Calypso

The last four days have been eventless.

Other than the occasional attack on the ship, nothing has happened. The only thing remotely interesting that has happened would be Leo and I's talks at the crows nest every night.

This is the day that we are supposed to arrive in Rome. Leo had assured me last night that we would arrive early in the morning and we'd have plenty of time to look for Zoë.

Sure enough, when I walk onto the deck, Leo greets me with a, "Welcome to Rome!"

I join him at the helm and offer him a muffin that I had picked up from the dining room, munching on my own one.

Leo immediately takes a big bite of his muffin.

"Thanks, Cal," Leo says, his voice muffled from the food.

"Where are we going?" I ask, watching the minuscule people below bustling around.

"I'm trying to find a park or a hill or something, so we can land," Leo answers.

I nod, absentmindedly brushing some crumbs off my chin. "We should call another meeting before Annabeth goes on her quest."

Leo shrugs. "You're the boss."

Half an hour later, we are all assembled at the helm where Leo can continue to steer the ship.

"We need to split into two groups," I say decisively.

"Piper have you seen anything in your dagger?" Annabeth asks.

Piper has this dagger called Katoptris. It means looking glass. Piper has been seeing these visions from it. It's previous owner was Helen of Troy and I'm pretty sure that she went crazy in the end. You could say I'm a little apprehensive about Piper using it.

"Yeah," Piper nods. "I keep on seeing the seven of us going through these really dark tunnels. I think they're underground. Then I see us fighting the twin Giants and the jar that Percy mentioned."

Annabeth and Percy both pale.

"What is it?" I ask them. "Annabeth?"

"OUr third quest," Annabeth says quietly. "The labyrinth."

The room goes quiet and the air thickens.

"The labyrinth?" Piper chokes out.

"I thought it collapsed?" Percy asks.

"Wait," Hazel says. "It might not be the labyrinth. Rome is littered with tunnels." Hazel closes her eyes briefly, "I can sense it."

"Great," Frank says. "Can you lead us through them?"

"I think so," Hazel answers.

"Okay," I say. "Annabeth, do you know where to go?"

Annabeth nods. "Yes, I-"

"I'm going with her," Percy interrupts.

Percy sees the look on Annabeth's face. "At least until she starts the quest."

Annabeth glares at him. "Percy, I have to do this by myself. I won't be able to do it if you're there. This is a quest for the children of Athena, not her rival's son."

Percy deflates a bit.

"Percy," I say. "As much as I hate to say it, Annabeth is right. This is something she has to do on her own."

"Besides," I add. "We need everyone we can get if we're fighting two giants."

Percy nods reluctantly and Annabeth pecks him on the cheek.

Just then the ship lands with a soft bump. We're in a large grassy field with a restaurant in the distance. There are a few people milling around but no one takes notice of our ship.

"If anyone needs to grab anything, go get it now," I order before running off to my own room.

I grab my bag and head over to the infirmary. I grab a few pieces of ambrosia and a flask of nectar. I sling the bag over my shoulder and go back to the deck. I climb halfway down the ladder before jumping the last few steps easily. Only Percy and Annabeth are there.

"Annabeth," I say gently. "You should head off now."

Annabeth nods and she and Percy share one more kiss.

"Good luck," Percy murmurs.

"Don't die," Annabeth whispers back.

Annabeth then takes a step back from Percy and turns her back to him. She jogs away into the distance. Not once does she look back.

I lay a hand on Percy's arm. "Annabeth will be fine. Don't doubt her."

Percy sighs before smiling. "You're right. She'd kick my butt if she thought I was doubting her."

Soon, everyone is outside with us.

"Do we just leave the ship here?" Leo asks doubtfully.

"Who do you think's going to steal it?" I counter. "Festus won't listen to anyone besides the eight of us anyway."

Leo nods and pats the hull of the ship before turning to Hazel. "Can you do your magic and find us a secret passageway?"

Hazel nods and closes her eyes. She stomps her foot lightly on the ground and the earth opens up beside us, leaving a straight drop down. I edge towards the hole and peer downwards, all I can see is darkness.

I glance at Hazel. "Are you sure this is safe? The earth is Gaia's domain."

