──── chapter nine

{ 🔮 }  · this is not a goodbye . ݁ ٬٬ ࣪

HERE IS A PIECE of advice coming from Endora Prince ─ never follow a mechanical spider. It will, almost ninety-nine percent, lead to your dead. The group was doing okay until they hit the tree roots. The spider raced along and we were keeping up, but then they spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots. Grover stopped dead in his tracks. 

"What is it?" Percy said.

He didn't move. He stared open-mouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.

"Come on!" Annabeth said. "We have to keep moving."

"This is the way," Grover muttered in awe. "This is it."

"What way?" Percy asked. "You mean. . . to Pan?"

Grover looked at Tyson. "Don't you smell it?"

"Dirt," Tyson said. "And plants."

"Yes! This is the way. I'm sure of it!"

Up ahead, the spider was getting farther down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and they'd lose it.

"Well come back," Annabeth promised. "On our way back to Hephaestus."

"The tunnel will be gone by then," Grover said. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open!"

"But we can't," Annabeth said. "The forges!"

Grover looked at her sadly. "I have to, Annabeth. Don't you understand?"

She looked desperate, like she didn't understand at all. The spider was almost out of sight. Endora knew she needed to support Grover in his search, he was one of her friends after all.

"We'll split up," Percy said.

"No!" Endora said. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again?"

"And Grover can't go alone." Annabeth added, agreeing with the brunette.

Tyson put his hand on Grover's shoulder. "I-I will go with him." 

"Tyson, are you sure?" Percy asked.

The big guy nodded. "Goat boy needs help. We will find the god person. I am not like Hephaestus. I trust friends."

Grover took a deep breath. "Percy, we'll find each other again. We've still got the empathy link. I just. . . have to." 

Endora didn't blame him. This was his life's goal. If he didn't find Pan on this journey, the council would never give him another chance.

"I hope you're right," Percy said.

"I know I am." 

Endora had never heard him sound so confident about anything, except maybe that cheese enchiladas were better than chicken enchiladas.

"Be careful," Percy told him. Then he looked at Tyson. He gulped back a sob and gave the boy a hug that just about squeezed his eyes out of their sockets. Then he and Grover disappeared through the tunnel of tree roots and were lost in the darkness.

"This is bad," Annabeth said. "Splitting up is a really, really bad idea."

"A great scenario for a horror movie." Endora muttered.

"We'll see them again," Percy said, trying to sound confident. "Now come on. The spider is getting away!"  

It wasn't long before the tunnel started to get hot.

The stone walls glowed. The air felt as if they were walking through an oven. The tunnel sloped down and Endora could hear a loud roar, like a river of metal. The spider skittered along, with Annabeth right behind.

"Hey, wait up," Percy called to her behind Endora. 

The blonde glanced back at the boy. "Yeah?"

"Something Hephaestus said back there. . . about Athena."

"She swore never to marry," Annabeth said, trying to hide her amusement. The two girls shared a look, knowing where this conversation was leading. "Like Artemis and Hestia. She's one of the maiden goddesses."

Percy blinked. "But then ─ "

"How come she has demigod children?"

The boy nodded. His cheeks were scarlet, whether from the hot temperature or the question he asked, Endora didn't know. That's a lie; she knew which was the right answer. "Percy, you know how Athena was born?" she asked.

"She sprung from the head of Zeus in full battle armor or something."

"Exactly, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said, "She wasn't born in the normal way. She was literally born from thoughts. Her children are born the same way. When Athena falls in love with a mortal man, it's purely intellectual, the way she loved Odysseus in the old stories. It's a meeting of minds. She would tell you that's the purest kind of love."

"So your dad and Athena. . . so you weren't. . ."

"I was a brain child," Annabeth said. "Literally. Children of Athena are sprung from the divine thoughts of our mother and the mortal ingenuity of our father. We are supposed to be a gift, a blessing from Athena on the men she favors."

"But ─ "

"Percy, the spider's getting away. Do you really want me to explain the exact details of how I was born?"

"Um. . . no. That's okay." 

Endora laughed and followed after Annabeth as the blonde ran ahead. 

The roaring got louder. After another half mile or so, they emerged in a cavern the size of a Super Bowl stadium. Their spider escort stopped and curled into a ball. They had arrived at the forge of Hephaestus.

