Dancing with Death

Battle for the Wolf House

Eliza quickly lost track of Jason and the others in the swirling storm. The sounds of battle rang in her ears as she stumbled around blind.

A silhouette appeared in front of her and she almost ran headlong into the life-sized frozen statue of a girl with an arrow drawn back to her cheek.

She sucked in a breath. It wasn't a statue. It was one of the Hunters of Artemis. Frozen solid. She clenched her fists and glared into the storm. Khione. With renewed vigor, she raced through the snow, stopping when the ruins of an old manor rose into view. The Wolf House.

Memories stabbed at the back of her mind, fighting to be recognized - a giant wolf speaking in her mind, a perilous chase across a rushing river, the first time she ever saw Jason, his wide grin, the warmest thing she'd ever seen - but she pushed them all aside. She couldn't let herself remember. She couldn't give Gaia what she wanted.

Something whisked by above her head, whipping her hair wildly around her face and stirring up the snow.

Eliza tightened her grip on her dagger and sighed annoyedly. More Venti.

Suddenly, the wind died. Drifting lazily through the air, the snow settled on the ground. Eliza could see everything now - the empty bowl of a pond with two spires of earth bursting through the concrete bottom, crumbling walls that looked ready to collapse, and Khione with an army of Venti and Earthborn at her back.

Eliza took a headcount. Jason, Leo, Piper, and her. They were severely out numbered and the giant - Porphyrion - was about to rise.

Leo had made it to Hera's cage and was trying to destroy it, but failing.

Jason now held a stick as a weapon, but Eliza could see his fear.

Piper stood beside him, trying to look brave, but not succeeding.

Thalia was frozen along with the other Hunters. They were on their own.

Eliza studied the walls, searching for one that she could collapse on top of the snow goddess, as Khione embarked on a long-winded speech about how she'd orchestrated this whole thing, from Aeolus' order to kill half-bloods to Hera coming to the Wolf House in the first place.

"Her plan will fail." Khione tugged casually on a strand of her long black hair. "Imagine the Romans' reaction when they find your body..." she focused on Jason. "along with two Greeks." She chuckled at the thought. "Everything Hera worked so hard to accomplish will crumble; and you "heroes"... will tear each other apart."

Eliza wanted to lunge at the goddess and stab her knife in the woman's chest, but she knew that wouldn't work.

Khione turned to Leo. "But you..." She stared intently at him. "I know what you think of me. I could offer you a place at my side - amnesty from this brutal fate." She shot him a deviously sweet smile. "All you have to do... is join us."

Leo clenched his fists and glared coldly at the goddess, his fingers igniting with flames. "No!You're a monster." He charged forward, digging a hammer out of his tool belt.

Khione's army charged.

Piper took on the Earthborn... alone; and Jason went after the Venti.

Eliza wasn't sure what to do. She was so stunned by Khione's offer to Leo, her plan for her and her friends. There were too many thoughts running through her head, too much chaos. She couldn't stop it. Her brain started to hurt as her memories forced their way to the surface. She tried to push them back, but, the harder she fought against them, the more they resisted.

Her past was coming to light - moments she cherished, truths she would've rather left buried, actions she wished she could take back.

Her legs buckled with the effort of trying to ignore everything. She dropped to her knees on the cold stone floor, dropping her weapon. The memories were too painful. Her life, her childhood, everything she'd gone through. It was too much. Too much to get back all at once.

She tried to steady her breathing, but it was a lost cause. She felt like her chest was going to explode. She vaguely heard the crash of thunder and the clamor of battle, but her ears were ringing and she couldn't focus. Her vision blurred, but she didn't know if it was from the chaos in her brain or tears. Maybe both.

Something snapped violently to her right.

She didn't just hear it, she felt it. Stone-like vines shattering and bursting. She zeroed in on that single sound and managed to drag herself out of her thoughts.

In the empty pond, the giant was breaking free.

Piper and Leo were standing by Hera's cage, working together to break it. Jason was fending off their enemies astride a stormy horse - one of the Venti.

She had to help. She forced herself to her feet and dashed towards the others.

An Earthborn lumbered towards Piper, who wasn't paying enough attention to notice.

Eliza's throat tightened, she wouldn't reach them in time.

The Earthborn raised its club-like arms over its head, ready to squash the half-bloods.

"No!" Eliza felt a tug in her gut and the earth cracked at the monsters feet. A thick vine burst from the ground and impaled the Earthborn through the chest.

The monster melted into a pile of mud just shy of its target.

Piper stared at Eliza in disbelief. "How did you..."

Eliza half slid half ran down the side of the bowl and approached Piper and Leo. She stared at the mound of muck, not quite believing it herself.

The vine had disintegrated into black soil, leaving nothing but a cracked hole in the concrete.

Eliza stared at the web of cracks as her recovered memories fell into place. She slowly met Piper's gaze. "I'm the daughter of Proserpine."

A/N
TADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'd love to hear your reactions in the comments. 😁
-Cheshire