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Rats

It took a good twenty minutes to reach the palace. As they approached the magnificent structure, Jason noticed there was nothing carved on it. The sides were as smooth as glass, and the lowest window opened two hundred feet above the ground. Something was off, but he couldn't quite place it. Something was missing. "There's no door," he said aloud.

"No," said Viktus. "Doors are for those who lack enemies. Even the most accomplished climber cannot find a foothold here."

Nico ran his hand along the polished stonewalls. There wasn't a crack, not even the tiniest nick in the surface. "So, how do you get inside?"

"We usually fly, but if one's bat cannot accommodate..." Viktus gestured above his head. Everyone craned their necks back and saw that a platform was being rapidly lowered from a large, rectangular window. It caught on the ropes that supported it about a foot from the ground, and Viktus stepped aboard.

The demi-gods' hesitation melted as soon as Hazel clambered on, and the rest followed suit. The platform immediately rose, and all five demi-gods started to violently stagger and collide into each other, scrambling for a side rope to steady themselves while Viktus stood calmly with his hands folded before him.

The ascent was rapid and even. The platform leveled off at the window before a small, stone staircase and all five demi-gods proceeded to stumble into a large room with vaulted ceilings. A group of three Land-dwellers, all with the same translucent skin and violet eyes, waited to greet them.

"Good late day," said Viktus, nodding to the Land-dwellers. "Meet you the Sky-dwellers who have most recently fallen among us. Please bathe them and then proceed to the High Hall." Without a backward glance, Viktus strode out of the room.

While the rest stared awkwardly at the Land-dwellers, Jason sneaked a peak at how Hick was doing. It seems that her condition is much stable now. If she had lost control of herself, he couldn't guarantee if everyone would be alive by now. It's times like this when Ryan is desperately needed. That boy always had the special ability to stop… whatever it is inside Hick that makes her go berserk and murderous, from coming out.

He returned his gaze to the Land-dwellers that still waited on them. None of them had Dane's arrogance or Viktus' easy commanding presence. They were just regular people. He bet they feel as weird as they do.

"Well, about time you get this shit cleaned up," Hick broke the silence, spinning Nico around to show the Land-dwellers the poop stains on his scaly butt.
"Oh, that's nasty," commented Hazel, exchanging cheeky grins with Hick.
"Sh-Shut up!" said Nico, very much abashed. The Land-dwellers resolve melted like butter in a skillet and they started to laugh, much to Jason's relief, and the stiffness left their bodies.

Speaking of scaly legs, Jason realized his legs were starting to shed the mermaid scales. He met Percy's gaze, who seemed to have arrived to that realization too. They needed pants, pronto.

The group left the entrance room and walked down a spacious hallway. They passed dozens of arched doorways that opened into large chambers, staircases, and halls. Hick immediately realized she'd need a map to navigate the place. She could ask directions, but that wouldn't be too smart if she was trying to escape. They could call her their guest, but it didn't change the fact that she and her team were now prisoners. They did kill a lot of the Stingers, and the Stingers were the Land-dwellers' allies. Perhaps after getting them washed up, the Land-dweller were going to kill them. After all, guests could leave if they wanted to. Prisoners had to escape. And that was exactly what she planned to do.

Just then they stopped at a doorway. Hick could hear water running, and steam wafted out into the hall.

Must be the bathroom, she thought. She looked inside and saw that a wall divided the room into two sections.

"I will take the ladies. And you two lads shall go in there. Harpett and Barog shall escort you," said the plump, matronly female Land-dweller as she indicated to one side.

Hick guessed it must be girls on one side, boys on the other, like locker rooms. She felt uneasy, not having Nico, Percy and Jason around with her and Hazel. Her pulse started to quicken.

She must have been radiating fear again, because the very next second, Nico had slipped his fingers in between hers. He gave her a reassuring smile, the sweet little brother he is. And then, they separated.

"So how do you guys have hot and cold running water?" Hazel asked the Land-dweller lady, whose name was Miullark.

She told her the water was pumped from a series of hot and cold springs.

"And then it just empties back into a spring?" she asked innocently. From the corner of her eye, she could see Hick smirk. She knew what her sister was trying get to.

