Five
A Monster Tries to Set Up a Playdate
The room I burst into was more of a wide hallway than anything else. An open fire burned in one corner beneath a huge metal pot, its glow helping a few scattered candles light the room. Five cages rested against one of the walls, thankfully all empty.
Or I thought they were until I ran past them.
"Meh-eh-eh."
The noise was quiet but so unexpected it froze me in my tracks. It was also familiar, bringing me back to petting zoo trips on summer vacation. Sitting there in the last cage, looking back at me, was a goat.
"Meh-eh-eh."
Its voice was weak, but its eyes shown sharply from where it lay on its stomach, legs folded beneath it. Too sharply, I decided. Goats were not supposed to look calculating, but this one did.
"You want me to get you out of there?" I asked. The goat stared back as if to say no shit.
I shot a nervous look at the door. A giant could come steaming through it after me at any second, but at the same time…
"Fine," I sighed. "I'll get you out. But we have to be fast."
I felt a bit silly explaining myself to a barnyard animal, but as I yanked back the bolt keeping the cage door closed, I couldn't shake the feeling that it had understood me. The bars swung open with a squeal and the goat stood and clopped out. As it passed me, I got a view of the side of its utter. Scribbled on, as if with pen, were the words Water, Milk, and Pepsi.
"Did someone draw on you?" I asked. Then I shook my head. This was not the time.
I went to tell the goat to run, but it took my advice before I even opened my mouth. I spent a moment watching it bolt down the hall with surprising speed, before realizing that I should be doing the same.
"Wait up!"
Never let it be said that goats can't run. Or never say it about this one, at least.
It took a brisk jog just to keep my new companion in sight, and if it weren't for the fact it seemed to want me to follow it – stopping when it got too far ahead and waiting for me before turning corners – then I would've lost it almost instantly. Even then, I was sweating and panting by the time we came to a stop, deep into a particularly winding passageway. Somewhere along the way the walls had become dirt and stone, more like a cave and less like a tunnel. In the end though, it had been nothing but a dead end.
"You had no idea where you were going, did you?" I said. I wasn't sure why that surprised me so much. Of course the goat hadn't had a route planned.
"Meh-eh-eh," it bleated insistently.
"Don't look at me," I said. "You're the one that led us here!"
Its nostrils flared and it butted the wall of earth.
"That's not going to get you anywhere."
But it kept going, repeatedly hitting the same spot. I sighed and kneeled down, laying a hand on its head to calm it.
"Really, stop. You're going to hur- ow!" I cut off as the goat rammed forward again, slamming my hand against the wall. I was just about to tear the little menace a new one when something happened. Right where my hand had touched the wall a symbol was glowing. An Ancient Greek Delta, the same letter that sat above the door in a certain workshop. The symbol of Daedalus.
The wall began shifting almost immediately. Solid rock twisted out of the way like magic, and I found myself staring at a night sky and open field.
"Meh-eh-eh," the goat said, walking past me without a second thought. I followed after it, still somewhat shellshocked.
We stepped out of an opening that shut behind us, leaving nothing more than an innocuous hunk of rock. We were in a meadow hemmed in on all sides by trees. Humidity prickled at my skin and left me nostalgic for home; it felt like a summer night in New York City. Beside me, my companion began rewarding themselves with a nice helping of the grass that was reaching up to my knees.
I took a moment to steady my breathing and calm down. We'd done it. We'd gotten away.
Of course, just where we'd escaped to was an entirely different question. The Labyrinth covered the entire country, and huge distances could be traveled impossibly fast in its corridors. We could be just about anywhere.
I settled onto an empty section of ground and took my weapon, now returned to its pencil form, and began twirling it in my hands. It helped keep my ADD busy and let me focus.
Because focus was what I needed. I had to plan my next step. I was in an unfamiliar place, my only companion was a goat, and earlier that day I'd been one lucky break away from being served on a literal silver platter. If the giants hadn't ended up fighting each other…
I wasn't ready for this, not by a long shot.
My eyes began to water, frustration boiling over. I'd wanted to make a difference. I'd thought I could do it.
I'd been wrong.
But that didn't mean it had to stay that way.
My hand clenched into a fist, clutching Aelia tight.
