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Dakota stepped over the border warily, unsure of how he felt about the camp, Reyna stirring in his arms. He glanced down at the girl and readjusted her, preventing her from slipping. She was getting heavier as he trudged on, exhausted from fighting his way towards this gods-forsaken summer camp.
Gwen pulled Bobby's arm around her shoulders, supporting as much of his weight as she could without her knees buckling. He limped along next to her, gripping his thigh as best he could, trying to prevent the scorpion poison from flowing any further up his leg, the bite on his ankle swelling. He winced at each step, the two coming up to Dakota and Reyna's side. They paused, faces awe-struck at the beauty of the camp. Campers were milling around, but all activities areas were vacant of participants. They seemed to all be heading in one direction.
Dakota scowled down the valley and carried the daughter of Ceres towards a big house with a gentle blue coating, white trimming and shutters accenting it. The porch wrapped around the building and a table with four chairs was off to the corner, a lawn chair moved to the front with a girl sleeping in it.
A laptop was humming in her lap and she was murmuring something incomprehensible in her sleep, blonde curls sprawled out behind her head. She had a decent tan and bright white teeth. A typical daughter of Venus, Dakota thought scornfully.
He stumbled up the steps, ordering the other two to stay behind and wait at the bottom. They managed to put a fist to their heart and ease on to the bottom step. Dakota carried Reyna towards the sleeping girl, casting a subconscious glance around at his surroundings, and kicked the chair leg.
Her eyes shot open and a concealed dagger was revealed almost instantly, almost causing him to fall in surprise. His gaze was pulled towards her eyes—grey. She was no Venus child, but one of Minerva, goddess of battle strategy and wisdom. He was impressed, smirking. Minerva had thought up a good child this time. She narrowed her eyes and they trailed down to Reyna, close to passing out in his arms.
The girl was in motion in less than a moment, standing and placing her laptop back on the chair. She wiggled her finger, motioning for him to follow, which he did reluctantly. She hadn't even asked his name; was there any security? She held open the door and he stepped inside, looking around. It was an average living room, a blue couch sagging on one wall, a matching carpet and a coffee table. Back further in the next room was a ping pong table and a single light hanging over it. Chairs were placed all around as if it were ready for a meeting and Dakota nearly snorted.
She pulled him back further and they turned into a doorway, a bedroom with a single mattress. He set Reyna down cautiously and turned to speak with the girl but she was gone. He could hear someone yell for an Apollo kid and the girl returned with a boy with shaggy blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
He ignored everything but the girl on the bed, hurrying to her side. He felt her chest for broken ribs, running his hand across her forehead. He pursed his lips and held his hands over her, muttering a hymn to Apollo. Dakota thought of his other friends.
"There's another one," Dakota managed, his voice hoarse. "Outside on the steps. Pit scorpion." He swallowed hard.
"Annabeth, go grab Jessie," the son of Apollo told her, eyes closed and hands hovering over Reyna.
The blonde girl glanced at Dakota haphazardly and jogged out of the room. Dakota turned wearily towards the two and he backed up against the nearest wall, sliding to the floor. The boy stood shakily and turned to the other, cautiously.
"She'll be okay," he managed. The camper studied the other, analyzing everything about him. Ripped clothes, golden battle armor, a sword on his hip and blood trickling down the side of his mouth. He assumed he was quite a sight, but at that point he didn't care anymore. He needed to sleep, but he wanted to assure himself that his troops were readily able to defend a post by tomorrow. "What was your name?"
"Dakota Desiderium,Tribunus Laticlavius of the First Legion," he managed, resting his head back on the wall.
"Tribunus Laticlavius," he echoed, "that's Latin. You're a Roman."
"You speak Latin?" Dakota managed, surprised and impressed immensely. All of these Greeks, he had assumed, were illiterate and simple-minded.
"I recognize the language," he agreed. "Sam Faust, son of Apollo." He held out his hand which Dakota hesitantly took.
The blonde girl, Annabeth, led a girl and Bobby into the bedroom. Bobby's swelling was depleting at an incredible rate and he barely limped towards the bed, sitting next to Reyna on the bed. He relaxed next to her and dropped his head on the pillow. "There's a stain on your roof," he observed, captivated by it.
"Yeah, it was from the last kid to visit the Oracle out of turn," Annabeth whispered, staring up at the ceiling. She shook her head. "What are your names?"
"Bobby," the boy told her, still watching the stain on the ceiling. "Gwen's still on the porch."
