Act I — To The World Of Skies
Part XVI — Ancestors, hear my plea, help me not to make a fool of me and to not uproot my family tree.
The view from the mountain was pretty amazing.
"That's Concord," Lena said, pointing to the north. "Walnut Creek below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way..." She pointed west, where a ridge of golden hills held back a layer of fog, like the rim of a bowl. "That's the Berkeley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Francisco."
"Lena?" Piper touched her arm. "You remember something? You've been here?"
"Yes… no." Lena gave her an anguished look. "Sounds important in my head. I don't know why."
"That's Titan land." Coach Hedge nodded toward the west. "Bad place, Grace. Trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco as we want to get."
Leo tried to move his foot, but his heels were now completely embedded in the dirt. "Hey, guys," he said. "Let's keep moving."
The others noticed the problem.
"Gaea is stronger here," Hedge grumbled. He popped his hooves free from his shoes, then handed the shoes to Leo. "Keep those for me, Valdez. They're nice."
Leo snorted. "Yes, sir, Coach. Would you like them polished?"
"That's varsity thinking, Valdez." Hedge nodded approvingly. "But first, we'd better hike up this mountain while we still can."
"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked.
Lena pointed toward the peak. Drifting across the summit was a plume of smoke. From a distance, Leo had thought it was a cloud, but it wasn't. Something was burning. "Smoke equals fire," she said. "We'd better hurry."
Climbing a mountain when the earth was trying to swallow his feet was hard. In no time, Leo had rolled up the sleeves on his collarless shirt, even though the wind was cold and sharp. By the time they neared the crest of the mountain, Leo was the most fashionably dressed sweaty, dirty hero ever. Finally Lena crouched behind a wall of rock. She gestured for the others to do the same. Leo crawled up next to her. Piper had to pull Coach Hedge down.
"I don't want to get my outfit dirty!" Hedge complained.
"Shhh!" Piper said.
Reluctantly, the satyr knelt.
Just over the ridge where they were hiding, in the shadow of the mountain's final crest, was a forested depression about the size of a football field, where the giant Enceladus had set up camp. The giant Enceladus was so large, so horrible, Leo didn't want to look at him. He was thirty feet tall—his skin was bronze but sooty with ash. His face was crudely shaped and his eyes glowed white, and his hair was matted in shaggy dreadlocks down to his shoulders, braided with bones. His legs were scaly green, with claws instead of feet—like the forelegs of a dragon. In his hand, Enceladus held a spear the size of a flagpole.
"Okay," Coach Hedge whispered. "Here's the plan—"
Leo elbowed him. "You're not charging him alone!"
"Aw, c'mon."
Piper choked back a sob. "Look." Just visible on the other side of the bonfire was a man tied to a post. His head slumped like he was unconscious. "Dad," she said.
"There's four of us," Hedge whispered urgently. "And only one of him."
"Did you miss the fact that he's thirty feet tall?" Leo asked.
"Okay," Hedge said. "So you, me, and Grace distract him. McLean sneaks around and frees her dad."
They all looked at Lena. "What?" she asked. "I'm not the leader."
"Yes," Piper said. "You are."
They'd never really talked about it, but no one disagreed, not even Hedge.
Lena sighed, looking completely miserable with the idea. "Uh… I guess Coach Hedge is right. A distraction is Piper's best chance."
"Then let's boogie," Leo said. "Before I come to my senses."
Piper scrambled along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while Leo, Lena, and Coach Hedge walked straight into the clearing. Lena summoned her golden lance. She brandished it over her head and yelled, "Giant!" It sounded pretty good, much more confident than Leo had expected it to be.
Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger. "Well," the giant rumbled. "You're late for dinner."
Leo didn't like his tone.
Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—"
"Coach," Lena said. "Language."
Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."
"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned at Leo. "I don't think that was a compliment."
Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow.
"Scatter!" Leo yelled.
Lena and Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire—a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous. Leo ran to the right, heading for a tree harvester. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lena rise and charge the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too. However, before they could get very far, Enceladus slammed his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shook.
