¤~|| Chapter Twenty | Odd Aquaintances ||~¤

That chapter title, welp Imma add some more OCs that'll help these kiddos so *shrug*

Anyhoo! Carry on to the storeh!

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.: Two's P.o.V. :.
.: First Person :.

Una, Four, and I were dragged by a group of empousai, and brought to another holding room. I knew what this place was, and being here is just as good as being stuck in the Underworld. Rooms filled with cells of satyrs, centaurs, and other monsters was just too much for me to bear. We watched that centaur be brutally murdered by the hands of a Laistrygonian... It was painful to watch.

After that duel, one of the empousai came back and dragged me out. Taking me down to the left entrance of the arena. She gave me my dagger and hissed, "No funny business girl," she spat like it was venom.

I could've cut her throat open, but her other empousa buddies would tear me apart, not to mention I need to find out about that traitor and that Pretender most of all. I just need to cooperate for the time being and wait for the right time to strike.

I stood by the left entrance of the arena, the barred doors closing behind me. Soon the gate ahead lifted and I headed out, loud cheering greeted me from dracenae, empousai, cyclops, and other monsters. I guess they don't have much demigods for their brutal killings. I looked over to the seat of honor, the Pretender sitting beside a towering figure, I couldn't see much aside from the measly legs and a lioncloth with metal chains around it, not to mention there was skulls, other bone parts, and weapons hooked to it.

The gate ahead of me shook open and the crowd hollered. A griffin clawed its way out, screeching and spreading it's wings high. I gripped on the dagger and stood my fighting stance, this would just be like the training I prepared for the kids back in the Hideout, simple.

Well, except for the fact I might actually die.

The griffin circled me and I looked up to see the giant's hidden face nod, meaning the fight was on. The griffin screeched while raising it front claws at me, it was too fast and I dodged too late. I felt my arm sting, I looked down to see a scratch peeking out my cloak.

When did griffins get that fast?

The griffin skiddled to a stop and turned to face me again. Those red eyes shimmering in bloodlust. I quickly strategized how to defeat this being, I know once this thing flies, it'll be harder to kill. The griffin came at me again with it's paws, but this time I was prepared, so I quickly stepped to the other side.

Once it tried to come at me again with it's front paws, I evaded the claws and slashed my dagger around the creature's neck. Earning it a deep scar.

The griffin reared back, but I wasn't done. As it tried to maul me with those deadly claws, I ducked and stabbed their side. The griffin shreiked and stumbled down, the crowd cheered. They cheered even louder when the griffin stood up again. That's when I noticed something, it's wasn't bloodlust I saw, it was desperation on surviving this duel - he didn't want to fight me at all.

I could really feel the ladle bonking my head. Mono wouldn't like me to keep on fighting this pitiful abused creature, much less kill it.

The griffin rose its wings, I backed up knowing they might use it to fend me off. If I could manage to tear it down, much to my distaste, it would loose other options of attack. Raising my dagger close to me, I carefully watched the griffin's moves.

The griffin tried to fly higher, but due to the wound on its side, it hovered close to the ground. The crowd cheered, urging the griffin to make his attack and kill me off, which I think is very unlikely, they want to see that griffin kill itself. The griffin shot to my direction and I dodge it again, barely missing from being scratched by the shoulder, I side-stepped, rose my dagger, and peirced it into the creature's wings.

The griffin shrieked, jolting back and trying to fly away from me, but it just stumbled to the ground when the wounds had made it lost too much blood. I walked up to it and seeing it clawing the dirt ground, trying to desperatingly stand up and escape.

From what I watched from the last fight, I looked up to the gaint.

The crowd was chanting now, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The gaint rose his hand and did a thumbs down. The crowd went wild.

I nodded and looked down to the griffin, it was still trying to move away from me. I know I could never do this, I can't. It was too brutal. My grip on the dragger tighten as I rose my dagger... There was no other way.

The griffin knew what would happen, it looked up at me with tears in their eyes, before closing them and laying their head to the ground. I sucked in a breath and bit my lip, "I'm sorry," I mumbled to it before stabbing the chest... The griffin shrieked, then stayed silent.

I let go of the dagger, I don't know if I would call it mine after what I did to the abused animal. The crowd cheered, I glared up at them, and at the giant. Those empousai called him Anteaus, and he was - unfortunately - the son of both Poseidon and Gaia. He looked down at me and smirked like I'm a new toy to play with.

