Blood Of Poseidon

XII. The Winter Solstice

The towns were zipping by faster now, islands of light thicker together, until the whole land scape below was a glittering carpet. Dawn was close. The eastern sky was turning gray. And up ahead, a huge white-and-yellow glow spread out before us—the lights of New York. He looked around and saw his friends on their Pegasi mounts. Thalia sleeping on her mount, Porkpie, Tired from the quest. Bianca hanging tightly around hers, Chips, while looking around with amusement. Megan was lost in her thought as rode her mount, Beauty. Annabeth also was lost in her thought while riding close to him. "How's that for speedy, loss?" Blackjack bragged. "We get extra hay for breakfast or what?" "You're the man, Blackjack," Percy told him. "Er, the horse, I mean." "There it is." Thalia's voice; she'd woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started." "What's started?" Bianca asked. Then He looked where she was pointing. High above the Empire State Building, Olympus was its own island of light, a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air. "The winter solstice," Thalia said. "The Council of the Gods."

They circled over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus. Even though Percy had visited Olympus once, It still left him speechless. Well what else will the Home of The Gods do. In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from bloodred to indigo. No one ever slept on Olympus. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist here.  Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes. Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods. Their Pegasi set them down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates. The gates opened by themselves for the demigods. "Good luck, boss," Blackjack said. "Yeah." "Hey, if ya don't come back, can I have your cabin for my stable?" Percy looked at the Pegasus bewildered. "Just a thought," he said. "Sorry" Blackjack and his friends flew off, leaving the demigods alone. For a minute they stood there regarding the palace hesitating to enter, what seemed like a million years ago. And then, side by side, they walked into the throne room. 

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoe the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn. All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall, "Welcome, heroes," Artemis said. "Mooo!" A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. The lord of the sky was staring intently at Thalia. None of the gods spoke. The hearth fire crackled in that silent hall. Percy looked at his father, Poseidon. He was dressed similar to the last time he'd seen him: beach shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and sandals. He had a weathered, suntanned face with a dark beard and deep green eyes. And he was smiling proudly at his son. He nodded reassuringly towards his son. And a sense of protection washed over Percy, A feeling apparently he had forgotten. "Heroes," Artemis called. The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn-haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward them, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight. Which felt ethereal for Percy. "The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis told them. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act." There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested. "At Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes..."She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?" She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually. Zeus in his dark pin-striped suit, his black beard neatly trimmed, and his eyes sparking with energy. Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera. On Zeus's right, my father Poseidon. Next to him, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head, and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus. Hermes winked at Percy. He was wearing a business suit, checking messages on his caduceus mobile phone. Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had iPod headphones on, he gave Percy a thumbs-up. Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grape vine between his fingers. And Ares, sat on his chrome-and-leather throne, glowering at Percy while he sharpened a knife. On the ladies' side of the throne room, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne woven of apple-tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. Next to her sat a beautiful gray-eyed woman in an elegant white dress, Athena. Then there was Aphrodite, who smiled at Percy knowingly, But he knew to keep composed. "I gotta say" Apollo broke the silence "these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels—" "Um, yes, first class," Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry. "All in favor of not disintegrating them?" A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite. "Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia and Percy. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—" "Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits." "Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well." Thalia blushed. She studied the floor. The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other two." "Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you—" Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods... such as Thalia and Percy... are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point." "Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—" He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down. "Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later." Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?" Dionysus gazed down at the demigods wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?" "I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide." "I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it." "Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up." "Don't call me sis! I will reward them." "Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?"