Second Chances

Chapter 8 - The Endless Dawn

(Thalia's P.O.V.)

I silently stepped into the cavern, peering helplessly as the darkness seemed to consume every inch for what seemed to be miles. I knew the place seemed familiar but I struggled in vain to remember it. With unsteady steps, I slowly proceeded up the rocky ledge of stairs until I reached the top. I could barely make out the shadowy pillars and hard stone floor, but the stench was nearly unbearable and it was then I heard a ragged, raspy voice talking to someone else.

"So, did you acquire the final piece I need?" I tried to focus in the direction the voice came from but my eyes and sense were met by nothing but darkness. "Yes my lord, we've got everything ready as you ordered. Now all we need is to finish stalling long enough for the object to recover enough of it's luster to be an appropriate exchange."

I was lost admist the conversation, not much of it made sense and I could place neither of the voices behind the veil of shadows. "Even if history does repeat itself entirely, enough of them will be wiped out anyway. Those fools still have no clue as to what's truly going on." An awful laugh shredded through the darkness and ripped my ears violently, and I started to convulse in pain.

"Thalia! Wake up, please." I slowly came back to my senses to see a bewildered Percy trying to wake me up. I blinked a few times to gain my bearings and remember where I was. "Percy.. I had a horrible dream, something bad is coming." I told him hoarsely, noticing how sweat soaked I had become.

"Bad? Everything lately has been bad, Thals." He tried to smile as he said it, but it was to no avail. "No, I mean something worse.. worse than we're already having to deal with." He set his features firmly and gave me a reassuring hug. "It's okay, whatever comes, worse or otherwise." He kissed me comfortingly as he said it, causing me to melt into my relief and his arms.

I steadied myself for the day ahead as we got dressed and I silently pondered how the others around our camp were doing. "Do you think everyone will be alright? This war doesn't seem to be very much in our favor right now." I had no idea how shaken the Knights might be but I knew that despite the painful losses, our resolve was hardening. We just needed to make a strong stand and push soon, something to turn the balance of this back to at least even.

"Well, shall we check on the others?" Percy nodded as we both headed to the command tent. I glanced nervously at Percy, then looked around the makeshift war council. Nico and Annabeth were both here already, along with the Stoll brothers and Clarisse. There didn't appear to be any Knights yet, not that I could personally blame them though. I saw my appointed officers slink into the room beside myself and Percy, there was Phoebe and Tristen, plus the newer girl Elyssa.

Right before we could get things even halfway started, Adara and a girl named Cassidy ran into the tent frantically. "Chang is missing." We all started at them blankly. "He was in his tent all through the night, but sometime near dawn he slipped out without his Knights noticing." Cassidy literally squealed as Adara softly rested her hand on the girl's shoulder. Adara looked like she hadn't slept at all and as red as her eyes were, it was no wonder if she were crying the whole time.

"Chang didn't really seem himself since..." She cut off her words, obviously fighting back more tears. "Reed said that Chang left his shield and spear in his tent, but the twin blades were missing." Percy caught on quickly as he sighed and leaned over the table. "It seems as if Chang has an intent of carrying out revenge using Tajima's own blessed twin swords." That was when, for the second day in a row we heard a piercing yell that seemed to be making the sun itself rise faster than usual.

(Third Person P.O.V.)

Chang didn't sleep any the entire night following Tajima's supposed death and body snatching by the Trojans. Hestia had stayed with him the entire night, the other gods had paid frequent visits at intervals the entire night and now it was just before the sunrise, and Chang was putting on his black battle armor. "I promise to get revenge for my brother, your son." He lightly whispered to Hestia as he left out into the darkness of the night still.

Chang had reached the clearing of the plains and proceeded all the way to the gates of Troy, just staying out of range from the towers archers. "HECTOR!" Chang bellowed loudly for all to hear. "Hector! Come out and face me!" The yells of pain and anguish echoing all through the valley. Chang was indeed portraying the role of Achilles, seeking vengeance for his lost loved one from Hector.

The sun began to rise onto the plains, casting a familiar scene. It would indeed appear as if Tajima Kou were standing on the battlefield, guarding and protecting his beloved hope. The truth was that it was now in fact, Chang Kou, taking up the mantle of his brother but with far more ferocity, as he sought to uphold his role of maintaining the faith. "HECTOR! COME AND FIGHT ME!" Chang shouted as loudly as possible, and finally resigning himself to what would be another duel, Hector had the gates opened.

Hector had indeed beaten Chang the previous day, causing the loss of his brother and for this duel there appeared to be a growing audience for both sides. Hector could effictively crush the entire spirit of the Knights with this one simple duel and in this moment, his arrogance got the better of him. "Come little boy. You might be a good strategist, but you are not your brother's equal when it comes to combat. I will enjoy crushing you, and the Knights entirely with this duel."

Chang just threw his head back and let out a crushing roar, before violently shaking like an animal. "I plan on drinking your blood for dinner!" Chang yelled in anger at Hector and the fated duel started, the two squaring off like in a gladiator's arena with the thousdands of spectators.

