Hiya, you fine people!
Enjoy this chapter, it's very exciting :O
Haha, hope you like it.
There will be SPOILERS FOR HOUSE OF HADES at the END OF THIS PAGE
I repeat, SPOILERS FOR HOUSE OF HADES.
I accidentally read one before I got the book, and I was soo mad!
Anyway, please read and review!
Chapter thirty-seven: Talos
~Penelope's POV~
Walking across an island with a son of Zeus and a son of Poseidon was less awkward than Pen had
imagined it would be.
They actually got along pretty well and for the first time Penelope felt like she was with people who
could really understand what she was going through.
Percy and Jason had both lost their memories as well because of Hera, and so she didn't feel uncomfortable when Jason asked if she'd remembered anything so far.
"Well, I don't know if it's a memory" she confessed "But I heard a voice saying I give you my blessing child and the feel of a warm hand touching me. It's not much."
"But that's great!" Percy sounded enthusiastic and Jason nodded
"Yeah, now you've remembered a little thing, you're probably going to remember everything soon.
That's really good news!"
Penelope smiled at them, grateful for them trying to cheer her up, but inside she didn't feel like this was good news at all. She wasn't even sure she wanted to remember her old life. Not if it would
change the way she felt about her friends.
The more she thought about it, the scarier getting her memory back seemed.
What if she didn't belong anywhere at all? Back at camp, the others had told her about
loners, demigods who don't go to camp but choose to survive on their own, never belonging anywhere.
Or if, even worse, she'd been a horrible person in her life before? What if she had other friends, friends on the bad side? There were too many things that could go wrong if she ever got her memory back.
But she couldn't bring herself to wipe the encouraging looks off her friends' faces so she smiled instead and said
"Yeah, it is." as convincingly as she could. Luckily children of Hecate seemed to have an aptitude for hiding their true feelings.
"So, is there anything we're specifically looking for?" Percy asked, glancing around them. The landscape was pretty southern, dry ground and clumps of spindly trees, lots of boulders and an occasional stream. It was amazing how big the island was, and how it had seemed to pop up out of
nowhere. Penelope was almost sure something was going to happen here, but she didn't get the feeling it would help them. "Don't know"
After another half hour or so of checking out the island, Jason had just suggested they head back when Percy pointed to their left, where a valley swooped down below them. "What's that?"
Penelope looked where he was pointing, and saw a bronze shine through the trees. A very big bronze shine.
"Looks like Celestial Bronze" Jason said, squinting down.
"Maybe it's one of those scrap parts Hephaestus flings onto earth every now and then!" Percy said
excitedly. "We could bring it to Leo, I bet we could use some more celestial bronze!"
Penelope considered this. On the one hand, walking into a valley towards an unknown source of divine metal didn't seem like a good idea, especially on an island like this.
On the other, retrieving the bronze would take them a bit, which meant she could avoid the ship for a little while longer. Plus, there was a strong magical feel down in that valley, which should have scared her off, but only made her want to examine it all the more.
"I say we go. There's magic down there, maybe we'll find something interesting." she said, and Percy and her turned to Jason who shrugged.
"Okay. As long as the something interesting doesn't want to eat us, I'm, fine."
And so the three of them made their way down the slope, carefully walking into the little wood at the bottom of it.
Percy and Jason both had their swords at the ready, so Penelope got her knife out as well. She only hoped she wouldn't need to use it.
When they arrived at the bottom of the valley, the first thing she noticed was how much drier the ground had become. No stream flowed here, and the leaves of the trees were dry and brittle, coloured a rusty brown.
Percy seemed to have noticed this as well and was shifting uncomfortably, as if the lack of water drained him, too.
"So, where is this Celestial stuff?" he asked, aiming for a light tone but kinda failing.
"That way" Jason said, leading them to the east, looking uneasy himself.
Penelope could understand the boys' apprehension, this place was way creepier than the rest of the island. The magic surrounding it was so obvious, Penelope felt like she could have picked a ball of it from the air. Her senses weren't as acute as her siblings yet, but she was pretty sure this was a concealment spell, and an extremely powerful one at that. Something that needed hiding like this would not be small.
Just when she was about to suggest they return to the ship and leave the bronze, Jason stopped, and she walked into him.
"Ow!" "Sorry!" "Quiet!"
They all fell silent, as they stared at the sight before them.
It was a ditch, a huge basin in the ground, completely filled with Celestial bronze. But the bronze wasn't scrap bits. In front of them, a huge round place with a little ridge in the middle and two slits
lay. They were looking at a gigantic metal face.
Fear gripped Penelope as she took in the rest of the metal body. It was impossibly big, and the worst part was, it was alive.
What she took to be the chest was rising and sinking, a little too un-rhythmically for her liking.
"Let's go" she whispered to the others, but Percy and Jason stood staring at the metal giant.
"I've seen him before" Percy whispered, and Penelope could see anguish in his face.
"What? When?"
