Percy Jackson: Daughter of Shadows

14. I Have Never Been So Proud

"WHY IN THE FUCK KNUCKLES DID EVERYONE ABANDON CHIRON? FOR THE LOVE OF GODS, IT IS NOT THAT FUCKING HARD!" I yelled, racing into the elevator. "I DON'T THINK IT WAS ON PURPOSE!" Annabeth yelled. "THAT IS EXCACTLY MY POINT!" I yelled, smashing the button. "Well, what are you waiting for? MOVE IT!" I roared, pulling Thalia and Percy into the elevator. "What are you so worried about?" Percy asked. I kept quiet, counting the floors. "Because, if you remember, Kronos is Chiron's father. And need I remind you who my father is, and how much and how long I hated him?" Percy and Annabeth stared at each other. "Move this elevator faster!" Annabeth yelled. "NOW." "I'm sorry, what changed your mind so fast?" "I've been at camp since I was seven. You have not seen Chiron angry until you've seen him go without his morning coffee and remove the seventh arrow from his wheelchair" "SHIT!" 

     By the time we got to the street, it was too late. Campers and Hunters laid wounded on the ground. Clarisse must've lost a fight with a Hyperborean giant, because she and her chariot were frozen in a block of ice. The centaurs were nowhere to be seen. Either they'd panicked and ran or they'd been disintegrated. The Titan army ringed the building, standing maybe twenty feet from the doors. Kronos's vanguard was in the lead: Ethan Nakamura, the dracaena queen in her green armor, and two Hyperboreans. I didn't see Prometheus, luckily for him. The slimy jerk was probably hiding back at their headquarters. But Kronos himself stood right in the front with his scythe in hand. The only thing standing in his way was....

   "Chiron," Annabeth said, her voice trembling. If Chiron had heard her, he didn't answer. He had an arrow notched, aimed straight at Kronos's face. As soon as Kronos saw Percy and me, his gold eyes flared. Every muscle in my body tensed. Then the Titan lord turned his attention back to Chiron. "Step aside, little son" Hearing Luke call Chiron his son was weird enough, but Kronos put contempt in his voice, like son was the worst word he could think of. "I'm afraid not" Chiron's tone was steely calm, the way he gets when he's really angry. 

   I tried to move, but my feet felt like concrete. Annabeth, Grover, Thalia, and Percy were straining too, like they were just as stuck. "Chiron!" Annabeth said. "Look out!" The dracaena queen became impatient and charged. Chiron's arrow flew straight between her eyes and she vaporized on the spot, her empty armor clattering to the asphalt. Chiron reached for another arrow, but his quiver was empty. He dropped the bow and drew his sword. The sword never was his favorite weapon. Kronos chuckled. He advanced a step, and Chiron's horse-half skittered nervously. His tail flicked back and forth. 

   "You're a teacher," Kronos sneered. "Not a hero" "Luke was a hero," Chiron said. "He was a good one, until you corrupted him."

   "FOOL!" Kronos's voice shook the city. "You filled his head with empty promises. You said the gods cared about me!" "Me," Chiron noticed. "You said me." 

    Kronos looked confused, and in that moment, Chiron struck. It was a good maneuver-a feint followed by a strike to the face. I don't even think Percy could've done it better himself (Not that I doubt my abilities, but more of the fact that I am extremely clumsy), but Kronos was quick. He had all of Luke's fighting skill, which was a lot. He knocked aside Chiron's blade and yelled, "BACK!" 

  A blinding white light exploded between the Titan and the centaur. Chiron flew into the side of the building with such force the wall crumbled and collapsed on top of him. "NO!" Annabeth wailed. The freezing spell broke. We ran toward our teacher, but there was no sign of him. Thalia and Percy pulled at the bricks while a ripple of ugly laughter ran through the Titan's army. "YOU!" Annabeth turned on Luke. "To think that I... that I thought-" 

  She drew her knife. 

   "Annabeth, don't" Percy tried to take her arm, but she shook him off. She attacked Kronos, and his smug smile faded. If Luke was still in there, I had to guess that he was remembering he used to like this girl, used to take care of her when she was little. She plunged her knife between the straps of his armor, right at his collarbone. The blade should've sunk into his chest. Instead it bounced right off. Annabeth doubled over, clutching her arm to her stomach. The jolt might've been enough to dislocate her bad shoulder. Percy yanked her back as Kronos swung his scythe, slicing the air where she'd been standing.