Annabeth POV

I could tell the exact time we passed into the bad lands. It got darker, and all we could hear was the dripping off water and the flapping of wings.

"Hey Gregor, how are we going to see when we're trying to be inconspicuous?" I whispered, looking over at Luxa holding the torch. I knew Ripred was somewhere down below, but he was too far away to see.

"Well, I learned echolocation, but the bats are going to be your eyes, as well as Ripred. The other rats-" I interrupted Gregor.

"Other rats? Are they dangerous?" I assumed they were, or they were exiled, being in a place called "The Dead Lands" can't be exactly a luxury suite.

Gregor nodded. "Very. There were a few who were part of a rebellion, led by Ripred, but they were practically starving and dead. All the creatures down here have feelings and voices. Well, maybe not the ants or the vipers. They don't talk, so I assume they aren't as sentient as the rest of us."

How many giant animals are there down here? Just as I was contemplating that thought, the bats dove down and landed with a thump by the big rat. As we were setting up, however, I heard something not unlike hyena laughter.

Out of the shadows walked three rats. These rats weren't as well fed as Ripred, but somehow their long claws and teeth didn't reassure me.

"What do we have here? Plump, beautiful food! A challenge and a treat!" The first rat said. He had clumps of dirt in his fur, and it was too dirty to tell the color, but I would say peach.

"Which ones do you think are the ones master wants? He said the two who were born above and beat deep evils," the second rat whispered. He seemed to be black.

"Idiot! They're not supposed to know!" The first screamed at the second. The third stayed silent. Maybe he didn't support the new master...

Hmm.

"I think that you stumbled along the wrong people, mr. Rat. We just took a wrong turn, and would be happy if you could tell us the way to the Overland?" I tried my best to look scared. I don't know how good the face I made was, but the rat wasn't suspicious, so I'd call that a win. Or a dumb rat.

The third rat finally spoke. "How about we just kill them all? If they're not who we're looking for, then we get food. If they are who we're looking for, we get taken out of this horrid nightmare and we get food. It's a win win situation!"

Great. Might be against their big, bad master, but still wants us dead. Right.

The other rats shrugged, then turned to us. "Brightguts, you get the small scrawny one. We get the rest!" The leader screeched.

Then, he lunged.