章 922: 30
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Nico POV
Nico wanted to believe that all things happened for a reason. That there would be a light at the end of a tunnel.
Right now, Nico felt like he'd been running through a really, really long, dark, and thorny tunnel. Metaphorically and literally. He thought that he had reached the light at the end when he came to Camp Half-Blood and met Percy and Jade, but when Bianca died, he was back in the dark. It was bearable because Jade helped, so the light seemed within reach again.
And then Jade shoved him back into the darkness.
He really wanted to cry. He was so angry at her, but he didn't want to be alone.
A giant serpent was chasing him in the Labyrinth and though he had gained some distance, Nico needed the monster off his scent. He jumped over a pithole, glancing back to see if the snake would fall in it. It didn't and instead coiled itself to carefully stretch over the hole, stubbornly continuing the chase.
He ran into a large room with a slippery floor, wet from a running broken pipe. Exhausted, Nico's foot lost grip and he slid on the cold ground. The giant serpent had caught up now, its fangs bared for an attack.
Nico pulled out his sword, scrambling to his feet. His legs were shaking. The sword felt heavy in his trembling hands.
Jade's words echoed, "Stay alive for me, will you?"
A sob threatened to escape his swollen throat. He was so scared. He just wanted to be with Jade.
Gritting his teeth, Nico mentally geared himself for a fight when a large whiplike figure appeared from the corner of his eye and flicked the serpent across the room. It hit the wall hard, releasing loose mortar and dust from the ceiling.
"Mrs. O'Leary, go!"
And then a monstrous demondog came out of the darkness and pounced. The serpent shrieked when it was torn in half by the hellhound.
He'd never been so relieved to see a hellhound. Nico turned to meet his benefactors. There was a middle-aged man who seemed to have the giant monster under control and then…
Nico tripped over his feet again when he caught sight of the third thing far too large for the room. It was the biggest monster he'd ever seen, including the ones he'd seen in the Underworld. It looked like a female creature, a woman on top of the body of a dragon with a furry belt. The furry belt had moving animal heads that morphed. It spoke with a deep, raspy voice and kept gargling strange words.
The man stepped closer with open hands. "Karen seems scary, but she means no harm."
Nico nearly dropped his sword. "Karen?" He flatly asked.
The man nodded. "My name is Daedalus and this is my pet hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary. Who might you be?"
Annabeth POV
They returned to camp via flying pegasi, leaving Rachel behind in New York City, and as usual, things were hectic at Camp Half-Blood. However, the tension in the air highlighted the difference from the normal chaos.
When they landed, Chiron and the potbellied leader of the Wild Council, Silenus, were waiting for them in the middle of the cabin area. Around them, campers hustled and carried weapons, equipment, and supplies. She recognized the cabin leaders weaving through the crowds and personally leading some of the commands. The demigods followed instructions without confusion and efficiently moved between each other to carry out the orders. There was no hesitation in anyone's actions and despite the anxiety for the upcoming battle, everyone moved with decisiveness and confidence. A hint of steely determination could be seen in every camper's gaze. It seemed that Chiron had done well in anticipating the Titan Army's invasion; Annabeth was immediately grateful that they had begun preparations for several months now instead of being caught off guard.
Ethan was staring at the scene with boggled eyes, most likely because he'd never seen camp like this.
"This is…nothing what the intel told us in the Titan's Army," he muttered. "They thought the camp wouldn't be able to handle an invasion."
This gave Annabeth a semblance of hope, though it made her wonder about Jade's role as a spy. Wasn't Jade supposed to be supplying the Titan's Army with information? Why would their intel be wrong?
"We'll keep you chained to one of our posts since you won't be helping camp," Annabeth informed him. "Just stay out of trouble."
She flagged down two campers who escorted Ethan away from the premise and to the outskirts of the tents. They'd have to decide what to do with him after the invasion.
Chiron wasn't phased by the news about Quintus being Daedalus, or Kronos rising, nor did he give a notable reaction to Jade's betrayal. However, Chiron did look deeply saddened by it. The Council of Cloven Elders and Silenus threw a fit when Grover broke the news of Pan's death, but no one listened to the old satyrs. Camp was under attack and that took precedence. The argument of Pan's demise would be held after they fought off the Titan Army.