"Dakota," he murmured, barely managing to keep his eyes open. His right shoulder was aching and his hands were sore and cramped up tight. He flexed them and stretched and rotated his shoulder, nothing working.
Annabeth looked over at the passed out girl. "And her?"
"Reyna," Dakota told her.
"You're the Romans?" Annabeth asked, trying to hold back her excitement and relief. Her breathing shallowed, knowing she would squeal if she had enough air in her lungs. It was something unlike her, but she was so hopeful. She could almost hear his voice in her mind.
Dakota nodded.
"Where is he?" she asked, rushing her words. She cleared her throat and felt her face flush as Sam stared at her.
Dakota's eyes drifted shut. If she was referring to Percy, the subject wasn't open for discussion. He had failed the Greek and Roman camp so intensely; his father should've struck him down if he ever had the chance. He sighed and glanced at the daughter of Minerva, small sympathy living in him.
"Who?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"Percy Jackson," Annabeth managed out. She wrung her hands nervously, gazing over at the door as if she expected him to waltz in.
Dakota ran a hand across his face and forced himself to his feet, head hanging low. "I don't know how to say this… Percy's not coming back."
"What?" Annabeth asked, her smile faltering.
"It was my fault. I should've known better; I should've held the form," Dakota cursed himself in Latin and folded his hands in front of himself.
"What are you saying?" she asked, her voice trembling for a brief time.
Why was she making this so hard? Greeks made everything difficult, he whined, about to hate the words coming from his mouth. "It was Polybotes, the giant," he mumbled, ashamed of himself. He himself was complaining the whole trip about how the Greeks were so unorthodox and had no discipline, yet he had risked the life of the group from the anger that rose in him. He was reckless. Dakota relayed the story, detail by detail, getting quieter as he went.
.:*:.
The giant rose up from the side of the mountain, bigger than any he had seen or heard of. The monster was the size on a mountain, gruesome scars ran across his flattened face, like he enjoyed smashing his head into brick walls or spent his free time taking steam rollers and ironing out his wrinkles. His skin was tight against his cheek bones and his hair was long, unruly, and blonde like wheat fields. His skin was a sickly brown and his eyes were mix-matched, blue and green.
Giant fangs stuck out from behind his lower lip, barring his upper one and his odor was horrible. He reeked of rotten fish, grass, and burning bread like he had been rolling around in dumpster for most of his life. The giant stepped forward, the mountain trembling beneath their feet, and the groups caught sight of a dagger the size of a small tree in a sheath. Gwen and Bobby tripped over each other, dropping down in the mud.
The giant, Dakota had realized, was Polybotes. His name meant feeding-many in Ancient Greek, but he had honestly lost his appetite after catching a whiff of his breath.
The giant sniffed the air and let out a growl that made the mountain side tremble, Dakota feeling pressure building in his head, like his ears drums would pop, gripped his head, just as the others had. "POOSSEIDDOON!"
Percy's eyes went wide like saucers and he stumbled back away from the creature. Though they didn't understand the rage towards the god, they knew that Percy was what that monster was sniffing, and it wasn't making him happy.
"Polybotes!" Reyna called, still holding her head. "In the Greek story, Neptune—err, Poseidon, pursued the giant across an ocean. He hurled a mountain top on him and trapped him underneath it!" She shook her head, still clutching her ears.
Dakota cursed and raised his spear into the air, his own ears still ringing. The giant sniffed around in the air, trying to locate the scent's location. "Form rank!"
The Roman demigods brought their shields out in front of them and lined up together, lacing the shields into a small, frail wall. Percy glanced at them and quickly tapped the watch on his wrist out of instinct. A bronze shield spiraled out, Percy jumping in surprise, and he studied the designs on the front. A satyr in a wedding dress, Medusa, battle scenes, a Cyclopes. He narrowed his eyes, trying to remember the magical item he held.
He wasn't sure why but it felt important and he knew he cherished the item or whoever had made it. Maybe he was way off-mark, but it was a hunch that he wanted to hold to. Dakota whistled and broke his trance, causing him to join the others.
He glanced over at Dakota waiting for the command, but one never came.
"We should just take him," Dakota murmured to himself. "He's big and slow. There are five of us and one of him."
"One really big one of him," Reyna reminded, watching the giant's movements. "And a newbie who is immensely hated by the giant."
