Ash's POV

We weren't so sure on how far the Furies were, and Amber, who wasn't given enough time to rest and heal could not hold her weight any much longer, especially considering the environment that we were in.

I suggested that I carry my sister on my back, but Paige knew better. She always did.

She reminded us that we were as weak as soldiers who just returned from war. We ate before we arrived in the Underworld, but we didn't have time to rest. Paige told us so. And as tempting as it is to ask why we were in such a hurry, I didn't bother because I was extremely fatigued.

My legs were burning from walking too much. I haven't sat for more than a minute or lied down. Each one of my muscles is sore, perhaps even including my organs. Because my eyes hurt, too, as well as my lungs.

And they hurt even more every time I look at my sister asleep on the back of Don, with Vance closely walking beside them.

Amber leaned on the bag in front of her and she slept comfortably, her head nestling on its top.

At least she's comfortable.

"Paige, sigurado ka ba talagang maaabutan pa natin si Reign patungo sa Tartarus?" tanong ni Zack. "May kutob kasi akong tinulak na siya ni Bella, eh, tas tumalon na rin 'yon."

Hindi siya pinansin ni Paige.

"Tsaka, sigurado ka ba talagang kailangan nating daanan 'yong Furies, bro?" dagdag pa ni Zack. "Baka kasi nahampas ka lang ni Zeus o ni Aphrodite sa ulo."

"Oh, I'm sure," Grey confidently answered.

"Kung ikaw kaya hampasin ko sa ulo kapag hindi ka pa tumahimik d'yan?" Biglang nagsalita si Amber na kagigising lang. "May nagpapahinga, oh, bulag ka ba? Tsk!"

"Gusto mong iwan ka nalang namin sa Furies nang makapagpahinga ka pa nang mas maayos, Amber?" sagot ni Zack. "Do'n mo nalang ituloy yung tulog mo."

"Ash, we're here," anunsyo ni Paige.

We stood in front of a tall wall made out of shadows. And though I couldn't see the other side, I knew it was Erebus, a part of the Underworld where there is nothing but the dark.

Summoning a blue flame in my hand, I led us inside the overwhelming darkness.

We could hardly see anything, so I ignited another flame in front of me, and summoned more, until we each had a flame that's floating close to us.

"How are we going to locate the Furies again?" ani Vance.

Sinundan ito ng katahimikan.

"Paige," sambit ni Vance.

"Shut up or I will kill you."

Kusang huminto ang aking mga paa pagkatapos marinig ang sinagot ni Paige.

I wasn't sure I heard it until Vance spoke again.

"You will what?" nangangalit na tanong ni Vance.

"I said I will kill you."

In an instant, we all turned to Paige who gave us a bored look. Her lips were pursed tight when we heard her voice again.

"In fact, I am going to kill you all for always annoying the hell out of me."

Mabagal niyang tinignan si Grey na takang-taka at nang hindi binubuksan ang kanyang bibig, ay nagsalita ulit.

"And I'm going to stab you first."

"Woah," namamanghang puna ni Zack. "Anong nangyayari?"

"Ba't ko ba nakalimutan dalhin yung sewing kit ko para sa bunganga ni Zack? Kung patayin ko nalang din kaya nang manahimik pati yung kaluluwa niya?"

Boses na naman ni Amber ang narinig namin kaya sabay kaming napalingon sa kanya.

Kumisap-kisap siya. "Uhh, di ako yun."

"The voices," I realized. "They're coming from the dark."

"Tangina mo, Amber," sumagot ang boses ni Zack, at nagmumula ito sa kadilimang nakapaligid sa amin. "Sana pumutok 'yang bungo mo pag bagsak natin sa Tartarus."

"Not unless I split your head first." Vance's voice threatened in response, and it also cursed. "Fucking asshole."

Grey laughed softly, the same time his own voice spoke on its own.

"You're so fucking loud I want to stab my mirrors deep into your throats."

Then he chuckled again while his voice echoed around us.

"I wish the gods choke on their own spit and struggle to breathe forever."

"We're almost at the Furies." Paige finally opened her mouth to speak. "Just follow Grey's thoughts."