As they followed Chiron through camp, Annabeth took pride in seeing the level of organization in the biggest military operation she'd ever seen in all her years at Camp Half-Blood. There was anxiety and worry in her heart because there was no war without casualties, but she stayed focused on the objective of the battle. They would all protect Camp Half-Blood. If camp were to fall and be overrun by Kronos, then it would be a huge defeat.
She saw the majority of the campers in the clearing used for capture the flag gatherings. They were all dressed in full battle armor. Camp's defenses were all centered around the entrance to the Labyrinth at Zeus' Fist.
The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders. Apollo's and Hermes' cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees at a wide circumference. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around the wooden cudgels and rough tree bark shields. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth - razor wire, pits of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect charges from different angles. Beckendorf and two other of his cabinmates were each manning two catapults, primed and aimed at Zeus' Fist. There was a final line of defense, a huge trench that surrounded the Labyrinth entrance, but it was empty.
Annabeth turned to Chiron. "There's nothing in the trench, why?"
Chiron hesitated in answering. "We intended to fill it with River Styx water, but it will require two demigods' powers. One to control the water, and the other to open the ground and connect it to the main river underneath. It would create a powerful barrier to ward off enemies."
Those two would be Percy and Nico, Annabeth easily surmised. "Nico isn't here, but even if he was, wouldn't you need a sample of the River Styx water to start a minor river branch?"
Chiron took out a vial of murky grey water in his leather satchel. Annabeth raised her eyebrows at the rare sample.
"How did you get this? Did you go to the Underworld and-"
Then something cold flooded into Annabeth. A rush of fear.
The secret mission. Jade. If Jade knew about camp's preparation and the purpose of the trench, then the Titan Army would be prepared to bypass their defense. Were they already at a disadvantage?
As if reading her mind, Chiron put away the vial and laid a heavy hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "There's no need to worry about our defenses being leaked to the Titan Army."
"But Jade probably already told them by now-"
"No, Jade has never told them anything important. They do not suspect our preparations."
Annabeth stiffly looked up at Chiron with wide eyes. "But, she-"
"I promise," Chiron's voice shook. "We will talk about it."
There was an undercurrent of low ringing in Annabeth's ears as Chiron's implication began to sink in.
Confusion. Relief. A flash of anger and hurt. So much relief. Annabeth was still confused, but she held onto the sliver of hope that Chiron provided.
Annabeth whispered, "Then, Jade is actually-"
Chiron squeezed Annabeth's shoulder. "She never did."
Annabeth swiftly wiped away the hot tears in her eyes. She looked at Percy, who was occupied with Tyson and Briares to help them get ready for battle. Percy needed to know this, too, but right now wasn't the best time. Annabeth let out a shaky breath.
Later, not now, she told herself as she joined her siblings from the Athena cabin. As Chiron promised, they would talk about it later. Annabeth placed her trust in the centaur and deep down inside, she played tentative hope in her old friend. She prayed that the truth was what she hoped to be.
Heading towards the command tent, she nodded her head at Argus guarding their door and took a moment to appreciate the gray banner with an owl fluttering outside the tent. Entering inside, she immediately went to the center table where there were a few of her half-siblings directing operations. Her trusted second-in-command, Malcolm, was at the center of it all.
Malcolm's tight shoulders visibly sagged when he caught sight of Annabeth. "Thank the gods," he breathed when she joined him to the side.
"Welcome back," he said. "Just in time for the invasion."
Annabeth scanned the wide table covered with a map of camp and figurines of their forces. She noted the markings of the supposed trench for the River Styx, reflecting on Chiron's words.
After a thorough look of what her cabin had prepared so far, Annabeth turned to them. The firm look in their eyes told her that they didn't plan on losing.
She intended to keep it that way.
Percy POV
As per Chiron's instructions, Percy stayed by Chiron's side so that the centaur would observe the battle and then instruct Percy where to go once the fighting began.
"Why would Jade curse Luke? I don't understand," Percy asked, still stunned by the fact.
Chiron ran his fingers along his bowstring. "As far as I'm concerned, she potentially delayed Kronos' resurrection and saved Luke's life."
The irony of it all sent Percy's mind reeling. "So you're saying that Jade did us a favor?"
Chiron lowered his bow. "I believe Kronos had been preparing Luke as a vessel for some time now. Possessing a demigod's body is a stepping stone to his final form, but it would be at the cost of Luke's life. Kronos would have burned Luke's body in the process of fully regaining his power as a Titan. Cursing Luke prevents all of this from happening."