Dakota paused to study the monster lumbering around. He wasn't all too bright, but he was big and quite scary and had the nose of a hound. They'd eventually be found either way. He noticed the giant had a limp on his right side as he stared over the tree tops admiring the view he had come across.
"We take him from the right," Percy suggested. So he had noticed the opportunity. "Keep on it and he'll eventually tire out."
"Not before we do," Gwen mumbled, staring hard at the ground.
"Besides, he's no good to us as long as he's touching the ground," Bobby added, glancing at Percy.
"Gods, guys," Dakota whispered harshly. "We have to do something. Percy's right, we take his right and pray for the best."
"Praying doesn't always work, Kota," Reyna warned him, trying to make him understand. "We need a strategy."
"We have a strategy!"
"A real strategy," she told him fiercely, her eyes narrowing. "You need to think or you're going to get us all killed."
Dakota was breathing heavily, trying to keep his anger and embarrassment down to a minimum. "Respect your superior. We'll talk about this later. If you're not coming with me, I'll go in alone."
"You're just being stupid!" she cried, frustrated and exasperated. They shared an intense, silent battle, arguing with each other and the others sat silently, awkwardly. Percy studied the pair and nearly laughed; it was humorous, their bickering. Dakota muttered something and pushed his shield through the line, running up towards the giant. "Kota!"
The four stood and watched as Dakota brandished his spear and pierced the giant in his Achilles heel. The monster barely noticed, but glanced down and waved a hand, shooing away the nagging pest. Dakota repeatedly stabbed and jabbed at whatever he could, sticking the spear point deep in the leg and, with all of his strength, tore a gash through his lower calf. Polybotes looked down and a low growl came from his throat.
Percy swallowed hard and turned to Reyna. "We can't leave him alone."
Reyna stared at him, holding firm on the point she had made. She wasn't about to move into battle without a plan, because that was all she'd ever known. He pursed his lips and shook his head, running out after his friend. He uncapped his sword and managed to get within ten feet when the giant's eyes turned on him immediately.
"Poseidon," he growled, forming a fist. He slammed it on the ground as Percy lunged out of the way, whirling quickly to keep his eyes on the monster. It roared and picked up its heavy, meaty fist, growling. He swiped a hand, trying to swat Percy into the side of the mountain, but he quickly backed up.
The giant moaned and began to stomp his feet, whining and groaning, like a toddler who didn't get his toys. He whined and the mountain shook. The dirt and rocks began rolling down the side of the peak, rushing down below. The three still waiting struggled towards the center, preventing them from falling with the debris. The monster came dangerously close to Dakota, but he knew he'd bite his tongue off if he'd opened his mouth.
The image of a giant black bull, bucking around in a patch of tall grass flashed through his mind's eye and his temple throbbed with a fresh headache.
The giant stopped throwing a fit and stood silently fuming. His hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides, trying to contain the anger that was consuming the creature. He huffed out a long, disgusting breath and sniffed the air.
Dakota took the opportunity and dug his spear into the monsters leg, using it as a grip to climb up the monster towards his head. Percy saw the monster slowly taking notice and began waving his hands frantically.
"Hey, stupid," he called. Reyna stared at him, yelling for him to stop before he got himself killed. "Mud face, over here!" The monster craned his neck down at the boy and began snuffling, finding his scent distasteful.
"Poseidon," he growled. Dakota had managed to climb half way when he saw the attack coming. Trapped in a moment of disbelief, he watched Polybotes draw the huge knife and ball his fist. The knife was stabbed directly down on where Percy had been standing and he quickly and swiftly rolled away. Dakota resumed his climb up towards the creature's neck, not fully paying attention. He had to be quick. When his spear dug into the layers of chin the monster had, green goo oozed out. He gagged but kept climbing, ignoring the fact that the slime was now all over his clothes.
He stood on the creature's shoulder and glanced down at the battle below and what he saw made his mind go slack. Just as Percy took a steep dive down towards the floor, the monster brought his foot out, kicking the boy away from him. Percy slammed into a tree hard but didn't appear hurt. He stood up and rubbed his lower back painfully. Percy kept coming, it was incredible to watch.
He cleaned off Riptide. "Is that it?" his voice was strong and unimpressed. But Dakota could feel his fear. How had Percy survived the attack?
The giant roared and began picking up boulders the size of his head. Dakota nearly slipped off of the giant, digging his spear deep into his shoulder, and was yanked away, dangling from the weapon. He kicked at the air, struggling to at least get a better grip. The giant stood up and Dakota slammed into a bony shoulder, his face smacking against the weapon. He slipped on the muddy skin, trying to stand again.