Hector threw his spear at the sudden rushing Chang, but his aim only drew the shield on the enraged Dioscuri. Hector unsheathed his sword and started to back up slowly in retreat of the viscious animal enclosing fast. Chang gripped his spear tightly and dropped it to the ground and grinned, unsheathing his brothers twin black bladed swords. He darted quickly at Hector, slashing upward with the first blade, which caused the Trojan commander to block hastily and keep backpedalling.

Chang immediately struck down with the other blade, meeting Hector's shield in frustration. Hector tried to loosen the advantage by knocking away one of the swords with his shield, but Chang was too strong physically. A strength he didn't posess the previous clashes, and the result was Chang cutting a slight gash into Hector's leg. Hector decided to play a risky gamble and hurled his shield at the furious Chang. .

It was batted away with unnerving ease, the crowds both still watching in horror. Chang ran directly at Hector and swung wildly, which was blocked easily. Using the momentum from a seemingly wild attack, Chang did a back flip and kicked Hector in the sternum, driving the man back further. Hector stumbled slightly and tried to brace for the next incoming attack. Chang spun counter clockwise as soon as his feet touched the ground, causing a tornado type of swinging motion with both swords.

The armies of Troy gasped in shock as the first burning black blade ripped open Hector's breastplate and chest. The second blade slicing his throat unmercifully, slowly dropping the wide eyed Trojan prince to his knees before he hit the ground lifeless and dead. Chang roared like a crazed monster, and shook the blood from his brother's swords before cleaning them in the plains openly in front of the city.

"Keep your disgusting dead prince, as a remind that anything you try to take of ours, will be violently and vengefully repaid in full every time." Chang roared to the city and armies of Troy, before returning back to the cheers of the Knights camp.

(Percy's P.O.V.)

"You asshole!" The group that had gathered as Chang dueled and defeated Hector stood in shock as Reed punched the man hard in the face. Chang was sent sprawling to the ground, the blazing fire of hatred in his eyes had given way to a hopeless expression of a shattered youth.

"Stand down, jerk!" Reed continued before lacing a profanity heavy spewing of words at his own commander. Chang just sullenly took all of the abuse his officer dished out, never trying to object. "Why are you such a selfish prick? You run off to get help and abandon our fight, and the captain has to die because you're not even man enough to hold your own against Hector in a small battle."

Leon tried to place on Reed's shoulder to calm him some but that just caused the much larger Knight to wheel around and stare coldly at Leon. "You want to object pup? You know, as good as everyone else, that Chang has always been a coward." I simply stared in shock at the outburst, noticing many doing the same.

"He's right, Leon." Chang added to the own berating of himself. "I could have easily sent someone else to ask for help, but I couldn't bear to watch my brother endure so much suffering. I deserve everything Reed feels towards me, as well I'm sure many other Knights do. I personally ran because I'm not nearly as skilled as Tajima was, and I still had to watch him slaughtered in front of me."

Reed's red angered face had not let up, and his clenched fist held an extreme amount of malice. "He was my best friend and as Knights, we were all brothers, not just the two of you." Reed was close to breaking down as a group of Knights finally secured him and blocked the distance between the two. "You're responsible for his death... you took away the person we admired the most. You've stolen our hope, not Hector or the Trojans."

Right before Reed could continue or attempt to say anything else, a young woman appeared in front of Chang. It was Hestia and with her was Apollo and Hera. "Silence! I will not have my precious family be ripped apart by this pointless squabble!" Hera yelled at Reed and anyone else who was harboring similar thoughts. I was rather surprised to see Hera intervening but knowing what she stood for, it made a bit of sense.

"Reed, you understood how Tajima felt and thought nearly better than anyone, except perhaps Chang. You can't let your anger of the situation turn you against your family, not when you all need each other so much right now." Hestia spoke so kind and softly but her words resounded through our whole camp and to every single person there. "We have lost much, but we must firm our resolve and show our focus. If you keep faith in each other... I will never let your hope die!"

They seemed more like words intended specifically for the Knights, but they punctured the hearts of all. Many shouts and cheers rang out among our makeshift army, as promises had been upheld firmly, but our hope had not dimished. I felt a new strengthening inside of myself, like I had during the battle of Olympus against Kronos, and I saw it across the faces of so many.

"We must show this vile army of Troy, that while they think us weak and rundown. While they consider us to be at war with ourselves, we have not lost our hope. We will show them, that they will never see the sun set on this field again, for we provide them with an eternal and haunting dawn." More cheers and victory cries erupted from the camp, and I couldn't help but notice the spirit of our army casting a faint golden light across the tents and into the plains between ourselves and the walls of Troy. "Tonight, we honor the sacrifice that was made with celebration and tomorrow we show that we will not be beaten. Not here or now, and never by them."

Tajima's shroud burning was still met with plenty of tears but the resolve that burned within us all now, far outshined any pain we might have felt from the losses we had previously suffered. Thalia clutched onto my hand tightly as I caught her gaze and smiled. "I didn't get to thank you for this morning." She said blushingly, as I waved a strand of hair out of her eyes. "You never will either."

I told her softly, whispering into her ear before giving her a slow and passionate kiss. "Whatever we might face beyond this, you have me." She planted a return kiss on my lips immediately after I finished speaking, then replied as if we were the only people in the world at that moment. "You have me also, no matter what comes."