Chapter XXXII

When the dream found me, an unsettling feeling came over me before I even realized where I was. I was enveloped by the dark, the air was damp and cold, a chill sinking into my bones, something about this place was very off.

Still, I felt almost glad for it. A true dream, where I was truly myself and my thoughts were truly my own. It was a relief, compared to the memories and vision that haunted me ever since I grasped Kronos' scythe.

At first I had merely put them off as my mind was trying to deal with what I had seen and the stress it entailed. The scenes of Ouranous death returned, and Kronos' thoughts with it.

They were not alone, soon others followed. Faint memories of his reign, the Golden Age, if you wanted to call it so. Of the Titanomachy, and all the battles and strive it held.

Disconnected and tattered, they could barely be called anything but flickers of memories. Still, it was hard to truly banish them from my mind, they were far worse than any nightmare, even if not frightening, there was something far more disturbing to them.

But this was not one of them, that I became absolutely certain of when I heard a voice. A voice that was familiar, a boy's voice, that even when it was speaking in hushed tones and mixed with echoing footsteps, I did not fail to recognize.

Percy's.

Four days had passed since they had gone, four days without word from them, four days of worrying he might be dead, but now that I heard his voice, those thoughts seemed to vanish.

Though something gnawed at me, it did not seem to make any sense, why would I be hearing him. Though I was even surer when I heard a second voice speak. A girl's voice, Annabeth's, even if I could not truly understand what either of them were saying, I could not doubt it.

Still, this did not make much more sense. They were down in the Labyrinth, together with Bianca and the others… suddenly it dawned on me just where I was, the echoes, the strange feeling of hostility, as if everything here wanted my death.

This was the Labyrinth. My dreams had brought me to it.

Though there was one problem with that conclusion, even if it were them and this was the Labyrinth. I heard footsteps, with the echoing it was hard to tell how many, perhaps two or three pairs of feet.

But I did not hear the clacking of Groover's hooves or Tyson's heavy steps. They were split, I could not shake the thought of it, it seemed the only likely explanation, one that all but confirmed my previous worries.

Then, glaringly bright, white light flashed suddenly, illuminating the room I stood in. Around me a high room stretched out, its walls made from smooth gray concrete stretched out around me.

Three tunnels sprung from it, two to my right and one to my left. The light came from the left, and at its source Annabeth stood, holding a flashlight, a scowl on her face.

"Another split," She muttered, exasperated, louder than before.

Percy stepped forward, and slightly into the light.

"Left again?" He asked cautiously and Annabeth shook her head, seeming even more annoyed.

"It makes no difference," She said, her tone filled with frustration as she lowered her flashlight to the ground. "We are never going to find them or Daedalus, if either are even still alive."

Now I was certain that I was right, it was only the two of them. What hope I had that Bianca was with them was gone as well.

Her steps were silent, even more so in the shadows where she was about as quiet as one. When I had only heard them, I could still cling to hope she was with them, but now? Annabeth's tone made it all too clear it was only the two of them.

Something had gone wrong, that much was painfully obvious. Something had gone awfully wrong, my worries and fears had been fulfilled. I felt numb as I took in her words, if either are even still alive. Even that much was uncertain…

But that at the least meant there was a sliver of hope, Bianca might still be alive, I had to believe as much. But my mind told me that was merely desperate self-deception. Even if she was. Down here, that could well be a death sentence.

"You can't think like that," Percy told her. "Grover is alive, I am certain of it."

"We cannot know that," Annabeth insisted, but Percy shook his head.

"Even if we could not, we must believe it." He said insistently. "But we do know."

"How?" She asked, though in the same moment her face suddenly cleared up. "The empathy link!"

Relief lit up her eyes and Percy nodded. I couldn't help but share her mood, despite my previous reservations about it.

When I first learned of the empathy link, I had thought him foolish for his decision to keep it. I still did, tying your life to that of a satyr, especially one who traveled the world in a quest that more often than not ended in death for satyrs was dangerous.

And not just for Percy, if Kronos knew about it, it could make Grover an even greater target than himself. Why try to get rid of a powerful demigod when you can simply dispose of a Satyr?

Still, I was incredibly thankful for Percy's foolhardy decision. If Grover was alive, the chances were good Bianca was as well, I had to trust that she was.

"How did I not realize before?" She said, her tone growing hopeful. "Perhaps we can try to find them. Has he-"

Behind them, in the darkness of the tunnel, something rumbled. Fear flashed over their faces, wiping away hope and joy. Annabeth whirled around, the light turning with her. It lit up the long tunnel behind them, though it was utterly empty.

