Take this Sinking Boat and Point it Home

I burst into the group of monsters and demigods panting and still bleeding. I looked for Kampê, which wasn't hard to do seeing as she was about as tall as the giants and half-human, half-dragon with hair like Medusa and large wings that drove back the monsters and demigods in this group several feet. Not to mention the odd monster belt-like thing happening around where her human half met her dragon half.

I tried to look outraged and shocked.

"What are you all doing, standing around?" I barked. "We're going into the Labyrinth right now and you're not even ready!" I gestured to a demigod who was readjusting the straps of his breastplate. "Oh, come on, now, you should've done that hours ago!"

Kampê came forward then, the group parting like the Red Sea for her. I tried not to back away or cringe as she got closer to me. I was afraid I wouldn't understand her in her ancient tongue, but the words seemed to translate for me magically.

On whose orders?

"On Kronos's, of course," I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest and rolling my eyes, despite how nervous I felt. I only had so much time before Kronos regained his senses and came here. Then I'd be done for. "I am still his second-in-command."

Kampê laughed, which sounded like a thousand knives on a chalkboard. I flinched.

You left before he could reform fully. You're lying.

I swallowed hard but didn't let my fear show as the monsters and demigods in the crowd shifted and readied their weapons.

"Wrong," I announced in the most arrogant voice I could muster considering the circumstances. "I have pledged myself to Kronos. I am still his second-in-command. And he told me that we are going into the Labyrinth now. That is, unless you'd like to question his orders—"

Kampê cut me off quickly.

So long as he has kept his word: I lead the invasion.

"Of course," I shrugged. "Better pull out the string and get it ready though, because when Kronos arrives, he's going to want to head straight into the Labyrinth."

Kampê seemed to think that was logical and I watched in horror as she held her hand out next to her monster belt. It morphed into a lion's head and out of its mouth came a glittering ball of thread. Just in time, too, because from the other side of the room burst forth a telekhine. Probably one of the ones I'd seen when Kronos fully reformed. The dog demon was panting and covered in dust. All eyes turned toward him, including Kampê's. Before he could say anything, I snatched the ball of thread from Kampê's hand and made a mad dash the way I'd come in.

Behind me I heard outraged cries and yells. Worst of all, Kampê's shriek of rage. I pushed myself, dodging projectiles as best I could and only just barely made it outside on the mountain. From there, I kept sprinting.

Throughout all this, I'd completely forgotten a small detail about the pervious jailor: she could fly. She landed right in front of me, blocking my path. Her two swords, dipped in poison were unsheathed. I came to a screeching halt, clutching the ball of thread to my chest, keeping my eyes on Kampê's swords.

Nice try, little half-blood.

I gripped Ariadne's string in my hand and glared up at her defiantly. That was the reason this had been such an insane plan. I hadn't thought it through entirely, so here I was facing my death because I'd forgotten this monster could fly. At least I would die actually doing something good. All this time I had been with Luke, watching him be used by Kronos without being able to do anything about it at all because I couldn't get myself to leave Luke that way. I had been, for the most part, a passive spectator, just sitting around and letting things happened.

Finally, I had a chance to do something right and good. Okay, so maybe I was going to die. But if I did, maybe Luke would have the strength to get rid of Kronos for good. I hadn't taken that small moment he'd come back lightly. He was still in there, very much alive. Of course, me dying wouldn't save my home like I'd thought, but at least I'd tried.

Home.

That seemed to do something to the ball of thread in my hand. It jerked away from me with such force I almost fell forward trying to keep my hold on it. Just as well, though, because as I did so one of Kampê's swords flew over my head. I managed to dodge as her other one came my way, the ball of thread still pulling me to the left.

Maybe the Fates liked me. Or hated me.

I skirted around Kampê's left leg, just out of reach of the snakes writhing and snapping at me. Kampê turned, hissing and swinging her swords. With my back to her, I had to listen for the whistle as her swords sliced through the air and move accordingly. After a few swipes she decided to fly up and block my path again. I feigned left and went right, but I had already wasted enough time. Behind her I could hear the roar of angry monsters and demigods who'd finally got their act together and understood what had happened.