"Back when I was fourteen. We came across something like him in a junk yard. This is Talos, one of Hephaestus' automatons. Back then we only saw a prototype. But he...he killed one of my friends."
Silence followed Percy's words as both Jason and Penelope looked at him in horror. If what Percy had met back then had been a prototype and still killed a demigod, what would this thing do to them? Somehow Penelope didn't believe this was another prototype. This was the real Talus.
Very, very quietly, she edged backwards. The automaton rumbled. Uh-oh she thought. It's waking up.
They all retreated as carefully as they could. But even though they made hardly any noise, the monstrous form of Talus shifted, and to Penelope's horror, started to get up. Thankfully, its head was
facing away from them, but this didn't stop its massive body from scaring the Hades out of them.
Suddenly, a crow flew from the branches behind them, shrieking loudly as if saying Hey, Talos! Some tasty snacks behind ya!
They all held their breath, as Talos cocked his head to listen. Then, slowly, the giant turned his head,
and looked directly at them, his eyes glowing a fiery red like Festus's only not half as friendly.
Penelope could feel her breathing coming in rapid gusts, her whole body petrified with terror.
This thing was scarier than anything she'd ever faced before, just because of its size.
But at the moment it didn't seem to be making a move to attack them. It simply sat there, probably considering whether they were worth the trouble of sitting up.
Just as Penelope dared to hope they could inch away without getting flattened, Talos roared and Percy yelled "Run!"
It was difficult to break through the paralysis she was in and Penelope suspected the magic of this place was trying to stop them leaving. But when Talos roared again and started to stand up, they all finally managed to break free and ran back through the woods, towards the hill.
They had barely reached it when Talos set a giant foot onto the earth, making the whole ground shake like an earthquake.
Pen could feel her feet leaving the ground, and saw Percy crash head-first into a boulder, crumpling to the ground. Jason went flying as well, but managed to catch himself in mid-air before landing
a few feet away.
She herself went sprawling to the ground, her breath leaving her in a big whoosh.
When she righted herself, Talos loomed over them, his massive form casting a shadow so long it reached the top of the hill.
There was no where to run, Penelope realised. Percy was out and even if she and Jason managed to grab him in time, and Jason somehow got them to the air, the automaton could simply swat them with one of his giant hands.
Even worse, Penelope could see the thick armour covering its insides, making their weapons useless. They were cornered by a massive killing machine, and none of them would be able to switch it off.
Machine. Mechanic. Leo!
With a howl, Penelope realised there might be one person who could help them.
But how could she call for him knowing it would just put him in immeasurable danger? Especially with what Aphrodite had said...
A tragic end...
No, this was no time to think of it. Already Talos was lifting a huge hand, ready to kill them with one swat. Penelope saw Jason flying up to his face, zapping him with lightning, but it was no use.
Talos was too powerful.
So, begging that this wouldn't be both of their death-sentence, she lunged for her pouch which was miraculously lying two feet away and got out the little emergency signal transmitter.
She pushed the button, and a red light glowed on the device, blinking manically. Please hear this, Leo, she thought as she got up and hurried over to Percy.
Talos was engaged with Jason at the moment, but Pen knew he wouldn't last long if she didn't help.
So, she dragged Percy behind the bolder with difficulty, hoping that it would be enough to shield him.
Then she stepped out, gathered all her strength and let the fire of Hecate alight her hands in purple flames, the familiar feeling of power coursing through her.
Aiming straight for the giant's face, she threw the purple fire, hitting Talos directly between the eyes. He cried out in pain, but the flames didn't seem to affect him very much.
Jason started zapping his hands, trying to stop them from grabbing him, but Penelope could see he was getting weary.
Again, she concentrated all her power and threw another hand of flames at Talos, this time aiming at his shoulder.
The fire managed to hit a chink in his armour and he roared in outrage, swatting at the purple flames, extinguishing them. Now the giant was really angry.
Before he knew what was happening, Jason had been knocked out of the air, crashing into the ground.
"Jason!" Penelope cried and started to run over to his crumpled form, but Talos was quicker. His massive hand hit the floor just inches next to Penelope, and the impact sent her flying right next to where Jason lay. Her body screamed in pain as it hit jagged rocks, making black dots appear in front of her eyes.
Talos towered over them, raising his hands for a final blow.
Penelope knew they wouldn't survive this.
Leo, she thought groggily, blood flowing down the side of her face.
I'm so sorry.
SPOLER ALERT _SPOILER ALERT
Ohmygods, Leo and Calypso! Personally I prefer Lenelope (hehehehe)
but Caleo is waaay better than Lazel or Leyna!
So yey for that!
Also poor Nico! It fits perfectly with the plot though, but poor him!
Percabeth's Tartarus scenes were amazing, but I hope Rick doesn't let them forget the
time spent there in the next book, as they would be really traumatised.
None of the seven died, which was shocker! But in a good way!
Poor Bod, I love you Bob.
Anyway, soo excited for Blood of Olympus.
Waaaah *fangirls and dies*