"Oh, no, that would not be fresh," said Miullark. "The dirty water falls into the river beneath the palace and then flows to the Waterway. That is our only source of water for now, every since the rats blocked the other Waterways. Who knows how long that water source can last us, though."

It was just the information Hazel needed. The river beneath the palace was their way out. They veered off to the right. The place did kind of resemble a locker room if locker rooms were gorgeous and smelled good. Exotic sea creatures were carved into the walls, and oil lamps cast a golden glow.

Okay, but it's got benches and lockers, sort of, Hazel thought, taking in the rows of stone benches and the open cubicles that lined one side of the room. There, they had to strip themselves off their clothes and wear around them milky white silk towels.

As soon as Miullark dropped them off at a small, steaming pool with steps that led down into the water, and as soon as Hazel entered the steaming pool, the scales peeled off her legs and drifted off in the water, revealing her naked skin beneath. The girls proceeded to scrub themselves down using a sponge and some gloopy stuff Hazel found in a bowl by the pool.

"So what's your plan, Sherlock?" said Hick, as she lathered her hair and even cleaned the inside of her ears, wanting to get every bit of Sky-dweller smell off her. If they were going to try to escape, she needed to be as odorless as possible. There had to be a reason why the Land-dwellers are so obsessed with getting rid of their smell.

"By midnight, when the castle is asleep. We trace the water source to the Waterway and escape," replied Hazel.

"So, what happened to our clothes?" asked Percy, as soon as he, Jason and Nico exited the washroom.

"They have been burned, and your weapons cleansed and stored in the royal museum," said Barog apprehensively. Percy sensed Barog was afraid they'd be mad. And boy was he.

"It is most dangerous to keep them," said Harpett by way of explanation. "The ash carries no scent. So we've provided you with some of our native clothes."

He then proceeded to gesture at a neat pile of smoky blue garments. A shirt, pants, and what seemed to be underwear. They were much finer than the towels. Nico had reached out to touch the fabric, and it seemed to run silkily through his fingers.

"After a few days of our food, you will be without much odor, too," said Barog encouragingly.

"That'll be nice," said Percy dryly. These Land-dwellers were sure obsessed with their smell. He was starting to get offended.

Barog and Harpett led them up several staircases and through a maze of halls. They eventually wound up in a long room that opened out on to a balcony. "We call this the High Hall," said Harpett. "I think you guys forgot the roof," said Nico. Percy surveyed his surroundings. While the walls were decorated with the greatest care, there was nothing but the black cavern above their heads. Harpett laughed. "Oh, no, it is meant to be so. We entertain here often, and many bats can arrive at once." Percy imagined the bottleneck a hundred bats would cause trying to get in the door downstairs. He could see the advantage of a bigger landing strip The dining room led up a flight of stairs to a tall platform in the High Hall. Viktus, Hick and Hazel had apparently arrived before them, and Hick sounded far from happy with Viktus.

"I can't believe you burnt all my stuff! My clothes, my sandwiches, my brass knuckles, my… my PHONE!" yelled Hick.
"I don't know what this… 'phone' is that you keep speaking of. My apologies. It is natural for you to be upset, Hick the Sky-dweller, but you must understand we are doing this for your safety," said Viktus.
"Forgive her, it's just that Hick has a lot of memories kept in her phone," came Hazel's calm voice.

"Damn. They burnt Hick's phone?" said Jason, as they climbed up the stairs.
"That explains why she's yelling her head off," said Nico. "Back in the cabin, she always shows Hazel and I all sorts of photos of her with these two guys, Ryan and José. Especially this Ryan guy. I think she likes him. And I think she misses her old life."

Percy clenched his fists, trying not to let his anger get the better of him. Good, burn the damn phone, he thought sulkily. He hated it. He hated the fact that he felt this way. He hated the fact that he was thinking selfish thoughts. When did he start to fall for Hick, anyway? Percy shook his head. Snap out of it! he told himself inwardly. It's got to be a passing fancy. It's got to be. Besides, there were more important matters to think about. Like why I have pathetic control over the waters in this world.

They eventually reached the top, with Barog and Harpett following close behind them, probably to ensure that they did not escape.

