Act IV - To Stop The Tide

Part XI - Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest, come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth. Come roll in all the riches all around you and for once never wonder what they're worth.

They ran until they were exhausted. Rachel steered them away from traps, but they had no destination in mind. They stopped in a tunnel of wet white rock, like part of a natural cave. "I can't go any farther," Rachel gasped, hugging her chest. She sat on the ground. Nico did too.

Anthony had an empty stare in his gray eyes. He sat down and put his head between his knees. Andy stayed on her feet. She should be tired but she couldn't feel anything other than the terror and the shock from what she'd seen.

Anthony looked up. "What... That couldn't... Was that...?"

Andy nodded. "Yes. He gave himself to Kronos."

"But he's there!" Anthony muttered, talking to himself. "I saw him. When Rachel hit him, I saw him."

Andy turned to Rachel. "You hit the Lord of the Titans in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush," she said with respect.

"Sucks right?" the red-headed said. "That was my favorite hairbrush."

"But you saw him, Andy," Anthony insisted. He seemed so desperate, so hurt, that she immediately forgave him for the way he'd been acting. "For a second, he was dazed. He is in there, too."

"But he's not in control anymore," she was forced to point out.

"You can't see it," he shook his head. "You didn't know him before. He-"

"You can't keep defending him," she said carefully. "He made his choice. No one made him do it."

"You can't know that."

"Guys," Rachel said. "Let's not fight."

Anthony turned to her. "Stay out of it, mortal girl. If it wasn't for you-" whatever he was going to say, his voice broke. He put his head down again. Andy wanted to comfort him but there was nothing she could say. It would only make him angrier.

"We need to go," she said instead. "They'll send monsters after us." The others struggled to their feet. "Back to New York, then. Rachel, can you-" Andy froze. A few feet in front of her was Grover's Rasta cap. Her hands shook as she picked it up. The tunnel was mushy and wet. "We need to follow them. They might need our help."

"What about Camp Half-Blood?" Nico asked. "There's no time."

"We have to find them!"

This time, no one argued. They forged ahead. The tunnel was treacherous, slippery. Finally they got to the bottom of a slope and found themselves in a large cave. Through the center of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting by the banks, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover's eyes were close and he wasn't moving.

Andy ran over to them. Grover's body was trembling like he was freezing to death, but at least he was alive. "What happened?"

"So many things," Tyson said. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then... we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this."

Andy knelt next to him. "Grover. Wake up."

Anthony also approached and splashed icy cold river water on Grover's face. His eyelids fluttered. "Andy. Tony. Where...?"

"It's okay," Andy said. "You're okay."

Grover sat up. "He's right beyond that doorway," he whispered urgently.

The old satyr lay on a bed. The cave was so fantastic even Nico seemed speechless. The satyr watched them approach, his eyes as blue as the sky. His horns were enormous. Grover felt to his knees in front of the bed. "Lord Pan!"

The god smiled kindly, but there was sadness in his eyes. "My dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you."

"I got lost," Grover sobbed.

Pan laughed a wonderful sound. Andy noticed her friends were kneeling and she did the same.

"This place is amazing," Anthony said. All his grief had been replaced with awe. "Better than any building ever designed."

"It is one of the last wild places," Pan said. "My realm above is gone. Only tiny pieces of life remain."

"My lord," Grover said, "you need to come back with me. The Elders will never believe it! They'll be overjoyed. You can save the wild!"

Pan patted Grover's head. "You are so young, Grover. So good and true. I think I chose well."

"I don't understand," Grover said.

Pan's image flickered. "We are near the end."

"What? No!"

"My dear satyr," Pan said. "I tried to tell the world, two thousand years ago. I announced it to Lysas, a satyr very much like you. He tried to spread the word."

Anthony's eyes widened. "The old story. The sailor heard a voice scream, 'tell them the great god Pan is dead.'"

"But it wasn't true," Grover said.

"Your kind never believed it. You sweet, stubborn satyrs refused to accept my passing. And I love you for that, but you only delayed the inevitable. You only prolonged my painful passing, my dark twilight sleep. It must end."

