ROYAL CRIES
━━ chapter eight

━━ ELISA WAS GROWING restless; she struggled to stay still for so long, even with an injured shoulder. And she was getting sick of the dreams; people kept chiding her that sleeping was the best way to heal but every time she tried to sleep, dreams would plague her mind. Worst of all, she saw the dark form of Ethan Nakamura. Is she wrong for holding a grudge against him? He stabbed her with a poisoned knife, after all.

The son of Nemesis was at the enemy camp. What the girl saw made her shiver; the army was huge. But she thought she might recognize the place, even though she had never been there herself. Percy had told her about this place filled to the brim with stone beings and a hate-filled monster out for vengeance against Poseidon.

They were on a crumbling road lined with rundown businesses and tattered billboard signs. The last someone had been using the place had been three summers ago, before Percy, Annabeth, and Grover came in and killed the owner. A trampled fence ringed a big yard full of cement statuary. The sign above the warehouse was hard to read because it was in red cursive, but Elisa managed to decipher it: AUNTY EM'S GARDEN GNOME EMPORIUM.

It was clearly abandoned. The statues, victims of Medusa, were broken and spray-painted with graffiti. A cement satyr—Elisa was pretty sure Percy mentioned that was Grover's uncle—was missing an arm. Part of the warehouse roof had caved in. A big yellow sign pasted on the door read: CONDEMNED.

Hundreds of tents and fires surrounded the property. Mostly Elisa saw monsters, but there were some human mercenaries in combat fatigues and demigods in armor, too. A purple-and-black banner hung outside the emporium, guarded by two, thirty-feet-tall giants with blue skin and icy-grey hair; Hyperboreans. That wasn't a good sign, Hyperboreans tended to be more peaceful than most other monsters.

Ethan crouched at the nearest campfire. A couple of other demigods sat with him, sharpening their swords. The doors of the warehouse opened and a man in a suit stepped out. He was taller than any average human—easily towering seven feet tall. His black hair was tied in a ponytail. Dark round glasses covered his eyes, but what really caught Elisa's attention was the skin on his face. It was covered in scratches, like he'd been attacked by a small, rabid animal.

"Nakamura," the man called. "The master would like to speak to you."

Ethan stood up warily. "Something wrong, Prometheus?"

Those scratches made sense then. Prometheus had been the one to defy the gods and steal fire to give it to humans. As a result of his treachery, the gods chained him to a rock and damned him to eternal torture by eagles eating his liver in an ongoing cycle. Elisa was pretty sure he was the Titan of Fire.

Prometheus smiled. "Lord Prometheus," he corrected. "And you'll have to ask him."

One of the other demigods next to the boy snickered. "Nice knowing you."

The black-haired boy readjusted his sword belt and headed into the warehouse. If Elisa didn't have such a strong hatred for him, she would have some pity for him. ( Unfortunately for Ethan, all her pity was already being used for herself—her shoulder really hurt. )

Except for the hole in the roof, the place was just as Percy had described. Statues of terrified people stood frozen in mid-scream. In the snack-bar area, the picnic tables had been moved aside. Right between the drink dispenser and pretzel warmer stood a golden throne. Kronos lounged on it, his scythe across his lap. He wore jeans and a T-shirt, and with his brooding expression, he looked almost human—like what a younger Luke would look like. Then Luke saw Ethan, and his face contorted into a very inhuman smile. His golden eyes glowed.

"Well, Nakamura. What did you think of the diplomatic mission?"

The boy hesitated. "I'm sure Lord Prometheus is better suited to speak—"

"But I asked you."

Ethan's good eye darted back and forth, noting the guards that stood around Kronos. "I ... I don't think Jackson will surrender. Ever."

Kronos nodded. "Anything else you wanted to tell me?"

"N-no, sir."

"You look nervous, Nakamura."

"No, sir. It's just ... I heard this was the lair of—"

"Medusa? Yes, quite true. Lovely place, eh? Unfortunately, Medusa hasn't reformed since Jackson killed her, so you needn't worry about joining her collection. Besides, there are much more dangerous forces in this room."

The Titan looked over at a Laistrygonian giant who was munching noisily on some French fries. Kronos waved his hand and the giant froze. A French fry hung suspended in midair halfway between his hand and his mouth.

