ROYAL CRIES
━━ chapter eight

━━ ELISA THOUGHT THEY had lost the spider until Tyson heard a faint pinging sound. The five made a few turns, backtracked a couple of times, and eventually found the spider banging its tiny head on a metal door.

               The door looked like one of those old-fashioned submarine hatches—oval with metal rivets around the edge and a wheel for a doorknob. Where the portal should've been was a big brass plaque, green with age, with the Greek Êta inscribed in the middle.

               The five looked at each other.

               "Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover said nervously.

               "No," Percy admitted.

               Elisa stared at the door with apprehension. She didn't like Hephaestus, not after his failed automation back in the junkyard of the gods. It didn't matter to her if that prototype of Talos was a fluke, and wasn't up to the usual standard of the God of Forges's work, it still got Bianca killed.

               "Yes!" Tyson said gleefully, and he turned the wheel.

               As soon as the door opened, the spider scuttled inside with Tyson right behind it. The rest of them followed, clearly not as excited.

               The room was enormous. It looked like a mechanic's garage, with several hydraulic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had stranger things: a bronze hippalektryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out of its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a battery charger, and a Greek war chariot made entirely of flames.

               Smaller projects cluttered a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls. Each had its own outline on a peg board, but nothing seemed to be in the right place. The hammer was over the screwdriver place. The staple gun was where the hacksaw was supposed to go.

               Under the nearest hydraulic lift, which was holding a '98 Toyota Corolla, a pair of legs stuck out—the lower half of a huge man in grubby grey overalls and shoes even bigger than Tyson's. One leg was in a metal brace.

               The spider scuttled straight under the car, and the sounds of banging stopped.

               "Well, well," a deep voice boomed from under the Corolla. "What have we here?"

               The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up. Elisa had seen Hephaestus before, briefly last winter during the winter solstice, so the girl thought she was prepared, but the god's appearance made her falter.

               The daughter of Dionysus guesses he'd cleaned up when she saw him on Olympus or used magic to make his form seem a little less hideous. Here in his own workshop, he apparently didn't care how he looked. He wore overalls smeared with oil and grime. Hephaestus was embroidered over the chest pocket. His leg creaked and clicked in its metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was lower than his right, so he seemed to be leaning even when he was standing up straight. His head was misshapen and bulging. He wore a permanent scowl. His black beard smoked and hissed. Every once in a while a small wildfire would erupt in his whiskers and then die out. His hands were the size of catcher's mitts, but he handled the spider with amazing skill. He disassembled it in two seconds, then put it back together.

               "There," he muttered to himself. "Much better."

               The spider did a happy flip in his palm, shot a metallic web at the ceiling, and went swinging away.

               Hephaestus glowered at the questers. "I didn't make you, did I?"

               "Uh," Annabeth said, "no, sir."

               "Good," the god grumbled. "Shoddy workmanship."

               "Oh—thanks," Elisa said dryly without a second thought. She internally winced at her attitude, it didn't matter if she liked the God of Forges or not, he was still a god that would kill her without a care in the world.

               The god studied her, Annabeth, and Percy. "Half-bloods," he grunted. "Could be automatons, of course, but probably not."

               "We've met, sir," Percy told him.

               "Have we?" the god asked absently. Elisa got the feeling he didn't care one way or the other. He was just trying to figure out how the girl's jaw worked, whether it was a hinge or lever or what. "Well then, if I didn't smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I suppose I won't have to do it now."

               He looked at Grover and frowned. "Satyr." Then he looked at Tyson, and his eyes twinkled. "Well, a Cyclops. Good, good. What are you doing traveling with this lot?"

               "Uh ..." said Tyson, staring in wonder at the god.

               "Yes, well said," Hephaestus agreed. "So, there'd better be a good reason you're disturbing me. The suspension on this Corolla is no small matter, you know."

               "Sir," Annabeth said hesitantly, "we're looking for Daedalus. We thought—"

               "Daedalus?" the god roared. "You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out!"

               His beard burst into flames and his black eyes glowed.

               "Uh, yes, sir, please," Annabeth said.

               "Humph. You're wasting your time." He frowned at something on his worktable and limped over to it. He picked up a lump of springs and metal plates and tinkered with them. In a few seconds, he was holding a bronze and silver falcon. It spread its metal wings, blinked its obsidian eyes, and flew around the room.

               Tyson laughed and clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson's shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.