I wasn't going to roll over and die just because I'd been an idiot. I was going to survive, and I was going to grow in the process. One day I'd be able to take down Monsters like Steve and Flesh Tearer without breaking a sweat. I didn't know when that day would be, but it was coming. I wouldn't let it be any other way.
A burp drew my attention, and my companion finished their up latest bite grass and started walking. I watched, debating whether I should just let it go its own way.
On the one hand, it was clearly more than just a goat. Regular goats didn' navigate their way out of the labyrinth, or even get into the Labyrinth in the first place. But at the same time I couldn't just keep following it forever.
The goat seemed to realize I wasn't coming and turned where it stood, a dozen steps away. The look it fixed me with gave a clear message: get moving.
And I did just that. Partially because there was clearly something special about the animal, and partially because following it had already helped me once. The goat seemed to nod its head in satisfaction, and we set off for the far edge of the clearing.
It was night, but the moon was still low in the sky. Almost a day had passed since I first set out. Maybe more. Time moved differently in the Labyrinth, just like distance. One minute down there could be a whole lot more above ground.
We passed between the first few trunks and started weaving through the forest. Pine needles cracked under my feet. I stumbled slightly and brought out Anfisa once more, using the sword for light.
For nearly half an hour we walked without incident, working our way deeper into the forest, until my guide stopped dead.
"What is it?" I asked.
The goat didn't answer, instead standing stock still. Then, without any warning, two things happened: a loud yell cut through the forest, and the goat took off running.
"Hey!" I shouted. "Wait up!"
It didn't, and as I went to chase it my metal foot clipped a root, sending me sprawling. By the time I pushed my head up and spat out a mouthful of leaves, it was completely out of sight.
Another yell cut through the clearing, this one louder than the first, and I shoved my way up with a shiver.
"Is someone there?" I called out. There was no response, but as I strained my ears, I could just make out a different type of noise. Low grunts and the clangs of deflected metal. The sounds of a fight. Holding my weapon at the ready, I did my best to sneak as I moved towards where the sounds were coming from.
As I closed the distance a few things became clear. First, there were multiple people fighting. At least two, based on the distinctive grunts and cries. Second, there was another, deeper voice that seemed to be talking incessantly. It sounded rough, like two sheets of sandpaper being rubbed together over a microphone. Third, the side with multiple voices seemed to be losing. Badly, if the frequent grunts of frustration were anything to go by.
A clearing came into view ahead of me and I ducked behind a tree on the edge of it, leaning my head out to peak at the scene. It was a strange one.
A boy and a girl a few years older than me were darting this way and that, wielding weapons against a towering eight-foot figure. The boy had sandy hair, tanned skin, and a sword slightly longer than my own which he was wielding viciously. The girl's hair was dark and cropped short. She moved much more cautiously with her weapon, a wicked looking spear.
Their opponent was the source of the talking, and her appearance was just as strange her voice. Where her legs should have been there was only a snakelike tail. Long claws sprouted from even longer fingers, like the posts on a cast iron fence. Her face was leathery and wrinkled. Her left eye socket was empty, but that didn't seem to be slowing her down. Her arms were blurs, lashing out and repelling the teens' weapons with no visible effort.
"Oh gosh, what stunning vitriol you show," she hissed, raspy voice dripping with pleasure. "You remind me of my own children. Have I told you that yet?"
The only answer she got was a new batch of attacks to fend off, which she did easily.
"They were right around your age when it happened, you know. So full of vim and vigor. So eager to please and charm." She sighed theatrically. "Oh I miss them so."
Then she perked up. I could practically see the metaphorical lightbulb go off above her head. "I know, why don't I send them some more playmates!"
As I watched her body tensed, preparing to lunge forward. The teens saw it too, but while the girl dropped back into a defensive stance the boy kept going. He leapt forward, throwing all his weight behind yet another wild swing, ignoring the shout of warning his partner let out.
What happened next was almost too quick for me to catch. Just before the sword reached her the woman-snake-thing struck the flat of it with her palm, sending it careening across the field. Her other hand whipped across a moment later, claws reaching wickedly.
To his credit, the boy reacted far better than I could've. As soon as he lost his weapon he hurled himself to the side, desperately creating space. His reaction time saved his life. Rather than scoring a deadly slash across his chest the claws only sliced into his shoulder. A sloppy somersault later he pushed himself to his feet, unarmed, good hand grasping his injury and rage in his eyes.
