The next few days passed in a blur where the most exciting thing had been Alina Valdez, shifting out of her lycanthrope form, to curse up a storm because she had been kidnapped, that was so not cool, the shadows were much too cold even with her fur, and would someone please get her some clothes.

It had also been awkward reunion between Reyna and Lilith who had stared wide-eyed at each other the moment that the shadow pulled them onto the ship. The daughter of Venus had traced her glance over her blessing, expression pinched as she took in all of her new scars and cuts. In return, the daughter of Bellōna raised a judgmental brow at the sight of the girl having Rudolph Chase in a hail mary.

"He was working with Gaea," the girl explained, twirling a curl around her finger. "She promised to bring back his family. I helped him find peace by allowing him to speak with his blessing; his darling wife who called him all kinds of intriguing names. We've been having such interesting talks about his decisions. I think he's learning his lesson now."

"Threaten to castrate him with a teaspoon and feeding his own balls to him is not much of talk," Fletch stated from where he reappeared with clothes for Alina.

The lycanthrope laughed, looking over the demigoddess and the down mortal before saying: "Hm, I'm not sure if its change, but El color favorito de mi primo es rojo."

Reyna looked between the two; Lilith was dressed in a bold red jumpsuit and decked out in plenty of gods.

'How did you know we were in trouble," the daughter of Bellōna asked instead.

"Leo contacted me a little after you started your journey to try to look out for you or at least find Star girl. I was a bit busy however running from Lycaon. He did not take me or my companions' desertion very well." Alina shrugged accepting a wipe from Lilith to get rid of the blood on her and a comb to work out the knots in her hair. "In the middle of our chase, Orion nearly put an arrow in me and hired Lycaon and his wolves to chase after you all. Saving you was a little less about helping you, but making sure that mi primo does not die from a broken bond. It was added bonus that I was able to take over his pack."

"But how did you find us?"

"Mm? Oh, I tracked your scents," Alina shrugged casually. "Well not your scent. Leo's scent though I have yours also. You; praetor, his scent clings to you since you just left his proximity, so when you began to move away from him. I tracked you. Plus, the shadow boy smells of death. The goat smells like well goat. The other one smells like a hospital. And even without all of that, you are Leo's soulmates. His scent lingers around your marks. I could track you from anywhere in the world because you have his scent and I know his scent. I suppose that is how Orion is tracking you also. You demigods reek."

"So what now?" Nico asked.

Magnus appeared from the rooms in the back where he left Pranjal with the last of his blessings. "Now we get you to Camp Half Blood and get that statue off my ship. It's chipping the paint and I swear its eyes are following me."

Meanwhile, the seven travelled to Pylos where Octavian and Drew scoured the port of Pylos in an attempt to find the poison.

The two of them operated on the same frequency, joking easily and a shared camaraderie that spoke of years instead of the weeks that they knew each other. It was frankly terrifying.

After a moment of subtle threats, not so subtle threats, a bit of diplomacy, a small fight, and an exchange of information on different poisons, the two of them were given the Pylosian mint especially when Octavian revealed that he knew two more of their extended cousins and planned to introduce them if they managed to live.

The crew gathered for a hurried meeting on the foredeck — mostly because Percy was keeping an eye on a giant red sea serpent swimming off the port side.

'That thing is really red,' Percy muttered. 'I wonder if it's cherry-flavoured.'

'Why don't you swim over and find out?' Annabeth asked.

'How about no.'

'Anyway,' Octavian said, 'according to them, the chained god we're looking for in Sparta is Enyalios, a son of Ares. Apparently the Spartans kept a statue of him chained up in their city so the spirit of war would never leave them.'

'Oo-kay,' Leo said. 'The Spartans were freaks. Of course, we've got Victory tied up downstairs, so I guess we can't talk.'

"And it's no different than Athens and their idea of Wingless Victory. The former think that Enyalius will never run away from them, being bound in the fetters, while the Athenians think that Victory, having no wings, will always remain where she is."