               Hephaestus regarded him. The god's scowl didn't change, but Elisa thought she saw a kinder twinkle in his eyes. "I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops."

               Tyson's smile faded. "Y-yes, lord. We met a Hundred-handed One."

               Hephaestus nodded, looking unsurprised. "Briares?"

               "Yes. He—he was scared. He would not help us."

               "And that bothered you."

               "Yes!" Tyson's voice wavered. "Briares should be strong! He is older and greater than Cyclopes. But he ran away."

               Hephaestus grunted. "There was a time I admired the Hundred-Handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters, even gods change, young Cyclops. You can't trust 'em. Look at my loving mother, Hera. You met her, didn't you? She'll smile to your face and talk about how important family is, eh? Didn't stop her from pitching me off Mount Olympus when she saw my ugly face."

               "But I thought Zeus did that to you," Percy said.

               Hephaestus cleared his throat and spat into a bronze spittoon. He snapped his fingers, and the robotic falcon flew back to the worktable.

               "Mother likes telling that version of the story," he grumbled. "Makes her seem more likable, doesn't it? Blaming it all on my dad. The truth is, my mother likes families, but she likes a certain kind of family. Perfect families. She took one look at me and ... well, I don't fit the image, do I?"

               The god pulled a feather from the falcon's back, and the whole automaton fell apart.

               "Believe me, young Cyclops," Hephaestus said, "you can't trust others. All you can trust is the work of your own hands."

               Elisa frowned, it was an outlook she had once lived by. An extremely depressing outlook without a doubt. There was no human connection, just getting by day-to-day. It seemed like a pretty lonely way to live. Not that the girl had much pity for the god, and it didn't help she didn't trust his handiwork.

               He focused on Elisa and narrowed his eyes, as if he were reading her thoughts. "Oh, this one doesn't like me," he mused. "No worries, I'm used to that. What would you ask of me, little demigod?"

               Elisa glanced at Percy and Annabeth. "We've told you, Hephaestus," she said through gritted teeth, "we need to find Daedalus. We need to find him before Luke and Kronos do, because they're looking for a way to navigate the Labyrinth safely and quickly. If they find that way, they're going to infiltrate our camp. And if they manage to wipe us out, you guys are screwed—"

               "And I told you, girl. Looking for Daedalus is a waste of time. He won't help you."

               "Why not?" the daughter of madness asked hotly.

               Hephaestus shrugged. "Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Some of us ... the way we learn not to trust people is even more painful. Ask me for gold. Or a flaming sword. Or a magical steed. These I can grant you easily. But a way to Daedalus? That's an expensive favor."

               "You know where he is, then," Annabeth pressed.

               "It isn't wise to go looking, girl."

               "My mother says looking is the nature of wisdom."

               Hephaestus narrowed his eyes. "Who's your mother, then?"

               "Athena."

               "Figures." The God of Forges sighed. "Fine goddess, Athena. A shame she pledged never to marry. All right, half-blood. I can tell you what you want to know. But there is a price. I need a favor done."

               "Name it," Annabeth said.

               Hephaestus actually laughed—a booming sound like a huge bellow stoking a fire. "You heroes," he said, "always making rash promises. How refreshing!"

               He pressed a button on his workbench, and metal shutters opened along the wall. It was either a huge window or a big-screen TV, Elisa couldn't tell which. They were looking at a grey mountain ringed with forests. It must've been a volcano, because smoke rose from its crest.

               "One of my forges," Hephaestus said. "I have many, but that used to be my favorite."

               "That's Mount St. Helens," Grover said. "Great forests around there."

               "You've been there?" Percy asked.

               "Looking for ... you know. Pan."

               "Wait," Annabeth said, looking at Hephaestus. "You said it used to be your favorite. What happened?"

               Hephaestus scratched his smoldering beard. "Well, that's where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know. Used to be under Mount Etna, but when we moved to America, his force got pinned under Mount St. Helens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous. There's always a chance he will escape. Lots of eruptions these days, smoldering all the time. He's restless with the Titan rebellion."

               "What do you want us to do?" Percy said. "Fight him?"

               Hephaestus snorted. "That would be suicide. The gods themselves ran from Typhon when he was free. No, pray you never have to see him, much less fight him. But lately, I have sensed intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, and they disappear. I send my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something ... ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory, and if they mean to lose Typhon."