There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of feet below. The three demigods stood on a rock ridge that circled the cavern. A network of metal bridges spanned across it. At the center was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges, and the largest anvil Percy'd ever seen ─ a block of iron the size of a house. Creatures moved around the platform ─ several strange, dark shapes, but they were too far away to make out details.

"We'll never be able to sneak upon them." Percy said.

Endora picked up the metal spider and slipped it into her pocket. "I can. Wait here."

"Hold it!" Percy said, but before he could argue, the brunette snapped her fingers and her figure disappeared. Percy didn't dare call after her, but he didn't like the idea of her approaching the forge on her own. If those things out there could sense a god coming, would Endora be safe?

"I'm going after her." Annabeth said and before Percy could protest once more, she put on her Yankees cap and turned invisible.

They will be the dead of me.

The boy looked back at the Labyrinth tunnel. He missed Grover and Tyson already. Finally he decided he couldn't stay put.

Percy crept along the outer rim of the lava lake, hoping he could get a better angle to see what was happening in the middle. The heat was horrible. Geryon's ranch had been a winter wonderland compared to this. In no time he was drenched with sweat. His eyes stung from the smoke. The boy moved along, trying to keep away from the edge, until he found his way blocked by a cart on metal wheels, like the kind they sue in mineshafts. He lifted up the tarp and found it was half full of scrap metal. He was about to squeeze his way around it when he heard voices from up ahead, probably from a side tunnel.

"Bring it in?" one asked.

"Yeah," another said. "Movie's just about done."

Son of Poseidon panicked. He didn't have time to back up. There was nowhere to hide except. . . the cart. He scrambled inside and pulled the tarp over him, hoping no one had seen him. Percy curled his fingers around Riptide, just in case he had to fight. The cart lurched forward.

"Oi," a gruff voice said. "Thing weighs a ton."

"It's celestial bronze," the other said. "What did you expect?"

Percy got pulled along. They turned a corner, and from the sound of the wheels echoing against the walls he guessed. They had passed down a tunnel and into a smaller room. Hopefully he was not about to be dumped into a smelting pot. If they started to tip him over, the boy'd have to fight his way out quick.

He heard lots of talking, chattering voices that didn't sound human ─ somewhere between a seal's bark and a dog's growl. There were other sounds too ─ like an old-fashioned film projector and a tinny voice narrating.

"Just set it in the back," a new voice ordered from across the room. "Now, younglings, please attend to the film. There will be time for questions afterward."

The voices quieted down, and Percy could hear the film.

As a young sea demon matures, the narrator said, changes happen in the monster's body. You may notice your fangs getting longer and you may have a sudden desire to devour human beings. These changes are perfectly normal and happen to all young monsters.

Excited snarling filled the room. The teacher ─ Percy guessed it must have been a teacher ─ told the younglings to be quiet, and the film continued. The boy didn't understand most of it, and he didn't dare look. The film kept talking about growth spurts and acne problems caused by working in the forges, and proper flipper hygiene, and finally it was over.

"Now, younglings," the instructor said, "what is the proper name of our kind?"

"Sea demons!" one of them barked.

"No. Anyone else?"

"Telekhines!" another monster growled.

"Very good," the instructor said. "And why are we here?"

"Revenge!" several shouted.

"Yes, yes, but why?"

"Zeus is evil!" one monster said. "He cast us into Tartarus just because we used magic!" 

"Indeed," the instructor said. "After we made so many of the gods' finest weapons. The trident of Poseidon, for one. And of course ─ we made the greatest weapon of the Titans! Nevertheless, Zeus cast us away and relied on those fumbling Cyclopes. That is why we are taking over the forges of the usurper Hephaestus. And soon we will control the undersea furnaces, our ancestral home!"

Percy clutched his pen-sword. These snarling things had created Poseidon's trident? What were they talking about? He'd never even heard of a telekhine.

"And so, younglings," the instructor continued, "who do we serve?"

"Kronos!" they shouted.

"And when you grow to be big telekhines, will you make weapons for the army?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent. Now, we've brought in some scraps for you to practice with. Let's see how ingenious you are."

There was a rush of movement and excited voices coming toward the cart. Percy got ready to uncap Riptide. The tarp was thrown back. He jumped up, his bronze sword springing to life in his hands, and found himself facing a bunch of. . . dogs. 

Well, their faces were dogs, anyway, with black snouts, brown eyes, and pointy ears. Their bodies were sleek and black like sea mammals, with stubby legs that were half flipper, half foot, and humanlike hands with sharp claws. If you blended together a kid, a Doberman pinscher, and a sea lion, you'd get something like what he was looking at.

