𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙈𝙀𝘿; heroes of olympus

light & fire

ERITH JAY
ERITH SPRINTED BACK in the direction she had left Leo. She had to warn him, had to―but she froze again as she heard Jason shout this time, "Leo, come on! Erith, help us, please!"

She bit her lip, weighing her options. She had to go find Leo. If these were Cyclopes, she had to warn him―he had no way of knowing. And if they weren't...

She shook her head and continued her way back to Leo.

She got there just as Leo threw a Porta-Potty seat at her. "Leave me alone!" he shouted.

Erith narrowly dodged. "What the hell?" she asked, her tone frantic, as she stared at Leo.

He was staring at the thing he had just thrown. Slowly, his gaze turned to her. "Gaea."

"What?"

"Gaea. It's her, isn't it? It's Gaea. She just showed up―here―she was taunting me, she―" his voice cracked, and Erith could tell he was truly shaken. He wasn't even trying to joke. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again as a large crash sounded from the factory. Metal crumped and groaned, and the noise echoed across the yard.

"Piper and Jason are in trouble, I think," Erith said gently. "I heard them shouting."

"And you didn't go and try to help them? You have more experience than me," Leo snapped, eyes blazing.

"Leo, you don't understand. Cyclopes. I think there's Cyclopes here. They can mimic voices. If I had risked it, I would've been walking into a trap, and then you'd be alone. We have to do this together."

Leo stared at her, then nodded, slowly. He jumped from the dragon and landed near her. "My friends in danger? Not likely. Gimme the biggest hammer you got." He reached into his toolbelt and pulled out a huge hammer.

Erith drew her gold sword, and together, they sprinted toward the factory.

―

THEY STOPPED AT the doors and Erith bit her lip. She glanced at Leo. He looked extremely shaken, scared even. She wanted to reach out to him, to help him, but they didn't have time.

Erith pressed her finger to her lips and peered inside, along with Leo. Nothing looked different. Gray morning light filtered through the hole in the roof. A few lightbulbs flickered, but most of the factory floor was still lost in shadows. She could make out the catwalk above, the dim shapes of heavy machinery along the assembly line, but no movement. No sign of Jason and Piper.

Leo opened his mouth, as if to call out, but Erith grabbed his arm, a warning. He got the message, because he closed his mouth again. Erith felt unease growing inside of her. She could smell burning motor oil and sour breath, and for once, she didn't think it was Leo.

Then, somewhere on the factory floor, Piper's voice cried out: "Leo, help!"

Erith squeezed his arm harder. He didn't try to call back to her. Together, the pair of them slipped inside and ducked behind a cargo container.

Leo began creeping toward the center of the room and Erith followed him, holding her breath. They hid behind boxes and hollow truck chassis. Finally they reached the assembly line. Leo crouched behind the nearest piece of machinery―a crane with a robotic arm. Erith joined him.

Piper's voice called out again: "Leo? Erith?" Less certain this time, but very close.

Erith peeked around the machinery. Hanging directly above the assembly line, suspended by a chain from a crane on the opposite side, was a massive truck engine―just dangling thirty feet up, as if it had been left there when the factory was abandoned. Below it on the conveyor belt sat a truck chassis, and clustered around it were three dark shapes the size of forklifts. Nearby, dangling from chains on two other robotic arms, were two smaller shapes―maybe more engines, but one of them was twisting around as if it were alive. "Piper," Erith hissed, and Leo pulled her back and out of sight.