               "And so, you want us to try and find out what they are," Elisa guessed, with her arms crossed over her chest.

               "Aye," said Hephaestus. "Go there. They may not sense you coming. You are not gods."

               "Geez, you've noticed?" Elisa muttered, feeling Annabeth pinch the back of her arm.

               "Go and find out what you can," Hephaestus said. "Report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus."

               "All right," Annabeth said. "How do we get there?"

               Hephaestus clapped his hands. The spider came swinging down from the rafters. Annabeth flinched when it landed at her feet.

               "My creation will show you the way," the god said. "It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons."

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They were doing okay until they hit the tree roots. The spider raced along and they 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 asked.

               The satyr didn't move. He acted as if Percy had never even spoken. He stared open-mouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.

               Elisa's brows furrowed. "Grover?" she asked. "You okay?"

               "Come on!" said Annabeth. '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?"

               "Earth," the Cyclops said. "And plants."

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

               Up ahead, the spider was getting further down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and it would be lost.

               "We'll 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!"

               Grover looked at the daughter of Athena sadly. "I have to, Annabeth. Don't you understand?"

               She looked desperate, like she didn't understand at all. And neither did Elisa, really. She had never seen the satyr like that before, so determined and confident. The spider was almost out of sight.

               Before Elisa could say anything, Percy blurted, "We'll split up."

               "No!" said Annabeth. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again? And Grover can't go alone?"

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

               Percy gaped at his brother. "Tyson, are you sure?"

               The Cyclops 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."

               Elisa 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.

               Still, she didn't feel entirely at ease. "I hope you're right," Elisa said.

               "I know I am." Grover nodded.

               The girl 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. His brother gulped back a sob and gave Percy 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."

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

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It wasn't long before the tunnel started getting hot.

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

               "Hey, wait up," Percy called from behind the two.

               They both glanced back at him. "Yeah?" said Annabeth.

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

               "She swore never to marry," Annabeth said. "Like Artemis and Hestia. She's one of the maiden goddesses."

               Percy blinked. "But then—"

               "How come she has demigod children?"

               Percy nodded, looking scarlet in the face. Elisa could have passed it off as the temperature in the room, but it was funnier to think that the son of Poseidon was embarrassed by the topic.

               "Percy, you know how Athena was born?"

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

               "Exactly. 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 ..." Percy's eyes were wide. "So you weren't ..."

               "I was a brain child," Annabeth said with a huff. "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."

               Elisa's face scrunched as a weird image appeared in her mind. An outlandish thought of Athena walking around with a random baby flying out of the crown of her head.

               Percy looked over at Elisa, as if the idea of Annabeth being a "brain child" changed his entire way of living.

               "Why are you looking at me?" the brunette demanded. "My parents had sex—just like yours."

               The boy's face contorted with disgust at the reminder.

               "The spider's getting away," Annabeth pointed out. "I'm assuming you don't need me or Elisa to explain either process of having kids?"

               "Um ... no. That's okay."

               The daughter of Athena smirked. "I thought not." And she ran ahead. Elisa followed with a large grin.

               The roaring got louder. After another half mile or so, the three emerged in a cavern the size of a Super Bowl stadium. The 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. They 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 she'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.

               "What the fuck are those?" Elisa muttered.

               "We'll never be able to sneak up on them—whatever they are," Percy said.

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

               "Hold it!" Percy said, but before he or Elisa could argue, Annabeth put on her Yankees cap and turned invisible.

               Elisa didn't dare call after her, but she didn't like the idea of Annabeth approaching the forge on her own. If those things could sense a god coming, could Annabeth ever be safe?

               "We have to go after her," Percy said, breaking the silence.

               Elisa's eyes stung from the wind wafting around. The heat was nearly unbearable. She brushed back her hair, fanning her face. "We can't," she argued. "It's best if Annabeth scouts out and we stay put. We can't turn invisible like she can."

               Her face dropped as Percy crept along the outer rim of the lake of lava. "Percy I-don't-know-your-middle-name Jackson, get back here!" she hissed, inching along behind him.

               "Perseus James Jackson," said the son of Poseidon leaning over the edge. "I'm named after my grandfather—the mortal one."

               Elisa had a look of confusion on her face. "James—?"

               "Here!" Percy said, grabbing her by the arm. "We can get a better look here!"

               The daughter of Dionysus was hesitant, but after a few seconds, she went after him, along the rim of the boiling lava.

