Behind the Shadows

Getting into the cave was easy. Too easy. All it took was a little bit of climbing and they were in. The only thing that seemed to occupy the cave was endless darkness and a strong odor of death. Neither of them were pleasant. Sapphire had her hand clamped over her nose and mouth to avoid inhaling the awful smell and to restrain herself from throwing up. She felt no need to add to the horrid smell. None of them had a torch to help guide them through the dark. Lottie clung onto Will's arm as they walked through the cave. Sapphire walked slightly ahead, trying to assess their surroundings. So far there was no danger and the cave was eerily quiet. Their footsteps echoed around them and every time her foot splashed in a puddle of blood she cringed. From time to time Lottie would cough as though she was about to throw up but she was tougher than she looked. Lottie kept going and her footsteps remained even and steady. Will on the other hand sounded like he might faint at any moment. He had seen a lot of blood due to being a son of Apollo but the smell was clearly getting to him.

"This feels like a trap" Will states in a hushed tone. Despite his attempt to be quiet his voice rattles around them. Sapphire squints her eyes in an attempt to see a head. She feared that at any moment she would find herself with her face smushed to the caves walls. The thought made her eyes flinch at every step she took.
"And here I thought this was them being welcoming. Letting us just walk in and grab Jake" Sapphire retorts. Her hand grazes along the wall to help guide her. She can feel it shake slightly. From fear or from the cold, she was uncertain. Sapphire was exhausted from the nagging fear that had been eating at her. She feared what might have happened to Jake and what if she was too late. How could she forgive herself?
"It amazes me" Will mutters and grunts as he splashes in another blood filled puddle "That even in a time like this you can still be sarcastic" Lottie quietly laughs and even that echos around them. Sapphire sighs and stumbles slightly as her hand comes off the wall. She pushes her hand further and feels nothing. They had come to a corner.
"At least I can make light in a dark situation Mr son of the sun." Sapphire waves her hand about, trying to get an idea of where to go. Will blows out an audible breath and chuckles. "There is a corner here" She turns around and grabs Wills hand. Lottie is still attached to his arm as he lets Sapphire lead them.

"There is a trap ahead" Lottie warns. "Don't touch the walls"
Sapphire pauses and considers what to do. She had relied on the walls up until now to guide them through the cave but she would have to figure something else out. Lottie was a daughter of Hermes and this meant that she had the ability to sense physical trap. Sapphire would have to trust her word on this matter. Sapphire stood there for a moment trying to muster a plan until Will decided now was the time to start clapping. Her whole body went stiff and she whirled around to glare at him.
"Is there a reason you are clapping or have you just gone insane?" Sapphire questions as she contemplated whacking some sense into him. She can't see his expression through the dark and therefore, he could not see her glare.
"Listen" was all he replied with. Sapphire straightened her back and crossed her arms. Her silence was her answer. Will clapped once and when Sapphire heard it she then understood what he was doing. His clap echoed down the cave and bounced off the walls. It was the only hope of guidance they had. Sapphire sighs and turns back around. Will claps again and with that they carried on walking.

The smell made Sapphires eyes water but she soon found herself with her hand gripping her sword rather than covering her nose. Her guard was up and every step she made was calculated. Even through the darkness she could feel eyes on her and her companions. Lottie and Will had also gone quiet and their breathing hitched with every noise. Will continued to clap despite them all being aware of being watched. When the echo of the clap dulled and he clapped again it echoed to their right, with it came a scream.
Sapphire stopped dead with eyes wide open. Lottie squeaked in fear and Sapphire could hear her shuffling about for her weapons. They had all done the same. Sapphire had her sword out and her whole body had gone into high alert. The scream sounded again and it echoed all around them. Sapphire stared into the darkness and tried to pinpoint just how far ahead it was coming from. The scream was too loud to figure out just far away it was. It could just be metres away or it could be coming from the other end of the cave. Sapphire hand shook but she ignored it and gripped her sword tighter.
"Stay close" Sapphire whispered. Her steps were steady and her breathing was barely audible as they made their way in the direction of the scream. Will clapped every few minutes but he ceased doing it when it became clear that the screaming was doing the job for him. It bounced around them and rattled past them. "Gods protect us and help us get out of this alive" Sapphire rarely asked for the help of the gods but as the screams continued Sapphire realised just how terrified she was. There was no telling just how close they were getting. All they knew was that they were going in the right direction.