"You heard that as well?" Annabeth asked, worriedly.

Percy confirmed it with a nod and she let out a low breath, remaining terribly still.

"Do you think she is still after us?" Percy asked, a hint of fear in his voice, which worried me further.

"No," Annabeth said, though she seemed unconvinced herself. "Even if she is trying to follow us. For all we know she can navigate here no better than we can, one different turn and she ends up in Yucatán."

She, they both said it with a hint of fear. Whoever she was, she scared them, and that worried me. There were many things to be said about both of them, but calling them cowards was not among them. I did not know if they were avoiding her name on purpose, but it made me feel no easier about it.

"We should continue, we cannot be certain we have lost her."

Again, her seemed to make Annabeth shudder. And for a few seconds she remained tense, her eyes lingering, watching the tunnel. Before finally turning back around to the two tunnels before her.

"It really is no wonder what happened to Chris," Annabeth muttered bitterly. "This maze is driving me mad."

My thoughts wandered to the son of Hermes. I honestly pitied him, even if not much. For all he had suffered, he still had betrayed us, and had not come back on his own terms at that. But still, madness was a cruel fate, death would have been preferable.

And it would have not been undeserved at that, he had been one of those to leave with Luke, and certainly one of Luke's more trusted lackeys. There was a reason he had been among the ones chosen to go into the Labyrinth to find a way to Camp.

But that was months ago, last summer the plans for it had already been discussed, though back then the idea was far less certain than it was now. Luke had still hoped to find some way to navigate it on his own. He had probably set out in late fall, Clarisse had found him in winter. And since then his condition had not truly improved in the months since, at least not mentally.

Still, I was happy he was not dead, at least for now. He had been of the older ones and as said Luke did trust him. So if he ever got out of that pitiful state he was in, he might be able to give us something of use yet.

Though as said, Clarisse found him in winter. There was little hope he did know anything of importance that Eleanor or I did not already.

"So, left or right?" Percy asked as they took a few steps forward.

Annabeth seemed unsure.

When she pointed her flashlight down them, they seemed utterly identical for all I could see. Dark, unwelcoming, and empty, but very much the same.

I had heard her talk before about keeping to the left wall before they left, it seemed that plan had been utterly abandoned by now. That much did not surprise me, if it took that little to find your way through this ancient, magic filled labyrinth, Luke would most likely not have delayed his invasion so long.

"Left," She finally decided, in spite of it.

They walked forward, into the tunnel. I tried to follow them, but found myself utterly unable to move. And as the darkness swallowed them, their voices disappeared with them. And soon as the quiet and dark enveloped me as well, I felt my mind slip from the dream.

It simply left me no rest, these last four days had been bad enough, filled with worrying and doubt, but tonight had made it so much worse. No longer could I attempt to deceive myself that everything would be alright, that they'd be fine. Something had happened, they were split or worse and I had no one to blame but myself.

I should have done something, prevented them from going, or at the very least gone with them. But I hadn't, and now I was paying for my cowardice, or rather they were. Anger boiled up in me, how could I have been such a fool? Did I truly mistrust myself that much? Did I really believe I would somehow kill my own brother?

Though... as unlikely as it now seemed to me, I knew that not even a year ago I very well could have done so, if I had not made the choices I had. If not on Princess Andromeda, then surely I would have on Mount Othrys. The thought that I might have succeeded where Luke failed was little consolation. I had seen what might have happened, a nightmare, sure, but that fear had not come from nothing.

I might well have killed him even now, even if he was still alive, his death could still well be born of my inaction. By staying my hand so to speak, if one were to say it in the words of the prophecy, I thought bitterly, by brother's hand. Though something made me doubt my fears still, the prophecy spoke of the last...

"Planning to drown Luke's army with rain now instead, huh?" I heard Malcolm ask as he leaned on the palisade with me, startling me from my thoughts.

Confused, I turned to him, frowning at his words. I knew why he was here, but I had truly no idea just what he was trying to say.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, raising a brow and he smirked.

"You're brooding even worse today than these last days," He remarked. "I feel like you'll conjure up a storm to match your foul mood."

He gave a worried glance up, before looking back at me, his eyes narrowed.

"Though that should be impossible here." Malcolm finished with feigned concern.

"What can I say, I like pushing the boundaries of the possible." I said, before sighing. "Though in all seriousness, storms don't lend themselves to me..."

"Well that certainly alleviates my worries," Malcolm said dryly. "now I'll only have to worry about earthquakes when you lose your temper."