Chiron paused before adding, "Though I'm not sure if it's a life worth living."
Percy's head swiveled. "What do you mean?"
"If it is truly a curse of madness, then it could only mean one thing: Luke will suffer prolonged torment until he wishes for death," Chiron explained sadly. "There was only one other demigod who experienced such unimaginable pain. He was a demigod believed to be the strongest of them all."
"Hercules?"
"Yes, and it was no ordinary curse. A god inflicted it. Can you recall which god would do such a thing?"
Percy frowned. Of course, Chiron would still act like Percy's Latin teacher even in the face of impending invasion.
"Hera. She hated him the most," Percy stated. "But where did Jade get this curse? She couldn't have made it herself, right? Did she get it from a god then?"
Percy closed his mouth before saying the next string of questions. Did Jade get the curse from Hera? But why would a goddess help an enemy? And regardless of where or who she got it from, why would Jade use the curse against Kronos' wishes?
"We don't have enough information to determine that, however it is the truth that Kronos' plans have been thwarted for now," he said solemnly.
"But if she ruined Kronos' plans, then whose side is she on?" Percy meant it as a rhetorical question, but Chiron answered.
"In war, there are always those seeking their own agenda, uncaring of the two main forces. Like Nico, son of Hades. He only sought Jade, abandoning camp as it seems."
Guilt clawed up Percy's stomach at Chiron's slip of detail. "I'm sorry, Chiron. I know I should've told you-"
Chiron raised his hand. "I understand why you did it, Percy, you wanted to protect him. I only mention him for one potential plan."
The centaur revealed a glass vial of grey water which Percy instinctively recognized. Why did Chiron have a sample of River Styx water?
Chiron explained the idea of creating a natural defense of River Styx water by utilizing the trench circling the Zeus' Fist where the entrance to the Labyrinth was located. It seemed like a good idea, but the only downside was that the other person needed to construct the moat was missing.
"He might join Jade if he manages to find her in the Labyrinth," Percy carefully said in a low voice. The thought hadn't escaped him and it scared him. Nico was a child of the Eldest gods. He was exactly what Kronos needed. Did Jade intentionally look after Nico with this in mind? Percy couldn't wrap his head around the idea of Jade being this manipulative.
Chiron shook his head. "If Nico is with the Army, then Kronos would have no need to invade today. He would delay all of his plans for the boy to turn sixteen."
The ground underneath them began trembling. Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing.
Clarisse barked a single order. "Lock shields!"
Then the Titan Lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth. Zeus' Fist crumbled as dirt and rubble flew in the air.
The first wave of monsters consisted of a dozen Laistrygonian giants, yelling so loudly that they nearly burst open Percy's ears. They carried shields made of flattened cars and tree trunks for clubs. A few giants stumbled into the trench while the rest were pushed into it by the Ares phalanx with their long spears and bronze shields.
"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled. Catapults swung into action. Five boulders hurtled through the air, smashing into some giants while others deflected. Apollo's archers fired a volley, dozens of celestial bronze arrows sticking like porcupine quills. The arrows that found chinks in armor vaporized some giants on the spot.
The next wave surged out of the maze. Thirty or forty dracaenae in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets. They quickly dispersed in all directions. Some hit the Hephaestus cabin traps, getting caught in spikes, triggering trip wire, and getting engulfed in Greek fire. The archers pinned down every single target as the dracanae struggled. Then Briares launched his own volley of boulders. There were so many rocks in the sky that it almost looked like it was hailing. Seeing how the rocks crushed the monsters before them, Percy couldn't be more grateful that they had the One Hundred Handed One on their side. But many more kept coming. Argus, Athena's cabin, and Tyson rushed into the clearing to meet them.
Finally, a hellhound, an unfriendly one unlike Mrs. O'Leary, leaped out of the tunnel and barreled straight toward the satyrs.
"Go!" Chiron yelled at Percy.
Without hesitation, Percy drew Riptide and charged into the fray. As he raced across the battlefield, he saw terrible things. Enemy demigod fighting against his fellow campers, setting fire to the forest, and attacking the dryads.
A dozen dracaenae suddenly broke away from the main fight and slithered down the path that led toward camp, as if they knew where they were going. They could burn down the entire place if no one stopped them.
"Briares!" Percy called out. "Block them!"