"Luke you idiot!" the girl yelled, speaking for the first time. "This is exactly what we were talking about!"
He growled, still not taking his eyes off the monster who strangely enough had halted her attack entirely, seemingly content to watch. "This isn't the time for this, Thalia."
Thalia's mouth opened, before clicking shut once more. "Fine. But we'll be chatting about this later, got it? Just get behind me for now."
"I can still fight," Luke said.
"Like hell you can! Have you seen your arm?"
"I can fight," he repeated.
"Luke." Thalia's tone was both pleading and firm. "Leave it to me."
For a long beat nobody moved. Then, slowly, Luke turned and started walking away.
"You better handle it," he said as he passed his partner, not quite keeping the worry out of his voice. She gave him a smirk that didn't reach her eyes.
"When have I not."
Before Luke could respond the sound of clapping filled the air
"Oh. My. Goodness! Add caring to the list, too. You all really are just the perfect friends. Oh I can't wait for you to bond with my children!"
She carried on, gesticulating wildly. "Oh you'll have sleepovers and breakfast for dinner and so, so, much, fun!"
Thalia shifted her weight, gripping her spear with just one hand as she faced the monster down. "Sorry, but we aren't doing shit."
"Language," Luke chided, glancing meaningfully at the forest around them. "Not while she can hear."
Thalia rolled her eyes but didn't argue. She brushed her fingertips against a shiny silver bracelet on her free hand and said, "Aegis."
In seconds a large circular shield had formed in the bracelet's place and I – unfortunately – got a good long look at it. To describe the face on it as ugly would be like describing Gabe Ugliano as unpleasant, or the ocean as deep. It was so horrible to look at that I took a physical step backwards, almost tripping out of my hiding spot in the process.
And that was only the side-view. The monster had no such luxury. The smile that had grown onto her face disappeared in favor of a sharp grimace.
"Oh put that thing away," she said. "Children shouldn't be playing with such unsavory items. You'll spoil your appetite."
Thalia didn't put it away, she charged.
The Monster was no slower than when she dealt with Luke, but this time was different. Thalia had seen what would happen if she over extended and she refused to leave any gaps. A low slash met her shield and skidded off. The follow up was cut short as her spear stabbed forward, forcing the monster to parry it. I could've sworn I saw a flash of blue energy crackling around the attack, but I chalked it down to the speed the weapon was moving at.
The fight was mesmerizing to watch, raw speed versus technique. Thalia seemed to be holding the upper hand, but she couldn't make it count. Every time she looked set to make a Snake-kebab of her opponent the monster would find a way to slip away in the nick of time. It was as if she could see her attacks coming somehow.
I was just getting sucked into watching when I heard a noise behind me – the snap of a fallen branch being stepped on. I spun just in time to catch a face full of blond hair and a hard hit to the jaw.
My attacker and I fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs and my sword landed a few feet away, out of reach. For a moment I was absolutely certain I was done for, that a monster had gotten drop on me and without my weapon I'd be helpless to stop them.
Then I noticed something. The growling figure on top of me was actually smaller than me. I had a chance. The return of hope gave me energy and, one leaf filled wrestling match later, I managed to shove them away and scramble over to my sword, holding it between us to discourage a follow up assault. I took the chance to catch my breath and got my first real look at the sneak attacker.
She looked surprisingly human, about my age and a few inches shorter. The long blond hair I'd gotten a mouthful of had more than a few leaves mixed into it after our tussle on the forest floor. Eyes the color of thunderclouds glared at me, grey and dark. Her left hand was clenched around something, holding it tight, while her right scooped up a long bronze knife from the ground.
It seemed I wasn't the only one who dropped a weapon when we collided. Given the murderous look on her face, I counted my blessings for that. It didn't seem like a question of if she would've stabbed me, but where.
We stared each other down, neither of us moving. It was tensest awkward silence I'd ever been a part of. Like when a teacher paired you with a complete stranger for a project but add in the possibility of an imminent fight to the death.
Finally, I had enough. "Who are you?"
She cocked her head. "I don't answer monsters."
I coughed incredulously. "I'm a monster? Are you forgetting the part where you attacked me?"
