𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚔𝚒𝚍 - percy jackson x oc

032

XXXII - THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH

VALERIA WAS NO STRANGER to weird things and a dozen Laistrygonian giants erupting from the ground, yelling so loud that she thought her eardrums had shattered would definitely be considered a "weird thing." 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, smashed it sideways with his club, and the entire cabin was thrown aside, a dozen warriors tossed to the wind like rag dolls.

"Fire!" Beckendorf yelled. The catapults swung into action. Two boulders hurtled toward the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down. Apollo's archers fired a volley, dozens of arrows sticking in the thick armor of the giants like porcupine quills. Several found chinks in armor, and some of the giants vaporized at the touch of celestial bronze.

But just when it looked like the Laistrygonians were about to get overwhelmed, the next wave surged out of the maze: thirty, perhaps forty dracaenae in full battle armor, wielding spears and nets. They dispersed in all directions. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got struck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. 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. Argus and Athena's warriors rushed forward to meet them. Annabeth drew a sword and engaged one of them. Nearby, Tyson was riding a giant. Somehow he had managed to climb onto the giant's back and was hitting him on the head with a bronze shield, which made a humorous clanging sound with every hit.

Chiron calmly aimed arrow after arrow, taking down a monster with every shot. But more enemies just kept climbing out of the maze. Finally a hellhound—not Mrs. O'Leary—leaped out of the tunnel and barreled straight toward the satyrs.

Valeria charged with her bow in her hands, and Percy quickly followed her.

An enemy halfblood was fighting with a son of Dionysus named Castor, but it was not much of a contest. The enemy stabbed him in the arm then clubbed him over the head with the butt of his sword, and Dionysus' son went down. Another enemy warrior shot flaming arrows into the trees, sending their archers and dryads into a panic.
A dozen dracaenae suddenly broke away from the main fight and slithered down the path that led toward camp, like they knew where they were going. If they got out, they could burn down the entire place, completely unopposed.

The only person anywhere nearby was Valeria's little brother, Nico di Angelo. He stabbed a telekhine, and his black Stygian blade absorbed the monster's essence, drinking its energy until there was nothing left but dust.

"Nico!" Percy yelled.

Nico looked where he was pointing, saw the serpent women, and immediately understood.

He took a deep breath and held out his black sword. "Serve me," he called.

The earth trembled. A fissure opened in front of the dracaenae, and a dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth—horrible corpses in military uniforms from all different time periods—U.S. Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses. As one, they drew their swords and engaged the dracaenae. Nico crumpled to his knees.

Valeria's heart dropped and she ran over and quickly poured some nectar down his throat before she heard a scream behind her.

Jenny from the Ares cabin was caught in a losing fight with a Laistrygonian giant. The girl was swinging her sword wildly, but it did not seem to affect the giant.

Valeria stowed her bow and raised her dagger. She ran forward and leaped onto the giant's back, stabbing the sword into its neck. It groaned before it melted into dust.