Briares was quick to work and hurled a rainstorm of boulders at the dracaenae. In a blink of an eye, there was a mountain of stone impeding their way. That would buy some time, Percy quickly surmised. He had a hellhound to take care of first.
Percy closed on the hellhound that was now at the forest where the satyrs stood their ground. The beast snapped at one satyr, who danced out of the way, but then it pounced on another. The satyr's tree-bark shield cracked as he fell.
Percy yelled, "Hey!"
Grabbing a clay jar, one of Beckendorf's Greek fire containers, Percy ran forward and slid underneath the hellhound's pounce. He sliced the limbs of the beast from below, crippling it, and then tossed the jar into the hellhound's maw. The creature went up in flames, howling loudly as it burned. Percy scrambled away, breathing heavily.
Just when it seemed like the battle had balanced out again, that they might stand a chance, the ground began to rumble. Then, an unearthly groan echoed out of the Labyrinth and sent terror crashing through the entire field. Monsters, enemy demigods, and campers alike, everyone stilled.
Percy didn't recognize the sound, but he recognized this foreboding sensation. It sent him back to their time in the Labyrinth, when they rescued Briares. They had stumbled upon a waterfall pit. The gaping hole that trembled as if impatient to be awakened.
The pit that led straight to Tartarus.
A smoky, dark figure emerged out of the Labyrinth's entrance. From a distance, Percy couldn't recognize the newcomer on the battlefield, but he saw how everyone stepped away from it.
Then the stranger spread his grey arms and began cackling. It sounded like the dying laugh of a madman.
"Demigods, monsters, and servants of Kronos, hear my cry! You all fight your petty battles and do not even recognize the calamity that quakes beneath you!"
Percy recognized that voice. It was King Minos, but he sounded even more unhinged than before. What was he doing here?
"Listen to me, for I have become the herald of the Primordial who rules over the Abyss! Through his appointment, I am the Ghost King!"
Stabbing a dracanae on the way, Clarisse caught up to Percy at the edge of the forest and they both stared at the raving ghost with a mix of pure confusion and fearful apprehension.
"What in the Hades?" Clarisse scowled.
"That's King Minos, one of the three Judges of the Underworld," Percy supplied. "He kept bothering us in the Labyrinth, trying to help us find Daedalus."
Clarisse hefted her electric spear. "Doesn't explain why he's here."
Percy was about to take a guess when the sky suddenly darkened and the temperature dropped at least ten degrees. Everything quieted. Every bone in Percy's body locked in fear. His throat closed up, silencing his voice. Even Clarisse was frozen on the spot.
A haze of ink black clouds gathered above the Labyrinth's entrance. It casted a heavy shadow over the entire area, dulling the field of vision.
Something was coming, Percy's instincts screamed. Something incredibly terrible and frighteningly evil.
"Tartarus is alive, demigod. It is more than a place," Briares had said.
Another figure stepped out of the blasted hole. It stood almost twenty feet tall, towering over everything. The shape was vaguely humanoid, but instead of human flesh, there was a skin of rough black leather layered over a fiery form. It was dry and cracked, resembling broken rocks on top of glowing red lava. Dirtied black claws adorned the limbs instead of fingers. Instead of eyes, a nose, and a normal mouth, there was just a wide, jagged jaw on top of its face. Toxic fumes fizzled from its form, hissing out of the fissures in its skin.
King Minos' deranged shouts of joy carried throughout the battlefield.
"KNEEL IN FEAR! THE FATHER OF DARKNESS! THE LORD WHO GUARDS ALL MONSTERS-"
The black giant held out a claw and with a flick, grabbed the nearest empousa. The empousa struggled to no avail as the monster held it above its head. There was a short pause as if the black monster was processing what it held.
And then its large jaw snapped open and then began eating the empousa. The leg tore off. Percy would never forget the empousa's scream.
Everyone broke out of their frozen state. Demigods, monsters, enemies and allies alike all panicked and fled from the Labyrinth's entrance.
Briares had warned them, "Tartarus has been stirring."
Percy's breath shuddered.
"-WITNESS HIS ECHO AND FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM!"
Never had he imagined that this could happen.
The remains of the torn empousa scattered into dust as Tartarus took a step into the battlefield. It snatched another victim and did the same thing.
"Its existence foreshadows great catastrophe."
King Minos cried, "BEHOLD! TARTARUS!"