A table had been set for eight, surrounded by what seemed to be several Land-dweller human servants, with the same translucent complexion and silvery hair as Dane and Viktus. Hick had apparently stopped yelling and was had crossed her arms while standing before her assigned dining seat. Hazel was standing next to her, staring apologetically at an uneasy Viktus.

"So! What's for dinner? Shall we not stand on ceremony?" said Nico, as soon as he, Percy and Jason had taken their places behind their assigned dining seats. Percy had, much to his dismay, been seated beside Hick.

Before Viktus could reply, Dane swept into the room in a suit that was a lot fancier than the clothes he'd worn in the stadium. He was with a shorter young boy who Percy guessed was about sixteen. He was laughing at something Dane had just said. Percy recognized him from the stadium. It was the rider who'd felt cocky enough to lie down on his bat as they'd swirled around Percy and Hick.

Another show-off, thought Percy. But the guy gave him such a friendly look that Percy decided not to jump to conclusions. Dane was annoying, but most of the other Land-dwellers were okay.

"My cousin, Henry," said Dane shortly.

Henry gave them a low bow and came up grinning. "Welcome, Sky-dweller," he said. Then he wound his arm around Percy and Hick's neck, speaking in a dramatically hushed voice. "Beware the fish, for Dane plans to poison you directly!"

Viktus laughed, and even Dane smiled. It was a joke, Percy realized. These people actually had a sense of humor.

"Beware your fish, Henry," returned Dane as he took his seat. "I gave orders to poison scoundrels, forgetting you would be dining as well."

Henry winked at Hick. "Switch plates with the bats," he whispered, and at that moment two bats swooped into the room from the High Hall. "Ah, the bats!"

Percy recognized the golden bat Dane had been riding earlier. A large gray bat fluttered into a chair near Viktus, and everyone else took a seat.

"Sky-dwellers, meet you Aurora and Euripedes. They are bonded to Dane and myself," said Viktus, extending a flexed hand to the gray bat on his right. Euripedes brushed the hand with his wing. Dane and his golden bat Aurora performed the same exchange.

Percy had thought the bats were like horses, but now he could see they were equals. Did they talk?

"Greetings, Sky-dwellers," said Euripedes in a soft purring voice.

Yeah, they talked. Percy began to wonder if his fish dinner would want to chat as he sliced into it.

"Nice to meet you," said Jason politely, while the other demi-gods looked on in stunned silence. "What does that mean, that you're bonded to each other?"

"We humans formed a special alliance with the bats," said Viktus. "Both sides saw the obvious advantages to joining together. But beyond our alliance, individual bats and humans may form their own union. That is called bonding."
"And what do you do if you're bonded to a bat? I mean, besides play ball games together," joked Percy.

There was a pause in which glances were exchanged around the table between Dane, Viktus and Henry.

"Dude, I think you just pissed them off," said Jason from across the table.

"We keep each other alive," Dane said finally, and rather coldly.
"Oh, I didn't know," said Percy sheepishly.
"Of course, you did not," said Viktus, shooting a look at Dane. "You have no parallel in the land of Land-dwellers, Percy the Sky-dweller."
"And do you bond with the crawlers, too?" Nico asked, munching on a couple of what seemed to be some sort of miniature purple broccoli from a saucer of exotic vegetable appetizers.
Henry snorted with laughter. "I would as soon bond with a stone. At least it could be counted on not to run away in battle."

Dane broke into a grin. "And perhaps you could throw it. I suppose you could throw a crawler..."
"But then I would have to touch it!" said Henry, and the two cracked up.

Percy raised his brows. Boy, did their sense of humour suck.

"The crawlers are not known for their fighting ability," said Viktus, by way of explanation to the demi-gods. He was not laughing, and neither were the surrounding Land-dweller human servants who waited on them. He turned to Dane and Henry. "Yet they live on. Perhaps when you can comprehend the reason for their longevity you will have more respect for them."

Henry and Dane attempted to look serious, although their eyes were still laughing.

"It is of little consequence to the crawlers whether I respect them or not," said Henry lightly.

"Perhaps not, but it is of great consequence whether Dane does. Or so it will be in one year when he comes of age of twenty to rule," said Viktus. "At that time, foolish jokes at the crawlers' expense may make the difference between Terra's existence and annihilation. "

This sobered Dane up for real, but it killed the conversation. Percy thought he understood what Viktus had meant. The crawlers would make better friends than enemies, and humans shouldn't go around insulting them. Just then, a platter with a whole grilled fish was set in front of him. The fish resembled the ones Percy was used to except it had no eyes.

