Anyone who knows Arya Jackson for more than five minutes knows her opinion of the world, and demigods not so fair place in it. Unfortunately, since the war Arya isn't that easy to get to know. To most she's little more than a legend.
Arya is fine w...
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23.
LET'S GIVE THEM A SHOW
THEY CRAWLED FOR HUNDREDS OF FEET. Arya's was tuned into the unfamiliar noises that surrounded her but unless anything sounded like it was coming directly for her, she didn't give any of it much thought. She didn't stop for anything until she got to the turn in the pipe. She signaled for Jason and Piper to stop, while her and Percy got a better look.
The good news was that the pipe had come to an end.
The bad news was that it had dropped them off in some kind of circus. All around them in the open underground room were lever and pulley systems operated by water or rotating wheels. Each was connected to some kind of odd machinery or a cage with different kinds of animals, real and mythological.
When Percy waved the other two forward a wooden cut out of a demigod appeared and descended upwards through the ceiling.
Knowing how this story goes Arya let out a sigh. "We need to move fast. I can guarantee that the cut out was there to inform the giants that we're here."
So, the four of them crawled out of the pipe and took in the large room around them. Arya started to look for the jar, or a place where a jar would go. Percy found it first.
Nico's jar, on a raised dais with two empty thrones overlooking the whole extravagant room. Arya's feet took off and she ran with a vigor she hadn't had in a long time. She didn't care about traps or the animals. She ducked, and weaved her way through them all.
She reached the steps when a grating whirring sound came out from above her.
"Arya stop!" Jason called.
She didn't listen. Nico was there, within her sights, pale and lifeless. She wasn't sure he was alive but he was there.
Behind her, lying on a platform, now standing between her and the other three, was one of the twin giants. Blue hair, snakes for feet, loud hawaiian shirt that depicted horrific demigod deaths, and a blinding golden spear.
Arya stopped in her tracks. Scared that if he called attention to herself then it would matter if Nico was dead or alive right now. Percy started talking in order to keep the giant's attention off his sister.
Not a minute later the second one rose from the floor looking like a twelve foot tall ballet dancer. Complete with a crown and pointe shoes.
When the twins started arguing Arya took that as her chance to close the distance between her and the jar. The tears stung the back of her eyes as she put her hands on the class. Nico had always looked old for his age, he had been through so much. Gods, Arya wasn't even sure he was fifteen yet. Now that he was in this trance thing, seconds away from dying, Arya thought he looked like a kid.