The shockwave sent Leo sprawling. He blinked, momentarily stunned. He saw Lena staggering to her feet on the other side of the clearing. Coach Hedge was knocked out cold.
The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean!" He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes to Leo's right. Piper ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her. Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"
Leo's gut twisted. The giant must've read Leo's expression, because he laughed even louder.
"That's right, son of Hephaestus. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star? Swear your loyalty to me, and we have no problem. Only these others must die."
Piper drew her dagger. She looked back and forth between Leo and her dad.
"He'll kill you," Leo warned. "Don't trust him!"
"Oh, come now," Enceladus bellowed. "You know I was born to fight Athena herself? Mother Gaea made each of us giants with a specific purpose, designed to fight and destroy a particular god. I was Athena's nemesis, the anti-Athena, you might say. Compared to some of my brethren—I am small! But I am clever. And I keep my bargain with you, Piper McLean. It's part of my plan!"
Lena had her lance ready.
"You see, Piper, you have a choice," continued Enceladus. "Save your father, or ah, try to save your friends and face certain death."
Piper stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with such rage, even the Earthborn backed away. She radiated power and beauty, but it had nothing to do with her clothes or her makeup. "You will not take the people I love," she said savagely. "None of them." Her words rippled across the clearing with such force some flowers bloomed in the trees.
Lena charged Enceladus, while Piper and Leo rushed to her father. The battle had started well enough. Lena's instincts kicked in, and she rolled away from the giant's first spear thrust and jabbed Enceladus in the ankle. Her javelin managed to pierce the thick dragon hide, and golden ichor—the blood of immortals—trickled down the giant's clawed foot. Enceladus bellowed in pain and blasted her with fire. Lena scrambled away, rolling behind the giant, and struck again behind his knee.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Leo and Piper at the stake, cutting her father free. Coach Hedge was still heroically passed out with his goat tail sticking up in the air.
Enceladus's spear missed her by a millimeter. Lena kept dodging, but the ground stuck to her feet. Gaea was getting stronger, and the giant was getting faster. Enceladus might be slow, but he wasn't dumb. "I'm not some minor monster," Enceladus bellowed. "I am a giant, born to destroy gods! Your little gold toothpick can't kill me, girl."
Lena didn't waste energy replying. She was already tired. The ground clung to her feet, making her feel like she weighed an extra hundred pounds. Leo cut Tristan McLean free and Piper caught him in her arms, then dragged her father below the ridge. Lena raised her javelin to block the giant's next strike—a big mistake. She managed to deflect the spear, but it grazed her shoulder, and her arm went numb. She backed up, trying to lure the giant to the edge of the clearing.
Enceladus could sense her weariness. "The mighty Lena Grace," he taunted. "Yes, we know about you, child of sky and storm. The one who led the assault on Mount Othrys. The one who single-handedly slew the Titan Krios and toppled the black throne."
Lena's mind reeled. There was an overwhelming wave of memories flooding her brain, so fast and messy she almost passed out. Lena took a deep breath and charged. Enceladus let her approach, grinning with anticipation. At the last second, Lena faked a strike and rolled between the giant's legs. She came up quickly, thrusting with all her might, ready to stab the giant in the small of his back, but Enceladus anticipated the trick. He stepped aside with too much speed and agility for a giant, as if the earth were helping him move. He swept his spear sideways, met Lena's javelin—and with a snap like a shotgun blast, the golden weapon shattered.
The force knocked Lena off her feet and squeezed the breath out of her.
When she regained her focus, she was sitting at the rim of a crater. Enceladus stood at the other side, staggering and confused. The javelin's destruction had released so much energy, it had blasted a perfect cone-shaped pit thirty feet deep. Lena wasn't sure how she'd survived. She was out of energy. She had no weapon. And Enceladus was still very much alive.
Lena tried to get up, but her legs were like lead. Enceladus blinked at the destruction, then laughed. "Impressive! Unfortunately, that was your last trick, demigod." Enceladus leaped the crater in a single bound, planting his feet on either side of Lena. The giant raised his spear, its tip hovering six feet over her chest. "And now," Enceladus said, "my first sacrifice to Gaea!"
