Percy
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From there, Zoe and I rushed to Olympus. We burst through the front doors to find that the lobby was as busy as ever. The normal doorman was there, reading a book with a girl with white hair holding two swords on the cover. He seemed to not be busy so Zoe and I ran up to him.
"Hi," I said breathlessly. "600th floor, please."
He eyed us, lowering the book. "No such thing, kid."
"I am Zoe Nightshade, former lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis," Zoe declared. "Surely you recognize me?"
He eyed her, then our hands, which were intertwined. He shrugged. "Perhaps I do? What then? What business would you have on this mythical '600th floor'?"
"We need a council with Lady Artemis," I said. "Or any of them. It's about Typhon."
That got his attention. He grabbed a small plastic keycard and shoved it towards me.
"If it's about Typhon," he said seriously, "then you are being truthful. Go. The gods need to be warned."
"Thank you." I took the keycard and we rushed to the elevator. We waited for the elevator as best we could, but I was ADHD and in a hurry. I bounced on the balls of my feet.
There was a sudden DING and the doors opened. We jumped inside and I swiped the keycard. The doors closed and we began our ascent. Once again, there was different music. This time is was Britney Spears' Toxic, though I wasn't sure it wasn't just Apollo singing with a girl's voice.
The doors finally opened and we hopped out. In front of us, a path of floating stones led through the clouds up to Mount Olympus, hovering six thousand feet over Manhattan.
I'd seen Olympus several times, but it still took my breath away. The mansions glittered gold and white against the sides of the mountain. Gardens bloomed on a hundred terraces. Scented smoke rose from braziers that lined the winding streets. And right at the top of the snow-capped crest rose the main palace of the gods
We ran through the streets, past gods and nymphs and spirits, all of whom seemed surprised to see us here. I was aiming for the Throne Hall, but Zoe tugged me in a different direction.
"To my lady's temple!" she said. I didn't argue.
She led me to a silver, domed building that was topped with a golden statue of a deer.
"The Golden Hind?" I guessed.
"A replica," Zoe answered. She knelt in front of the temple and put her hands together, as if she were to pray. She glanced up at me expectantly. "Get down! My lady may be fond of you, but that does not mean you do not show the proper respect!"
"Yes, ma'am." I got down on my knees and bowed my head.
Zoe smiled slightly. She turned her head, closed her eyes, and began to pray.
"My lady Artemis, we humbly seek your presence. We have ill news of trouble for all the world, and ill news of events that have transpired. We wish to speak with you and discuss these events. Please bless us with your appearance and be kind to your former lieutenant, Zoe Nightshade, daughter of Atlas."
"You have no need to be so formal, my friend," said a familiar feminine voice.
I opened my eyes to see Artemis standing before us. Her auburn hair was braided down her shoulder and her moon-yellow eyes regarded us with what I hoped was delight. But instead of her usual twelve year old appearance, she looked like she was around sixteen. Zoe's age.
"My lady!" Zoe exclaimed, jumping to her feet. They embraced tightly, both smiling brightly.
"You may rise, Percy," Artemis said, lifting her hand.
I stood as they broke apart.
"My lady," I began, "thank you for coming. We have a lot of things to tell you."
"So I heard." Her smile turned into a slight frown. "What is this ill news you speak of?"
"Typhon, my lady," Zoe explained. "Percy tells me that he is beneath Mt. St. Helens, where the recent eruption took place."
"We gods know this," Artemis said. "We have been keeping tabs on him to make sure he doesn't wake. He has been restless as of late."
"There is a reason for that, my lady. Telchines, working in Hephaestus's forge. They were to make a new weapon for Kronos, but something stopped them. The same thing that caused the eruption."
Artemis's eyes narrowed at me specifically. "And what is this 'thing'?"
"I believe it's our friend Killian," I told her. "Zoe, Killian, Lilly and I were on a quest in Daedelus's labyrinth to try and find his workshop before Kronos does. During our quest, we were separated by a god. We don't know who, though. I believe that Lilly and Killian were whisked away to another part of the labyrinth, where they met Hephaestus, and he ordered them to clear out his forge. In the process, Killian most likely blew up the mountain in an effort to destroy the telchines and Kronos's new weapon.
