Chapter 7

My heart leapt into my throat as I watched those monstrous creatures rush forward, clubs raised high, shrieking battle cries still lingering on their lips. These tattooed psychos were anything but pretty with their pointed teeth, permanent snarls, and nose-burning odor. Their arms were toned and muscled, built for crunching and snapping their enemies until they're reduced to the lifeless form the giants strive for them to be. Baseball mitt hands that topped their enormous arms were completely inflammable, resistant to fire 100% of the time, which basically explains how they can throw blazing fireballs.

When the were within 30 feet of me, still rapidly approaching, I slapped myself out of my shell-shocked state and ran through the forest, desperate to warn the other campers who are all oblivious to the carnage about to occur.

Pushing past the last thicket of trees separating me from my friends, I sprung forward and slammed smack dab into Annabeth. I caught her arm just before she fell and pulled her upright, quickly explaining snippets of my encounter with Luke and the giants now heading straight for the camp.

"Are you feeling okay, Percy?" She reached up to feel my forehead for a temperature, but I pushed her hand away, having no time for her to play doctor. "Monsters can't get in here. Luke probably said that just to scare you."

"You don't understand, I saw them; they're headed this way."

"Maybe it was that golden dust distorting your vis-" She trailed off, eyes locking on a place over my shoulder. Her face went pale and she took on a defensive stance, hand grasping the hilt of her dagger. I took that as a sign that she believed me.

I pulled out Riptide and uncapped it, spinning around only to encounter a giant towering over me, a hungry smile on his face as he looked down at me. His arm reared back and before I could react, he swung full force. The club was inches from my head when I was tackled from behind, my face hitting the earth and eating dirt on impact. Riptide was flung out of my grasp, a clanging sound emitted from the sword as it slammed into a tree and landed at the base of the trunk several feet away.

Annabeth was sprawled on top of me from the force that no doubt just saved my life and my tombstone from reading Death by giant.

The monster emitted an angry shriek and raised the club over its head, both hands clutching the hilt, and slammed it down to the ground. Rolling at the last second, it missed us by an inch and left a gaping hole in the earth where my head had just been a second before. The monster didn't appreciate my tactful roll the way I did and stomped its foot in rage, his big toe landing not even two inches from my ear.

Annabeth, sharp as a whip, retrieved her fallen dagger, having dropped it after yet again saving my life, and embedded the blade in the giant's foot. It couldn't have felt like anything worse than a splinter to the massive beast, but nonetheless, it cried out in pain as it bent over and yank out the knife, throwing it over it's shoulder and out of our reach.

"Get out of here. I'll take care of the giant; help the others." I shouted to Annabeth who I was positive would protest against this.

"No, you're going to get yourself killed."

"Just go."

"Trying to be heroic, aren't you Seaweed Brain?" She replied before lifting herself off the ground and looking in the other direction as sounds of fighting broke out, struggle obvious as screams and yells echoed throughout the forest. Obviously, the others weren't having much luck with the giants. Hesitation was written all over her face as her eyes darted back and forth between the other campers and I, but after giving her a nod, she took off toward the chaos, leaving me with the monster.

I leapt up off the ground and putting on a burst of speed, made a mad dash toward Riptide. The giant spun in my direction, swinging the club like a baseball bat. A gust of wind whipped past my head from the close proximity of the club that had just barely missed knocking my head off. The earth rumbled beneath me as the giant thundered toward me, bellowing angrily at its many failed attempts.

Scooping up the sword, I charged and slashed at it, a deep cut slitting through its calf.

The monster stumbled backwards and taking his weakness to my advantage, I swung again, catching him in the other leg, before thrusting the blade deep into his gut, the tip protruding from the opposite side of the giant. He teetered back and forth, stumbling around like a drunk, and listed sideways, slumping against a tree where he lay still.

Without a moments hesitation, I followed the clanging of swords and exasperated shouts to the battle raging on, two giants still remaining. Arriving to the battleground moments later, I was met with a sight that broke my heart.

The camp was in ruins. Cabins were reduced to splintered wood, the Big House was in flames from the fireballs blazing through the air, the dead and injured lay motionless on the ground, eyes desolate and glassy. The strawberries were squashed and staining the fields a horrifying shade of red that made me sick, resembling the blood of the fallen from the ambush with Luke.

How could the giants overpower us so quickly and cause as much damage as they did? They were outnumbered a hundred to one and yet, they still managed to wreak havoc among us and injure more than I thought possible. I wracked my brain for an answer and then, a realization struck me. The majority of the demigods here call this place home, lived here most of there lives, had hardly left the safety of the barrier. They hadn't known what to expect; of course, they trained, but it obviously hadn't been as intense as the real thing. You can train all your life to fight monsters, but you'll never be fully prepared to face one in the flesh, never.

I scanned the deceased littering the soft, dewy grass for any familiar faces, a deep sadness filling my heart as I caught sight of Connor Stoll bent over his brother, heart wrenching sobs erupting from the heartbroken boy as he clutched and begged Travis not to leave him. But despite his pleas, Travis lay motionless, his chest still, no steady rise and fall, nothing. He wasn't breathing and from the looks of it, he never would again.