"Thoughts?" I asked.

"Vengeful thoughts," ani Paige. "The Erinyes are the goddesses of vengeance, and their lair is said to be filled with the thoughts of mortals and immortals seeking for revenge."

"So ginusto mo talagang pumutok 'yung bungo ko sa Tartarus, Zack?" naiinis na tanong ni Amber.

"It's okay, Amber." Paige was the one to answer in behalf of Zack. "Some vengeful thoughts are intrusive thoughts, meaning he didn't mean to think about it-"

"If we stay here a little bit longer I might just commit a murder-suicide because I hate everything and everyone."

We all turned our heads to Grey who shrugged innocently.

"What the fuck, Grey?" sabat ni Vance.

"Yeah, I think we should go," alok ko sa kanila at pinangunahan sila patungo sa pinagmumulan ng boses ni Grey na habang tumatagal ay mas nagiging galit at nakakaistorbo ang pinagsasabi.

"Shall I burn myself together with the gods, too, once I decide to burn the heavens and the earth?"

Tumikhim ako at binilisan ang aking paglalakad.

"If death isn't the end of everything, am I allowed to use it to start all over again?"

From the corner of my eyes, I glanced at Grey who stared blankly at the darkness in front of us. He noticed, and so he looked back at me with a subtle grin.

"I want to kill everyone and comfort them with the fact that death is not the end."

His grin grew wider until it turned into a teasing smile.

"I am going to burn the ones I hate first, and then the ones I love, for giving me life and making me live."

Nanghihigpit ang aking panga nang ibaling ko ang aking atensyon mula sa kanya.

"That's some very dark thoughts, Grey," Vance finally commented.

"You really think so?" ani Grey. "I'm just stopping myself from letting you hear the worst."

"Could you still control it?" tanong ni Paige.

"Barely," sagot ni Grey. "We're very close now."

The Erinyes, or the Furies, like what Paige said, were the goddesses of vengeance. There is Alecto, the endless anger, Megaera, the jealous rage, and Tisiphone, the vengeful destruction.

They were defeated during the rebellion. It is said that their bodies were thrown in Tartarus but Grey thought to drop by their residence just in case.

We were brought to a stop by the voice of an unfamiliar woman.

'What if I strangle my baby to stop him from crying? Pwede ba 'yon? Sobrang ingay kasi...'

Followed by another stranger's voice.

'Dati pa akong dinurog at pinatay nila. Ba't ako matatakot na isama sila sa hukay?'

I took a deep breath to stop myself from listening deep into the voices.

'Bukas, papakawalan ko na yung mga alagang manok ni tatay, tapos kay kuya ko isisisi.'

'Bukas, papatayin na namin ni kuya si Papa... para kay Mama.'

'Lagyan ko kaya ng laxative 'yong gatas niya?'

'Sisirain ko ang performance niya! Hindi pwedeng siya 'yong manalo! Dapat ako!'

Nagsimula nang magsigawan ang mga boses.

'Sisiguraduhin kong wala siyang ibang mamahalin maliban sa'kin!'

'To hell with being the black sheep of the family! If killing them will make them look at me, then I will! At papatayin ko rin sila! Papatayin ko silang lahat!'

"Omegas..." A cold soft whisper of a woman sent a shiver to my spine. "Why have you come?"

"We seek for counsel," Grey answered.

"From us?"

"Yes."

"Are you also here to seek revenge?"

"Just counsel," sambit ni Grey.

In front of us, an ancient round table surrounded by six chairs slowly appeared. In the middle were three ancient lanterns, and the rest of the table was covered with dust, and cobwebs infested with spiders connected each chair to the other.

"Sit," utos ng tinig.

Lumapit kami sa mesa at isa-isang nagsiupuan.

"What you seek from us, if not revenge, is meaningless." Another woman spoke. "You must be here for vengeance, wrath, anger, jealousy!"

"Oui," sang-ayon ni Grey. "We are, here for vengeance."

The women laughed together in excitement.

"Yes!"

"Yes to madness!"

"We have curses! Plenty!"