"Hey! No eyes!" Hick had echoed Percy's thoughts out loud. She was trying to break the tense silence with nonchalance and enthusiastic humour as usual. It was her way of coping in stressful situations, Percy could tell. And so could the other demi-gods.

"Gramps and I had once watched a show on TV about fish that lived way down deep in some cave and didn't have eyes either, the same day Ryan and José came over for a sleepover," continued Hick, jabbing away at where the fish's eye was suppose to be. "The weird thing was that when the scientists brought some up to study in a lab, the fish had sensed the light and had grown eyes. Not right away, but in a few generations.

"Gramps - he's a scientist - had gotten very excited over the show and had taken me to the American Museum of Natural History to look for eyeless fish. We had ended up at the museum a lot, just the two of us. Gramps was crazy about science, and it seemed as if he wanted to pour everything in his brain right into mine. It was a little dangerous, because even a simple question could bring on a half-hour explanation. Grandma had always said, 'Ask your gramps the time, and he tells you how to make a clock.' But he was so happy explaining, and I couldn't help but be intrigued by all the knowledge he could contain."

"Hick," Hazel began. The girl was starting to babble, and her panic was starting to show.

"Besides! The rain forest exhibit was lovely, and so was the cafeteria with french fries shaped like dinosaurs!"

"Hick," whispered Hazel, a little more urgently.

"We had never really figured out how the fish had known to grow eyes! Gramps had had some theories, of course! But he couldn't explain how the fish had been able to change so fast and – "

"Hick!" said Percy, grabbing Hick by her shoulder. She stopped immediately. He could see it in her eyes. She wanted her phone back, and she missed home, but she won't say it. Instead, she had instinctively plastered that same forced smile she usually wears.
"Sorry," she apologized with a forced laugh. "L-Let's eat, shall we?"

From the corner of his eye, Percy could see Dane, Henry and Viktus staring at Hick rather strangely.

After a painfully silent dinner watched closely by a couple of Sky-dweller guards, Percy found him and his teammates shown to the sleeping quarters for guests. He and Jason were shown to one room. Before Percy entered his designated sleeping quarter, he saw from the corner of his eyes the three Hades kids being ushered into a room just three doors down. Hick had glanced up at met his eyes briefly. And then she disappeared behind the door.

Hick got up from her bed and groped her way to the curtain and pushed the edge aside. There was enough torchlight from the far hall for him to make out the passage was empty. The Land-dwellers had not bothered to post guards at the door now that they knew the demi-gods better. They were making an effort to make them feel like a guest and, anyway, where would they go?

Down the river, she thought grimly while Hazel filled Nico in on their plan to escape. Wherever that leads.

Percy tried to lift droplets of water from a silver goblet of water. Several tiny, tiny droplets sporadically rise and dropped until Percy finally gave up and pushed the goblet away.

"Can't control it, huh?" said Jason, watching him closely as he sat on the windowsills. "I thought it was just me when I felt my flight abilities straining as soon as we entered this world."

"Do you think… maybe because our parents are gods in this world? So we don't have much control over our own elements?"
"Possibly."

Just then, their bedroom door opened and in poked Hazel's head, followed by Nico's, and then Hick's. "Guys, follow us!" Hazel whispered gleefully.

Their bedrooms were conveniently close to the bathroom, and all five demi-gods followed their way to the watery sound. The Hades kids' plan was simple. The river ran under the palace. If they could make their way to the ground floor without losing the sound of water, they should find the place it drained into the river.

If the plan was simple, its execution was clearly not. It took them several hours to weave their way down through the palace. The bathrooms were not always near the stairs, and they found themselves having to backtrack so they wouldn't lose the sound of rushing water. Twice they had to duck into rooms and hide whenever any one of them spotted the Land-dwellers. Along the way, Hick had managed to pick out in the castle's royal museums what seemed to be a few yellow construction helmets with torches embedded in them, obviously from their world. "Figure it'll come in useful," she had said.