Travis was painted in crimson blood, soaking through his shirt, staining it with red. The thick, sticky liquid spurted from a wound in his head that'd obviously resulted from a hard whack to the head from one of the giant's clubs. A pool of it clotted around him in a vile, red puddle that sickened my stomach and made me drop to my knees.

My heart shattered at the sight of him, remorse slipping through the cracks, and the sight of Connor as he lay down beside his brother in defeat, barrage after barrage of tears escaping his eyes and creating small streams down his cheeks.

Taking two fingers, I closed Travis's eyes. Rest in Peace, Travis. I backed away from the Stolls, preparing to give Connor the space he needs to be alone and mourn, but I had barely taken a step when my heel hit something behind me. I fell backwards and no doubt bruised my butt from the fall. Rubbing my aching backside, I turned my attention to the what I'd tripped over and realized with horror that it wasn't a what, but a who.

Icicles prickled and crystallized inside of me, shocking me into a frozen state. All thought evaporated from my mind until it was blank as a sheet. I couldn't hear, I couldn't feel, I couldn't breathe. I was numb, unable to tear my eyes away from the person lying before me, face peaceful despite the hideous mutilation done to them.

Annabeth was sprawled on the ground, multiple stab wounds wound deep in her tanned skin. Her orange, camp shirt was in tatters and her jeans had countless slashes through the thick fabric. The gray eyes I loved so much were lifeless and blackened, a dark ring outlining them. She was covered in thin cuts as if a shower of glass had rained down on her and her neck was bruised a deep purple, shaped into the form of hand prints, giving off the appearance she'd been strangled. She had been, but through further inspection, I discovered that that wasn't the cause of death.

A broken shaft of a spear peaked through her shirt, the tip still intact and embedded in her chest.

My heart seized, swelling until the breaking point with a piercing pain that left me clutching my chest in agony. The surge of emotion that had been numbed earlier rushed me in a deluge of rippling emotion that left me raw and broken. A revolting feeling took residence in my stomach as my next thought hit me.

This is all my fault. It's all my fault. And it was. I was the one that urged her to go assist the others while I took care of the giant. I should've made her stay with me, I should've gotten here sooner, I should've-

A dark, gravelly voice rang through my head. I grasped my ears as it grated out each individual word, sounding like nails on a chalkboard.

You are correct, Perseus. This is your fault….or at least, it will be if you fail to obey. You will be assigned a series of tasks in which you will be required to obtain various items that will be of value to me. You have already received the first, Hades's Helm of Darkness, as you know. Once the items are retrieved, you will bring them to a carrier, a soldier of mine who's job is to pick up the item, at the address listed on the sticky note in your pocket. Or the scene before you, I could imagine the Titan Lord gesturing out at the destruction and death that has become of this beloved camp, will be as real as it appears. And with that, Kronos's voice receded from my mind, leaving silence in its wake.

Just for good measure, the Titan Lord sent a flurry of horrifying slideshows before me, each showing different horrors that turned my blood to ice. I squeezed my eyes shut to block them out, but the attempt was futile; the images projected on my closed eye lids, forcing me to watch as the chaos unfolds. Death and destruction were included in every spine crawling picture. Innocent mortals were being slaughtered for information they didn't have, demigods lay motionless as the massacre around them rages on, Manhattan, my beautiful home, blazes bright as the sun as flames engulfed buildings and the surrounding land. One even showed my mother, tears in her eyes, as she was shoved off the top of a building and plummeted to her death at least 100 stories off the ground. Scenes of my friends enduring an excruciating demise was the last of the images before my eyes returned to normal.

When I opened them, my eyes met striking gray ones, familiar and filled with storm clouds….and worry. I sighed as it was confirmed that Kronos was being truthful when he'd said that what I'd seen hadn't been real….yet.

A sense of relief washed over Annabeth when she noticed my eyes were open and she gently helped me into a sitting position after she took in my obvious struggle to do so.

Behind Annabeth, stood my friends, crowded around me in a small circle. Their expressions were no different than Annabeth's had been, filled with concern that was slowly receding into calm relief. Nico's shoulders were tense as gave me a once-over, checking for injury and silently asking if I was okay.

I nodded in response despite that I was in fact not okay. But the exact opposite actually. I was so shaken up that my hands trembled and I couldn't even grab the nectar Thalia was handing me without spilling it.

After I'd spilled it on myself for the third time, Thalia took the glass from hands and poured it into my parted lips for me.

No one spoke, no one, not even Chiron who was standing just feet away. His face was grim and it appeared that he'd aged thirty years in just a few short hours. His kind, wise eyes were now filled with worry and a deep sadness that I couldn't quite understand. His shoulders were tense, his posture rigid, straight as a board. He eyed me as if it was the last time he'd ever see me, that something had happened when I'd been out, something that had obviously struck fear into the hearts of all the campers. But what, I didn't know.

