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Chapter 10

Everything unfolded very fast. Piper unsheathed Katoptris and at the same time yelled "Go back! Go BACK!" at the top of her voice, and the centaur closest to her did – he stumbled backwards, only to meet Dakota's sword.

"Go back!" she said again and this time, her spell was so strong, the centaurs started murmuring "Okay, we're going, we're going…" and started stumbling backwards.

"You idiots!" Ixion roared and added some chosen words in Greek. "You let this stupid girl fool you… Break it! Break it now!"

By now, Leo was running toward the clearing but Bobby stopped him. "No," he said hurriedly, "we'll take care of them. Your job is to take the casket. Destroy it if you can," he added, although he knew that was impossible.

"But Piper…" Leo started.

"Kota will take care of her," Bobby assured him and led him around. As usual, his father's presence became stronger, guiding him down paths that were best for spying. "See? He got her back." And Dakota did, fighting the centaurs off at the best of his ability, so Piper could focus her entire attention on Ixion.

"He didn't say he'd take yours," Leo pointed out.

"Yes but I think he promised," Bobby said simply. "Dakota might not like you Greeks but once his word has been given, he'd keep it."

"He promised Jason?" Leo wanted to know and felt profound relief when he realized he wasn't sinking anymore. It was as if the event that was taking place here was draining Gaea out of energy, focusing it all on the clearing and the casket. Leo was glad to see it.

"Don't worry about anything," Bobby said. "Just focus on the casket. There's no need to look over your shoulder for enemies. We'll keep them at bay. Do you understand?"

Strangely enough, Leo did. That was what Romans did, after all: they fought in pairs and everyone relied on their partner to have their back. He could only hope these two could rise to the challenge.

He willed a hand-saw out of his belt. Bobby unsheathed his sword, Vengeance. He looked at the Greek boy. "Are you ready?"

No, Leo wanted to scream. He didn't want to be here. He should have run away before they boarded Argo II. In fact, he should have run away before he started building it.

"Of course." He grinned widely. "As fresh as a radish, I am."

"Very well."

Bobby gripped the hilt of his sword so tight his knuckles went white. For a moment, he was silent, maybe praying to his dad. Leo certainly prayed to his own before following the other boy who burst in the clearing yelling, "For Rome!"

Now he saw the whole picture clearly and did not like it at all. Piper and Dakota were standing back to back, fighting back the centaurs. Only fighting them back. Where the hell had these guys come from? There were at least three more than what Leo had thought initially! Piper was charmspeaking them but her spells lasted too briefly and there were always horse guys who were in the periphery of her vision so they did not succumb. Dakota was fighting four of them at the same time. Leo had never seen anyone so apt with sword. It was as if the centaurs were vying to host his blade! Still, he could not make full use of it because he was limited in his scope. He and Piper needed to stay back to back. If they let a centaur break them up, they were both dead. The centaurs would bury their blades in the demigods' backs.

Ixion paid no attention to the battle: he was stoking the fire on his wheel and under the casket that had grown considerably taller. With nauseating feeling in his belly, Leo realized that the thing's tie to Gaea was already probably stronger for him to severe. And still, he had to try.

Ixion, however, did pay attention to Bobby's arrival: while Bobby was running to intercept the centaurs' way, he ran to intercept his, leaving the casket unprotected. Leo dashed for it, squatted and tried to cut it from the bed. It was as solid as he expected.

"So they did send someone after all," Ixion said slowly, almost lazily and the sword that appeared miraculously in his hand met Vengeance. "And Greeks and Romans together, at that. Why, I thought I'd never see such a thing… last pair of your kind I saw a few days ago was not on the friendliest of terms. I think she actually dragged him away holding him at swordpoint."

Julia… he must mean Julia and Michael Yew. Bobby chased this thought away. He should pay no mind to whatever Ixion was telling him. He was just trying to distract him.

"Well, we're here," he said. "And we will leave, unlike you. I hope you made a better use of your time than just starting a fire, villain, because you won't have another chance. It saddens me to say so but you're going back to Tartarus."

Holy Mercury, but this guy was good! He was probably the best swordsman Bobby had ever encountered and that counted for something, coming from the mouth of a demigod who had played an active part in the second Titan war. His strikes were economical and efficient; he was quicker than Dakota, the fastest swordsman Bobby had ever seen. And his muscled body held some great strength.

Ixion also felt his advantage. He laughed. "Did you really think you could best me, young demigod? What made you little band come here? Did you think you could stop us here, at this sacred place?"

Bobby deflected the strike of Ixion's blade and answered with a quick counterattack that seemed to surprise the ancient murdered. "Why not?" he asked. "Why shouldn't we stop you like any other? We stopped the Titans."