I rolled my eyes, and turned back to look down on the working campers below. Preparations were still in full swing, though we were making good progress. We had at least a third of the campers working at any given time in the day except for the meals. The others were busy, training on an intensified schedule, with an increased focus on archery and some formation drills.

Still, someone had to oversee the working campers, to make sure none were overly slacking off, and if anyone was, to engage in some friendly motivation. We counselors rotated the role, so in Silena's case it was even mostly true, though not everyone shared her methods. Nonetheless we all were effective in our way, well, perhaps with exception of the Stolls.

"Do you think it'll be enough?" I heard Malcolm ask from my side. "our preparations I mean."

"Depends what you consider enough," I answered doubtfully. "to truly win? Or to simply avoid losing?"

"Well, with the earthworks, barbed wire and trenches, it certainly looks like the Western Front." Malcolm joked, before turning more serious. "But I think the first is preferable nonetheless, we do not have the lives to spare."

"We barely have enough to properly fight them here in the first place." I agreed bitterly as I pondered his question.

My eyes wandered across the formerly green and serene clearing. Malcolm's comparison had been rather apt, though the trenches that cut through the earth of the clearing were much more ditches in truth. Filled and fortified with stakes, Greek fire and other pleasant surprises for our coming guests. Still, a machine gun there, a couple of artillery barrages here and we seriously could reconsider reenacting the battle of the Somme while we were at it.

A crescent shaped system of reinforced earthworks encircled the exit of the Labyrinth. The tall rocks of Zeus' Fist formed the back of the fortifications and would also be manned. It was a simple, albeit still both prudent and tested strategy we had decided to focus on, and it well-used what advantages we had.

"Well, we know precisely where he is coming from," I considered out loud. "and we are prepared for him, this will be a battle on our terms."

"Let us hope it truly is," Malcom agreed, smirking. "I much prefer dying with a say in it."

"This is your plan we are talking about for the most part," I pointed out, though he merely shrugged.

I sighed once more, shaking my head as I returned to my thoughts, focusing on the question once more.

It did not matter much with how many Luke marched here, through the exit of the Labyrinth he could at most fit seven people through it side by side. And that was only accounting for demigods or Dracaena.

Perhaps two cyclopes could squeeze through at once, if small enough and well-buttered. The mental image admittedly brought a small smile to my face. Even if they managed three, it would make but little difference.

He would not be able to form a proper battle-line, that much we had made sure of. We would not simply give him the pitched battle and easy triumph he wanted.

The field was littered with landmines and stretches of barbed wire we had borrowed from the Ares Cabin. They had not been happy about giving up their decor, but under the prospect of it actually bringing death and havoc, were rather easily convinced. Not to mention that I was rather sure Chiron was happy to rid himself of that safety hazard under any pretense.

In addition, the Hermes and Hephaestus children had been hard at work as well, covered pitfalls, tripwires, acid spraying pipes and improvised explosives made crossing the field a good way to get yourself killed and more.

Katie and her siblings had not been idle either, they had not been quite willing to tell just what grew on the face of the earthworks and Zeus' fist, only exchanging knowing looks. Though the red vines, bristling with thorns did not make me want to find out myself either, or get any closer than I necessarily needed to for that matter.

The entire clearing was a field of death, awaiting whoever was brave or foolish to cross it. With one exception that is, the long and narrow path from the exit of the Labyrinth to the single spot where there was a breach in our defenses, where would be awaiting them, though I was certain they would come all the same.

Monsters and Demigods alike tended to prefer a fighting chance over aimlessly and pointlessly throwing themselves into traps and certain death to clear another way through our lines. They would come, they would fail, and they would die.

"They are fighting an uphill battle against well-disciplined and far better motivated demigods." I pondered, talking as much to myself as to him. "I would not be surprised if for everyone of us that goes to Elysium we send a couple dozens of theirs back to Tartarus or to the Fields."

"I'd sure hope so, with our archers the path is the perfect kill-zone, it'll be a massacre, at least for them." Malcolm stated, continuing my train of thoughts. "If we are lucky, they'll break before long."

"And once they become desperate, it's over for them." I said, smirking. "Some will try to flee by forcing a way through our lines, dying in the attempt. Others will try to run back into the Labyrinth. And the most foolish ones will break all cohesion and try to flee to the sides. From that point on, their fate is sealed, it'll be a massacre."

"It is a good plan," The son of Athena concluded, smirking.

"You are rather biased are you not?" I pointed out, to which he merely shrugged.

"Maybe," He conceded. "but you still haven't answered my question. Will it be enough?"

