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Rory, Percy, and Bob stumbled along in the darkness, the air thick and cold, the ground alternating patches of pointy rocks and pools of muck. The terrain seemed to be designed so that Rory could never let her guard down. Even walking ten feet was exhausting.
Rory had started out from the giant's hut feeling physically strong again, her head clear, her belly full of drakon jerky from their packs of provisions. Now her legs were sore. Every muscle ached. She pulled a makeshift tunic of drakon leather over her shredded tee, but it did nothing to keep out the chill.
Every couple of minutes, Percy would reach over and take her hand, and Rory would be reminded that there was warmth in the world.
Since they had left Damasen, Rory had felt miserable. If she thought too hard about what happened, tears would start to form in her eyes. She tried to wipe them away before Percy could notice, but she could always feel him looking at her when she thought she was being discreet. Sure, she was upset that her plan didn't work — she was convinced they needed Damasen's help and the giant had turned them down. But even more so, she felt bad for him. She hated leaving him there to continue to wallow in his own despair, forced to fight a drakon every day of his life.
She wondered what had happened after they left Damasen's hut. She hadn't heard their pursuers in hours, but he could sense their hatred... especially Polybotes'. That giant was back there somewhere, following, pushing them deeper into Tartarus.
Bob glanced down at Rory. "Why did you tell Damasen your name is Aurora."
The question surprised her.
"That is my name." At his look of confusion, Rory continued, "Aurora is my real name. Rory is just a nickname."
He thought for a moment. "And... you chose this nickname?"
"No. My... uh, my dad has been calling me that since I was little. I didn't even realize my name was Aurora until I was, like, six," she laughed.
Percy gave her a curious look, but he smiled when he realized she was talking about Chiron. While living in the mortal world, it became a habit for her to refer to Chiron as her father when telling vague stories about her childhood. It was a quick habit to pick up — he deserved the title.
"So why did you give that name to Damasen?" Bob asked.
"Because I wasn't sure right away that I could trust him," Rory answered honestly. "Aurora is my real name, but Rory is my name. I don't like giving that to people I don't trust. It feels weird, because that's what my friends and family call me, you know? It's like you said before, Bob: names have power. For me, Rory is what has all the power."
"I call you 'Rory,'" he pointed out.
"Well, because I trust you," she said. "You're my friend."
Rory didn't mention that, had she properly introduced herself to Bob, she most likely would have given him the name Aurora. Instead, Bob had picked up on Percy calling her 'Rory.' However, at this point, she did trust him. Sure she was concerned about Bob's staying on their side once they reached the Doors of Death — but Bob had done nothing to prove himself unworthy of her trust. If anything, the Titan had no reason to trust Rory and Percy. They were the ones who had used him and his friendship. Rory hoped there was a way to make up for that.