"Please," she said. "I saw you skulking around, waiting to attack them from behind. Your type can't fool me."
"I was just watching," I argued. "You know, trying to figure out what the hell was going on? That doesn't give you the right to attack me!"
"You were so creepy though!" She pantomimed leaning out from behind something, furrowing her eyebrows suspiciously.
"I did not look like that."
"Yes, you di-"
"I didn't," I cut her off. "But even if I did, that doesn't mean you can freaking tackle me!"
She blushed and looked down but refused to give up. "You did hit me in the head," she muttered, pointing to a growing bruise on above her eyes.
"You headbutted me!"
Before we could get any further a crack echoed behind us, and the forest flashed white. A smell like burning rubber hit my nose.
"Youuuuu," the monster's voice wailed. "You're his child!"
I chanced a look over my shoulder and found Thalia standing a few feet back, spear aimed like a canon. The monster's whole left arm was charred and black.
"The shield is an imitation of his. And your attacks, they had a charge to them, didn't they? But now there's no doubt. You're his child." Any remaining good humor was now long gone from her warped face. "Why are you alive?"
Thalia hummed. "Guess I'll need to up the voltage…"
"Answer the question!"
With that scream the monster lunged forward, going back on the attack. The blond girl beside me seemed to only have eyes for their fight now, watching with rapt attention.
At first, I thought the charge was suicide. Thalia almost ended the fight so many times before that I didn't see how she could lose. Given that one of the monster's arms now looked fresh out of the oven, I expected it to be over in seconds.
It wasn't. As I watched Thalia barely blocked a swipe at her face before taking a shallow cut to the side, unable to lower her shield in time. She was being pushed back, taking small hits as she went – nothing debilitating, but enough to start adding up.
It wasn't that the monster had gotten faster or stronger. No, she'd simply become erratic. Every attack was wild and random, no thought or planning behind any of them. And it was working. Thalia couldn't predict where the next attack would come from because even attacker herself didn't know.
The entire time the monster chanted her question, over and over.
"Why are you alive? Why are you alive? Why are you alive?"
Finally, something gave. An overhead strike was caught by Thalia's shield, but there was too much force behind it. The teenager was forced to her knees as her shield snapped to the side with a sound that didn't bode well for the arm underneath it.
"Do you know who I am?" the monster breathed, eyes staring wide and unblinking. "I'm Lamia. I was – am – a queen, even if my kingdom has faded, and even Zeus himself loved me. He told me so in person, just before our children were born."
Thalia tried to stand but Lamia placed a claw on her throat in warning. On the other side of the clearing Luke froze, two steps into a rush to his friend.
"He said he would always be there for us!" Lamia yelled. Her voice was hoarse with anger. "He promised, gave his word. But where was he when his wife struck in the night? Nowhere to be seen, cowering like a dog in his palace!"
The previously clear sky rumbled, but Lamia just glared up at it. "I know you can hear me!" she yelled, before looking back down at Thalia and carrying on as if she hadn't been interrupted.
"They were his children, just like you, and he watched on, safe in his high palace, as they were cut down in the night. As I, who had given him only love, lost not only my family but the ability to sleep, forced to relive those terrible moments over and over and over again."
Her lips twisted into a cutting smile as she said, "But do not worry, he was not without mercy. Two gifts, I received: the ability to remove my eyes," she gestured to her empty socket, "and a talent for prophecy. Because who needs sleep when you can render yourself blind, and what does being miserable in present matter when I can glimpse an equally miserable future."
Eying the claw on her neck, Thalia spoke carefully; "That's terrible. I'm sorry for your loss."
"If you understand," Lamia said, "then answer the question. Why are you alive while they aren't!"
"Because…nobody's killed me yet?"
"But why?!" Lamia grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her into the air. "It isn't right, tell me why!"
Suddenly the blond girl rushed past me, making a beeline for the clearing. My hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, holding her back, and she whirled towards me.
Her eyes were angry, but I could see tears forming in the corners. "Let go! I have to help her!"
"By what, charging in headfirst? That's only going to make things worse."
Believe me, I added in my head. I would know.
She yanked her arm away but didn't resume her charge.
"I have to do something," she said. "I can't just hide while my friends are hurt."