Piper answers for her. "Don't worry. I've seen us fighting the Giants. We at least make it to them in one piece. After that, though..."

"Thanks, Piper," Leo says sarcastically. "That really reassures me!"

"How deep is it?" I ask no one in particular.

"Forty metres," Hazel answers. "It's pretty far down."

I glance over at Jason. "Can you go first with Piper and cushion our falls?"

Jason nods. "Sure."

Jason hugs Piper close and they step into the hole.

Leo peers into the hole as they fall. "Ew. I think they're kissing."

We wait a minute before we do anything.

"Who wants to go next?" Leo asks, still peering into the darkness of the pit.

I walk forward confidently. I make a big show of kneeling down beside the pit and peering down it. I stand up and brush off my hands.

Then I push Leo down the forty metre pit.

I can hear him screaming and cursing at me as he falls and I look at an openly laughing Hazel and Frank, smirking in triumph.

I mock salute them before diving into the hole after Leo. It doesn't take long before I catch up with Leo. One of his flailing arms nearly hits me in the face and I grab him and spin him so his feet are facing downwards.

"Just because Jason will cushion our fall, doesn't mean that it won't hurt when you land on your head!" I yell over the whistling in my ears.

"That was not cool, Calypso!" Leo yells. "Not cool at all!"

Soon I feel us slowing down and I spot the ground. We slow down even further, until it's just a small jolt when we land.

"Hey," I say in acknowledgement to Piper and Jason.

"Sorry about the screaming," I say, slightly smirking again.

"Was that you or Leo?" Jason asks, grinning.

"Leo," I reply.

Leo looks around the area quickly. "Oh, look. I think Hazel, Percy and Frank are coming down."

Piper snickers loudly and Jason throws up his arms to slow Frank, Percy and Hazel's fall.

They land softly beside us.

"Do you know if Vindex and Venator are coming down?" Piper asks quickly.

Frank looks at her in annoyance. "Piper, I can speak Chinese, not dragon."

I look up to see if I can see any signs of the two dragons.

"Piper," I say. "Whistle for them."

Piper gives a loud piercing whistle and after a few seconds, Venator and Vindex bound out of the tunnel we are supposed to be taking.

"How did they do that?" Jason asks in awe.

Piper strokes Vindex. "I'm not sure. But I guess this means we don't have to teleport with them anymore."

Leo starts to look interested. "Piper, do you mind if I take a look at them when we get back to the ship? I might be able to make them faster or stronger or something."

"Or you just want to figure out how they work," I say sarcastically.

"Piper?" Leo pleads.

"Um, okay, I guess," Piper says uncertainly.

"Big mistake," I mutter under my breath, making Piper look more worried.

"Let's get going," Frank says, looking with apprehension at the dark tunnel.

"Hazel," I say. "Lead the way."

A small ball of flame appears in my cupped hand as I follow Hazel. Behind me, Leo does the same and joins me at the front of our small party.

We walk in complete silence. Many times we path crossroads or other paths, but Hazel takes us confidently through each bend and intersection.

Frank soon comes to the front and walks side by side with Hazel. He slips his hand into Hazel's.

Leo groans loudly. "Really, Frank? This quest has way too many couples in it without you two together as well!"

I hadn't known about Frank and Hazel's relationship before now either. You may think we're overreacting and that they're just holding hands, but the blushes on their faces say it all.

"Ignore Leo," Piper instructs Hazel. "I think it's great."

Frank and Hazel walk faster and Leo and I follow them, laughing.

Well that's until a tunnel opens up next to us and monsters start pouring out of it. They are lead by the Titan Hyperion, who is giving off a distinct glow.

The monsters split our group in half, Percy, Piper and Jason on one side and Frank, Hazel, Leo and I on the other side.

Percy, Piper and Jason draw their weapons immediately and start to retreat back down the tunnel.

I send a quick burst of fire at a nearby group of empousa and duck beneath an arrow.

"Go!" Percy yells. "Find Zoë. We've got this!"

"Vena! Dex!" Piper yells over the monsters. "Go to Calypso!"

The two golden dragons bound towards us, destroying any monsters in their way.

"Hazel," I say in a shaky voice as Venator and Vindex reach us. "Collapse the tunnel behind us."