"No," Grover's voice trembled.

"He's dying," Nico said. "He should've died long ago. This is more like a memory."

"But gods can't die," Grover cried.

"They fade," Pan said. "When everything they stood for is gone. When they cease to have power, and their sacred places disappear. The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it. My realm is gone. That is why I need you to carry a message. Go to the council. Tell the satyrs, the dryads, the spirits of nature, that the great god Pan is dead. Tell them of my passing. They must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make yourself. Each of you must take up my calling."

Grover nodded and sobbed at his feet.

"Be strong, dear satyr. You have found me. And now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you." And Pan glanced at them all to show what he meant. He wasn't just talking of spirits of nature. He needed people, too.

"Andy Jackson," the god called. "I know what you have seen today. I know you're afraid. But I tell you this: you are not ruled by fear. You are ruled by love." He turned to Anthony. "Son of Athena, you must remember even the wise make mistakes. The day will come when you'll thank the gods for being wrong." Pan turned to Tyson. "Master Cyclops, do not despair. Heroes rarely live up to our expectations. But you, Tyson: your name shall live among the Cyclops for generations. And Rachel Dare..."

Rachel flinched when he said her name. She backed up, but Pan smiled. "Your time is coming, my girl. You will play a great role. Look for opportunities. You'll know what to do when the time is right."

With a long, deep sigh, he turned to last of them. "Son of death and darkness, I fear you'll never have that which you desire. But you will find what that which you need. You will find the one you need. And you," he turned back to Grover. "You are the strongest and bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in me more than anyone ever has, which is why you must bring the message. You need to set me free."

"I don't want to," Grover said.

Pan smiled once more. "The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan's spirit. Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you."

Grover wiped his eyes and stood. "I've spent my whole life looking for you. Now... I release you."

Pan closed his eyes and dissolved. His energy filled the room, filled their bodies. Then everything turned gray and crumbled to dust and they were left alone in a dark cave with an empty bed.

Grover was breathing heavily. "Let's go. We need to tell them. The great god Pan is dead."

They returned Rachel safe and sound to New York. Andy hugged her before leaving. "We would've died if it weren't for you."

"We'll meet again, Andy Jackson," the red-headed smiled. "Now, go save the world."

The moment they reached camp, they rushed to tell Chiron everything that had happened. Grover was cornered by the council. "Searcher's licenses don't matter anymore," he said. "The great god Pan is dead. He has passed on and left us his spirit."

"What?" Silenus's face turned bright red. "Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!"

"The camp is under attack," Chiron butt in. "Assuming we are still here this evening, we will speak of this."

Then everybody grabbed their weapons and headed toward the woods. All the campers were there, dressed in full battle armor.

"Stay with me, Andy," Chiron said. "When the fighting begins, I want you to wait until we know what we're dealing with. You must go where we most need reinforcements."

The ground underneath them trembled. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Clarisse barked a single order, "Lock shields!" Then the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth.

Waves of Laistrygonian giants erupted from the ground. Andy watched as her friends engaged them. Anthony had a sword in his hands and he ran into the battlefield. Tyson was riding a giant. Apollo kids were shooting arrows. Then a hell-hound leaped out of the tunnel and barreled straight toward the satyrs.

"Go!" Chiron yelled. Andy drew Riptide and charged. She raced across the battlefield and saw horrible things that would bring her nightmares in the future.

A dozen dracaenae broke away from the main fight and slithered down the path that led toward camp. "Nico!" Andy yelled. The boy stabbed a telkhine, and his black sword absorbed the monster's essence, before turning to her. He looked to where she was pointing and held out his black sword.

"Serve me," he called. The earth trembled. A fissure opened in front of the dracaenae, and a dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth to fight them.

Andy closed on the hell-hound. There were a few dead satyrs now. Andy found a clay jar – one of Beckendorf's traps of Greek fire. She called the beast. It turned and snarled at her. She tossed the jar into the hell-hound's maw and the creature went up in flames.

