Ten

Goodbyes and Dreams

I woke to the sound of conversation.

"You don't have to look at me like that, I'm not going to touch him. Hey! Don't you growl at me!"

I groaned something halfway between "hi" and "ungh" and hauled myself to my feet, attempting to rub the sand from my eyes.

"You're awake."

Thalia was stood there, alone, leaning her back against a barbecued tree trunk. She raised a hand. "Sup. Your dog doesn't seem to like me very much right now."

Mrs. O'Leary was between us watching Thalia like she'd stolen her favorite treat. Her head was low to the ground, growling every time the girl moved.

"She's not like this usually," I said.

Thalia shrugged. "It doesn't bother me. At least she's not my cousin and never once mentioned it."

I must've been groggier than I'd realized to have missed it before, but she wasn't nearly as relaxed as she'd first looked. Her crossed arms were forced together, and one foot was smacking into the ground forcefully. She looked pissed.

"That would probably be bad," I agreed.

"Exactly. What dumbass would do something like that."

It wasn't a question. I winced- definitely pissed.

"So," she said. "Why'd you do it?"

"Why pretend not to know about my dad?"

"And everything else, but sure, you can start there."

I smiled tiredly. "Because your dad wants me dead."

Her foot stopped. "Explain."

And I did. I told her about the Harpy, about the chase in the rain, and about…my mom. By the time I'd finished her foot was moving again, tapping at twice the speed it had been before.

"I'm going to gut him," she declared. I hoped she was talking about her father, although if she was I wasn't sure how she would follow through with it. "That pigheaded, sociopathic…" She breathed in hard and shut her eyes, before exhaling slowly and reopening them.

"You still should've said something," she said. But her voice didn't sound so angry anymore. At least not at me.

I shrugged. "I didn't know how you'd take it. By the time I realized it wouldn't be a problem, things were fun. I didn't want to change anything."

"Were?" she asked.

I didn't answer immediately. I looked down at Mrs. O'Leary, who had given up her guarding to face me. Her ears hung sideways off her cocked head. She whined, casting glances at the shadows around us.

"I'm glad you're the one that found me," I said.

"And why's that?"

"Because the others would never let me leave."

"Oh, and I will?" She arched an eyebrow. "You're sure I'm not here to drag you back, whatever means necessary?"

"Nah," I said. "You know that this is for the best. Now that they know who I am, with both of us here…" I shuddered. "We'd never make it."

She pushed off the tree and brought out her spear, using it as a makeshift crutch to walk closer. Mrs. O'Leary growled but I nudged her side with my foot, and she quieted down.

Thalia stopped just in front of me, one hand massaging her side. "You want to know why I'll let you go?" she asked.

I nodded.

Her eyes focused on something far away as she collected her thoughts. Her spear's tip fizzed with bits of static, giving away the intense emotions she was keeping down.

"I used to have a brother," she said. "A baby brother. One day, when I was six, my dad just showed up again. No real hello, no apology for ditching me with my failure of a mother, just business this and business that. Even had the balls to say I wasn't being orderly enough." She shook her head. "When he left mom was pregnant again. I was excited. I'd actually have family, family beyond a god that was never around and an actress that cared about nothing but her career."

She went quiet, buried in memories.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I don't know." She smiled bitterly. "Isn't it crazy? I don't even know. We went to the park one day. I went and played while my mother stayed behind at the car with my brother- with Jason. When I got back…" Her mouth opened and closed a few times without words coming out. She took a deep breath and kept it simple: "He was gone."

"I left soon after that," she said. "I couldn't do it anymore. Dad had left again, mom was crazier than ever, and the only one I cared about was just gone."

"And you've been surviving ever since," I said. "The monsters couldn't get you?"

She shrugged. "My dad helped some." She clinked her finger against the spear. "This appeared on top of me one morning, straight out of thin air. Amaltheia pops up from time to time and leads the way to something useful- celestial bronze weapons, sometimes even magic items or people. And being a walking thundercloud has its benefits."

I thought about my own dad. A part of me was jealous of her. At least Zeus had sent her something. Then again that probably said more about how bad my relationship was than anything good about hers.

"What do you think of your dad?" I asked.

She blinked. "Is that a trick question?"

I shook my head.