That was the big question. We'd win a battle of attrition, we could most likely throw back whatever hordes and legions of Dracaena, Laistrygonian Giants, Hellhounds and traitors he threw at us. We'd not come out unbloodied ourselves, but we'd win. Still, I could not answer that question of his with a certain yes, worries gnawing at my mind.

Luke might have a truly powerful monster, be it the Nemean Lion, although I was hopeful he was still dead, or one of his siblings like the Chimera. An near invincible, extremely deadly lion breaking through your lines was hard to plan for, as was a living, walking and biting flamethrower.

Something akin to them and a good bit of misfortune could well turn what may have been a triumph into a massacre for us.

Still, I had greater worries than near invincible lions and far worse abominations. I knew the plans, and I had my own predictions, it was almost time, if it had not happened already.

"We'll win," I finally decided, though my tone was careful. "unless..."

"Unless?" Malcolm repeated, doubtful.

I knew that if the Elder Titan lords had returned from Tartarus, and one of them was leading the charge, we would not stand a chance. Koios, Krios, Iapetus, Hyperion, what I knew of them was only legends and tales, but if Oceanus was anything to go by, it would make no matter who it was, they were well equal to some of the Olympians.

Perhaps we could defeat one, they would still not be at full strength, I had defeated an Elder Cyclops after all, one of their brothers. But that was under the sea and I had nearly died in doing so.

Against someone nearly if not as powerful as perhaps Apollo or Artemis, on dry land? Even if we managed it, we would not do so before our line would break under the pressure in the mean-time.

"It doesn't matter," I told Malcolm with a shake of my head, swallowing my doubts.

There was no planning for that, we could plan for the battle itself, but there was no true preparing against such wildcards. It was pointless to prepare for it, what could we set against a Titan Lord?

He looked at me hard for a few seconds, before finally nodding and gazing at Zeus' fist.

"Let us hope so," Malcolm agreed, his fingers drumming on the palisade.

When I drifted to sleep that night, another dream found me, one that felt familiar, and did so in a very unsettling manner. Before I even truly saw where I was, I knew this was the Labyrinth, it felt as it had before, hostile, dangerous, alive. Despite the fact it looked utterly different, dusty red brick walls, white lamps along the walls, weakly flickering, there was no doubt about it.

Though I couldn't help but wonder, what was I doing here once more, after not even a day had passed? I did not hear Percy or Annabeth as I had before.

I heard almost nothing, but then my ears picked up something, a faint fast paced tapping like sound, footsteps, I realized, coming from the tunnel. I turned, and what I saw made me forget all my thoughts of why I was here.

Bianca.

A wave of relief washed over me, she was alive. As I tried to move towards her, I felt myself stuck in place, much to my frustration. Nor did my voice obey me, as I tried to call out her name.

But it didn't matter, nothing did in that moment, nothing, but the fact that she was alive.

Though as she came closer that relief was replaced with panic. Every time her feet hit the ground, she gave a wince, and every one of her breaths seemed pained. Her black jacket was torn at one side, almost as if something had bitten her. In the low light and on her dark clothes it was hard to tell if there was any blood, but I didn't need any to suspect something was wrong.

Her eyes were indication enough of that, the eyes that I was used to seeing with so much warm, and a glint in them. Fear and panic filled them now as they flickered from side to side, and I got the unshakable feeling something, or someone was chasing her.

With another, seemingly more painful wince, Bianca stumbled to halt, gritting her teeth with a small groan. Drawing in a sharp breath, she leaned her back against the wall to her side, slinging her backpack down in the same motion and pulling a small metal flask from it. All the while she kept her head turned away, eyes fearfully staring down the long tunnel behind her, as she took a greedy gulp.

Instantly, color returned to her face, and she seemed to stand sturdier, both physically and in presence. But I noticed something else, the sweat that almost instantly started pearling on her forehead, and the small feverish blush which had appeared on her face.

Clearly this had not been Bianca's first swallow of godly drink or food recently. There was no more doubting it now, they were not merely split, she was in danger.

And I could do nothing about it, that was the worst part of it. I was here, while she was down there. Though one thought gnawed at me, why was she still down there? Annabeth had said it herself, Bianca was their way out, the shadows were not bound by the Labyrinth's walls, as far as I knew at least. So, why hadn't she done so, shadow traveled?

I was unsure if she was even strong enough in her current state to do it for a proper journey, but I held a much greater worry, that she simply refused to. I was unsure if Bianca would be willing to leave the Labyrinth without the others, it would be a choice as dutiful as foolhardy. But I was unsure Bianca would be willing to look past that, as much I hoped for it, neither could I bear her death, nor would it do anything to help the others.