"Andy!" Grover called. A forest fire had started. Juniper and Grover were going nuts trying to stop it. Andy took a deep breath and concentrated. There was a pull in her gut, a roar in her ears. A wave came across Camp Half-Blood and no one was spared. When the wave was gone, everyone, half-bloods and monsters spat water, got to their feet and resumed the fighting.

Then Kampê shot into the sky and landed on the Athena command tent, smashing it flat. Andy ran after the monster and found Anthony at her side. "This might be it," he said.

"Are you ready, Wonder Boy?"

He nodded. "Nice fighting with you, Seaweed Brain." And together they leaped into the monster's path. Kampê hissed and sliced at them. They dodged the monster's slashes but next thing they were both on the ground. The monster had its forelegs on their chests, holding them down.

Then behind them, something howled.

"Attack!" Daedalus shouted and Mrs O'Leary jumped at Kampê. Andy and Anthony got up. Briares came forward and launched a volley of boulders at Kampê. Mrs O'Leary got out of the way and the jailer was crushed.

A giant surged forward and surprised Chiron who stumbled and fell. "No!" Andy shouted, but she was too far to help.

And that's when Grover opened his mouth and let out the most horrible sound. It was the sound of pure fear. As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the dracaenae trying to get into the Labyrinth first. The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over. The clearing was quiet except for the cries of the wounded.

Andy and Anthony ran to Chiron. "Are you all right?" she asked.

He was lying on his side, trying in vain to get up. "Broke my leg," he said. "I'll be fine. There are more serious injuries to attend to. Go! I'm fine."

Tyson called Andy. "It's Nico!"

Andy ran to where he was. There was smoke curling off his black clothes. His fingers were clenched, and the grass all around his body had turned yellow and died. Andy rolled him over gently and put her hand against his chest. His heart was beating faintly.

"Never tried to summon so many before," he mumbled and, for a moment, the black eyes found the sea-green ones, almost like he was happy to see her. Then he focused on something behind her. "Daedalus."

"Yes," the inventor said. "I made a very bad mistake. I came to correct it. I found the Hundred-Handed One as I came through the maze. It seems he had the same idea, to come help, but he was lost. We both came to make amends."

Tyson hugged Briares. "I knew you would come."

"You reminded me of who I am, Cyclops," Briares said. "You are the hero."

"That's what I've been saying," Andy said. "But... the Titan army is still down there. They will return."

Daedalus sheathed his sword. "You're right. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it. Which is why it cannot continue." He turned to Anthony. "I have something for you, young brother." He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it, and produced a sleek silver laptop computer. "My work is here. It's all I managed to save from the water. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favorite designs. I couldn't develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find it interesting."

He handed the computer to Anthony who stared at it like it was solid gold. "You're giving me this? But this is priceless!"

"Small compensation for the way I have acted. You were right about children of Athena. We should be wise, and I was not. Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on."

"Whoa!" Andy said. "Hold right there. You're going to kill yourself? That is... wrong."

Daedalus shook his head. "Not as wrong as hiding from my crimes for two thousand years. Genius does not excuse evil, Andy. My time has come. I must face my punishment."

"You won't get a fair trial," Anthony said.

"I will take what comes. And trust in the justice of the Underworld, such as it is. That is all we can do, isn't it?" He looked straight at Nico, and the boy's face darkened.

"Yes."

"Will you take my soul for ransom, then?" Daedalus asked. "You could use it to reclaim your sister."

Nico stood up. "No. I will help you release your spirit. But Bianca is gone. And she must stay where she is."

Daedalus nodded. "Well done, son of Hades. You are becoming wise." Then he turned to Andy. "One last favor, Andy Jackson. Will you care for Mrs O'Leary?"

"Of course!"

"Then I am ready to see my son... and Perdix," he said. "I must tell him how sorry I am."

Nico drew his sword. "Your time is long since come. Be released and rest."

A smile of relief spread across Daedalus's face. He froze like a statue and disintegrated. Mrs O'Leary howled. Andy patted her head.

The earth rumbled – an earthquake that could be felt in every major city – as the ancient Labyrinth collapsed.