"Well," she leaned back, puffing out a breath. "I think he's a son of a bitch, a dead-beat, and that in his own twisted way he does care about me."

"So you don't hate him?"

"Oh I definitely do." She laughed. "I remember everything he's done, and I can't forgive him for it. But…It's complicated. It's family. Even after everything, there's still a bond there."

I stood straighter and held out a hand. Mrs. O'Leary bounded closer from where she'd wandered away to sniff at a gopher hole. "That's nice," I said. "I wish I could say the same."

"Are you sure that you can't?"

"My dad let my mom die," I said. "I can't forgive him for that."

"No one's asking you to," she said. "Well, he might, but that doesn't mean you have to listen. Just don't write things off if you don't absolutely have to." She stared at me as if, for a moment she was seeing someone else in my place. "I've seen what that does to people. It changes them."

I looked away. "I should leave soon."

She frowned. "What, are you on a time limit?"

As if answering her question Annabeth's voice echoed from deeper in the woods, calling our names.

"See?" I said.

"Fine."

She started shifting from side to side as I double checked that Aelia was in my pocket and turned to make sure Mrs. O'Leary was ready. When I turned back two strong arms engulfed me and squeezed. Her jacket smelled like downed powerlines, but in a good way.

When she pulled back she gave me her firmest nod, then turned resolutely and started away. As my brain worked to catch up with the unexpected gesture Mrs. O'Leary nudged me, and I let her lead me on autopilot over to a large shadow cast by the setting sun against a still-standing trunk.

Just before she disappeared from sight I shook myself and called out, "Thalia, catch!" I pulled out Ariadne's string and threw it overhand. It bounced to a stop at her feet, where she gently picked it up. "Hold onto that. If you ever need to find me, you'll need it."

"Alright grandma," she said. She started to leave again, then stopped halfway around. "Oh, and Percy? You're not allowed to die to anything, not even my dad. If you do I swear I'll find a way to drown you, just for the challenge."

I smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

And I grabbed hold of Mrs. O'Leary's thick fur. The hellhound leapt forward straight into the solid ground and passed through it, pulling me along for the ride.

The best way I could describe shadow travel to someone that hasn't experienced it before would be like sticking your head out of a sports car window in a snow storm. Impossibly cold wind buffeted my face, biting at every inch of exposed skin. No wonder hellhounds had such thick coats if this was their go to method for commuting.

But as unpleasant as it was, it was fast. I barely had a chance to process the sensations before they were gone, vanishing as if they'd never been there. Light hit my eyelids letting me know that the cold dark wind was behind me.

I cracked open my eyes and found a pair of blue and red tennis shoes inches from my face. Over the course of my arrival I'd ended up splayed on the floor, my ear to the stone floor. I traced up from the shoes, past jean-clad legs and a simple white t-shirt, to meet a pair of amused blue eyes.

"Quite the experience, isn't it? The first time Mrs. O'Leary took me along for the ride it was weeks before I was willing to try it again."

I rolled over with a groan. "I'm back."

Daedalus laughed. "I can see that. Did you have fun?"

"Yea," I said, surprised by how easily the answer came." "I actually did."

"And near-death experiences?"

"Definitely."

"Are you glad to be back?"

I smiled. "I am."

He clapped his hands. "Good. We have work to do."

"Work?" I struggled into a sitting position. "What kind of work?"

"First, you are going to tell me every detail of your adventure. Then we are going to identify your mistakes and work every last one of them out of you."

"Now?" I asked.

"Of course not. I'm not a slave driver." He swept a hand toward the sink built into the far wall. "Get yourself a drink, then we'll start."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. No time like the present with so much to get through."

My body still ached. My impromptu nap at the creek bed hadn't been nearly enough to feel refreshed. But one look at Daedalus's smiling-but-serious face and I decided to get that glass of water right away. If it was the only luxury I'd be getting, I should at least take it.

I shrugged off my backpack – which, like my clothes, had remained completely dry through the whole ordeal – and trudged for the sink. As I took one of the empty glasses from beside it, Daedalus's voice stopped me.

"Percy."

I looked back at him. "What is it?"

His face didn't really change but the feeling of professionalism faded. "It's good to see you back." Then, after a moment's thought, added, "Especially in one piece."

