felt weakened, pain, blood flowing out of him, he knew it, he was going to die… he turned his head to the side and saw Annabeth, Luke, and Grover, screaming, crying and being held down reaching out for him.

'At least they were safe, at least Thalia doesn't have to be turned into a tree, so if I die then I know I at least changed something' Lucian thought to himself before closing his eyes and accepting his fate.

…

"Sisters!" Lachesis yelled with a scared expression causing Clotho and Atropos to look at her in surprise and run towards her.

(New pictures of Lachesis and Clotho)

"Look at his string… It's dying" Lachesis cried with tears flowing down her face, while holding a gray string.

Clotho put her hands over her mouth and gasped in surprise, while Atropos gained a colder look trying to hide her emotions.

Lucian's previous Golden string was now a dull gray signifying his demise.

Atropos bit her lips and took out a pair of scissors and had the gray string between them.

"Don't make me do it" she couldn't help but whisper, "Please… We don't want to be alone anymore… we don't want to be destined to not know what it feels like to be loved"

…

"Is that it?"

Lucian heard the voice of his father, speaking in a cold tone.

'Dad?'

"After everything you went through, after everything you battled for, you're giving up? What happened to the brave boy who was disrespectful towards his father. Surely you're not him" Hades said in a cold tone.

"Lucy… what are you doing?" Lucian heard a new voice inside his head.

'Mother!?' He thought in shock.

"Why are you on the floor giving up… that is not the boy I raised you to be. I raised you to be a hero and heroes don't accept their fates laying down on their backs" his mother said coldly in a tone he hadn't ever heard.

'But…'

"Stop making excuses, you told me your dream before, remember?… How in Hades name are you supposed to accomplish something so crazy by lying there accepting death."

Lucian then heard the voice of his Mother and Father overlapping each other…

"SO STOP LAYING THERE ASLEEP! STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK, LIKE THE YOUNG HERO YOU ARE!"

Monster upon monsters jumped on top of Lucian's body trying to get a piece of him as all the hellhounds were killed and weren't there to stop the other monsters from approaching.

Lucian's eyes widened, turning a deep red, as he felt something within his guts crack. His entire body was enveloped by various types of monsters.

*BOOOOM*

A massive burst of black fire erupted into a dome at the monsters' center, forcing them away from Lucian.

"AHHHHHHHHHH" Lucian screamed in the center of the explosions.

Lucian's eyes glowed a deep red as he stood, breathing heavily, blood, cuts, and injuries covering his body.

He glanced at the monsters and smirked sinisterly, sending a chill down the spines of all who watched.

"Oh it's over for you bitches now"

Lucian called forth his scythe and didn't even think twice before he shot himself towards the horde of monsters.

Wielding his scythe in one hand and a black flame in the other, Lucian danced through the battlefield. With a flick of his hand, he unleashed the flames, reducing some monsters to ashes.

Swinging his scythe, he targeted those with resistance. Lucian adapted, morphing his scythe into different weapons as needed. Transforming it into a spear, he thrust it through the Nemean Lion's eyes, driving it deeper into its brain.

Moving from one monster to another, Lucian devised inventive ways to eliminate them, with a large grin on his face. With a swift motion of his hand, he conjured a storm of black fire, obliterating them until only ashes remained.

"Arise!" Lucian yelled as all of the monsters he killed started rising up from the remaining ashes. With a large Roar from everyone they all turned the tide of the battle until there were no more monsters left…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Lucian screamed at the very top of the hill, shadow soldiers bowing down in submission, black flames dancing around the wet grass, tears in his eyes as he shouted his grievances with the heavens more specifically Zeus, his body filled with injury and his long hair that reached the back of his shoulder flowing in the wind.

Just above his head a symbol appeared, a red bident with a large red dot in the middle of it, enclosed in a circle.

(Image of Symbol)

Lucian was Now officially claimed.

Chiron who was at the bottom of the hills didn't even look at Luke as he asked, "What's his name"

"Lucian… Lucian Blackheart"

Chiron nodded his head and knelt down which were soon followed by every other camper as well.

"All Hail Lucian Blackheart, Son of Hades, The Lord of the dead, King of the Underworld, The One that is Unseen"