As I walked through the woods, after practice in the arena, many thoughts kept circling in my head.
Why haven't I been given a quest yet? Father praised my skills in sword combat. He said I had the potential to be one of the best. So why does he halt me from getting real experience in a quest? I wish Water was here, he is the only one other than Thalia that understood me. Those incompetent fools drove him from camp just because of his mother's mistake...
Arriving at my destination, a pile of rocks, an ominous aura was pulsing in the air. My instincts are screaming at me. There's danger ahead. Ignoring it, I make my closer searching for the path I had accidently stumbled upon last time I was here. There it is, hidden amongst the jagged peaks of the rocks there is an opening.
Toby stumped me last time he vanished out of no where. From what the satyrs said his trail went this way but disappears before getting to the camp boarder. He has to be getting in and out of camp through here. What is it exactly? There is no way a hidden entrance hasn't been found before so it has to have been hidden by the gods. Chiron the old fool probably knows about it to and is covering it up. Is it an exit or a maze?
My instincts scream at me the closer I get to it. I ignore them walking closer, climbing rocks, to get to the cave's entrance. Peering in I can't see anything, just an endless abyss of darkness. It was as if I was a sinking ship with my instincts being like nonstop alarms sounding throughout the boat. The alarms were screaming that going in would be death, and yet they were so alluring. The adrenaline from being so close to death was intoxicating, so enticing.
gods I'm an adrenaline junky.
Looking away from the entrance, the sun seemed to be just rising.
I should have time to go inside and take a peak before Lunch.
Turning back to the abyss, I breathed what might be my last breath before striding into the unknown. After 6 steps I felt the butterflies tugging at my stomach. When taking my 7th my foot passed through where the ground had been a moment ago.
What, I didn't see a pit? How could i have fallen down. Am i going to die here in a cave that no one has been in or to in years.
NOOOOOOOOO I REFUSE....
A warm feeling replaced the butterflies in my stomach. It was calling out to me a beacon in the void, with nothing else to focus on the feeling was brighter than ever. I tugged on that feeling hard. The falling world started to come to slow.
What is going on? Is this that slowing down that martial artists say happen before they die? Their lifetime flashing before their eyes.
Feeling around, I noticed that I was able to move in real time but my fall was still halting slowly. Before I could think anymore I felt the ground beneath my feet.
Didn't I fall face first?
I was still in the void. I felt my eyes trying to adjust grasping out for any light to reflect my surroundings but there was none.
I got a bad feeling about this.
There was no way I was gonna be able to explore this cave without a flashlight or a torch. I was unprepared this time going off a whim.
I need to leave and come back with a plan and equipment next time. Ha that's the only thing father ever taught me. "Make a plan before acting" he always told me.
A rebellious part of me wanted to ignore his guidance but the smarter side of me told me I was just being an idiot.
How do I get out of here?
A smooth slithering sound echoed from all around the cave.
I need to leave now. How can I escape.
I ran to where I believed I had fallen from only to arrive at a dirt wall. The slithering became louder behind me.
No i can't die here like this. I must become the greatest swordsman to show my father that I'm not just one of his worthless kids. If I die who will give hope to the demigods who are thrown aside, forgotten by the gods. I NEED TO LIVE!!!!!!
The pulling feeling in my stomach was pulsing, trying to explode from me. I couldn't stop it even if i wanted to. The hissing began to fade as light appeared once again in the form of a setting sun. I realized i was sitting on a rock close by the pile near the caves entrance. The feeling in my stomach was calm now. I could feel that if I pulled once again I could use it but I would pass out if I did.
Did i just turn back time? no that's not right. Father is known for his speed and flight. Did I just use my inheritance from dad, I must have. I unconsciously must have flight so fast existing the cave. Just like I must have done before to slow my fall. I guess I have to thank whatever was in that cave for pressuring me to awaken.
Looking up past all the towering oak trees I finally noticed that the sun was setting.
since when does the sun set at noon?
From far away somewhere in the trees I herd a girls voice beckon "LUUUUUKKKKEEEE"
What's Annabeth want now? I was just teaching her how to use her knife on bigger monsters less than an hour ago in the morning training her and I do.
Getting up from the rock that I started to make my way to her voice. I had basically adopted Annabeth as a sister when Thalia and I helped her get to camp. She thinks that she was able to make it all the way on her own without me or Thalia helping her.
Thalia and I would always shield her without her knowing. letting her believe she was strong to give her the confidence to make it in this horrible world. Truth be told she was the reason Thalia died that night.
Yes hades sent more monsters then usual but it was manageable to keep dodging them if we kept the speed up. Grover was able to keep up with us but Annabeth wasn't. she had insisted that she carry all of her portion of the spoils from when looted a cyclops den wanting to pull her own weight and we couldn't say no and argue wasting more time. She insisted on taking all of the tomes on ancient architecture even though all those scrolls weighed her down. The whole group had to slow down because of that causing us to be behind the escape route by 30 seconds. Those 30 seconds could have let all of us cross the camp border without issue. I don't hold it against Annie though. she was just a small kid. It would break her if she ever found out. That's why she will never know what really happen that night. I made Grover swear upon the river Styx that he would never intentionally tell her.
Annie's voice got louder and louder until i finally saw her. She was turning 10 soon which reminded me that I needed to get a present ready.
"Luke where have you been it's been 10 hours since anyone has seen you" Annabeth whined.
Seven hours... I was only in the cave for at most 15 minuets.
"I just got lost exploring the woods" I replied lying with ease.
It hurts that I can lie to someone this close to me this easy.
"Whatever lets hurry otherwise we won't get food" Annabeth childishly replied.
Why would the Gods abandon innocent children like her...