That either meant Kronos had recovered too, or they were acting on their own spite. I preferred the latter and considering the fact that I was still moving in real time, I figured maybe he hadn't just yet gathered his bearings. No doubt, I was running out of time.

I continued running, following where the thread was pulling me. If I was going to make it to wherever the thread was taking me, however, I needed to disable Kampê for the time being.

I chanced a glance behind me and noticed the monsters shifting and sizzling around her waist. If she could put things in there, maybe I could too. Without breaking my stride, I reached down to grab my dagger from its sheath. I may not have been a knife thrower and this may not have been the proper knife for throwing, but it was in this moment I was really glad I was a daughter of Apollo because we had impeccable aim.

I looked back again. I had to time this just so. When her lion appeared I stopped running and fought the urge turn around, only watching her over my shoulder. Kampê came closer and the lion roared. I chose that moment to spin around with my arm outstretched, using my momentum to launch the dagger, tip facing the jailor, straight at that weird belt-like thing. It shot through the air like an arrow and lodged itself right in the lion's maw. Its roar cut off and Kampê shrieked.

It was a horrific sound, but I focused on home again and the thread pulled me further down the mountain. By this point, the army had nearly caught up. Spears and arrows whistled past me and I continued to run…straight into a wall of rock. I let out a gasp and groaned, coming to a stop, panting. I looked behind me. The roar of Kronos's army grew louder, but I couldn't see them. Yet. I looked back at the wall of rock before me, desperately trying to figure out why the thread had led me here.

Then I remembered how we'd gotten into the Labyrinth the first time and started searching the rocks for the mark of Daedalus. I found it, pressed my fingertips to it and it started to glow just as I heard a telekhine bark, "There!"

"Kill her!" a dracaena hissed.

The side of the mountain rumbled, small pebbles and rocks raining down on me as a small door started to slide open. I glanced back at the gaining monsters and narrowly missed being impaled by a spear. I looked back at my escape route that was now big enough for me to fit through. I turned and ducked inside. The door started to close again and I hoped beyond hope that it wouldn't let any monsters through. An arrow pierced my right shoulder and I stumbled, almost face-planting into the stone floor, but managed to keep upright.

I kept running, daring to look back. All I saw was darkness. I didn't hear any pursuing footsteps either or outraged yelling. Still, I wasn't going to risk it. I faced forward, thought of Camp Half-Blood and let the string guide me.

Now that I was actually in the Labyrinth a thin bronze thread had appeared, almost like a laser beam, coming from Ariadne's string. It also glowed, as Celestial bronze did, helping me see a bit better in the dim tunnels.

I didn't stop running until I turned a corner and almost got sliced in half by two giant axes from behind and in front of me that had swung from the wall simultaneously. I yelped and stopped as they swung back and forth, a few more in front of the one directly in front of me coming out of the wall as well.

As it was, the axes had cut off the tip and end of the arrow still lodged in my shoulder, reminding me it was there. I was tempted to take the shaft out but I was already bleeding, I didn't need to be bleeding even more.

I looked behind me. Still no signs of pursuit. I looked ahead, the golden thread unaffected by the axes, leading me forward and disappearing into darkness. The axes were swinging at different speeds and some went into the wall, disappearing completely, before coming back out again at an alarming speed.

Well, this was going to be fun.


I wasn't sure how long I'd traveled or how far I'd gone, but I was starting to feel breathless and a bit lightheaded. I'd ripped my shirt apart to bandage my wounds, to stem the bleeding, but I was also hungry and thirsty. Another reason why this plan had been insane. I hadn't prepared at all for going back into the Labyrinth.

Even so, if I died here, at least Kronos wouldn't have Ariadne's string. He wouldn't be able to invade Camp Half-Blood. That was my only consolation.

The ball of thread gave another tug when I thought of my home. I let out a half-sigh, half-groan and started forward again. The thread turned around a corner so I took it slow, having learned my lesson.

I was expecting another trap or possibly a monster. What I wasn't expecting was a familiar face.

I sucked in a sharp breath and veered back as he pulled his sword on me and brought the tip underneath my chin. I gripped the ball of thread to me and walked back as he pressed me, trying to fight the urge to unsheath my own sword.