Once the wonderful, godly medicine coursed through my veins, replenishing my diminished strength, Chiron, not uttering a word, gestured toward the Big House, a silent command to follow him. Without a glance behind him to see if we were coming, he strutted back toward the big, blue house at the front of the camp.

Confused, I looked to Annabeth for some sort of insight on this whole ordeal, but she didn't meet my eyes, her head directed far off in the distance, a faraway look in her eyes. She was lost in thought and obviously, not a very good one from the way her face contorted into a look of horror before she shook her head, clearing her mind.

I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it after Nico shot me a look that clearly said Now's not the time.

Annabeth and Thalia helped me to my feet and lead me to the Big House, sticking close to my side like they expected me to collapse at any moment. The other campers followed suit and soon, every singe demigod that lives in the camp was following behind us, keeping enough distance away from me so I wouldn't feel crowded.

We arrived at the door to the Big House minutes later and the Head Counselors broke off from the rest of the group, entering the Big House and leaving the others to anxiously await the news to be told to them afterward. Only Annabeth and Thalia remained, constantly offering assistance despite my lack of needing it.

I didn't understand why they seemed so concerned for me, not that I was complaining. I was happy that they cared about me enough to stick by my side, but I couldn't wrap my mind around why. Why did they keep shooting each other worried glances when they thought I wasn't looking? Why did they constantly encourage me to lean on them for support? Why did they look at me as if I'm as fragile as glass? Why?

Once we were inside the Big House, Chiron motioned for me to sit down in the open seat closest to him. Annabeth and Thalia were on either side of me and Nico was seated across from me. With them close by, it lessened some of my unease and calmed my racing heart.

I was beyond confused; I didn't understand what was going on. What was happening. Why any of this was taking place. Did they think I lied about Luke being here and that I was in fact the one who'd summoned the giants? Do they think that I'm secretly working for Kronos, that I'd betrayed them?

Unable to sit a moment longer with this heavy silence, I blurted out the questions that had plagued my mind ever since I'd woken up.

"Chiron, what's going on? Why does everyone keep looking at me like that? Why is everyone so worried? Is it something I did? I-"

Chiron held up his hand, palm facing me, signaling me to stop. "Percy, you didn't do anything wrong. Something else has…..occurred that…er…complicates things."

"What? Tell me," I demanded once I noticed his hesitation to discuss the matter. "Tell me, please."

"Do you remember anything before you fell unconscious, Percy?"

"Umm," I racked my brain for the memories that should fill the blurred void of the forgotten occurrences in my mind. Coming up short, I closed my eyes and focused solely on the gap in my memory and finally, I found what I'd been searching for. "Luke came, we talked, then the giants came out of this poof of dust. I killed one and then ran toward the cabins where I heard the others struggling with the other two giants. But when I arrived, I saw the camp in flames and campers dead. It was an illusion. Kronos had spoken in my mind afterward and that's the last thing I remember." I explained, careful not to miss anything important.

"It is as I feared." Chiron sighed and kneaded the bridge of his nose.

"What is?" I asked, my heart spiking at all the horrible possibilities Chiron could be referring to.

He answered my question with one of his own. "Were you given a blue liquid of sorts, cobalt blue?"

"Yeah, one of Luke's thugs dumped a vial of it on his dagger and stabbed me with it. He claimed it wasn't deadly and that it would only hurt."

"Just as I suspected. Percy, what you were given is an ancient concoction that had been created long ago. Many eons ago, Aphrodite had fallen in love with another man before she'd gotten together with Ares. He'd been a mortal and hadn't known about our world. He was a hardworking man, very dedicated to his work. He didn't pay attention to hardly anything but his job, not even Aphrodite who'd tried numerous times to capture his attention. Each failed attempt only brought on more frustration for the goddess and as one final shot, she stepped up her game, flaunting herself and her talents as the Love goddess, but the man only grew tired of her. Calling security, they escorted her from his office. As you can imagine, the goddess was furious, angered that a mere mortal had denied the goddess of love and beauty. So out of spite, she struck a deal with Hestia, goddess of magic, creating the very liquid that you've now consumed. Its purpose is to form a bond between two people, an empathy link of sorts."

"How is that really spiting him?" I asked.

"Because he may not want her, but she'll always be there. In his mind. And that is the one place he can never escape her."

"What does this have to do with me? Are you saying I'm bound to Aphrodite and some old guy?" I really hoped that wasn't the case. The last thing I needed was the voice of that lunatic love goddess in my head, spouting romantic remarks left and right.

"Oh, I wish it were that easy." Easy? How much more difficult could it get?

"What do you mean?"

"Percy, I'm afraid to say that the being you are bound to is far worse than Aphrodite and infinitely more powerful. There is no easy way to put this, but" Chiron paused, exhaling a heavy sigh, before bringing my biggest fear to life. "Percy, you're bound to Kronos."

Hey, guys. Please don't kill me. I know that it took me a long, long time to update and I'm really sorry. I've been extremely busy lately, primarily, with school. My English teacher made our class write a sixteen page paper over a book that's barely ten chapters so that took up a lot of my time.

Once again, I'm very sorry for the delay and the short length of this chapter.

~TwistedTrident~