"But my mother has always told me..." Grey gently clasped his hands on the table and played with his thumbs. "That the best revenge does not cause hurt or suffering."

"Fortunately, I am not my mother." He chuckled and leaned back on his chair. "So, tell us, how should we retaliate? Against the gods who hate us for no good reason? Against Zeus?"

"The gods fear Zeus, but Zeus fears no one."

"You will fail. You will die."

"If the king says you do not belong, you do not. He will strip you off of your crowns and titles, like a true jealous monarch. And like a true jealous god, he will use his power to end you."

"Bro..." ani Zack.

"Ay, hindi 'yan totoo," sabat ni Amber. "Sabi kasi ni Mama umurong daw si Zeus nung nagtangka siyang manghampas."

"And you really believe that?" Vance asked in a bored tone.

"Naniniwala ka rin naman sa sinabi ng Papa mo na gwapo ka, kahit hindi, ah," ani Amber. "Inaayos mo pa nga yung buhok mo dati sa tuwing sinasabihan ka, eh, uto-uto lang din?"

Grey lightly scratched his lips to suppress a smile.

"Zeus fears no one..." pag-uulit ni Paige sa sinabi ng Erinyes. "That's not true."

One of the Furies laughed, and I couldn't help but notice the flame in one of the lanterns flicker.

"She is clever! And wise!"

"She knows what to do!"

"Yes! Thus, we are finished!" paalam ng isa. "Seek the darkness and begone!"

Nanatili akong nakatitig sa umiindap-indap na apoy nang biglang may pumasok na ideya sa aking isipan.

"Let's bring the lanterns with us," suhestyon ko. "To Tartarus."

Silence followed, broken by Zack who asked, "Bakit, bro?"

"Flames... The son of flames know..." one of the Furies whispered.

"They are imprisoned inside the lanterns," I realized. "And Tartarus is a very dark realm. We can use them to navigate our way through it."

"No," a Fury said. "Be kind to us, for the gods have not."

"They only left us our voices..."

"We want to stay. Let us stay."

"Yes, we do not want to go Tartarus. No deity would want to."

I know, and I also know another deity who did not want to, but is currently held there against her will. Imprisoned.

"No," I insisted. "We will need you in our journey."

I will need everything I can have to find and rescue her.

"So we will bring you with us," pagtatapos ko. "And we're not as kind as you think we are."

"I mean, Zeus did say that the Furies will be our counsel, like how the Fates are his..." Grey shrugged. "We might need their counseling in Tartarus."

"Should we bring them with us?" Vance followed up.

Sabay naming tinignan si Paige.

"Reign would have asked for the goddesses' consent," aniya. "She would not want us to bring them to Tartarus against their will."

"But Reign's not here," I reminded Paige, to which she defeatedly sighed.

"She's not," sang-ayon niya.

Nagpalitan kaming lahat ng tingin.

"Isasama natin sila sa Tartarus?" ani Zack.

"Pwede..." tugon ni Amber. "Kailangan din kasi natin ng tour guides, eh. Sila pa ni-recommend ni Zeus kaya..."

"You can bring us with you, but we swear on the River Styx that you will suffer under our wrath when we're released," a Fury threatened. "You will die more than once, and every last moment will be torture."

"We are warning you, demigods," another one added.

Grey slightly tilted his head to the side and answered with a lifeless gaze at the lanterns.

"You're coming with us, whether you want to or not," malamig niyang saad. "Or we'll bury you deep until your voices can not be heard."

"Be in or be nothing, Erinyes," aniya.

A satisfied smirk slowly crept across Grey's lips as the Furies responded with silence. For the next few seconds, I watched the deities' flames flicker in defiance, their movements reflected in his purple eyes.

"Bien." Tinignan kami ni Grey suot ang isang magaang ngisi. "We're leaving this bad place for somewhere worse, non?"

I gently nodded.

"But we will be fine, even in the darkest places," he promised. "Tant que l'on est ensemble."

'As long as we're together.'

Ako ang naunang tumayo. "Let's tie them up."

"Ayos." Sumunod si Zack. "Kasama sa roadtrip ang Furies!"