The monster, no, Tartarus, bellowed with the force of a hundred bloodthirsty giants. Terror flooded the field. The previous fight was forgotten in the face of a devastatingly more dangerous enemy.
Percy's knees nearly buckled when a high-pitched battle horn pierced the air.
"REGROUP!" Chiron yelled.
Percy had never heard such fear in his teacher's voice before. Clarisse and Percy responded in tandem. They understood that things had changed; they needed to reconfigure their plan. If they didn't stop Tartarus here, then there was no telling what it'll do in the outside world. Even if hope seemed so dim and little, they couldn't afford to let it step outside of camp.
Buying some time, Beckendorf and his cabin launched Greek fire bombs to keep some distance from Tartarus' approach as campers frantically returned to form their line. None of the members of the Titan Army stayed behind. Many ran into the forest while others got trampled by hellhounds or giants.
Tyson untangled himself from a fleeing giant and protected the formation, shouting, "Stand! Do not run! We must fight!"
Annabeth caught up to Percy's side, keeping his pace, her sword in her hand.
"King Minos said this is an 'echo'. It hasn't completely regained its strength," Annabeth hurriedly said. "This is just a fragment."
A spark of courage ignited in Percy's heart when he realized that Annabeth hadn't given up either. Percy could tell that they shared the same conclusion: we're not backing down. It was a slim, miniscule possibility, but it was a chance of hope he was willing to count on.
"But that doesn't make it any weaker," Percy said.
"No, it doesn't," Annabeth agreed. "This might be it."
"Could be."
"Nice fighting with you, Seaweed Brain."
"Ditto."
Together, they stood in line next to their fellow campers. Chiron and Argus came up behind, fully armed. Percy was waiting for Chiron's signal, but then something howled in close range.
A wall of darkness slammed into Tartarus, knocking it down.
"Mrs. O'Leary, heel!" cried a familiar voice. A snarling Mrs. O'Leary quickly returned to Daedalus who was climbing out of the rubble in the Labyrinth entrance. Next to him was another familiar person, Nico. Percy didn't recognize the black sword in Nico's grip, but it emanated a deathly aura that seemed to amplify Nico's already ominous presence.
And then following Daedalus and Nico, there was a shriek that Percy had heard before. His stomach dropped. Kampê.
They had two monsters to fight now.
That's great.
But as soon as the dread came, it quickly disappeared when Kampê took to the sky and charged straight at Tartarus. The two fearsome monsters engaged in a deadly skirmish. Kampê had two curved swords that she swung with such ferocity, but the fragment of Tartarus parried with extended claws. The morphing animals on Kampê's waist gnashed its teeth whenever Tartarus's claws came close and her snakes spat waves of poison, adding to the toxic fumes in the air. Briares joined in with a loud bellow, his hundred hands holding swords, shields, tree barks, and anything that resembled a bludgeon. Though his hands were highly heat resistant, Briares's bare hands smoldered against the red-black skin as he wrestled with Tartarus.
Their war cries pierced the field and it was hard to keep his eyes off the battle. The three beings fought in such a feral, wild way that could only be described as animalistic. Every exchange of blows could be felt in the air. The sounds cracked and thundered in Percy's ears.
They were truly monsters from an age before the Olympians, even before the Titans.
"Di Immortales," Chiron murmured, his eyes also transfixed on the battle.
Percy would've kept staring when Annabeth grabbed his shoulder and turned to Chiron.
"Chiron! Nico's here, we need to get to the trench!"
The centaur snapped back to attention and tossed Annabeth a small vial.
Immediately, Chiron shouted orders, "Clarisse! Charles! Formation of a left arrow, vanguard to the trench!"
Led by their respective cabin leaders, the Ares and Hephaestus campers marched down in a steady line towards the left of the grassy plain. Their heavy shields locked together with phalanxes sticking out in between, warding away and blocking stray monsters. The clean line of defense created an open path.
"Follow me," Annabeth instructed and dove into the fray. Percy's body moved without question, he had an inkling of what she was thinking. They ran in a circular motion towards the center of chaos, the Labyrinth's entrance near where Tartarus and Kampê fought. While they avoided monsters behind the safety of the vanguard, Annabeth explained along the way.