"Why turn them to stone," Kronos mused with a dark smile, "when you can freeze time itself?"

His golden eyes bored into Ethan's face. "Now tell me one more thing. What happened last night on the Williamsburg Bridge?"

The demigod trembled. Beads of sweat were popping up on his forehead. "I—I don't know, sir."

"Yes, you do." Kronos rose from his seat. "When you attacked Jackson, something happened. Something was not quite right. The girl, Elisa, jumped in your way." He frowned, as if recalling something from long ago. "That girl—Elisa—she had been on our side once, hadn't she? I haven't seen many half-bloods change from our side to the gods—probably because I had them killed before they could go back, of course."

Ethan glanced to his side nervously, as if debating something. "I don't if I would have considered her on our side," he said hesitantly. "She joined to—"

"Stay alive," said Kronos. "Yes, I remember. Well, a lot of good that did her. She should have stayed with the winning side. Now—back to my original question. Why would that girl take the stab for Jackson?"

"She wanted to save him."

"But he is invulnerable," Kronos said calmly. "You saw that yourself."

"I can't explain it. Maybe she forgot."

"She forgot," Kronos repeated with an eye roll. "Yes, that must've been it. Oh dear, I forgot my friend is invulnerable and took a knife for him. Oops. Tell me, Nakamura, where were you aiming when you stabbed at Jackson?"

Ethan frowned. He clasped his hand as if he were holding a blade and mimed a thrust. "I'm not sure, sir. It all happened so fast. I wasn't aiming for any spot in particular."

Kronos's fingers tapped the blade of his scythe. "I see," he said in a chilly tone. "If your memory improves, I will expect—"

Suddenly the Titan lord winced. The giant in the corner unfroze and the French fry fell into his mouth. Kronos stumbled backward and sank into his throne.

"My lord?" Ethan took a small step forward.

"I—" The voice was weak, but just for a moment, it was Luke's. Then Kronos's expression hardened. He raised his hand and flexed his fingers slowly as if forcing them to obey. "It is nothing," he said, his voice steely and cold again. "A minor discomfort."

Ethan licked his lips. "He's still fighting you, isn't he? Luke—"

"Nonsense," Kronos spat. "Repeat that lie, and I will cut out your tongue. The boy's soul has been crushed. I am simply adjusting to the limits of this form. It requires rest. It is annoying, but no more than a temporary inconvenience."

"As—as you say, my lord."

"You!" Kronos pointed his scythe at a dracaena with green armor and a green crown. "Queen Sess, is it?"

"Yess, my lord."

"Is our little surprise ready to be unleashed?"

The dracaena queen bared her fangs. "Oh, yesss, my lord. Quite a lovely sssurprissse."

"Excellent," Kronos said. "Tell my brother Hyperion to move our main force south into Central Park. The half-bloods will be in such disarray they will not be able to defend themselves. Go now, Ethan. Work on improving your memory. We will talk again when we have taken Manhattan."

Ethan bowed, and Elisa's dreams shifted. She saw the Big House at camp, but it was a different era. The house was painted red instead of blue. The campers down at the volleyball pit had early 90s hairstyles, which were probably good for keeping monsters away. The daughter of Dionysus was sure they were shields with so much hairspray.

Chiron stood by the porch, talking to Hermes and a woman holding a baby. The centaur's hair was shorter and darker. Hermes wore his usual jogging suit with his winged high-tops. The woman was tall and pretty. She had blonde hair, shining eyes, and a friendly smile. The baby in her arms squirmed in his blue blanket like Camp Half-Blood was the last place he wanted to be.

"It's an honor to have you here," Chiron told the woman, though he sounded nervous. "It's been a long time since a mortal was allowed at Camp."

"Don't encourage her," Hermes grumbled. "May, you can't do this."

Elisa frowned. She remembered Percy calling someone May. With a shiver, she remembered; the son of Poseidon had said Luke's mom, who Percy and Nico had visited, was named May. Elisa was looking at May Castellan.

"Oh, don't worry so much," May said, rocking the baby. "You need an Oracle, don't you? The old one's been dead for what, twenty years?"

"Longer," Chiron said gravely.

Hermes rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I didn't tell you that story so you could apply. It's dangerous. Chiron, tell her."