Finally the sound of water became stronger, and they made their way to the lowest level of the building. Hick followed her ears to where the roar was loudest and sneaked through a doorway. When Miullark had told Hazel about the "river", Hick had pictured the serene rivers that flowed through Apple Valley in California. But this river looked like something out of an action adventure movie. It wasn't terribly wide, but it ran with such speed that the surface was churned into white foam. He couldn't guess its depth, but it had enough power to carry large boulders by as if they were empty soda cans.

"No wonder the Land-dwellers didn't bother to post a guard on the dock," said Hazel.

"But you must be able to travel on it. They have boats," said Hick, gesturing to half a dozen crafts tied up above the rush of the current. They were made out of some kind of skin stretched over a frame. They reminded her of the canoes at college camp. Trying not to think of the bobbing boulders, Hazel carefully climbed into one of the boats and checked it out. Then she looked over her shoulder at her teammates.

"Come on then!" she called out, and they all clambered onto the boat.

"How do you get this thing down in the water?" Percy wondered as he seated himself way at the back beside Hick. Two ropes held it aloft. They were attached to a metal wheel that was affixed to the dock. "Well, here goes nothing," Hick said, and before her teammates could protest, gave the wheel a yank. It gave a loud creak, and the boat fell straight into the river, knocking all of them on their rear end. The current swept up the boat like it was a dried leaf. Jason and Nico instinctively grasped the sides of the boat while Hazel hung onto Nico for dear life and Percy grabbed onto Hick before she could be flung out of the boat, as they shot into the darkness. Hearing voices, the Hick and Percy seated way at the butt of the boat managed to look back at the dock for a moment. Two Land-dwellers were screaming something after them. The river curved and they vanished from sight.

Hick met Percy's fearful gaze. Would they come after them? Of course they would come after them. But they had a head start, or so that was what Hick thought to reassure herself. How far was it to the Waterway? What was the Waterway, and once they got there, where do they go next?

At the front row, Hazel, Nico and Jason would have been more concerned about these questions if they weren't trying so hard to keep everyone on board alive. Along with the boulders, Nico and Jason had managed to steer the boast and dodge the jagged black rocks that jutted out of the water under Nico's instructions. The resourceful kid had found an oar lying along the bottom of the boat earlier on and used it to deflect the boat off the rocks.

"Percy, can you control the waters here? I don't think I can keep this up!" yelled Nico.
"I… I can't!" returned Percy. "I'm trying but I can't entirely control the waters in this world!"

"Stop!" Nico thought he'd heard someone call out. Was it his imagination or - no! There it was again. The Land-dwellers must be closing in on them. The river swerved and suddenly he could see a little better. A long cavern lined with crystals shimmered around him, reflecting back the beaming torchlight from his yellow construction helmet.
,br Nico made out a glittering beach flanking one side of the river up ahead. A tunnel led from the beach into the dark. "To the beach!" he commanded. Immediately, he and Jason pushed off a rock and pointed the boat toward the beach and paddled desperately with the oars for the shore. The canoe slammed into the beach. And everyone jerked forward.

The demi-gods heard the Land-dwellers yell in the distance and sped up, with Hick assuming the lead. "This way!" she called out to her teammates. She had just reached the mouth of the tunnel when she ran headfirst into something warm and furry. Startled, she staggered back a few paces, and switched on the torch on her helmet. Something stepped out into the dim light. Hick's knees turned to jelly and she sunk slowly to the sand.

"Ah, here you are at last," said the rat idly. "By your reek we expected you ages ago. Look, Fangor, this she-human has brought four more treats with her."

A long nose poked over the first rat's shoulder. It had a friend.

"What a tidbit she is," said Fangor in a smooth, rich voice.

"My, my~ A five course meal is tempting. I find myself quite torn by so many choices. I would like to start with this one though. Say, stand you, girl, and let us better tell your stuffing," said Shed, kicking his paws at Hick. Percy immediately grabbed Hick by her arm, pulled her to her feet and back away from the large drooling rats.

The cockroaches had been freaky, the bats intimidating, but these rats were purely terrifying. Sitting back on their haunches, they were a good six feet tall, and their legs, arms, whatever you called them, bulged with muscle under their gray fur. But the worst part of all was their teeth, six-inch incisors that protruded out of their whiskered mouths. They were way scarier than the carnivorous sheep back home.

