𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐲; 𝖺𝗇𝗇𝖺𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗌𝖾

Luke-daddy issues-Castellan is back

The group kept following the monsters' lead until they finally reached some huge
bronze doors from where Ivy believed she could hear a crowd screaming.

"Oh, yessssss," Said the snake woman. "You'll be very popular with our hossssst."

"Who's your host?" Percy asked.

She hissed, which might have been a laugh, Ivy couldn't really tell. "Oh, you'll sssssee. You'll get along furiousssly. He'ssss your brother, after all."

"My what?"

Ivy thought of Tyson, but that was impossible. Though it wasn't like the gods to have few children.

The giant pushed past them and opened the doors. He picked up Ivy and Annabeth by their shirts and said, "You stay here."

"Hey!" They protested, but the guy was twice their size and he'd already
confiscated their weapons.

Kelli laughed, making Ivy want to punch her. She couldn't though, the monster still had her claws at Rachel's neck. "Go on, Percy. Entertain us. We'll wait here with your friends to make sure you behave."

He looked at Rachel and didn't spare a glance at the other two girls, which angered Ivy a bit. "I'm sorry. I'll get you out of this."

She nodded as much as she could with a demon at her throat. "That would be nice."

The dracaenae prodded him toward the doorway and he walked out onto the floor of an arena.

               ∆ ~•••••••••••••••••••••••~ ∆

The arena was huge and filled with skulls in a weird culty style, benches wrapped all the way around with different creatures occupying each seat.

After a battle between a giant and a centaur, it was finally Percy's turn.

A gate opened at the opposite end of the stadium, and the giant who had won marched out in triumph.

In the stands, the sumo dude who Ivy guessed was the orchestrator of the whole thing raised his hands for silence.

"Good entertainment!" He bellowed. "But nothing I haven't seen before. What else do you have, Luke, Son of Hermes?"

Luke's jaw tightened. Ivy could tell he didn't like being called son of the father he hated. Ivy enjoyed his annoyence though, she hated the boy.

He rose calmly to his feet. His eyes
glittered in what seemed like a pretty good mood.

"Lord Antaeus," Luke said, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "You have
been an excellent host! We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favor
of passing through your territory."

"A favor I have not yet granted," Antaeus growled. "I want entertainment!"

Luke bowed. "I believe I have something better than centaurs to fight in your arena now. I have a brother of yours." He pointed at her friend. "Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

The crowd began jeering and throwing stones which Percy had to dodge, one catching his cheek and making a good-sized cut.

Antaeus's eyes lit up. "A son of Poseidon? Then he should fight well! Or die well!"

"If his death pleases you," Luke said, "will you let our armies cross your
territory?"

"Perhaps!" Antaeus said.

Luke didn't look too pleased about the "perhaps."

"Luke!" Annabeth yelled and Ivy's jaw clenched from her spot besides the girl. "Stop this. Let us go!"