"Would of been nice if one of the Aries kid had -" Will is cut off by another scream but this time its so loud that Sapphire flinches.
"Leave her alone!" Someone shouts. Sapphire halts and a shiver crawls up her back. Every thought leaves her mind and legs gain a mind of their own as she break out into a sprint. She does not falter or stumble as her feet pelt on the blood soaked ground. The sound of Will and Lottie running behind her fills her ears but she barely registers them in her mind. The screams pause for a while before continuing.
"Let me take her place!" The sound of the person shouting makes Sapphire run faster. The closer she get she begins to see a shimmer of light. Another scream pierces Sapphires ear and with that her pace quickens, the light gets closer and closer. She is just metres away from it now. Will and Lottie are not far behind and they seem just as determined as she is to get to where the scream and shouting is coming from.
Sapphire grips her sword with an unbreakable force as she finally reaches the source. The cave has opened up into a large circular space. In the centre are cages and table which hold such horrific things. Sapphire has to put it to the back of her mind in order to stop herself from throwing up. The screaming had been coming from a girl. She is restrained on one of the table. Sapphire stumbles slightly when she see's not monster but people standing over the girl and their expressions make Sapphires stomach churn. They haven't noticed her or her companions, who are right behind her with weapons at the ready. The girl on the table is crying so loudly that it fills the whole area. A man standing over her raises their hand and in it is the source of what was making the girl scream. It was a knife and it appeared that it had been used to cut the girl all over. They didn't seem to be causing deep wounds but rather fine cuts in a way of torturing the poor girl. A woman held a vial of blue liquid. What it was for Sapphire did not know.
"You're gonna kill her!" Someone shouted from one of the cages. Sapphire nearly fell to her knees when she saw him. Jake stood in the cage nearest to he girl on the table. He griped the bars and looked to be shaking them in anger. Sapphire took a step forward and raised her sword.
"Not if I can help it" Sapphires voice echoed all around them. Every single eye turned in her direction.
"Who the hell are you and why are you interrupting?" Asks the man holding the knife. His voice is filled with venom and his eyes glare at Sapphire.
"You can call me death because that's what I intend to bring you. I made a promise and I intend to keep it" Sapphire twirls the sword in her hand in an attempt to waken her hand and strengthen her courage. Jake watches her with an unreadable expression as Sapphire approaches.
"Petty threats won't save you" The woman with the blue vial states. Sapphire smirks and shrugs.
She goes to reply but Lottie's laughter interrupts her. Sapphire blinks and turns to her. Lottie stands next to Will, only metres from where Sapphire stands gawking at the girl. Lottie is bent over laughing and has tears rolling down her face.
"You are raining on my cool here, Lottie" Sapphire grumbles and taps her sword lightly on leg. Will scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. He looks unsure of what to do with the girl. Lottie stops laughing and stands up straight, her hand raises to point at the blue vial woman.

"Your words wont match well with out blades" Lottie states. Sapphire scratches her head and grins uneasily at Lottie. The woman chuckles and Sapphire turns back around and instantly raises her sword. The woman has her hands lifted in a wide gesture.
"No, but these will" With that a rumble sounds all around them. Instantly Sapphire springs into action. She runs forward and stops just before the woman.
"What did you do?" Sapphire ask and her eyes seeks out all the entrances around them. Nothing enters but she can feel whatever the woman had summoned watching them. They seemed to remain in the darkness but she knew that at any moment they could pounce. Sapphire swallows and assesses the situation. They didn't stand a chance but Sapphire was not about to give up. Within split second she had her hand gripping the womans collar and her sword at her throat. "Lottie, get Jake out of the cage" Her grip tightened on the womans collar and her glare had the other people surrounding the table pinned to where they stood. "Do not move or you will find your little cave filled to the brim with all the water that waterfall can provide"
The woman swallowed nervously at the realisation. "Daughter of Poseidon"
With everyone around the table remaining where they are standing, Sapphire looks at the girl who had been screaming. There was so much blood. Every part of the poor girl was covered in blood and open wounds. She was still alive but her eyes looked dead. Sapphire looked around her and noticed that within the other cages held others like the girl but some were already dead. Sapphire was finding it hard to keep herself in control. Anger flowed in her like a tidal wave, ready to destroy all in its path. A few in the cages were alive and looked unharmed. Were they demigods? Sapphire could not tell.
"Why?" Sapphire asks to no one in particular.
"He needs an army and we fully intend to give him it." The man with the knife answers.
"Who?"
"Luke Castellan. So that Kronos can rise once again" Sapphire stumbles back a step and hisses out a breath.
"Luke?" Sapphire shakes her head and growls with an unreleased anger. It always came down to Luke. "Did he ask this of you?" The woman in front of her nods. Sapphire grits her teeth together. Her anger was barely holding together. She wanted to see this cave crumble to nothing. How could Luke do this? Innocent lives were being taken in order to create monsters for his stupid war. Sapphire despised what Luke had become. In that moment Sapphire knew where she stood. She stood with her brother Percy. He had her complete loyalty in this war. Luke was the cause of Jake being in that cage and Sapphire would see him pay for that. Despite her anger Sapphire found herself mouth forming a smile but this smile was cold and lethal and it held a deadly promise. Her eyes landed on the woman before her and then her hand was back to gripping her collar and sword at her throat.
"Your experiments end here and now" Sapphire hisses and before she has time to register what she has done the woman drops to the floor motionless. Sapphire goes cold as she looks down at the motionless woman and blinks. Something clicks behind her but she ignores it. Her eyes stare holes into the woman. What had she done? Stumbling back a step, Sapphire drops her sword and her hand grip at her hair franticly. Madness was claiming her. This woman was human who had lived and breathed and Sapphire had just killed her. Her legs shake and threaten to crumble beneath her. Someone is screaming, another is yelling. Sapphire lifts her head and sees no one but the girl before her. Where had the others gone? Her eyes scan the area but none can be found. Her eyes register Jake darting before her to to the girl on the table. He helps her up and cradles her in his arms as he picks her up off the table. Sapphire looks back down at the dead woman and watches as the blood pools around her feet. She may as well be just like Luke, for she too was a monster. "I am sorry" Her voice shakes and she shivers as all her anger leaves her hallow.
A hand lands on her shoulder from behind. Sapphire flinches and whirls around to face Will. He holds no anger or fear in his eyes. He just looks sad. Was he disappointed in her? Sapphires heart crumbles and she has to look away from his eyes.
"I couldn't stop-" Her voice shakes. She turns around to seek out Jake. He stands away from her holding the girl. "Jake, are you okay?" She had never seen the expression that his face held before in all the time she had known. He turns his eyes to Will.
"We should try and get out of here while the experimenter are gone" Jake says. Sapphire bends down to pick up her blood covered sword. She turns around and takes a deep breath when she sees a deeply upset Lottie.

Notes