Jason leaned against the forward ballista. 'On to Sparta, then. But how does a chained god's heartbeat help us find a cure for dying?'

The two of them planned their next course of action with Drew and Octavian revealing that his visions had been flickering but he saw Drew and Annabeth exploring some ruins.

"Delphi not being under Apollo's control doesn't seem to bother you all that much," Leo pointed out.

"Delphi isn't his only oracle, but it's his strongest. I used the other oracles, but his influence over them is also slowly going away so we should speed this up."

"Tav," Annabeth stated, bringing attention back to the main purpose. "Do you think it was Sparta?'

'Maybe,' Octavian said. 'You're in a cave, staring at this warrior statue, but when Drew touches it's face, flames start swirling around the two of you. I don't like that vision.'

'Me neither.' Percy kept one eye on the red sea serpent, which was still slithering through the waves about a hundred yards to port. 'If the statue engulfs people in fire, we should send Leo.'

'I love you too, man.'

'You know what I mean. You're immune. Or, heck, give me some of those nice water grenades and I'll go. Ares and I have tangled before. And I've fought a good amount of his kids.'

"Didn't Lea tell you to stop picking fights with them," Drew snarked as Annabeth stared at the coastline of Pylos, now retreating in the distance. 'If Octavian and Drew saw the two of us going after the statue, then that's who should go. We'll be alright. There's always a way to survive.'

He turned his gaze to the cameras that were flying around unobtrusively or at least as much as they could.

The Akrópolis was perched on its hill, imposing as it wanted to be, rising four hundred feet over the night-time sprawl of modern Athens, the sheer cliffs topped with a crown of limestone walls. On the clifftop, a collection of ruined temples and modern cranes gleamed silver in the moonlight.

It was thankfully devoid of mortals, which would make his job easier if they managed to survive this, not having to worry about mending their minds if they saw the giants.

So many giants had gathered there it looked like a cocktail party for redwood trees. They would have their work out for them to be battling with only seven demidivine children. He wondered if it was arrogance that kept them from bringing more children over or was it truly the fate that the Moirai weaved.

He saw the Twin Giants out of those ridiculous costumes, but now in matching construction worker outfits. He saw Polyvotis, as horrible as before, with poison dripping from his dreadlocks and a breastplate sculpted to resemble hungry mouths. He saw Enkélados, staring longingly at a picture of Drew with hearts all around it, dressed in his armor with flame designs, his hair braided with bones. His flagpole-sized spear burned with purple fire. He saw Udaeus with his unnerving longs arms, shaggy hair, and cute but creepy face. Cacus, smaller than his brethren, about the same size as the twins, with his curly orange hair, pale skin, and freckles. That damn thief, with his permanent pout, upturned nose, wide eyes, and arched eyebrows, so he appeared both startled and unhappy. Hērmês didn't even care anymore that he stole his kērū́keion considering that Leaneíras had told him all about his words back when she came across him in the Labyrinth. Aside from him, Hērmês also took note of Batás, probably the only giant that was born to oppose him that actually was worth opposing him. Hippólutos and Cacus were just disappointments, and complete insults to everything that he stood for.

And both of them; if his dreams had been anything to go by, wanted his Leaneíras.

There were plenty others, Eurumédōn, Múlinos, Hupérbios, Fóla, Phṓtios, Harpolukos, Éire, Gū́gēs, Peloreus, Oluktor, Neringa, Eriktupos, Euphorbus, Kethlenda, Rhā́iōn, Eithne, Antaîos, Pikóloos, and so many others just as imposing and hideous as they had been the first time around.

In the centre of the crowd stood an empty, makeshift throne of twisted scaffolding and stone blocks
apparently yanked at random from the ruins.

Hērmês scowled as Hippólutos; an embarrassment to his name, lumbered up the steps at the far end of the Akrópolis. He wore a massive velour tracksuit with gold chains around his neck and greased-back hair, so he looked like a thirty-foot-tall mobster – if mobsters had dragon feet and burnt-orange skin.