Then Leo's voice yelled, "Heads up!"
A large black metal wedge slammed into Enceladus with a massive thunk! The giant toppled over and slid into the pit.
"Lena, get up!" Piper called. Her voice energized Lena, shook her out of her stupor. She sat up, her head groggy, while Piper grabbed her under her arms and hauled her to her feet. "Don't die on me," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am." Lena felt light-headed, but Piper was about the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Her hair was smoldering. Her face was smudged with soot. She had a cut on her arm, her dress was torn, and she was missing a boot. Beautiful. At that moment, Lena just wanted to look at her and be with her forever. The realization hit her and suddenly she was sure—she was in love.
About a hundred feet behind her, Leo was standing over a piece of construction equipment—a long cannon like thing with a single massive piston, the edge broken clean off. Enceladus was struggling to rise, an ax blade the size of a washing machine stuck in his breastplate. Amazingly, the giant managed to pull the ax blade free. He yelled in pain and the mountain trembled. Enceladus stood. "Good try," he winced. "But I cannot be beaten."
Leo ran up to the girls. "What is it with this guy? Die, already!"
"My fate is preordained," Enceladus said. "Giants cannot be killed by gods or heroes."
"Only by both," Lena said forcing herself to look away from Piper. The giant's smile faltered, and Lena saw in his eyes something like fear. "It's true, isn't it? Gods and demigods have to work together to kill you."
"You will not live long enough to try!" The giant started stumbling up the crater's slope, slipping on the glassy sides.
"Anyone have a god handy?" Leo asked.
Lena's heart filled with dread. She looked at the giant below them, struggling to get out of the pit, and she knew what had to happen. "Leo, if you've got a rope in that tool belt, get it ready." She leaped at the giant with no weapon but her bare hands.
"Enceladus!" Piper yelled. "Look behind you!"
It was an obvious trick, but her voice was so compelling, even Lena bought it. The giant said, "What?" and turned like there was an enormous spider on his back. Lena tackled his legs at just the right moment. The giant lost his balance. Enceladus slammed into the crater and slid to the bottom. While he tried to rise, Lena put her arms around the giant's neck. When Enceladus struggled to his feet, Lena was riding his shoulders. "Get off!" Enceladus screamed. He tried to grab Lena's legs, but she scrambled around, squirming and climbing over the giant's hair.
Father, she thought. If I've ever done anything good, anything you approved of, help me now. I offer my own life—just save my friends.
Suddenly she could smell the metallic scent of a storm. Darkness swallowed the sun. Lena yelled to her friends, "Hit the deck!"
Lightning surged through her body, straight through Enceladus, and into the ground. The giant's back stiffened, and Lena was thrown clear. When she regained her bearings, she was slipping down the side of the crater, and the crater was cracking open. The lightning bolt had split the mountain itself. The earth rumbled and tore apart, and Enceladus's legs slid into the chasm. He clawed helplessly at the glassy sides of the pit but fell into the crevice.
The earth shook and Lena fell toward the rift.
"Grab hold!" Leo yelled.
Lena's feet were at the edge of the chasm when she grabbed the rope, and Leo and Piper pulled her up. They stood together, exhausted and terrified, as the chasm closed like an angry mouth. The ground stopped pulling at their feet. The mountainside was on fire. Smoke billowed hundreds of feet into the air. But the only thing they could do was stare at each other, amazed.
Coach Hedge started to move. He sat up with a groan and rubbed his head. He blinked and looked around him at the battle scene. "Did I do this?" Before Lena could reply, Hedge picked up his club and got shakily to his feet. "Yeah, you wanted some hoof? I gave you some hoof, cupcakes! Who's the goat, huh?"
Leo cracked a smile, and Lena couldn't help it—she started to laugh.