"It is," the centaur agreed. "For many years, I have forbidden anyone from trying. We don't know exactly what's happened. Humanity seems to have lost the ability to host the Oracle."

"We've been through that," May said. "And I know I can do it. Hermes, this is my chance to do something good. I've been given the gift of sight for a reason."

Fear tugged at Elisa's stomach. If what Percy had told her had been true, this wasn't going to end well—for anyone.

Hermes looked more hurt than worried. "You couldn't marry if you became the Oracle," he complained. "You couldn't see me anymore."

May put her hand on the god's arm. "I can't have you forever, can I? You'll move on soon. You're immortal."

He started to protest, but she put her hand on his chest. "You know it's true! Don't try to spare my feelings. Besides, we have a wonderful child. I can still raise Luke if I'm the Oracle, right?"

Chiron coughed. "Yes, but in all fairness, I don't know how that will affect the spirit of the Oracle. A woman who has already borne a child—as far as I know, this has never been done before. If the spirit does not take—"

"It will," May insisted. The mother kissed her baby and handed the bundle to Hermes. "I'll be right back."

She gave them one last confident smile and climbed the steps. Chiron and Hermes paced in silence. The baby squirmed.

A green glow lit the windows of the house. The campers stopped playing volleyball and stared up at the attic. A cold wind rushed through the strawberry fields.

Hermes must've felt it, too. He cried, "No! No!"

He shoved the baby into Chiron's arms and ran for the porch. Before he reached the door, the sunny afternoon was shattered by May Castellan's terrified scream.

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Imagine trying to sit still after watching a woman go mad.

Elisa tried, but she couldn't. She was too consumed with the fear of what she had just witnessed.

Percy had said May Castellan seemed off. But from what she had just seen, 'off' was putting it lightly. May Castellan had tried to become the Oracle. She hadn't known about Hades' curse preventing the spirit of Delphi from taking another host. Neither had Chiron or Hermes. They hadn't realized that by trying to take the job, May would be driven mad, plagued with fits during which her eyes would glow green and she would have shattered glimpses of her child's future.

A shiver crawled its way up her spine. Elisa couldn't just sit around any longer. Madness always made her restless. Maybe she was always trying to run from something she was so afraid of. She sat up and pushed herself off of the lounge chair, hoping no one was around to see her sway with a tidal wave of pain.

She grabbed Scion and Acantha, which had been laid on a table nearby. Elisa didn't remember ever losing them, or turning Acantha back into a miniature thyrsus, but she figured someone must've done it while she was sleeping—which she had been doing a lot for the past day and a half.

Drew found her trying to leave. And to say the daughter of Aphrodite was furious would be an understatement.

"Look, I've got to talk to Percy—Annabeth, too," said Elisa.

Drew gave her a 'Are you serious?' type of look. "You're resting," she said. "I'll tell them whatever you want."

Elisa could feel the charmspeak in Drew's words, and before she could be influenced to go lie down, she pushed past her friend and hurried down the hall. She found Annabeth looking at her video shield, dressed in her armor. The blonde looked shocked to see Elisa and opened her mouth to say something—probably a command to go back to resting—when Drew stormed in with a furious look on her face. Annabeth seemed to get the idea that there was no way they were getting Elisa to sit back down in another lounge chair again.

The daughter of Dionysus narrowed her eyes at the armor strapped to Annabeth. "When are we fighting?"

"There's no 'we'," Drew spoke up. "I promised Will I'd keep you resting."

Elisa threw the girl an annoyed look. "I'm not going to keep sitting around when I could be doing something. Look—my shoulder's fine. The ambrosia and nectar helped speed up the process a lot."

"Elisa," Annabeth said carefully, "you shouldn't go into a battle so soon."

"I want to kick Ethan Nakamura's ass for stabbing me!" Elisa said angrily, stamping her foot in frustration. "I want to give me a couple of prods with Acantha for some payback."

"I'll prod him with a dagger for you," Drew offered.

"I'm fighting, whether any of you like it or not," the daughter of madness insisted, looking between Annabeth and Drew challengingly. "Where's my armor?"

Before she could start ransacking the place, Annabeth pointed to some freshly polished armor on the bed next to her. As far as Elisa remembered, her blood had been coating it.

