Fighting this guy was like fighting an entire beach. He kept reforming every time we slashed at him or tried to kill him. He was a son of Gaea. Mother of the Earth. All that happy stuff. Percy and I looked at each other and immediately we knew what to do. Get him off the ground. There were chains hanging from the ceiling that were sort of low, I guess.
"Yo, slow poke!" I taunted, "Catch me if you can!" I jumped and caught the edge of the chain and began to climb. Percy did the same, each of us climbing on different chains. We reached a certain height and stopped. Hanging. Waiting. Sure enough the red guy, Antaeus if we're being formal, began to climb and follow us. Percy swung around him and wrapped him in the chains.
"You may do the honors," Percy said and waved his hand towards the struggling Antaeus. I slashed with my sword and watched as he crumbled to dirt and didn't reform, the earth not rising to heal him.
"Is that our cue to run?" I asked as Luke snarled and rose from his seat.
"Yep." Percy took a whistle out of his pocket and blew. It must have been broken. It didn't make a sound. "Okay, then." Just as he spoke, a hellhound burst into the room and threw the Laestrygonian giants across the room. Kelli got tossed into Luke's lap. She didn't look too upset if you ask me. "Run!"
We sprinted toward the exit with Rachel in the lead. We followed her directions without question. No remarks were made when she told us all to duck not a moment before a giant ax would have sliced us in half. We took turn after turn and didn't stop for god knows how long.
Eventually, we stopped in a cavern with old Romanesque columns. I looked around. This place never failed to impress. We decided to camp there for the night. I took first watch. I still didn't want to sleep after everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. "I got this," I said as Percy opened his mouth to say something. "Really."
"I wasn't going to say anything about watch." He tossed me a granola bar. "Eat this. You need it." He wasn't looking at my face. He was looking at my stomach.
"Dude. It's not that bad. Really. I just lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time. I'll be back to normal soon. Trust me," I mumbled as I unwrapped the granola bar. I took a bite. It was good. "Go to sleep. You've had a long day."
I was propped up on the wall as I scanned the room. Nothing out of the ordinary. The fire that we had lit did make things a little creepy. But I could do creepy. Just not scary. I didn't do well with scary. I just couldn't handle it.
The room started to shake gently. Annabeth shot up, eyes wide. We took one look at each other and I lunged to wake up Rachel. Annabeth shook Percy awake and screamed, "Earthquake!"
We grabbed our packs and dashed towards the tunnel that Rachel indicated. A column crashed to the floor behind us as we made it to the tunnel. We kept running. I was not about to get smashed by a hunk of rock after coming this far. No, sir.
I ran straight into Rachel. I didn't notice she had stopped. She turned around and said, "Sorry."
"Where are we? Close?" I asked. I was getting excited. After all my years wandering the maze, I had never found Daedalus. I wanted to meet this guy.
"Yeah. Real close. Come one." Rachel beckoned us forwards. After a few more yards, we saw a set of doors with the symbol of Daedalus. "We're here."
"Awesome." I didn't wait for anyone. I pushed open the doors and walked inside. It looked like an art studio. In other words, really great. Easels were everywhere. Laptops were open and on their screensavers. A half-eaten muffin sat on a workbench. "Guys, he's here."
"Yeah. This place has been used recently." Percy picked up the muffin and turned it in his hands. He set it back on the table.
"Yes. My workshop is my home," a voice came from the stairs leading up the second level. Down came Daedalus and the hellhound who had saved our skin. "This is Mrs. O'Leary. The only tame hellhound and my companion for over two millennia."
"You're supposed to be dead. Pardon my manners." I peered at him and put my hand on my hip. "I would know. No human survives for that long unless…" I lunged forward and smacked his elbow. A panel opened on his forearm. Gears spun below the surface.
"You're an automaton." Annabeth looked at the gears. "You transferred your soul to an automaton. That's impossible."
"This is my fifth body." He sighed. "So it is possible. I've escaped death for millennia."
"I can tell," I said. "People shouldn't cheat death."
"You're right. They shouldn't," came a new voice.
"Ever considered knocking, Minos?" I asked as I turned around. "Hello again."
"I have come for payment, Daedalus," Minos said, ignoring me.
Let me explain something real quick. Minos is a ghost. There is a rule in the Underworld. You can exchange a soul for a soul. Clearly, that was what Minos was after. Daedalus's soul for Minos. Minos would live again. Now you know.
Minos was hovering there with mist curling off his robes. Kelli was there, of course. And two Laestrygonians held Nico, whose wrists were chained. I felt a pang of sympathy for him. I knew how he felt.
"Percy, I'm so sorry," Nico said softly. "This is my fault."
