Ready for Battle

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Y/n's POV

This was probably the biggest military operation I'd ever seen at camp. Everyone was gathered in the clearing dressed in full battle armor. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth –razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus's Fist. The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation with Clarisse calling orders. Apollo's and Hermes' cabins were scattered in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark. Annabeth went to join her brethren from the Athena cabin, who had set up a command tent and were directing operations. Aphrodite's children were running around, straightening everybody's armor and offering to comb the tangles out of our horsehair plumes. Even Dionysus' blond twin sons, Pollux and Castor, had found something to do and were running around, providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes. 

"It isn't enough," Chiron muttered. "Y/n, Percy, I'd like you to stay with me. When the fighting begins, I want you to wait until we know what we're dealing with. You two must go where we most need reinforcements." 

"Chiron, there's uh, there's probably something else we should talk about," I bring up.

"Ah yes. Nico, a son of Hades," Chiron guessed.

"Sorry for not telling you. Percy and I should have but-" 

Chiron raised his hand. "I understand why you did it. You felt responsible. You sought to protect him. But if we are to survive this, we must trust each other. We must..." His voice wavered as the ground underneath us began to tremble. 

"Lock shields!" Clarisse ordered.

And then the Titan lord's army exploded from the Labyrinth.

Of course, I had been in fights before. But nothing like this. This was a full scale battle. A dozen Laistrygonian giants erupting from the ground, yelling so loudly my ears felt like they might burst. They carried shields made from flattened cars, and clubs that were tree trunks with rusty spikes bristling at the end. One of the giants bellowed at the Ares phalanx, and smashed it sideways with his club, sending the entire cabin off to the side.

"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled. 

At his order, the catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled towards the giants, and while one deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down.  Apollo's archers fired volley after volley, sending dozens of arrows at the giants. Most of them just got stuck in the armor, but a few managed to find their way into the chinks, and the giants vaporized after being touched by the celestial bronze. Just when it looked like the Laistrygonians were about to get overwhelmed, the next wave surged out of the maze. There were maybe forty dracaenae in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets, and they dispersed in all directions. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. Another triggered a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women. But many more kept coming, and Argus and Athena's warriors rushed forward to meet them. Finally, a hellhound leaped out of the tunnel and barreled straight towards the satyrs. 

"Go!" Chiron urged us. 

Percy drew Riptide, and I pulled off my necklace, summoning my own sword. Together, we raced across the battlefield, and all I saw were horrible sights. I tried to focus as we dodged trees and other monsters to help the satyrs, but the battle was raging on everywhere. Off to the side, I saw a dozen dracaenae break away from the main fight and slither down the path that led towards camp. If they got out, they could burn down the entire place, completely unopposed. But the only person near enough to stop them was Nico.

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