"I'm not saying that," I said. "But at least, y'know, attack from behind? You'll just make things worse if she sees you coming."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Coming from behind her isn't going to do anything, idiot. She can see the future. Haven't you been paying attention?"
"What? So she can like, tell what I'll have for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Of course not. That's not how prophecies work, they only show flashes. For Lamia it must be a few seconds into the future – she keeps dodging attacks before they happen."
"Wow. That doesn't seem fair," I said. "But if she can see what's coming, why is she getting hit at all? Shouldn't she be able to dodge everything?"
"She would if she had both eyes," the girl said. "We got lucky. When we ran into her she had them out. She only managed to get one in when the fight started."
"That's…good," I said. "What happened to the other one?"
"Luke stole it. He tossed it to me, told me to keep it away from her."
She opened her clenched hand and revealed a gooey eyeball resting in her palm, much to my disgust.
"You were holding that the whole time?" I asked. "Even when you jumped on me?"
She nodded impatiently.
"Wow, that is so gro-"
"Do you have a plan?" she interrupted. "Because if you don't, I'm going to help my friends. Now."
Unfortunately, I really didn't. Just because I could tell her idea was bad didn't mean I had any good ones of my own. But as I thought about it, something did spring to mind.
Was it simple? Definitely. stupid? Possibly. But that didn't mean it couldn't work.
"She'll be hard to beat while she still has an eye, right?"
The girl nodded.
"So the two things we need to do, are getting her away from Thalia and getting her other eye, right?"
"Get on with it."
"Great. Then all I need you to do is keep that eye away from her," I pointed to the one in the girl's hand, "and, when she's distracted, grab your friend and drag her out of there."
She looked at me dubiously. "That's it?"
"Well, one more thing," I said. "If we're going to do this, what's your name?"
She still didn't look convinced by my sales pitch, but she sighed and said, "Annabeth."
I grinned. "I'm Percy."
And then I sprinted into the clearing, straight at Lamia.
Behind me Annabeth shouted in surprise as I did exactly what I'd stopped her from doing, but I didn't stop. I broke through the tree line and shouted, "Hey, tall and scaly! Over here!"
Two and a half pairs of eyes locked onto me, all of them confused at my sudden appearance. I skid to a halt, a dozen feet from Lamia and her captive audience, and spread my arms wide.
"I heard you like eating kids. Well here I am, one grade-a delivery of top-quality kid. Come and get it…unless you're too chicken!"
Unfortunately, my taunt didn't work as well as I'd hoped it would. Lamia waved her hand in a shoeing gesture. "This isn't the time, child. Can't you see I'm asking your friend an important question? Be a dear and wait your turn, or…" She rubbed a claw horizontally across Thalia's throat, acting out her threat, and I swallowed. Time to take some risks.
"My friend?" I laughed. "I've never met any of these guys before. Why should I care what happens to her?"
"Of course," Lamia said, her voice bored. "You're just a random half-blood, out for a nightly stroll. Please, if you're going to interrupt me, at least do not insult my intelligence as you do it."
Luke had been staring at me with furrowed eyebrows but now his eyes widened, understanding flashing in them. He winked at me and mouthed I got this.
"He's telling the truth," Luke said. "I've never seen him before. I swear it on the River Styx."
Thunder boomed in the sky and the monster looked back at me. "Truly? How strange." Her tongue flicked out, its forked tip tasting the air in my direction.
"Get it now?" I asked. "These guys are strangers. I don't care what happens to them in the slightest, I only have eyes for you."
Luke choked. "Uh, kid? Might want to drop that saying for a few years, at least until you understand it," he said, but I ignored him. I was gauging Lamia's reaction, seeing if I'd done enough.
But while the snake woman looked more interested than before, she didn't take the bait. "Friend or not, you can still wait your turn," she said.
No! I needed to drop Thalia, but she just wouldn't do it. I had to get her attention, all of it, and fast, before she did something drastic. But what could…
Oh. Yeah, that would probably do it.
I muttered a brief prayer to gods know who that this wouldn't get me killed and opened my big mouth.
"Your kids hate you," I said. Immediately her head whipped toward me, and I pressed on. "I mean, you just send any old kid you run across down to be friends with them, and you have been for, what, a few thousand years? I'd be sick to death of it if I was them."