I start dragging them backwards as the monsters start to take notice of us.

"Calypso-" Hazel starts anxiously.

"Just do it," I order. "Block us off, but make sure you get a good bit of the army too."

Hazel hesitates before raising her foot and stomping on the ground. The tunnel rumbles and the ceiling in front of us starts to collapse.

I grab Leo's hand and drag him away in a run. I glance back to see Hazel and Frank right on our tails. Venator and Vindex speed ahead of us. Eventually, the ceiling stops falling and we slow down.

"We passed other ways, right?" I ask Hazel. "Other ways to get to Zoë?"

Hazel nods weakly. "There were a few, but I took the most direct path. One of the turns we were supposed to take was back there," Hazel gestures to the rubble. "There's another route, but it isn't as safe and it take longer."

"That's fine. That means Percy, Piper and Jason can find their way to us, however long it may take. Let's keep going, they'll be fine."

I take a few steps forward, through the only path there is.

I glance back. "Hazel?"

Hazel slowly starts leading the way again. After five minutes, we come to a set of doors.

The doors are constructed from imperial gold with a large bronze sphere right in the centre. The sphere is made up of five rings, each engraved with different symbols.

Hazel looks back at us. "This is where things might get dangerous. I can't see what's inside it."

"Can we go any other way?" Leo asks hopefully. "You know, one that doesn't end with us dying painfully?"

As usual, we all ignore Leo.

"Alright," I say. "Is the door locked?"

Frank rattles the door handle, but it stays firmly locked.

"Yeah," Frank says in answer.

I come closer the the door and examine the lock.

"It's not a key lock," I speculate. "It's some sort of combination lock. It's got to do with the sphere."

"Wait a second," Leo says pointing at something on the sphere. "Is that Greek?"

"Yeah," I say, looking at the sphere more closely. "Greek numbers from zero to nine."

Leo starts fiddling with the numbers and turning them at random.

"Stop!" I order. "You'll probably blow us all up."

Leo steps away from the door momentarily before a thoughtful look comes over his face.

"Wait a second," Leo says, stepping back up to the door. "I've got an idea."

I move to the side so I can see what he's doing.

5,1,4,1,3.

The door clicks and Leo swings it open.

I look at Leo in shock. "How did you do that?"

Leo grins smugly. "Think, Calypso. Spheres, Greek mythology."

I raise an eyebrow at him sarcastically.

"Archimedes! I used the first five numbers of Pi." Leo says like its obvious.

"Wasn't he a son of Hephaestus?" I ask, walking into the room.

The room has celestial bronze workbenches everywhere and tools strewn on top of them. On one table in the centre of the room is a dozen bronze and gold spheres. To the left is a short corridor with a room on the end. Everything is covered with a thick layer of dust.

"Not just any son of Hephaestus!" Leo proclaims. "The greatest son of Hephaestus in the history of demigods! He invented spheres!"

"Um, Leo," Hazel says wandering towards the table of metal basketballs. "What's so special about these spheres?"

"They're awesome!" Leo says excitedly. "I'll show you how they work!"

That's when I notice the thin string connected to each table and each sphere. And of course, the four automatons positioned around the exits of the room.

"Leo-" I start to say, but it's too late.

Leo has reached for one of the spheres. As he grabs it, the fragile string breaks. I hear a half a dozen screeches of metal and clanks as the automations all stand up at once.

"Well," Leo says quietly, facing the automations. "There's your danger, Hazel."

As soon as Leo's finished speaking, two bronze cables shoot from two of the automations- one with a broken helmet and one with a wolf head- and connect with Hazel and Frank's backs. They both convulse once before collapsing to the floor, unconscious.

I summon a knife and knock an oncoming cable out of the air, taking care not to hit the top of it. I take one last despairing look at Hazel and Frank's bodies before grabbing Leo and rushing down the short corridor. Vindex and Venator attack the automatioms while we run.

I shove Leo into the room at the end of the corridor and he trips and falls to the floor. Leo scrambles to his feet just to look at me in horror.

Suddenly something connects with my lower back and I feel a sharp electrical shock. I jolt forward and collapse to the ground. The cable shocks me again and I convulse on the floor. Everything goes black.

-SAW