"I cleaned it," the blonde admitted. "I hated seeing it with all that blood on it."

Elisa slung the armor chest piece over her head, tightening it to her body. She picked up her metal helm and tucked it under her arm. "Thanks."

She and Annabeth found Percy snoozing in a room, his arm slung across his eyes and drool trailing down his face. Annabeth caught Elisa up on what had happened while she was stuck to a lounge chair. While she was out, Prometheus had come under a flag of truce to negotiate. Percy, Thalia, and Grover headed over to Central Park, a place to meet up with Prometheus ( and Ethan—which Elisa scowled at the name ), and the Titan said that Olympus was 'destined to fall' and that they should surrender.

Sounds likely. Their foes were just trying to terrify them.

But what made Elisa nervous was the fact that they had given Percy Pandora's box. That gift certainly wasn't out of the kindness in their hearts; Prometheus had something planned.

Annabeth tapped Percy on the shoulder, her video shield strapped to her arm. The boy sat up so fast, he slammed his head against it. He yelled out with pain and clutched his forehead.

"Sorry, Percy." The blonde winced, moving back the shield. "We were just about to wake you."

Percy rubbed his head, his eyes glassy with sleep. They turned more into focus when he spotted Elisa covering a smile with her hand. The boy frowned at her, as if he didn't know who she was.

"Percy?" the daughter of Athena asked, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Percy said quickly. He asked Elisa, "What—what are you doing in armor? You should be resting."

Elisa fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm fine," she insisted. "All that nectar and ambrosia did their job. Good as new." She wasn't willing to move her left arm, afraid it would start screaming with pain. And Elisa didn't have a good poker face.

"No way." The son of Poseidon shook his head. "You can't seriously go out and fight."

Annabeth looked at Elisa, as if to say "I told you so". The daughter of Dionysus frowned at her and rolled her eyes.

"We need everyone out there fighting," said Elisa. She grabbed Percy by the arm with her uninjured hand and pulled him up. Outside, the sky was purple and red. "And, well, Annabeth is saying something about an army heading—"

"Heading south into Central Park," Percy finished. "Yeah, I know."

Elisa frowned. "How?"

Percy told the two about his dream. He talked about Ethan talking to Kronos and how the Titan asked about Elisa taking the stab for him.

"Do you think Ethan suspects about your weak spot?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know," the son of the sea admitted. "He didn't tell Kronos anything, but if he figures it out—"

"We can't let him figure it out," Elisa said.

"I'll bonk him on the head harder next time," Percy suggested.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "No need. Elisa says she wants to stab him a couple of times for 'payback.'"

"Any idea what surprise Kronos was talking about?" asked Percy.

The daughter of Athena shook her head. "I didn't see anything in the shield, but I don't like surprises."

"Especially these kinds," Elisa agreed, looking out the window with her arms crossed. Her expression turned a little pained and she uncrossed them. "They're not the fun kind of surprises."

Before Annabeth or Percy could say anything about her shoulder, she spoke up, "Neither of you are going to argue about me coming along?"

"I already tried," Annabeth informed Percy. "She just stomped her foot like a child."

The daughter of madness scowled. "I did not."

"I'm not saying anything," Percy admitted. "You'll just beat me up."

Elisa managed a quiet laugh, but she knew the boy wasn't exactly joking. They gathered anything they needed from the room and went to rally the troops.

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Thalia and the camp's head counselors were waiting for them at the reservoir. The lights of the city were blinking on at twilight. Elisa guessed a lot of them were on automatic timers. Streetlamps glowed around the shore of the lake, making the water and trees look even more dreadful.

"They're coming," the daughter of Zeus confirmed, pointing north with a silver arrow. "One of my scouts just reported they've crossed the Harlem River. There was no way to hold them back. The army ..." She shrugged, like she was trying to act nonchalant. "It's huge."

"We'll hold them at the park," Percy said. "Grover, you ready?"

The satyr nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be. If my nature spirits can stop them anywhere, this is the place."

"Yes, we will!" said another voice. A very old, fat satyr pushed through the crowd, stumbling over his own spear. He was dressed in wood-bark armor that only covered half of his belly.

Elisa raised her eyebrows at the sight. "Leneus?" she said.