She snarled. "You would do well not to speak on matters of which you know nothing, boy."
"I don't know, I think I know everything I need to." Time for the ringer. "Honestly, even Hera is a better mother than you."
The wail that tore from her throat was horrible, somewhere between a fire alarm and a cat whose tail had just stepped on but twice as loud as the both of them put together. The good news was that she did exactly what I wanted, dropping Thalia to the ground. Annabeth was there immediately, darting in and pulling her friend to safety. The bad news was that, well, she did exactly what I wanted, that being charging me at full speed.
In the seconds I had to prepare myself I took a deep breath and readied my arm. Annabeth had said Lamia's predictions were limited to just a few seconds. If she'd been wrong, if it was longer…
I'd be screwed. But there was no point in thinking about that now. I just had to do my part, and hope the rest went my way.
Lamia seemed a lot bigger now that she was bearing down on me. A lot scarier, too. But as she entered striking range, claws drawn back to slice me end from end, I did the last thing anyone expected me to.
I jumped straight at her, left arm reaching forward.
I could see the exact moment she realized what I was about to do. About a second before I kicked off the ground her eyes widened, and a hand came up to block me. Her extended claws would slice my hand to shreds before it ever got close to her face.
I also saw the exact moment she realized she'd been had. Disbelief slipped onto her face. Her mouth opened and began a scream of denial. But it was too late: there was no time for her to adjust as her claws bounced off my metal arm, doing nothing to stop its momentum.
With a grunt of mixed triumph and disgust, my celestial bronze hand plucked her sole eye out of her face.
I didn't have long to celebrate a successful plan. The moment she lost her sight Lamia began thrashing desperately, like a six-hundred-pound toddler throwing a tantrum. A backhand caught me in the chest and (for the second time that day) sent me flying.
"No," Lamia sobbed. "Not like this. This can't happen. Don't worry kids, mommy will pull through! I'll find a way to send you friends. I'll do anything to keep you from being bored!"
But for all her promises she was helpless. I sat up from my spot on the ground and watch her slash at empty air, desperate for a lucky hit on a target nowhere near her. It was kinda sad, even if she was a monster. When Thalia's spear sprouted from her chest and put the little show to an end, I was glad. And not just because it meant she wasn't a threat anymore.
But even impaled, the monster managed to croak out her final words.
"He won't save you," she said. "Zeus says he cares, but at the end of the day we are nothing to him. Me, my children, you…he'll cast us off without a second thought."
Thalia twisted her spear. "I thought you couldn't see the future without your eyes."
Lamia laughed. "I don't need a prophecy for this, girl. Experience is enough."
And with that she crumbled to dust, the eye in my hand disintegrating with her.
"So," Luke said in the sudden silence. "Do you make a habit of popping up in the middle of nowhere and risking your life for strangers? Because if so, that's a hell of a job."
I shook my head but couldn't keep a smile off my face. The friendliness in his voice was infectious. "Only on Thursdays."
"You picked a strange time then," he said. "Today's a Tuesday."
"Guess I'm running late," I said, climbing to my feet as he walked over and held out his hand. I took it. "Percy."
"Great to meet you, Percy. I'm Luke, spear girl over there is Thalia, and that little spitfire is Annabeth."
"Spear girl? Really?" Thalia asked. Then she turned to me. "Thanks for the save. I'd shake your hand too, but I think my arm's broken. We'll get to it later; I'll even give you a coupon, so I don't forget."
"Cool," I said, not sure what else to say to that.
"Say, Percy?" Luke spoke up. "You mind doing me a favor."
I was pretty sure I just had, but I nodded anyway.
"Great. Mind carrying me to our camp? I'm going to pass out right about…now."
Then he fell forward. Right on top of me.
(-)
I said this would be out before Thanksgiving. So that was a lie, huh? Hopefully the fact that this chapter was double the length of the other ones will ease the pain of the longer wait. A lot happens in this one. A lot of important stuff, too. As always any feedback is welcome, but in particular I'd love to hear people's thoughts on how in-character the characters seem. Nailing their personalities and voices is one of my top goals across this fic. No idea when the next chapter will be out, but as of today I'm on winter break so fingers-crossed that it will be soon, given the extra time I'll have for fanfiction.