               The heat was horrible, and being closer to the lava, it was ten times worse. Geryon's ranch had been a winter wonderland in comparison. In no time, Elisa was drenched with sweat. Her eyes stung from the smoke. She moved along, trying to keep away from the edge as much as she could. Until the two's path was blocked by a cart on metal wheels, like the kind used in mine shafts. Percy lifted up the tarp and found it was half full of scrap metal. Elisa was about to tell him they could squeeze around when she heard voices from up ahead, probably from a side tunnel.

               "Bring it in?" one asked.

               Percy turned to Elisa with wide eyes. She shook her head, a signal to tell him to not speak.

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

               Percy threw the tarp fully off, pointing inside. "Get inside!" he hissed. "We need to hide."

               "This is the cart, dumbass!" Elisa muttered back.

               The son of Poseidon slung his arm behind her back, pushing her inside. There was a loud clang as the girl fell inside the cart, curses escaping her mouth. Percy jumped inside, digging his kneecap into her hip.

               "That's my hip, Fish Boy."

               "Shut up, Grape Girl," Percy said, grabbing the tarp to drape it over the cart once again.

               She shuffled around, shoving Percy's leg away from her. The golden thyrsus slid into her hand, the cool metal giving her some comfort in case a fight did break out.

               "Stop moving," Percy hissed at her. "You're making too much noise."

               "I'll show you too much noise when I shove your head so far into that metal an imprint of your face will be left."

               "... That doesn't even make sense."

               Elisa scowled, raising the golden thyrsus to see a faint outline of Percy's face. "I hate you."

               He made a face at her, the expression morphing into fear when the cart lurched forward. Elisa fell onto her back, Percy nearly knocking his head into hers. His hand landed beside the right side of her head, Acantha while in the form of a golden thyrsus was the only thing between their faces.

               Elisa's eyebrows furrowed. "Back the hell up," she said hotly, shoving the boy away.

               If Percy hadn't been so preoccupied trying not to make any noise, maybe he would have noticed the scarlet blush spreading across her face.

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

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

               They got pulled along. They turned a corner, and from the sound of the wheels echoing against the walls, Elisa guessed they had passed down a tunnel and into a smaller room. Hopefully, they were about to be dumped into a smelting pot. Elisa heard a lot of talking, chattering voices that didn't sound human—somewhere between a seal's bark and a dog's growl. There was another sound, too—like an old-fashioned film projector and tinny voice narrating.

               "Just set it at 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 Elisa 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."

               Elisa and Percy locked eyes, but the boy looked much more embarrassed. They were overhearing a monster's version getting the "puberty and never-have-sex-unmarried-or-you'll-go-to-hell" talk.

               Excited snarling filled the room. The teacher—Elisa guessed it must have been a teacher—scolded the "younglings" to be quiet, and the film continued. She didn't understand most of it, and she 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?"

               "Telkhines!" 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 agreed. "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!"

               Elisa rubbed her eyes, clearly annoyed, recognizing the monsters. They weren't telling the whole story: It wasn't just magic—it was evil, never-should-be-practiced kind of magic. That's why Zeus cast them out.

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

               "Kronos!" they shouted.

               "And when you grow to be big telkhines, will you make weapons for his 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. In acts of self-preservation, the demigods already had tight holds on their weapons. The tarp was thrown back. They jumped up, the bronze weapons springing to life in their hands, finding themselves facing a bunch of ... dogs—or, telkhines that looked like a bunch of dogs.

               The telkhines faces were dogs, 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. It was like blending together a kid, a Dobermann pinscher, and a sea lion.

               "Demigods!" one snarled.

               "Eat them!" 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 the hell off!" Percy yelled to the rest, sounding fierce. Behind them stood their instructor—a six-foot-tall telkhine with Doberman fangs, snarling at them. Elisa had no problem staring him down.

               "You know what they didn't tell you?" the daughter of Dionysus said with a snarl. "What changes happen to your body if you get slashed by some Celestial bronze? Well—you turn into a pile of golden dust. It will happen to the rest of you if  you don't back off!"

               To her surprise, it worked. The monsters backed up, but there were at least twenty of them and only two half-bloods. The fear factor wasn't going to last much longer.

               Percy jumped out of the cart, and Elisa followed him. The boy yelled over his shoulder, "Class dismissed!" as they ran for the exit.

