Chapter 28 - Ice

They should have suspected that Kansas was a trap.

Percy wasn't too pleased to see Mr. D, even Roman, and the god seemed to share the sentiment.

He was even less pleased to be finally introduced to his immortal boyfriend's (was Kronos his boyfriend? Percy made a note to ask the Titan the next time he saw him) mother, since she turned him into something out of the Exorcist.

"At least we have somewhere we might be able to go next," Annabeth said helpfully once the eidolons had been banished from the demigods.

Percy sighed, picking at his food. "Yeah. Right."

"Didn't Kronos suggest Atlanta too?" Leo questioned. "If both him and Bacchus are suggesting the same place, maybe it's a good idea to check it out."

"You alright?" Annabeth murmured to Percy.

"Yeah, sure," Percy said, offering her a small smile. "Just… kind of worried. Anyone heard of Phorcys before? And what's this about Gaea wanting two of us? Piper – you're the one that heard her say it. Any ideas?"

Piper shook her head. "None," she admitted. "Only that she wants the blood of a female and a male demigod."

"Like Polybotes wanted mine?" Percy asked. "I mean, he wanted to take me prisoner. Didn't want to kill me, but… I don't get it. Why keep us alive?"

"Maybe demigod blood is special?" Leo asked. "Magic or something. Annabeth, you ever heard of that?"

"No," Annabeth said with a frown. "Never. But Phorcys…"

Percy snapped his fingers. "Wait. He's an old sea god. Sometime before my dad, a son of Gaea apparently."

"And he's in Atlanta?" Leo asked sceptically.

"Seems so."

"Why is a sea god in Atlanta?"

Percy shrugged. "No clue," he said. "But I'm sure we can find out."


The instant they landed in Atlanta, Percy knew something was wrong.

It was cold. Not only cold, but snow was lazily falling to blanket the city – snow at the end of June. That was a first, Percy mused. Annabeth stuck her hands under her armpits. "This doesn't bode well," she said grimly.

"Look," Piper said, pointing down at the lake to the North East. "It's iced over."

"We'll go check it out," Percy decided. "See what's going on."

Unfortunately, since Hedge had been stuck on the trireme for the journey so far, he insisted on joining Percy and Frank. "Be careful, Percy," Annabeth said.

"It's like the Labyrinth," Piper muttered under her breath.

Percy's eyes furrowed. "Right," he said. "You guys found that frozen lake in the Labyrinth." Percy didn't mention the sea monster that had been lying in wait for them. "Okay." Percy pulled on a warm coat. "We'd better go see who's responsible for this."

"Could be Khione," Leo offered.

"I don't think so," Jason said. "This is… different. Besides, it'd be a little too obvious for her, right?"

Percy huffed, watching his breath in the freezing air. "I don't know. But someone's got to be behind this."

"It's alright, cupcake," Hedge said. "I'll protect you."

Percy shared a small smile with Frank. "Yeah. Sure, Hedge. Come on."

Fortunately, the first person they met was able to direct them to the salt water in the city, the aquarium. They were the only people out, which rang even more alarm bells in Percy's head. A deserted city. He half expected to come across the Walking Dead.

There was no entry queue at the aquarium. Even inside, there was no heating. Percy closed his fingers around Riptide in his pocket.

Just like the rest of the city, it was deserted.

"Is it usually this frozen?" Frank asked in bewilderment. He wiped a layering of frost off the glass to an exhibit, jerking back slightly as he saw the shape of a whale shark entombed in the ice.

"Something's fishy here," Hedge said, lifting his baseball bat.

Percy sighed. "Through here," he suggested, seeing the frost had thickened leading through a luminous purple tank. The blood drained from his face.

"That's – hippocampi?" Percy asked in bewilderment. He saw a pair of Nereids settled on th bottom of another tank. Even these tanks were frozen.

A pair of sea-serpents were frozen in serpentine coils in another tank.

"What the Hades?" Percy demanded, the only words he was able to get out.

Aside from the frozen exhibits, the ice had spread even further through here. Twisted spires melted out of the ground, rising almost towards the ceiling. Others had pierced the tanks themselves, shattering the glass, but the frozen water formed a solid wall.

Then, in the middle of one of the next rooms, Percy paused. A woman had been impaled multiple times by the spires, and the ice had frozen her body. Her name tag read KATE.

Hedge sniffed the ice sculpture. "Not a mortal," he said warily.

"He's not either." Frank pointed at a man who had his legs bend and back bowed. He was also frozen.

"Who did this?" Percy asked as he observed PORKY.

Hedge was still sniffing the air, frowning as he did so.

"Coach?" Frank asked.

"I smell… something." Hedge scowled. "Something old."

Percy frowned. "Anything more specific?"

"Something cold."

"Yeah. Thanks," Percy said, glancing around the frozen room.

Abruptly, Hedge tensed. "Titan. It's a Titan."

Percy took out Riptide and Frank knocked an arrow to his bow. Riptide sprang to its full length in Percy's hand.

From another corridor under a red sign, Percy heard furious muttering. He raised Riptide to face the immortal emerging from the darkness, red light reflecting off his nearly-white hair. Cold eyes surveyed the three and the Titan crossed thick arms over his chestplate. The armour was Stygian Iron. Percy tensed, but the Titan merely scowled. The frost webbing out from his feet froze in its tracks. The room warmed slightly, and the light hair faded to a darker shade.