"You double-crossed me!" he snapped, pressing the blade deeper into my throat. I breathed shallowly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I told him. He pressed his sword further.

"Do you take me for a fool, young demigod?" I didn't know where all this anger was coming from, but I tried to ignore the sword at my throat and met his eyes.

"I swear to you, I don't know what you're talking about," I told him in a solemn voice.

The pressure didn't let up. "What are you doing here?" he finally asked in a hard voice. His giant black hellhound was behind him and so was another monster I didn't recognize. His face morphed in a strange way that wasn't human. He also had at least 100 arms, sticking out from his chest, all around his body in rows. My eyes went back to Daedalus, who was waiting for an answer.

I flashed the ball of thread. "I stole this. I was taking it to Camp Half-Blood."

Daedalus seemed surprised. His blade finally pulled away from my neck, but he kept it up and pointed toward me.

"How do I know I can trust you?" he asked, gazing at me with eyes full of suspicion. "How do I know you're not leading Kronos's army?"

That was when I made the second most insane move of my life. I tossed the ball of thread at him. He grabbed it easily.

"Take it back," I told him. "I have no use for it." That was a lie.

Daedalus eyed me warily, looking up and down the corridors, as if waiting for the sound of an army. After a few moments of silence Daedalus looked back at me.

"It would seem the Fates are watching you closely," he commented darkly. "I was heading back to Camp Half-Blood as well."

I wanted to think it was coincidence, meeting him like that, but there were no such things as coincidences. Not in the life I lived. That also meant that the string was leading me in the wrong direction if we'd crashed into each other. I didn't think the string didn't work, so it must have been leading me to him for some reason. That's also when I realized it's why Daedalus had made that comment about the Fates. I wasn't sure I was comforted by this.

Daedalus studied the ball of thread.

"I'm assuming this means you have not pledged yourself to Kronos," he said, looking at me through the corners of his eyes. I looked away, remembering when I'd first seen him. His cold, golden eyes. That cruel smile. Luke…

"No," I replied, my voice a little ragged. I clenched my hands into fists and reigned in my emotions, looking back at Daedalus. "No, I haven't."

"Very well," Daedalus tossed the thread in the air. "Let us return to Camp Half-Blood, shall we?" He gave me a lopsided smile and caught the thread. For some reason, that made me want to smile. I almost felt better.

Almost.


I was introduced to Briars, the Hundred-Handed One. Daedalus told me what happened in his shop, how Kelli had come with King Minos and Nico and some other monsters to kill him. I told him I had no idea that Kronos had planned on double-crossing him.

He told me he was going back to camp help fight the army (which wasn't needed now) and also that he realized something else from talking with Annabeth—from one child of Athena to another. Much like me, he was going to correct a mistake. Much like Briars, too, I would learn.

Briars told me how he'd been held captive by Kampê, how he was rescued by Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson and how Tyson had helped him realize something.

It wouldn't be until later did I realize we didn't encounter any monsters and traps while we'd made our way through the Labyrinth. And I had to wonder if it was because it knew its creator well and didn't want to harm him. It made me kind of sad to think about that, too. That it had becoming this living thing that Daedalus had created. And now, he was going to destroy it.

We lapsed into silence for a while.

"Have you thought about what I said?" the old inventor asked suddenly. I looked up from the ground to see him looking at me.

I had to think about that for a long moment. There had been so many meetings with him before all this had transpired. I mean, I hadn't talked much one-on-one with him during those meetings, so that helped narrow it down.

"Oh, you mean telling the people back at camp why Luke…" I trailed off, unable to finish.

Daedalus looked forward. "Yes, that would be what I mean."

Had I thought about it? It had haunted me since he first brought it up. I was just so afraid of what they'd say. Or do. I didn't want to be rejected from my home. I'd have nowhere to go after that. Assuming the guilt didn't lead me to find a way to die and make it look like Kronos had been responsible. If Luke was still in there, surely my death would jolt him enough to consciousness. And he knew where his Achilles's heel was. Maybe if he struck that, Kronos would no longer be a problem?