But I am not overwhelmed to grand towering beings, so I jutted my chin up at him. He chuckled, "What a great new gladiator to defeat the Blood Griffin! What shall we call you?"

I stayed silent.

"Not gonna speak eh? You know I don't give my gladiators a chance to name themselves," Antaeus leaned closer, but I still can't see his upperbody.

"Why don't you be the one to name me, great sir? It would be an honor," I smiled, trying my best to look polite. Anteus stared at me, before leaning back and cackling, "Wise decision! For that, I shall call you Ibis!"

The crowd snicked and started chanting my gladiator name. I myself thought it odd but punny, the gaint was naming me owl. I bowed and exited to the left entrance. I heard the gates rumble before the barred doors open, dracenae stood by ready to grab my arms, but I held up my hand, "No need, I can walk to the Holding Room myself," I said before walking, the dracenae confused, but followed behind me.

I walked down to the Holding Room, watching the dracenae lock the bars behind me. I looked around to see that neither Una or Four was there, which was weird since they were both here before I left.

But I guessed they must be brought to the arena, so I walked up to the barred windows and peeked out to the arena ground below. The Guests chanted as there was yet another fight of both children, both strangers to me, and from the scars I see and the movements they made, they were refined gladiators. I guess that there was one 'beginner' fight, then a 'regular' fight.

Someone casually leaned beside me, "So you're Ibis," he said, I jolted back and turned to see a boy, "The one who killed the all known Blood Griffin," he finished. The boy was leaning on the bars looking straight at me. He had raven hair, and a cloth wrapped around his one eye, while the other showed a bluish white eye. He wore a white collared shirt under a loose creme long sleeved sweater, and ripped black jeans

"Oh, yes, I did," I said, "And you are?..."

"Zero, but they call me Pirate for an apparent reason," he said while crossing his arms. I looked around, noticing there was some children around, so they could've seen Una and Four leave somewhere, "Say..."

"I saw them leave."

I turned to him confused, "What?"

"You were going to ask where those other two who came with you, aren't you? I've seen them," Zero said. I stood shocked, "How... How did you know I was talking about that?"

Zero stayed silent, his milky blue eye looking down, before looking back at me, "Let's just say the three of you caught my interest," he said. I squited at him, "And for what reason?"

"I could say how you fought the Blood Griffin, no normal child had even scarred that monster. Or how you are not shocked upon seeing those monsters - rather looked quite irritated at them. I guess you're not normal," Zero said and leaned closer a bit, squinting at me suspiciously, "You are not mortal."

I jolted back, "Are you?..."

Zero's eyebrow rose like he noticed his suspicion was correct, and je leaned back "Unfortunatly, no," Zero said, I opened my mouth to speak but he continued on, "I'm just a mortal with gifted sight," he said. I blinked, what he had said reminded me badly about Thirteen, that young Oracle with a speech impairment. "So you're clear-sighted? You can see through the Mist?" I asked.

Zero blinked, "If that is how you call it, yeah," he said while looking at the other children, "Most of the other kids here still can't see most of it. They think the monsters look like other Guests, and the attendants here doesn't look... weird. Or how there are other children with goat legs or adults with horse bodies, and tell me they are just some monster they haven't seen yet."

"That's how the Mist goes, it alters a mortal's eyesight," I explained, "Wait, how do you even know about... that? All just by watching me kill that griffin?" I asked. Zero shrugged, "I made some demigod friends, but most of them got killed since Antaeus loves watching them getting killed first. And I just told you, no normal - or as you say, mortal - child has ever scarred the Blood Griffin, much less kill him. I know, because I tried to and nearly lost my life. So that monster was only preserved for demigods, or mortals who Antaeus' wanted to kill for fun."

That was kind of suspicious for me, "Then how did you survive if you fought that... monster? Knowing you just said you're mortal," I asked. Zero looked at me with his one eye smiling, "Let's just say I'm too special for them. I told you, I have a gifted sight."

"Sure being clear-sighed is rare, but what do those monsters need for that?" I asked again, Zero smiled that had a hint of amusement, "It's not just the clear-sight I am gifted with," he said.

I just stared at this weird kid who started a conversation with me, who is literally telling me vauge things. I took a deep breath, "So where did my friends go?" I asked, bringing back to that subject.

Zero looked around, seeming to be out of reality before facing me again, "Come with me, seems like one of your friends are in the seat of honor," he said before walking away.

I paused, looking over the seat of honor and to Zero who was walking away, "Wait, what?"