He managed to slash his rival's arm which surprised them both. Something made him add, "With Lady Juno's blessing, we can stop anyone."

Ixion roared with anger and his strikes started falling like a storm.

"What's this?" someone suddenly shouted. "What is he doing?"

A centaur started trotting towards Leo who, until now, had managed to stay out of everyone's radar. Still, he did not stop his work, even to defend himself. A white gleam flashed through the air and hit the centaur with deadly accuracy. He fell sprawled on the ground and his brethren, with furious roars, ganged on Dakota who was left with no means to defend himself. His sword, a magical gift from his father, was flying back towards him but the centaurs were quicker. A red gash bloomed into his left cheek.

"Step back!" Piper screamed and the centaur closest to Dakota hesitated for a moment – a moment too long. The next moment, Dakota was already holding his sword and fighting back. Piper drew her arm back and left Katoptris into a flank that happened to be nearby, then screamed when a centaur suddenly grabbed for her and took a hold of her long braid. He started pulling her towards him, holding her for her own hair. Piper scrambled blindly for he knife but it was nowhere near. She could already smell the centaur's breath – it was not as foul as she had imagined, he had obviously eaten clovers recently. The next moment, Dakota's blade cut her braid off and got her free.

Leo was getting more desperate every minute. The bloody thing just wouldn't budge. He could swear he could feel the giant's body actually forming under his saw. He would not stop it. He couldn't. He pressed all his weight over the hand-saw but that made no difference at all. How could he cut stone?

Wait! Was that a yielding that he felt? No, just wishful thinking. The bloody heap just kept growing.

One of the centaurs sent an arrow at him but Bobby ran to stand in its way, raised a hand to catch it and it landed into his fist, cutting flesh. He cursed and turned around to renew his fight with Ixion but he was no longer there. For a moment, everyone's head had been turned to see whether the arrow would reach its target. That was the moment Ixion broke through Piper and Dakota's defence, catching them unprepared and making use of his sheer weight. They fell off on his either side and without losing time, he grabbed the nearest one – Dakota – and dragged him towards the fiery wheel. Piper shrieked, "Release him!" but the remaining centaurs all started yelling and roaring so the noise they made drowned her voice.

Bobby made a quick assessment of the situation. So, what did they have? Leo who had a task of his own; a powerless Charmspeaker who was very good at throwing swords; and he, of course – a disabled fighter with an useless sword hand. Against a horde of centaurs and their damned master.

In short, things were not looking good. If they didn't do something, not only Mimas would rise but they would lose Kota, as well. Ixion no longer paid attention to Bobby, having deemed him – rightly – harmless now. With a sinking feeling, Bobby saw his friend being tied to the fiery wheel.

It smells like pork, was the only thing he could think. Human flesh smells like roasted meat. Then, the awful moment of paralysis passed and he ran to Piper who was already surrounded by centaurs. He broke in when the circle was already closing, grabbed her by the hand and started running at the surrounding forest.

"What are you doing?" she screamed in shrilly voice and tried to get free. "Don't you see what they are doing to them?"

He did not see but he could smell it anyway. To help Kota and Leo, they needed something more powerful than what they had handy. He sent a brief prayer to his dad and it was no surprise when Mercury did not answer. Gods wouldn't – or couldn't – get involved here.

"What are you doing?" Piper shrieked again, fighting him with all her might. "Get back, get back! They are all there!"

"Be quiet!" he snapped. It was time for Plan B. He took a deep breath and his good hand dug the amulet out of his pocket. For a brief moment, he hesitated and then shouted at the top of his voice, "Malachiter! Mistress of the Copper Mountain, gracious lady, come to us!"

Piper gaped at him, so shocked that she forgot to struggle. "What are you…" she started and then fell silent at the sight of the woman who had appeared in front of them.

She was not young but her face clearly showed signs of beauty – great but dim and faded. She wore her blue-black hair in a shining braid, her eyes were lively, her skin perfect. She was tall and slim and yet it was as if a veil of mist had fallen over her, exhausting her stunning looks. Piper's eyes were drawn to the gown she was wearing. A daughter of Aphrodite, even as unlikely one as her, could never pass such a fine texture. It looked as soft as silk and it shone in all shades of green. Piper almost held out a hand to touch it.

"What do you want from me, Bobby Ringling?" the woman asked in musical voice, touched by strange accent.

"The giants are rising," the Roman boy said.

"I am aware of that," she interrupted.

"They will destroy the earth and everything on it."

"My realm was already destroyed." Her voice was cold.