He ran towards the Parthenṓn and stumbled inside, flattening several Earthborn under his feet. He stopped, gasping for breath at the foot of the throne.

'Where is Porphuríōn ?' he demanded. ' I have news!'

Enkélados stepped forward. ' Tardy as usual, Hippólutos. I hope your news is worth the wait. Porphuríōn should be ...'

The ground between them split. An even larger giant leaped from the earth like a breaching whale.

'King Porphuríōn is here,' announced the king with his seaweed-coloured braids where captured demigod weapons glittered. His face was cruel and pale green, his eyes as white as the Mist. His body radiated its own sort of gravity, causing the other monsters to lean towards him. Soil and pebbles skittered across the ground, pulled towards his massive dragon feet.

Eurumédōn scoffed from where he sat, being attended to by his daughter and the other giantess.

Hippólutos kneeled. ' I bring word of the enemy!'

Porphuríōn took a seat on the throne. ' Speak.'

'The demigod ship sails around the Pelopónnēsos . Already they have destroyed the ghosts at Ithakē and captured the goddess Níkē in Olympia!'

The crowd of monsters stirred uneasily. A Kúklōps chewed his fingernails. Two drákaina exchanged coins like they were taking bets for the End-of-the-World office sweepstake.

Porphuríōn just laughed. "Hippólutos, do you wish to kill your enemy Hērmês and become the messenger of the giants?'

"Ναι, brother!'

Hērmês rolled his eyes though he squeezed his Mother's hand as she sat tensed behind him, feeling the concerned glances of his aunts and siblings running over him. He probably looked like hell as khaos-mania continued to pull him under, but he held his head high.

'Then you will have to bring fresher news. I know all this already. None of it matters! The demigods have taken the route we expected them to take. They would have been fools to go any other way."

"But, brother, they will arrive at Spártā by morning! If they manage to unleash the makhai –'

'Idiot!' Porphuríōn's voice shook the ruins. 'Our brother Mímās awaits them at Spártā. You need not worry. The demigods cannot change their fate. One way or another, their blood shall be spilled upon these stones and wake the Earth Mother!'

The crowd roared approval and brandished their weapons. Hippólutos bowed and retreated, but another giant approached the throne.

"Uncle!' Periboia made her way forward, walking to the makeshift throne of her Uncle. Her eyes glittered with distaste as he declared himself the King of the Giants even though he had not been ancient times. 'I ask again: Why here, in this place? Why not on the slopes of Mount Ólumpos itself? Surely–'

All the deities in the room scoffed. Did they forget what happened the last time their kind tried to reach Ólumpos? The Twins were right there to tell them. As if their defenses had failed in the millenia that passed. Ha! And their home above the Empire State Building was still connected to the Ancient Lands; it would be nothing to raise their children through the elevators to assist them on the slight chance that they somehow; with great doubt, managed to get through their defenses before tiring.

'Periboia,' the king growled, 'the matter is settled. The original Mount Ólumpos is now a barren peak. It offers us no glory."

The kingdom had never sat there for all that the mortals claimed it so.

"Here, in the centre of the Greek world, the roots of the gods truly run deep."

The centre of the greek world was in Delphoí actually.

"There may be older temples, but this Parthenṓn holds their memory best. In the minds of mortals, it is the most powerful symbol of the Olympians. When the blood of the last heroes is spilled here, the Akrópolis shall be razed. This hill shall crumble, and the entire city shall be consumed by the Earth Mother. We will be the masters of Creation! "

They would never even be masters of playdoh.

The crowd hollered and howled, but Periboia didn't look convinced. Neither did her cousins, and Hērmês furrowed his brow as he realized that the Alkyonides were nowhere to be seen.

'You tempt fate, Uncle, ' she said . 'The demigods have friends here as well as enemies. It is not wise –'

'WISE? ' Porphuríōn rose from his throne. All the giants took a step back. "Enkélados, my counsellor, explain to our niece what wisdom is!'