"You knew I would leave," I said, remembering my dream. "You were keeping track of where I was. You sent Mrs. O'Leary to help."

"Did I now?" He cocked his head. "And how would you know that."

"How else would she have found me?"

"Just from that?"

"There was also a dream," I admitted. "I saw you where I'd been, holding this bag."

"Dreams," Daedalus said, nodding. "A demigod's dreams are very useful, terrible things. Never disregard what you see in them- they can prove the difference between life and death."

I thought about it. "So last night, when I saw a pink elephant driving a taxi cab…"

He blinked. Then he laughed. "Not all dreams. You'll know the difference when you experience them. Although, I suppose, there are some threats even I have not heard of. Perhaps your next challenge will be fluorescent elephants, and you'll now know to avoid any and all taxi services."

"I'll make sure to keep it in mind," I said.

When our chuckles faded Daedalus started again, serious once more.

"I did count on your leaving," he said, "but not everything went to plan." He flipped my backpack over and pulled open a secret pouch on the side. Reaching in, he drew out a small rubber ball. "It's rather too small for her now, but this was Mrs. O'Leary's favorite chew toy once upon a time."

Mrs. O'Leary was so excited by the sight of it that she sprung up from her spot of the floor, upending a table of what looked like mechanical birds which began to creak and squawk when they hit the ground. Daedalus pulled a remote from one of his pockets, pressed a button, and they quieted down.

"You can see her fondness for it, then. So long as you had this on you, she could've followed anywhere- she has its scent committed to memory."

"The giants," I realized. "I lost the bag fighting them."

"Yes. Mrs. O'Leary dispatched them to keep them from following you, but by the time she was done it was too late. She'd lost track of you, and from that moment on your safety net was gone." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I wished for you to get a taste of real combat – I would not have left Ariadne's String out if I hadn't – but your facing it alone was never meant to be."

He ducked his head and bowed toward me.

"I'm sorry. My miscalculation put you in severe danger."

I tried to wave him off, uncomfortable. "Don't worry about it. I mean I'm fine, aren't I?"

"You shouldn't be," he said bluntly. "The world is a dangerous place for a half-blood, and the labyrinth is even worse. How did you survive so long in it alone?"

I finally stuck the empty class under the faucet. As the tap water began filling it, I said, "I wasn't alone."

I told him about Amaltheia and how she led me to the others. About the fight with Lamia, and traveling. And finally I told him about the Fury's, about Mrs. O'Leary's heroic entrance, and my torching of a perfectly nice stretch of nature."

"A daughter of Zeus," he said, eyes far away as if running through complex equations in real time- which, to be fair, was probably exactly what was happening. "This changes everything."

"What does it change?" I asked.

It was like he didn't hear me.

"A daughter of Zeus," he said to himself. "And already fourteen at that. Perfect."

"Hey." I snapped my fingers, trying to draw his attention. "What does it change? What's perfect?"

Daedalus returned to earth, his eyes buzzing with new energy. "For you, nothing has changed. Yet. And what is perfect, is the timing for some training."

I held up my still-unfinished water glass. "But you said-"

"Down it," he said, striding toward our training area. "We have work to do."

The next month was a blur of sweat and effort. Daedalus drilled me in swordsmanship, battle tactics, and even, horribly, book knowledge. Every night I went to sleep with Greek names and monster trivia spinning around my head. Most of it was gone by the next morning, but through sheer repetition some of it was starting to stick.

And then, one night, I learned exactly why Daedalus had described a demigod's dreams as 'terrible things'.

It had been a good day up till then. Sword practice had gone well, and we'd gone over the sixth feat of Hercules, which was a lot more interesting than the usual slow-paced myths. I was feeling pretty good when I slipped into my bed and thumped face down on my pillow. My eyes were closed before the blanket had settled over my legs.

Instantly I found myself in a rainstorm in the middle of the night, on a hill that sloped down in two directions. To one side was a valley filled with sprawling woods and some sort of cultivated fields. I even spotted a volleyball court, which made me think it couldn't be too bad of a place.

The most noticeable structure was a two-story old-school farmhouse that looked out over twelve smaller building arranged in a ring. The farmhouse was painted in a simple light blue, and despite the time every one of its windows was lit.