"A demigod!" one snarled.

"Eat it!" yelled another.

But that's as far as they got before Percy slashed a wide arc with Riptide and vaporized the entire front row of monsters.

"Back off!" he yelled at the rest, trying to sound fierce.

Behind them stood their instructor ─ a six-foot-tall telekhine with Doberman fangs snarling at him. The boy did his best to stare him down.

"New lesson, class," Percy announced. "Most monsters will vaporize when sliced with a celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal, and will happen to you right now if you don't BACK OFF!"

To his surprise, it worked. The monsters backed up, but there were at least twenty of them. Percy's fear factor wasn't going to last long. He jumped out of the cart, yelled, "CLASS DISMISSED!" and ran for the exit.

The monsters charged after him, barking and growling. Son of Poseidon hoped they couldn't run very fast with those stubby little legs and flippers, but they waddled along pretty well. Thank the gods there was a door in the tunnel leading out to the main cavern.

Percy slammed it shut and turned the wheel handle to lock it, but he doubted it would keep them long. He didn't know what to do. Endora and Annabeth were out here somewhere, invisible. Their chance for a subtle reconnaissance mission had been blown. Percy ran toward the platform at the center of the lava lake.

"Endora!" Percy yelled.

"Shhh!" an invisible hand clamped over him mouth and wrestled him down behind a big bronze cauldron. "You want to get us killed?" 

Percy heard a snap of fingers and Endora shimmered into existence in front of him, scowling, her face streaked with ash and grime. Next to her Annabeth appeared, her hat held tightly in her hands.

"Percy, what is your problem?" Annabeth asked.

"We're going to have company!" he explained quickly about the monster orientation class.

The two girls looked at each other, their eyes widening.

"So that's what they are," Endora said. "Telekhines. I should've known. And they're making. . . Well, look." 

They peeked over the cauldron. In the center of the platform stood four sea demons, but these were fully grown, at least eight feet tall. Their black skin glistened in the firelight as they worked, sparks flying as they took turns hammering on a long piece of glowing hot metal.

"The blade is almost complete," one said. "It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metals." 

"Aye," a second said. "It shall be even sharper than before."

"What is that?" Percy whispered.

Annabeth shook her head. "They keep talking about fusing metals. I wonder ─ "

"They were talking about the greatest Titan weapon," Percy said. "And they. . . they said they made my father's trident."

"The telekhines betrayed the gods," the brunette said. "They were practicing dark magic. I still can't figure out what exactly, but Zeus banished them to Tartarus."

"With Kronos."

She nodded. "We have to get out ─ "

No sooner had she said that than the door to the classroom exploded and young telekhines came pouring out. They stumbled over each other, trying to figure out which way to charge.

"Both of you, turn invisible." Percy said. "Get out!"

"What?" Endora shrieked. "No! We're not ─ I'm not leaving you."

"I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider ─ maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

"But you'll be killed, you idiot!" Endora said, "You and Beth go. I can distract them with magic!"

"I'm not leaving either of you to sacrifice yourself!" Annabeth said, looking between her two best friends.

"I'll be fine." Percy said, assuring two girls, "Besides, we've got no choice." 

Endora glared at Percy like she was going to punch him. "Beth go. Don't look back until you are safe." the brunette said, putting charmspeak in her voice.

Against her will, daughter of Athena followed her orders. She threw a dark look towards the brunette before running for the exit.

"How did you ─ "

"Practicing," Endora said, "Now, what's the plan?"

"For you to leave," Percy said, looking into those earthen eyes he got to love.

"I ─ " she stopped her sentence, her hand going towards her front pocket of her jeans, "Fuck, the spider is with me. And I can't leave Beth alone. Fuck. Fuck. Why is this so stressful?"

"Go." Percy told her firmly, pleading with his eyes, "Please. I want ─ I need for you to be safe."

Percy couldn't help but think Endora looked so beautiful even in this state as he looked at her. With her hair sticking to her forehead and flying everywhere to her ash covered face, Endora Prince was the most beautiful girl Percy Jackson has ever laid eyes upon. She was not some kind of damsel in distress that was waiting for her prince. No. She was a warrior of her own, fighting the spirit that wanted to consume her body every day and never bothered to ask for help. She was definition of perfection in the boy's eyes and he couldn't imagine his life without her.