Fangor's nose quivered. "They had fish for supper. Mushrooms, grain, and just a bit of leaf. Now that's flavorful, you must admit, Shed." "But the dark one has gorged on stewed cow and cream," returned Shed, gesturing at Hazel, who immediately was shielded by Nico.

Now Percy knew what all the fuss about bathing had been. If the rats could detect the handful of greens he'd eaten hours earlier, they must have an unbelievable sense of smell. The Land-dwellers hadn't been rude when they'd wanted them to bathe. They had been trying to keep them alive!

They had to stall for time to come up with a plan. It is times like this Hick wish she had her brass knuckles. But the Land-dwellers had not returned it to her. Hick brushed the sand off her clothes and tried to adopt the rats' casual banter. "Do I have any say in this?" she asked, trying to stall for time.

To her surprise, Fangor and Shed laughed. "She speaks!" said Shed. "What a treat! Usually we get nothing but shrieks and whimpers! Tell us, Sky-dweller, what makes you so brave?"

"Oh, I'm not brave," said Hick. "Bet you can smell that."

The rats laughed again. "True, your sweat carries much fear, but you conceal it well indeed, and still managed to address us."

"Well, I thought you might like to get to know your meal better."
"I like her, Shed!" howled Fangor.
"I like her, too!" choked Shed. "The humans are commonly most dreary. Say we may keep her, Fangor."
"Oh, Shed, how is that to be? It would entail much explaining, and besides, all this laughter gives me hunger," said Fangor.
"And me," said Shed. "But you must agree, to eat such amusing prey is a great pity."
"A great pity, Shed," said Fangor. "But without remedy. Shall we?"

And with that, both rats bared their teeth and started moving in on them. Hazel followed suit and held green flames in her palms while Jason and Nico held up the boat oars they still carried with them as weapons. Hick, with great difficulty, summoned a small ball of green underworld flames and hurled it at the rats. The rats pulled up short. At first Hick thought they were afraid of the flame, but it was something more. They looked stunned.

"Mark you, Shed, under the light of green. The girl has red hide," said Fangor in a hushed voice. His beady eyes were watching Hick closely now.
"I mark it, Fangor," said Shed quietly. "And she smells of countless slays. Think you she is ...?"
"She is not if we kill her!" Fangor growled, leaping pass Nico and Hazel, and lunging for Hick's throat.

"No!" Percy yelled, yanking Hick behind his back.

The first bat came in so silently that neither the demi-gods nor the preoccupied rats saw it. It caught Fangor mid-leap, knocking him off course before he could rip Percy's face off. Fangor plowed into Shed, and the rats landed in a heap. Instantly they regained their feet and turned on their assailants.

Hick saw Henry, Barog, and Harpett zigzagging their bats above the rats' heads. Besides avoiding one another in limited space, they had to dodge the wicked claws of the rats. Fangor and Shed could easily leap ten feet in the air, and the sparkling ceiling of the cavern over the beach was not much higher.

The humans began to dive at the rats, wielding swords. Fangor and Shed fought back viciously with claws and teeth. Blood began to stain the beach, but Hick couldn't tell whose it was.

"Flee!" Henry shouted at the demi-gods as he whipped past them. "Flee, Sky-dwellers!"

At that moment, Shed caught the wing of Barog's bat in his teeth and hung on. The bat struggled to free itself, but Shed held fast. Harpett came in behind Shed, taking off his ear with one stroke of her sword. Shed gave a howl of pain, releasing Barog's bat.

"Watch out!" Nico yelled.

Too late. As Harpett pulled out of her dive, Fangor leaped onto her bat, ripping a chunk of fur off its throat and hurling her to the ground. Harpett hit her head on the cavern wall as she landed and was knocked out. Fangor loomed over her and aimed his teeth at her neck.

Hick didn't remember thinking of his next move, it just happened. One minute she was pressed against the wall, and the next she had jumped forward and, with her arm ablaze with green underworld flames, punctured her right arm into Fangor's left up to the elbows. The rat shrieked and stumbled backward, right into the oar Jason had slammed into him. Fangor's lifeless body fell to the ground, taking the wooden paddle with it.

"How fly you, Barog?" yelled Henry.