To the other side ran a highway, the slick black asphalt winding along with nothing but grassy hills and sparse trees to see on the other side. There wasn't a car in sight, but that didn't mean it was deserted.

"It's just over the hill! Go!"

It was Thalia, bringing up the rear of a group of four at the hill's bottom, shouting them forward. She was sneaking glances over her shoulder, and I quickly saw why.

Hot on their heels was a sea of black. So many claws scrabbled against the ground that I could hear from where I was, a football field and a half away. High above flew three feminine shapes, long flaming whips glowing in their hands.

It was hellhounds, more than I could count, and all three Furies.

Grover bleated. His voice sounded terrified as he yelled, "We can make it!"

But they couldn't. The distance between them and the chasers was down to just a few feet and still shrinking. It was a coin toss whether they would even make the base of the hill, let alone the crest.

Because they were facing away I saw her before any of the others did. Thalia had brought out Aegis. It would only slow her down, there was no reason for it unless-

"I'll buy time!"

The others stopped, realizing they were down a member.

"No!" Luke and Annabeth shouted at once.

Thalia didn't listen. She lunged and ran through the first of the hellhounds, dispatching it instantly. Three more took its place before I could blink.

"It's the only way," Thalia said. "Go!"

Annabeth started to back toward Thalia, but Luke grabbed her and hoisted in the air.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth shouted, but he looked straight past her.

"You better find a way," he said to Thalia. "You better!"

He began sprinting up the hill, Annabeth shouting and struggling the whole way. Grover followed right behind, his bare hooves flying over the muddy ground.

The Furies had noticed Thalia's stand, and they now swooped in. A dance began in the air above her, flaming whips lashing out periodically whenever one thought they saw an opening. None of the strikes had connected yet but they didn't seem to mind, cackling gleefully. They knew the same thing I did: Thalia couldn't win.

The others had passed me now, reaching the top of the hill. Luke stopped and turned to watch, but Grover grabbed him and pulled him further.

"Come on!" said the satyr. "It's not safe here. The border repels monsters, but I've never seen it try with this many!"

Luke shifted out of the grip, still holding Annabeth back as the girl thrashed and cried. "No. I need to be ready to help her."

Grover looked with him down at the army that was now coating over half of the hill. "Will you be able to do anything even if you try?"

Luke still didn't move, but he also didn't answer.

More hellhounds died and even more filled the gaps they left. In the middle of the chaos one of the whips connected with Thalia's wrist. With a sizzling hiss she tore her limb away and forced the Fury to retreat with a blast of lightning, but couldn't hold back a grunt of pain.

Slowly, the fight was working its way up the hill. Whether that meant Thalia was gaining ground or that the hoard was forcing her backward, I couldn't tell. I tried to run forward, to do something, but even my legs didn't work. I was forced to watch, stationary and helpless, as my friend was slowly burnt and buried beneath the swarm.

She was getting closer and closer to me, only about ten feet away and right at the crest of the hill, when the Fury's decided enough was enough. Suddenly the whips stopped picking away and started striking fast and hard. One yanked Aegis from her wrist, letting it clatter to the soggy ground. Another pulled her spear and flung it into the misty night. The third, Alecto's, wrapped around her throat.

Annabeth screamed. Luke took a step forward. Grover covered his eyes.

"Goodbye, daughter of Zeus," said the lead Fury. "Your little friend will join you soon, and together the Fields of Punishment will welcome you. Do enjoy your stay."

She yanked, tightening the whip's grasp, and the stormy sky opened. A massive lightning bolt struck, illuminating the world as if the sun had come out from behind a cloud. The last thing I saw before my eyes snapped open and I bolted upright in my bed was Thalia fading away, a monstrous pine tree rising up in her place.

My breath came in gasps. My blanket was twisted up and clutched in my fists. Slowly, tears began to fall.

I wasn't sure exactly what I'd seen. I didn't know where it had been or what all had happened. All I knew was one thing, and that thought echoed in my head deep and booming:

Thalia Grace was dead.

(-)

A/N: This marks the end of the first arc. The next chapter will see a time skip and introduce the next arc, but it will also take longer than the last few have, a combination of needing to plan out the final details of the plot for that section and a short story for school eating into my writing time. Still, shouldn't be too much extra, maybe a week or two more.