"I don't know how I'd tell them," I finally said softly.

"Tell them the truth," Daedalus said. Yeah, easier said than done. "Tell them…the whole story, from start to finish."

"You really think that'd help?" I asked.

Daedalus shrugged. "With the gods, who really knows?" He looked at me with a small smile and winked. His eyes twinkled with a kind of mischief. And even though I wasn't too thrilled with his answer, his wink and smile made me smile.

A few paces more and we slowed to stop. The inventor stepped up to part of the wall and pressed his fingertip over small part of it. The mark of him glowed in the darkness and the rocks shifted and opened. I was hit with a blast of fresh air and saw a familiar forest through the small rectangle. I almost cried at the sight of blue skies. Light poured into the corridor.

I looked at Daedalus, who had stepped back. He handed me Ariadne's string again and motioned to the open doorway.

"After you," he said.


I looked back out the door, took a deep breath and marched outside into the sunlight. The tension in the clearing was thick, pulled taught like a bow's string. I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the sunlight and looked around the clearing. It was an impressive military operation, I had to admit. It wouldn't have been enough facing Kronos's army, but it was still impressive.

The whole camp was there, dressed in full battle armor. Surrounding Zeus's Fist were traps of razor wire, pits filled with—I assumed—Greek fire, rows of sharpened stick to deflect charge. Further out, there were two catapults about as big as pick-up trucks aimed at basically where I was standing currently. The Ares cabin was nearest to me, in a phalanx, shields locked. In the woods, scattered around were children of Apollo and Hermes with bows. Some were in trees. I even saw dryads with bows. Satyrs were with them, carrying wooden cudgels and shields made with rough tree bark.

Something flashed in the corner of my eye and I looked to see a grey banner with an owl, fluttering outside of a tent of the same color as the banner. I recognized the blond hair of the camp's security chief, Argus, standing at the door to the tent.

"Tori!" Percy called. I looked over just as he ran up to where the traps began. Clarisse yelled at him, but he ignored her, as usual. The green-eyed son of Poseidon stared at me in stunned disbelief. Chiron trotted up next to him. He wore his poker face, so I couldn't get a read on him.

"Daedalus!" a different voice called—Annabeth. I looked over my shoulder to see the old inventor emerge with Briars and Mrs. O'Leary. When I looked back at Percy, Annabeth, Tyson and Nico had joined him and Chiron.

"What—?" Percy started. I smiled and held up Ariadne's ball of thread before throwing it to him. He just barely managed to catch it.

The Hephaestus kids disabled some of the traps to create a path that Daedalus, Briars, Mrs. O'Leary, and I could get through to join the rest of the camp. The campers and satyrs and dryads all gathered around as we came through, wanting to hear how this had come about, but Chiron said, "I think it would be wise to gather the council and have a meeting."

"We can use the tent," Annabeth suggested. "Percy, gather the counselors. I'll go clear out the tent." Percy didn't seem to hear her at first, he was still staring at the ball of thread, but nodded after a moment and headed off.

I followed Chiron and Annabeth over to Athena's command tent. The kids who were inside shuffled out and Argus held the tent flap open for the war council, letting it flutter closed when we were all through.

Inside was a large, square table with a map (covering the whole table top) of the clearing and markers for where the traps were, the catapults, the other campers. Pencils and a compass laid over in a corner of the map. The counselors (Katie, Castor, Clarisse, Silena, Travis and Connor, Beckendorf, Lee, and of course, Annabeth and Percy), me, Chiron, Grover, Tyson, Daedalus, Briars and Nico gathered around the table. Mrs. O'Leary had to stay outside.

"Why don't we start from the beginning?" Chiron suggested as Percy, who was standing across from me, set the ball of thread on the table.

So I told them what had happened, beginning from when Kronos had risen. Daedalus interjected once to tell them why he had shown up, and then I finished my story, how we'd traveled here together.

"So…there's not going to be an invasion, then?" Clarisse asked. Her eyes were locked on me, glaring. Then again, so were just about everyone else's. I couldn't blame them.

"No," I replied.

"However," Daedalus said. "Even without the string, I have no doubt they will find a way here eventually."