Piper was trying to look through the branches of the trees and see what was going on in the clearing. Was Leo still alive? Was Dakota? She was sure Mimas had not risen yet. They would have known if he had.

"You have other realms, too," Bobby said. "I know there was a great injustice done to you, Lady, and I am sorry. But I am sure you don't want everything – the earth, the gods and the people – do die."

"What do I care about gods and people? They were never good to me, now, were they?" she asked in a voice that indicated that she was struggling with herself and her better intentions.

"Please, Lady," Bobby begged. "Help us. Just this once."

For a moment, she stared in his eyes. "You know the price, though, don't you? Are you ready to pay it?"

He nodded. "I am."

She smiled. "Very well, then," she said and headed for the clearing.

Piper grabbed Bobby's hand. He winced and she realized it was his injured hand. She let go and grabbed the other.

"What is she going to do?" she demanded while they were running back, following the woman. "Who is she? Where did she come from?"

"Hurry up!" Bobby snapped and they emerged from between the trees just when the woman snapped her fingers and all the centaurs fell on the ground.

"Hey lady," Leo screamed, fighting to scramble out from under one of them, "how did you…"

He managed to get up and immediately grabbed his saw again, renewing his useless battle with the casket.

"Who are you?" Ixion asked loudly but there was detectable fear in his voice. "How dare you…"

She glared at him. "How dare you to come to my place for your vile plans?"

She raised her hand. He ran for her, his sword ready, but she merely clicked her tongue. "You poor fool," she said. "Did you really think you could match your force with mine?"

She snapped her fingers and everything sank in the earth – Ixion, the fire, the fiery wheel. Dakota fell on the ground with a thud, his clothes, skin and hair still smoking. The casket shook, rising yet again. Still, it was visibly more unstable. Leo drew back, then he ran at the heap and with all his might, he slammed his hand-saw in the base of the evil that was ready to escape.

For a moment, he could feel the resistance gathering against his muscled hands. And then the casket sank in the ground. Just like that. Leo lost his balance and fell flat on his face but rose quickly and started dusting himself – he had no desire to accommodate any residual giant dust, thank you very much.

Bobby ran to Dakota and sank to his knees in front of him. Frantically, he checked his unconscious friend's breath.

"He lives," the woman said and came closer. Piper and Leo followed.

"Is he going to be okay?" Bobby asked.

"It is no concern of mine." She shrugged. "And it is no concern of yours either. Not any more."

Now, when she was looking at the woman, Piper realized that her magnificent gown was made of no silk. It was made of stone, as bizarre as it looked. It was no less bizarre that it was as bright as a day, although it was night and the fire had gone out.

"Thank you," she said. "I don't know…"

"You know nothing, Piper McLean," the woman said and smiled. "And you don't need to. A deal is a deal," she added and turned to Bobby. "Are you ready now?"

He was pale but he nodded firmly. "Get Kota back at camp," he said to Piper and Leo. "You can do it, I know. And tell Gwen… tell her that I am sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Piper asked but there was no answer. Bobby and the woman had disappeared.

"Holy Haephaestus," Leo murmured. "Who was she? What was that whole thing?"

"I have no idea," Piper admitted and shivered. "They just… disappeared."

It was dark now, as it should be. There was no movement around, just the leaves whispering. Everything was as it should be – excluding the motionless boy at their feet and the other boy who was supposed to be here and wasn't. Leo lit a torch and they knelt at Dakota's side. His breathing was laboured but it was there; maybe it was better that they couldn't see his face for now. The smell of his burned flesh was bad enough; they were afraid to see what had happened to his skin.

"We must go," Leo finally said and started hoisting the Roman boy up.

"Wait!" Piper suddenly cried and bent to retrieve a piece of paper. In the light of the torch, she started reading slowly aloud the faded words obviously written by a child's hand. "I, Robert Ringling, thanks ever so much to the Mistress of the Copper Mountain for her hospitality; for her kind hospitality I pledge my life to her."

The note shook in Piper's hands. "I pledge my life to her," she repeated.

They stared at each other. "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain?" Leo finally asked. "What does that even mean?"

"I have no idea," Piper said. "But I guess it has something to do with this thing," she spat and looked disdainfully at the small stone that the paper had been wrapped in, Bobby's talisman. "I think we'd better go," she said and looked at Dakota who was still unconscious. "I think he can't wait."

They took Dakota between them and headed downward, supporting his weight, to take the long way back to camp.

A. N. The Mistress of the Copper Mountain was a patron of the mine-diggers who worked in Ural Mountain to find the most valuable malachite in the world. She is a character in quite a few stories told by the great Pavel Bajov and especially his wonderful book The Malachite Casket.