"This is a sample of River Styx water," Annabeth shouted, showing him the vial briefly. "We can use it to create a minor river branch in that trench-"
They both sidestepped a rampaging giant and simultaneously sliced the back of its kneecaps. The giant fell with a pained roar, Percy delivered the final blow, and they resumed sprinting down the field.
"Yeah, Chiron mentioned," Percy responded. "How's it supposed to work?"
"Nico has to create an extension from the trench to the River Styx below using the vial and then you'll draw out the river."
Percy nearly tripped in bewilderment. "Directly from the Underworld?"
He'd never drawn water that he couldn't see and he wasn't sure if he could control enchanted water like the River Styx.
"It'll just be a minor river branch, so it's not going to have the exact same powers as the actual river in the Underworld, but it won't be a normal river either," Annabeth said, but she didn't sound completely sure. She was well aware that this had never been done before.
They reached Daedalus and Nico who were fighting off monsters of the Titan Army. Many were trying to go back into the Labyrinth entrance to escape. Mrs. O'Leary was doing a good job of bulldozing over many of them, keeping a wide berth around the trench.
"Nico!" Percy called out.
Nico stabbed a telekhine with his black sword. Instead of the usual scattering into dust, the telekshine shrieked as the sword seemed to absorb the monster's energy and then vaporized. Percy reminded himself to not go near Nico's new sword.
"What're you guys doing here?!"
Nico blew a sweaty chunk of hair out of his face and gestured at Daedalus. "We're here to help! I met Daedalus, Mrs. O'Leary, and Karen in the Labyrinth, but Karen can't keep Tartarus busy for much longer, Daedalus had this plan-"
"Woah, woah, hold on-did you call that thing Karen?" Percy's voice rose an octave as Kampê and Tartarus's fight raged on behind him.
Nico nodded vigorously. "She's actually really nice! Apparently she lost her memory-"
"Not now!" Annabeth interrupted. "Nico, we need your help."
They hurriedly explained the idea to the son of Hades. Nico immediately jumped into the trench and raised his black sword and drove it down. The blade sunk into the hard packed dirt like a knife to butter. With a yell, Nico twisted the hilt and the ground began to split. The earth quaked and a fissure emerged from where the sword was buried. Then Annabeth poured the vial of River Styx in the crack.
Percy stood at the edge, wondering what was supposed to happen, when suddenly, he sensed a large body of water deep, deep down below the expanse of earth. Like how he usually would control water, he instinctively called for it to bend under his will. Usually controlling water was just like breathing air, so easy and effortless, but he'd never had to call upon water from a source he can't see.
"This is going to take a minute," he grunted.
"We'll cover you," Annabeth said reassuringly. Nico and Annabeth held up their weapons, guarding him on either side, when smoke started gathering where they stood. It choked the air surrounding Percy and Annabeth, causing them to wheeze.
"Quite clever, demigods," Minos approached them with a snarl. "A minor River Styx would create a boundary that Tartarus naturally cannot pass until he fully reforms. As his herald, I cannot allow that."
With a wave of a grey hand, ghosts emerged from the ground and swarmed Percy and Annabeth. Their celestial bronze sword and knife did nothing and only went through the ghosts.
"To me!" Minos cried. "Spirits of the dead! Bring me Daedalus!"
Spirits began to appear around Minos, shimmering forms that slowly multiplied and solidified into Cretan soldiers. They approached Daedalus with spears, swords, and whips.
"Leave them alone!" Nico shouted and swung his sword. It vaporized a ghost with a sharp hiss.
"You can't possibly defeat me," King Minos sneered. "I taught you everything you know, boy. I am so much more than you, I command spirits! I am the herald who leads Tartarus! I am the Ghost King!"
"So what? I am the son of Hades," Nico declared. "And you're nothing compared to me. You think you're the Ghost King just because you can command spirits?"
He raised his black blade and a tremor shook through the field, opening a chasm across the plain. From the same jagged hole, a dozen of undead warriors crawled out. Military uniforms from all different time periods like the U.S. Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry, hung on the horrible corpses. Following the undead, skeletal horses kicked their way out of the dirt.
"I can raise the dead," Nico confidently said. "I'm the real Ghost King."
An invisible force swept Minos and all his spirits and ghosts into the void with a horrible wail.
To the undead warriors, the son of Hades ordered, "Protect Camp Half-Blood!"