I almost sagged with defeat. All that, only to have someone tell me—the creator of the Labyrinth, no less—that what I'd done had only just delayed Kronos's army.

"We have the string," Annabeth commented. "Someone could…go back in and lure the army back into the Labyrinth."

"And then, Nico, here, can take my soul," Deadalus put in, meeting Annabeth's eyes, on the same page as her. "That should delay the titan for a while. And it won't allow him use of the Labyrinth ever again."

"Wait, time out," Conner said, holding up his hands. "Who's going to go back in?"

There was an uncomfortable pause as people exchanged glances.

And that's when I made the third most insane decision of my life.

"I will," I said. "I'll go back in."

"What?" Percy asked, incredulously.

"Well, it doesn't look like anyone else wants to go in," I explained. "I've got nothing to lose. I'm the one who stole the string in the first place. If they see me, taunting them, they'll follow me even if Kronos realizes it's a trap."

"You'll be crushed, too, then." Percy objected. I glared at him over the table.

"I don't care," I snapped. "I don't think anyone else here really cares, either."

"Now, Tori…" Chiron started.

"Look," I interrupted, looking down at the table. "I'll go back in. I'm willing to make the sacrifice. What more is there to say?"

"There's got to be another way," Percy said. "At least, a way that you make it out of this."

"Why are you so keen on saving my life?" I questioned.

"Because you proved to me that you're on our side." he replied. "Not with the string, though, I have to admit that was brave. It was when you defied Kronos. You could've given in and pledged yourself to him, but you didn't." I had a feeling he was saying this more for the counsel to hear than for me to.

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Neither was anyone else.

"How are we even supposed to know that you've made it," Percy continued, realizing that no one was going to say anything else. "Time works differently in the maze, right? So how would we even know you're in there? How would we know if you managed to get Kronos's army in there?"

"He's right," Beckendorf said. He had his massive arms crossed over his chest and was staring intently at the map of the clearing. "It's too dark down there for an Iris Message. Even if we could use phones, I don't know that the Labyrinth gets great service."

"Lead them back here, then," Annabeth said. She got some looks and some started objecting but she held up her hands for silence. "It's not the greatest option, but it's better than guessing. We're already set up here for an attack. If we can seal the entrance before too many of them get through, then Nico can take Daedalus's soul. The Labyrinth will collapse on the army and whatever's left aboveground we'll handle. Tori should be able to make it out"—she spit this through her teeth, glaring at Percy—"and it'd be safer than releasing Kampê and a bunch of other monsters on innocent people."

"All right," Percy said, apparently oblivious to Annabeth's anger. "If that's settled, then I'm going with Tori."

"No!" Both Annabeth and I exclaimed simultaneously.

"You're going to be needed here," I said quieter. "I can do this on my own."

Percy scoffed. "You're bleeding from both arms and you've got an arrow sticking out of your shoulder. You're in no condition to be going at all."

I put my hands on my hips and shifted from foot to foot, rolling my eyes. Why did this kid have to be so stubborn? I glanced at Annabeth and saw her silently fuming. Stubborn and oblivious.

"Well, I'm sure with a little ambrosia and nectar I'll be fine." I rebutted.

"I can take care of that," Lee said, going over to the door, sticking his head out and calling over Will Solace. Percy and I had a stare-off.

"I still think someone should go with you," Percy finally said.

"Why don't we vote," I told him, as Lee returned with Will, who was holding a baggie of ambrosia and a canteen of nectar, as well as a first aid kit. As he set the things down on the table and started unwrapping my makeshift bandages from my arms I said, "I go alone. All in favor?" Slowly hands among the counselors raised. Percy's expression became more and more incredulous as more and more hands went up.

"All right—" I broke off and winced, forcing back a scream when Will decided at that point to pull out the shaft of the arrow from my shoulder. "…majority rules. I go alone." I looked at Percy. "You stay here to help when I bring the army."

"There's still no guarantee that this will work," Percy objected. I could almost hear the desperation in his voice. I thought it odd how much he cared about my life. I mean, we had such a complicated relationship and yet he still chose to help me. Why? "We can't wait out here twenty/four seven in hopes she'll come out. What if you got caught by Kronos? What then?"