"Don't act so surprised, Bardales," the Cloven elder huffed. "I am a leader of the council, and you did tell me to find Grover. Well, I found him, and I'm not going to let a mere outcast lead the satyrs without my help!"

Behind Leneus's back, Grover made gagging motions, but the old satyr grinned like he was the savior of the day. "Never fear! We'll show those Titans!"

Elisa didn't know whether to laugh or be angry, but she managed to keep a straight face. Maybe her poker face was finally getting better.

"Um ..." Percy glanced at Elisa, who had been the one to scare the satyr so bad he started leaving pellets, "yeah. Well, Grover—you won't be alone. Annabeth and the Athena Cabin will make their stand here. And me, Elisa, and ... Thalia?"

The Hunter patted the boy on the shoulder. "Say no more. The Hunters are ready."

Percy looked at the other counselors. "That leaves the rest of you with a job just as important. You have to guard the other entrances to Manhattan. You know how tricky Kronos is. He'll hope to distract us with this big army and sneak another force in somewhere else. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. Has each cabin chosen a bridge or tunnel?"

The counselors nodded grimly.

"Then let's do it." Percy nodded. "Good hunting, everybody!"

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Elisa heard the army before she saw the army. The noise was like a cannon barrage combined with a football stadium crowd—like every sports fan in New England was charging them with bazookas.

At the north end of the reservoir, the enemy vanguard broke through the woods—a warrior in golden armor leading a battalion of Laistrygonian giants with huge bronze axes. Hundreds of other monsters poured out behind them.

"Positions!" Annabeth yelled.

Her cabin mates scrambled. The idea was to make the enemy army break around the reservoir. To get to them, they'd have to follow the trails, which meant they'd be marching in narrow columns on either side of the water.

At first, the plan seemed to work. The enemy divided and streamed towards us along the shore. When they were halfway across, their defenses kicked in. The jogging trail erupted in Greek fire, incinerating many of the monsters instantly. Others flailed around, engulfed in green flames. Athena campers threw grappling hooks around the largest giants and pulled them to the ground.

In the woods on the right, the Hunters sent a volley of silver arrows into the enemy line, destroying twenty or thirty dracaenae, but more marched behind them. A bolt of lightning crackled out of the sky and fried a Laistrygonian giant to ashes, and Elisa figured Thalia must be doing her whole daughter of Zeus thing.

Grover raised his pipes and played a quick tune. A roar went up from the woods on both sides as every tree, rock, and bush seemed to sprout a spirit. Dryads and satyrs raised their clubs and charged. The trees wrapped around the monsters, strangling them. Grass grew around the feet of the enemy archers. Stones flew up and hit dracaenae in their faces.

The enemy slogged forward. Giants smashed through the trees and naiads faded as their life sources were destroyed. Hellhounds lunged at the timber wolves, knocking them aside. Enemy archers returned fire and a Hunter fell from a high branch.

"Percy!" Elisa grabbed the boy's arm and pointed at the reservoir. The Titan in the gold armor wasn't waiting for his forces to advance around the sides. He was charging towards them, walking straight over the top of the lake.

A Greek fire bomb exploded right on top of him, but he raised his palm and sucked the flames out of the air.

"Hyperion," Annabeth said in awe. "The Lord of Light. Titan of the East."

"Don't say it with so much enthusiasm," grumbled Elisa. "Reminder: He wants us dead."

Annabeth gave the girl a tired look. "I know that."

"So, it is bad?" asked Percy.

Annabeth nodded. "I'd say horrible. Next to Atlas, he's the greatest Titan warrior. In the old days, four Titans controlled the four corners of the world. Hyperion was the east—the most powerful. He was the father of Helios, the first sun god."

"I'll keep him busy," the son of Poseidon promised.

The daughter of Dionysus frowned. "Percy," she said, "I know you have that whole Curse of Achilles, but even you can't—"

"Just keep our forces together," the boy interrupted her.

They had set up at the reservoir for good reason. Percy concentrated on the water and felt its power surging through him. The son of the sea advanced for Hyperion, running over the top of the water.

See? Hyperion wasn't the only one who could do that.

Twenty feet away, Hyperion raised his sword. His eyes were just like what the boy had seen in his dream—as gold as Kronos's but brighter, like miniature suns.