The fiery giant came forward, eyes glowing like diamonds..

"You need not worry, Princess,' Enkélados said. 'We have taken Delphoí . Apóllōn was driven out of Ólumpos in shame."

His brother actually left on his own accord, idiots.

"The future is closed to the gods. They stumble forward blindly. As for tempting fate ... ' He gestured to his left, and a smaller giant shuffled forward. He had ratty grey hair, a wrinkled face and eyes that were milky with cataracts. Instead of armour, he wore a tattered sackcloth tunic. His dragon-scale legs were as white as frost. Porphuríōn leaned away from the old giant. 'This is Thoon. Just as many of us were born to kill certain gods, Thoon was born to kill the Three Fates. He will strangle the old ladies with his bare hands. He will shred their yarn and destroy their loom. He will destroy Fate itself!'

As if they hadn't clobbered him to death in the last war.

Porphuríōn rose and spread his arms in triumph. 'No more prophecies, my friends! No more futures foretold! The time of Ga í a shall be our era, and we will make our own destiny!'

The crowd cheered and all the gods scoffed though they shifted uneasily.

Hērmês let his eyes slip closed as he tried to sleep. It made the mania rest more easily, and as the days became more troublesome, well... he preferred sleep because it was where he might find his Leaneíras. He tried pushing his senses out, he tried focusing on their bond, but all he caught was glimpses. Her standing with children that looked much too like her friends, fighting against soldiers that he remembered from the Trojan War, and somehow she had been in New Roma fighting alongside the romans in the invasion though one of her clones had blue eyes instead of the standard green. He knew it was not true, but if it was the only way to catch even a glimpse of his beloved, why should he not find comfort in it?

It was much better than facing the end of the world.

WORD COUNT: 2708

THINGS TO KNOW:

1) The Alkyonides were, in Greek mythology, the seven daughters of Alkyoneús. These sisters were identified individually as, Alkippe, Anthe, Asteria, Drimo, Methone, Pallene & Phthonia. When Alkyoneús was slain by Hēraklēs, the Alkyonides threw themselves into the sea from Kanastraion, which is the peak of Pellene. They were transformed into halcyons (kingfishers) by Amphitrítē.

2) According to Homer, Eurumédōn was one of the kings of the gigantes. He is the father of Periboia (who was is also the mother of Nausíthoos by Poseidón). He brought destruction on his people and was himself destroyed.

2A) According to Apollodorus, Porphuríōn was (along with Alkyoneús), the greatest of the Giants.

2B) In this case, Eurumédōn would have been a better choice as the bane of Poseidón since Porphuríōn and Alkyoneús opposed his brothers.

COMMENTS FROM THE AUTHOR:

1) In this verse, Ōríōn is not Apóllōn's bane like in canon. He is only Ártemis'. In this verse, Tituós is his bane. He was mentioned back during the SOM arc.

1A) Tituós attempted to rape Lētṓ at the behest of Hḗrē. Depending on the version, the Twins killed him though sometimes only Apóllōn killed him. Then in some accounts, Tituós was instead slain by the thunderbolt of his father Ζεύς. (Nothing good came to the people that harmed Ζεύς' consorts and in that version, Ζεύς was his Father but Gaía was not his Mother.) As further punishment for his crime, he was stretched out in Tartara and tortured by two vultures who fed on his liver, which grew back every night.

1B) Unlike Promētheús, he was never freed.

1C) And he has already been killed in Tartara by Octavian with the help of Éris so Pū́thōn has called dibs on him.

2) Piper had heard that each giant was born to oppose a particular god, but there were way more than twelve giants gathered in the Parthenon. She counted at least twenty and, if that wasn't intimidating enough, around the giants' feet milled a horde of smaller monsters – Cyclopes, ogres, six-armed Earthborn and serpent-legged dracaenae.

2A) Where the fuck were they in the battle against the giants? Like all we heard about was giants getting their asses kicked? And "at least twenty giants", but we barely get any focus on them?