Child of the Moon

Luke Has A Glowup

Annabeth: Land!  These wings won't last forever!

Rachel: How long?

YN: I don't want to find out!

The four of us swooped down towards the Garden of the Gods.  Percy scared a couple of climbers when he circled around one of the rock spires.  Afterwards, the four of us soared across the valley, went over a road, and ended up on the visitor center's terrace.  The place appeared deserted, yet everyone wasted no time in swiftly removing the wings.  I could see Annabeth was right.  The self adhesive seals that bound the wings to our backs were already melting, and we were shedding bronze feathers.  We couldn't fix them, and couldn't leave them around for the mortals, so we stuffed the wings in trash bins outside the cafeteria.  I looked up at the hill where Daedalus' workshop used to be, but it had disappeared.  No more smoke.  No broken windows.  Just the side of a hill.

Annabeth: The workshop moved.  There's no telling where.

Percy: So what do we do now?  How do we get back in the maze?

YN: I really don't wanna go back in there.

Annabeth gazed at the summit of Pikes Peak in the distance.

Annabeth: Maybe we can't.  If Daedalus died... he said his life force was tied into the Labyrinth.  The whole thing might've been destroyed.  Maybe that will stop Luke's invasion.

YN: I don't think so.  Think about it, if the Labyrinth collapsed, we'd be able to feel the tremors across the country.

Annabeth: Then we have to get into town.  Our chances will be better of finding an entrance to the Labyrinth.  We have to make it back to camp before Luke and his army.

Rachel: We could just take a plane

Percy shuddered.

Percy: I don't fly.

Rachel: But you just did.

Percy: That was low flying, and even that's risky.  Flying up really high... that's Zeus's territory.  I can't do it.  Besides, we don't even have time for a flight.  The labyrinth is the quickest way back.

I knew he didn't want to say it, but I bet he was also hoping that maybe we would find Grover and Tyson along the way.

YN: So we need a car to take us into the city.

Rachel looked down into the parking lot.  She grimaced, as if she were about to do something she regretted.

Rachel: I'll take care of it.

Annabeth: How?

Rachel: Just trust me.

Annabeth looked uneasy, but she nodded.

Annabeth: Okay, I'm going to buy a prism in the gift shop.  I'll try to make a rainbow and send an Iris message to camp.

Percy: Alright, I'll go with Rachel.

Annabeth came back a few minutes later with a spray bottle full of water.  We found a spear of daylight and I sprayed the bottle into the light, after a few sprays a small rainbow appeared.  Annabeth threw a gold drachma into it that she dug out of her pocket

Annabeth: Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering.  Chiron, Camp Half-Blood.

His face filled the screen immediately.

Chiron: Oh!  Annabeth, YN.  It is good to see you.  What's happened?  Where's Percy?

YN: He's safe.

Chiron smiled, but then he saw my neck.

Chiron: YN, are you alright?  You have a bruise on your neck.