Eleutheromania

28)

I HAD FOUGHT MANY BATTLES. I'd even fought in a couple of arenas, but nothing like this. In the huge Colosseum, with thousands of cheering ghosts, the god Bacchus staring down at me, and the two twelve-foot giants looming over me, I felt as small and insignificant as a bug. I also felt very angry.

Fighting giants was one thing. Bacchus making it into a game was something else.

I remembered what Luke Castellan had told me years ago, when I had come back from my very first quest: Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics—being pawns of the Olympians?

I was almost the same age now as Luke had been then. I could understand how Luke became so spiteful. In the past five years, I had been a pawn too many times. The Olympians seemed to take turns using me for their schemes.

Maybe the gods were better than the Titans, or the giants, or Gaea, but that didn't make them good or wise. It didn't make me like this stupid arena battle.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much choice. If I was going to save my friends, I had to beat these giants.

Ephialtes and Otis made his decision easier by attacking. Together, the giants picked up a fake mountain and hurled it at us.

Percy, Jason and I bolted. We dove together into the nearest trench and the mountain shattered above us, spraying us with plaster shrapnel. It wasn't deadly, but it stung like crazy.

The crowd jeered and shouted for blood. "Fight! Fight!"

"I'll take Otis again?" Jason called over the noise. "Or do you want him this time?"

"We attack together," Percy said. "Otis first, because he's weaker. Take him out quickly and move to Ephialtes. Bronze and gold together—maybe that'll keep them from re-forming a little longer."

Jason smiled dryly, like he'd just found out he would die in an embarrassing way.

"Why not?" he agreed. "But Ephialtes isn't going to stand there and wait while we kill his brother. Unless—"

"Good wind today," Percy offered. "And there're some water pipes running under the arena."

Jason understood immediately. He laughed, and Percy felt a spark of friendship. This guy thought the same way he did about a lot of things.

Jason and Percy both looked at me. "What?" I said blinking.

"Give it everything," Percy said.

Jason nodded. "Summon anything. You have Gaea's powers and that will surprise them."

"Okay," I said nodding. "So, I'm a son of a war goddess and now I have to attack from afar."

Jason made a face understanding. "Just—"

"I'm joking," I said giving them a smile. "Might as well lighten the mood before we all die."

"On three?" Jason said.

"Why wait?"

Percy and Jason charged out of the trench. I followed behind but slowly making sure I am attacking from afar. As I suspected, the twins had lifted another plaster mountain and were waiting for a clear shot. The giants raised it above their heads, preparing to throw, and Percy caused a water pipe to burst at their feet, shaking the floor. Jason sent a blast of wind against Ephialtes's chest. The purple-haired giant toppled backward and Otis lost his grip on the mountain, which promptly collapsed on top of his brother. Only Ephialtes's snake feet stuck out, darting their heads around, as if wondering where the rest of their body had gone.