"The sea god's brat," he mused. "You're the one who trapped Atlas beneath the sky again?"

"It wasn't hard," Percy said with a shrug. ( Maybe he was bluffing a little, but Hyperion didn't have to know that. ) "You Titans are about as bright as my gym socks."

The Titan snarled. "You want bright?"

His body ignited in a column of light and heat. Percy looked away, but he was still blinded. Instinctively, he raised Riptide—just in time. His blade slammed against Percy's. The shock wave sent a ten-foot ring of water across the surface of the lake. The boy's eyes still burned. He had to shut off the Titan's light.

Percy concentrated on the tidal wave and forced it to reverse. Just before impact, he jumped upward on a jet of water. The waves smashed into Hyperion and he went under, his light extinguished.

The demigod landed on the lake's surface just as Hyperion struggled to his feet. His golden armor was dripping wet. His eyes no longer blazed, but they still looked murderous.

"You will burn, Jackson!" he roared.

Their swords met again and the air charged with ozone. The battle still raged around them. On the right flank, Annabeth and Elisa were leading an assault with the campers from Cabin Six. On the left flank, Grover and his nature spirits were regrouping, entangling the enemies with bushes and weeds.

"Enough games," Hyperion told the boy. "We fight on land."

Percy was struggling to come up with some clever comment that wasn't just 'No' when the Titan yelled. A wall of force slammed me through the air—just like the trick Kronos had pulled on the bridge. He sailed backward about three hundred yards and smashed into the ground. If it hadn't been for Percy's new invulnerability, he would've broken every bone in his body.

The son of Poseidon got to his feet, groaning. "I really hate it when you Titans do that."

Hyperion closed on him with blinding speed. Percy concentrated on the water, drawing strength from it. The Titan attacked. He was powerful and fast, but he couldn't seem to land a blow. The ground around his feet kept erupting in flames, but the half-blood kept dousing it just as quickly.

"Stop it"' the Titan roared. "Stop that wind!"

Percy wasn't sure what he meant but he was too busy fighting to ask. Hyperion stumbled like he was being pushed away. Water sprayed his face, stinging his eyes. The wind picked up and Hyperion staggered backward.

"Percy!" Grover called in amazement. "How are you doing that?"

Percy frowned. What was he doing? Then he looked down and realized he was standing in the middle of his own personal hurricane. Clouds of water vapor swirled around the boy, winds so powerful they buffeted Hyperion and flattened the grass in a twenty-yard radius. Enemy warriors threw javelins at me, but the storm knocked them aside.

"Sweet," the boy muttered. "But a little more!"

Lightning flickered around him. The clouds darkened and the rain swirled faster. Percy closed on Hyperion and blew him off his feet.

"Percy!" Elisa yelled over the storm. "Get Hyperion over to Grover!"

The black-haired boy slashed and jabbed, letting his reflexes take over. Hyperion could barely defend himself. His eyes kept trying to ignite, but the hurricane quenched his flames. But Percy couldn't keep up a storm like this forever, though. He could feel his powers weakening, he could feel his energy being consumed by the storm.

With one last effort, the son of Poseidon propelled Hyperion across the field, straight to where Grover was waiting.

"I will not be toyed with!" Hyperion bellowed.

He managed to get to his feet again, but Grover put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play. Leneus joined him. Around the grove, every satyr took up the song—an eerie melody like a creek flowing over stones. The ground erupted at Hyperion's feet. Gnarled roots wrapped around his legs.

"What's this?" the Titan protested. He tried to shake off the roots, but he was still weak. The roots thickened until he looked like he was wearing wooden boots. "Stop this!" he shouted. "Your woodland magic is no match for a Titan!"

But the more he struggled, the faster the roots grew. They curled about his body, thickening and hardening into tree bark. His golden armor melted into the wood, becoming part of a large trunk. The music continued. Hyperion's forces backed up in astonishment as their leader was absorbed. He stretched out his arms and they became branches, from which smaller branches shot out and grew leaves. The tree grew taller and thicker, until only the Titan's face was visible in the middle of the trunk.

"You cannot imprison me!" he bellowed. "I am Hyperion! I am—"

The bark closed over his face.