Borrowing the helicopter was easy. Piper needed only a few words through Leo's improvised bullhorn to convince the pilot to land on the mountain. The Park Service copter was big enough for medical evacuations or search and rescue, and when Piper told the very nice ranger pilot lady that it would be a great idea to fly them to the Oakland Airport, she readily agreed. Air traffic control didn't want to let an unscheduled helicopter land at the Oakland Airport—until Piper got on the radio. Then it turned out to be no problem. They unloaded on the tarmac, and everyone looked at Piper.
"What now?" Lena asked her.
She felt uncomfortable. "First thing," she said. "I—I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."
Their faces fell as they glanced to the unconscious movie star.
"Oh," Leo said. "I mean, absolutely. He needs you right now. We can take it from here."
"I'll take care of him," said Coach Hedge.
Piper stared at him. "You?" she asked.
"I'm a protector," Gleeson said. "That's my job, not fighting." He sounded a little crestfallen at first, but then Hedge straightened, and set his jaw. "Of course, I'm good at fighting, too." He glared at them all, daring them to argue.
"You are," Lena said.
"Terrifying," Leo agreed.
The coach grunted. "But I'm a protector, and I can do this. You need to carry on with the quest, McLean."
"But..." Piper's eyes stung. She knelt beside him and held him. He felt frail. She took out the vial from her pocket. "Aphrodite gave me this, for him," she told the coach. "Make him drink it. It'll make him forget. It'll make it like none of this ever happened." She gazed at him thankful he wasn't awake; it would've made things a hundred times worse. "Maybe someday we'll be ready to talk about this. Until then… I love you, Dad."
The satyr was strong enough to hold Tristan McLean. Piper checked her dad's pocket, and his BlackBerry was still there. She called his chauffeur and when he arrived, Hedge said his goodbyes.
When they were gone, Piper started to cry. She'd been holding it in too long and she just couldn't anymore. Before she knew it, Lena was hugging her, and Leo stood uncomfortably nearby, pulling Kleenex out of his tool belt.
"Your dad's in good hands," Lena said. "You did amazing."
Piper sobbed even more. She allowed herself to be held for six deep breaths. Seven. Then she couldn't indulge herself anymore. They needed her. The helicopter pilot was already looking uncomfortable, like she was starting to wonder why she'd flown them here. "Thank you, guys," she said. "I—" She wanted to let them know how much they meant to her, how she'd never be able to repay—
Then, right next to Lena, the air began to shimmer. An image appeared in the air—a dark-haired girl in silver winter camouflage, holding a bow. Lena stumbled back in surprise. "Thalia!"
"GG, thank the gods," said the Hunter. "This is an Iris-message. Where are you? We found her."
"Oakland. Where are you?"
"The Wolf House! Oakland is good; you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset, or it's all over."
"Then it's not too late?" Piper cried.
"Not yet," Thalia said. "But GG—it's worse than I realized. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry."
"But where is the Wolf House?"
"Our last trip," Thalia said, her image starting to flicker. "The park. Jack London. Remember?"
This made no sense to Piper, but Lena looked like she'd been shot. She tottered, her face pale, and the Iris message disappeared.
"Girl, you alright?" Leo asked. "You know where she is?"
"Yes," Lena said. "Sonoma Valley. Not far. Not by air."
Piper turned to the ranger pilot, who'd been watching all this with an increasingly puzzled expression.
"We can't take a mortal into battle," Lena reminded her. "It's too dangerous." She turned to Leo. "Do you think you could fly this thing?"
"Um..." Leo's expression didn't exactly reassure Piper. But then he put his hand on the side of the helicopter, concentrating hard, as if listening to the machine. "Bell 412HP utility helicopter," he said. "Composite four-blade main rotor, cruising speed twenty-two knots, service ceiling twenty-thousand feet. The tank is near full. Sure, I can fly it."
Piper smiled at the ranger again. "You don't have a problem with an under-aged unlicensed kid borrowing your copter, do you? We'll return it."
"I—" The pilot nearly choked on the words: "I don't have a problem with that."
Leo grinned. "Hop in, kids. Uncle Leo's gonna take you for a ride."