The monster tossed his first rock which Percy quickly blocked with his forearm. He was barely displaced, standing strong. Polybotes kicked him again, causing him to stumble backwards, landing on his back with a thud. He was getting tossed around like a rag doll and his Roman soldiers were awestruck, trying to find some opening without getting killed.
Percy flipped onto his stomach about to get up when he started coughing. A horrible coughing fit had soon consumed him and then, blood. It was frightening as the son of Neptune got to his knees and grabbed his lower back again, like something was agitating him. The giant grinned next to Dakota, a stench wafting in the air, and he moved towards the boy. He bent over a little and flicked the boy.
There was a distinct snap that Dakota had heard only too often in battle and the boy fell forward. He didn't move for a while. Polybotes took his sword and held it over Percy.
"I win, Poseidon."
Dakota was in motion only seconds too late. He pulled the spear from the giant's shoulder and came around, digging it into the monster giant eye and tearing it to the side. He shredded at the face of the beast, distracting as best he could, pulling hair even.
Reyna and the others, having witnessed the scene, attacked with full force, not caring much for order and holding a rank. They went to town on the giant, using any power they could, until the giant stumbled and fell over himself, landing with a thud.
Dakota pulled his spear from the giants ripped up cheek, walking with a sort of pride that he shouldn't have had, and he knew it. But this was going to feel so good, he thought as he drove the weapon straight through the monsters heart.
.:*:.
Something clattered to the floor and as Annabeth turned, so stood the son of Jupiter, Jason Grace. His eyes were emotionless and empty.
"Percy's dead?" he asked, no longer paying attention to the glass of nectar he had been carrying. It slowly soaked into the floor boards and nobody moved. "I didn't even get to meet the legend I've been hearing about."
Annabeth's heart had stopped for a moment, and in that moment, she realized what she had lost. And it was something worse than losing Luke, or Thalia joining the Hunt, and by the gods she would've been just fine had Percy rather become a god himself. She wouldn't have minded, because he would've been alright.
"This isn't right," Annabeth said. "Hera used Percy; he's part of her plan. Something's wrong."
"Yeah," Bobby nodded, sitting up. "Percy's dead and it's all because Kota."
"No," she said, her voice becoming serious and hopeful, like she had caught onto something. "It doesn't add up. It doesn't just end here."
"No," Jason nodded. "But Percy's not part of this prophecy; it's clear now. He was a stepping stone."
"Shut up," Annabeth murmured, thinking hard. A million things were on her mind soon and she was consumed, coming up with a plan, something to prove them wrong. She pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and began pacing.
Dakota stepped towards her. "Annabeth," he suppressed his voice from cracking. He pulled a leather necklace and cheap ballpoint pen from his pocket. "He's gone."
Annabeth studied what he had presented and slowly took them into her own hands, fingering the beads bound to the leather. This wasn't right. It couldn't have ended this way. She felt something molding over her heart and soon she'd realize that it was those four walls that people always talked about, because her Percy was no more and the only person to blame was the giant. She uncapped Riptide and it extended into a three-foot-long Celestial-Bronze sword with a leather wrap.
Dakota thought back to after the battle, when he had run to Percy's side and gently turned him over. It was weird, seeing someone who had survived all that so weak and broken. His skin was pale and his eyes were dim, but a faint spark of life was glowing. Percy's face was the most horrible part.
He was deathly calm.
He glanced over at Dakota, not a trace of a smile and didn't move a muscle. Death was not a good look on Percy Jackson. Until the others came by to hear his last words, he grabbed at his necklace.
"Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I remembered."
And when he relayed those words, Annabeth turned cold and quite. Her face resembled his and Dakota knew that in a way they had just lost a great fighter to a death that wasn't her own. She pursed her lips and swallowed hard, but no tears were tracing her cheeks, nothing graced her presence but a sort of finished silence.
She slowly turned and left the room and Dakota moved along behind her, watching to see where she would go now that he had just gotten her boyfriend killed after she had been working so hard to get him back. He could feel and ice prick stabbing at his heart and guilt was swallowing him.
She slowly walked towards a ring of cabins, staring down at the necklace in her hand. He expected her to go towards the cabin with the kids that resembled her, but she kept moving, straight for a dark cabin, solid black stone from the Underworld and a skull hanging over the door.