"We can hold!" cried Barog, although his bat was spraying blood from its wounded wing. Things didn't look good. Barog's bat was losing control, Henry was unarmed, Harpett was unconscious, her bat was gasping for air on the ground, and Shed was insane with pain and fear. Though bleeding badly, he had lost none of his speed or strength.

Barog was trying desperately to keep the rat from Harpett, but he was just one guy. Henry flew interference, but he couldn't get in too close without a sword. Hick met her teammates' gaze. They had to do something. So still gripping on to the boat oar, Nico got in front of the badly injured Harpett.

With all the strength he could muster, Percy tried to call on a tidal wave but all that was summoned from the river was a small splash. True to what he had claimed, earlier on the river wasn't listening to his commands. From the corner of her eye, Hick watched as Jason tried to emit a bolt of electric current to shoot at Shed. All that the Zeus kid could conjure up were two tiny electric sparks. And the underworld flames Hazel had summoned within her fingertips were starting to wane as her stamina started to take a downturn. Hick clenched her fists, her right arm still sticky with blood from having punctured Fangor's left eye. This was bad.

Then Shed leaped, catching Barog's bat by the feet. The bat slammed into the wall and so did Barog. The rat turned on the demi-gods. He was looking straight at Hick.

"Now you die!" screamed Shed. As Shed lunged at them, Nico charged forward with his wooden oar, but Shed never made it. Instead, the rat let out a gasp and pawed at the blade that jutted through its throat.

Hick caught a glimpse of Dane's bat, Aurora, flipping upright. He had no idea when he'd arrived. Dane must have been flying completely upside down when he'd stabbed Shed. Even though Dane had flattened himself on the bat's back, Aurora barely managed to pull out of the maneuver without scraping him off on the ceiling.

Shed slumped back against the cavern wall, but there was no fight left in him. His eyes burned into Hick's. "Sky-dweller," he gurgled, "we hunt you to the last rat." And with that, he died.

To be continued.

PS. Think you have some ideas on what you'd like to see in future chapters? That's what the comment section below is for! Send in a review! :)

PPS. Hi guys! Now, according to my traffic stats, I have an overwhelmingly huge readership in the United States that actually follow up on where my story is going and I am so grateful for that! I started out writing this fanfic with adventure and friendship as the main themes in mind, and romance as a secondary but still significant theme, and I'm amazed at how my story did not turn out to be the flop I had expected it to be! So thank you for even bothering to read my story! You have no idea how happy it makes me to know that there are actually people reading this!

You know, I was sick and tired of that mentality that it was alright for Hades to be an outcast of Olympus. Hence, I thought introducing Hick as the heroine and daughter of Hades could change and revolutionize Olympus, get rid of that goddamn stigma associated with Hades and the Hades kids that inherited his 'Underworld' side (e.g. Nico) instead of his 'Wealth' side (e.g Hazel). And I am so glad that people are actually interested in how I am going about with this fanfic with this unconventional female protagonist!

Still, there are readers from many other countries who do not follow up with my fanfic (e.g. UK, Canada, Philippines, Germany, Malaysia, China), and it got me thinking, should I publish a fanfic that deals mainly with romance, perhaps in a school environment? You know, just to cater to the interests of readers who prefer fanfic has romance as the MAIN theme, and the other themes settling on secondary statuses. After all, that has got to be the reason why interests aren't piqued with my mainly adventure theme Percy Jackson fanfic, isn't it? I came up with a draft of a few fanfic ideas, and they were AGAIN mainly focused on friendship and adventure, instead of romance, although romance plays a larger role in those story ideas. I plan to follow up on those ideas anyway, because I LOVE them but only as ONE-SHOTS because I just realized how tiring it is to publish a fanfic book series of chapters.

Anyway, I realized... the reason why I got so caught up with the adventure theme was because I was trying to stay true to the Greek mythology and versions of Greek myth theories out of multiple Greek myth theories that Rick Riordan decided to follow, so I stay true to the Percy Jackson books and Rick Riordan's ideas. I have to come up with my own parallel universe, probably a high school setting, where the characters need not go on adventures and have no choice but to interact with each other and form (romantic) relationships. *wink* *wink*

I don't know. What do you guys think? Got any ideas? Let me know in the comment section below!