{1} Princess - P. Jackson 🔱

"When everything goes down, Perseus makes it go up again."

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We stopped inside a room full of waterfalls.

The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around us, on all four walls, water tumbled from huge pipes. The water spilled down into the pit, and even when I shined a light, I couldn't see the bottom.

Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. "This pit goes straight to Tartarus," he murmured. "I should jump in and save you trouble."

"Don't talk that way," Annabeth told him. "You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody."

"I have nothing to offer," Briares said. "I have lost everything."

"What about your brothers?" Tyson asked. "The other two must still stand tall as mountains! We can take you to them."

Briares's expression morphed to something even sadder: his grieving face. "They are no more. They faded."

The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye.

"What exactly do you mean, they faded?" Percy asked. "I thought monsters were immortal, like the gods."

"Perseus," I said weakly, "even immortality has limits. Sometimes... sometimes monsters get forgotten and they lose their will to stay immortal."

I looked at Grover. He must feel the same way with Pan. Maybe the god has faded, or is fading. Maybe he is just lost somewhere, waiting for the right searcher to find him. Grover would be the one to find him, we just have to have faith.

"I must go," Briares said.

"Kronos's army will invade camp," Tyson said. "We need help." Briares hung his head. "I cannot, Cyclops."

"You are strong."

"Not anymore." Briares rose.

"Hey." Percy grabbed one of his arms and pulled him aside, where the roar of the water would hide his words.

I scoped closer to Tyson. Opening my arms and offering him a hug. The Cyclops hugged me tight, placing his forehead on my shoulder.

I kept caressing his back, watching Percy and Briares talk. After a while, he turned and trudged off down the corridor until he was lost in the shadows, making Tyson sob more. Percy got back near us and sat beside Annabeth and Grover.

"It's okay." Grover hesitantly patted Tyson's shoulder, which must've taken all his courage. The Cyclops let go of me and wiped his eye.

Tyson sneezed. "It is not okay, goat boy. He was my hero."

I wanted to make him feel better, but I wasn't sure what to say.

Finally, Annabeth stood and shouldered her backpack. "Come on, guys. This pit is making me nervous. Let's find a better place to camp for the night."

We settled in a corridor made of huge marble blocks. It looked like it could've been part of a Greek tomb, with bronze torch holders fastened to the walls. It had to be an older part of the maze, and Annabeth decided this was a good sign.

"We must be close to Daedalus' workshop," she said. "Get some rest, everybody. We'll keep going in the morning."

"How do we know when it's morning?" Grover asked.

"Just rest," she insisted.

As we were setting down our improvised beds, I was helping Tyson adjust his sleeping bag a little away from Grover, so he could sleep without sneezing, when he straightened his back and said, "Shiny message!"