"A Titan," Elisa said dryly. "We get it."

Grover took his pipes from his mouth, grinning slightly. "He makes a very nice maple tree."

"I think you should've gone with the ones that stink," said Elisa. "What are they called?"

The satyr looked offended about the girl's lack of knowledge about nature. "Bradford pears?"

"Sure." She waved her hand. "Bradford pears."

Several of the other satyrs passed out from exhaustion, but they'd done their job well. The Titan lord was completely encased in an enormous maple. The trunk was at least twenty feet in diameter, with branches as tall as any in the park. The tree might've stood there for centuries.

The Titans' army started to retreat. A cheer went up from the Athena Cabin, but their victory was short-lived. Because just then Kronos unleashed his surprise.

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And once again, Elisa heard it before she saw it; a pig's squeal.

The sound echoed through upper Manhattan. Demigods and monsters alike froze in terror.

Grover paled, and a panicked look crossed his face. "Why does that sound like—?" He gasped. "It can't be!"

Elisa knew what he was thinking. Two years ago she and others got a 'gift' from Pan—a huge boar that carried us across the Southwest ( after it tried to skewer and kill them ). The boar had a similar squeal, but what she was hearing now seemed higher pitched, shriller, almost as if ... as if the Erymanthian Boar had an angry girlfriend.

She heard the squeal again. A huge pink creature soared over the reservoir—a Thanksgiving Day Parade nightmare blimp with wings.

"A sow!" Annabeth cried. "Take cover!"

The demigods scattered as the winged pig swooped down. Her wings were pink like a flamingo's, which matched her skin beautifully, but it was hard to think of her as 'cute' when her hooves slammed into the ground, barely missing one of Annabeth's siblings. The pig stomped around and tore down half an acre of trees, belching a cloud of noxious gas. Then it took off again, circling around for another strike.

"Don't tell me that thing is from Greek mythology," Percy complained loudly.

"Unfortunately, it is," Elisa said, staring up at the monster with a disgusted look.

"It's the Clazmonian Sow," said Annabeth. "It terrorized Greek towns back in the day."

"I can see how," the daughter of Dionysus grumbled. "Just looking at it is enough to cause nightmares."

"Let me guess," Percy said. "Hercules beat it."

"Nope," Annabeth said. "As far as I know, no hero has ever beaten it."

The son of Poseidon's expression turned sour. "Perfect."

The Titans' army was recovering from its shock. Elisa guessed they realized the pig wasn't after them.

The campers only had seconds before the Titan army was ready to fight, and their forces were still in a panic. Every time the sow belched, Grover's nature spirits yelped and faded back into their trees.

"That pig has to go." Percy grabbed a grappling hook from one of Annabeth's siblings. "I'll take care of it. You guys hold the rest of the enemy. Push them back!"

"But, Percy," Grover said, "what if we can't?"

Elisa saw how tired he was. The magic had really drained the satyr. And Annabeth didn't look much better from going so long without taking care of herself. And Elisa didn't look any better after fighting with a bad shoulder wound.

Percy didn't know how the Hunters were doing, but the right flank of the enemy army was now between the Titans and the campers. He didn't want to leave his friends in such bad shape, but that sow was the biggest threat. It would destroy everything—buildings, trees, sleeping mortals. It had to be stopped.

"Retreat if you need to," he told them. "Just slow them down. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Before anyone could make a complaint, Percy swung the grappling hook like a lasso. When the sow came down for its next pass, he threw it. The hook wrapped around the base of the pig's wing. It squealed in rage and veered off, yanking the rope and Percy into the sky.

Elisa held onto Acantha tightly, watching with a pained expression. It wasn't until she could no longer see Percy's figure that she looked away. "C'mon. We need to keep Kronos's army away."

👑  MAR. 16TH, 2023  /  the next few chapters are going to be rough and i'm not going to apologize for any of it :)

a lot of this chapter was me exploring more into friendships elisa has (so like drew and annabeth for example) bc i want to

(also bc i don't want their friendships to feel like they are established on nothing and that they are friends just so elisa can look more relatable, does that make sense??)

i guess the point is that i want elisa to feel like her own person (because she is- kind of ????) and not some author/reader stand-in

anyways,, thoughts?? opinions??