"Bianca?" I heard a voice ask in disbelief.

Instantly she whirled around, and worry flickered in her eyes. I turned myself, only then realizing who it belonged to.

"Nico?" Bianca asked, confused.

I shared her confusion, what was he doing here? Bianca did not seem to put much thought into it, however, as she started to move to him.

"You shouldn't be here," She said, worried. "you need to go, it is not safe her-"

"Don't Bianca," Nico cut her off, his tone cold. "you have no right to tell me that."

I noticed Bianca's small wince of hurt at his words, and felt a tug at my heartstrings as I saw her reaction. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes slightly lowered, seemingly unable to meet his. I could hardly blame her as I met them, barely contained hate and bitterness seeping out through them as he looked at her.

"Nico, please," Bianca tried again. "you need to listen to me."

"Why?" He spat back, his hand wandering to the pommel of the sword at his hip.

A cold chill went through me as my eyes settled on the gloomy black blade, which might as well have been made from the pitch-black shadows around us. One of Hades' gifts to be sure, but it was not the Stygian Iron that unsettled me, it was what came to my mind at that moment. To meet an end at brother's end, perhaps it would not be Percy after all, but this alternative was just as bad, if not worse.

I had considered it, that night with Bianca, but it had been only a fleeting thought. Now it seemed terribly real.

"Please," Bianca pleaded once more. "We don't have the time to stand here debating this."

"You are right, I don't have time to waste," Nico said and moved forward. "And I won't let you stop me,"

Bianca moved to block his way, and his scowl deepened.

"Get out of my way." Nico said, in a low, warning tone.

"No," She answered, remaining firmly in place. "I cannot do that, for your own sake."

"My sake?" Nico blistered with anger. "As if you truly care. Neither you nor Father do, though I cannot say who is worse."

It was hard to listen and watch it, I had been told plenty of Nico's bitterness and seen glimpses of it, but never to this extent.

"Would I be standing here if I did not care?" Bianca argued, before her voice grew soft. "And he does as well, I am sure of it."

"For you perhaps, but for me?" Nico answered, unmoved. "He barely acknowledges me, you might be his daughter, but what am I to him?"

"Nico..." Bianca looked away from him, seemingly unable to meet his eyes. "there is no point in turning your anger against him. I am the one you are angry with, and you have every right to be."

"It would have been better if you had simply stayed away after you ran off to the Hunt," Her brother answered. "perhaps he would not only look to you then."

I felt Bianca's hurt at his words, though she did not budge or move. Annoyance flickered in her eyes as she looked back to him, narrowing them with suspicion.

"Father does not know you are here, does he?" She asked, though it was more statement than question. "So why are you here, are you running away yourself?"

"I am not you, Bianca," Nico countered. "I'll prove my worth to father. He'll see it when I bring him Daedalus."

Bianca frowned and suspicion now rose in me as well.

"What are you talking about?" Bianca questioned him and for a moment Nico seemed to regret his words, before doubling down.

"He has escaped death and justice for far too long, longer than anyone should," The son of Hades told her. "I intend to put an end to that."

Those words seemed off, as if they were not truly his. It all did, why was he here? Why was he looking for Daedalus, why now? This was no mere coincidence, it couldn't be, something, or rather someone was behind it.

Instantly my thoughts turned to Kronos, it reeked of him. Nico would hardly be the first bitter demigod into whose dreams and mind he slipped, nor the first he turned against his family.

"What you are doing is foolish," Bianca told him, though he barely seemed to be listening, as he tried to shoulder past her.

She grabbed his arm, pulling him back and his own hand went to his side, when the tunnel suddenly shook and trembled. Fear returned to Bianca's eyes, as a roaring scream echoed from it. Her eyes widened as she turned to Nico, who struggled to escape her grip.

"She is coming," I heard Bianca mutter, in the same fearful tone that Annabeth and Percy had spoken of her.

I got the eerie feeling the being they were talking of was one and the same. And one that must be truly terrifying at that, for it to evoke such terror in Annabeth, Percy and Bianca...

"Who?" Nico asked, halting his struggle, clearly taken aback by her sudden fear.

"Kampê," Was all she answered, sending a chill down my spine.

AN: Whoah, I actually updated, after... seven weeks, yeah, I am sorry, I couldn't keep the pace, at all. No promises this time.

Still, I hope you enjoyed reading and would greatly appreaciate a follow or favorite

and above all, review help motivate me, so please, review