"It's already been settled, Percy—" Annabeth started, but I cut her off, glaring coldly at Percy.

"Twenty-four hours," I said. "Give me twenty-four hours. At this time tomorrow, if I don't show up with the army, collapse the Labyrinth. If Kronos captures me and gets the string back, he won't be able to use it. If I hadn't managed to go back in time, no one gets the string or can use the Labyrinth. Best case scenario, I get a good chuck of his army into the Labyrinth and it collapses on top of us. No one gets the string, no one can use the Labyrinth, and you've taken care of a majority of the titan's army."

For once, Percy had nothing to say, but he looked pretty angry about all of it—the decision, my explanation. Will offered me a piece of ambrosia and I gratefully took it. It tasted like my mom's virgin piña colada cupcakes.

"I would like a new shirt, dagger and a bow and quiver of arrows, if that's not too much to ask." I said, moving on, and rolling my shoulder. It was a little stiff, but the wounds on my arms had disappeared and my shoulder would loosen up with a little more stretching and exercise. "Thanks, Will." I told him as he headed toward the door. Will nodded and quickly ducked out of the tent.

"Of course," Chiron said quietly.

I left the tent and started over to Zeus's Fist. Percy caught my arm half-way there.

"You can't do this. This is insane," he said.

"It's already been decided, I'm going. By myself." I pulled my arm out of his grasp as one of the Aphrodite campers handed me a new Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. I started swapping it out with my old one, having learned a trick from my brother on how to change shirts without actually taking the one I was wearing right now off in the traditional sense that would show way more skin than I was comfortable with. At this point, people seeing my scars was the least of my worries.

"Tori—" Percy tried again.

"I don't belong here," I snapped, pausing as an Ares camber handed me another dagger. "I'm not welcome here, Percy." I continued after they'd headed off. "I left camp at its hour of need. What do you think that tells them?"

Will approached with a small knapsack, and a bow and quiver of arrows. I threw the quiver and bow over my shoulder before taking the sack.

"It's got some extra ambrosia, a small canteen of nectar and some bandages if you need them. Um, I got some of the kids from the Demeter cabin to put some granola bars in there. Pollux also put some juice boxes and a water bottle in there, too." Will explained.

"Thank you," I said again, feeling a bit stunned. I hadn't expected that.

Will gave me an awkward smile before going off again.

"So did I," Percy said, bringing me back to our conversation.

"But you saved the camp." I started toward Zeus's Fist again. "I became a prisoner on Luke's ship. And then I became the person who let this happened, who let Luke…" I remembered he didn't know all that stuff and trailed off. "I have to do this. I have to at least try to make things right. I'm tired sitting and watching things happen, letting them happen. No more of that." I stopped at the entrance and looked around at all the campers, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. I tried not to think of the worst when I didn't see Dan. "Besides no one here is going to miss me. No one cares."

Percy caught my gaze. "I do."

I looked away and shifted uncomfortably. "I appreciate your concern, Percy, but you'll be needed here. Hopefully the entrance will close when I come out, there's no guarantee. Kampê's powerful and angry. It's not a good combination. Just be ready." I held out my hand for Ariadne's string.

Glaring at me, not breaking eye contact, he put the ball of thread in my hand with some force behind it. I stifled an eye roll. Without another word he went back through the trail of disarmed traps. I turned toward Zeus's Fist and looked for the mark of Daedalus. I brushed my fingers against and as the rock slid open, I glanced back. A Hephaestus kid was resetting the traps. I took in the woods, the fresh air, the blue sky, and then plunged back into darkness.


Because I feel bad about keeping you guys waiting so much, here's the next chapter! (This was the part I'd already written.) The next one won't be as quick because I haven't written any of it yet, but it shouldn't take too long. (No promises or guarantees because we all know how those end up.) But, I'll try my best to get the next chapter to you in a few days. I may even start on a posting schedule…who knows? (It is a mystery.)

As always I hope you enjoyed.

Title taken from "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard.

Thank you for reading,
TheBrightestNight