𝓟𝓻𝓪𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓪 - (𝓟.𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓼𝓸𝓷)

10.

vol ii
➵ chapter ten ➵

Percy Jackson informs the group about the owner of the limousine and their impromptu visit.

"What did she want with you?" Bianca questions.
"Oh, uh, not sure," Percy lies, unable to meet a certain someone's gaze. "She said to be careful in her husband's junkyard. She said not to pick anything up."

Zoe narrows her eyes. "The goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell thee that. Be careful, Percy. Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."
"For once, I agree with Zoe," Thalia says. "You can't trust Aphrodite."

Grover's giving him a strange look. Being empathic and all, he can usually read his best friend's emotions.
The son of Poseidon gets the feeling he knows exactly what Aphrodite has talked to him about, the saytr taking discrete glances at Helia. Said girl watches on, concerned at the boys change in behaviour, but stays decidedly silent.

"So," Percy says, anxious to change the subject, "how do we get out of here?"
"That way," Zoe replies. "That is west."
"How can you tell?"
"Ursa Major is in the north," she says, "which means that must be west."
She points west, then at the northern constellation, which is hard to make out because there are so many other stars.

"Oh, yeah," Percy responds. "The bear thing."
Zoe looks offended. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy opponent."
"You act like it was real."

"Guys," Helia interrupts. "Look!"
They've reached the crest of a junk mountain. Piles of metal objects glint in the moonlight: broken heads of bronze horses, metal legs from human statues, smashed chariots, tons of shields and swords and other weapons, along with more modern stuff, like cars that gleamed gold and silver, refrigerators, washing machines, and computer monitors.

"Whoa," Bianca says. "That stuff... some of it looks like real gold."
"It is," Thalia says grimly. "Like Percy said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."

"Junk?" Grover picks up a beautiful crown made of gold, silver, and jewels. It's broken on one side, as if it had been split by an axe. "You call this junk?"
He bites off a point and begins to chew. "It's delicious!"
Thalia swats the crown out of his hands. "I'm serious!"

"Look!" Bianca says. She races down the hill, tripping over bronze coils and golden plates. She picks up a bow that glows silver in the moonlight. "A Hunter's bow!"

She yelps in surprise as the bow begins to shrink and becomes a hair clip shaped like a crescent moon.
Zoe's face is grim. "Leave it, Bianca."
"But—"
"It is here for a reason. Anything thrown away in this junkyard must stay in this yard. It is defective. Or cursed."
Bianca reluctantly sets the hair clip down.
"I don't like this place," Thalia says. She grips the shaft of her spear.

"You think we're going to get attacked by killer refrigerators?" Percy asks.
She gives him a hard look. "Zoe is right, Percy. Things get thrown away here for a reason. Now come on, let's get across the yard."
"That's the second time you've agreed with Zoe," he mutters, but Thalia ignores him.

They start picking their way through the hills and valleys of junk. The stuff seems to go on forever, and if it weren't for Ursa Major, they would've gotten lost. All the hills pretty much look the same.

Finally, they see the edge of the junkyard about half a mile ahead, the lights of a highway stretching through the desert. But between the group and the road...