As one, the corpses mounted the skeletal horses and drew their swords. They charged into the battle, slaying monsters and crossing blades with dracaenae and other enemies. Nico crumbled to the floor from overexertion, but Annabeth managed to drag him closer, away from the crossfire.
"Percy," Annabeth coughed. They were still struggling to breathe from the ghosts earlier.
"We need the river-"
A Greek fire bomb exploded at a distance. Scorching heat seared their skin and sods of dirt rained from the sky. In the corner of his eye, Percy could see Tartarus striking Kampê down. Briares also suffered a blow, a direct hit to the head. No longer opposed by the two biggest opponents, Tartarus began to make its way towards the vanguard. Daedalus ran towards the monster, Mrs. O'Leary followed close behind. Percy didn't doubt Daedalus's ability with the sword or Mrs. O'Leary's strength, but they wouldn't be able to hold off Tartarus for long without getting hurt badly.
Percy frantically pounded the ground with both hands, desperately searching for that instant, easy connection with the river below. He never had to try so hard to control water, but the River Styx wasn't answering his call.
Was there a limit to his abilities?
Was this all he could do?
"If there was a source of water around here, you probably could shake the ground too," a familiar voice floated in his head.
Percy's teeth grinded against each other.
"Your dad is called Earthshaker because of tsunamis, it's in the title, Percy-boy."
Why did he have to think of her now, of all moments-
Closing his eyes tightly in concentration, Percy forced the river below to surge. A tugging sensation started building in his gut, becoming intense and painful. The trench began to shake and as the rocking increased, the pain in his gut grew as well. Right when Percy thought he was going to pass out, he let out a strained shout and then a wide geyser of murky, grey water exploded from the fissure. The River Styx shot up twenty feet into the air, spraying in all directions.
The scene of columns of water rising everywhere was exhilarating, but the River Styx didn't stop flowing. It quickly filled the trench and then began spiraling out of its confinement like an open dam. At this point, Percy realized that he was no longer in control, but he wasn't afraid because he knew he didn't have to be. Rejuvenated by the presence of water, Percy stepped onto the wave and rode on top of it, encouraging the river to release its force. He directed the rampaging flood to Tartarus.
The River Styx crashed down the field, sweeping up monsters along the way. Like steering a raging bull by the horns, Percy nudged the huge torrent of water to wrap around the fragment of Tartarus. The River Styx cacooned the monster in a harsh hurricane, preventing escape and drowning it. Tartarus thrashed in the water cage, but Percy could tell that it was struggling. The River Styx seemed to be a weakness of Tartarus, just like how King Minos had told them.
Wrenching the river's direction away, Percy pushed the whirlpool back to the Labyrinth entrance. He had to force the River Styx to stay on track and doing so created the gut-piercing pain in his stomach again. The water traveled swiftly, dragging Tartarus and all the monsters it had captured in its overflow. Percy stood above the water with outstretched hands, groaning against the pressure of directing the river. The flood crashed into the ruined Labyrinth entrance, and Tartarus released one last roar before a swell of water pushed it down the Labyrinth. The last of the Titan army got washed away as well, disappearing into the darkness of the hole.
"Percy!" Annabeth's fearful cry caught Percy's ear.
Annabeth and many other campers had gotten caught in the flood. They held onto the trees and rocks from drowning, but they were beginning to slip. The river was turning into a flash flood with the Labyrinth entrance as the center of a whirlpool.
"Stop," Percy told the River Styx.
Nothing happened. The pain inside was still there. If the river didn't stop soon, then Annabeth and his friends would be forced into the Labyrinth too.
"Stop!" Percy concentrated with all his might in shutting off the river's rage.
Suddenly, the flood and pain in his gut simultaneously subsided. Percy collapsed to his knees, exhausted. The River Styx shrank, the water level ebbing away and trickling down until it was only a sloshing grey pool of water in a simple trench surrounding the Labyrinth entrance. With the battlefield abruptly emptied of enemies, the simple sound of splashing water seemed strange to hear.
In the lowered afternoon sun, the entire field began shining in a certain light from the rough hose down. The torn green grass gleamed and the tiny mineral deposits in the dirt floor sparkled like tiny bits of glitter. Campers picked themselves up, shaking off debri. A haze of steam floated from the ground as the River Styx water evaporated.
The battle was finally over.
Percy took a step towards Annabeth and then dropped like a sack of bricks. The last thing he saw was Annabeth and Chiron running to him before he blacked out.
x
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