The New Demigods

Chapter 24: Drawing Straws

Scarlet had started to slow down again, but Horace and David didn't notice as they were in a deep conversation about wine pairings. I slowed down to stay beside her, knowing she was sick of us asking if she was okay.

"Hey, I was thinking about our conversation earlier, did you seriously not throw those stones?" I had started to doubt my memory, wondering if I had imagined the stones in the maze.

"Yeah I've been thinking about it too, it definitely wasn't me, but before you came to get me I was in pretty rough shape. After I fell I was convinced the minotaur was going to get me. I had curled up into the fetal position on the ground, I guess hoping it would somehow not see me and run right by. But there was something that distracted it before it reached me. At first I thought it was one of you, but when you didn't come get me right away, I thought I had just imagined the commotion, but what else would have distracted the minotaur like that?" Her words hung in the air as neither of us knew the answer.

"Do you think it was one of the other demigods?" I asked knowing she wouldn't have the answer.

"That's what I had thought too, but none of Peyton's group has been in the maze before and I don't picture Zach and Alistair coming to my rescue."

"Whoa!" Exclaimed David, this time about something more exciting than a butterfly cloud. We looked into the distance in awe, seeing a bay with three ships anchored by the shore. Peyton, Piper, Dakotah, Akari, and Hailie were sitting in the sand waiting for us. Scarlet picked up the pace, knowing the finish line was so close.

"Yeah I can definitely see why you thought this was a good lead, Akari." David looked up in awe at the largest of the three ships.

"I'm guessing Poseidon taught you a thing or two about sailing," Horace asked Peyton.

"I know at least one way to get these ships moving." Peyton brought her arms up, bending the water to her will. She swirled it in her hands, before shooting it at Horace with a laugh.

"Ah, refreshing," Horace rubbed the water from his eyes, as the rest dripped down his armour.

"Alright let's, gooooo." David called from the deck of the largest ship.

"Not so fast," Peyton's smile faded. "We have no idea if the waters are safe."

We all stopped to examine the water, it seemed still with only small waves hitting the shore. The shoreline was a large circle that came out from the mountain, filled by a river flowing out from an entrance in the mountain.

"There has to be some monster waiting for us in there, after the skeleton warriors and minotaur-" Piper was cut off by Dakotah.

"And Chimera," she added.

"And Chimera. I think we know this isn't going to be easy." Piper crossed her arms.

"So what do we do then?" Horace asked.

"Well, we did have one idea, before you got here," Peyton sounded hesitant to suggest it, looking at Piper for support.

"Well, what is it?" Horace looked from Peyton to Piper who couldn't return his eye contact. "... what?"

Piper, Peyton, Hailie, and Dakotah shifted uncomfortably, clearly not wanting to tell us the plan.

"We use the skeleton warriors," Akari explained dryly. "We put them on the smallest ship and send them through to test for any danger."

"What? Why do they even have to be on the ship?" Horace was more defensive than I expected. It seemed like a reasonable plan, it wasn't like they could get any more dead than they already were.