"Shut it," Kelli snarled. Her appearance shifted. She had a donkey leg, a bronze leg, flaming hair, talons. Okay. She's an empousa. Alright.
"Get him!" Minos shouted and pointed to Daedalus. Then it was chaos. Nico was thrown to the side, and everyone engaged in battle. I drew my sword and charged Kelli. I was seriously tired with this chick. I slashed and she exploded to dust.
"Come on, guys!" Rachel was standing by the wall. There hung six sets of bronze wings. Rachel already had hers attached. Nico sprinted over to her. Somehow, he had managed to get his wrists free. He let Rachel attach his wings and then helped Annabeth get her's on. Percy backed up with his sword drawn. I was already over there and Nico helped me into my wings. His hands were cold on my skin and I could tell that he wasn't a fan of sunlight.
"Daedalus, come on!" Percy shouted.
"I can't leave Mrs. O'Leary! Go without me!" he shouted back as he fought the giants.
Percy shook his head as Annabeth attached his wings. I could feel the wind catching them. I jumped out the window after Percy. I spread my arms out and glided. Somewhere next to me, Percy was flapping his arms like a spaz.
"Spread your wings, Percy! Glide!" Annabeth yelled. She was drifting along with ease. The only one who was having problems was Percy. He spread his wings and immediately turned his decent into a steep dive. "We should set down soon. I don't trust these wings."
We searched for somewhere to land. Nico pointed out a balcony and we alit there like five oversized birds. Not wanting to be seen with bronze and silver wings, we tore them off and stuffed them in a garbage can. I looked back towards the mountain where the workshop was. It was gone.
"I'm going to get us a ride. I'm pretty sure I can get that guy to drive us," Rachel said and pointed to a sleek black car with a chauffeur. She walked up to the guy and exchanged a few words with him. His face went from impassive to submissive. He opened the back door for Rachel and she gestured for us to come and join her. We climbed into the backseat. I was squished between Percy and Nico. I turned to Nico.
"So, you're my brother, huh?" I asked nonchalantly. He looked pale and worn.
"Yeah. Guess so. How'd you get away from Luke?" he asked, now curious about me. My stomach twisted at Luke's name.
"Percy, Annabeth and them saved me. I didn't think I was going to make it. How'd you get out of your cuffs?" I nodded towards his wrists.
"I don't know. It just happened. I can't explain it." Nico folded his hands in his lap. "You're pretty cool. I like you."
"Aww. I'm touched." I placed a hand over my heart. Then I placed it on top of his hands. "Thank you. You gave me hope again. You saved my life just as much as Percy." I smiled at him.
'Pull off the highway! I saw something!" Rachel yelled to the driver. He pulled off the highway and Rachel directed him to a mining museum. She ran up to the padlock on an old mine shaft. Sure enough, there was the Greek letter 'L' on the lock. Percy touched it and the chains fell away. "And here we are."
We all walked inside and took directions from Rachel. She stopped short at the entrance to a tunnel. A slight breeze was coming from it. It smelled like…
"California. Eucalyptus." I pointed to the tunnel. "We're not going that way, right?" I asked.
"Nope." Rachel shuddered. "Not at all."
Percy took a step towards the tunnel. "I'm going to check it out."
"You can't!" Annabeth said.
"I can and I will." Percy took a backwards step towards the tunnel. "You can't stop me."
"Tell you what," I said. "I'll go with you. How about it?" I looked at Percy. He sighed and nodded. "Off we go."
We walked quickly but quietly down the tunnel. We came out on Mt. Othrys. This was the Titan palace thing. Percy gestured at me to follow. I didn't see why not so I followed. We came to a couple telekhines (did I mention I hate sea demons) and none other than Ethan Nakamura. I went for my sword, but Percy put a hand on my arm and shook his head. We turned our attention back towards the demons.
"It must be bathed in blood," one of the sea demon's said. He gestured to a six foot long scythe. The one that Kronos had used to chop up his dad. It was re-forged. My heart hardened. Percy and I snuck past them and approached a golden tomb in another room. Written on it in something that wasn't Greek was 'Kronos Lord of Time'. It was a language of magic.
I looked at Percy and shrugged. We grabbed the edge of the lid and pushed. It fell to the floor with a thud and I gasped. Inside was Luke! He had a small piece of his chest missing. He looked pretty dead. I poked his chest and it was cold.
I looked at Percy and said, "He didn't die. I would have known."
"Quick, hide!" he said and pulled me behind the casket. I heard the telekhines and Nakamura approaching. The telekhines said something about a pledge and Ethan knelt at the sarcophagus and pledged himself to Kronos. Dear god. When Ethan finished, Luke sat up in the coffin and opened his eyes. They weren't blue anymore. They were gold.