               The monsters charged after them, barking and growling. Elisa hoped they couldn't run very fast with those stubby 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 Elisa doubted it would hold for very long.

               Elisa didn't know what to do. All she knew was that Annabeth was in the forge somewhere, invisible. Their chance for a subtle reconnaissance mission had just been blown to bits. Percy ran for the platform at the center, the girl following behind him.

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"Annabeth!" Percy yelled.

               "Shh!" An invisible hand clamped on their arms and pulled them down behind a big bronze cauldron. "You want to get us killed?"

               Elisa found Annabeth's head and pulled off the Yankees cap. The blonde shimmered into existence in front of them, scowling, her face streaked with ash and grime.

               "Percy, what is your problem?"

               "We have company!" the son of the sea explained angrily. He and Elisa quickly explained about the monster orientation class.

               "So that's what they were," Annabeth said, her eyes wide. "Telkhines. I should've known. And they're making ... Well, look."

               The three 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 telkhines betrayed the gods," said Elisa. "They were practicing dark magic. I don't know exactly what, but Zeus banished them to Tartarus. So I can take a good guess and say bad magic."

               "With Kronos."

               Elisa nodded. "Don't most bad things involve him?"

               Annabeth was watching the monsters wearily. "We have to get out—"

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

               "Put your cap back on," Percy said. "Get out—both of you!"

               "What?" Elisa shrieked. "No! We're not leaving you!"

               "I've got a plan," Percy insisted. "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."

               Elisa wasn't convinced. "Your plans are horrible! You're gonna get yourself killed."

               "I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice."

               The daughter of Dionysus hated hearing that phrase. There was always another way, even if she had to turn hell over to find it. "Yes, there is another choice," she insisted. "We all get out and run for Hephaestus. Maybe the monsters will get lost or something."

               Percy's eyes were sad. He gripped Riptide tightly. He never said it, but Elisa had the feeling he wanted to say she was wrong.

               Annabeth's hands were shaking as she put her navy blue cap on. She shimmered into a disappearance. Elisa couldn't tell where the blonde was anymore.

               "Follow her!" Percy insisted. "She has the spider!" He grabbed Elisa's arm tightly, as if holding her—in any way he could—was his lifeline. His eyes were pleading with her.

               Still, Elisa wasn't convinced. She was tired of letting people she cared about handling everything on their own.

               Maybe it was the rush of adrenaline or the weight of suppressed feelings that had been chipping away at her, but Elisa didn't think before she acted: The girl grabbed Percy's face with her hands and pulled his face down to be leveled with hers.

               Elisa kissed Percy.

               It wasn't her first kiss, but it was certainly the only kiss with so much emotion in it. Within the short moment, she tried expressing everything she had never gotten to say. She wasn't sure how well it all translated.

               Embarrassingly enough, when she pulled away, tears were brimming in her eyes. "Be careful, Percy."

               She turn and ran, feeling as if she was leaving her bleeding heart within the palm of the son of Poseidon's rough hands. Elisa ran into the maze, hearing the thud of footfalls.

               "Annabeth!" she yelled over the sound of the Labyrinth.

               With trembling hands, Elisa kept one along the wall as she walked towards the sound of Annabeth's voice. It seemed the blonde was doing the same.

               The daugther of wisdom's grey eyes were dull as she spotted Elisa. "Where's Percy?" she asked, thumbing the metal spider in her hands. "I thought you could convince him!"

               If it was even possible anymore, Elisa felt her heart drop. "He would've never listened—I left him behind."

               Annabeth was tugging at a braid close to her face, twirling it between her fingers. "We're splitting up, again. This is such a bad—"

               The two crouched to the floor at the sound of a gigantic boom. Then there was a scream. Not some kind of phony, cheesy horror movie type of scream: A scream of pure agony. It was the type of scream that made the hairs on Elisa's arms stand on end.

               Annabeth's arm shot out and caught the girl by the chest before the daughter of madness could make a break for it.

               "We can't," the blonde said, as if reading Elisa's thoughts. "We can't go after Percy."

               Elisa looked horrified. "Did you not just hear his scream?"

               The corners of Annabeth's mouth quivered. She looked ready to burst into tears. "We have to get to Hephaestus, Elisa, I'm sorry."

👑  OCT. 26TH, 2022  /  lolses i guess

first kiss?? & elisa initiated?? actually, it was going to be percy who initiated but it makes sense that elisa did tbh

anyways, thoughts?? opinions??