"But that is not the worst of it, my lady. Typhon, who has been slumbering under Mount St. Helens, has indeed been restless because of the telchines activity. And Killian causing this eruption is what will push him to wakefulness."
"How do you know this?" Artemis demanded.
"Because it has happened once before. I was sent back in time, my lady, to right what was wronged. One of those things was the death of your lieutenant here. Do you remember?"
"I..." Artemis's eyes became unfocused. "Yes, this does sound familiar. But no god has power over time. None except the Titan Lord."
"I was sent back by a higher being, my lady. One that did not seek violence, but rather to see victory where there was once defeat."
"I see." She shook her head. When she looked at me, her eyes were clear. "I remember now. You were the one to defeat Kronos. You were the child of the prophecy. But that is not true anymore."
"No, my lady. The one who sent me back changed many things, like my parentage. For what purpose, I do not know. But we can talk about this later. Right now, we need to worry about Typhon."
"Agreed." The goddess tapped her fingers on her chin. "I will alert the gods about this, but will keep your secret, Percy. Is there anything else I should know."
I told her everything. I didn't want to keep secrets from one of the gods I actually liked, and I got the feeling that if I didn't tell her anything, I'd be turned into a rabbit.
"Thank you, Percy. I will send you two back to Camp Half-Blood now. Be careful."
"Thank you, my lady," Zoe and I said in unison, bowing.
Artemis snapped her fingers, and in a flash of silver light, we were on a grassy hillside. Below us was camp, the cabins fanned out in their normal U shape, but it was strangely...quiet.
"Where is everyone?" Zoe wondered aloud.
"I have a feeling I know," I said, looking towards the amphitheater. "Come on."
Before we even got there I heard Chiron making an announcement. When we realized what he was saying, we stopped dead in our tracks.
"—assume they are dead," Chiron said. "After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors."
We came up on the back of the amphitheater. Nobody noticed us. They were all looking forward, watching as Lilly took a long silver silk burial cloth, embroidered with a bow, and set it on the flames. They were burning Zoe's shroud.
Lilly turned to face the audience. She looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy from crying, but she managed to say, "They were probably the bravest friends I've ever had. They..." Then she saw me. Her face went blood red. "They're right there!"
Heads turned. People gasped.
"Percy!" Beckendorf grinned. A bunch of other kids crowded around me and clapped me on the back. I heard a few curses from the Ares cabin, but Clarisse just rolled her eyes, like she couldn't believe I'd had the nerve to survive again. Chiron cantered over and everyone made way for him.
"Well," he sighed with obvious relief. "I don't believe I've ever been happier to see a camper return. But you must tell me—"
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Annabeth interrupted, shoving aside the other campers. I thought she was going to punch me, but instead she hugged me so fiercely she nearly cracked my ribs. "Where's Killian?"
The other campers fell silent.
"He-He's not back yet?"
Lilly looked heartbroken at my question. She shook her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but what was said next didn't come from her.
"Uh, am I interrupting something?"
We all turned.
There, standing just beyond the amphitheater entrance, was Killian. He looked a little worse for wear, but he was alive.
Instantly, Lilly had let go of me and flew at him. She slammed into him, making it look like she actually knocked the breath out of him. She buried her face in his chest as others came up, seemingly forgetting Zoe and I.
"How long have we been gone?" I asked Beckendorf.
"Nearly two weeks," he said. "Lilly came back two days after the eruption of Mount St. Helens, saying that Killian caused it. She's been very emotional since."
"I can see that," Zoe murmured.
"Do you think he went where you did last time?" Beckendorf asked me.
"Probably. I'm sure he'll explain. In the meantime, Zoe and I need rest. We haven't slept in a long time."
"Yeah, go ahead." He thumped me on the back. "You'll get to explain your side soon enough."
