The Host of Chaos

Chapter 10: Repeat of The Past, But Changing of the Future.

As we crashed into the water, I kept my hold on Hercuba. Why? I don't know. I just did.

The weight of water crashing down pushed us under, and I waited for us to bob to the surface again. Only it didn't happen. Instead I felt an amesly strong current grab my legs, and pull us further under. I felt Hercuba struggle. But I reached up, and clamped my hand over the mouth and nose to stop her from breathing water.

The crutnet was getting stronger now, and we were moving in what felt like a whirlpool. Spinning uncontrollably, I was running out of air. Hercuba had stopped struggling, and I hoped she hadn't drowned.

Then we shoot sideways, and down hill. It was cold, and it took me a moment to realize that there was air.

I gasped it in, and heard Hercuba doing the same. We were sliding down a solid slab of stone, with a small amount of water sloshing down with us. Like a waterside.

It was very dark, but my viton sharpened, and I saw that we were in a huge cavern, with water dripping down the sides, and from the roof.

Stalactites hung from the ceiling, we were rushing down what resembled a water slide.

Hercuba howled, and pushed me away. I tried to grab her, but she had found a creavas in the rock, and I shoot down without her.

I looked down again, and saw that my ride was about to end. I splashed down into a pool of ice cold water, and swam for the side.

For a time after reaching the edge, I sat there, shaking from shock, and cold. But in the back of my mind, I knew that my plan hadn't worked.

I had hoped that the water might have helped to wash away some of her curse. But I should have known that it would only make it worse.

Shakely I stood, looking around, searching for Hercuba, and found her.

She stood in the middle of the cavern, her eyes glowing. The rock at her feet had cracked, and they glowed like lava.

'Hercuba.' I said, 'you have to let your anger go. Akhles's curse was to use your own hate against her. I'm trying to help you.'

'You are nothing to me anymore.' Hercuba spat, 'nothing.'

Of all the things that shouldn't have made a difference to me, those ones did.

Sure, she had stood by as Renee died. But she was my sister, and I'll admit, I loved her, as I had loved Renee. So seeing her like this, so bitter, and angry, so different, it hurt like seeing Renee die all over again. In a way, I was watching Hercuba die.

'This is between us, Epirus.' she said, 'I should have finished this a long time ago.'

Suddenly everything came into alignment. I'd been here before. I knew where I was.

'Hercuba,' I said, hearing the fear in my own voice, 'it doesn't have to be like this.'

Hercuba smiled,

'It does Epirus, it really does.'

The memory that had flashed across my memory back in Seattle, was suddenly a reality. I looked down at myself. My clothes were steaming in the hot air. Clouds of red gass hung in the air. I could hear screams of pain, and torment. I was back in Tartarus.

Hercuba was the first to attack. Sending a wave of flames at me.

I rolled to the side, coming up with my staff in my hand. I felt it vibrate, and grow warm in my hands. Reacting to my thoughts and wishes, rather than the spoken word.

Hercuba was already sumaning more flames, but I sent an ice blast of darkness at her, snuffing out the flames as they came into existence.

The slide that had brought me down here had vanished to be replaced by a snaking river of fire. The Phlegathon.

It was going to end like it had last time. And I didn't want to die. I still wanted to do so much in life.

Hercuba could see me realizing what she already understood. A slow smile spread across her face.

'Hercuba,' I tried again, 'listen to me.'

'What Epirus,' she said, 'you want to go cry over Renee before you die. Or contemplate what you could have done differently in life? We both know this can only end one way.'

I slammed my staff into the ground, sending a shock wave toward her to buy more time. I knew that here, in Tartarus, Hecuba was much more powerful than me. She had been made a goddess, and I was a second class Demigod.

Fighting wasn't the answer.

I let go of my physical form, and rushed across the ground in a dark patch of shadow. I passed Hercuba before she could react, then I was skimming along the wasteland, letting my senses guide me.

Before I had been traveling for five minutes, I saw a dark dome rushing up to meet me. I headed straight towards it, sensing that Hercuba was right behind me. The dome seemed to be drawing me towards it. Calling. Then I passed through it, and the scene from my dream was spread out before me.

The dark castle with stars for windows, the bridge like the milky way, and the rock ledge overhanging the Void of Chaos.

I landed on the ledge, and regained a human form. The feeling around me was incredible. I had never felt so powerful. The state of pure night that surrounded me was so powerful that I felt like I could shoot a bolt of darkness at a mountain, and turn it to dust. The tables had turned.

Yet underneath that power, I could feel Chaos calling to me, urging me to obey its wishes. To help it rise. To disintegrate everything on earth. A promise of great power.

I turned as Hercuba appeared in front me. I was now standing on the edge of Chaos with Hercuba blocking my way out.

'You are a fool, Epirus.'

'But this is what you want.' I said, suddenly seeing the plan quite clearly. 'You've been playing me from the very beginning. You wanted me to push you into that water. You wanted me to come here. You want me to awaken Chaos.' Hercuba's eyes told me I was right. But I was only scraping the surface. 'But that's not all,' I said, 'you can't force me to enter Chaos. I have to go willingly.' I paused, replaying my dream in my head. 'Ordanaly it wouldn't be that way. But Renee changed that. And you helped.' Hercuba snarled, I had hit the truth. 'When Renee died. She showed the willingness to kill to survive. To destroy. Just like Chaos. You knew that. You knew that if you let her die. Her body would become the host of Chaos.

Her soul would create a vehicle for Chaos to rise, but it needs another sacrifice. Someone who loved Renee. Someone like me.' Hercuba and I stared at each other. I knew the truth. I knew that Hercuba was willing to sacrifice me to achieve the plans of Chaos. ' and you're going to let me.' I finished. 'You no longer care.'

I could feel Chaos stirring beneath me. I could hear Renee's voice. But I could see Hercuba here, in front of me. Those eyes, like coles, slowly fading, yet growing brighter, as for the first time in over two years, tears ran down her cheeks.

I caught Hercuba as she collapsed into a fit of sobs that shook her whole body. We knelt there. In the middle of the Realm of Night. On the brink of Chaos.

Slowly, Hercuba began to change. As if the tears were washing away the curse that Akhles had given her.

The gray skin fell away, to reveal new skin underneath. Clean and soft. The ratty mess of dirty and blood that covered her hair morphed into honey colored hair. Her nails shrank from claws to regular fingers.

When she looked up at me. It was the old Hercuba that I had known. Just the same except for a scar stretched from her jaw down her neck.

'Epirus.' she sobbed, 'I am so sorry, but there's no other way. Renee is already one with Chaos. There's no way to save her.'