"Hi," Percy greeted wearily. The Titan looked vaguely familiar to him.

"This is the thanks I get?" The Titan demanded, eyes fixed on Riptide's point. Frost covered the blade in a split second, stretching up the metal and into the hilt. Percy swore and dropped the freezing hilt, hissing as he flexed numb fingers. The same had happened to Frank's bow and Hedge's bat. "Better," the Titan said.

"Thanks?" Percy echoed with a frown.

The Titan smiled crookedly, and Percy's frown deepened. "Yes. Thanks. I've just taken down Keto and Phorcys for you. A little thanks tends to go a long way these days, or so I hear." The Titan stepped further into the room, eyes narrowing slightly at Percy. "You must be Percy Jackson," he said.

Percy hesitated. "Have we met before?"

"No," the Titan said coldly. "But you've met one of my brothers quite intimately, or so I hear." The temperature dropped at least a dozen or so degrees. "Quite frankly, I don't see the appeal."

Percy swallowed. "You're one of Kronos' brothers," he guessed. He couldn't think of another Titan he'd intimately met before. Percy had known that he'd met all but one of Kronos' brothers – including dreaming of them. "Koios."

Koios' eyes gleamed in the darkness. "Sweet Gaea," he said, his nose crinkling in distaste. "He even smells like you now."

Percy bowed his head, fully aware that he'd had sex with this Titan's brother. He glanced around the ice sculptures. "You did all this?"

Koios' scowl deepened. "My dearest brother asked me to investigate before you arrived. As much as I… dislike the thought of him being fucked by a demigod, allowing you to fall into this trap would be distressing for him and a stressed Kronos is a Kronos to avoid."

Hedge frowned. "Does this mean we can't fight him?"

"On the contrary," Koios mused, "I would welcome a challenge."

"Yes," Percy said as he relaxed slightly. An immortal can't fight a demigod without a challenge. "It does." He glanced back towards the Titan. "Were you in the Labyrinth? Some friends of mine found a frozen ice sheet in the middle of the Labyrinth. They were worried about whom was responsible."

"Yes," Koios said in amusement.

"And the serpent?"

The Titan grinned. "Keto here was trying to lure it into a bay to capture it for her aquarium. I lured it elsewhere."

Frank hesitated. "Ah, Mr. – Koios, sir, we were rather hoping that Phorcys would have some information for us. About the Mark of Athena, uh, two twin giants. And maybe what your mother is up to?"

Koios grunted. "Gaea is always scheming. As for the Mark of Athena, every immortal knows the location of that map. And as for the twins, they captured that son of Hades – Nicola?"

"Nico."

"Yes, him," Koios said. "Something about a doomsday show they have planned. I'm not aware of the details." The Titan snapped his fingers. "Ah. Yes. And Kronos wanted me to warn you that there's a bounty on your heads. Something about capturing a male and female. It may also be wise of you to find some way to head to Mount Ida and find the Ideon Cave, and something to help you on your way will be found at Troy."

"That's… helpful," Percy said. "Thanks." For once, it seemed that they'd found a helpful immortal whom didn't answer in riddles.

"The Ideon Cave?" Hedge asked in disbelief. "Only Zeus knows where that is."

Koios scowled. "Not only Zeus."

"What's the Ideon Cave?" Frank asked.

The Titan's gaze darkened. "The cave where Rhea bore Zeus, hidden from our sight. You'll find it in Crete."

"And Troy?"

"That you can find for yourself. If I tell you everything it ruins the entertainment, Percy Jackson," Koios said with a cruel smile.

"Wait – the map for the Mark of Athena?" Percy asked. "You didn't say where it is."

"Didn't I?" Koios mused. He smiled. "My apologies."

The Titan disappeared, taking the frost with him. Percy stared at the spot he'd been. "Damnit."

"What's the Mark of Athena?" Frank questioned.

Percy shrugged. "I don't know," he grumbled.

"Jackson," Hedge said. "We have a problem."

"What?"

Hedge pointed at the ice. "It's melting."

Frank frowned. Glancing towards the ice sculptures. Percy's eyes widened and he snatched up his sword, stabbing both Keto and Phorcys before they could defrost.

"Percy," Frank said.

Percy swore under his breath. The ice which had shattered one of the tank walls was melting and turning into slush. The sea serpents within the tank were unfreezing. One of them lashed its tail, turning ice to mush, and the entire block of water shattered into a million different pieces, spilling the giant sea serpents over the floor.

Frank yelped. "Go!"

Percy was already jumping a lashing tail in a mad dash for the exit.

In the sudden chaos behind them, flashing lights and firecrackers went off, some catching on the walls and ceiling. Sparks flickered, and fires smouldered behind them as they ran.


So there were a few guesses as to the identity of the one responsible for the ice. No one was correct, which means I'm doing something right XD. No one has yet guessed who the 'Horned One' is.

Next chapter should be out for Christmas. I've fleshed it out (which is the difficult bit) so it should be possible.

ShadowsClaw: Well, I've done a lot of research for the constellations for this story. Several will be appearing in this. And as for your guesses... nope, nope, and nope.

marinamar4: You might have the Titan responsible... but since you didn't name them... I'll be careful about Sagitta, don't worry ;). I litereally just typed in greek constellations and explored all the stories to pick out what I wanted. And multiple children of Kronos will be in this story.

Ghostfall: 'evil horny person' that can be taken in lots of different ways. XD.