𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋

꧁𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐜𝐡𝟓𝟗꧂

Annabeth

"Damasen?" I asked, staring at the giant in disbelief.
"What is happening? Why are you here?" the peaceful giant responded, ancient voice raspy.
"The doors were reopened, and we had to close them. It's complicated. You- I need to get you out of here."
"We? Is Percy here?"
I grimaced. "He is. We need to meet him outside. Do you know where there's a key?" I whispered quickly, looking at the rusty lock on the bars. The lock pick was somewhere on the floor, twisted corridors and great brass rooms away.
But suddenly, the room shook again and a couple bricks fell down from inside of the cell.
"Damasen, do you reckon you could force your way out?" I asked, looking at the falling bricks. He nodded grimly before beginning to pull at the falling wall, throwing metal and other materials over his shoulders with a roar. I glanced behind me. The monsters were approaching fast. Finally, he managed to tear a hole. He began to struggle through it, gargantuan limbs scraping painfully at the sides. He made it through, slowly standing up.
"Freedom. I haven't left those walls in a long time." he said, eyes closing for a moment.
"Damasen, I'm sorry, but we're-" the room shook again, making me fall back onto the wall. "-pressed for time." He nodded again in understanding. I looked at the door, our way out. Our freedom.

But I couldn't leave Percy behind. Even if it killed me. I was scared that he was in danger, heart rocketing and slamming in my rib cage.

"I need to get back to Percy, Damasen." I decided. "He's too injured to get himself out and he's gonna get himself killed. You can get out there, I think." I said, pointing to the door the ghost girl and the guard had gone through.
Damasen shook his head. "I will help you. I can distract those monsters," he said, pointing at the incoming horde. They were getting too close. "Where do you need to go?"
"I'm guessing it's the throne room." I said.
He tilted his head. "You'll have to sneak past them somehow." I missed my Yankees cap.
"Or not." I said, thinking. "We could just trick them."
"How?"
"Come on!" I shouted loudly. I still wondered how he had come to be here, but now wasn't the time for a catch up. We sprinted towards the door.
"Damasen. I'm going to need you to keep running. Act as though you are holding me. Oh- and I'm gonna need leg up." I murmured, hoping he heard me.
If ancient evil ruins had fire escapes, this would be the equivalent. We hit the outside of the fortress, poisoned air hitting my throat again, as if it had been diluted on the inside. I realised how thirsty I was, and I really needed to fix the growing boils on my arms.
Damasen lifted out a hand and I stepped onto it. "Be careful." he said. "Thank you for my freedom. Hopefully we will meet again." He launched me up and I grabbed onto a barred window, about fifteen feet above ground. My feet dangled loosely and for once, I was grateful for the climbing wall back at camp. The monsters flooded out of the door, pushing and shoving, crawling on top of each other. They raced after Damasen, hungrily eyeing his clenched fist of what they thought was a demigod.

Soon, the last monster ran out of the door and I held my breath as it stopped. It was sniffing, looking around. The telkhine slowly began to look up. I jumped, hurling down in the air. I rolled as I hit the ground, attempting to break my fall. Wind was knocked out of me and I had just enough time to stab the monster before it got me first. But its cries caught the back of the crowd of monsters' attention. Slowly, they began to turn around, snarling.

I only had enough time to swear under my breath before I turned on my heel and sprinted back into the building, about a third of the bloodthirsty horde close behind.

The run was fast, rattling breaths hitching in my chest. Hope was beginning to deteriorate as they began to catch up. Stupid. Percy had warned me to be out of here. And I was doing the opposite - but I knew that if our positions were reversed, he'd do the same. I leaped under a falling chunk of ceiling, which caused a few monsters to explode into dust. I didn't have much energy to celebrate though, when I was nearly crushed when the wall next to me almost fell on top of me.