"I'll tell you everything, but follow me before the fight finishes," Zero assured while pushing a peice of the wall, which seemed to be a button and opened a small space enough to crawl underneath it.

"What the-" before I could finish Zero crouched down and crawled in, I looked around before following him.

I'm really confused on what is happening, what in the Hades.

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.: Six's P.o.V. :.
.: Third Person :.

The group had reached into the Janitor's Storage Room, even knowing that the Janitor was electrocuted, Six couldn't help but feel unsettled. There could be a chance that blind stout man could survive, after all.

They entered a room filled with books stacked on each other and made them tower up to the sky. It actually made Six remember that library where the Minotaur settled on before, the group sneaked past, and Tiberius did his best not to let any of the books fall from his big figure.

Just as they were about to reach for the door, there was a movement on the upper level, which had a hole in the ceiling connecting to the lower level. The group froze and looked up from the darkness to see someone muttering angrily while dragging their feet.

Six held her breath.

Grasping unto the ledge, the Janitor stooped down, wincing a bit due to the electrocuted scars in his body. The rest of the group was shocked to see he was still alive, wounded and hurt, but still alive. Tiberius thought it was best to leave and shadow travel away. The Janitor managed to land on the ground safely with a tired grunt and opened the door at the end of the room, walking on out.

"Quick, before the door closes," Mono said and the rest quickly and silently ran into the room before the door shut close. The Janitor walked away and into one of the several rooms, Eight hastily reached to a vent and pulled out the vent grille, and they went inside.

Scarf let out a sigh, "God that was stressful," he mumbled.

"Just how did the Janitor survive that attack?! I gave it my all!" Eight wondered, biting her thumb nail. Three sighed, "I guess when they say that pests are hard to kill, they really hard to kill."

Mono looked at them, "It's a good thing we know, so we can just kill him the next time we ever encounter him again. But right now, we need to go to that colosseum," he said, the others agreed and started trekking on.

"Is it through this vent?" Shadow Six asked while walking. Eight shook her head, "No straight ahead, they made sure if would be tricky to escape and enter, but there is a secret vent made by the older runaways, we'll use that," she explained.

"Yeah, if the monsters haven't sealed that yet too," Mono mumbled.

Six pursed her lips, hopefully they can save their friends, and also try to avoid the Janitor, again. She brought out her lighter when the way got darker and she continued on.

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.: Third Person :.

Antaeus chuckled as the gladiator to gladiator fight continued. He looked down to the small silver haired girl sitting in the seat of honor, "So Pretender, what do you think about these fights? Do you find them entertaining?" He asked.

The Pretender smiled while looking up at him, "Of course it is fun! I just love how you barely give any of these children or monsters no mercy, right?" she asked the child beside her.

The child shivered before nodding, "Yes."

Antaeus looked down on the child beside The Pretender, "So, this is the traitor who told the Lady about the Hideout huh? I thank you! Because of what you did, I have more playthings!" He grinned.

The child looked away, "I don't like flattery, I only did this to garauntee a better life for me," she said, then turned to the Pretender, "And speaking about playthings, have you told him about a certain child?"

"Told me about who?"

The Pretender clasped her hands, "Right! One of the new captured children is someone very special, one of her friends," The Pretender smiled while looking at the child, who squirmed in her glare, "Is the son of Poseidon."

The giant's eyes glimmered, and he rubbed his chin, "A son of Poseidon huh? I would like to see him fight next! Even better, he should fight that special child! What was his name? Zero? Yes! Zero!" He turned to the gaurds stationed beside him and they nodded before walking away. The Pretender chuckled while turning to the child.

"That would be a great show to watch, would you want to stay and watch from the best view?"

The child shook her head, "I need to go back, before my friends get suspicious of me."

The Pretender shrugged, "Oh well, if that is what you want," she said while waving her off, "If you have any more information I would need, do tell me Una, you've been the best one there is."

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Congrats to those who had the hunch on my very obvious traitor.

But I question you this....

Is she the only traitor? *smiles*

Oh and by the way guys, a lil announcement. I made an Ao3 account and decided to put this fanfic in that site, I just placed I think five chapters from that site and will continue copy pasting the rest of the story. Now I am wondering what other fanfics should I add into that site, should I also add my Convo AU or no?

Oh well, babye my peeps!

Wait, should I just write my TPN based LN fanfic in Ao3 when I finish plotting that story--

Wattpad: Publish Finished.

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