Maybe it was the rush of adrenaline or the unspoken emotions on both end, but Percy did something that surprised himself. He needed for her to know how he felt, but he couldn't open his mouth and let the words float like when he practiced in the mirror back in his apartment. He grabbed her small face between his hands and pulled her closer to his body, bending down so he was her level. . .

And then he kissed her.

It wasn't that long, and it certainly wasn't the kind of kiss you see in movies these days, but it was wonderful in its own way. He tried to pour all those unspoken emotions he felt and couldn't stop the butterflies when he felt Endora's hand grasping his and her kissing him back. All Percy could remember about the moment is that when their lips touched, he knew the memory would last forever.

She pulled away, and when she gave him that smile that is printed in the back of his mind, Percy almost forgot about everything happening around them.

"Be careful, Water Boy." she said, her cheeks matching his scarlet red ones, "I need you back. You got me? Alive."

Percy gave her his signature troublemaker smile, "Got it, pretty girl. I'll come back."

Endora nodded and with last smiles exchanged, she ran towards the exit, yelling Annabeth's name.

Percy probably would've sat there for the rest of the day, staring at the lava and trying to remember what his name was, but the sea demons jarred him back to reality.

"There!" one yelled.

The entire class of telekhines charged across the bridge toward him. The boy ran for the middle of the platform, surprising the four elder sea demons so much they dropped the red-hot blade. It was about six feet long and curved like a crescent moon. He'd seen a lot of terrifying things, but this unfinished whatever-it-was scared him worse. 

The elder demons got over their surprise quickly. There were four ramps leading off the platform, and before Percy could dash in any direction, each of them had covered an exit.

The tallest one snarled. "What do we have here? A son of Poseidon?"

"Yes," another growled. "I can smell the sea in his blood."

Percy raised Riptide. His heart was pounding.

"Strike down one of us, demigod," the third demon said, "and the rest of us shall tear you to shreds. Your father betrayed us. He took our gift and said nothing as we were cast into the pit. We will see him sliced to pieces. He and all the other Olympians."

The boy wished he had a plan. He wished he hadn't been lying to Endora. He'd wanted her to get out safely, and he hoped she'd been sensible enough to do it. But now it was dawning on him that this might be the place he would die. No prophecies for him. Percy would get overrun in the heart of a volcano by a pack of dog-faced sea-lion people.

The young telekhines were at the platform now, too, snarling and waiting to see how their four elders would deal with the boy. Percy felt something burning against the side of his leg. The ice whistle in his pocket was getting colder. If he ever needed help, now was the time. But he hesitated. He didn't trust Quintus's gift.

Before the boy could make up his mind, the tallest telekhine said, "Let us see how strong he is. Let us see how long it takes him to burn!"

He scooped some lava out of the nearest furnace. It set his fingers ablaze, but this didn't seem to bother him at all. The other elder telekhines did the same. The first one threw a glop of molten rock at the boy and set his pants on fire. Two more splattered across his chest.

Percy dropped his sword in sheer terror and swatted at his clothes. Fire was engulfing him. Strangely, it felt only warm at first, but it was getting hotter by the instant.

"Your father's nature protects you," one said. "Makes you hard to burn. But not impossible, youngling. Not impossible."

They threw more lava at Percy, and he remember screaming. His whole body was on fire. The pain was worse than anything he'd ever felt. Son of Poseidon was being consumed. He crumpled to the metal floor and heard the sea demon children howling in delight. Then he remembered the voice of the river naiad at the ranch: The water is within me.

Percy needed the sea.

He felt a tugging sensation in his gut, but he had nothing around to help him. Not a faucet or a river. Not even a petrified seashell this time. And besides, the last time he'd unleashed his power at the stables, there'd been that scary moment when it had almost gotten away from him. 

Percy had no choice; he called to the sea. He reached inside himself and remembered the waves and the currents, the endless power of the ocean. And he let it loose in one horrible scream.

Afterward, the boy could never describe what happened.

An explosion, a tidal wave, a whirlwind of power simultaneously catching him up and blasting him downward into the lava. Fire and water collided, superheated steam, and Percy shot upward from the heart of the volcano in a huge explosion, just one piece of flotsam thrown free by a million pounds of pressure. The last thing he remember before losing conscious was flying, flying so high Zeus would never have forgiven him, and then beginning to fall, smoke and fire and water streaming from me.

Percy was a comet hurtling toward the earth.

niki speaks!

AAAAAHHHHH !!
IT HAPPENED !!

have a nice day/night!
bye!